Enigma, Maine, Bundle 2

by Iris Abbott

  Rose regained her senses as the wolf continued to move nearer. She waved her arms and made as much noise as she could. She wanted to make herself appear as large as possible.

  If the wolf perceived her as a threat, it might back off and leave her alone. The wolf stopped and stared at her. It didn’t go, but it didn’t come any closer either.

  There was no sign of Justin. Where was her dark angel? If the attacker was dead, and surely he was, with all the blood littering the snow, why hadn’t Justin come to her? She saw a pile of discarded clothing that could belong to Justin, but no Justin. There was no blood or other trails in the snow leading away from the body. There was just one set of wolf tracks and the dead body, nothing else.

  Even if the wolf attacked Justin, it hadn’t had time to move or hide the body. Where was he? Her heart hammered in her chest. Her breathing sped up, but breaths were shallow. She started to feel faint. She couldn’t stand around, waiting for help to come, or the wolf to disappear. She had to find Justin.

  She ran to the snowmobile and checked to see if Justin took refuge there when the wolf attacked. Nothing! A strangled sob escaped and tears froze to her face as fast as they fell. She was damp and freezing. She needed to find shelter, dry off, and warm up, but she wasn’t going anywhere without Justin. He might be hurt, and she couldn’t just leave him.

  She turned to see that the wolf was now right beside her. Amazingly, it seemed to morph into a human right before her eyes. And not just any human either, but one that was very familiar to her.

  “Justin!” The stress, cold, and fear finally caught up with Rose. She fainted in a heap right at Justin’s feet.

  ****

  Justin quickly dressed. He hadn’t been ready to expose his wolf-shifting secret to Rose, but under the circumstances, he didn’t much choice. He would deal with the fallout later. All that mattered now was taking care of Rose.

  He knelt down in the snow and cradled Rose in his arms. He rubbed his hands up and down her body to infuse some warmth into her. “Rose,” he lightly shook her. He needed to revive her and the sooner, the better.

  ****

  Rose felt the darkness clouding around her start to lift. Her eyes slowly flickered open. Eyes that were as black as midnight looked down into hers. Rose instantly sprang back when thoughts of the big bad wolf came to mind.

  “Rose, it’s okay. It’s me.”

  “Justin! Oh, thank goodness! I couldn’t find you,” Rose accused. She stopped talking and looked around. “I thought I saw a wolf, and then there you were.” She shook her head really hard. What was she saying? Of course, Justin wasn’t a wolf. What a ridiculous thought.

  “I must have been hallucinating,” she murmured. “Maybe I’m in shock. Or hyperthermia’s set in.” Always the practical one,” she silently admonished herself.

  Several motors hummed in the distance, and the noise finally penetrated the fog around Rose’s mind. They drew closer, and the snowmobile in the lead came to a smooth stop right beside Rose and Justin. She instantly recognized Mitch and a few other people she’d seen visit the Gannon house on occasion.

  “Oh!” She looked at Justin who stood and then helped her up as well. “I used the panic button you gave me. I didn’t know if it would work out here or how close h-help w-would b-be.”

  “It’s friendly backup,” he confirmed. He brushed some of the snow off of his outer garments and reached over to do the same for Rose. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Need to get you dry and warm as soon as possible.”

  ****

  Mitch took in the scene before him, including all the spilled blood, with detached interest. He could smell the blood, and he knew it didn’t belong to his brother or anyone else he knew. He took a quick look around and focused on Rose and his brother. Her eyes were getting that glazed look, and what little he could see of her face was bright red. She needed to get warm and dry, but first, he needed details.

  “I need to know exactly what happened. Somebody’s gonna have to explain the bloodshed to Aquila.”

  “D-D-Don’t know,” Rose’s stuttering got worse. She was visibly shaking, and her chattering teeth made it hard to talk. “Snowmobile… g-gun. Justin hid me in the s-s-snow. I didn’t s-see anything.” She hugged herself. “Screaming s-s-stopped, and I came out, s-saw dead man here, wolf there, no Justin.” She sobbed again. “Then I f-fainted, and Justin was h-h-here with me when I came to.”

  She pulled away from Justin’s light grasp and stumbled over to the dead man. He let her go.

  The word wolf piqued Mitch’s curiosity, but he didn’t say anything in front of Rose. He’d discuss it with Justin later. “Do either one of you recognize the intruder?”

  Justin stalked over to the dead body and rolled it over. “No,” he snapped. Rose?”

  She put a hand on Justin to steady herself and slowly moved her head around his body to look at the face of the dead man. She let out a strangled sob and buried her face in the back of Justin’s jacket.

  ****

  Justin swiftly turned away from the bloody body and wrapped his arms around the shivering woman who meant so much to him. He pulled her close and whispered words of comfort into her ears. Her reaction was alarming, but it answered Mitch’s question. A response like that had to mean she recognized the would-be killer.

  Violent shivers shook her body. Justin didn’t know if it was from the cold or the shock, probably both. “Honey, we need to get you out of here. You need to get dry and warm. Can you tell me who that is?”

  Rose rapidly blinked her eyes. She used her gloved hand to wipe away the excess tears. “It’s Robert Banks. He is or rather was a distant cousin of my father.” She let out another sob. “He works for Banks Pharmaceuticals as a chemist, and he sits on the board of directors.” She sobbed again, and her shivering increased.

  Justin gave Mitch a worried look. They both guessed the person who wanted her dead was probably someone she knew. A relative even a distant one made the betrayal all the more gut-wrenching. His heart broke for Rose. “Thank you for showing up as soon as you did,” he told his brother.

  Mitch nodded. “We were in the area doing drills. Rose was smart enough to set off the panic button on the emergency beacon you gave her. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong, at least not this fast.” He looked at the exhausted woman whose eyelids were beginning to droop. “Take care of Rose. The men and I have cleanup here under control.”

  “Thanks, Mitch. We’ll be in my bedroom if you need me for a briefing later on today.”

  Mitch cocked an eyebrow but didn’t question his brother’s obvious statement of possession. “Your usual report will be enough for me. I already know the gist of what happened anyway. Both of you’ll have to give a statement to Detective Aquila, but that can wait until tomorrow. I’ll make sure of it.”

  Justin thanked his brother once again and turned his focus back to Rose. “I need to get you home, so I can take care of you. Mitch and the rest of the men will wait for Detective Aquila.” He looked at his brother who nodded his agreement. “The Enigma Police Department is going to have to officially identify the dead body and close out the car bomb case.”

  He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted it upward so he could look into her eyes. “I know this must be hard, Rose. But I have to ask why this man would want you dead?”

  Rose shrugged. “He’s tried to buy my shares of stock ever since my parents died.” She firmed her lips and gave Justin a defiant look. “They were a legacy from my parents, and I refused to part with them. I didn’t interfere with the day to day running of the company, but I did attend monthly board meetings, and I always voted my shares in a manner that I thought would benefit the company.” She shrugged. “Sometimes Robert and I bumped heads, but not often.” She sobbed. “I never would have expected him.”

  Justin narrowed his eyes on the corpse and wished he could rip the man’s throat out all over again. The greedy bastard tried to snuff out Rose’s life ove
r company shares and control of the family business. Unbelievable! The level of greediness made him ill.

  ****

  Rose stood numbly by and waited. Justin wrapped a blanket around her and motioned her to one of the snowmobiles. She slipped off her snowshoes and climbed onto the snowmobile behind him. His voice echoed around them as he spoke a few words to Mitch. Rose didn’t even try to follow their conversation. It was hard enough to hang on to him and keep her teeth from chattering right out of her gums.

  The ride back to park headquarters passed in a blur. Rose was barely aware of what went on around them as they traveled to their destination. Finally, they arrived. Justin parked the snowmobile and scooped Rose into his arms.

  Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and cherished the warm feeling of being held close to him. “I was s-s-so w-worried about you,” she pushed out through clenched jaws and teeth that still chattered. “Justin, I s-saw a wolf! He was gorgeous. The most beautiful thing I’ve seen, except for you,” she shyly added. “I couldn’t find you though, and I thought you were g-gone. I was terrified.” Once again, she hid what she thought she saw the wolf do.

  Justin cupped her head between his two hands. “I’m sorry you were scared, honey.” A large shudder ripped through Rose’s body, and Justin cursed. “We’re putting your health at risk the longer it takes to get you warm and dry. I need to get the heater in the SUV going full blast. That will start the warming process.”

  Justin cradled Rose closer and walked the few steps to his SUV. He opened the back door on the driver’s side and carefully placed Rose on the large bench seat. Then he rushed to the front and started the engine.

  Rose furrowed her brows and gave Justin a questioning look. “What am I d-d-doing back here?”

  “More room,” Justin responded. “You need to get out of those wet clothes. And I don’t want to wait until we reach home either. You haven’t stopped shivering since you’ve been in my arms. I know some of it is shock from what happened, but you’re cold and wet too. I can’t do much about the shock right now, but you can fix the cold and wet part while I’m driving.”

  ****

  Rose looked at him with such trust he felt his heart twist right inside his chest. He hoped she still looked at him like that when she knew the whole truth about him and the mysterious wolf. He planned to tell her soon. Now that she’d seen a wolf in Acadia, he didn’t think she’d be willing to give up her research until that wolf was bagged and tagged. That would be harder than she thought considering he was the wolf in question.

  Justin reached over the backseat and fumbled through a few things in the cargo area until he found the thermal blanket and clean towel he was looking for. He pulled the items into the backseat, unfolded them, and placed them next to Rose. “Do you think you can undress?” he asked.

  “I think s-so,” she answered. “My body’s numb, but my mind’s still alert.”

  “Good. I’m going to drive us home. While I’m doing that, I want you to get out of those wet clothes. Dry yourself off the best you can and then wrap up in that blanket. It’s thermal and should have you nice and toasty in no time, as long as you’re dry.” He wanted to tarry in the backseat with her but didn’t dare. He quickly brushed his lips across hers and firmly closed the door between them.

  ****

  Rose used her teeth to bite down on the thick gloves and pull them off her hands. The feeling in her fingers was starting to return, and numbness was giving way to a sharp and stinging pain. Feeling was a good thing. It cleared even more of the fog that settled around Rose’s mind. Outerwear was next as she used her ungloved hands to unbutton the thick coat she wore. Next, the earmuffs and then the wool hat with earflaps came off.

  The SUV started moving, and she lost her balance. She fell sideways but managed to catch herself before any damage was done. The SUV swerved, and Rose let out a little yelp. “Hey, watch it up there,” she protested as she was tossed about and almost lost her balance once again. The vehicle straightened and picked up speed.

  Justin grunted. “How are you doing?” he asked a few seconds later.

  “My fingers and toes burn, but that’s a good sign. The blood is flowing again. I’m almost out of these wet clothes.” Her voice grew muffled as she pulled the thermal top over her head. “Almost ready for the blanket,” she said in a rush. “I can’t wait.” The only thing better would be having Justin wrapped around her, but she wasn’t going to tell him that!

  “Not much longer. We’ll be home soon. Wrap up and sit tight. As soon as we get home, I’ll run a hot bubble bath, and you can soak away the rest of the chill.”

  “Umm, sounds heavenly.” Rose quickly unlaced her fur-lined boots, kicked them off, and removed the thermal socks that covered her feet and legs. Her pants, leggings, and thermal pants quickly followed. She stretched out on the large leather seat and closed her eyes. Now that she was starting to warm up, she really wanted a nap.

  SEVEN

  The gentle rocking motion stopped, and Rose jerked awake. She sat up and frantically searched her surroundings. She tried to figure out where she was. The last thing she remembered was being attacked in the park and hiding in the snow while Justin faced their attacker. She fought her way out of the blanket that was snuggly wrapped around her.

  “Whoa take it easy, Rose. Everything’s okay. We’re home. I just parked in the garage. That’s why it’s so dark.”

  Rose breathed deep. She instantly recognized the deep voice that coated and clung to her senses like a thick layer of honey. She let out an audible sigh of relief. “For a second there I thought I was back in the snow, and we were still under attack.”

  “I’m sorry that happened. You’ll have to take care of the fallout for Banks Pharmaceuticals as soon as possible, but not today. The rest of the day is all about me taking care of you.”

  Rose closed her eyes and leaned against the door. That sounded heavenly. The door behind her opened, and before she knew it, she was cradled in Justin’s embrace.

  He briskly walked inside the house and upstairs to his master bedroom.

  “Justin, this isn’t my room,” she reminded him.

  “I’m aware of that,” he said with a gentle smile. “We both know the attraction between us has been growing since the night I covered you while hell broke out around us. I’ve been fighting the overwhelming urge to make love to you since you’ve been in this house. I held back because I couldn’t take the risk, but now that you’re safe, I have to have you. First, you need a hot bubble bath and a massage to make sure your blood is flowing.”

  “Um, I don’t think blood flow is a problem. My whole body is energized from your touch,” she admitted with a shy smile. “And for the record, I want you just as much as you want me. I have for days.”

  Justin sat her down in the bathroom and turned on the water in his large Jacuzzi tub. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

  Rose sat on the edge of the tub and hoped that Justin wasn’t having second thoughts. She ran a hand through the rapidly rising water and adjusted the temperature just a bit.

  Justin came back a few minutes later carrying a bottle of bubble bath, liquid soap, a couple of large towels, a bath sponge, and a white fluffy terrycloth bathrobe. “I grabbed a few things we’re going to need,” he explained with a wicked grin.

  Rose took the robe he offered and brought it to her nose. It smelled just like Justin, so it had to be his. She hugged it to her and watched him pour some of the shimmering liquid into the tub. “I grabbed your soap from the guest bathroom. And I borrowed the bubble bath from Scarlet. She wanted to come up here and see how you were doing, but I stopped her. I told her we needed this time to ourselves.”

  The tub was almost filled with water and a thick layer of opaque bubbles. Rose tested the water temperature one more time. It was hot but comfortable. She dropped the blanket wrapped around her body and gingerly lowered herself into the tub. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back until it rested on the cushioned head
rest. “Feels like heaven,” she admitted to Justin.

  “It’s only going to get better. Make room for me, I’m coming in.”

  A giggle escaped Rose. She couldn’t imagine someone as masculine as Justin relaxing in a bathtub full of bubbles. The laughs abruptly stopped when she opened her eyes, and a very naked, very aroused Justin filled her sight. “Wow,” she managed to choke out. Rose blushed when she realized that she’d spoken out loud if Justin’s smug grin was any indication.

  “I want to take care of you,” he told her. He grabbed the sponge on the edge of the tub and squeezed the rose scented soap onto it.

  Rose relaxed into the body propping her up and tried to ignore the growing ache all that slick, muscled flesh caused her to feel. The sponge glided over her arms, legs, back, and front. She held her breath when it flitted over her breasts. Justin didn’t linger, but her nipples pebbled anyway.

  When he was finished, Justin set the sponge aside. “The water is starting to cool off, and your shivering and chattering have stopped. Are you ready for that massage now?”

  Heat flooded her feminine core at the thought of his hands skimming over her skin minus the sponge. “Hmmm definitely.” Justin stood and stepped out of the tub. The next thing Rose knew, she was being lifted by strong arms. Water trailed off of her body and cascaded all around her.

  Justin slowly lowered her feet to the floor, sliding her body down his in the process. He grabbed a towel from the heated rack and thoroughly dried every inch of her body. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the attention. He wrapped the robe around Rose and took her hand to lead her toward his king-size bed.

  Rose gasped when she got her first close-up look. It was a solid wood sleigh bed, but that’s not what caught her attention. The headboard had several wolves carved into the wood, and the work was exquisite. “It’s beautiful,” she said after running her fingers over the intricate woodwork. She laughed. “We’ve been looking for wolves for days, and they were right here in your bedroom the whole time,” she teased.