“Why don’t you finish trying on the clothes?” Teague’s arms tightened around her in a hug. He smiled down at her. “I’m interested in seeing how you look in that red dress.”
She took a deep breath. He was trying to get the situation back on a normal footing. She realized that and tried to control her temper. Irritation still flared because of Lillie’s attempts to get close to Berenger, Kassius, and Teague. And to sabotage the relationship. Sephanie grimaced. Mustn’t forget about the little witch’s attempts there.
“I’ll go try a few more things on, but if she shows up again while I’m in the dressing room, I can’t guarantee I’ll control the urge to rip her hair out.” Sephanie took a slow step back, but she didn’t want to move away from him. She felt primitive and violent urges whenever Lillie came around.
“If she does, I’ll personally play body blocker, Seph. Or if she gets too pushy, I’ll tell her to get out and call the police to escort her that way.” Julie smiled. “Does everything fit so far, or do I need to get you different sizes in any of the outfits?”
“Bigger across the bust in the lingerie and the same with the green shirt.” Sephanie walked back toward the fitting rooms.
She felt normal by the time she left the shop with Teague and the bags of clothing he’d insisted on buying. The relaxed feeling surprised Sephanie. She hadn’t thought she’d feel calm until they were back at the orchard. It was the one place she’d felt completely safe in the past few days.
* * * *
Teague led Sephanie down the hallway. Their meal would be ready soon, but he couldn’t wait any longer to show her part of his life. He hoped she liked what he had for her. Her reaction mattered. Maybe more than Kassius’s and Berenger’s had when he’d revealed his hobby to them about six months into their friendship.
He opened a door at the end and stepped back as she walked hesitantly inside. Two tables occupied the center of the room. Each of them was topped with an array of equipment. A divided box rested at the end of one table. Stones and gems nestled inside the sections, separated by color and size. On the other, a mixture of metal chains and pendants sat on the tabletop. It was a design he was in the process of finishing.
“This is yours?” She looked from the table to him and back.
“Yes.” He could feel the tension gathering in his shoulders.
She edged over to the table and looked at the necklace he had on the stand to the side of his work area. Her mouth hung open as she stared at the jewelry. She traced the braided design of the metal chain and caressed the gems nestled there.
“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you learn to do this?” She let her finger trail down to the teardrop gem hanging from the collar-like necklace.
He relaxed as the relief rolled through him. “My grandfather taught me during the times our parents sent us there. He’s a jeweler by trade and passed the trade on to my siblings and me.”
He’d loved his time at his grandparents’ home. It was the one place he’d felt like he belonged during his childhood.
“Your parents sent you there? For vacation?” She turned to face him.
Her attention now centered on him. He loved that.
“Not a vacation. There were places they traveled to where children weren’t welcome or weren’t safe. We went to my grandfather’s and would spend a few months there before my parents would come to get us.” Teague smiled in remembrance. It was while there he’d decided no matter what he did, he wanted his family to have a stable home life.
“You smile when you talk about your grandfather. You liked it there, didn’t you?” She eased closer and slipped her arms around his waist.
“Yes, I liked having someone there at night and one place I knew I could always go.” Teague gave a single nod.
“Where do you get all the pretty stones and gems?” She tilted her head to the side and stared at him.
Her interest was genuine. He could see the curiosity in her eyes as well as the excitement at learning more. It was something he could understand, because he wanted to know everything about her.
“Kassius and Berenger sometimes find some for me. I don’t know where they get them, but they’ve brought me some beautiful gems. Every time I’m off planet, I’m always looking. I’ll ship them back here.” He shrugged and then decided to turn the conversation. “I didn’t bring you in here to talk about me. I brought you here to give you something.”
Her eyes widened, and tears shimmered on her lashes. “You made me something?”
“Yes, I did.” He brushed the tears away from her eyes. His stomach clenched, and he stared down at her. Uncertainty ate at him. “Are these happy tears?”
“Yes.” She nodded quickly. “So happy. I want to hug and kiss you, but I’m going crazy wondering what it is.”
He reached over to the display stand and picked up the necklace she’d admired earlier. “Can I put it on you?”
She turned around and pulled her hair out of the way. “Please.”
He leaned down while he clasped the necklace. “Remember that word tonight. I want to hear it over and over. And I want you wearing nothing but this piece of jewelry.”
A blush rose on her cheeks, making them a delightful pink. If they didn’t have to go eat, he’d lift her onto the table and make that color spread as desire took her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Berenger landed his Duce on the pad next to his shop. Shadows lingered in the darkness of the early morning, but he knew the sun would soon top the horizon. He climbed out and paced for the building. His mind centered on his busy work schedule.
The cool air sent chills over his arms. The slight breeze felt good, but he hurried to get inside the shop. Even though it would be a beautiful day, he intended to rush through his work. He wanted to spend the rest of the day in the bedroom with her.
He only wished he could stay home with Sephanie, but he had a business to run. Not that both of them intended to stay in the house. Kassius would be out in the groves today. The only one who’d spend his day with Sephanie was Teague. Lucky bastard.
Berenger strode over to the door. The screen to the side of the door, part of the shop’s security system, activated when he stepped in front of it. It beeped, and Berenger heard the lock release. He turned to go in the open door, but from the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of black. Pain exploded in his jaw and head. The force of the blow sent him reeling. Light slashed in front of his eyes. He stumbled into the door frame.
His heart raced as he shoved the large form away from him. He scrambled to get away from the wall. He didn’t want to be cornered. His gaze locked on the large attacker. The man, dressed completely in black from his mask to his shoes, advanced slowly.
Berenger widened his stance, ready for the next attack. The man circled, trying to get behind him. Berenger moved along with him, determined not to let the man blindside him again.
The attacker lunged forward, lashing out with a booted foot. Berenger took the blow on his thigh. He swung his fist as pain streaked up his leg. His fist crashed into the man’s jaw. The attacker staggered to the side. Berenger pressed his advantage.
He advanced and swung again. Who the fuck was this? What did he think he would gain by attacking him? This was a garage. The only things to steal here were parts and tools. All transactions were electronic.
The man spun away. He straightened but stumbled. Berenger sprang at his opponent. He needed to take that man down so he could call the police. Maybe if they caught this person, they could discover who’d attacked Sephanie. If this attack was related.
Berenger swung his fist. Something slammed into his side at the same moment his knuckles struck the side of his attacker’s face. Berenger’s breath rushed from his lungs. The momentum drove him into the hard pavement. Sharp pain flashed from his shoulder, and pressure forced his other arm against his ribs. The weight lifted. Berenger rolled as he struggled to draw air into his aching lungs.
A boot
struck him in the shoulder, flipping him over. Berenger rolled with it, coming up to his hands and knees. Before he could struggle to his feet, a boot slammed into his stomach from the other side. He looked up and saw two men. Where had the second man come from? The bit of air he’d managed to draw in rushed back out. He fell onto his side with a groan.
“Too damn easy,” one of the black-clad figures muttered. “Didn’t even give us a good fight. We should have gone after the woman first.”
Berenger’s heart slammed against his chest. They were talking about Sephanie. He rolled into the feet of one of the men. The man fell over him and cursed when he sprawled on the hard surface. Berenger made it to a knee before a boot to the side of his hip sent him sprawling. Another hard kick had him doubling over with the pain.
“You’re fucking pathetic. I bet I’ll get more of a fight out of the woman. I’ll enjoy getting my hands on her.” The man kicked him over to his back.
As Berenger looked up at him, he realized two things—the man was huge and out of shape. The black clothes showed a distinct bulge at the gut. The lean man came at him first. Anger rushed through Berenger. Neither of those men would touch Sephanie.
“You won’t hurt her, you bastard.” Berenger lunged at the man’s legs.
The man’s shin caught him across the nose and cheek. Berenger fell backward. He had to get to his feet. It was his only chance against these two men. He rolled. Sharp pain streaked over his side from his ribs when he tried to rush to his feet. He didn’t make it. A foot struck out, landing in his stomach. Berenger collapsed onto the cold surface. He didn’t get a chance to move. A boot smashed down onto his arm. Berenger screamed as he felt and heard bones breaking. A boot against his head sent light flashing in front of his eyes before everything went completely dark.
* * * *
“Kassius!” The shout came from the far end of the row of carari bushes. The berries weren’t quite ripe yet.
Kassius looked over as one of the men from the winery ran through the orchards, coming close to barreling over some of the bushes in this section. Kassius frowned. As the running man drew closer, Kassius recognized Cam Watts, one of his best winemakers. Why was Cam in such a hurry? Kassius walked toward the man, hoping that cutting some of the distance between them might avoid some destruction.
The man skidded to a stop in front of him and pulled in gasping breaths. His eyes were wide, and he seemed shocked. Kassius gave him a moment.
“You’ve got to go to Cassid. Berenger’s been attacked and hurt,” Cam wheezed out on a harsh breath.
“Did you tell Teague? Are they meeting me at the pad?” Kassius almost rushed to the skimmer immediately, but he had to know if he needed to get Seph and Teague first.
“Berenger said you can’t bring Sephanie. That she’ll be in danger. Her brother is coming for her, and Berenger will talk to you and Teague about it when you get to the hospital.” Cam shook his head.
Kassius frowned. If she’d be in danger, she should be with them. He considered going to the house and grabbing her even though Berenger had demanded they keep her out of it. He knew Berenger wouldn’t do anything to alienate Sephanie without reason. She was too important to him.
Kassius nodded. He went back to talk to one of the supervisors in the orchard briefly before he ran for his skimmer. His mind spun with the possibilities. He climbed into his skimmer and guided it toward the hospital. How had Berenger been hurt, and what had him in such a panic he wanted to keep Sephanie away from him?
Kassius landed his skimmer in one of the lots near the front of the hospital and hurried for the door. He didn’t have any trouble getting the room number, because his relationship with Berenger was a matter of record. Two Planetary Police officers stood guard outside the door.
The sight of those two men stopped Kassius in his tracks. What happened? He rushed forward to get to Berenger. The officers allowed Kassius into the room after checking him for weapons and his identity.
He walked through the door and stopped. His breath caught, and he stared for a moment. When Cam had told him Berenger was hurt, he’d thought he would find maybe some bruises and a possible concussion. Seeing a bandage on Berenger’s head, a splint on his arm, and a huge wrap around his ribs and abdomen infuriated him. He balled his hands into fists as he looked to make sure he hadn’t missed an injury. Added to everything else, every bit of skin he could see was bruised or bruising. What did they do to him?
He paced slowly over to Berenger while he tried to find his voice. Kassius focused his mind on the details. The bandage probably covered a skin patch, which would take time to adhere and seal. The splint would hold the arm in place. Although the bone would have been reset and the bone-growth regenerator used to heal the break in his arm, Berenger would wear that splint for a while. The area where it had broken would require time before any strain could be put on it. Since the nurse had directed Kassius to a room, they intended to keep Berenger at least overnight.
“Damn, who did this, Berenger?” Kassius stopped beside the bed.
“Two men attacked me. You kept Sephanie away from here?” Berenger looked toward the door.
“Cam told me that’s what you asked him to tell me. That her brother would pick her up and take her somewhere.” Kassius frowned. “I didn’t understand why, especially if you think she might be in trouble.”
Berenger swallowed. “She needs to be far away from us and out of the city until this is over. The two men said they’ll be going after her. Well, actually, they said they should have gone after her first. They implied beating isn’t the only thing they’ll be doing to her.”
Kassius blindly reached for a nearby chair and collapsed into it. Sephanie said she loved them. She was close to moving in with them without the courtship she’d proposed. She wanted to be with them. If they sent her away, even for her safety, it could destroy that.
“Are you sure? Maybe they were taunting you?” Kassius hoped, but they couldn’t ignore the possibility someone might hurt her.
“No, Sephanie is a target. We have to make sure she’s safe.” Berenger groaned as he tried to sit up. “She’s stubborn, Kassius.”
“Use the bed controls before you cause more damage than is already done.” Kassius stood and strode over to the bed. Sephanie definitely could be obstinate, but the thought of risking their relationship created an ache in his stomach. “Does her brother know about the attack on you?”
“Yes, he and the officer who took my report and accessed the video from the security cameras agreed it would probably be better to get her away until whoever’s behind this is caught.” Berenger used the controls to raise the bed until he was almost sitting.
Teague strode into the room, but stopped and stared. “Oh fuck. What happened? Are you all right?”
“Two men attacked me. The doctors say I’ll be fine, but this hurts.” Berenger’s lips tightened.
Teague’s hands flexed. “If you were attacked, why did Sephanie’s brother come to take her to her mother’s for some kind of family meeting? Then while she’s out of the room, he tells me you’re hurt and I need to go to you. Why are you keeping this from Sephanie? It will hurt her.”
“I know her feelings will be hurt temporarily, but I’d rather have that than physically hurt. The men who attacked me said they were going after her. If you can think of a way to keep her close and guarantee she’s not beaten or worse, then speak up. Her brother and the police believe getting her out of the city is one of the only effective options.” Berenger scowled.
“I agree we should get her out of the city, but why wouldn’t you have us bring her here? We should tell her. She’s part of us. She’ll want to see you and know that you’ll be okay.” Teague paced across the room.
“You know she refused to leave her home after her brother was targeted. She’s stubborn and loyal. She’ll want to stay to see this through.” Berenger rubbed the back of his neck. “She didn’t believe she was in any danger then, and now the threat to her is very
specific.”
“And what if they go after her while she’s out of the city? Who will be there to help her?” Teague straightened. “We don’t know who they’re after. She could be the target, and we could be in the way.”
“We’re the target. If they are after her, they’ll have to find her. Cooper won’t make that easy. Nothing happened to Sephanie until she began dating us.” Berenger’s hand smacked the bed beside him. “Don’t you think I want to keep her beside me as much as you do?”
“We weren’t…” Kassius’s voice trailed off when he remembered the small acts of vandalism and the damaged equipment at the orchard. “The vandalism.”
“From what we can work out, that was the start of it. This is about us.” Berenger grimaced. “We have to discover who and why. She will be angry with us, but, with time, we can soothe her anger. If those men do as they threatened, she’ll be traumatized physically and emotionally.”
“We moved her in with us to protect her. She won’t leave us because of the possible danger.” Kassius leaned against the wall near the bed. “Especially once she finds out you’re hurt. I’m fairly sure she will know within a day or two.”
“And I don’t want her staying because she thinks she needs to take care of me. She’s as protective of us as we are of her. It’s why I don’t want you to tell her about my injuries. Once the danger is resolved, we’ll make her understand.” Berenger ran his fingers through his hair, but Kassius could see the doubt in his eyes.
“You know she wondered early on if we were moving too fast. This will confirm those fears for her.” Teague ran his fingers through his hair, agitation obvious in the tension in his shoulders as well as the restless movements.
“Well, after the person behind this is caught and she’s safe, we always have the fallback plan of taking her and keeping her until she agrees.” Berenger shrugged. “Making others think we’ve lost interest in her is the only option that might stop the attackers from going after her.”
“She’ll be safe, but we’ll have to rebuild everything.” Teague exhaled and walked over to the end of the bed.
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