Banishing Shadows

by Lorna Jean Roberts

  “She did?” Kayla asked while Quinn swore loudly. She understood Quinn’s less than enthusiastic response to that bit of news. Kayla knew how much Luke loved Lily and how heartbroken he’d been when she’d disappeared, leaving just a note telling him to forget about her. But part of her couldn’t help but feel that her brother was better off without Lily in his life.

  “Did she say where she’s been for the last three months?” Joe asked mildly. Luke stiffened.

  “No. Look, I know none of you like her—”

  “It’s not that we dislike her,” Kayla interjected, eager to ease the tension in the room. “We don’t even know her. We just don’t like the way she treated you.”

  “She was scared.”

  “She ran away without an explanation. How can you still care about her?” Quinn asked. “You haven’t heard from her since she took off.”

  “Until now. I think I’m going to hire a private investigator again. I know the last one wasn’t successful, but I need to try again. If I can just find her, talk to her, then I can convince her to come back. But if the P.I. finds her, I may have to move quickly, and I don’t want to suddenly leave Kayla alone. Besides that, I’m distracted. I don’t feel that I could protect Kayla properly while this stuff with Lily is going on.”

  “I don’t need protecting,” she protested.

  “Someone explain to me what the hell is going on. Now,” Cord demanded.

  Luke nodded. “About eight or so months ago I met this woman, Lily. She was married but unhappy. Her husband Jon was an abusive bastard. Corny as it sounds, I think I loved her from the moment I saw her. But she was skittish and frightened. I finally managed to convince her to leave the asshole. She was worried he would never let her go, but I promised that I would protect her.

  “He was away on business, but Lily didn’t want me to pick her up at her house. She didn’t want the neighbors to see her getting in a car with me, in case they told Jon. So she caught the bus to a park a few suburbs over. When I picked her up, she was excited, scared. I had arranged to go out of the city for a holiday. I thought it would make her feel better. I didn’t even notice him following me until we were well out of town.”

  Luke paused to take a breath. “When Lily spotted his car behind us, I tried to speed up but I couldn’t get away from him. Lily was near hysterical. It was getting dark and there weren’t many other cars around. He started to get desperate and tried to ram me. He must have lost control. He spun out, flipped and crashed. Two days later they had to turn off the life support. Couple of days after that Lily was gone.”

  Quinn snarled. “Without an explanation. She ran off with a note saying she was sorry. Sorry,” he sneered.

  Luke glared at his younger brother. “How many times do I have to say this? She was frightened.”

  “Of what?” Quinn countered. “You did everything to help that woman. Signed a lease on an apartment for her, got her a counselor and she ran off, leaving you high and dry. You’d have been still paying for the rent on that place if Kayla hadn’t moved in.”

  “She was fearful of being with another man. Can you blame her? But I’m determined I can convince her to come back. At the very least I want to make sure she’s all right.”

  Cord rubbed the back of his neck. “I might be able to help. I know a P.I.—Sam Worthington. I’ll put you in touch with him. But you’re right. Having Kayla stay with any of you isn’t a good idea. None of you are equipped to deal with any real threat.”

  Joe snorted as Quinn scowled.

  “We’re perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves.”

  Kayla frowned. “What threat? This was a random attack. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Quinn snorted. “Right, because men in balaclavas with getaway vans hang out in The Rusty Hammer’s bathroom all the time. Don’t be foolish, Kayla. I know you’ve got a brain in there, use it.”

  “Do not talk to her like that.” Cord’s voice was soft whisper, but Kayla heard the steel in it.

  “I’m not going to let this asshole run me out of my home.” She glanced up at Luke, aware of the plea in her eyes. “I can’t go backwards, Luke. If I do, I’m scared—I’m scared I’ll lose myself, that I’ll lose all my courage. I didn’t move into my apartment to immediately run away the first time something frightened me.”

  Kayla was aware of the look Cord threw her and then Luke, but she didn’t care.

  “I’m staying in my apartment.” There, that sounded firm, didn’t it?

  “All right.”

  Everyone gaped at Cord in shock as he agreed.

  “You can stay in your apartment.”

  Kayla was surprised he’d given in so easily.

  “That suits me better anyway as I’ve been staying with a friend. I’ll simply move in with you.”

  “Like hell,” Quinn snarled.

  “No way.” Kayla shook her head.

  Luke frowned. Joe was the only one who didn’t look as if he’d swallowed something sour.

  “Why the hell would we let you move in with her?” Quinn jumped to his feet, glaring menacingly at Cord. “If anyone is going to move in with our sister, it will be one of us.”

  “No,” Kayla interjected. “I can take care of myself.” No one paid her the slightest bit of attention.

  Cord stared at each of her brothers. “Think about it. I’m currently unemployed. Unlike you three, I have no other commitments. I’m trained, I’m experienced, I’m well qualified for the job of taking care of your sister.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she repeated, growing increasingly frustrated. This was her life, damn it.

  Although there was a large part of her that didn’t want to be alone. Perhaps she needed to get a dog, a nice, vicious Rottweiler. Yes, that’s what she’d do. It was the best solution. She wouldn’t have to put up with anyone smothering her or telling her what to do, yet she’d have some protection.

  “Just what the hell is going on here, Cord?” Quinn asked in a cool voice. Kayla knew that tone. The most volatile of her brothers was seriously pissed. Cord stared back at him, his face washed clean of all emotion.

  “Kayla, give us a moment.” Quinn didn’t look at her as he barked out his order.

  “I don’t think so,” she replied.

  “If anyone’s going to go, it will be us,” Cord said in a low voice. “I’m not letting her leave this room alone.”

  “Fine.” Quinn stalked to the door, which Luke opened. As Kayla watched in shock, the four of them stalked from the office.

  Cord turned. “Stay here. We’ll be right outside.” He shut the door. Kayla wasted precious moments standing there, dumbfounded, before she shook herself clear of the cobwebs filling her mind and walked swiftly over to the door.

  He’d locked it. She kicked it in temper, hissing as pain raced from her toes up her leg.

  “Ignorant, horrid jerks.”

  “What the hell is going on, Cord?” Quinn asked angrily when they were far enough away that Kayla wouldn’t hear. “Why are you so interested in Kayla all of a sudden?”

  “Oh, I don’t think it’s sudden, Quinn,” Joe drawled, watching Cord, the grin on his lips not reaching his eyes. “I think Cord has been lusting after our sister for a long time.”

  “What are you talking about? I’ve barely seen her over the past two years.”

  “And I bet that’s because you didn’t trust yourself around her, did you?”

  Intuitive bastard. Cord had forgotten how adept Joe was at reading people.

  “I’ve watched you,” Joe continued. “The way you look at her.”

  Cord was pissed, but he couldn’t argue with the truth.

  Quinn paced. “Our sister isn’t one of your whores, Cord. You can’t just fuck her and leave.”

  He almost winced. “I’m going to pretend that you didn’t accuse me of treating your sister like a whore,” Cord stated in a deadly whisper. Sure, he’d run after taking her virginity. But for her own good. If he hadn
’t gone, he’d have kept her and she hadn’t been ready for that.

  He could only hope she was better prepared for him now.

  “We know you, Cord. You go through more women than the three of us put together. Kayla is not another notch on your belt.”

  “If you know me so well, Quinn, then you know that I would never disrespect your sister like that. Kayla is special.” He deliberately let his voice grow cold. He knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but selfishly, he couldn’t stay away any longer. And he was not going to trust her safety to anyone else, not even her brothers.

  He’d tried to forget her, the memory of her lush body, of her sexy scent. It had been futile. Shocked as he had been by the depth of his reaction to her that night, he’d been even more stunned when he couldn’t get her out of his head.

  She was the reason he’d stayed away. She was also the reason he’d returned. He hadn’t claimed her two years ago because she’d been too young and innocent for him. She deserved someone softer, more giving, someone worthy of her.

  But he’d been unable to forget her. He’d been back only a few times in the last two years and never managed to catch more than a glimpse of her. Now he was back for good. He’d returned to see if the attraction was real or all in his head. The moment he’d seen her again, he’d known.

  She was his.

  “Special? What the hell does that mean?” Quinn sputtered, his hands fisting. Joe stepped between the two of them quickly, facing his twin. Quinn calmed a little, turning away.

  “What are your intentions?” Joe asked, facing Cord now.

  “I don’t believe that is any of your business. I am not one of those wimps you’ve run off in the past, and I will not allow any interference. Am I understood?”

  “Enough,” Luke spoke firmly, his face serious. “Quinn, we’ve known Cord for years. We can trust him. And he’s right. He’s in the best position to watch over Kayla. This could have been a case of wrong place, wrong time. But I don’t think any of us really believe that. Why choose such a public place? When there were still so many people around. There’s something odd here. But, Cord, you’d better keep her safe. She’s very fragile. She needs caring and understanding. If you can’t give that to her then you have to walk away.”

  Cord opened his mouth to speak, but Luke waved him off. “We’re not simply being overprotective of her. There’s a reason why we’re all so concerned about her. Something happened four months ago…”

  Chapter Two

  Over an hour later, Kayla stumbled into her apartment, immediately heading toward the small kitchen. Reaching into a cupboard, she grabbed a large bottle of gin. Cord’s hand bracketed her wrist, his fingers gentle but implacable as her arm was pulled back, the alcohol plucked from her grasp.

  “Hey!” she yelled as Cord calmly placed the gin back in the cupboard. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “You don’t need alcohol.” Cord stared down at her, his voice like his body—immovable and hard.

  “I’ve agreed to let you stay. Reluctantly. I didn’t agree to you bossing me around.” Kayla was exhausted, afraid, vulnerable, and she hated it.

  “There may be times where you’ll have to do as I say without hesitation,” Cord replied calmly. “Times where your safety may depend on obeying me. So you might as well obey me all the time, hmm?”

  She glared at him. He winked.

  Oh, brother.

  “I want a drink.” She wasn’t in the mood for humor—she wasn’t even sure he was really joking. He was so arrogant she wouldn’t be surprised if he really did expect her to do everything he told her. “Give me back the gin.” She made sure her voice was every bit as strong and imperious as his had been.

  “Alcohol won’t help you deal with the panic attacks, Kayla.”

  Her chin rose. “What makes you think I have panic attacks?”

  Instead of replying, he grabbed her hand. Heat pulsed up her arm. Luckily he didn’t notice as he turned and tugged her along behind him through the living room.

  “At least this place is better than the shoebox you used to live in. Where’s the bathroom?”

  “Second door on the right. I don’t need you here, Cord. I’m not in any danger.”

  “You know, if I didn’t have such a healthy ego, I’d feel crushed by your constant rejection.”

  She bit back a smile, surprised she could feel amused after a day like today.

  “Why is it you don’t want me around? Is it because you don’t think you need me?” he asked. “Or is it because you’re still mad about what happened two years ago?”

  He stepped into the bathroom and turned to look at her. Kayla glared at him.

  “Both. Neither. Urgh. Why are you here? You couldn’t wait to run out the door last time I saw you.”

  “So you’re still mad. I thought as much.”

  “Well, clever you,” she replied sarcastically. “I’m not mad. To be mad would mean I actually cared. I don’t. I got over you ages ago.”

  “Kayla, I was supposed to protect you from players like me. You deserved more. Still do.”

  “And you just decided that because I’m an idiot who doesn’t have a mind of her own?”

  “No, because you were an innocent. You were probably dreaming of forever-afters. I wasn’t.”

  Well, that struck a little too close to home. She had been foolishly dreaming that he would declare his undying love for her. Of course he hadn’t been thinking the same. Why would he want her when he could play the field? She’d thrown herself at him, he’d taken what she’d offered and he’d left. That she’d wanted something more was her problem. A problem she didn’t have anymore.

  Really, she didn’t.

  “How do I know you’re going to stick around this time? That I’m not going to wake up one morning to find you gone?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Look, think of this as a business arrangement. Being your bodyguard is a job and I never walk away from a job. I’m here to protect you. This isn’t about sex. It’s about your safety. And I take that very seriously. You’re my best friend’s little sister. I’m not about to let anything happen to you.”

  She supposed that should make her feel better, and yet she couldn’t help but feel hurt. He really didn’t want her.

  But she knew that he spoke the truth. He wouldn’t walk away from the job and he wouldn’t leave her unprotected. Physically, she was safe. Emotionally, well, she’d just have to protect herself.

  Stepping up to the bath, he turned the taps. Kayla was a bit piqued at his presumption. If he’d wanted a bath he could have at least asked first.

  “Kayla, Luke talked to me. I know you had a panic attack tonight. That’s why you just sat there when the van was coming toward you, isn’t it?”

  Kayla shifted her shoulders, uncomfortable with his probing. She trembled as tonight’s events threatened to overwhelm her. Ruthlessly, she shoved it back into the recesses of her mind. No doubt it would come thundering back when her defenses were down. But for now she needed all of her strength to deal with Cord.

  “When did you speak to Luke?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Tonight, while you were waiting in the office. He told me everything.”

  “Everything?” He knows about the attack?

  Cord nodded. His face was calm but his eyes betrayed the depth of his anger. They raged. “We’ll talk about it later, okay? I think you’ve been through enough tonight.”

  Kayla took a deep breath. He knew. Part of her had hoped to keep it from him—out of shame, and because she hadn’t wanted him to find out how much of a wreck she was.

  Yet now that the choice had been taken out of her hands, she actually felt relieved. The knots in her stomach eased a little. She’d never been a good liar, and Cord had a way of piercing through any fabrication.

  “There are blankets in the linen cupboard. Help yourself. I’m going to bed.” The light grip of his hand around her wrist stopped her from leaving.

  “No
you’re not.”

  “Damn it, Cord. I don’t need to talk. You got your way. You’re here. Do me the courtesy of leaving me alone!”

  “I can’t.”

  He let her go. A pang of loss stabbed her as his touch left her skin. She scowled, as angry at herself as she was at him. When would she stop reacting to him? How much rejection did she need to suffer through before her body got the point?

  “I still don’t understand why you volunteered for this. You could have stayed out of it.”

  “Kayla,” he sighed. For a moment she could have sworn she saw longing in his eyes. But he averted his gaze, and when he looked back his expression was guarded.

  “Jed is my best friend. I’ve known you a long time and the thought of someone trying to harm you sickens me. I have nowhere else I need to be. I can protect you—if you’ll let me.”

  He brushed the hair from her face before running the tips of his fingers down her cheek.

  She froze, wondering if he was going to kiss her.

  He stepped back suddenly. “You will do what I tell you, won’t you, Kayla.” It was an order not a question.

  “You’re not the boss of me, Cord. This is ridiculous and unnecessary. I don’t need protection. I agreed to let you stay with me to appease my brothers.”

  “You don’t want to need protection,” he corrected her. “Object all you like, angel. But I can’t shrug off what happened and hope for the best. If you can’t accept me as your bodyguard then you’ll have to move in with your brothers. And they don’t have the skills or background I do.”

  “Jed does.” Her youngest brother was still in the armed forces.

  “Jed’s not here. I am. And I know he’d want me to do everything I could to take care of his baby sister.”

  She turned away, feeling a ridiculous stab of disappointment. She knew he wasn’t here because he cared for her, but did he have to keep rubbing it in? For the moment she was stuck living with him. She couldn’t move in with her brothers. She didn’t believe there was a threat, but if she was wrong, she didn’t want them to get hurt.

  Cord was strong, tough. He wouldn’t let anyone harm her.