Embrace the Highland Warrior

by Anita Clenney

“You scare the hell out of me when you get that look.”

  “It’s probably the pregnancy.”

  “Give me that.” He grabbed the box of Milk Duds from her lap and flung it into the backseat.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Faelan’s going to blame this whole fiasco on me. I’ll be damned if I’ll let him blame your poor eating habits on me too.”

  “But I’m craving them. I’ll eat broccoli tomorrow.”

  “We’ll probably both be dead tomorrow,” Ronan said as he pulled away from the airport and headed toward Charlottesville.

  ***

  “Shay, we’re home.”

  Shay sat up, blinking her eyes as Cody pulled into his driveway. It was already dark. “I can’t believe I slept the whole way. Did I snore?”

  “Either that or there’s a kitten purring under the seat.” His lips thinned, and he looked away.

  Shay didn’t want to think about Cody and kittens; that’s where the trouble started. “I’m going to go straight to bed.”

  Cody pulled his truck up beside a blue car. “Wait, I’ll come with you.”

  Shay raised her eyebrows.

  “I’ll walk you over. I need to get some things from the house first.” He looked at the blue car and frowned. “Why don’t you wait out here?”

  “You’re staying at the house again? Why?”

  “I’m not taking any chances.”

  “My ankle’s okay.”

  “What? Yeah, your ankle. Stay here. I’ll be back.”

  “I don’t want to sit here and wait. I’m going on. You can come when you’re ready.”

  “I think you were a mule in a previous life. Go on, then. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

  She got out of the car, wondering why he was so distracted that he’d let her walk home alone. In fact, she was fairly sure he was trying to keep her out of his house. What was he hiding?

  She turned around and walked to Cody’s house. She eased in the back door as she had a thousand times before. He wasn’t in the kitchen. She crept into the living room and down the hall. Her fingers skimmed the banister she and Cody had slid down while his mother, Laura, hid a grin and pretended to scold. Voices were coming from upstairs. A woman’s. Was Laura home? Shay eased up the steps to what had been Cody’s room. His door was cracked. Shay froze, her eyes locked on the long dark hair spread across his pillow. A woman was in his bed.

  A girlfriend? Cody had a girlfriend? Shay eased back into the hall, trying to breathe.

  “You’re right about the candy,” the woman said. “I don’t think it did me any good. I wish I could just lie in bed all day.” There was a thump, like a pillow hitting flesh, and a low male chuckle.

  “Serves you right,” Cody said.

  Shay backed away and slipped down the steps, her brain and legs numb. Marcas and Lachlan were in the living room, their voices coming closer. She couldn’t face anyone. She turned and went down the hall, opening the nearest door. When she was a child, the door stayed locked. Ewan MacBain had forbidden them to go down there. Shay adored Ewan, sometimes even pretended he was her father, but she wouldn’t have dared defy a direct edict from him. She closed the door and waited for the voices to pass. Someone had left a light on. Curious, she looked down the stairs, expecting rickety steps, cobwebs, and spiders, dangerous things for kids, not a Bat Cave with rows of computers and weapons lining the walls, guns, swords, and battle-axes, a blend of high tech and medieval. Was Ewan a collector?

  She moved down the steps in a daze. The weapons were amazing, authentic, from what she could tell. There was a sitting area with worn leather sofas and chairs. Another room had weights and workout machines. Beyond that, she could see a large, empty space with what looked like wrestling mats covering the floor.

  A tall cabinet caught her eye. It was an old piece, probably eighteenth century, in great condition. It held several old books, a few small knives, and a long, wooden box. The grain of wood was unusual. Shay couldn’t resist peeking inside. She saw a thick, round necklace, similar to the one Cody and his brothers wore, but this one had three swirls in the center, etched with some kind of symbols. There were other things, too, gadgets she’d never seen before. Off to the side, a small door stood ajar. She nudged it open and peeked inside, gaping at the wall of monitors. Good heavens. It was Nina’s house. They were recording Nina’s house, from every angle; front, sides, and back, even views of the woods.

  She rethought her childhood, wondering if she had missed the signs of insanity in her next door neighbors, but then she saw that their house was monitored as well, again, from all sides. The entire perimeter was covered on both houses. Did this have something to do with her father’s top secret job? Ewan was involved. He’d admitted that much when he and Laura called to apologize a few weeks after she left. But video surveillance?

  How could she have spent so much time in this house and not known about this basement? She and Cody had sneaked into plenty of places they weren’t supposed to. Thinking of Cody brought Shay’s attention back to the woman in his bed. Who was she? Did he love her? Want to spend the rest of his live with her? Grow old with her? How many had there been before this one? It shouldn’t matter; it was his life, but she couldn’t stay and watch. Why would he kiss Shay if he had a girlfriend? Was he just trying to exorcise old ghosts so he could move on? As Shay was? The thought left her feeling as hollow as a straw.

  If she hurried, maybe she could leave before he noticed. She could go back to Leesburg, call and apologize, say Renee had called. Shay slipped up the basement stairs. Faint voices came from the kitchen. She hurried into Lachlan’s bedroom, passed his unmade bed, and slipped out the back door onto his cobblestone patio. She ran toward Nina’s, stopping once when she thought she would throw up. After a few steady breaths, she continued to the house.

  The white cat was waiting at the front door. It stood, tail swishing, as Shay approached. “Move over, cat. I’m in a hurry.” The cat didn’t move, so Shay stepped around it. Her hands were still shaking as she opened the door. A soft thud came from the sitting room. She walked to the doorway and stepped on something. Stooping, she picked it up. A book? Her foot struck another one. She flipped on the light switch. A man stood in the center of the room. He had long, blond hair and icy blue eyes.

  One second he was by the fireplace; the next he was in front of her, eyes as clear as glass. “You can make this easy… or hard,” he said with a tight smile.

  Shay screamed and hurled the book at him, hitting him in the face. She turned to run, but tripped over the cat who had wandered inside. It hissed and darted into the room. Shay scrambled off the floor and sprinted outside. She looked back to make sure the man wasn’t following her and ran headlong into a wall. Someone grabbed her arms. “Cody, there’s—” She looked up and saw it wasn’t Cody, but the man who broke into her shop in Scotland. There were two stalkers? Shay punched him in the nose.

  “Damnation, woman. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

  “Stay away from me.” She wasn’t sure which way to run. One was in the house, one was outside. She would have to fight. She attacked the man, punching and kicking, when a pair of arms like steel bands encircled her from behind.

  “Are all the women in this century bloody deranged?” the man said.

  “What’re you doing here? I almost shot you.” That was Cody’s voice, and Shay could smell his scent. He was the one restraining her.

  “Shoot him,” Shay yelled.

  “You need a new cell phone,” the man said. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

  “I haven’t been home much, and I left my cell phone on the charger. I’ve been distracted,” Cody said.

  The man looked at Shay and rubbed his nose. “I can see. I didn’t have your home number, only your address.”

  “You know this stalker?” Shay demanded.

  “I’m not a stalker,” the stranger said.

  “Then why are you stalking me?”

  “He’s a frien
d,” Cody said.

  “A friend?” Why had Cody sent a friend to spy on her? “I guess I need to apologize to the other guy for hitting him,” Shay said.

  Cody frowned. “What other guy?”

  “The one inside the house.”

  Cody tensed. “Who’s with you?” he asked the stranger.

  “No one.”

  Cody released Shay so fast she staggered to catch her balance, and both men rushed past her into the house. Shay hurried after them.

  “What in blazes?” Cody looked at the bookshelf knocked over and books strewn across the floor. “Did you see anyone?” he asked the stranger.

  “No. I just got here when I heard a scream and ran to help. She came at me like a madwoman.”

  “The last time I saw you in Scotland, I thought you were going to attack me,” she said. “You shouldn’t creep around spying on people.”

  The stranger gave her an exasperated look, similar to the one Cody wore. “I was trying to protect you.”

  “Well, you should have introduced yourself and said, ‘Hey, I’m here to protect you,’ instead of scaring the daylights out me.”

  Marcas rushed in the front door, with Lachlan right behind him, hopping as he shoved one foot into his boot. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone just broke in here,” Cody said.

  “I thought I heard something tearing through the woods,” Lachlan said. His sense of hearing was unmatched.

  “Shay, lock the doors. We’ll search the woods,” Cody said. “Let’s go, before the tracks get cold.”

  ***

  The night was dark, the moon hidden behind clouds. Cody tuned in his vision and saw something dart between the trees. He sprinted toward it, but nothing was there. He stood still and listened, sniffing the air. There was a strange smell, almost sweet, and everything was quiet.

  Too quiet, he realized, a second before something slammed him into a tree. Cody caught a glimpse of pale hair and lunged, tackling the man low. The guy felt like he was made of metal. Cody heard a grunt and tree limbs breaking as they fell. The moon emerged. There was a whooshing sound, and the man disappeared. Cody spun around, but his opponent was gone. Alarm prickled up his spine. A stalker, and now this? Had the clan been wrong about Shay? He wouldn’t let anything harm her, not after he’d just gotten her back. He turned around and bumped into Shay.

  “What are you doing out here?”

  “I’m not staying inside. Let’s go after him, before he gets away,” she said.

  “I didn’t see which way he went,” Cody said.

  “He ran that way.” She pointed north.

  “You saw him?” How was that possible, when he hadn’t? “You need to get inside.”

  “No. I want to help.”

  Cody took her arm and escorted her back to the house. They met Faelan coming around back.

  “Nothing in the barn or behind it,” Faelan said.

  “I saw him, but he got away. Shay said he went north.”

  “Shay?” Faelan said, looking surprised.

  ***

  “If the stalker was here, then who’s in jail?” Shay asked. Cody had a tight grip on her arm as he pulled her into the house.

  “That would have been me. Faelan Connor, ma’am.”

  Faelan was tall and muscular, with long, dark hair pulled back in a ribbon, exceptionally good-looking. Shay was used to being surrounded by tall, exceptionally good-looking men, but most of them weren’t in kilts, even when she lived in Scotland.

  Cody turned to Faelan. “You were in jail?”

  “Afraid so. Bad timing, and she definitely has a stalker. I’m not sure which variety, if you understand what I mean.”

  “Did you get a look at him?” Cody asked.

  “No. Police arrested me before I could go after him.”

  “You didn’t smell him?” Cody asked.

  Shay glanced from Faelan to Cody. Smell him?

  “No,” Faelan said. “But there was definitely something in the shop with her. It ran out the back when I came in, and I glimpsed a shadow watching her earlier, but not enough to make out if it was a man or…” he trailed off, giving Cody a furtive look.

  “It wasn’t a woman,” Shay said. “It was a man. He had big feet.” She glanced at Cody’s square-toed boots.

  Cody turned to Faelan. “You tailed her wearing that?”

  “Didn’t have time to change,” Faelan said.

  “Keep an eye on Shay. I’m going to track him.”

  “I’m not staying with him,” she said, looking at Faelan’s dagger.

  Cody shook his head. “Then come with me.” He led her into her bedroom.

  “What are we doing here? We need to help them.” Where had this bravery come from? Was it because Cody was with her?

  “You can’t leave the room,” he said.

  “We’re just going to wait here while they search? No. I’m going to help.” She turned to leave the room, but Cody stopped her.

  “Damn it.” He touched his necklace. “Look out the window.”

  Shay turned and opened the curtain. “What?” There was a whirring noise. Cody grabbed her wrist and slapped it to the headboard. Shay heard a click. He’d cuffed her hand to the bed. “What are you doing? Let me go!” She struggled, rattling the bed.

  “Sorry, but I need you to stay put.”

  “You bastard!” She tried to hit him, but Cody pulled her close, trapping her free arm.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, pressing his cheek to hers, “but I have to protect you.” He kissed her and left.

  Shay yanked at the handcuffs as he locked the door and closed it behind him, but she hurt her arm, and she was afraid she would damage the bed. She could dismantle the headboard, but she wasn’t going to ruin an antique just to get free. She sat down, fuming, cursing, calling Cody every name she could conjure. She examined the handcuffs. She’d never seen any like them. They were etched with symbols and made of a strange metal she couldn’t identify, not quite silver or gold. They must be antique. After the adrenaline rush left and there was still no sign of Cody or the stalker, she grew tired. Her arm was burning again. She lay down, thinking of ways to kill Cody, and fell asleep.

  ***

  Cody listened at the door. It was quiet inside. He had a moment of panic until he saw the door was still locked, and then another when he remembered how good she used to be at climbing out her window. He’d been gone for an hour. If she had escaped, he would probably never see her again. His fingers fumbled as he picked the lock. He eased the door open. She lay on the bed, asleep, one arm dangling from the headboard. His gut tightened. He walked over to her, torn between dread and relief that she hadn’t left. She was going to be furious. He was angry at himself for not putting the clues together—her panic after the lake and the scream in the bathroom—and angry at her for not telling him. Didn’t she know by now that he would move heaven and earth to protect her?

  He looked at the shackles holding her to the bed and realized he had come close to doing that. He hadn’t thought twice about it. He’d let concern for her make him forget the rules. Again. He rubbed the brand on his wrist, imagining the Council’s outrage if they found out. Michael wouldn’t be happy about it, either. Well, the Council and Michael didn’t have the troublesome task of protecting Shay.

  Cody debated whether to leave her shackled while he explained why he locked her up. Either way, there would be hell to pay. What really worried him was what she would do when she found out he hadn’t told her the whole truth. And he would have to tell her soon.

  A voice came from the doorway. “Hey, we’re heading back to the house—hell’s bells, you didn’t.” Lach gaped at the shackles on Shay’s wrist. “Are you out of your bloody mind?”

  “I had to do something fast. She was trying to get outside and track down her stalker. It was either use the shackles or sit on her.” He knew they wouldn’t hurt her, he’d used them once on a minion.

  “You’d better hope the Council doesn’t
find out. I don’t care if you have suspended an ancient demon, they’d rip you apart for this.”

  “I couldn’t let her go running around with a stalker on the loose. There isn’t a chance in hell that he’s human. He was too strong and too fast. I have to protect her.”

  “You’d better think about protecting yourself. When she wakes up, she’s going to be loaded for bear. I just saw her finger twitch. I’m out of here.” Lach gave him a nasty grin. “Have fun.”

  Cody sighed. Might as well get it over with. He removed the shackles, returned them, and bent over her. “Shay, wake up.”

  Her eyes flew open. She planted both hands against his chest and shoved, knocking him on his back, then sprang on top of him. “How dare you handcuff me to a bed?” she yelled, punctuating each word with a shake that rattled his brain. He didn’t fight back. She had to get it out of her system, and he didn’t blame her. He’d be more than pissed if someone shackled him.

  She landed a fist into his stomach, and the breath rushed out of him. Okay, enough was enough. He captured her hands and rolled, trapping her under him.

  “Get off me, you oaf.”

  “I’ll get off when you stop beating the snot out of me.”

  She let out a war cry and lunged for his throat, teeth bared. Intrigued, he hesitated a second too long, and she sank her teeth into his neck. A jolt of desire shot straight to his groin. He’d never been one for the rough stuff, but damn! He pulled back before she could do more than leave a bruise. He trapped her legs with his and held her hands above her head, letting his full weight press her into the soft mattress. She still struggled but could move only enough to get him excited.

  “I’m sorry, Shay. I had to do it. It was too dangerous to let you go traipsing through the woods. I had to keep you safe.”

  “What if he was hiding in one of the other bedrooms and sneaked in here while I was handcuffed to the bed? You left me so I couldn’t even protect myself.”

  “Lach heard him out in the woods, but that’s why I locked the door, just in case. If this guy had broken it down to get to you, you would’ve screamed, and I would’ve come running. I was never far from the house. I heard every name you called me.”