by Leah Brooke
Lucas didn’t respond, hoping her attempt to close him out would result in her falling asleep. Narrowing his eyes to slits, he continued to watch her, smiling to himself each time her eyes fluttered open.
Eventually, they remained closed and her breathing evened out.
Sitting up, he waited, mesmerized by the sight of her sleeping.
She looked so damned young.
Sweet.
Innocent.
Fascinated by the streaks of blonde in her drying hair, Lucas waited several minutes before rising, careful not to wake her.
Still watching her, he lifted the blanket they kept folded over the back of the sofa and covered her with it, tucking it around her bare feet before making his way to the kitchen.
Both men looked up from their laptops, eying him expectantly.
Caleb sat back, glancing toward the doorway. “We haven’t heard anything for a while. Is she asleep?”
Lucas got a bottle of water from the refrigerator, twisting the cap off before turning to them. “She’s asleep. I’m gonna take her to bed in a minute, but I wanted to talk to the two of you first.”
He cursed when his cell phone rang, pulling it out of his pocket before it woke Stormy. “Hart.”
“You’re not gonna fucking believe this.” Ace’s voice held a tension that immediately raised the hair on the back of Lucas’s neck.
“What?”
“Hoyt and I have been going over every photo Caleb sent us. We enlarged the one of Sam and Eliza.”
Lucas stiffened, his adrenaline spiking. “And?”
“And Dominic is in the background. He’s in a black sedan facing Stormy, and it looks like he was watching over his sister. He’s wanted on a murder charge, but he and about a dozen of his men swear he was in Miami when the murder took place. Stormy’s photo clearly shows that he wasn’t.”
Ace sighed. “Please tell me that she didn’t sent that picture to anyone else.”
Lucas grimaced, ice forming in his stomach. “It was in the same file she sent to her roommate.”
“Fuck. If Dominic finds out that Stormy has proof that he was in Nashville at that time, he’s going down for that murder. Stormy’s the only one who can verify when and where that picture was taken. Is she okay?”
Lucas looked back into the living room, the sight of Stormy sleeping peacefully easing some of the tension inside him. “She’s asleep now. I’ll tell the other. Thanks, Ace.”
“Keep in touch. I don’t like this, Lucas. I don’t like this at all.”
“I know what you mean.” Scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck, Lucas blew out a breath. “No one will get to her.”
The thought of someone hurting him filled him with fury. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After disconnecting, Lucas tossed his phone to the counter and faced the others. “She’s in even more trouble than we thought.”
After telling them about his phone call with Ace, Lucas scowled at Caleb and Devlin. “Keeping her safe is even more important than ever. Any distraction could get her killed.”
Devlin sat back, his eyes narrowed. “I want her, Lucas. So does Caleb.”
“She’s our client and the sister of our friend.” Lucas glanced toward the living room again. “When she came in earlier, over your shoulder, she looked as if she’d been thoroughly kissed.”
Devlin grinned. “She had been, and I plan to do it again at the first opportunity.”
Caleb looked up at Lucas with a frown. “Don’t tell me that you’re not attracted to her. I see the way you look at her.”
Blowing out a breath, Lucas moved to the table, bracing a hand on the back of his chair. “Of course I’m attracted to her. She’s beautiful, and that combination of toughness and vulnerability drives me nuts. But I have enough self-control not to act on it. Besides, she’s planning to leave Desire as soon as all of this is over.”
Caleb rose and went to the coffee pot to pour himself another cup. “It’s going to be a long time before we can make sure there’s no threat against her, and in the meantime, we can—”
Lucas ruthlessly cut him off. “Protect her, as we’ve been hired to do.”
Mug in hand, Caleb turned and leaned back against the counter. “That’s a given. But I’m not about to let her get away without exploring what’s between us.”
Getting to his feet, Devlin went to stand at the doorway to watch Stormy, keeping his voice low. “We just have to figure out what happened to her that made her so afraid of men. Once we do, we’re gonna have to do whatever we can to get her past it.”
Caleb nodded, blowing out a breath. “And Logan knows what it is.”
Turning from the doorway, Devlin sighed. “He won’t betray her confidence. He’s right about that. She trusts him. When she trusts us, she’ll tell us herself.”
Lucas finished his water and set the empty bottle aside. “That she will. I’m taking her to bed. Devlin, you’d better get some sleep.”
Waving a hand negligently, Devlin went back to the table. “I will in a bit. The sooner we can figure out how to neutralize Ricci and put all of this behind her, the sooner we can make Stormy feel safe. I wish I knew if he knows about that photo.”
Lucas nodded and turned away, heading toward the sofa. “For now, it’s better if we all keep our distance from her.”
Devlin chuckled. “You can do what you want, but I want her, Lucas.”
So this is what it feels like. Lucas nodded and sighed. “I know.”
Caleb followed him, his gaze softening when he looked down at Stormy. “She looks so damned adorable when she’s sleeping. It’s hard to believe such a headstrong woman could look so much like an angel.”
Removing her blanket, Lucas smiled at her groan. “I have a feeling that once she learns to trust, and knows that she’s with men who lo—care about her, she’ll prove to be even more of a handful.”
He’d almost said loved, even though he didn’t love her.
Not yet.
Did he?
Irritated at himself, and wondering what the hell it was about her that pulled so strongly at him, Lucas slid his hands beneath her and lifted her high against his chest. Shocked at how light and small she was, Lucas eased his hold.
Aware that Caleb watched him closely, Lucas kept his expression cool as he carried her into the bedroom.
Caleb moved ahead of him in the darkness, turning the bed down on the side farthest from the door. “She’s got a lot of passion pent up inside her.” Straightening, he ran a hand over her hair as Lucas lowered her to the bed. “She didn’t know how to kiss, but once she got into it, she was climbing up me to get closer.”
Lucas settled Stormy and tucked the covers around her. “Let’s just concentrate on keeping her alive, Caleb.”
He already knew it would be hard enough to lie next to her all night without thinking about exploring her passion.
Glaring at Caleb, Lucas went to the hall bathroom and turned on the light before closing the door enough to keep the light low, but that would ensure that if Stormy woke during the night, she wouldn’t wake to a dark room.
Caleb paused at the doorway, eyeing Stormy. “If she gets scared, call me.”
Still dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Lucas got into bed on top of the covers, adjusting the pillow before settling back. “I’ve got it. Let me know if we have company.”
Caleb reached out to brush a strand of her hair back from her face, smiling faintly when she sighed in her sleep. “I will. I need to figure out what the hell to do about Ricci. I want the threats to Stormy over with.”
“Agreed. Go away so I can get some sleep.” Lucas turned his head toward Stormy when she shifted in her sleep, waiting until she settled again before lifting his gaze to the window.
It had started to rain lightly again, and he hoped that Stormy would be able to sleep through the night.
Aware that Caleb moved away, Lucas turned to his side facing Stormy, unable to resist reaching out to stroke her hair.
<
br /> Stormy moved again with a low moan, turning toward him before settling again.
To his surprised delight, she pressed her injured hand to his chest with a sigh.
Breathing in the scent of her, Lucas closed his hand lightly over hers, knowing that keeping it elevated would keep it from throbbing during the night.
Devlin had managed to get her to take a pain pill before she had her shower, all of them hoping that it would help her sleep through the storm that would hit in a few hours.
He closed his eyes but knew it would be a long time before he slept.
* * * *
She woke to a feeling of terror, her eyes flying open just as a hand closed around her neck.
He stood over her, the smell of whiskey emanating from him making her stomach roll. “Be quiet. Nobody can hear you anyway.” He leaned closer, tightening the hand around her neck and making the smell of whiskey stronger.
Gripping the hand at her throat, she tried to scream for her brother, but she couldn’t make a sound.
More terrified than she’d ever been in her life, she kicked furiously as he yanked the covers away.
No!
He slid his hand under her nightgown and ripped her panties away. “Screaming won’t do you any good. Your mother’s passed out on the sofa, and Logan’s out with his girlfriend. It’s just you and me.”
He touched her down there, the pain excruciating. Terrified, she fought harder, trying to kick his hand from between her legs while staring up at pure evil. “You and me—we’re gonna be special friends.”
When he reached down to unfasten his pants, his hold at her neck eased, and like a miracle, she heard the sound of the front door opening.
She gasped for air, filling her lungs before letting out a scream.
* * * *
Lucas woke when Stormy started thrashing, sitting up and reaching for her. “Stormy. It’s okay.”
He had to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the storm raging outside but was careful not to scare her.
Her whimpered cries scared the hell out of him.
She’d fisted her hands at her neck, her breathing labored. She kicked with a desperation that alarmed him, obviously scared and fighting a foe he couldn’t see.
Stretching out beside her to whisper against her ear, he ran his hand over her hair. “Stormy. Wake up, baby. You’re safe. Nothing can hurt you. Wake up, honey.”
Suddenly, her eyes popped open, and she sucked in a breath, letting it out in a bloodcurdling scream.
Shaking, he wrapped his arms around her, sitting her up to lean against him. Turning her toward him, he rubbed her back with long, even strokes. “Wake up, baby. You’re safe. Nothing can hurt you. You’re okay.”
He kept his tone low and calm, hoping to get through to her, while his insides clenched with rage at the reality of what she’d apparently endured for years.
Pushing the rage aside, he crooned to her, rocking her back and forth. “Wake up, Stormy. You’re safe. Nobody can hurt you.”
Both Devlin and Caleb rushed into the room, both dropping to their knees on the other side of the bed.
Devlin turned on the bedside light, enabling them to see her better. “What the hell?”
Ignoring them, Lucas focused on calming Stormy. “Stormy, wake up. You’re okay. It’s just a bad dream.”
“Don’t. Please don’t let him hurt me.” Her little girl voice sliced through him, and in that moment, he knew he would have slayed dragons for her.
“I won’t. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” He struggled to keep his tone calm while inside an inferno raged.
“It hurts. He took off my underwear. He hurt me.”
Lucas had never felt such fury in his life. Shaking with it, he kept rubbing her back, holding her against his chest. “Who hurt you, baby?”
“Buck. He came in while I was sleeping. If you didn’t come home—”
“Shhh.” Realizing she thought she was talking to Logan, Lucas lifted her face to his, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. “Open your eyes, Stormy. It’s me. Lucas. You’re safe, Stormy. It was just a bad dream.”
Over her head, he met Caleb’s and Devlin’s gazes, unsurprised at the inferno of rage burning in their eyes.
“Lucas?” Stormy pressed her face against his neck, her body still shaking.
With one hand at the back of her head, Lucas held her close, pressing his lips against her silky hair. “Yes, baby.” The realization that the endearment had slipped out with increasing ease didn’t escape his notice.
It felt natural, and he would have done anything—said anything—to comfort her.
She jolted and cried out at the next crack of thunder. “Hold me.”
“Of course. I’ve got you.” Tightening his arms around her, he leaned against the headboard and pulled her onto his lap. “No one can hurt you. You’re safe. Go back to sleep.”
She lifted her head, reaching out a hand, which Caleb and Devlin both reached for. “I’m sorry about all this. Stupid.”
Devlin released her hand to Caleb and slid into the bed behind her. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Caleb kissed her hand and released it. “Is it okay if I turn the light off now, or do you want me to leave it on?”
“You can turn it off.”
Caleb glanced toward the window where the storm still raged. “Do you think you can sleep?”
“Yeah. I’m okay. Sorry to bother everyone.”
“You didn’t bother anyone.” With a hand at her hip and the other stroking her back, Lucas felt her slump against him. Making sure she didn’t have pressure against her injury, he pulled the blanket over her. “She’ll sleep now.”
Caleb brushed his lips against Stormy’s. “You’re safe with us. Deep down, you know that, even if you don’t want to admit it. You trust us, Stormy. You need to think about that.”
“Not now. No thinking about anything.” Lucas readjusted the covers, pulling them over her before settling back. “Now, she needs to sleep.”
Caleb smiled at her and straightened. “Goodnight. See you in the morning, baby.” He turned off the light before leaving the room.
The storm continued, the howling wind and rain pelting against the window the only sounds in the room.
Devlin slid into the bed on the other side of her, turning to his side to face her. “If the sounds of the storm is bothering you, I can sing to you.”
Stormy giggled. “Are you a good singer?”
Relieved, Lucas ran a hand down her back. “He’s awful. Sounds like a bagful of cats fighting.”
“I’m not that bad.” Devlin ran a hand down Stormy’s leg. “Do you think you can sleep, or do you want to go back out and sit by the fire?
Stormy sighed and leaned more heavily against Lucas, stealing a slice of his heart. “I’m so warm and comfortable that I don’t want to move. Besides, this pain medicine’s making me groggy.” After several minutes of silence, Stormy yawned and gripped the front of Lucas’s shirt. “Don’t leave me.”
Her little girl voice, so raw and full of pain, ripped Lucas’s heart to shreds.
Touching his lips to her hair, he continued to rub her back. “I won’t leave you. You’re safe. Go to sleep.”
Nodding, she yawned again. “Okay. Thank you.”
Lucas smiled, adjusting the covers more firmly around her. “You’re welcome. Go to sleep.”
Lucas estimated that it took less than five minutes for her breathing to even out, but still, he kept rubbing her back, the realization that every bit of his heart she stole from him only made him warmer inside.
“She’s asleep. Why don’t you settle her between us?” Devlin’s voice was barely a whisper, but Stormy shifted restlessly before settling again.
With a hand on her thigh and the other still moving on her back, Lucas allowed his head to fall back and closed his eyes. “She’s fine where she is.”
Devlin chuckled. “Keep her at a distance my ass.”
Chapter Se
venteen
She woke up gradually, so comfortable and warm she didn’t want to move. The steady beat beneath her ear, one that she’d awakened to several times during the night, gave her a sense of peace and security that had her snuggling closer.
Stretching out a leg, she encountered something solid, her eyes flying open when a hand closed around her ankle.
“Careful, darlin’.” Devlin’s low, deep chuckle made her smile, her pulse tripping when he opened his eyes and smiled at her. “I need that.”
“Sorry.” Disconcerted to find herself in Lucas’s arms, her head pillowed on his chest, she sat up, stilling at his groan and the surge of hardness under her bottom.
Lucas closed his hands over her waist and adjusted her slightly. “Good morning.”
Mortified, she hurriedly scrambled from his lap, memories of the previous night assailing her. “Good morning. Sorry.”
Lucas pulled her back onto his lap before she could crawl from the bed, running a hand down her back as he turned her face to his. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Who’s Buck?”
Her face burned hotter. “I should have known you wouldn’t be gentlemanly enough to not mention it.”
Lucas’s firmed his grip on her chin. “Who’s Buck?”
Stormy tried to push his hand away, surprised when he only firmed his hold. “Why do you want to know?”
“So I can kill him. Who is he?”
Alarmed at his matter-of-fact tone, she stared into his eyes, trying to tell if he was serious or not. “None of your business. Let me up.”
Devlin sat up and closed his hands on her thighs. “Who the hell is he, Stormy?” His sleep-tousled hair gave him a wilder look than normal, making him appear even more primitive.
“I need coffee.”
Devlin’s smile held a hint of anger, but she suspected it wasn’t directed at her. “Then tell us who the hell he is.”
Blowing out a breath, Stormy let her head fall back. “You’re not going to drop this, are you?”
“No.” Devlin knelt in front of her, taking her face between his hands and sipping at her lips. “Tell me.”