“Don’t make sexy suggestions right now, this isn’t the time for it.” He winked. “That can come later.”
“Luke,” she growled.
“Red,” he mimicked, before growing serious again. “I’ll take the risk.”
“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Warily, she eased against him, waiting for the canvas chair to collapse. When it didn’t, she relaxed.
Mmm, his chest was warm, his body supportive. She sat slightly higher than him, able to look down to watch his face, curious as to this sudden graveness.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m ready. Hit me.”
Rather than twist that with his usual sexual innuendo, Luke said quietly, “We’ve kind of known each other for several years. We’re getting to know each more other now. It’s what I want, it’s what you want. We’re going to disagree, it’s a given, but I’m hoping we can be honest with each other, work out our differences.”
Okay, this was not what she’d ever expected of Luke, but she’d caught glimpses of this several times since they’d come to the mansion. The mature side of him complimented the light-hearted, roguish side, and she found it just as attractive if not comforting, like she could crawl into his lap, be held securely in his arms, tell him her troubles, and he’d help her find a way through it.
Through life with him by her side. Holding her hand, listening to her, laughing with her, teasing her.
Something warm curled deep inside her heart, started to blossom as realisation of what he’d come to mean to her in such a short time spread through her subconscious.
“Red,” Luke said softly, “it’s too soon to say this, I know, but what I’m feeling for you… I haven’t felt like this with another woman. You’re special. I’m so damned glad we ended up here together because it gave me this chance to be with you.”
Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, all she could do was nod.
“I’m not asking for declarations of devotion,” he continued. “I just want you to promise to give this a good go, to not give up on me with the first boneheaded thing I say or do.”
Heart swelling, Mikki could only nod again.
For several seconds they looked at each other, and she could see the warmth in his eyes, something deep inside the brilliant blue depths that called to her, tugged on her heart-strings, a reflection of what she was feeling.
Luke’s gaze dropped to her lips.
She needed no second bidding, lowering her head the small distance separating them to kiss him lightly, then a little deeper, his taste seeping into her as he kissed her back with a tenderness that held the hint of restrained passion.
When their lips parted, she leaned her forehead against his, looking deep into his eyes. “I expect the same from you.”
“You’ll get it. You’ve got it,” he corrected.
“Don’t give up on me.”
“Not even when you’re doing something boneheaded,” he agreed.
“I don’t do boneheaded.”
“Yeah, you do, but that makes two of us so it’s cool.”
She smiled at him. “You’re lovable.”
“I know, right?” He grinned smugly. Then there was a crack, the chair started to tip sideways as a leg buckled, and he said, “This might be one of those boneheaded moments.”
Mikki tried to scramble up but it was too late. The chair tipped over, spilling them out, their legs in the air.
As the chair rolled away, they both dropped their legs to the veranda and looked at each other. Luke grinned, Mikki giggled, and he shuffled over to lie beside her, took her hand and rested his head back on the veranda.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m man enough to admit you were right.”
“And I’m woman enough to accept that acknowledgement.”
“Yep.” With a happy sigh, he tugged her hand up to his mouth to brush his lips across her knuckles. “My woman.”
The sound of footsteps across the veranda had them both tipping heir heads back to see Aaron gazing down at them.
“Hi,” said Luke.
“We’re having a moment,” Mikki said.
Aaron looked at the broken chair. “Okay.” He walked back into the mansion.
“Man of few words,” Mikki observed.
“Yup,” agreed Luke.
She turned her head to look at him, that swell of emotion filling her, making her want him in every way possible - spiritual, emotional, and physical. “Luke?”
“Yep?”
“Want to fool around tonight?”
~*~
The night was late.
Mikki, after carefully checking once more that Duchess had re-settled on her stretcher, quietly shut the door on her sleeping Aunt and kitten before tip-toeing down the hallway, sneaking past the open door where Aaron and Ryan slept and passing Luke’s room.
When she got to the end of the servants’ hallway, she turned into the other hallway and was met by Luke. He grabbed her hand, leaned down to give her a kiss and started moving her quickly down the hallway.
“What’s the rush?” Mikki was almost running.
“I want to strike while the iron’s hot.”
“Is that a metaphor for smacking me while I’m horny?”
He snorted a muffled laugh. “I meant, before you change your mind.” Emerging into the huge main room, he flicked on the torch.
“You’re a little desperate, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea.” The look he cast her over his shoulder held carnal promise.
Oh boy. “I won’t change my mind, trust me.” Not in this lifetime.
“If you did, I’d probably curl up in a ball and cry.” He led her towards the stairwell door. “Then I’d need a hand job, I’m so hard for you. Just so you know.”
“You sweet talker, you,” she said a trifle breathlessly, her secrets already moist for him.
Opening the door, Luke winked knowingly at her. “Running a little hot, are you, Red?”
“You have no idea.”
He laughed softly, then his gaze went past her and he groaned. “Oh no.”
Turning, Mikki watched Dog sit down right behind them, looking quizzically up at Luke and her. “He can’t watch, he’ll go blind.”
“Wait here.” Luke shoved the torch into her hand. “I’ll take him back to my room and settle him down.”
“Will he howl?”
“Not as loudly as I will be shortly.”
“That’s not exactly comforting.”
“Trust me, he’ll be quiet once I settle him on my stretcher.”
“Wow, you’re sacrificing your bed for him?”
“For us.” He gave her a quick kiss, a little tongue, a whole lot of heat. “Keep that engine revved, Red, I’ll be coming back for you.”
Amused and more than a little turned on already, Mikki watched as Luke and Dog disappeared into the first hallway.
Humming, she waited, doing an idle flick around with the torch to check for any ghostly image that just might happen to float past. No sense wasting a perfectly good few minutes.
The torchlight cut through the darkness of the barren room, sliding over the wall and the bulk of a small item lying on the floor near the far wall.
Curiously, Mikki trained the torchlight on it, but was unable to figure out what it was. Crossing the room, she was surprised to find it was the journal lying open face down.
“What the…” Picking it up, she looked at it.
She’d had it that evening, had been sitting on the bottom step of the staircase as she’d debated what to do next, then had placed it down on the thick newel when her aunt had called to her. How on earth had it gotten over to the wall?
Frowning, she swung the beam at the wall, and that was when she noticed what appeared to be crack. Reaching out, she ran her finger down it and the wall swung open.
Startled, she found herself looking at a dark figure. Her first thought was hells bells, a ghost! The figure stepped forward, the torch beam revealing it to be dressed in bl
ack pants, bulky black jumper, black sneakers, black gloves and a black balaclava that only showed the eyes.
The prowler! It had to be the prowler!
Mikki opened her mouth to yell a warning to Luke, only to have the figure leap forward and slam a hand over her mouth, then a fist slammed into the side of her head.
Stunned, she staggered. The figure blurred, something slammed into the back of her and she was shoved through the opening in the wall. Hand to her head, shaking it to clear her vision and thoughts, she looked up in time to see the wall swing closed behind them, the figure in black moving swiftly, shoving her around and placing something sharp at her throat.
“I swear to God,” the figure breathed hoarsely, “I’ll slice you from ear to ear and no one will know you lie in here. Then I’ll go after your aunt, your boyfriend. You want them dead? They won’t hear me coming.”
“They will.” Frozen on the spot, clutching both the torch and journal, Mikki swallowed hard. “Security-”
“Have been watching outside, they have no idea of this secret passage.” The figure propelled her forward. “Walk.” When Mikki baulked, the knife at her throat dug in a little harder. “I won’t warn you again.”
Heart pounding, scared, Mikki moved forward slowly. “Where are we going?”
“Never you mind.”
As they moved along she was able to see that they were in a passageway, the walls a dingy white now layered with dust and cobwebs. One particularly long cobweb hit her right in the eye and she stumbled, scraping it away with a shudder.
“Keep going,” came the gruff order.
Trying to identify the person, Mikki listened hard. “Who are you?”
“Like I’m going to tell you.”
It seemed familiar, but the hoarseness as whoever it was tried to disguise their voice made it almost impossible. Yet still so familiar…
The point at her throat pricked in warning. “Faster.”
She had no idea where they were, but they were going in a straight line, the tunnel stretching away before them. The only sound in the air was their breaths, loud in the narrow passageway, their footfalls dull. Or maybe it only sounded dull because her heart was beating so loudly in her ears.
Oh God, she’d cope better if it had been a ghost. Those she understood. This? How had it come to this? And why?
The passageway came to a dead end. Steps led upward through a door of some kind. Coming to a halt, she waited, the torch in her hands sending a shaking beam over the old wooden steps.
A sudden movement, the figure behind her leaning around to rip the journal from her hands at the same time tearing the torch from her hand and shoving her aside viciously, sending her staggering into the wall.
Hearing the person running up the steps, the dark falling in around her, Mikki leaped for the steps, desperate not to be left in the tunnel. The trap door slammed down, scraping across her arm, but she pushed against it, managing to get partly through the trapdoor while the figure tried to stamp it down, slamming their foot on her hand and twisting painfully into her flesh.
“Holy crap!” Furious, desperate, and so scared she was surprised she didn’t faint, Mikki sank her teeth into the leg.
With a scream, the person leaped away, and she shoved the trap door up and rolled away, coming to her knees clutching her hand and staring wildly at the figure.
“You bitch! You bloody bitch!” Enraged, the figure threw the knife at her and ran.
Mikki ducked the knife and it sailed over her head to clatter to the floor.
“Anna?” In disbelief, Mikki stared after her. “Anna?”
She was near the front door, tugging it open.
Knowing now who it was, anger taking over from fear, Mikki surged to her feet and took off after her. Anna threw the doors open and fled down the steps, Mikki bursting through seconds later.
“Anna!”
The woman was fast, she’d give her that, but Mikki was now fired up on adrenaline-fuelled anger. She tore after Anna, following the light, running past one of the graveyards, tripping on something unseen and going arse over tit to the ground. Swearing, she scrambled back to her feet to see Anna running on the other side of the family graveyard.
Shit, no way could she catch her now. No way.
Suddenly Anna shrieked, feinted right, shrieked again and fell, the journal flying out of her hands, the torch flying into the air to disappear from sight.
Hot damn! Mikki started running again, only to have something wind around her waist and yank her back.
“Let go!” Panicking, she slammed her elbow back, hitting a hard abdomen. “Damn it, let me go!”
“Mikki!” Luke’s voice in her ear. “Mikki, it’s me!”
She sagged in relief.
Then Anna was suddenly up, the torch lying not far ahead of her shining back to highlight her. In a flash she was running.
“Luke!” Mikki twisted in his arms, pointed. “We have to get her, it’s Anna! The prowler was Anna!” She swung back quickly, tugging against his hold.
“Ease up, baby,” Luke said. “She’s not-”
He didn’t finish speaking before Anna was knocked sideways by something diving out of the bushes right at her. She went down, rolling and kicking, the man on top of her silent. In short, expert moves, he rolled her onto her stomach, knelt on her back and raised a hand.
“Ryan’s got her,” Luke finished.
Now that it was over, Mikki was starting to shiver. Luke hugged her to him and she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight.
“Jesus, Red.” He held her tightly, pressed kisses to her temple and hair. “I was so scared for you.”
“You and me both,” she admitted with a shaky laugh.
A scuffle sounded, feminine cursing, and they both looked around as Ryan and Aaron walked up, Ryan holding Anna’s balaclava in one hand, his other holding her arm securely as she struggled, Aaron lighting the way with a high-beam torch while speaking quietly into his mobile.
Mikki’s eyes widened as she realised the woman was handcuffed. Where the hell had Ryan got handcuffs? No security guard she knew had handcuffs.
“You bitch!” Anna snarled at Mikki. “How did you do it? Huh? How did you do it?”
Fury at the woman evident in the tense lines of his body, Luke immediately manoeuvred around to place himself between them. Mikki had no doubt that if Anna had been a man, he’d have punched her lights out, but she was a woman and his upbringing made him keep his fists to himself. Nevertheless, his protective stance was obvious.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he growled furiously.
“I’m taking what’s mine before she destroys everything!” Anna’s eyes flashed with hate.
“Me?” Astounded, Mikki edged around Luke to stand beside him. “What’d I do?”
“You tried to destroy me, destroy my family!”
Mikki and Luke looked at each other before returning their attention to Anna.
“I did what?” Mikki gaped.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know!”
“Anna, what-”
Anna lunged forward, Ryan yanking her back effortlessly while Luke again shoved Mikki behind him, his hand on her hip holding her back.
Seeing the enraged woman was held back easily by Ryan, Mikki slipped back to Luke’s side, his arm immediately going around her in protective support.
“You touch my woman,” Luke snarled at Anna, “and I just might forget how I was brought up.”
Flipping the phone shut, Aaron glanced at him. “The police are on their way.”
Kicking and struggling, Anna tried to wrench away.
Ryan moved quick, kicking her lightly in the back of the knee, bringing her to her knees in the dirt. “Stay.” His voice was cold, calm. “Or I’ll bring you down.”
It was enough to make her stop struggling, but she still glared at Mikki.
“I really don’t know what I did-” Mikki began.
“Mikki!”
&n
bsp; They all looked around as Elspeth came running up, torch in hand.
“I told you to stay back at the mansion,” Aaron said.
“This is my niece!” Elspeth flung her arms around Mikki, dragging her away from Luke and hugging her tightly. “Oh Mik.” Pulling back, she cupped her cheeks, giving her a kiss on the forehead, her eyes suspiciously bright. “Oh, baby girl. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Mikki hugged her aunt close. “I’m okay.”
“What happened?” Eyes growing wide, Elspeth looked down at Anna. “You?”
“Who did you expect?” Anna bared her teeth.
“But you? Why?”
Luke fell in on Mikki’s other side, his arm around her waist while Elspeth clung to Mikki’s other arm.
To be truthful, Mikki was glad of his strength, leaning against him, the fading adrenaline leaving her even shakier, which was a little embarrassing.
As though he knew it, he gave her a gentle squeeze, pulling her close into his side.
Aaron pocketed the mobile. “I suggest we take this up in more comfortable surroundings. It’s going to take the police about twenty minutes to get here.”
~*~
One hip perched on the edge of the table, his foot braced on the floor, Luke positioned himself beside Mikki sitting in a chair, his leg brushing against hers, needing the contact even though she appeared a lot more composed.
He tried to keep his own expression as composed, but inside he was furious, furious that anyone would harm his woman, his fear for her running through his veins like razor blades. He should have been there to protect her from…this. This woman who glared daggers at Mikki even now, though she was sitting in a chair with her hands cuffed behind her back, Ryan standing at ease behind her. He’d sat her at the head of the table and shoved the chair in, pinning her between the table and chair so she couldn’t jump up.
Elspeth was seated close beside Mikki, her hand resting comfortingly on her niece’s thigh, while Mikki patted Elspeth’s hand in a gesture of returning comfort.
Pulling out a chair, Aaron sat down and leaned back, crossing his ankle over the opposite knee, his fingers linked loosely in his lap as he surveyed Anna emotionlessly. “Tell us why you attacked Mikki.”
The Wells Brothers: Luke Page 26