Midnight Touch

by L Ann

  “Want me to deal with him?” Deacon offered, and Shaun shook his head.

  “No, that pleasure is going to be all mine.”

  “Neither of you will deal with him,” Cormac told them. “I will speak to hospital security and have them remove him. Now is not the time for either of your type of problem solving.”

  “Like your methods of problem solving are any nicer,” Deacon snorted.

  Cormac ignored him and turned his attention to Gemma. “What do I need to know about him?”

  “Cassie wouldn’t want him anywhere near her. That’s really all anyone needs to know.”

  Cormac nodded. “Deacon, with me.”

  “Sir, yes, sir!” Deacon smirked, with a salute.

  Gemma watched the two men disappear down the corridor, although Shaun had his suspicions that the majority of her attention was on Deacon. They turned a corner and she looked at Shaun.

  “How is she?”

  “Awake, aware. Chase is with her now.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “She says someone ran her off the road. Can you think of anyone who’d want to hurt her, aside from the obvious?”

  Gemma’s response was immediate. “No, no one. I don’t think even Sam would want to hurt her. You, yes. But not Cassie.”

  “That’s what I thought.” It was looking more and more likely it was to do with him or the pack. “Whatever it is, I’ll fix it.”

  “How? Cassie could have been killed. She was coming from your house. If this is because she hooked up with you … Don’t you dare deny that’s what happened between you!” she added when Shaun tried to speak.

  “Of course I’m going to fucking deny it. For fucks sake, Gemma. Would I have spent the last fucking ten days here if it was just a fucking hook-up?” He bit out. “I was going to say it wasn’t a fucking hook up. What the fuck is it with you two and jumping to that conclusion? I –”

  He stopped when the door opened, and Chase came out.

  “How is she?” Gemma immediately asked.

  “Ms Duncan,” Chase greeted her. “She’s doing fine. The internal bleeding has completely stopped and she’s doing well. Other than bruising, which should disappear in the next day or so, she’s good to go.” He caught Shaun’s eye. “There must have been a mistake with her original assessment when she arrived. The internal damage was not quite as bad as the hospital had you believe. I was going to suggest keeping her here for one more night, but she seems eager to go home and I can’t really see any reason to deny it.”

  Shaun shook the doctor’s hand and thanked him, while Gemma went ahead of him into Cassie’s room.

  Shaun waited until she was out of earshot.

  “Thanks, Chase.”

  Chase patted his shoulder. “You’re a fucking idiot for pulling that stunt, but I get it. It took a bit of work, but her records have been amended to show far less trauma than they originally noted. And, magically, her x-rays have disappeared. There shouldn’t be any questions on how she healed so fast.” He smiled at his pack brother. “It got me down here a little faster than I anticipated, and I need to get back to LA tonight. Mac wants me to oversee the move from that end.” He pulled Shaun into a quick hug. “I’ll see you in a week. Try and keep out of trouble until then.”

  Cassie was sitting on the side of the bed, pulling a t-shirt over her head when he entered. His eyes caught sight of the bruising around her ribs before the soft material hid them from view. When he lifted his gaze to meet hers, he found both Cassie and Gemma staring at him.

  “What?”

  “You growled,” Cassie said.

  “I did what?” Had he?

  “You … growled,” she repeated.

  “Like a dog,” Gemma added. “A vicious dog.”

  “You’re hearing things,” he denied. Get control of yourself.

  “We both heard you,” Cassie bent, winced and straightened again.

  “I was clearing my throat.” He strode forward, dropped to his knees and picked up her shoes. Both women watched in silence as he curved a hand around her ankle and slipped first one shoe and then the other onto her feet.

  “Did Chase tell you to take it easy? No bending or twisting for a while.”

  “I didn’t think that meant getting someone else to dress me.”

  He arched a brow. “Did it hurt to bend down?” He waited for her nod. “Then that’s what he meant. Don’t do anything that hurts. Ask for help.” He rose to his feet. “It’s only for a few days, Goldilocks, then you’ll be as good as new.”

  “Gemma said you organised this private room for me.”

  “Yeah, I did. I wanted you somewhere peaceful, so you could heal. It’s why I asked for Chase to come down as well.”

  “He’s not a doctor here?”

  “No, he’s our family doctor. Private practice.”

  “Our? You didn’t really marry me while I was unconscious, did you?”

  Shaun forced a chuckle. In his world, what he’d done would definitely be considered him doing just that.

  “It made organising the room and Chase as your doctor a little easier if the hospital administration thought I had the responsibility as your husband.”

  Shaun, Cassie and Gemma left the hospital by way of a back fire exit, courtesy of a staff member and a hundred dollar tip, and drove back to Greene Valley in a dark nondescript hire car, which Cormac had organised. Gemma spent the majority of the forty-minute driving complaining about Shaun’s twin brother, Deacon.

  “You clearly got all the better genes,” she declared as they pulled up outside Gemma’s house, and Shaun snorted.

  Twisting in his seat, he looked at Cassie.

  “I’d like to come in with you, if that’s okay?”

  The two women traded glances, then Gemma shrugged. “I don’t see why not?”

  Shaun nodded, hopped out of the car and strode around to open the doors for them. As he leaned in to help Cassie out, he lifted a hand to brush her cheek. “You still look tired.”

  She smiled, leaning into his touch. “I am. A little, anyway.”

  “Let’s get you inside and settled, then.” He held out a hand and steadied her as she stepped from the car. Curling his fingers around hers, he led her toward the house.

  “I still don’t get it.”

  “Get what, Goldilocks?”

  “Why you’re here. Why you did what you did at the hospital.”

  Shaun froze, then forced himself to relax. There was no way she could know what he did. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “The room, the doctor. Gemma said you stayed at the hospital the entire time I was there.”

  Shaun slowed to a stop. “Where else would I be?”

  “Shaun, you’re not responsible for me.”

  The look he slanted in her direction was unreadable. “Kinda am. I should have insisted you stayed with me or driven you home.”

  “What happened wasn’t your fault.”

  Wasn’t it? Shaun wasn’t so sure about that.

  “For the moment can we just say it’s because I like you? Because I’d like to see where this thing we started leads? Or, how about because when I saw you in that hospital bed, I –” he stopped, rubbed a hand across his face. “Cassie, let’s just get you inside, okay?”

  The tone in his voice had her nodding, and she allowed him to lead her indoors in silence, ignoring Gemma’s questioning look.

  Shaun left not long after she was settled in Gemma’s kitchen, with an admonishment to take it easy as well as a promise to return the next morning.

  “I was sure he would insist on staying,” Gemma said into the silence.

  Cassie’s eyes sought out her sister’s where she stood in the doorway. “Did he really stay at the hospital the whole time?”

  Gemma nodded.

  “How long was I there? No one would tell me.”

  Gemma entered the kitchen proper and pulled out a chair opposite Cassie. “Ten days.”

  “Ten …?” she repeated slowly.

  �
��You were unconscious when we got there. They thought you were dying. Internal bleeding. They said they couldn’t stop it. Shaun demanded a second opinion, insisted they brought in his own specialist. His brother – the scary one with the creepy eyes – locked himself away with the Chief of Medicine and the next thing we know, they’re bending over backwards calling you Shaun’s wife and giving Shaun whatever he demanded.”

  “His brother?”

  “He has two … two here, anyway. Cormac is the scary one, very quiet, weird eyes. Seems to be the one in charge. Then there’s Deacon.” Cassie heard Gemma’s voice change when she said his name. “God, he’s so annoying. I don’t know how I’ve managed to stop myself from stabbing him yet.”

  “But ten days …”

  “Yeah. Shaun wouldn’t leave your side. Then Chase arrived, and things got a bit hairy for a while. I don’t know what happened, but your heart stopped, and everyone was running around, panicking. Cormac and Shaun were shouting at each other. I honestly thought they were going to fight, but Chase and Deacon turned up and separated them. They got you stabilised, and Cormac banned Shaun from the room until he calmed down.”

  Gemma stood abruptly, crossed to where Cassie sat and wrapped her arms around her. “I honestly thought we’d lost you for a while there. And I didn’t know what to do. I tried to reach mom, but she’s out of contact on that stupid cruise of hers.”

  Cassie leaned into her and the two sisters fell silent.

  Cassie woke up to shouting.

  Who was Gemma arguing with? Was it Sam again?

  It had been three days since she came home from the hospital and Sam had tried to see her twice. The first time Gemma had refused to let him in, shouting through the door that Cassie didn’t want to see him and to stay away. He did, eventually, but returned later that evening. He’d pushed Gemma against the wall, gaining access to the house.

  Unfortunately for him, Shaun had arrived a few minutes later. Gemma had pulled him into the kitchen, hurriedly whispering that Sam had forced his way in and was upstairs with Cassie. She had barely finished speaking when Shaun spun on his heel and stalked up the stairs.

  Cassie’s door had swung open silently at Shaun’s push, and his eyes took in the scene before him.

  Cassie was hunched on her bed, knees up to her chin and face pale. Sam leaned over her, face flushed as he spoke in a low voice. Neither of them had heard Shaun enter the room.

  Cassie saw him first, her eyes widening as he stalked across the room and caught the back of Sam’s shirt in one fist. A flex of his arm and Sam was thrown backwards.

  “Are you alright?” Shaun asked Cassie, even as he turned to face Sam.

  Cassie shook her head, mutely, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Shaun’s eyes slid from her to Sam and back again.

  “What did he say to you?” he demanded. She looked on the verge of tears, and her obvious fear seemed to fuel his anger. He moved toward Sam, who was struggling to his feet.

  “This is assault,” the man threatened.

  Shaun stopped, tilted his head slightly and one side of his mouth kicked up into a smile.

  “That wasn’t assault,” he murmured seconds before his fist connected with Sam’s nose and sent him back to the floor. “That, however, definitely was.” He took a step closer to Sam, reached out and lifted him to his feet.

  Sam cupped his nose and yanked himself free of Shaun’s grip. “I think my nose is broken!” he snarled through his fingers. “I’ll have you arrested.”

  “And five minutes after I walk out of the police station, I’ll have all your dirty secrets visible for the whole town to see.” Shaun leaned closer to Sam, who recoiled. “Is that what you want? Everyone to see just what a dirty little fucker you really are?”

  “You don’t know anything about me!”

  “I know everything about you and your family.” His smile was a baring of teeth.

  The two men stared at each other for a long moment, and then Sam turned and pushed his way out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Shaun had tried to get Cassie to tell him what Sam had said to her, but she’d refused and, after the third time she pleaded with him to go home so she could sleep, he’d complied. He didn’t come back the next day and Cassie began to wonder if she’d pushed him away for good.

  The shouting downstairs grew louder – she could make out Gemma’s voice and the other seemed to be male. A deep aggressive growl that drove Cassie to climb out of bed to investigate. She had just thrown back the sheets on her bed when her door swung open and revealed Shaun.

  She couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face at the sight of him. He was dressed in close-fitting dark black jeans, biker boots and a soft grey t-shirt, his hair pulled back in its customary ponytail. But, as good as it was to see him, it was the coffee cups and paper bag he was carrying which caught her eye.

  “Is there a blueberry muffin in that bag?” she asked and stretched out her hands in a grasping gesture.

  Shaun laughed. “There might be. A peace offering.” He kicked the door shut behind him, took the steps needed to reach the bed where Cassie was still poised, ready to stand, and handed her the bag.

  “What did you do that requires a peace offering?” she asked, inhaling the smell of freshly baked muffin.

  “I scared you.” He angled a look at her when she drew breath to protest. “Don’t even think about lying to me about it. I shouldn’t have handled Sam the way I did the other night.”

  “Is that why –”

  “Why I haven’t been by?” he cut in and she nodded. “That, and my brother brought in a private investigator to look into your accident. We’ve been going over all the facts. If anyone can find evidence to prove someone forced you off the road, it’s him.”

  Cassie’s eyes lifted to meet his. “The police think I’m wrong, don’t they?”

  Shaun nodded. “At best, they think someone clipped you and drove on without realising they’d caused you to lose control.”

  “And at worst?”

  His shoulder lifted in a slight shrug. “That you don’t remember the incident accurately.”

  “What do you think?”

  He eased onto the mattress beside her and leaned back against the headboard. “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small chance it was a hit and run, Goldilocks. But –” he pressed a finger to her lips to stop her talking. “But I believe you, so I fully expect our investigator to find evidence.” He handed her a coffee cup, and draped his arm across her shoulders, drawing her into his embrace. “Are you okay with this?” he asked.

  Cassie nodded, breathing in his scent. Her body relaxed against him, tension she hadn’t realised she’d been feeling dissipating as his warmth wrapped around her.

  “Your car got towed to the local garage, so we went and checked it out. There were definite scuff marks on the back bumper. Faint, but there. Our guy is tracking down what car the paint came from, just in case it’s someone local.”

  Cassie sighed, turning so she could rest her cheek against his shoulder. She took a sip of coffee and smiled. “Mocha … you remembered.” She felt his shoulder move beneath her cheek.

  “I’m just curious to see if you have the same reaction as the last time I brought you coffee and cake.”

  Cassie choked on her next sip and coughed. “Oh my God! Really?”

  “No … maybe …” He tipped his head and looked at her, eyes gleaming. “Is it working? Feel any urges?”

  “Only to push you off my bed.”

  Shaun flattened a palm against his chest. “I’m hurt, Cassie. Wounded.” He took a sip from his own coffee and grinned at her. “Actually, I thought since I’m here and I have nowhere else to be for a few hours, we could talk.”

  “Talk about what?”

  Another shrug. “Anything you want. Gemma thinks we don’t know enough about each other and that I’m rushing you into things. She thinks I’m going to be as bad as Sam.”

  “Did she tell
you that?”

  “Nope. She didn’t need to. It’s obvious. She also doesn’t like my brother very much – that she was very vocal about … to me and him.” He laughed. “So, what would you like to know?”

  “We’re really doing this?”

  “Got anything better to do?” His grin dropped away. “Consider my entire life an open book for you to dive in and read.”

  “And I can ask anything I want?”

  “Anything at all.”

  “Hmmmm,” she tapped the tip of the coffee cup against her lips. “When’s your birthday?”

  “November twentieth.”

  “Scorpio, huh?”

  “Yup. But the sting in my tail won’t poison you.”

  Cassie groaned. “That was bad.”

  He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, chuckling. “What else? We’ve got nearly two weeks to make up for.”

  “Tell me about your family.”

  “I have two brothers. Cormac is the oldest. Deacon is my twin – we’re not identical, so don’t panic about getting us mixed up. Plus, he’s an asshole so even if we did look like each other, you’ll recognise him quickly because he’s more of a dick than I am. Our parents died a few years ago and Mac took over as head of the family.” His fingers stroked up her arm. “What else? I sing, play guitar, piano … a few other instruments.”

  “You don’t seem to work …”

  “I do work, sort of. I write songs and sell them to music labels and bands.” He smiled. “Once, Deke and I dreamed of being famous musicians. You know, the whole shebang – sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. Then we realised we didn’t really want the fame and hassle that comes with it.” Almost the truth. The fact was he’d been taken by Hunters just as their band was starting out and the downward spiral that caused made him warier about what he was and who he surrounded himself with.

  He fell silent, and she relaxed against him, closing her eyes as his fingers ran up and down her bare arm. She could hear the steady thud of his heart beneath her ear, and the dark woodsy scent she’d come to associate with him stole around her. He seemed content to wait out her silence, not filling it with inane conversation or demands.