Cautious Lover

by Stephanie James

  “What hat?” Marina closed the door and examined Elly from head to toe. She didn’t appear to be overly im­pressed.

  “You know. Something with a broad brim and a point.”

  Marina tilted her head to one side, considering the comment and then she laughed. “Ah, a witch’s hat. I see Jess has been discussing me with you.”

  “The subject came up after he saw you playing voy­eur at my window.”

  “Shook him up a bit, did it? I’m not surprised. Al­ways reassuring to know one hasn’t been forgotten com­pletely.” Marina’s eyes narrowed coolly. “But I don’t suppose that’s likely as long as he’s amusing himself with boring women. His mind is bound to recall the good old days from time to time. Remember that the next time he decides to take you to bed. I gave him something a woman such as you will never be able to provide.”

  “A pain in the ass?”

  Marina’s fine teeth came together in a small snap. “You were right, Damon. She is a little bitch.”

  “Jess thinks you’re dead,” Elly said flatly, deciding the only thing she could do was keep talking.

  “So does the insurance company,” Damon said pleas­antly. “They paid off very handsomely for the unfortu­nate loss of life at sea. We’ve been doing quite well on the income for the past three years. But now, sad to say, the money is running out.”

  Elly caught her breath, knowing what was coming. “Well, if you’re thinking of supplementing your income by tapping my bank account, you’re out of your mind. What I have saved wouldn’t begin to keep you two in the style to which I’m sure you’ve become accustomed!”

  Damon grinned. “It’s not your money we’re after, Elly. I think you know it.”

  Marina’s grin mimicked her brother’s and her eyes gleamed like those of a cat. “How much do you think Jess would pay to get you back safe and sound, Elly Trent? He seems to be quite fond of you. From what we hear he even plans to marry you.”

  Elly’s fingers dug into her arms but she managed to keep her voice reasonably steady. “I don’t see Jess pay­ing ransom money.”

  “Then you don’t know him very well,” Marina in­formed her with vast assurance.’ ‘The man’s got a streak of responsibility in him a yard wide. If he feels he got you into this mess, he’ll do whatever he has to do to get you out.”

  Elly swallowed, aware that Marina was right in her as­sessment of Jess Winter. He was a man of integrity. He wouldn’t send Elly to the wolves. But how would he react when he realized Marina was still alive?

  “I can see why the two of you weren’t compatible,” Elly murmured, treating Marina to the same cool, ana­lytical stare. “You obviously don’t suffer from an excess of integrity.”

  “The man proved to be a little dull in some ways.” Marina threw herself down into an arm chair. “But it was fun putting him through hoops for a while. Certainly did wonders for the family finances, didn’t it, Damon?”

  “Uh-huh.” Damon motioned with the gun and Elly backed up a couple of steps.

  “But unfortunately Jess had his limits. When I came up against them I knew the game was over.” Marina eyed Elly again. “I wouldn’t have expected him to settle for someone like you, however.”

  “Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think you do.”

  Marina shook her head, a sardonic expression on her classically boned face. “You may be right. There were times when I wondered what he was really thinking, what made him tick. That generally doesn’t happen. I can usually read a man’s mind. Just as my brother always seems to know what a woman is thinking.”

  Elly swung her gaze to Damon, who was lounging near the telephone, the gun idly pointed in her direction. He was digging a slip of paper out of his pocket.

  “Did you guess what I was thinking the other night when you sabotaged my car and then conveniently hap­pened along that lonely road to ‘rescue’ me?” Elly dared.

  Carrington’s eyes slitted. “How did you know. I was there? You’d already left by the time I arrived.”

  “I watched you from the bushes. I waited until you had given up and driven off before I walked home.”

  Damon’s brows rose in mocking admiration. “Smarter than the average female. Well, at least I had the pleasure of throwing a scare into Winter. I’ll bet he went crazy when he got my message.”

  “Did you do it just for spite?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah. Seemed like fun. It would have been a convenient way of nabbing you. But no harm done. Everything’s working out just fine, isn’t it, Mar­ina?”

  “Beautifully,” his sister agreed. “Are you ready to make the call?”

  “Almost. This whole thing has to be properly timed. Tides, you know,” he added helpfully as he glanced at Elly.

  Elly’s mouth went dry. Her tongue felt like sand­paper. “Tides? What about the tides?”

  “You, my dear, are going to spend the night in a cozy little cabin a few miles from here,” said Marina. “But tomorrow night you will spend it in a much more scenic location. You’ll be able to watch the sun come up from a really choice vantage point.” Marina languidly crossed one booted ankle over the other. “Go ahead and dial,” she told Damon.

  Elly stood frozen in front of the gun, watching in dull horror as Damon dialed the number on the slip of pa­per. It was Jess’s number, she was certain of it. A mo­ment later she was proved correct.

  “We’re all in luck,” Damon said easily, without any preamble as Jess came on the line.’ ‘You’re spending the evening at home. Elly will be delighted.” There was a pause as Jess said something in response, and Damon’s eyes filled with malicious amusement. “Of course she’s here. I’m calling from her living room. Want to talk to her?” Without waiting for an answer he thrust the re­ceiver toward Elly.

  She took the instrument with shaking fingers. “Jess?”

  “Christ, Elly, what the hell’s going on?”

  “The gruesome twosome has arrived on my door­step,” she managed to say, her tone as uneven as her grip on the phone.

  “Twosome?”

  The savage alertness in the single word told Elly all she needed to know about Jess’s mood. “Marina’s not dead, Jess.”

  “That fits,” he responded.

  “With what?”

  “Nothing, I’ll explain later. Get rid of them, Elly. They’re nothing but trouble. I want them out of your house now.”

  Elly glanced at the gun in Damon’s fingers. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that simple. Damon has a gun, Jess. He’s talking ran­som.”

  The silence on the other end of the line seemed to reach out and chill Elly’s entire living room. When Jess finally spoke he sounded unbelievably cold. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Put Carrington on the line.”

  Mutely, Elly handed the phone to Damon, who smiled as he spoke into the receiver. “As you can hear, she’s in good health, Winter. And if everyone, especially you, follows orders, she’ll stay that way. Marina and I aren’t overly greedy. We just want what’s coming to us. I’d say sweet little Elly here is worth about fifty thousand, wouldn’t you?” He paused, listening. “No, I realize you can’t lay your hands on that kind of money tonight. But you can get it first thing in the morning, can’t you? The banks open at ten. We’ll expect the cash to be packed neatly in a briefcase. You will drive here to Elly’s house and wait for a phone call tomorrow evening. We will ar­range the exchange at that time. Oh, and Winter. I prob­ably don’t have to spell this out, but I will for the sake of mutual understanding. Come alone. This is a small, iso­lated area. We’re bound to notice if you bring the cops along for company. And if you do, Elly’s going to dis­appear for good.” Damon slammed down the receiver before there could be any further response.

  “I think,” said Marina, “that we’d better be on our way. Get a coat, Elly. You’ll be spending the next twenty-four hours with us.”

  “Where?”


  “At a deserted vacation cabin several miles from here. Damon and I have been staying there for the past few days, and so far no one’s even noticed our presence. As long as we stay clear of town we’re safe. It should be good for one more night. Now hurry up and get that coat un­less you want to spend a very cold night.”

  “You don’t have any heat at this cabin?” Elly asked as she obediently started to walk toward the hall closet. En route she had to pass the cluster of ivy plants on the bench against the wall. Beneath their cascading vines was the paring knife she had been using to trim dead leaves— the knife Jess had taken such pains to sharpen.

  “Oh, the cabin is warm enough. But tomorrow night you’re going to spend in a fairly uncomfortable situa­tion, I’m afraid,” Marina said smoothly. She watched Elly open the closet door and pull out a bulky down parka. “That should do the trick. Come on now, let’s get going. Winter knows we called from your home. We don’t want to give him time to mobilize the local cops, although I don’t think he’ll take the risk.”

  Elly stood clutching the parka, watching the other two uneasily. “But I don’t understand,” she began as she awkwardly started to struggle into the jacket. She made a production out of it, not bothering to fake her ner­vousness. It was quite real. “What will you do when you have the money? Jess won’t let the matter rest. You know that. You know he’ll find a way to track you down….” She deliberately swung her arm wide as if having a prob­lem fitting it into the parka sleeve.

  The edge of the garment trailed along the row of ce­ramic ivy plant containers, knocking two of them off the edge of the table. With a haste that seemed impulsive and automatic, Elly turned to grab at the falling pots. She saw the paring knife as she swung around. For an instant her back was toward Damon and Marina. The sharp little knife disappeared up her sleeve even as the pots hit the floor with a jarring crash.

  “You clumsy fool” Marina snapped, her eyes auto­matically following the small disaster. “Forget the damn plants and let’s get going.”

  Turning slowly, her expression frightened and resent­ful, Elly shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and waited. Inside the right pocket she released the small knife.

  “You’d better tie her wrists now, Marina.” Damon removed a length of cord from his jacket and tossed it to his sister. “We wouldn’t want her getting any clumsier.”

  Marina shook her head disgustedly as she stepped for­ward to tie Elly’s hands behind her back. “Jess’s stan­dards have definitely slipped lately. I can’t imagine what he sees in you. Stupid little country girl.”

  The knife seemed to be burning a hole in Elly’s pocket, but Marina made no effort to search her. Why should she? The jacket had come straight out of the closet and couldn’t be expected to have anything other than a stray tissue or some pennies tucked away in the pockets. “That’s funny. Jess was just saying the other day that he can’t remember what he ever saw in you,” Elly re­marked.

  Marina gave the cord a vicious little jerk, and Elly im­mediately regretted the impulsive dig.

  “Jess knows damn well what he saw in her,” Damon said. “The same thing every other man sees in her. They all follow like lemmings to the sea.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Elly went on. She felt a little bolder now that it was becoming obvious Marina wasn’t going to discover the knife. “What are you going to do when you have your hands on the money—assuming Jess brings the cash in the first place?”

  “Oh, he’ll bring it.” Marina was serenely confident. “And he won’t act until he has you safely back. That will give Damon and me plenty of time to leave the coun­try.” She glanced at her brother. “Ready?”

  “All set. You drive and I’ll keep an eye on Elly. Wouldn’t want her to forget the position she’s in.”

  Elly’s gaze went from one incredibly attractive, deter­mined face to the other, weighed the malice in the two sets of green eyes and knew she would be very lucky to get a chance to use the paring knife.

  Damon grabbed one bound arm and led his victim to­ward the front door.

  In Portland, Jess very carefully placed the receiver into its cradle. He didn’t want to be careful with it. What he really wanted to do was hurl the damned instrument against the nearest off-white wall. The rage inside him was simmering so close to the surface it threatened to take over completely.

  But the discipline of years did battle with the fury and won. There was nothing to be accomplished by blind rage at this point. The satisfaction of destruction would have to wait until later. So the phone was very carefully re­placed. But Jess realized his fingers were almost shaking with the effort it took to control himself.

  The Carringtons had dared to touch Elly.

  Jess sat with his hands clenched between his knees, every muscle in his body screaming for action and re­venge. The fools. Damon and Marina had played with fire so many times and gotten away with it so often that they no longer knew when to fear getting burned. Jess glanced at the neatly typed reports he had been studying when the phone had rung a few minutes earlier.

  The papers carried the discrete, impressive letterhead of the very expensive, very efficient agency he had hired. It had cost a fortune, plus expenses, but the agency was convinced there was a high probability that Marina Car­rington had not died in the yachting accident, and that she and her brother were alive and well and living very nicely on the coast of Mexico.

  They should have had the sense to stay there, Jess de­cided as he got to his feet. They should have had the sense to keep clear of him and anything that belonged to him. But Damon and Marina, had never been blessed with an overabundance of common sense. They saw no need to play by anyone else’s rules. Until now, by and large, they had gotten away with their dangerous games.

  Jess walked into the bedroom and found his brief­case. It appeared to be about the right size. He thought about what he knew of Damon and Marina. Both were inclined to be reckless, emotional, a little wild. They de­rived some kind of high from the turmoil and excitement they created around them. They fed on the trouble they caused the way a shark feeds on the smaller fish around it. But the fact that they got their kicks from cre­ating trouble was also their chief weakness, unless you counted the strange bond between the twins. They were two halves of a whole, functioning at times almost like a single entity. That, too, could be a weakness. Jess con­templated the thought for a while.

  In a way he understood the link better now than he ever had in the past. During the time he had known Elly, a si­lent bond had been formed, the strength of which he had only recently begun to comprehend. With the instincts of natural predators, the Carringtons had found his main weakness. Jess would do whatever he had to in order to see Elly safe. To Damon and Marina, Elly probably ap­peared to be a weak point through which they could reach Jess. What they didn’t realize was that she had also be­come a source of strength to him.

  There was nothing to do now but wait. For a moment he stood quietly, picturing Elly bound and helpless in the Carringtons’ hands.

  Once again the savage rage simmered to the surface, almost swamping him, and once again Jess controlled it. He would get Elly free first. Then he would deal with Damon and Marina Carrington. This time he would see to it that they were finally consumed by the fire they had started.

  Fire was reputed to be the one sure way of dealing with witches.

  Elly was uncomfortable, stiff and disgusted. Fear had given way to other emotions as time passed. Nothing was working out the way it did in the movies. She had ex­pected to be tossed into a closet or a bedroom and left by herself. At that point she could have begun industrious work with the paring knife. Instead she had been kept seated on a worn-out couch in the main room of the small beach cabin in full sight of the Carringtons. Even asking to use the bathroom facilities had not brought her any solitude. Marina had accompanied her, bringing the gun along.

  The little knife continued to burn a hole in her jacket. The only measure of
satisfaction she had was that she hadn’t been told to remove the garment.

  When it became apparent that Damon and Marina had decided to take turns staying awake during the night, Elly finally decided to try getting some sleep. After several restless attempts she finally succeeded.

  She awoke a long time later, vaguely aware of the low murmur of the twins’ voices as they sat talking near the fire. For a moment Elly didn’t try to concentrate on what they were saying. For one thing, her arms ached and she had developed a headache from her awkward sleeping position. It seemed more trouble than it was worth to make the effort to shift her position. She lay still, eyes closed and wondered what Jess was doing.

  She knew, just as the Carringtons appeared to know, that he would come for her. He would pay whatever price was necessary. That fact depressed Elly more than any­thing else that had happened. Once again he would as­sume his responsibilities. Once again he would endeavor to bail Elly out of trouble. She longed to make him aware of a wild, passionate love he had for her and all she suc­ceeded in doing was finding odd little ways of drawing out his sense of responsibility and integrity—if you could call getting yourself kidnapped an odd little way of doing things. When this was all over would he finally decide she was too much trouble?

  There I go again, Elly thought morosely. I’m acting nervous and afraid of having pushed him too far. What she had to remember was that this kidnapping, at least, was hardly her fault. Unless, she decided on a wave of uneasy guilt, it might have been prevented by telling Jess earlier that Damon Carrington was still hanging around. No use letting her thoughts drift too far in that direc­tion. What was done was done. The low voices near the fire filtered slowly into her mind.

  “We’ll arrange the pickup to be here at the cabin,” Damon was saying quietly. “We’ll be able to see if any cars other than Winter’s Jaguar come near. If they do we’ll know he’s been followed.”

  “He won’t go to the cops,” Marina said with amused certainty. “He’ll handle this by himself.”

  “Just in case, one of us will stay out of sight when he arrives with the money. I’ll pick up the briefcase and we’ll make him think you’re guarding little miss wholesome over there. He won’t move on one of us as long as he thinks the other has Elly.”