by Nic Saint
Either way, the airport had been put on alert. The moment Ty stepped through security, he’d be detained.
Chloe hadn’t attempted to talk Jackson out of going after Ty, knowing it was quite useless. The police chief had allowed himself to be influenced by Roland in his decision, and there simply was no going up against Ro once he’d made up his mind.
The hatred between the two men ran deep, and no matter what Chloe said, it wouldn’t make a dent in his resoluteness.
So she’d settled back on the couch, nervously biting her nails, and waiting for news to arrive. If she’d expected life in Alaska to be uneventful, she’d been sorely mistaken.
When the doorbell rang, she sprang to her feet as if propelled by a spring. She raced to the door, surmising it was Roland who’d dropped by to fill her in on the latest events, so when she opened the door, it took some time to register that the man standing before her wasn’t her brother but…
“Ty!”
For a moment, fear gripped her heart, certain he’d come back to take her again. Then his hand appeared from behind his back, and he held a bouquet of roses out to her, a crooked smile plastered on his face.
“I’ve come to apologize once more,” he began, and she took the bouquet, confused and thrilled at the same time. “And to tell you that I’ll be hanging around for a bit.” He gestured at the house next door. “I might even buy some property.”
Her eyes rose to meet his, and she shivered slightly when she detected the intentness of his gaze. She recognized it from a long time ago. Each time he’d asked her out in the distant past, he’d looked at her this same way. Hard and unyielding, and not taking no for an answer. And when she had offered him no each time, his resolve had only deepened, until their fathers had put a stop to his wooing and told him to back off.
And now he was back, and she felt those same strange flutterings of her heart once again—the same ones she’d experienced back at the barn when he’d laid his hands on her, not in anger and possessive rage but with tenderness and soft desire. He’d caressed her like no man had ever done before, not even Jackson, probably the sweetest man she’d ever met.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Ty,” she finally managed, her fingers fidgeting with the flowers. “Ro-Roland is out looking for you. Says he wants to have you arrested.”
Ty held out his arms and smiled. “Let him. I ain’t running away.”
Her chest was heaving now, her heart beating fast and droplets of sweat rolling down her back. What was going on here?
Ty took one step closer, and cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to face him. “I’ve come back for you, Chloe. And I’m not leaving until you’re mine.”
She blinked, heat roiling in her belly and an anxious fear gripping her heart at the same time. And then he lowered his lips to hers and took her ever so gently, and she closed her eyes, all her fears and doubts rolling away, and she let her arms drop to her sides, the flowers scattering all around them, and when she parted her lips, he darted his tongue against hers, and then she desperately clung to him, sliding her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers and pulling him in, clinging to him, incapable of letting go.
When he finally released her, he smiled—not a triumphant smile but one of a strange tenderness she hadn’t thought him capable of. He tweaked her cheek, and whispered, “I’ll be back,” and abruptly turned and strode off toward his car.
She teetered on the edge of the porch step, blinking in confusion, still awash with the heat of her desire, and when she saw a police car screeching in, she watched Roland and Jackson spring from the car and accost the man who’d just swept her off her feet. The most unlikely man to ever have done so.
Chapter 21
“So. What are you gonna do about it?”
Ty grinned up at Roland, his customary smirk.
Roland balled his fists. “‘I’ll show you what, you Montesquieu scum!”
As Jackson watched the altercation, he could see the rage bubbling beneath the surface, so he quickly took a hold of Roland’s arm and drew him aside.
“I think you better stay out of this, Roland. This is my arrest—my responsibility.”
Roland tore himself loose. “I’m not done yet. Not by a long shot.”
“You’re done now,” Jackson informed him coolly. “This is a police station, not a torture chamber, and I can see you’re having trouble distinguishing between the two.”
With a growl, Roland stalked out of the station, and slammed the door. Jackson was glad to see him leave. The man clearly had anger management issues. He turned to Ty. “So. Big brother. What brings you to town?”
Ty shrugged. “Just looking up some old friends.”
“And family, I would have hoped.”
Ty grinned. “Sure. Of course. How are things, little brother? Long time no see, huh?”
Jackson studied his brother, trying not to let his emotions be the judge. “You look fine, Ty. The years have been kind to you.”
“Can’t say the same thing about you.” He cast a pointed look at Jackson’s belly. “Been letting yourself go, huh? Guess that’s what living the quiet life does to a man.”
Jackson pounded his belly with both hands. “All muscle, buddy. Not a sliver of fat.”
“Yeah. Keep telling yourself that.”
Jackson’s smile disappeared. Ty was still as hostile and infuriating as he remembered. That part hadn’t changed one bit. “What are you really in town for, Ty? And don’t feed me that bullshit about visiting old friends. I know you. You don’t have friends. And definitely not in Heartford.”
Ty shrugged and looked the other way.
“If you won’t talk to me, perhaps you’ll talk to Roland Thornton. He seems to be itching to have a heart-to-heart. Perhaps I should let him.”
Ty’s eyes swiveled back to him, and he wasn’t surprised to find them hard and cold. “I’m still your brother, Jackson. Would you turn a Thornton loose on your own flesh and blood?”
“I would, if he was holding out on me, like I think you are.” He sighed. “Come on, bro. Look around. It’s just you and me here.”
Ty’s stare didn’t diminish, and then it did. “Look, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, or you might gloat, but when you got out the way you did, I kinda envied you.”
Jackson’s brows raised. “You? Envied me? That’s a first.”
“It took courage to kick the habit. A lot of courage. And even more to start a new life away from the family. Not many men would have done the same.”
“If you thought what I did so smart, then how come you never got in touch?” It was a question that’d been nagging him for a long time. Roland had always had his back. Until he’d decided that the only way to survive was to get out.
“You know how it is. Dad keeps us all on a pretty tight leash, especially me. If I’d have reached out to you, he would have known, and made both our lives a living hell.”
Jackson scoffed. “You telling me you ignored me for the last ten years to protect me? That it?”
Ty slowly nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
Jackson laughed. “You’re so full of shit, Ty.”
Ty’s gaze didn’t waver. “Never about family. You know that.”
Jackson remembered how Ty felt about family. The eternal unbreakable bond. “Yeah, well. That’s all water under the bridge. Tell me what happened with Chloe this morning. She said you took her for a drive around the countryside. That true?”
Ty shrugged. “If that’s what she says, sure. I took her for a country ramble.”
Jackson sighed. “Look, Chloe and I—we’re an item now.”
Ty didn’t stir, merely kept his cool gaze on Jackson. “Since when?”
“Since when—what does it matter since when? We’re together, so I don’t want you snooping around the house anymore, taking her on trips and whatnot.”
“Why not?”
“What the hell, Ty! You’ve been sweet on her since she was a ki
d, so it’s not that hard to figure out what it is you’re doing here, all right? And I won’t have it! She’s gone through enough shit already because of you and Dad, and—”
“The incest story.”
“That was a horrible thing to do. Even for you that was a new low.”
His shoulders lifted imperceptibly. “Wasn’t my idea. Dad set it up.”
“And you pleaded with him not to go through with it, right? Fuck you, Ty.”
“I probably should have,” admitted Ty. “And if it makes you feel any better, I’m sorry about what happened.”
“Did you tell her that? On your ‘country ramble’? Was that why you came here? To apologize? I find that very hard to believe.”
“I came here to keep an eye on the two of you. Dad’s orders. He’d heard you’d hooked up and wanted to use that as a way of putting pressure on the Thorntons. They’re about to launch an extremely damaging piece that has all the hallmarks of ruining HdM Enterprises.”
“Good for them. They probably should have done it years ago.”
“I agree.”
“They—what?”
Ty gave him a hard stare. “I told you I agree.”
“Bullshit.”
“You’re an honorable man, Jackson. I can see that. You’ve made a life for yourself out here and I can only commend you for it. And now I wish to do the same.”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “You—run that by me again, will you? It sounded like you were telling me you—”
Ty spread his hands. “I want to turn over a new leaf. Like you, I’m done with my old life and I want to start over.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“I do. And I want to do it with my new bride.”
Jackson drew a weary hand across his brow. He was tiring quickly of his brother’s games. “Your new bride. Who the fuck is your new bride, Ty?”
At these words, Ty leaned forward, resting his powerful arms on his thighs and fixing him with an intent gaze. “Chloe Thornton.”
Chapter 22
Remarkable vistas rolled before Chloe’s excited gaze. Jackson had taken her for a spin in one of the small planes that serviced the area, the owner and pilot a personal friend of his.
She stared out the small window, taking in the landscape that stretched out below, like a miniature fairytale land, and marveled how pristine everything looked. Like something from a movie or a Discovery Channel documentary.
A river snaked through the lush green, a silver tongue slithering past forests and fields, interspersed with small traces of civilization and manmade structures dotting the earth at intervals.
“It’s amazing,” she marveled, eyes wide with excitement. “Simply amazing.”
Jackson laughed. “Don’t tell me you’ve never flown. You guys even own your own private jet and all.”
“Dad uses the jet. And Roland. I don’t think I’ve ever set foot inside the thing.”
She had flown before, of course, but the purity of this landscape was completely new to her. Flying over New York, or even Long Island, was fascinating, but all her eyes ever encountered there had been touched by man. Houses, bridges, highways… Nature had been conquered and wrestled back into small enclaves where it was cultivated to perfection but never allowed to grow wild and free.
Here in Alaska the opposite seemed true. Nature still ruled the land, indulging mankind to encroach, but only to a certain degree. Apart from the small towns that sprang up here and there, this was still wild country, and the sheer size and ruggedness of it all awed her.
Somehow, it reminded her of Ty de Montesquieu. He was wild, she now saw. Uncultivated and a source of raw power. She glanced over at Jackson. Sweet, trusty Jackson. And for the first time understood why making love to him didn’t ring her bells the way Ty did. Jackson was safe and secure. Nice. A real gentleman. His brother, on the other hand, was an animal in the wild. Unleashed, you never knew what he’d do. He might as soon turn on you as oblige you.
He was unpredictable and untouched by civilization. A force of nature.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
She smiled up at Jackson. “Just thinking about the difference between this place and where I grew up. This place is so… wild!”
“Glad you like it,” he commented. The pilot attracted his attention and he leaned over to hear what he had to say.
She wondered what she’d do now that Ty had decided to make Heartford his home. It would mean seeing him in town, bumping into him at the grocery store, perhaps even spending time with him at the dinner table, as Jackson was sure to invite his brother over from time to time.
He’d been very quiet about what happened at the police station. All she knew was that Roland had left town in a hurry after admonishing her to stay away from Ty. She’d asked if he’d been arrested but apparently that hadn’t been the case. It was all so confusing, her life suddenly being thrown in yet another tailspin, only this one even more baffling than the last.
She was living with Jackson now, as his girlfriend, while she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to stay with him. Did she love the man? She didn’t know. She liked him. A lot. She felt good when he was around. He made her feel safe and secure. But was that enough?
Somehow she doubted it.
Jackson turned back to her. “Afraid we’ll have to cut our plane ride short. Something’s come up.”
She watched his eyes grow weary and knew there was trouble brewing at the home front. “What’s wrong?”
“Just some police business I have to take care of.” He gave her a comforting smile. “Nothing to worry about, honey.”
She returned her gaze to the window and the Alaskan plains, and her mind drifted as she watched the vast earth stretch before her eyes. She still hadn’t talked to Anna, and perhaps she never would. It was such a dreadful affair, she really didn’t want to stir it all up again. Perhaps she would talk to her mother instead. Maybe she could make sense of everything that was going on.
Usually well-informed, her mother was always ready to listen and not afraid to speak her heart. More than a mother, Fay Thornton was a friend to her children, and she knew she could always turn to her for advice.
Yes, she decided. With Jackson taking care of his business, she would take the opportunity to have a long heart-to-heart with her mother.
And as the plane touched down, she felt her spirits soar. What she needed now more than anything was a dear friend who could help her make sense of what was happening to her.
Arriving home, she placed her smartphone upright on the dresser and was gratified to find her mother was on-line. The moment the familiar gray-haired woman came into focus, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“Mom. You can’t believe how happy I am to see you.”
“Hello, honey,” said Fay, her kind face wrinkled in worry. “You look tired. What’s going on? Is this man Jackson not treating you right?”
“Jackson’s treating me just fine, Mom. In fact he’s probably the sweetest guy I know.”
“So what’s wrong? I can tell you’re brooding over something. You don’t look happy.”
“Oh, Mom,” she suddenly burst out, in spite of her intention to remain composed, “I think I’m in trouble. Big, big trouble. Ty’s here.”
Fay’s face fell. “Ty de Montesquieu? Oh, no! Honey, you should go to the police. That man—he’s dangerous.”
“That’s not it, Mom. I’m—I think I’m falling for him.”
Chapter 23
“You can’t be serious.” Fay stared at her daughter with an expression that conveyed both shock and horror. “Not Ty de Montesquieu, honey. The man’s an animal. You know what he did to Anna. He’s cruel. And extremely dangerous.”
“I know all that, Mom,” said Chloe, feeling her heart shrink. She hated to disappoint her mother. And yet, there was something about Ty that had eluded her thus far. He was perhaps that man—dangerous and cruel and horrible—but he was so much more. She just knew he was.
“How abo
ut Jackson? I thought you were in love with him?”
Confused, she shook her head, her red curls dangling about her heart-shaped face. “I thought I did. Now? I don’t know anymore. He’s nice, and sweet, and decent, and—and…” She sighed. “Just a little bit boring.”
Fay’s gray eyes betrayed a wealth of commiseration and sympathy. “Oh, honey.”
“He took me on a plane ride today. Wanted to show me the beauty and magic of Alaska. And all the while I couldn’t help thinking about Ty, and how much more fun it would have been like to spend this time with him instead.”
“You have to fight the urge. Really. That man is very bad for you.”
Chloe supported her chin on her hands “Is he, though? I mean—and please, Mom, don’t tell this to anyone, especially Dad or Ro—he abducted me and then released me, unharmed.”
Fay’s eyes went wide. “He what!”
Chloe bit her lip and nodded. “He kidnapped me—said he wanted to make me his bride—and then he threw me in the trunk of his car and took me to some old barn where he ripped my clothes off and—and—”
“And what? What did that man do to you, honey?” Fay’s voice shook with indignation and worry.
“Nothing. When it became clear to him I didn’t want him that way, he stopped, and then apologized and took me home.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would he do such a thing and then—” She shook her gray head. “I don’t understand.”
“I think I do. I think Ty loves me—has loved me for years—and this is his way of telling me.”
“I do remember he was always chasing you around the garden and stealing your ribbons.”
Chloe laughed. “I’d forgotten about that. He did, didn’t he?”
“He told the whole family how you and he were going to be married one day. We thought it was simply child’s play, but then he started asking you out when you were older.”
“I always turned him down, but he never gave up.”