“I tried to tell you how wild and dangerous he was and still is, Dominica. Luke thinks he’s a law unto himself. Can you imagine how my mother has felt all these years? Being frightened of him and what he might do? It’s true we don’t want anyone to talk about it. He’s a shame to our family. I know how deeply you think you feel for him, but Luke has caused a great deal of grief for all of us.”
“Mulekey said the same thing about Luke,” she murmured, trying to sort out what Matt has just said.
“About what?”
“He said that Luke was a law unto himself just like your father.”
There was no emotion in her voice, and it couldn’t have pleased him more. “I’m afraid that’s true. The apple does not fall far from the tree.”
That makes you as ruthless as Toma. It remained a thought. She knew Matt was lying to her. She had denied it first out of love for Luke, but there was something more. Luke’s had been an open defiance. These things that Matt claimed Luke had done just didn’t fit with the man Luke was.
He had told her he was curious and went into Amanda’s room, was caught and broke her china doll, and Amanda had beat him for it. She knew the cruelty that children were capable of. Luke wouldn’t have left dead animals or blood to frighten Amanda. The boy would have been no different than the man he’d become.
If Luke had wanted to retaliate for Amanda’s many punishments, he would have broken every bit of her lovely porcelains, and what’s more, Domini thought, his defiance would have made the act an open one. She could almost see him do that. But to kill an innocent animal? No. She wouldn’t believe that of him, not even in the grip of a nightmare.
It was an act of a coward.
But why was Matt lying to her?
Chapter 21
Domini suddenly realized Matt’s touches had turned to caresses.
“Don’t.” She reinforced her protest and tried to pull away from him. “Let me go, Matt,” she demanded, raising her head, ready to kick his shin when the door crashed open.
“Luke!”
“You bastard!” he hissed at Matt. “Get your goddamn hands off her!”
“And if I won’t,” Matt returned in a cool, goading voice.
Seeing the mask of murderous fury on Luke’s face, Domini struggled harder. She landed a few kicks against Matt’s legs.
Luke didn’t answer his brother. He tackled him, tearing Matt away from Domini. Luke managed to land a solid punch to Matt’s jaw. He ignored Domini’s plea to stop. He had eyes for no one but Matt, eyes that promised him death.
Matt darted to his left, but Luke was there and he brought his brother down. They rolled from side to side, landing blows on each other wherever they could.
Matt twisted free. He scrambled to his feet, swaying where he stood.
Luke came at him again. He grabbed Matt’s shirt front in his right hand and landed a solid left to Matt’s jaw that sent his head snapping back. Luke released his hold on Matt’s shirt and let his fist connect with his jaw again. Matt lifted his hands, instinctively protecting his face as Luke drove sledging blows to his midsection with brutal efficiency. Every time Matt tried to get a punch in, Luke easily dodged him.
One more blow and Matt hit the floor. Luke, chest heaving, for he had come on a run when Lucy fetched him, stood over his brother.
“I … w-warned … you. Told y-you to stay … away.” Luke wiped off the blood from his cut lip with the back of his hand. “Get out. Come near her again and I’ll kill you.”
Matt painfully rose. His voice was harsh, his gaze no less furious. He didn’t attempt to wipe the blood dripping from his split lip. A bruise darkened on his cheek.
“You think you’ve won it all, Luke. You’re wrong. You’re a bastard who’s always been and will remain a loser.”
“No!” Domini went to Luke. She drew his left hand to her lips and kissed his grazed knuckles. “You’re wrong as ever about him, Matt,” she said calmly, facing him. “Luke hasn’t lost anything.”
Straightening, Matt’s face creased with pain as he moved to slick back his hair. “You think you have him figured out? Why don’t you ask my brother where he was the night your father died?”
“Stop it, Matt.” Dear Lord, she wanted to know, but not like this. Not with Luke rigid at her side.
“Ask him,” Matt demanded.
“No. I’m sick of your hints of secrets, Matt. If you know how my father died, if you know anything, then tell me. Tell me or do as I asked and Luke ordered. Get out.”
“You can’t ask him, can you?” he taunted.
“You’re afraid of what you’ll find out about your precious Luke.”
“Shut the hell up!” Luke ordered. “Get out of here, Matt. You’re not wanted.”
There was a note of desperation in his voice that forced Domini to look at Luke. Her breath caught when she saw the tormented expression he wore. Was he hiding something from her? She didn’t want to give in to Matt’s goading.
“Luke?”
“What the hell is going on here?” Toma demanded. His powerful stride carried him into the room, drawing their attention as he studied each one in turn.
“I want an answer. Matt?”
“Luke attacked me.”
“No! You wouldn’t leave my room, Matt. Luke did no more than to protect me from your unwanted attentions.”
“So, you made your decision. Luke’s the winner.”
Domini rounded on Toma. “Damn you! There are no winners in your schemes and lies. You want to know what’s going on here, Toma? Your sons are doing what you want. Fighting each other. Hating each other. And you won’t be satisfied till one kills the other!”
“That’s enough out of you.”
But Domini had the satisfaction of seeing Toma pale. He roused himself quickly, but for those few moments she was sure she had given him reason to think about what he was demanding from his sons. Tight-lipped, he surveyed Luke.
“You gonna be in any shape to finish that horse you ran off an’ left?”
“Yeah.”
Domini couldn’t let him go. Matt had aroused a need to know the answer to his question. “Luke, wait. Do you know something that you haven’t told me?”
Once more she lifted his hand to her lips. Her eyes searched his, hating the shuttered look that tightened his features. With her other hand she reached out to touch his cut lip, but he jerked his head back.
“Stop trying to mollycoddle him. Luke doesn’t need it.”
Without turning, Domini answered Toma with all the bitterness she felt on Luke’s behalf. “What would you know about Luke’s needs? Have you ever seen to any? Have you ever once held your son? Did you ever tell him that you love him?”
“Domini!”
“No, Luke. He’s got to hear it. You’re not like him. You’re not cold and hard. You can even tell me whatever it is that Matt keeps goading you about. It won’t make any difference in my feelings for you.”
She could feel him withdrawing from her although he had not moved. She suddenly felt chilled by the tension in his body. Releasing his hand, Domini stepped back.
“Don’t you trust me?” he asked with infuriating calm.
“I trust you,” she answered softly. “Now I’m asking you to trust me and what we shared last night. Were you there when my father died? Do you know who killed him?”
“What the hell difference does the past make?” Toma demanded. “It’s over. Finding out isn’t bringing James back, Dominica. Leave this be.”
“No. Let him tell her,” Matt goaded.
“Shut up.” Toma stepped in front of Matt, his gaze targeting Luke. “The hell with these infernal questions. I’m not paying you to beat the hell out of your brother. I ain’t paying you to get mollycoddled. There are horses waiting that need breaking. That’s all you got to worry about. Break a man’s bones when you’re done with the job you gave your word to complete.”
“Stop encourag
ing the rivalry between your sons!” Luke grabbed hold of Domini’s arm to stop her from moving toward Toma.
“Give me a minute,” Luke said, shooting a furious look at Toma. “And take Matt with you.”
“A minute’s all you’re getting or I’ll haul you out myself.” Spinning on his dust-laden boots, Toma shoved Matt out ahead of him.
Luke released Domini the second she tried to pull free of his grip. Fury tightened every muscle in his body. The carpet barely cushioned his hard stride to the door. After he slammed it closed, he stood there staring at the door.
Dread filled Domini. “Why won’t you look at me, Luke?” He didn’t answer and she backed away until the wall stopped her. “Why?” she repeated in an agonized whisper.
He turned then, his gaze a scathing indictment as he studied her. “So much for trust,” he muttered, raking his hands through his hair.
“That’s not true! I do trust you. Why did you come here?”
“I went back to the cabin, but you’d gone. I saw that you left the hummingbird and figured you were mad. I just wanted to know why you didn’t take it. Stupid, huh?”
“No. I wanted you to have the carving.” She glanced around the room. “It doesn’t belong in this house.”
“I’d better get back to work.”
“No!” She clenched her hands, hiding the move from him by sliding them behind her back. “Is it so much for me to ask for answer? Are you protecting someone?”
“What if I can’t answer you? What if I said that Matt’s lying? That he’s stirring up trouble for me like he’s always done?”
“Is that what you’re saying? Matt’s lying?”
“Let it be.”
“I can’t. You won’t answer me. I thought trust had to work both ways. I was wrong. Am wrong about you. You don’t want to trust me or anyone. What hurts me, Luke, is that you don’t even want to try.”
Luke remained where he was, staring at her. He felt torn. Fury and fear vied for dominance. He had used his fists to solve a great many problems all his life. Not that he would use them on Domini. Hitting a woman was one thing he’d never done. Hurting her would be hurting himself. Matt was another matter. His brother had increased the debt he owed him for years of hell by putting that doubt in Domini’s eyes.
Seeing the way she was looking at him helped Luke to leash any need for violence. He reined in his emotions and tried to think calmly. The hope that had sparked last night was still too new for him to depend upon.
But Domini was wrong. He had trusted her. He had let her stay with him, allowed her to see the haunted sleep that woke him in a cold sweat. She didn’t know how much trust that took.
And she didn’t know because he couldn’t tell her.
His word of honor and his pride kept him here on the ranch. He wanted to bolt and run with Domini, wanted to believe he could have her and a fresh start. He wanted to believe in her love.
Luke admitted to himself that he was scared. There was weariness underlying her words. If she stopped fighting for him, he didn’t think he’d care what happened. And that frightened him even more. He had allowed Domini closer than anyone had come to him in more years then he wanted to remember.
He couldn’t lose her now.
But he couldn’t tell her what she wanted to know.
He just couldn’t.
The door behind him beckoned. He could walk away. He’d done it before. Too many times.
“If you walk away from me, don’t come back.” Until Domini actually spoke, she didn’t think she would say those words to him. But she sensed he was going to turn his back on her, and if he did, he would shut her out of his life.
“What the hell do you want from me? Blood?” He stalked across the room to stand in front of her. “Here,” he said, swiping the back of his hand across his cut lip and holding it out to her.
To his shock, she leaned forward and kissed his hand. The tremor betraying his turmoil was so slight that she couldn’t see it. But Domini felt it. Her insides were tense and she fought not to show that to him.
“I want your love, Luke. Not your blood. Not to see you hurt. Don’t fight Matt. He taunts you into it. You can’t give in to him or to Amanda. All they know is hate. You’re not like them.”
“You sound so certain. Yet we’re the same blood.” Leaning closer, Luke placed both his hands flat against the wall on either side of her head. The move imprisoned Domini and kept him from grabbing hold of her and holding on tight to what he thought was slipping away.
“That may be true, but they’re driven by a need for revenge against each other, Luke. You’re driven by the pain they’ve caused you.”
“You’re asking for too much. For what I can’t give you.”
Domini touched his clenched jaw. “That’s one more lie I’ve heard today.”
He closed his eyes, his head dropping forward until his forehead touched hers. “Why are you pushing me? Why are you looking for what I never promised? And you’re blind besides. You keep forgetting Toma hates me as much—”
“No! Oh, no, he doesn’t. You don’t see the fierce pride in his eyes when he looks at you. He—”
“He’s got a hell of a way of showing how much he cares. And I don’t want to talk about him.” He leaned his head back and lifted her chin with one hand. “Leave it all be, Domini. I’ll finish breaking his damn horses and—”
She planted a quick little kiss on his lips. “Don’t ask me to forget about finding the truth, Luke. I don’t believe I can.”
His grip on her chin tightened slightly. “The hell with it! You wanna know why I didn’t answer you? I can’t. I don’t know what the hell happened.”
“Don’t know?” she repeated, her gaze searching his. “Then why,” she asked in torn, pleading voice, “did Matt—”
“He’s a bastard. I’ve been telling you that. He knows you were with me last night. He can’t stand having anything that he thinks he wants taken away from him. He said that to make you doubt me.” His gaze, intense and penetrating, targeted hers. His hand slid from her chin and curved over her throat. Her pulse was wild, too wild for him to count its beat beneath his thumb.
“And Matt got what he wanted, didn’t he? You’re full of doubts about me.”
“No, I—”
“I can see it in your eyes. Don’t you start lying to me.”
“I’m not lying. I have no doubts about us. Or you,” she hastened to reassure him. “I may have denied what I felt from the first when I saw you, but I don’t believe there was ever any doubt that I would—that we would—” She swallowed, unable to say it, longing to look away from his hard stare. But she had to bear with his scrutiny, for Luke had to be sure of her. Just as she had to be sure of him. Deep inside herself, she knew it would be the only way for them to love. She wasn’t sure where this certainty came from, but it was firmly implanted.
“Now he’s got you lying to me and yourself. Christ!” He started to back away and found himself hauling her into his arms for a kiss that was raw with desperation.
Domini answered his kiss with total, honest giving. It was all that Luke would accept from her now. All that he could accept.
Luke broke the kiss and pushed her away from him before he did something he would regret. He wanted to restake his claim on her. And Domini wouldn’t fight him. But she might hate him afterward.
“Luke?”
“For the last time. I don’t know what the hell happened that night!”
Bewildered by his quickly shifting emotions, Domini tucked her hands behind her to hide their trembling. She didn’t dare move, just stared at him.
“I don’t know,” he repeated in a harsh, tortured voice. “I can’t remember.”
She watched him spin around and head for the door.
“Luke, don’t go!” Her plea was lost beneath the slam of the door.
Minutes later a soft, hesitant knock sounded. Domini roused herself and looked at the do
or.
“Go away,” she said.
“Miz Colfax wants to see you,” Meta said.
“I don’t want to see her, Meta. I don’t want to see anyone.” To make sure that she was given some time alone, she fled to the door and locked it.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Meta. I’ll see her later.”
Pacing the floor, Domini shoved her loose hair back from her face. Think! she ordered herself. But her pacing brought her close to the floor-length pier glass. The mirror’s reflection showed a wild-eyed, wild-haired woman, lips swollen from kisses, her cheeks flushed and her gown wrinkled as if she had slept in it. The image blurred, and she closed her eyes for a moment, then turned away.
What she saw in her mind’s eye was Luke as he’d been last night. His long-limbed body rigid, sheened in a cold sweat.
Could his nightmare have something to do with her father’s death?
The question stopped her cold. She didn’t know the answer. The only thing she was sure of was that Luke, whose raw, masculine sensuality left her breathless with a passion she had never envisioned possible, was as tormented as she was.
Her spirit felt battered. She couldn’t cope with the web of lies and betrayal that shrouded the Colfaxes.
Wrapping her arms around her waist, Domini stood in the middle of the room, rocking back and forth as she struggled to sort out the truth.
She couldn’t believe anything that Matt told her. Not about the incidents of finding dead animals, but who had been responsible for them. Lucy not only had been frightened into talking, she had been bewildered by Matt’s insistence that she tell.
The lies had served Matt well in the past. She was very sure of that. His mother’s favorite, Matt would have her believing anything he wanted to tell her about Luke. And Amanda, nuturing hate against her second son, would be anxious to have another weapon to use in her plan of pushing Luke out of their lives, mostly away from his father.
Matt had overplayed his hand. He’d been too desperate to have her believe the worst about Luke. In the short time she had been here, he had done all he could to discredit Luke. He’d had years to work on his parents. And their pride couldn’t, wouldn’t make allowances for anyone who brought them shame.
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