Sally nodded, uneasiness stealing over her. That was a promise she’d really like to keep…but could she? She forced a smile. “Now, are you going to get up?”
Luke dumped her off to the side as he stepped from the bed in all his naked beauty, stretched and strode toward the bathroom. Sally never got tired of seeing him, touching him—never ceased to be amazed that someone so strong, handsome and kind would pick her from all the women who’d have loved to stand by his side. Women who didn’t have murderous family members out to kill them.
Sally shook off the thought as soon as it came. She didn’t want anything spoiling this day. Straightening the sheets, she made the bed and then moved into the front room to start a pot of coffee. The bright sun drew her to the window beside the door, and she gazed out longingly. So quiet out there. No sign of any of the men. When did the day start around here? The coffeepot made its final gurgle, signifying the dark brew was done. She rummaged for two cups and poured the liquid in both.
Luke was dressed in jeans, unbuttoned, and nothing else, when she stuck her head through the crack in the door he’d left. He smiled at her in the mirror, then turned to take her in his arms. The kiss he gave her was long, lingering and filled with the love he professed for her. She could get used to that.
“Ummm…you’ve had coffee,” he said, smacking his lips.
“Yep. I brought you some.” Sally handed him the full cup, and he growled his pleasure before taking a big swallow.
“Give me two minutes, sunshine. I’m almost ready.”
“No hurry.” It was a lie. Sally wanted to go now—needed to see Jen to make sure she was okay. Two minutes might as well be forever.
Sally clamped her lips shut on the unbearable need to implore him to move faster. Watching him sit at one of the dining chairs to slip on a pair of sneakers, she bit her tongue to keep it still.
At her second deep sigh, Luke straightened and regarded her with raised brows. “What?”
“Nothing.” She dismissed his question with an impatient wave of her hand.
“Okay…but it seems like there’s something.” He leaned back and gulped another swallow of coffee while he studied her.
Sally would have made it if he hadn’t smirked. Throwing her hands in the air, she stomped her feet petulantly. “Are you ready yet? What’s the holdup?”
Luke had the nerve to chuckle. “My, we’re impatient this morning. Tired of being alone with me?”
A roll of her eyes made him laugh out loud. “Don’t be absurd. Can’t you see the sun’s shining? It’s a gorgeous day and we’re missing the best part. Jen’s probably already up having breakfast. Get a move on, sailor. We’ve got things to do.”
Luke stood so fluidly, he was halfway to her before his purposeful strides registered. The sparkle of humor in his seductive eyes was all that kept her from retreating. Stopping before her, he pushed her hair behind her shoulders. Cupping her chin, he kissed her soundly. “There’s the sunshine I remember. It’s good to finally see you happy. Dare I hope I had a little something to do with this turn of events?”
Sally’s smile came unbidden. There was no mistaking the intensity of his love in the warmth that shone from his eyes. She wasn’t alone anymore. Happiness filled her heart.
He must have found her answer in the sappy smile she couldn’t rid herself of. With another smirk, his expression turned playful. “Tell you what—I have to finish getting dressed and tie my shoes yet. Then I’ll give you a thirty second head start…and I’ll still beat you to Daniel’s cabin.” The challenge in his voice was obvious.
Sally’s excitement grew as her naturally competitive spirit surfaced. A race to reach Jen. Against a man built of pure muscle and trained by Navy SEALs to overcome obstacles the average person didn’t even know existed. Though Luke had been a POW, tortured and seriously wounded, it was obvious he’d worked many long hours to rebuild what he’d lost and regain his strength. She’d never beat him in a fair race. The fifteen hundred yards she estimated was more of a sprint than a race. She’d need that head start and then some.
As soon as he turned his back, Sally jerked the door open, hurdled the steps and hit the grassy trail at a full run. Only then did she give any thought to being alone outside, but she couldn’t stop now.
“So this is how you want to play it, huh?” His words followed her out the door, and she nearly choked on the laughter that bubbled free.
As soon as she heard the door slam shut and Luke land with both feet at the bottom of the steps, she forgot about humor and lengthened her stride. If she didn’t put all her concentration into running on the uneven path, her ill-gotten advantage would be in vain.
Sally was no slacker when it came to running, yet in spite of pushing herself to the limits of her ability, Luke’s footsteps still closed in on her. With Daniel’s front door only a few feet ahead, she gave it everything she had. She could almost imagine Luke’s breath on her neck as she bounded up the porch steps two at a time. Victory so close she could taste it, she caught her toe on the top step, stumbled and did a face-plant a foot away from her goal.
Her hands and knees took the brunt of the fall. The skin on her hands burned as she pushed herself up, then she winced as her right knee objected to holding her weight and she rolled hastily to her back. Lifting her hands for inspection, she groaned at the dozens of wood slivers embedded in each. Her knees probably looked similar, although a few slivers surely couldn’t account for the throbbing in her right knee. What had she done?
Sally struggled to her elbows, but suddenly Luke knelt beside her, pushing her down, gripping her wrists and giving her hands a cursory inspection. “You’re okay, babe.”
If she was really okay, why did his brows almost meet over his eyes?
He directed a faint smile toward her. “You kinda had this coming—cheater.”
“You’re just pouting because I beat you.”
“For your information, this race has been called due to clumsiness.” He still held her wrists.
Sally laughed. “Let me up. I’ll finish the race with or without you.”
Luke’s teasing smile faded. “Before I let you up, how are you with blood?”
He had to be joking. Why wasn’t that roguish grin of his making an appearance? She hadn’t landed hard enough to do serious damage. Still, her right knee throbbed like hell, and Luke wasn’t wearing the face of a prankster.
Sally cleared the lump from her throat. “I’m a parent—I’ve seen blood before.”
A muscle flexed in Luke’s jaw. “How are you with your own blood?”
“You’re scaring me, Luke.” She struggled to free her wrists from his grip.
“Easy. Calm down, sunshine.” He glanced toward her legs. “You’re going to be fine, but we have a little problem we’ll need MacGyver’s help with.”
“MacGyver—Matt? Luke, tell me what’s wrong.”
He held her gaze for the space of a heartbeat before he nodded. “You have a rather large splinter of wood from Daniel’s porch in your right interior quad just above your knee. I’m not sure how deep it’s embedded. There’s some blood, but right now the splinter itself is keeping it from bleeding a lot.”
Sally did her best to hide the shudder that washed over her. Common sense told her it wasn’t serious, but it was probably good he hadn’t allowed her to see the wound—although she wasn’t going to tell Luke that. “Is that all? What now?”
“I’m going to get the big man out here to take a look.” He leaned over her and stretched to bang on the door. “MacGyver was the medic for our unit. You’re in good hands. How long’s it been since you had a tetanus shot?”
Luke’s brow, furrowed in concern, made it difficult to accept his optimistic remarks. Probably blaming himself for suggesting a race when it had been her stupid competitiveness that had caused her to wreck. Once Matt got her patched up, Luke would see
it was nothing and she’d convince him later that it wasn’t his fault.
The door opened behind her, and Luke glanced up. Surprise, followed quickly by anger, rolled across his face. He tensed and started to rise. “Where’s Daniel? Who the hell are you?”
Sally pushed up on her elbows and swiveled to glance behind her. She gasped as fear gripped her with icy fingers and dread fell like a sledgehammer in her chest.
Clive Brennan. Her father. The man who inhabited her nightmares had caught up with her at last.
Luke gained his feet and inserted himself between Sally and the man who’d contributed sperm toward her birth and now was probably going to kill her. Instantly, a dark-haired man stepped from the shadows inside the cabin, advancing on Luke with a granite-hard expression that screamed cold-blooded and lethal.
Sally still struggled to find her voice. She had to warn Luke. He didn’t know how great a danger he faced. She choked on the words as a sudden realization made her blood run cold.
Jen is inside the cabin.
“Luke, wait.”
He and the dark-haired man faced off, Luke apparently determined to protect her even when the fight was stacked against him. If her father had one hired man out here, he undoubtedly had several more inside—with Jen.
“Luke!” Panic crept into her voice, and Luke’s gaze swept her way and then back.
“Yakim.” Clive Brennan spoke to the dark-haired man quietly, but there was no mistaking the absolute authority in his voice.
Yakim backed off immediately. “Sorry, Mr. Brennan.”
Clive’s charcoal-gray eyes locked on Luke’s face. “It appears my daughter has been hurt. Bring her inside. My granddaughter will want to know she’s all right.”
Luke’s gaze darted from her father’s stony visage to the open doorway. “You son of a bitch. Touch that little girl and I’ll kill you.”
Surprise flickered in her father’s eyes at Luke’s threat, but no other emotions made it to his passive features. “We can debate the merits of that once my daughter has been made comfortable. A priority—don’t you agree?” He was the picture of patience as he waited for Luke to arrive at the same conclusion.
When Luke finally dropped down beside her, his jaw was set in a hard line, and barely restrained anger reddened his face. Sally, unable to reconcile her father caring if she was comfortable with the man who was soon going to kill her, took hope from his strange assertions. The faintest of smiles, meant to reassure Luke, fell sadly short.
“How ya doin’, babe?” Luke’s answering grin was a poor imitation of the real thing.
“I think the bleeding stopped.”
Luke stood and leaned over her. “Put your arm around my neck.” As soon as she complied, he raised her until he could slide one arm beneath her thighs and scoop her up. He waited until Clive shoved the door wide and followed him inside.
Sally blinked rapidly to get her eyes accustomed to the absence of sunlight. The blinds and curtains were drawn inside the cabin. When the shadows started to take shape, she counted four more unfamiliar men, in addition to Yakim, scattered at intervals throughout the large open area that comprised the kitchen, family room and lobby for the Mathias family and their business. There were no guns in evidence, unless you counted the bulges under their jackets, and there was no denying who had control of the room. Luke’s SEAL buddies lined a couch to Sally’s right, all tense and angry—just like Luke.
Straight ahead, Daniel, Ellen and Bridgett sat at the kitchen table. Bridgett colored, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around her. Jen, sitting at the table with her back to the door, swung around at their entrance, her gaze narrowing in on the offending fragment that protruded grotesquely from Sally’s leg.
“Mom? Are you okay?” Jen pushed away from her chair and sprinted toward her mother.
“Put me down, Luke. I don’t want to scare Jen.” She whispered the words in his ear.
Luke acquiesced instantly, keeping a firm hand on Sally’s waist. She winced slightly when she tested her leg, but she caught Jen in a careful hug.
“Are you all right, sweetheart? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Sally stepped back and looked her daughter over.
“No. They were real nice—except they said we had to stay inside until you got here.” Jen lowered her voice. “Travis was real mad about that.” Jen glanced toward the three men on the couch.
Sally’s lips pressed firmly together as resolve settled over her mind. “Well, now that I’m here, maybe they’ll let you all leave.” She met Luke’s gaze as a warning glint darkened his expression.
“Don’t even go there,” he said. “I’m not leaving your side. Hold on to me. Let’s get you on the couch.”
His three friends scattered as Sally, Luke and Jen approached.
“MacGyver. Need you over here.” Luke helped Sally lie back on the arm of the couch and stretch both legs on the cushions.
“What the hell happened?” Matt bent over her knee to assess the damage.
“I won the race.” She offered the explanation with a slight shrug. From the corner of her eye, she observed her father as he moved to the table, where Daniel and Ellen sat with Bridgett. Sally tensed. She’d seen her father kill before and had long since given up on the idea he possessed an ounce of compassion. Were Jen, Luke and all her new friends going to die because of her? Clive could have shot her on sight. Why hadn’t he? What did he mean when he spoke of making her comfortable as though it were a priority for him? Her breath stopped as he reached into his inside breast pocket…and started again when he drew out a thick envelope, which he laid on the table in front of Ellen. Words passed between the three of them before Clive nodded, turned and joined his men, speaking in hushed tones.
“How’s it look?” Impatience edged Luke’s question as he pressed Matt for a prognosis.
“Piece of cake. We can fix this. Might need a couple of stitches. Don’t want to mar those gorgeous legs.” Matt winked at her.
Luke slapped him hard in the gut. “Just keep your mind on your work, buddy.”
Sally caught Luke’s gaze. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Why fix me up so he can kill me later? That’s why he’s here, isn’t it? We should be trying to make a deal to get everyone else out of here. I know you don’t want to hear it, Luke, but someone has to take care of Jen. You. You have to take care of Jen for me.”
Clive strode toward her as his men started to herd the others outside. Sally’s heart rate kicked up as she watched Ellen and Bridgett walk out hand in hand. She pinned Clive with a heated glare. “What are you doing? Those people haven’t done anything to you? Do whatever you want to me, but let them go.”
Luke turned and stepped in front of her. “You’ll have to go through me, Brennan.”
Clive held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I wish to talk. That is all. Please…sit.”
Luke stared at him for several seconds before stepping aside.
Her father’s expression gave nothing away as his gaze slid to her. “It’s good to see you, Annie. It’s been a long time.”
She barely recognized the name she’d answered to for more than half her life. How dare he use the name her mother gave her? Sally held his gaze, refusing to be the first to look away. A shake of his head and a subtle softening of his features surprised her. What was his game? She was never going to trust him again, and neither was Luke if his warning hand on her arm was any indication.
“I will not hurt your friends, Annie. Nor my granddaughter. This is between you and me. There are things we must discuss, and I prefer…privacy.” Clive nodded toward the door. “But Jennifer, your young man and this medic will stay…for your comfort.”
“Yeah, well, hold that thought for a minute, Pops.” Matt gave her a confident grin. “This is going to sting so, Luke, why don’t you distract her?” Sally barely caught Matt’s words before L
uke dropped down on one knee beside her.
“Hey, sunshine. I want to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you. I know you’re tired of hearing me propose, but if you’ll tell me you’ll marry me…I’ll stop.”
With Luke’s face in front of hers, Sally couldn’t see Matt, and she didn’t realize he’d jerked the wood free until he held the six-inch-long sliver up for her to see. Tears filled her eyes as she focused again on her Navy SEAL.
There were really only a few important things in her life. Luke and Jen were at the top of that list. She loved Luke, and she couldn’t think of one reason why she shouldn’t snatch up this little bit of happiness with both hands. She’d certainly lived enough of her life in fear of Clive Brennan. It was almost a relief now that he’d found her.
If the past was any indication, she couldn’t believe a word her father said, meaning her happiness could very likely be short-lived. Still, committing to Luke was what she wanted to do…and no one, least of all her father, was going to stop her. “What do you think, Jen?”
The girl was smiling from ear to ear as she jumped up and down. “Yes! Finally!”
Sally laughed. “Looks like it’s unanimous. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Luke’s eyebrows flew toward his hairline. He leaned toward her as he flung an arm around Jen and drew her into a group hug, along with Sally. Leaving a trail of kisses all over her face, he bent close. “You’re mine. Thank you,” he whispered.
Matt coughed, drawing their attention. “Sounds like congratulations are in order. I’m starting to feel like a fifth wheel around here. Sally, your knee’s going to be sore for a while. No racing. I gotcha butterflied together for now. You can decide on stitches…later. Same with the rest of the slivers. We’ll worry about them after you hear this man out.” Matt nodded toward her father. “Jen, want to come with me and make sure Travis is behaving himself?”
Heart of a SEAL Page 21