by Jianne Carlo
“A bullet wound right under her collarbone. I need to get her to the hospital.”
“Use the trunk. We’ll clean up this mess.” Alex gripped Jake’s arm and squeezed. “She’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
“Hurry, Alex,” Jake muttered. “Find the damned chest.”
His mother trotted over to him. Elaine stooped and her fingers flitted over the singed, round hole in Tee’s sweater.
“I have to get her back to my time immediately.” Jake tried to keep the building panic out of his voice.
The trunk appeared out of nowhere in Elaine’s hands. She gave it to him. “Here, Son, take it. God go with you.”
“What about the others?”
“I’ll send them back when they’re ready.”
“Thanks.” Jake took the chest, rested it on Tee’s pelvis, and flipped it open.
Time Voids
Hours later, Jake paced the waiting room of the UniversityCollegeHospital in London. The door to the sterile, sparsely furnished waiting area creaked open, and he lifted heavy lids in the direction of the sudden noise.
“Arthur.” He rushed to the older man. “Jesus, it’s so good to see you. When Tony said he’d taken care of you, I feared the worst.”
“You met up with Trent? Who shot Tallulah?”
“He did.” Jake massaged the back of his neck. “How did you know?”
“All London hospitals are on alert for any one of you or Trent, Leandro, Constantine, and the caretaker.” Sir Flood adjusted the navy arm sling hanging from his neck.
“What happened to you?”
“A hotline tip re Constantine’s location, which turned out to be a deliberate ruse, and we fell for it.” Sir Arthur grimaced. “I lost two men, but we overcame them, even though they outnumbered us two to one. Ah, Trent must have been behind the attack. I had attributed it to the other three. Where are the others now?”
Stumped by his question, Jake hedged. “Look, Arthur, I’m not sure where everything stands. When I realized Tee had been shot, my whole focus was getting her here. I don’t even have my cell phone with me, so I haven’t a clue as to what’s happening. I’m assuming they’re all at the condo and everything’s under control.”
“That’s why I’m here, Jake. The flat’s empty. And even Henry isn’t answering his cell.” Deep furrows appeared on Arthur’s forehead.
Blast it. Jake hunted for any excuse other than the obvious; cell phones didn’t exist in 1501. “I can’t help you, Arthur. The last thing I remember is Henry calling an ambulance, and the attendants loading Tee onto a stretcher.”
The door creaked open again, and, grateful for the interruption, Jake turned in that direction. One of the surgeons who’d been operating on Tee walked through the doorway.
“Mr. Mathews, I have good news.” The white-coated doctor strode over to them. “Your wife is fine. The bullet didn’t hit any major organs. We extracted it easily. We did discover a minor flesh wound on her right arm, where we surmise another bullet grazed her skin, but everything aside, she’s well on the way to a full recovery.”
“Thank God.” He let out a deep breath.
“I’m happy to say no harm’s been done to the fetus.”
“Fetus? Tallulah’s pregnant?” Sir Arthur clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations, old boy. Henry will be over the top. A grandchild, well, well.”
“Is she awake? When can I take her home?” He barely heard Arthur’s blustery well-wishes.
“We’ll monitor her overnight. Provided nothing untoward occurs, we’ll release her in the morning.”
“I’m staying with her.” Jake folded his arms and glared at the doctor, daring him to contradict his statement.
“By all means, go ahead. Although if I were you, I’d get a good night’s sleep and return in the morning. I’d like to schedule a couple of follow-up appointments. I need to take out the stitches in five days. Shall we adjourn to the nurses’ station?”
Distracted, Jake didn’t even notice Arthur’s departure. He didn’t take the good doctor’s advice and slept on a foldout chair in Tee’s room. Halfway through the night, she whimpered in her sleep. He edged onto the bed and spooned her resting form, tucking her back loosely against his chest and pelvis.
He awoke feeling musty-headed and aching all over, especially in the vicinity of his solar plexus where Tony’s thugs had landed a few blows. Jake inhaled, and Tee’s comforting scent cocooned his muddled thoughts. He lay on his side, one arm snagging her waist, his head next to hers on the pillow. She snuggled closer and sighed, and a peaceful smile teased her mouth.
Content, he drank in Tee, tousled hair, golden complexion somewhat dimmed, dark lashes casting faint shadows on her flesh, long, straight nose, lips twitching in a smile like puppy-twitch dreams. Bizarre how in the space of a few short months his life had altered, his priorities turned upside down.
Tee and the baby, the sole focus of living. Protecting and cherishing them, nothing mattered more. Never could he imagine feeling anything this deeply, as if love for her had been branded into his soul. While waiting for her to awake, he calculated the quickest way to switch the business headquarters to Trinidad and sifted through his employees, deciding who could operate the Boca location.
She was his island siren and blossomed in the Caribbean. Taking her out of that environment, the equivalent of forcing a hibiscus to open at night when nature designed it to flare brilliantly only in the sunshine. Tee needed the easy rhythm of the island way of life to perpetually flower. The fast-paced North American lifestyle would gnaw at her like ants stripping a shrub bare.
A uniformed nurse bustled into the room, disrupting the cozy, intimate atmosphere. The young, curvaceous blonde grinned at them and cleared her throat.
He rose on one forearm.
“The doctor’s making his rounds. It might be a good idea to take a seat.” The nurse inclined her head to the chair.
He nodded and slid off the bed. His movements stirred Tee.
Her amber eyes, a trifle dazed, opened, and she blinked. Her focus returned with each flutter.
“How do you feel?” He touched a finger to Tee’s bandaged shoulder. “Sore?”
“A little. The baby?”
“The doctor said it’s fine. No damage to either the baby or you, thank God. Do you remember what happened?”
She nodded. “Tony shot me. Tiny used the trunk, I think. It’s pretty hazy, but we went back to Brodick, didn’t we?”
“Yeah.” He couldn’t resist pressing kisses on her uninjured shoulder. “You passed out while we were there. I brought you back and called an ambulance. The surgeons operated right away, and they managed to get the bullet. The doctor said there were no internal injuries, and they expect you to fully recover.”
“Where’s Dad and Alex and the others?”
“I left them at Brodick. You were bleeding, witchy woman, and I couldn’t take any chances.” He twined her good hand with his.
She smiled at him.
“They’re still there, then?”
He nodded. “Not to worry, Tee. Between Tiny, Alex, and my father and brother, everything was under control.”
“Tony?”
“Minor surface wound. Unrepentant and furious, last time I saw him.” A grin curled his lips when he remembered Tiny’s men prodding Tony with their swords. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how bloodthirsty a nature he had. Every drawn drop of Tony’s blood satisfied a small part of his craving for revenge.
“What’s so funny?”
“Let’s put it this way. I wouldn’t want to be the focus of Tiny’s anger.”
“And Tony is?”
“You bet.”
“Good, I hope Tiny hurts him. Hell’s too good for him.” A flare of anger shot her eyes more gold than brown. “Was, was Flood there? Not Arthur, but the nephew?”
“You remember that, do you? Yeah, Tony planned to blame our massacre on Inspector Flood, not that he would’ve survived.” He shook his head. “I s
till can’t get over how thoroughly he deceived all of us.”
“I never thought he had the brains for all of this.” She edged onto her good side. “I wonder if I’ll ever stop feeling like an idiot when I think about Tony.”
“Babe, you scared the shit right out of him with your conjuring. Now that I think about it, I’m convinced that’s why he tried to get you on your own. He wanted you dead, Tee. When I mentioned the Vikings in the apartment, he went ballistic. If it weren’t for that, I’m not sure we would’ve gained the upper hand. As it is, Alex and Tiny were brilliant. I owe them. Big time.”
“I froze, Jake. When I should’ve been using my powers to make us safe, I froze. I was so scared.” The corners of her mouth turned down, and her lips trembled.
“Shssh,” he said and placed a finger on her mouth. “It was all psychological. He terrorized you, Tee, during your marriage. Threatened everyone you loved, and made you feel helpless. It won’t happen again. You’re too strong for that.”
“I wish I felt as confident as you do,” she whispered. “I’m not sure I wouldn’t turn coward if I had to face him again.”
“Tee, you jumped on the man. Hit him on the head with an ashtray. If he hadn’t shot you, he’d be hog-tied and shaking in his boots right now.”
“Thanks,” she murmured, and a silly grin captured her mouth.
“Okay. Let me go and arrange your departure, pronto. I’ll be back soon.” A slight graze of their lips, and he left.
While he handled the paperwork and hustled nurses and clerks, the attending physician pronounced Tee well enough to leave.
The wheelchair didn’t please her, and she pouted all the way out. Tee succumbed to a deep sleep as soon as the cab moved into traffic, and she slumbered all the way to the embassy flat. A combination of the aftereffects of the anesthesia and exhaustion, according to the quick debriefing Jake received from the doctor on duty. He carried her to bed; she roused lightly and gave him a wan, sleepy smile.
He brushed his fingers over her soft, pale cheek. “Rest, Tee. We’ll talk later.”
While she slept, Jake made a few phone calls and e-mailed Arthur, who replied he would meet with them at noon on the following day. He fell asleep on the sofa and awoke to a dimmed living room, and the diamonds of streetlights switching on became visible through the picture window.
Worry set in. He’d left the others almost two days ago, and still they hadn’t returned. Resolving not to speculate, he switched on the television and flicked between the BBC and CNN. No breaking news relating to Constantine or Trent or Graziella and the caretaker. Nothing.
Sifting through Arthur’s summary of Constantine’s background, he kept returning to the unexplained missing eight years. Where had Constantine been? Had he been in contact with his parents? What was his family background? Making a decision, he sent Arthur an e-mail with his questions and left him a voicemail to alert him to the message.
Padded footsteps from the bedroom reached his ears when he returned to the hallway. He opened their bedroom door and saw the rumpled sheets and heard water running.
Tee had awakened.
He knocked on the bathroom door. “Babe, can you manage? Do you need help?
“I’m fine.” Her muffled voice held a hint of annoyance.
He leaned one shoulder to the doorframe, crossed his arms, settled in to wait for her, and continued his dissection. Tony had faked his own death and planned the whole scheme with meticulous detail. Odds were the premeditated getaway held the same stamp. He set his mind to being in Tony’s place. What were the drawbacks? Why was his faked death necessary?
Obvious answers. His criminal partners would hunt him down and kill him before they’d let him get away with theft. Dead, he got away with everything: the money, a new identity, an incredible lifestyle, untold power, and wealth.
How to ensure it evolved that way?
The bathroom door opened, and he straightened. Tee looked so fragile, her complexion chalky, purple shadows under her eyes, lines of exhaustion pulling her features taut. She went to lift her arm, winced, and favored her left shoulder, covering the bandaged area with one hand.
“Hi, darling.”
“Hell, babe, don’t try to be brave,” he said, enfolding her gingerly in his arms. “How’re you feeling?”
“Bone-tired. I think I could go right back to sleep,” she mumbled into his chest.
“You can do just that, witchy woman mine. How about a bite to eat first?” He sniffed her hair inhaling her familiar rose scent, stroking her back lithely, a whisper of a touch.
“I actually am hungry.”
“No nausea?” Evening shadows closeted her expression.
“Uh-uh. Did you change me into sweats?” She glanced at her clothing.
“Yeah, I figured loose clothing while that wound heals. Do you want to go back to bed? I can rummage up something and bring it on a tray.” He fingered her curls with both hands.
“I want to be where you are. I have this craving to touch you, and I’m afraid one of us will disappear.” She absently flicked his nipple into a tight nub. “Jake, can we get married quickly?”
“Hell yeah, if that’s what you really want.” Knowing he shouldn’t question his luck, but not wanting to pressure her into anything, he added, “What about your mother?”
“I’ll handle her, and yes, it’s what I really, really want. How about two weeks from now?”
“Are you sure you want this?”
“Definitely. Deal?”
“Deal,” he murmured and tipped her chin with a finger.
Her eyes were passion-filled drowning lagoons, and he let himself sink to the bottom, comfort washing his soul.
“Name the date, but I have one condition,” he said and feathered his lips from one temple to the other. “I don’t want us to be separated, not for a second. Either I come to Trinidad or you come to Boca for those two weeks. Deal?”
“Done.” She beamed. “We’ll have to get married in Trinidad because of Dad’s position. Do you mind?”
“Hell, babe, I’ll marry you here if you want.”
“Are you going to be this agreeable about everything?”
“You bet.”
“Did you mean it about moving to Trinidad?”
“You bet, but I think I’ve come up with an improvement on the plan.”
“Pardon me?”
“Do you know I get hard when you say that,” he said and kissed her, a thorough tasting, lips and tongues and rubbing and stroking.
She broke away and cupped her hand over his mouth.
He tongued her palm.
“I get hard when you blush too, witchy woman,” he mumbled against her soft skin.
“Stop that. I can’t think when you do that. What did you mean by improvement?”
“Do you remember I inherited that land in Tobago?”
“Yes, but I thought you said you’d move your headquarters to Trinidad?”
“Bed first and then I’ll tell you my idea.” He scooped her up. Walked over to the bed, and settled her under the down comforter. Plumping the pillows on his side of the bed, he flung them against the headboard and plonked onto the mattress on his side.
Hand propping his head, he said, “George Brown mentioned he’d always wanted to run a pub and a B&B in the Caribbean, and the notion isn’t a bad one. Hell, he’d be a great B&B manager. We could build a small, exclusive resort and give George part ownership. What do you think?”
“I think I’m marrying the perfect man. You’re doing this to make George’s dream come true, aren’t you? Don’t give me that gruff look. You’re a secret softie, Jake Matthews, and I, for one, am very grateful.”
“Don’t you dare cry on me, Tallulah Inglefield.” He thumbed away a lone tear sliding down her cheek.
She clamped her quivering lips together, but her eyes brimmed. “Go on, tell me more.”
“Okay. Fine, it seems appropriate to give back. If it weren’t for those blasted Grahams— Don’t,�
�� he said. “No crying, remember?”
She nodded, but remained mute and teary.
“Callum Ferguson’s land is almost twenty-one acres. I did some research on the ’net and discovered that’s more than enough for a small horse farm and a B&B. I also checked out the land. It’s divided by a road, half on the beach and the other half nestled against a small range of hills. We could build the B&B on the beach and a home on the hill with your stables and riding rings. What do you think?”
He waited for her reaction and couldn’t have been more pleased. Tee’s eyebrows flew to the heavens, and her skin glowed peachy pink, making her eyes appear more brown than amber, large saucers of joy.
“Are you saying we’ll live in Tobago?”
“I think we’d need a home in Trinidad too. I’d need to be in Port of Spain during the week for the business.”
“We could buy a house in Trinidad and live in it while building the B&B. Construction always takes a little longer in Tobago because all of the materials have to be shipped from Trinidad. It’s a wonderful idea, just perfect. I love you, Jake Mathews,” Tee said, her voice exultant, and she attempted to fling her hands behind his neck, but stopped mid-action. “Damn, that burns. I guess I’ll remember not to do that soon enough.”
“So, you approve then?”
“Deal, Jake Matthews. When can we tell George?”
“He may not jump at the idea. It’s a big change.”
“I had lunch with his mother. I guarantee he’ll jump at the chance. She has lung problems and needs to move to a warm climate. Did I tell you that I love you?”
“Okay, you’re about to cry again, aren’t you? That’s it. Let’s get some food in you, and then we’ll talk about something else.”
“Jake,” she said, her tone questioning. “Do you think we can get married on that beach? Maybe at sunset? It’d be so romantic.”
He didn’t speak, too choked up to manage words, but swallowed a couple of times and managed to grit out, “Sounds perfect.”
Her honey eyes took on a faraway glaze “We could set up chairs near the water and have a steel band playing in the background.”