Dalakis Passion 4 - Eternal Brothers (35 page)

two different weapons."
Cassidy thought quickly. "Let Lucian and his wife go home. You can say that you
saw me in the club tonight and knew I'd come looking for Blythe. I'm an ex-cop. You
could say that you asked for my help in freeing her."
Saunders stared thoughtfully for a moment. "That could work."
"I'll make sure you get
Jethro
Prince's personal papers as well," Blythe added.
Saunders made his decision quickly. "Okay. You two go home." He hit a button on
his cell phone and began talking a moment later.
Lucian raised his eyebrow, but Delight just elbowed him in the ribs. "Thank you,
Mr. Saunders--or, should I say, Mr. Austin." She walked over to Blythe and hugged
her. "Come back to the house when you're finished up here."
"You'd still want me in your home?" Cassidy could feel Blythe shaking with nerves
as she leaned against him.
"Of course."
Delight frowned slightly. "You're our friend and it's your home now."
She glanced at Cassidy and smiled. "I don't think Cassidy would have it any other
way."
Lucian strolled over to stand beside his wife. He smiled gently at Blythe as if
sensing her unease. "Our home is yours for as long as you wish it."
Saunders hung up his phone. "You've got about a minute to get out of here before
the place is crawling with federal agents."
"We will take our leave then." Lucian stared hard at the man before turning and
escorting Delight from the room.
The three of them waited in silence, and less than two minutes later the pounding
of feet could be heard on the stairs. Men and women, weapons drawn, came pouring
into the room. With his Saunders persona dropped for good, Matt Austin began
directing the investigation.
Cassidy and Blythe were questioned and then Blythe led them to an apartment just
down the hallway where she produced another locked box filled with incriminating
documents and financial journals.
Cassidy cursed the long night that followed as they were taken away and
questioned separately. The only thing that made it palatable at all was the fact that Matt
Austin had assured him that he'd watch out for Blythe.
He was used to being on the other side of the investigation and didn't like feeling so
out of the loop. The hours went on as the night faded and became day. Finally, early in
the afternoon, Cassidy was released with a thank-you from both agencies for his help
and cooperation. With the statement from their own agent, there would be no charges
filed against him for the deaths of Prince's two men.
Relieved, Cassidy stepped out of the interrogation room and went in search of
Blythe. He found Matt Austin first and the other man's words split his heart in two.
"She was released an hour ago and she left."
Cassidy nodded, got Austin to call him a cab and dragged himself outside to wait.
He'd have to go back to the club sometime today and retrieve his car. Hopefully, it
would still be there and not being dismantled in some
chop
shop. Not that he really
cared. He could always get another vehicle. All that mattered was Blythe and she was
gone.
The sunshine seemed to mock him as he got in the taxi and went home. He felt
numb for the first half of the ride and then he got angry. How dare she leave him a
second time? He'd track her down and this time he wasn't letting her out of his sight
until they'd talked everything through.
He paid the cabdriver and let himself in through the side gate. The family would all
be asleep at this hour of the day, but he knew they'd lend him their help and support
when they arose. Bounding up the stairs to his apartment, he threw open the door and
came to a dead stop.
"Hi." Blythe rose from the sofa, looking all soft and warm and, he realized,
incredibly nervous.
"Hi yourself."
He swallowed hard as he shut the door and moved toward her. His
heart was pounding as he stopped in front of her. He raised his hands to touch her and
then dropped them back by his sides. If he touched her, he'd forget all his good
intentions, and they needed to talk first. As tough as it was, he made himself take a step
away from her. Blythe hunched her shoulders and glanced down at the floor. Cassidy
steeled himself for the coming confrontation. It wouldn't be easy, but he knew that they
needed both their pasts laid out with no secrets between them if they were to have a
chance.
He jammed his hands in his jeans pockets and took a deep breath. "We need to
talk."

Chapter Twenty-Four
Blythe knew that this had been a mistake. If she'd been listening to her head, she
would have grabbed her stuff and ran while she'd had the chance. But after what had
happened, her heart had pleaded with her to take a chance on her and on Sam. The man
had risked his life for her. That had to mean something.
Sure it does, the voice in her head assured her. It means that he's a good man with a
huge streak of responsibility.
"I took a shower. I didn't think you'd mind." Great, now she was babbling.
His harsh features softened slightly. "No, I don't mind." He stared at her so long
she began to feel uncomfortable and it took all her effort to keep from squirming. "How
are you feeling?" The low tone of his voice sent shivers down her spine.
She shrugged and sat back down on the sofa before her knees gave out and she
crumpled to the ground in an ignominious heap. "I'm okay." Her face ached and was
bruised and her lip was cut, but overall, she wasn't too bad physically. Mentally was
another story altogether.
Sam lowered himself to the coffee table in front of her and propped his elbows on
his knees, resting his chin in his hands. "Why didn't you wait for me?"
She glanced away and picked at the fabric of her jeans. "I didn't know how long
you'd be."
"I hated the fact that they wouldn't let me be with you during your questioning."
She swallowed hard as humiliation swamped her. Being forced to lay out the
details of the worst year of her life in front of a roomful of strangers had almost been as
bad as the year itself. They'd examined her statement from every angle, asking all
manner of embarrassing questions. "They were only doing their jobs."
"I know that,
darlin
', but that doesn't mean that I liked it." His voice went down a
notch, the husky tone stroking her flesh like a physical caress. She shivered and this
time it wasn't because of her horrible memories. Her breasts swelled and her sex began
to throb. It was almost a shock to her how easily Sam aroused her. No matter how many
times it happened, she didn't think she'd ever get used to it.
"Look at me, Blythe." As much as she didn't want to, she found the courage to face
him. He knew it all now. Oh, not the gritty details, but he knew that she'd spent a year
with
Jethro
Prince.
His pale blue eyes were filled with an emotion she couldn't quite place. It wasn't
anger. It wasn't sorrow. But it seemed to be a mixture of the two. Or maybe she was just
deluding herself.
Seeing things that weren't really there.
"I suppose you want to know
what happened?"
"Only if you want to tell me." He gently feathered his fingers over the side of her
face before letting his hand drop back into his lap. Her stomach jumped and she placed
a hand over it to try to settle her nerves as he continued. "I want to know why you left
me, why you ran."
He'd surprised her again, but then again, he'd been doing that since the moment
they'd met. She really didn't understand this man. Most men--well, decent men--
wouldn't want anything to do with her after discovering her sordid past.
She licked lips that were suddenly dry, trying not to groan when his eyes followed
the movement of her tongue. "I figured it was time to go.
To take my problems and
leave."
Sam reached out and took her hand in his. It was a large hand with a broad palm
and strong fingers, but his grip was gentle and careful. "There's a basic problem with
your thinking,
darlin
'."
There. He'd called her
darlin
' again. The way his voice lowered to a sensual growl
when he said it sent sparks spinning through her blood. Cream seeped from her,
softening the already swollen folds of her sex. It was hard to concentrate with him
sitting so close to her. She could feel his body heat and he smelled delicious--a
combination of sandalwood soap and hot male. She forced herself to respond. "What's
the problem?" Her own voice sounded breathy, like a contented purr.
"I don't want you to leave. Not now. Not ever."
She shook her head, not understanding what he was saying. He misinterpreted it as
denial and tightened his hold on her as he scooted forward, surrounding her legs with
his.
He tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear with his free hand. "I won't rush
you, Blythe, but I want you."
His blunt words made everything inside her go still. Surely she wasn't hearing him
properly. "You still want me?" She sounded like a parrot, mimicking his words.
He nodded as he continued to touch her, stroking his thumb over her bottom lip. It
was getting harder for her to breathe and she sucked in a huge gasp. "I've come to
know you pretty well in the time we've spent together. Enough to know that you're a
very special lady and I want you in my life."
"You don't know anything about me." The pained confession slipped from her lips.
She wanted to call her words back, wanting what he offered but afraid to believe it was
real. Still, she couldn't be anything less than honest with him. He'd risked his life for
her. She owed him.
Sam's eyes narrowed as he scowled at her. "I don't care about that business with
Prince." He suddenly released her and sat back, running his fingers through his hair in
obvious agitation. "No, that's not true. I do care."
Her hopes, which had started to rise, plummeted again.
"I care insomuch as it affected you. It hurt you." She could see the pain and sorrow
in his eyes and was touched to realize that it was all for her. "I wish I could take away
that year of your life. But I can't. It's part of what made you the woman you are today.
And lady, you are one special woman." She started to speak, but he wasn't finished yet.
"I know that if you were with
Jethro
Prince, then you had a damn good reason for it."
She sat there, stunned by his unquestionable belief in her. Even the federal agents
had had a hard time believing her at first, and that was with all the evidence right in
front of them. As easy as that, the story
came
tumbling out of her.
"
Jethro
Prince was obsessed with me from the first time he saw me sing. He offered
me a job in his club. The money was phenomenal and I needed it.
Badly."
She watched
Sam carefully, wanting to gauge his reaction, but he showed absolutely no emotion. He
had on what she supposed was his "cop" face.
"Anyway, he made a pass at me and I turned it down. That's when everything
changed." She shuddered and had to swallow back the bile that threatened.
"You don't have to go on, Blythe." His soft offer soothed her slightly, but she was
bound and determined to finish. She shook her head and started to continue, but Sam
was already moving. She shrieked slightly as he shifted to the sofa, picked her up and
cradled her in his arms. "If you're going to finish this story,
darlin
', I need to hold you."
The warmth and strength from his arms cradled her, giving her the boost of
courage she needed to carry on. "He found out that my mother was sick and needed
hospital care that I couldn't afford. He offered to pay if I'd sleep with him and only
him."
Sam's hold tightened reflexively around her and then slowly relaxed, his large hand
stroking her arm softly. "But you turned him down."
It wasn't a question. "How did you know?" She knew her shock was written on her
face by the slight smile he gave her.
"I know you, Blythe. No amount of money could make you sleep with a man."
His belief in her touched something deep in her
soul,
something she'd thought was
damaged beyond repair. "No, money wouldn't do it."
"It was your mother, wasn't it?" Once again she was reminded that this man had
been a cop, and a damn good one. He'd put the pieces together easily.
"Yes." It hurt to admit it out loud, but once she had, it got easier to finish the tale.
"He had his men take pictures of my mother. When he showed them to me, he told me
how vulnerable a sick woman was when she spent hours by herself every day. I had to
work. I hated to leave her." She needed Sam to understand that.
"You did what you had to do. I'm sure your mother understood that." His big hand
continued to brush up and down her arm, moving lower with each stroke so that he
was caressing her hip and thigh.
She leaned into him, savoring the hard feel of his chest against her cheek. "I hope
that she did. I didn't have a choice.
Jethro
told me that he'd kill her if I didn't do
everything he asked."
"Bastard." She could hear the barely restrained fury in Sam's voice.
"Yes," she nodded in agreement. "He was a bastard, a very sick one. He dressed me
how he wanted and I came to the club every night at six and got to leave at six the
following morning. I sang and he showed me off to all his friends. I'm damned lucky he
was possessive and didn't pass me around to his pals. I'd seen him do that before with
some of his other women." Her teeth started to chatter. She was so cold in spite of the
warmth from Sam's body.
"Blythe."
He tilted her chin up using the edge of his fist. "That's enough."
"No," she protested. Like lancing a wound, she knew the only way to ever heal was
to get rid of the poison within her, making sure that there was none left to fester. "He
couldn't get an erection in the normal way and it made him crazy. The only way he
could get it up was with oral sex. So that's what he demanded every single night."
Memories went through her mind at rapid speed.
Pictures of her naked, kneeling in
front of him, her mouth on his cock while he tugged her hair and thrust himself in and
out of her mouth.
She gagged and coughed at the intense memory.
"Blythe.
That's enough." Strong arms rocked her back and forth. "Just breathe,
darlin
'." He repeated those words over and over and finally she began to calm down
enough so that she was no longer choking. "That's good. You're doing great. You're
safe now with me and you never have to go through that again."
She raised her head and sniffed as tears rolled down her cheeks. She'd never felt
this safe and secure in her life. Sam Cassidy was a miracle. Shock filled her when she
looked at him. His eyes were damp, his face contorted in pain. She'd done this to him.
"I'm sorry, Sam."
He groaned like a man in pain and gripped her tighter. "Don't you ever
apologize.
Not for that.
Never for that."
His gaze was fierce and it occurred to her that she wasn't
afraid of Sam. She knew deep in her soul that he'd never hurt her.
Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him, giving him the words that she'd
been afraid to offer him before.
The words that she'd been afraid that she'd never be
able to tell him after she'd been taken by Adrian Prince's men.
"I love you, Sam." He
stilled, studying her face, searching for the truth. She met his gaze evenly. "I don't
expect you to love me back or anything. I just needed to tell you."
Sam surged off the sofa with her still held tight in her arms. Once again, she was
reminded of how much larger he was compared to her. "You can't take it back," he
muttered, his voice low and husky. She linked her arms around his neck as he carried
her toward the bedroom.
She didn't blame him for being unsure. After all, she'd run from him. "I was
coming back." He halted just inside the bedroom door and she could feel the tension
running through his large body. "When I left the bank, I had a choice. Left took me to
the bus station and right would bring me back to you. I was turning right, Sam, when
they caught me and took me."
He groaned, burying his face in the curve of her neck. "Thank you."
She twined her fingers in his hair, holding him tight. "I'm not sure I can do this,
Sam." She wanted to make love with him, but wasn't sure how she'd react after all
she'd been through with
Jethro
Prince. The last time they'd tried had turned into a
fiasco. Her body wanted him, but she wasn't sure if she was emotionally ready.
"Whatever you want,
darlin
'.
I just need to touch you, to hold you. We won't do
anything you're not comfortable with and we can stop at any time."
If it had been any other man, Blythe never would have believed him, but this was
Sam. She nodded. "Okay."
Cassidy wanted to rage and yell and pound his fists against the walls. If
Jethro
Prince hadn't already been dead, he would have gladly killed the man with his bare
hands. He didn't think that Blythe realized that she'd talked out loud when she'd
described what Prince had done to her. She'd been lost in her nightmarish memories
and now they were his as well. He almost broke down and bawled for the first time
since he was a kid. It had been damn close, but he'd managed to hold it together.
When she'd said she'd loved him, his heart had stopped only to start pounding a
second later. He hurt for her. For what she'd had to endure. But she'd survived. Even
better, she'd found a way to defeat the past by turning evidence against the Prince
family. She was smart and funny and loyal and his. He couldn't take away her past, but
he could damn well make sure that her future was a good one--with him.
He wanted to touch her. No, needed to touch her, to reassure himself that she truly
was all right. The hours they'd been apart during the interrogation had been hell. He
knew that she'd been hurt again. Oh, not enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, but
still her precious face was bruised again. He wasn't sure about the rest of her body, but
he was going to find out.
Carrying her to the foot of the bed, he lowered her legs until she was standing on
her own two feet with him behind her. She swayed, so he held her until she was steady.
He turned them slightly until they were facing the antique mirror that stood in the
corner. "I want to look at you." Every muscle in his body was twitching, ready for
action, but he wouldn't make a move without her agreement. This had to be her choice.
She met his gaze in the mirror and nodded. His fingers slid around her waist,
stroking the soft strip of flesh just above her bellybutton. He could feel the muscles in