Embrace the Highland Warrior (6 page)

Shay gaped at him.

“She was right. You weren’t there. She said you’d moved on with your life. You didn’t want anything to do with me. That you were seeing someone.”

“Why would she say that? I didn’t even go on a date for two years after that.” Shay clamped her lips together.

Cody glanced across at her, his eyes pinning her to the seat. “Why?”

Because the only one she ever wanted, didn’t want her. Shay turned and looked at the scenery flashing soundlessly by. “I was distracted with other things. Renee must have thought she was trying to protect me.”

“From what? What the hell did you tell her about me?”

“I didn’t tell her anything.” Not intentionally. Why hadn’t Renee told her Cody had come to see her? Shay would have given her right hand to have known. She let the spark of anger toward Renee die. She was just trying to help, but God, Shay wished she had known. Her phone rang, a puzzling call that distracted Shay from considering the damage Renee’s actions had done to Cody and Shay’s friendship.

“What was that about?” Cody asked.

“This just gets stranger. That was Julie, who ordered the mate to the table in my shop. A man called two days ago asking if she’d gotten the table, but she had already canceled the order with Renee. We don’t have any male employees.”

“He didn’t give a name?”

“No, and she said another of Renee’s clients was burglarized. Nothing taken, but a table destroyed.”

“What the hell was this guy looking for? We’ll call the police in the morning and see what the guy says.”

Shay yawned. “I don’t know why I’m so tired. I slept well last night.” The best night’s sleep she had in weeks. She touched her arm. The scratch was burning.

“Here.” Cody reached behind the seat and pulled out a pillow. “When I’m hunting, I have to sleep wherever I can.”

Shay put her head on the pillow. “Hunting?”

“Uh, criminals.”

As she drifted off to sleep, she felt his hand cover hers.

***

“Your husband’s going to kill us both. You know that,” Ronan told Bree as she dug through a bag of junk food she bought at the airport.

“I’ll send you in first, let you talk some sense into him.”

“Not me, darlin’. Faelan’s already gonna think this is all my fault.”

“I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon, not bailing my husband out of jail.”

“You’re the reason he had to play bodyguard. You and your bloody visions.”

“I had to warn Cody. The woman I saw in the vision with him was going to die.”

“You did the right thing,” Ronan said, scrubbing his knuckles over Bree’s head. He grinned. “I could take you on the honeymoon.”

“Sorry, stud. You need to age at least another century.”

“Don’t know what you’re missing.”

“From what I hear, I’m the only one.”

Ronan’s grin turned to a grimace. “You shouldn’t listen to gossip. There’s more smoke than fire.” The reputation was probably his own fault, but if he didn’t flirt once in a while to lighten the load, he would explode from the guilt hanging around his neck. The clan still didn’t know his part in things. He would tell them, after he figured out where the vampires were and what they wanted. “So what’s the story between Cody and this woman?”

“I don’t know, but you’d best keep your hands to yourself if you don’t want to lose them.”

“Like that, huh? Well, I have no plans to put my hands anywhere except on this steering wheel. If I was going to go messing with some man’s woman, not that I would, I wouldn’t choose the only warrior besides Faelan who’s battled an ancient demon and lived to tell about it. Give me a little credit, darlin’. That’d be suicide.”

“You don’t fool me. You’re not afraid of anybody. Including my fierce husband.”

Bree was wrong. He was afraid… of himself. “What’d you do with Cody’s address?”

Bree pulled a piece of paper from her purse. “I just hope Faelan’s there. I’m worried about him.”

“The Mighty Faelan can take care of himself.”

“I know.” Bree twisted her ring, frowning.

“Can’t you just call and check on him?”

“He’s not answering his phone. He keeps losing it, but no, I need to see him.”

Something was bothering her. Ronan had some kind of connection with Bree that he couldn’t explain, a need to protect her that confused him and drove Faelan insane.

Ronan eyed the box of Milk Duds she was munching. “You shouldn’t be eating that crap.”

“I can’t help it. Pregnant women have cravings.” Bree clamped her hand over her mouth, her eyes round.

“You’re pregnant? I’m going to be an uncle?” He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. “And he left you alone, knowing—” he narrowed his eyes. “He doesn’t know, does he? Is that why I’m risking my neck bringing you to Virginia? So you can tell him?”

“No, he can’t know.”

“Why not? He’s the father.” Ronan lifted a horrified brow. “Isn’t he?”

“Of course he is, but he can’t be distracted now. You know how he is, even with me hale and hearty. Can you imagine how he’ll act if he knows I’m carrying his baby?”

“Blimey. You sure I can’t talk you into going home? You can rest, stay healthy, and I can stay alive.”

“I have to see him, but don’t you dare breathe a word. Promise me.”

Ronan sighed. “Scout’s honor.”

“Shake on it.”

Ronan extended his hand, and Bree clasped it. She looked taken aback for a moment and stared at their clasped hands.

“You scare the hell out of me when you get that look.”

“It’s probably the pregnancy.”

“Give me that.” He grabbed the box of Milk Duds from her lap and flung it into the backseat.

“What are you doing?”

“Faelan’s going to blame this whole fiasco on me. I’ll be damned if I’ll let him blame your poor eating habits on me too.”

“But I’m craving them. I’ll eat broccoli tomorrow.”

“We’ll probably both be dead tomorrow,” Ronan said as he pulled away from the airport and headed toward Charlottesville.

***

“Shay, we’re home.”

Shay sat up, blinking her eyes as Cody pulled into his driveway. It was already dark. “I can’t believe I slept the whole way. Did I snore?”

“Either that or there’s a kitten purring under the seat.” His lips thinned, and he looked away.

Shay didn’t want to think about Cody and kittens; that’s where the trouble started. “I’m going to go straight to bed.”

Cody pulled his truck up beside a blue car. “Wait, I’ll come with you.”

Shay raised her eyebrows.

“I’ll walk you over. I need to get some things from the house first.” He looked at the blue car and frowned. “Why don’t you wait out here?”

“You’re staying at the house again? Why?”

“I’m not taking any chances.”

“My ankle’s okay.”

“What? Yeah, your ankle. Stay here. I’ll be back.”

“I don’t want to sit here and wait. I’m going on. You can come when you’re ready.”

“I think you were a mule in a previous life. Go on, then. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

She got out of the car, wondering why he was so distracted that he’d let her walk home alone. In fact, she was fairly sure he was trying to keep her out of his house. What was he hiding?

She turned around and walked to Cody’s house. She eased in the back door as she had a thousand times before. He wasn’t in the kitchen. She crept into the living room and down the hall. Her fingers skimmed the banister she and Cody had slid down while his mother, Laura, hid a grin and pretended to scold. Voices were coming from upstairs. A woman’s. Was Laura home? Shay eased up the steps to what had been Cody’s room. His door was cracked. Shay froze, her eyes locked on the long dark hair spread across his pillow. A woman was in his bed.

A girlfriend? Cody had a girlfriend? Shay eased back into the hall, trying to breathe.

“You’re right about the candy,” the woman said. “I don’t think it did me any good. I wish I could just lie in bed all day.” There was a thump, like a pillow hitting flesh, and a low male chuckle.

“Serves you right,” Cody said.

Shay backed away and slipped down the steps, her brain and legs numb. Marcas and Lachlan were in the living room, their voices coming closer. She couldn’t face anyone. She turned and went down the hall, opening the nearest door. When she was a child, the door stayed locked. Ewan MacBain had forbidden them to go down there. Shay adored Ewan, sometimes even pretended he was her father, but she wouldn’t have dared defy a direct edict from him. She closed the door and waited for the voices to pass. Someone had left a light on. Curious, she looked down the stairs, expecting rickety steps, cobwebs, and spiders, dangerous things for kids, not a Bat Cave with rows of computers and weapons lining the walls, guns, swords, and battle-axes, a blend of high tech and medieval. Was Ewan a collector?

She moved down the steps in a daze. The weapons were amazing, authentic, from what she could tell. There was a sitting area with worn leather sofas and chairs. Another room had weights and workout machines. Beyond that, she could see a large, empty space with what looked like wrestling mats covering the floor.

A tall cabinet caught her eye. It was an old piece, probably eighteenth century, in great condition. It held several old books, a few small knives, and a long, wooden box. The grain of wood was unusual. Shay couldn’t resist peeking inside. She saw a thick, round necklace, similar to the one Cody and his brothers wore, but this one had three swirls in the center, etched with some kind of symbols. There were other things, too, gadgets she’d never seen before. Off to the side, a small door stood ajar. She nudged it open and peeked inside, gaping at the wall of monitors. Good heavens. It was Nina’s house. They were recording Nina’s house, from every angle; front, sides, and back, even views of the woods.

She rethought her childhood, wondering if she had missed the signs of insanity in her next door neighbors, but then she saw that their house was monitored as well, again, from all sides. The entire perimeter was covered on both houses. Did this have something to do with her father’s top secret job? Ewan was involved. He’d admitted that much when he and Laura called to apologize a few weeks after she left. But video surveillance?

How could she have spent so much time in this house and not known about this basement? She and Cody had sneaked into plenty of places they weren’t supposed to. Thinking of Cody brought Shay’s attention back to the woman in his bed. Who was she? Did he love her? Want to spend the rest of his live with her? Grow old with her? How many had there been before this one? It shouldn’t matter; it was his life, but she couldn’t stay and watch. Why would he kiss Shay if he had a girlfriend? Was he just trying to exorcise old ghosts so he could move on? As Shay was? The thought left her feeling as hollow as a straw.

If she hurried, maybe she could leave before he noticed. She could go back to Leesburg, call and apologize, say Renee had called. Shay slipped up the basement stairs. Faint voices came from the kitchen. She hurried into Lachlan’s bedroom, passed his unmade bed, and slipped out the back door onto his cobblestone patio. She ran toward Nina’s, stopping once when she thought she would throw up. After a few steady breaths, she continued to the house.

The white cat was waiting at the front door. It stood, tail swishing, as Shay approached. “Move over, cat. I’m in a hurry.” The cat didn’t move, so Shay stepped around it. Her hands were still shaking as she opened the door. A soft thud came from the sitting room. She walked to the doorway and stepped on something. Stooping, she picked it up. A book? Her foot struck another one. She flipped on the light switch. A man stood in the center of the room. He had long, blond hair and icy blue eyes.

One second he was by the fireplace; the next he was in front of her, eyes as clear as glass. “You can make this easy… or hard,” he said with a tight smile.

Shay screamed and hurled the book at him, hitting him in the face. She turned to run, but tripped over the cat who had wandered inside. It hissed and darted into the room. Shay scrambled off the floor and sprinted outside. She looked back to make sure the man wasn’t following her and ran headlong into a wall. Someone grabbed her arms. “Cody, there’s—” She looked up and saw it wasn’t Cody, but the man who broke into her shop in Scotland. There were two stalkers? Shay punched him in the nose.

“Damnation, woman. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Stay away from me.” She wasn’t sure which way to run. One was in the house, one was outside. She would have to fight. She attacked the man, punching and kicking, when a pair of arms like steel bands encircled her from behind.

“Are all the women in this century bloody deranged?” the man said.

“What’re you doing here? I almost shot you.” That was Cody’s voice, and Shay could smell his scent. He was the one restraining her.

“Shoot him,” Shay yelled.

“You need a new cell phone,” the man said. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

“I haven’t been home much, and I left my cell phone on the charger. I’ve been distracted,” Cody said.