The Millionaire's Club: Connor, Tom & Gavin. Michelle Celmer

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СКАЧАТЬ pulled himself from the chair and followed her out to the truck. Jimmy was leaning against the passenger door waiting for them and the bed was filled with groceries and supplies.

      “You tell him?” Jimmy asked.

      Nita shot Connor a nervous look. “I told you, there’s nothing to tell. It was an accident.”

      No wonder she was being so nice. She was hiding something from him. He should have known. “What was an accident?”

      Jimmy ignored Nita’s warning look. “Me and Nita were on Main Street waiting to cross and a car came out of nowhere and nearly ran her down.”

      Connor swore under his breath.

      “I’m sure it was just an accident,” Nita said hastily. “No one would try to run someone down in the middle of a busy street on purpose.”

      “If they were desperate to get rid of you they might,” Connor said. “What type of car was it?”

      “It happened so fast I didn’t get a good look,” Jimmy said. “I’m pretty sure it was a black BMW. Maybe dark blue. Not much help considering half of Royal drives those.”

      “You didn’t see the license place?”

      Jimmy shook his head. “Happened too fast. By the time I heard Nita swear, and turned to see what had happened, the car was around the corner.”

      Connor turned to Nita. “Exactly what happened?”

      “The light changed, I started to cross, then this car came out of nowhere and shot through the light and turned right. I’m sure it was accidental and they just didn’t see me there.”

      “Could you see the driver?”

      “Like Jimmy said, it happened so fast. And the windows were tinted.”

      Connor didn’t like the sound of this. He felt guilty for not being with her. He never should have taken his eyes off her. “Did anyone else see it? Did someone take down the license plate?”

      “Why would they?” she snapped. “I told you it was an accident.”

      No, he didn’t think it was an accident at all. If this person was bold enough to try to run her down on a busy street corner, things were even worse than he’d thought.

      Nita stuck her head out the bedroom door and peered down the hall. Connor’s door was closed, meaning he’d gone to bed.

      Too bad for him.

      The grandfather clock in the office chimed twelve times as she tiptoed down the darkened hall toward the stairs, careful to avoid the creaky spot just above the top step. Since almost getting run over two days ago—which she was still convinced was an accident—Connor had been stuck to her like glue. She couldn’t use the bathroom without him hovering outside the door. And he must have made some sort of pact with the men, because whenever Connor wasn’t around, Jimmy or one of the hands kept her in their sights. She realized, in retrospect, that by continually trying to give him the slip, she’d probably only made things worse for herself. But she was beginning to feel smothered, and all she really wanted was a few blissful minutes to herself. Even if that meant just sitting on the swing and looking at the stars, which is exactly what she planned to do tonight.

      She didn’t doubt someone was trying to scare them off the land, but besides the holes—which they now knew weren’t dug with the intention of hurting anyone—nothing had been done to put her or the staff in danger. Even the letters had been vague. Just your basic get off the land or else. Whoever penned them never specified what the or else would be if the Windcrofts didn’t comply. And here they were, still safe and sound on the land.

      She crept across the wood floor to the front door and flipped the deadbolt, cringing as the click echoed through the foyer. She was reaching for the doorknob when a hand clamped down firmly over her shoulder. She let out a shriek of surprise and spun around, and was greeted by the deep baritone of Connor’s laughter.

      “Are you trying to scare me half to death?” she admonished.

      Through the dark she could see he was grinning. “Just making sure you don’t sneak away.”

      “I wasn’t sneaking,” she lied.

      “Uh-huh. That would explain why you were tiptoeing down the stairs.” He took in her tennis shoes, flannel pants and University of Texas sweatshirt. “Let me guess, you were sleepwalking?”

      “I couldn’t sleep. I needed some fresh air to clear my head. I was going to sit on the swing.”

      He pulled the door open and held it for her. “Let’s go.”

      “Alone, Connor. If I wanted company, I would have woken you.”

      “You have two choices. We can sit out on the swing together, or go back to bed.”

      “Can we go back to bed together?” she asked, for the mere pleasure of teasing him, because she already knew the answer was no. And of course there was always that million-to-one chance she would catch him in the right mood and he would throw her against the wall, as he’d done in the stable, and ravage her.

      “In or out,” he said.

      And apparently tonight wasn’t going to be the night.

      She sighed and said, “Since I’m up and dressed we might as well go out there.”

      They walked onto the porch and he pulled the door closed behind them, then followed her down the steps and across the yard to the swing. The air carried a deep chill and dew soaked through the canvas of her shoes. The moon hung low in the sky casting a pale, eerie light across the land.

      Nita plopped down in the middle of the swing seat, so that whichever side he chose, Connor would be right next to her. She thought he might complain, instead he sat beside her—so close that their thighs were touching—and draped his arm over the back of the swing behind her shoulders. He pushed off with his foot and they swayed gently back and forth.

      “Out of curiosity, how did you know I was coming out here?” she asked.

      He leaned his head back and gazed up at the sky. “I heard you moving around in your room. Then I followed you downstairs.”

      And here she thought she’d been so quiet. “What did you do, levitate? I didn’t even hear you.”

      “Don’t feel bad. It’s what I was trained to do.”

      “Did you have to kill people, too?”

      Through the dark she could see him frown. “Sometimes.”

      “Jake said you served in the Middle East.”

      He nodded.

      “Is that where you were shot?”

      “Yep.”

      She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “And you apparently don’t like to talk about it.”

      The СКАЧАТЬ