Read Online In the Beginning... by Calle J. Brookes - Free Book Online

that
her quietness hid. He resisted the urge to run his hands over her
again, to shape her body with his fingers so that he would remember
the feel of her always. She had not felt very substantial beneath
his hands, by any means. She was tall for a human woman, he had
sensed that, but she was narrow of build. So fragile, his female.
He would have to take care of her.
    He hated that she feared him, but knew it
would take them some time to know one another enough that her fear
dissipated.
    She still shivered, her fear and shock making
her even more susceptible to the cold. He cursed himself for not
considering…why had he not brought a blanket for her? He should
have; it mattered little that they had planned to kill the women
once they arrived back at the hotel. He should have thought of how
frightened and cold she would have been on the journey.
    He pulled the vestis over his head. It
was long-sleeved and insulated, perfect for the cold weather. He
slipped the shoulder belt to one side and maneuvered his female’s
arms through the garment. He felt around her shoulders until he’d
gathered all of her hair in his hand. He moved it free of the low
v-collar of the garment. “There now, my little love. This shall
keep the cold from you. I am sorry; we have no blankets to wrap you
in.”
    “Let us go,” his woman’s sister said, from
her position behind Aodhan’s seat.
    “Not going to happen.” Aodhan told her, his
voice surprisingly cheerful and determined.
    “What is this about? Why did you do this? Our
family has plenty of money for ransom. Just let us go. Let my
little sister go!”
    Theo was content to just sit beside his
female while her sister pleaded with Aodhan. He admired her
protectiveness. Her love for her sister. Did his own woman have
such love?
    Theo was a family man, with three younger
siblings of his own that he loved and protected. He would do
anything for his siblings, especially his younger sisters. “Aodhan,
just drive. We need to get them back to the hotel quickly. They
will be tracked in the morning.”
    “I see.” Aodhan stepped on the gas and the
van shot forward. Theo heard another whimper escape his female, and
it tore at his heart. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder and
pulled her toward him. He dropped a kiss to the hair that smelled
like gardenias.
    “Do not be afraid. We will not hurt you.
Ever.”

    ****

    The one kept whistling and that scared her,
but the tender touches from the man beside her frightened her
beyond anything. She tried to think, to reason why they could have
done what they were doing, but other than the ransom demand that
Mal was trying to convince them to make, she couldn’t think of why
they would risk coming on to the family property to target
them.
    That told her one thing—this wasn’t random.
She and Mal had been chosen for a very clear reason.
    The man continued to touch her, gently and
never inappropriately, for the remainder of the drive.
    The van stopped the driver climbed out. The
side door opened and Mickey squinted against the sudden light. They
had brought her and Mal to a hotel? Why?
    The driver pulled Mal from the van and over
his shoulder, his hand cupping Mal’s butt. The driver continued to
whistle, and the cheerfulness of his tune sent shivers down
Mickey’s back. Why was he so happy to be kidnapping them?
    The man beside her felt around almost blindly
until his hand landed on the seatbelt latch. He pulled the
restraint off of her, then stood. Hot hands went under her arms and
he pulled her up. The van was a large one, and Mickey could easily
stand upright. The man couldn’t, he had to bend his head a bit to
avoid bumping the top. Mickey wasn’t sure how long her knees would
hold her, but she forced herself to stay upright. She wouldn’t fall
down before this man.
    He lifted her, easy to do in the large van,
and handed her out to the driver. Mickey looked around; her sister
was propped up against a stone pillar.
    Mickey stared at the