to
find the source of the noise. Everything seemed to be in order, but she
couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been there, watching her.
A
chill raced over her skin at the thought. Instinctively, she pulled her
nightgown down over her legs. She listened to the rain for a moment and smiled
at her fanciful thoughts. After hearing about the rabbit, her imagination had
undoubtedly worked overtime. Snuggling beneath the covers, she decided to leave
the light burning.
Just
in case.
· * * * *
Devlin
stepped out of the shower just as his cell phone rang. He grabbed a towel,
wrapped it around his waist, and walked into his bedroom. Snatching the phone
from the bedside table, he pushed the answer button. “Hello.”
“Hey.”
Devlin
heard the familiar voice of his brother crackling over the phone line. “It’s
about damn time you called.” He’d been worried and couldn’t keep the edge of
irritation out of his voice. “How are you feeling?”
“Not
bad ... considering my shoulder hurts like a bitch and the nurses won’t
give me a moment’s peace.”
Devlin
smiled as relief washed over him. If his brother could gripe about having to
stay put for more than one day, he was well on the way to recovery. “Quit
whining. You’re safe. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“You
matter, too, brother.”
Devlin
rubbed a towel over his dripping hair while the warmth of his brother’s words
settled like a balm on his soul. “Have you told ... her?” He couldn’t
bring himself to say the word mother .
“No.
She and dad are in Europe.”
Dev
and J.D. hadn’t met until after they were grown because their mother wouldn’t
have let him near J.D. when they were kids. Devlin had initiated the first
contact. Later, they’d discovered their mutual love of rock climbing.
One
afternoon, a piton had slipped from the cliff face they were climbing, and
Devlin had pulled J.D. up to safety. They’d been tight ever since. Having
someone he could call brother meant everything to him because he felt so
isolated and alone. Knowing J.D. took away a lot of that loneliness.
Devlin
plopped down on the edge of his bed and told J.D. about the two grim calling
cards he’d found the evening before.
“Sounds
like his fixation has switched from me and Miranda to you. Be careful. He
almost killed me.”
That
knowledge scared Devlin down to his soul. Someone else cared what happened to
him. J.D.’s caring provided a kind of link with the mother they shared. His
friendship eased some of the hurt Devlin had suffered over her rejection of
him. If something happened to J.D., he didn’t think he would ever get over it.
“Miranda
and the doc just walked in. Gotta go.”
A
dial tone buzzed in Devlin’s ear.
“What
do you mean, it isn’t running?” Devlin growled into the phone a few minutes
later.
“Sorry,
Dev.” The ferryboat captain’s voice shouted on the other end of the line. The
connection crackled with static from the storm. “The rain’s slacked off, but
the tide’s a bitch this morning. We’ve got warnings all over the island. No
watercraft. Too risky.”
Devlin
huffed out a breath of frustration. That meant Abby couldn’t leave today, so he
would have to keep her close. Real close. “Yeah. I understand. What about
tomorrow?”
“Updated
report says this weather will be moving out later tonight.”
Devlin
heard someone yell in the background. “What’s going on? You need some help down
there?”
“No.
A couple of boats need to be secured.”
“Right.
If you need help, let me know.”
“Will
do, Dev. Thanks.”
Devlin
hung up and slumped back in his chair. He should never have let Abby set one
foot inside the castle. He should have put her on his boat that day and taken
her back to the mainland himself. If he had, she would be safely on her way to
England and away from danger, where she belonged. Instead, he’d given in to
that wide-eyed innocent look of hers and been
find the source of the noise. Everything seemed to be in order, but she
couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been there, watching her.
A
chill raced over her skin at the thought. Instinctively, she pulled her
nightgown down over her legs. She listened to the rain for a moment and smiled
at her fanciful thoughts. After hearing about the rabbit, her imagination had
undoubtedly worked overtime. Snuggling beneath the covers, she decided to leave
the light burning.
Just
in case.
· * * * *
Devlin
stepped out of the shower just as his cell phone rang. He grabbed a towel,
wrapped it around his waist, and walked into his bedroom. Snatching the phone
from the bedside table, he pushed the answer button. “Hello.”
“Hey.”
Devlin
heard the familiar voice of his brother crackling over the phone line. “It’s
about damn time you called.” He’d been worried and couldn’t keep the edge of
irritation out of his voice. “How are you feeling?”
“Not
bad ... considering my shoulder hurts like a bitch and the nurses won’t
give me a moment’s peace.”
Devlin
smiled as relief washed over him. If his brother could gripe about having to
stay put for more than one day, he was well on the way to recovery. “Quit
whining. You’re safe. That’s the only thing that matters.”
“You
matter, too, brother.”
Devlin
rubbed a towel over his dripping hair while the warmth of his brother’s words
settled like a balm on his soul. “Have you told ... her?” He couldn’t
bring himself to say the word mother .
“No.
She and dad are in Europe.”
Dev
and J.D. hadn’t met until after they were grown because their mother wouldn’t
have let him near J.D. when they were kids. Devlin had initiated the first
contact. Later, they’d discovered their mutual love of rock climbing.
One
afternoon, a piton had slipped from the cliff face they were climbing, and
Devlin had pulled J.D. up to safety. They’d been tight ever since. Having
someone he could call brother meant everything to him because he felt so
isolated and alone. Knowing J.D. took away a lot of that loneliness.
Devlin
plopped down on the edge of his bed and told J.D. about the two grim calling
cards he’d found the evening before.
“Sounds
like his fixation has switched from me and Miranda to you. Be careful. He
almost killed me.”
That
knowledge scared Devlin down to his soul. Someone else cared what happened to
him. J.D.’s caring provided a kind of link with the mother they shared. His
friendship eased some of the hurt Devlin had suffered over her rejection of
him. If something happened to J.D., he didn’t think he would ever get over it.
“Miranda
and the doc just walked in. Gotta go.”
A
dial tone buzzed in Devlin’s ear.
“What
do you mean, it isn’t running?” Devlin growled into the phone a few minutes
later.
“Sorry,
Dev.” The ferryboat captain’s voice shouted on the other end of the line. The
connection crackled with static from the storm. “The rain’s slacked off, but
the tide’s a bitch this morning. We’ve got warnings all over the island. No
watercraft. Too risky.”
Devlin
huffed out a breath of frustration. That meant Abby couldn’t leave today, so he
would have to keep her close. Real close. “Yeah. I understand. What about
tomorrow?”
“Updated
report says this weather will be moving out later tonight.”
Devlin
heard someone yell in the background. “What’s going on? You need some help down
there?”
“No.
A couple of boats need to be secured.”
“Right.
If you need help, let me know.”
“Will
do, Dev. Thanks.”
Devlin
hung up and slumped back in his chair. He should never have let Abby set one
foot inside the castle. He should have put her on his boat that day and taken
her back to the mainland himself. If he had, she would be safely on her way to
England and away from danger, where she belonged. Instead, he’d given in to
that wide-eyed innocent look of hers and been
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