Shadows and Silk (8 page)

“Baby, you’re a
MacKenzie
. There’s no one else I’d rather kill for. We stick together. Always.”

“I know.” Her voice was muffled against his shirt. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”

“In all seriousness, Darcy. I need you to tell me if working with Brant is going to
be a problem. I’m not stupid. I know something happened between the two of you four
years ago. I won’t ask for details, but this job is important. And it’s dangerous.
I trust him with your life. But you’ve got to trust him
with it
as well.”

This was her chance. She could put that ring back on her finger and call Kenneth,
agreeing to a lifetime of safety and monotony.
Or she could tell Declan she’d
spend the next few weeks agreeing to play Brant Scott’s wife, sharing his bed and
letting the thrill of the hunt feed her need for adventure. Her brothers weren’t the
only ones who needed that adrenaline rush.

And then she realized maybe Brant wasn’t the only reason to take or decline this job.
She needed to do it for herself. She’d been living a half-life for the past few years.
She’d focused on her career and
building her reputation, but she’d changed as abruptly as Declan had once he’d gotten
that scar. The only difference was her scars were on the inside. And it was time to
reclaim the woman she’d been before she and Brant had shared more than their bodies.

She took a step back and faced her brother eye to eye.
“I can do it,” she said. “I
want
to do it.”

Dec sighed and nodded. “You know I would have gotten anyone else if I could have,”
he said. “I looked for months after we’d g
otten the
intel
for someone
who fit the description. I’m putting you in danger, and I’m sorry for it.”

“I can handle myself.”

“Most of the time, I’d agree with that statement. We taught you well. But there are
times when you
’ll
need help, and Brant’s going to be there to give it to you. I don’t want anything
to happen to you
,
Darcy. Shane and I have already come to blows over your involvement.
He’s really pissed at me right now.
”

“Tell me something I
do
n’t know. He’s always the one to throw the first punch.”

“In his line of work, that’s a good thing. Believe me.”

“I’m a big g
irl. I know what I’m getting in
to.”

“
You love
Brant
.
”
He wasn’t asking her a question
, but she could hear the worry in his voice
.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“There are things you don’t know about him, Darcy. Things that make him the way he
is.”

“So he tells me,” she said. “But that doesn’t make the feeling go away. Because I
know he cares about me too.”

“Then you have two choices. You can fight for him and try to change his mind. Or you
can enjoy the time you have and be prepared when he walks away.”

She paused and looked at him carefully.
“You think he’ll walk away,” she said,
the truth like a slap in the face
.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I think he’ll walk away.”

Darcy felt herself go cold inside and she lifted her chin
against the pain
. “
I can handle it.
Like I said, I’m a big girl. I’ve got my own life, and what Brant Scott decides to
do with his is none of my business.”

Dec looked at her long and steady—the same look he got on his face whenever he was
trying to untangle a puzzle in his head. “
I could be wrong.
Maybe it is your business. You’re not the only one who’s changed over the past four
years. Brant needs stability in his life. The missions he’s leading are getting more
and more dangerous. It’s only a matter of time before he doesn’t come back from one.
If you decide to fight for him, then my money is on you.
”

“There’s such a thing as self preservation, Dec. Some things can’t be fought for.”

“The best things are.” The regret in his eyes made her wonder if he knew what he was
talking about from firsthand experience.

Darcy nodded and turned around so he wouldn’t see
the tears that filled her eyes.
The
expensive luggage
and boxes
with designer names
in the corner
of the room
caught her attention. She hadn’t noticed them before, which told her exactly how far
away her mind was. She needed to keep her head in the game.
She wasn’t in covert ops like her brothers were, but they’d trained her for her own
protection. She knew she needed to have her head a hundred percent in the game.

“What’s all that?” she asked.

“Brant’s been busy. That’s your new wardrobe
,
and
a
few other things all honeymoon
ers need.
”

“Fast work,” she commented.

“We have all kinds of little tricks up our sleeves. You’ll also be armed. Brant
said you’ve been practicing with a Sig instead of the Beretta you used to carry.”

“I guess it’s stupid to ask how he knows that,” Darcy said.

“Probably. You’ve also got an assortment of ammunition and fun gadgets to play with.
Try not to lose anything. The expense report for this op is ridiculous.”

“Not a problem. And maybe when it’s all over I’ll get to shoot Brant.”

“That’s the spirit,” Dec said, slapping her on the shoulder. “I’ve got a briefing
in an hour. You
might not see us down there
,
Darce
, but Shane and I will both be close by. We’ll keep you safe. Watch your six, little
sister.”

“Same to you.”

Declan left her suite without a sound, and she went to put the deadbolt on behind
him. Not that a deadbolt had kept him out earlier, but she figured most people weren’t
her brother.

She walked back over
to
the pile of boxes and saw the small envelope. It was attached to the smallest box—black
and glossy with silver scrollwork
and
a name she didn’t recognize.

Brant’s handwriting was a bold slash against the creamy envelope, and she pulled it
away from the box and then carried them both over to the bed. She had a feeling she’d
need to sit down for whatever it was he had to say.
With that thought in mind, she decided it might be better to open the box first.

She tossed the envelope aside and lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a smaller
box that had her heart catching in her throat. It was a
black
square jewelry
box
, and she lifted it out with trembling hands.

Darcy flipped open the lid and gasped at the sight of the wedding rings inside. The
wedding
ring
was a wide band of platinum, simplistic in its beauty. But it was the engagement ring
that had her cursing Brant. It’s exactly what she’d have picked
if it had been her choice. The ring Kenneth had given her was flashy and expensive,
but it wasn’t her. Leave it to Brant to know her that well and make the wound a little
deeper.

The engagement ring was a delicate design of small diamonds surrounding a square sapphire.
It was old fashioned and unique, and she knew as soon as she put it on her finger
that it would seem like it should’ve always been there. She stubbornly left them in
the box and picked up the letter, sliding her finger beneath the sealed flap.

She pulled out the folded sheet of paper and read the short message from her soon
to be fake husband, and she wondered if he realized how much of a tactical error it
had b
een to provide her with weapons for this trip
.

Darcy,

You’ll not wear another man’s ring while you belong to me.

~B

A slow death was too good for him. He thought this was a game. Darcy crumpled the
note and tossed it into the wastebasket across the room with
a
shot that would have made Michael Jordan proud. She slipped the rings onto her fingers
and wondered if this was what Cinderella had felt like when the slipper fit perfectly.

Brant didn’t know what he’d gotten himself into. By the time she was through tying
him in knots, he’d know she always played to win. It was never a good idea to underestimate
a
MacKenzie
.

“If you keep glaring at me like that, no one is ever going to believe we’re on our
honeymoon,” Darcy said
, tossing the file she’d been reading in
to
the empty seat next to her
.

The back of Brant’s neck had been itching and his cock
straining
since they’d boarded the little private jet back in DC. He didn’t have a good feeling
about this mission. His mind was so clouded with thoughts of the things he wanted
to do to Darcy that he wasn’t sure if she was the reason for his unease or some other
unknown danger.
Either way, he was starting to regret that he hadn’t pushed Declan harder to find
someone else.
Not that Declan would have changed his mind. He could be a single-minded son of a
bitch if the circumstances called for it.

“Sure they will, sugar. Everyone looking at us is going to know that you fit me like
a glove.
Want to try me on for size?
”

She’d been driving him crazy for the past hour, seated across from him in jeans and
a black sweater. Her hair
was
piled up on top of her head
with little tendrils escaping,
and
the moment she’d slipped on those
black-framed glasses
his mouth
had
started watering. She looked
like a sexy librarian.

His dick flexed behind his zipper as she licked her lips and her gaze lowered to his
obvious arousal. The only thing that had kept him from taking her on the plane had
been the
two-man
cabin crew
joining them on the flight. H
e knew damned
good and
well they’d
been hand selected by Declan
for a little extra protectio
n
.
Whether it was protection from him or in case they met with trouble, he wasn’t sure.

“
Been there, done that
—
sugar
,” she drawled, making his dick spike even harder. That sassy mouth was going to get
her in a whole heap of trouble.
“
You’re a big talke
r
, Brant Scott.
But i
f I remember right, it was me that had to make all the moves four years ago.
Maybe you should put your money where your mouth is for once.
”

Brant
laughed softly
and leaned back in the leather seat
to ease the ache some
. He’d always enjoyed sparring with Darcy
, and
he wasn’t
going to let her get away with teasing him a second more
.
But he was also on guard, because damned if that was the response he’d been expecting.
She was up to something, no doubt about it. But he was more than willing to take full
advantage of her agreeability
for the time being
.

He’d made a decision the night before. She was going to belong to him no matter what,
and he’d give her everything she wanted—marriage and children—as long as she understood
he couldn’t give her anything more. He didn’t believe in love, but he was willing
to let her have her illusions. And he couldn’t afford to let it break his concentration
when he was on a mission. His job was dangerous, and he had no intention of stopping
the work he did. It was too important. But going home to Darcy every night was starting
to sound better and better.

“My mouth is going to be everywhere,” he said, his voice low and
laced
with warning. “And I’ll make you beg for mercy before I stop.”

Her mouth opened on a soundless gasp, and he glanced to the front of the plane to
make sure t
he cabin cre
w was out of sight. H
e was past the point of caring whether or not they’d
run back to Declan and tattle. He moved quickly
, unfastening her seatbelt and jerking her so she ended up in his lap.

Before she could protest, her legs straddled his hips and he pushed his erection against
the heat of her
. His fingers tangled in her hair and he forced her head lower, so he could bite at
the sensitive spot at her neck. She moaned loudly, and he soothed the bite with his
tongue,
tasting her, sipping at her skin like the finest wine
.