The Thorndykes 1: Dispossessed (9 page)

An hour later she was in her apartment. She showered again, her sole reason to remove every trace of him from her body. Then she changed into her own clothes and bundled the borrowed ones up so she didn’t have to look at them. More importantly, she fed and exercised Digger. He was fit to burst with inactivity and lack of company. She’d put him in the small barn where he had plenty of room but he couldn’t get out as easily.

After he’d eaten she took him for a walk. In the opposite direction from the big ranch. She wasn’t taking any chances of the dog getting away again. She let him chase a few rabbits, and then brought him back. The day was good, but overcast. Not too hot, so Digger could stay out back.

No sign of Drew, drat the boy. He had no sense of time. Just in case, she put her cell on charge and called him, but still no joy.

Her cook arrived at eleven ready to prep for lunch. They made simple but homemade meals that went down well with the regulars and the tourists who came to do a little shopping in the chichi boutiques. Burgers, fries, tacos, bacon, sometimes pulled pork with accompaniments—whatever her cook felt like making, really. If he did a special, it tended to sell out or leave barely enough to provide Digger with leftovers.

Gabriel was a great cook but a poor communicator. She needed her bar staff for that. After half an hour of morose grunting from Gabriel when she asked him about his weekend, Missy arrived and filled the place with much-needed chatter.

Customers began to filter in. Mostly locals at first, but then a couple of well-dressed tourists, then a few more. Busy serving beers and fending off questions about exotic cocktails, Lucille guessed a few of them had been guests at Trevino’s ranch last night. Not that any of them deigned to recognize her, even if they had attended the masquerade. She couldn’t bring herself to care about that. At least, that was what she told herself. Not that she believed herself, but she would in time. This, too, would pass.

When Ryan strolled in, she welcomed him with a smile and a coffee, his preferred beverage at this time of day. Ryan, the son of a nearby ranch owner, not on the scale of Trevino’s but still large, had determinedly courted her for a while now. She’d cautiously dated him a time or two, and enjoyed the occasion, but marriage, which was what Ryan undoubtedly wanted, was impossible. For a start she’d live for hundreds of years longer than him, and unlike legend, she couldn’t convert him. Or rather, she could, but she’d die in the process. If vampires could convert at a whim and stay alive, the world would be full of them by now.

Jay was a converted vampire, he’d said. The first she’d met, knowingly anyhow.

No, she wouldn’t think of him. Because of what they’d done last night, she couldn’t prevent an intrusion into her outer mind if he wanted it or she did. But she could ignore him as much as possible. Not that he’d shown any sign of wanting to communicate.

She took care over Ryan’s coffee. The man was…nice. Reliable, modest, strong enough, good-looking enough, kind, but he had a tendency to smother her, to assume she thought in the same way he did.

He tipped his hat. “Morning, Lucille. I’m glad to see you here. I couldn’t believe you’d gone to that party. You worried me sick.”

“No need.” She forced a carefree smile. “As you can see, here I am, safe, sound, and sober.” She knew he was longing to know what went on, but she had no intention of telling him.

“You know I only say this for your sake.” His sincere expression reminded her that yes, he did care for her. He was showing his affection in the way he understood best, as his mother and father behaved. She’d seen that for herself on her single visit to the Wheeler ranch. He’d invited her back, but she could sense his parents didn’t like her, although they’d been perfectly polite. Besides, she didn’t want to give him ideas. More ideas, that was. Because he already assumed once he’d let it be known that he’d set his sights on her she’d fall into his arms and slot his ring on her finger like he was ringing a prize bull.

She sighed. “I know. I don’t want to upset you, Ryan, but I have to live my life my way.”

“I just don’t want you coming to any harm,” he said gently. “Anyhow I came to ask you if you’re free for dinner tonight.” He grinned. “You should come out to the ranch. My mother wants to talk to you.”

She stared at him. He was ramping up his courtship. She’d only visited the ranch once, and since then he’d taken her on dates elsewhere. She’d assumed that was because his folks didn’t like her.

“Do you do slow comfortable screws against the wall?” someone asked. She glanced up, recognizing one of the male guests from the ball last night. One of the people who’d seen her behaving like a courtesan with Jay. Much as she tried, she couldn’t regret it. That part was an adventure she’d enjoyed thoroughly. Not being treated like this, though. “We do margaritas and a few standards like mojitos and Cuba libres. No hard screws against the wall or anything like that.”

She nodded when the customer assured her a beer would be fine.

“Sorry to hear that,” a man said in soft tones she never expected to encounter again. Her head snapped up, and she nearly dropped the beer she was pouring. Jay nodded to the guest who grinned back unrepentantly.

There he stood, dark eyes shadowed with something she couldn’t read. Since she’d slammed all her psychic barriers down, she had no way of discerning what it was. “You’re not welcome here,” she said. She handed the customer his beer and smiled her thanks when he told her to keep the change from the bill he shoved into her hand.

Puzzlement replaced the concern. “Why not?”

“Because I’m not welcome in your house. So you’re not welcome in mine.”

Now anger. Shit, she could read this man easily. “What the
fuck
are you talking about?”

They both ignored Ryan’s “Hey!” at the curse words.

The country music playing softly in the background jangled in the sudden quiet as everyone in the room hushed. “It was obvious nobody wanted me to linger, so I didn’t.”

He frowned. “Who did that? Who the fuck said that to you?”

“Swearing doesn’t impress me.”

“Is he bothering you?” Traditional words from a traditional man. Ryan moved closer to Jay, who glanced at him, then at her.

“Is this yours?” he asked her. So insulting, as if he were referring to a pet.

“He’s a friend.”

“More, I hope.” Ryan addressed Jay. “You heard the lady. She wants you to leave.”

Infuriatingly, Jay’s voice echoed in her mind.
“I won’t hurt him.”

Well, bully for him. It was daytime, and Ryan was a working rancher, not a pushover absentee owner. She refused to answer Jay, pretending she hadn’t picked up his mental communication.

She turned her back on him to serve another customer. Not that the woman, obviously hanging on their every word, seemed in any hurry. Lucille dealt with her as carefully as she did with anyone before glancing back at Jay. “You still here?”

Missy, on duty this lunchtime, glanced at Lucille, a warning in her eyes that Lucille chose to ignore. She returned to Jay.

“I said, who told you that you weren’t welcome?” he said low and quiet, menace threading through his tones.

“Oh, don’t bother, they all did exactly what you told them to do. Fed me, clothed me, got me out. I daresay they performed the same service for each guest. I was no different.”

“Like fuck you’re not. I demand courtesy from all my staff to my guests, but you more than the rest. I wanted to get back to you before you went, but something came up. I left instructions.” He sighed. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll fire the lot of them.”

“Some employer you are.”

He shrugged. “I do my best. But I won’t have my guests insulted.”

“Nobody insulted me. They just followed your orders. Now get out.”

Ryan moved closer. Although shorter than Jay, he had a solid body packed with muscle. She gave him a quelling glance. She’d rather not have a brawl in her bar.

Jay glowered like some brooding hero, and to her dismay it instantly turned her on. The sexual undertones weren’t her imagination. “Not a chance. I want more.”

She snorted. “You must be joking.”

Ryan added, “The lady wants you to leave. I want you to leave.” He raised a hand but froze when Jay flicked his attention briefly in his direction, and Ryan dropped his hand back to his side. Jay’s psi power for sure.

Then Jay behaved as if Ryan wasn’t there and turned his full regard back to Lucille, fixing her with a dark, intent stare. “I swear you will never get that kind of treatment again from me or any member of my staff. I can guess who it was. I left you in bed this morning warm and happy. I wanted to find you that way when I got back.”

Ryan growled low, and someone sniggered in the fraught silence. That mention of bed in perfectly normal tones echoed around the hushed room.

Blood flushed her cheeks hotly. “You said that on purpose.”

He lifted a dark brow. “You bet. Why, did you want to keep it a dirty secret?”

Oh great, now her pussy was dampening.
Traitor
. She put up her chin. “I don’t care. You were a shit, and that’s all people need to know. Rich and spoiled.”

“Both those things, darling, but not inconsiderate.” He drawled the words, and murmurs of “gorgeous accent” and admiring looks came from at least two people avidly listening.

Lucille gritted her teeth and steeled her spine. “I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

“A mistake?” He touched his heart and leaned closer. “I don’t think so.” His lips were an inch from hers when he said to her, “O
pen
.” He didn’t mean her mouth. A dangerous flash of his eyes, no flirting in evidence, accompanied the word.

“No.” She didn’t bother to keep quiet.

“For God’s sake, listen to me.”
He leaned back, his expression cool now, all sign of emotion gone. “I think you’ll want to know I have your brother.”

Suddenly short of breath, she gasped. “What?” Oh fuck, what had he done? What had
she
done? Was Drew some kind of hostage? Was this all a scam, and he was rogue?

He continued, his voice gentler now. “I found Drew on my land earlier today, hurt. He was the reason I couldn’t get back to you in time to take you home.”

“Oh no!” Her breath caught, and her heart leaped with the shock of his news. Of all the things she expected him to say, it wasn’t that.

From standing across the bar, Missy arrived at her side, swifter than thought. “Go.” She put her hand over Lucille’s and pressed lightly, a gesture of comfort. She addressed Jay. “How is he?”

“Comfortable. Shaken up.” His eyes didn’t say that, and finally Lucille opened her mind and let him in.
“He’s badly hurt. You need to come. He’s asking for you. A friend has gone for a doctor, and I came to get you.”

“Okay, I’m coming.” She glanced at Missy, forcing her brain to go into organizing mode. “The fresh food was delivered. Can you see to it?”

“Anything. I’ll call my sister if I need extra help.” Missy smiled. “At least you know where he is. Family first,
chica
. Now go.”

Ryan swallowed, all fight gone. “I’ll drive you.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, almost by rote.

Lucille sensed for any trace of her brother just as she’d done for the past several days. This time she got a response. Faint, barely there, but she found it.

She didn’t need more urging. Forgetting everything except that Drew needed her, she grabbed her phone and her keys and left with Jay. She didn’t give a thought to the sleek black monster of a sports car illegally parked outside, but nobody had given him a ticket. A matter of time, though. Small boys had already begun to gather.

He clicked open the doors, and without hesitation she climbed inside. A trap? She didn’t care. She had to get to Drew.

“Calm down.” He touched a button, and the car roared into life. He took off like a fighter pilot, steering the vehicle effortlessly, keeping most of his attention on her.

“Watch the road.”

“I’m fine. How long was Drew missing?”

“Three days. Oh God, how long had he been on your land?”

“Not long.” He took a corner, smoothly riding it out before straightening to take the straight road to the ranch. “He was still bleeding. We stanched it and brought him back to my private quarters. He’s next to my suite. I was walking in the grounds this morning when I found him, with Nathan’s help. Nathan is the man we met last night who called himself Blue. He’s an ex-agent with a covert organization and as paranoid as fuck. So he came to suss us out. Turns out I knew him once, many years ago. He’s a dragon shape-shifter, so he flew to Houston to fetch a specialist.”

“What kind of specialist? What happened to Drew? Why is he hurt so bad?”

“One of our medical doctors. Drew was hit with silver bullets. At least two from what I can tell, but they’re deep. You’re allergic to silver, so I assume he is.”

“I thought all vampires were.”

He shook his head. “Not every Talent is, though we foster the assumption among the mortal that we are. It gives us an advantage. But the sensitivity tends to run in families.”

“Y-yes.” She broke out in hives if she so much as touched it. It gave her rashes and swelling, and prolonged contact could kill her. Like the way he’d bound her last night. She usually avoided it. “Oh God, will he die?” She couldn’t bear the idea. Even the thought sent waves of panic through her, threatening to drown her in terror.

Instantly he surrounded her with a blanket of comfort. “Breathe, Lucille.”

Chapter Six

She took his advice, but it didn’t help. They reached the estate, and Jay punched a number into his phone. The double gates swung open, and he drove through. It seemed forever since she was last here.

One side of the sprawling ranch was busy, vehicles and people milling around them. The guests getting ready to leave. Their bonhomie seemed obscene in the light of what had happened to Drew.

“The doctor should have arrived by now,” Jay said.

“Why did you announce you’d left me in bed?”

“To tell everybody in the bar that if they mess with you, they mess with me too.” He shot her a hard glare. “Primitive, macho, call it what you want. I call it effective. If someone has attacked your brother, you might be next. We’ll talk about that later.” No sign of the insouciant, charming lover remained in the hard man sitting next to her.