Mine to Hold

by Cynthia Eden

  were apparently damn inadequate.

  “Trace told them I was clear.” Drake smiled. “Come on, you know that you can trust me.”

  Yeah, he did. And that was why he yanked the guy in the suite. “Keep Claire company until I get back.”

  “Uh, wait, where are you—”

  Noah shut the door behind him and stalked to the elevator.

  Austin Harrison.

  Well, he’d met the other two members of the family. Time to see if Austin was as much of a dick as they were.

  ***

  The guy had just twisted her into knots and walked away. Claire shoved off her blanket and jumped to her feet. She was going after him and—

  “I think the idea was for us both to stay put.” Drake flashed her a broad smile. “So don’t think you can just bat those big baby blues at me, and get out of here.”

  She glared at him.

  His smile slowly faded. “You look like shit.”

  He was always such a charmer.

  Drake’s hand lifted toward her face.

  Instantly, Claire stepped back.

  “Easy,” he murmured as he advanced. “I just want to see the damage.”

  She forced herself to stay still. “It’s just a scratch.”

  “A scratch that’s got you purple and black on your temple.” His head cocked and his fingers feathered over her cheek. “And I’m guessing the bandage is covering some stitches?”

  “A few.”

  He whistled. “Bet that made Noah go insane.”

  She pushed his hand away. “Nearly getting blown up made us both react that way.”

  His hand caught hers. “Explain it to me.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve seen Noah touch you, and you act like a cat getting stroked.”

  She did not.

  “But I come close, and you tense up like you’re afraid I’ll hit you.” His voice and eyes had gone flat. “I don’t know what Noah told you about my past, but I only did what I had to do. Killing my lover—hell, no, that wasn’t my plan. She went rogue. Turned on us all—”

  Wow. “He didn’t tell me anything.”

  She knew Drake had killed in Chicago, but that had been a fight-or-die situation. As for his past… “Like you told me before, your past is your own.”

  “So you don’t back away from me because you think I’m a monster beneath the skin?”

  His words made her pause. Made her realize… “I back away because I think everyone has a monster inside.”

  Wasn’t that what she’d learned from Ethan?

  From herself?

  ***

  Austin Harrison stood near the concierge desk in the lobby. Noah marched toward the guy, letting his gaze sweep over the last remaining Harrison.

  The guy was tall, broad-shouldered. Dressed in a suit. Austin appeared tense, wary—good, because he should be.

  His hair was a dark blond, and it currently looked as if the guy had spent hours shoving his hands through it.

  “This way,” Noah said, turning sharply to the right. He wasn’t about to have a public fight with Harrison. No, it was far better to do that in private.

  Where no one can see what I’ll do.

  Noah took the guy back to the hotel manager’s office. The manager, Louis, had conveniently cleared out, per Noah’s orders during a quick phone call mid-elevator ride.

  Austin didn’t speak until they were secured inside. As soon as the door shut, though, the guy said, “I’m not a threat to you. Or to Claire Kramer.”

  “I’m not so sure of that.”

  Austin swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Whatever you’re doing…just…stop, okay? I’m not going to hurt her.”

  “What I’m doing?”

  Austin’s gaze jerked around the office. “My father. Ethan.”

  He thinks I killed them?

  “I don’t want to be next on Claire’s revenge list.”

  “You think Claire has a list?” Had the guy not heard about the bombing? It had been all over the news. How the hell would he have missed that?

  “If I were her, I would,” Austin muttered as he yanked a hand through his hair. “I’d want revenge. Payback.”

  “You aren’t Claire.” She doesn’t think like that.

  Austin’s hand fell to his side. His eyes met Noah’s. “I know you’re fucking her.”

  “Yes, I am.” He wasn’t about to deny something that gave him such satisfaction.

  Austin exhaled on a rough sigh. “Are you killing for her, too?”

  Everyone sure seemed to think so. “You should turn on the news. The radio. Read a paper.”

  Austin’s eyebrows scrunched. “Wh-what?”

  “But maybe you were flying up here, maybe you missed that huge story, so I’ll just brief you.” He rolled back his shoulders. “Someone tried to kill me and Claire with a bomb last night.”

  Austin backed up a step. He banged into the desk.

  “Claire isn’t the one who went after your bastard of a father or your sick freak of a brother. Someone else out there did that. Probably the same someone who tried to kill us.”

  “Why?”

  “I think we have to ask the bastard killing that particular question.” He studied the man before him. “You don’t reek of booze like your father.”

  Austin flinched.

  “Are you as insane as your brother?”

  “I’m nothing like Ethan.”

  The two looked alike. The similarity was clear as day. “You’re the older brother. So when you were growing up, did you know what Ethan was? Did you see it?”

  Austin walked toward the window on the right. “I saw it. Ethan was always hurting those weaker than he was. I told my father that he needed help, but that wasn’t the way my old man worked. Harrisons don’t need help. We don’t need anything.” He looked back at Noah. “I came here because I don’t want to die.”

  Noah crossed his arms over his chest. “And you thought you were next on Claire’s list?”

  “It’s…because I didn’t do anything. I didn’t help her. I didn’t stop him. Ethan talked about her. So much. About how he couldn’t live without her. How he wouldn’t live without her. How he’d do anything to prove his love to her.”

  Noah held his body perfectly still. “Did you know he was planning to kill her parents?”

  Austin stared down at the floor. “No. Dear God…no. He was bad before Claire, he hurt some other girls, seemed to get off on the power rush, but with her, something broke in him.” Then Austin squared his shoulders. His head lifted. His eyes met Noah’s. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

  Noah glanced around the room. “I just see you and me.”

  “In the hotel,” Austin snapped. “If you’re here, then she has to be close. Look, the PI called me and said—”

  Noah jumped on that. “You mean Sloan Hall?”

  “Yes, Hall. He said you and Claire were together. I’m not paying the guy anymore. That was my father’s madness. Let Claire know that she’s free, okay?”

  “Sloan Hall is dead.”

  Austin’s eyes widened.

  “He was shot in the head.”

  A shudder slid over Austin’s body.

  “So I don’t think you have to worry about paying him,” Noah murmured. “I do think you may have to worry about watching your ass.”

  ***

  “Claire, I need a list of your enemies.”

  She’d put a bit more distance between herself and Drake.

  “You moved around jobs quite a bit,” Drake continued as he rubbed his chin. “So maybe you—”

  “I didn’t exactly have an option on the job front. Senator Harrison made sure my past had a way of being brought to the attention of my bosses. If they didn’t fire me immediately, he just exerted a little more…pressure on them.”

  He seemed to absorb that. “Senator Harrison was your enemy.”

  Uh, yes. “Obviously.”

  “Who else?”

  “Et
han was locked away.” She shook her head. “As far as I know, there isn’t anyone else.” No one who hated her enough to kill.

  He started to pace. He headed toward the door that led out onto the balcony. For a moment, he gazed at the city, then he tossed a hard glance back at her. “Come on, tell me the truth. You’ve got lovers that were burned. Maybe one of them is—”

  “Noah.”

  He frowned at her.

  “Noah is my lover. There hasn’t been anyone else. Just Noah…and Ethan.”

  “I’m supposed to believe that? Come on, try again.”

  Claire heaved out a sigh. “It’s the truth. Why would I take a lover when—”

  “When you can’t even usually stand to be touched.” He leaned back against the balcony door. “So why does Noah get the free pass?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “What’s so different about him? Because, sweetheart—”

  She tensed at that endearment. Ethan had always called her that. She hated the word sweetheart.

  “—if you want to talk about a man having a monster inside, Noah is your guy.”

  Now he was trying to scare her away from Noah? “I’m not afraid of him.”

  Silence. Good. Maybe it would last until Noah came—

  “I am,” Drake said.

  Her gaze flew to his face. He looked completely serious.

  “I know what it’s like when a man gets too lost in a woman. When he loses his control.”

  Drake was confused. “Noah isn’t…lost in me.”

  “Noah clings so tightly to his control for a reason. If he breaks, I don’t want to see what happens.”

  ***

  “I’d like to apologize to Claire.”

  Noah didn’t plan to let this guy anywhere near Claire. “I’ll be sure and pass that along to her.”

  Austin’s jaw hardened. “I’m not like them. I want to make this right.”

  “Then walk away from her and never look back.”

  Austin blew out a hard breath. Then he turned and stormed for the door. His hand curled around the knob. His shoulders stiffened. “I think it’s my fault.”

  Noah slowly uncrossed his arms. “What’s your fault?”

  Austin spun back toward him. “Before he died, Ethan said…he told me that I was the one who saw her first. I’d forgotten about that. It was so long ago. Another life.”

  Noah advanced on him.

  “I must’ve made some comment. Said I was going to ask her out. Ethan was always so competitive with me. I said I liked her, so he had to cut me out. He went after her first.” He gave a miserable shake of his head. “I brought Claire to his attention. He wanted to one up me, and he did it—”

  “By taking the girl you wanted.”

  “Ethan hated me.” His hands were shaking. “I realized just how much…at the end.”

  “The dead can’t hate anymore. They can’t do anything.”

  Austin nodded but his shoulders slumped. “I want to tell her myself. Just say how sorry I am.”

  “No.”

  “Look, I—”

  “No one in the Harrison family ever needs to see Claire Kramer again. You say you’re sorry? Then prove it. Stay the hell out of her life. Claire doesn’t need you and she doesn’t need your apologies.”

  Austin’s lips pressed into a thin line.

  Noah stood toe-to-toe with the man. “Claire isn’t your concern anymore.”

  “How do you fit into this?” Austin’s shoulders straightened. “You and Claire are lovers, okay, fine but—”

  “Claire is mine.” That was all that needed to be said. “Now, Harrison, seeing as how your business isn’t in New York, I’d advise you to get out of my town.”

  Austin held his gaze.

  Noah waited. This guy would be leaving town, one way of another.

  Then Austin sighed. “Right. No business in New York, and no one left in Alabama. Maybe it’s time for me to try something new.”

  “Maybe.” Noah yanked open the door. “But stay away from Claire.”

  Austin stepped into the hallway. But he lingered. Lingered. “I guess I had this wrong.”

  He sure as fuck had.

  “If…if someone is after you and Claire—you protect her, got it?”

  A warning, from that jerk?

  “I figure she’s been through enough,” Austin whispered, and then he finally walked away.

  Noah stared after the guy. Yes, she has. It was time for Claire to know more than just blood and death.

  ***

  Noah York would be a problem.

  The man’s guard was up. It wouldn’t be so easy to lure him into another attack.

  And Noah would have men watching Claire. Making sure she didn’t slip away.

  He thinks Claire is his.

  Noah was dead wrong.

  An attack would come again. He just had to be careful. Had to wait and plan. Had to draw out his enemy.

  And I know just how to do it.

  Noah had left loose ends in D.C. Those ends would come back…and bite the guy in the ass.

  Chapter Ten

  “We’re going out tonight,” Noah said as he strode into Claire’s office.

  Claire smoothed her hand over the faint ridge near her hair-line. The stitches had come out yesterday. The doctors had given her the all-clear.

  It had been eight days since the bombing.

  Eight days during which Noah had treated her as if she were going to shatter if he touched her too hard.

  He made love to her each night. Slow, tender sex. His control was always in place. He made sure she came, and then, he found his pleasure.

  He held her during the night.

  And he had a giant wall between them during the day.

  Something had changed. Something was off between them. His stare was too guarded when he looked at her. His voice was too careful.

  His touch was too careful.

  Is he already finished with me? And he just doesn’t know how to tell me? Maybe her time with him was up.

  “There’s a big party tonight in the hotel’s main ballroom—”

  “I know,” Claire told him, slightly annoyed. “I’ve been working on details for it most of the week.” Only he hadn’t exactly been around to see that. The guys from Weston Securities weren’t camped out by Noah’s suite any longer, but Claire still had a guard. Drake was the one who tailed her like a shadow during the day. While Noah—she wasn’t sure where he went.

  Or what he had been doing.

  The party that night was to celebrate the one year anniversary of the opening of the New York branch of York Towers. It was supposed to be an epic event, with all the local power brokers in attendance. Claire had figured she’d be working behind the scenes, and she already had a to-do list that stretched a mile long for—

  “You’ll be my date,” Noah said.

  Her brows climbed. “Thanks for the invitation.” Yes, her voice had bite. Something is so wrong. He was barely looking at her.

  But at her snapped words, his gaze did shoot to her. “I’ll have a dress sent up for you.”

  “You already did that, remember?” Claire pushed to her feet. “The first day. You bought me a whole wardrobe. I don’t need anything else.”

  “You’ll need this.” He turned away. “Head upstairs. It will be there within the hour.”

  What? “Noah, stop.”

  Surprisingly, he did. Noah glanced back at her, and, of course, his gaze was guarded. No expression was on his face. She felt like screaming. Instead, Claire managed to semi-calmly ask, “What’s happening?”

  “We’re getting ready for a party.”

  Her teeth snapped together. “You know what I mean. Things are different between us.” Was it because she’d pushed him to reveal more of his past? Was he trying to shut her out now?

  “Nothing has changed.” He turned back for the door.

  Liar, liar.

  “Are we finished?” The question slipped from her. She’d
more than passed his one night limit, so maybe it was time for her to go and he just didn’t know how to tell her because of the train wreck that was her life. But there’d been no more attacks. No more—

  “No, Claire,” the words were growled and Noah didn’t look back at her, “we’re far from finished.”

  ***