by Ciana Stone
Windwalker returned home with his infant son and set about caring for his two children and trying to start a new life. He began to see a woman who lived nearby and soon they grew close.
Out of the blue, Morgana showed up one afternoon at Windwalker's home, and found him with the woman. She flew into a rage and stabbed them both to death. When Morgan got home from school, she found her father lying in a pool of blood in his bed with a naked woman. Her mother sat beside them stabbing the mattress over and over with a blood encrusted knife.
Morgana was never the same after that. They placed her in a special institution for the criminally insane and she lived there for almost ten years. During those years someone who was never identified visited her, and she became pregnant. She gave birth to a baby girl who was given to Morgana's parents to raise. They named the child Syrena Narcissa Masters.
One morning Morgana was found dead in her room with her wrists slashed. Morgan remembered being at the funeral with her brother. It was there she saw her half-sister for the first time. Syrena looked like a miniature replica of Morgana; the same red hair and green eyes. She could remember being jealous of the beautiful child. Yet she also could remember the whispers and gossip about her mother and the speculation whether the insanity would be passed down to Morgana's children.
Morgan forced the memories from her mind. No! She held her head tightly. I’m not like her and I’m not losing my mind! There has to be a rational and logical explanation for all this. I just haven't discovered it yet.
The bedroom door opened and interrupted her fears. Victor walked in, already dressed. A burly blond man followed behind him bearing a tray laden with coffee and pastries.
"Good morning," Victor leaned over and kissed her on the cheek then sat on the side of the bed. "Are you hungry?"
Morgan tucked the sheet firmly around herself as the blond man set the tray on the nightstand beside her. With a bow of his head, he left them alone.
Victor leaned over and kissed her again. "Did you sleep well?"
Morgan looked at him in total astonishment. He acted as if nothing at all out of the ordinary had happened; as if they had simply spent a quiet evening at home.
"Victor," she said, then cleared her throat. "About last night…"
"Yes, " he reached out and ran his hand down her arm. "Exhilarating, wasn't it?" He said with a suggestive smile.
In utter exasperation she fell back on the bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. Finally, she looked up at him and propped up on her elbows. "Exhilarating?" she sputtered.
"Totally," he said, taking hold of the sheet and pulling it back to uncover her. "You were magnificent."
Morgan bounded from the bed before he touched her and headed for the bathroom. "I need to take a shower," she said just before she closed and locked the door.
She turned on the water, stepped into the shower and turned her face up into the spray which, at first was chilling but quickly warmed. With her hands on the tile wall in front of her she leaned into the spray and let the warmth work its way into her tense muscles.
Victor's voice unexpectedly sounded quite clearly in her mind, almost making her faint in shock. I'm waiting for you, Morgan.
"Damn!" Her voice bounced off the walls of the tiled enclosure, sounding shrill and frightened to her own ears. Maybe I am going crazy.
Chapter Two
Cotton Creek, Texas
Morgan cut a look at Victor as she turned onto the road leading to her house. "It really wasn't necessary for you to come with me." She wondered why he’d been so insistent on it.
He smiled and caressed her leg. "I have to go out of town soon and will be away for several weeks. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before I leave."
"Oh!" The answer surprised her. "Well, that's sweet." After last night, she wasn't sure she wanted to get in any deeper with Victor. Typically, he was charming, considerate, and solicitous. But last night he’d been like another person altogether–violent, possessive and more than a little frightening.
She pulled to the side of the road, stopped beside a mailbox and reached in to gather up a stack of envelopes. After piling them in her lap, she proceeded on through the gate and to the house.
Victor followed her inside and took a seat on the sofa in the family room as she continued into the kitchen. Morgan tossed the mail on the bar, kicked off her shoes and sorted through the envelopes. Victor reclined back and closed his eyes with a smile on his face as he waited for her.
A few moments later he heard a soft cry. He walked into the kitchen where Morgan stood like someone who'd suddenly been turned to stone. An opened envelope lay on the bar before her. Beside it were scattered photographs. She held one photo pinched so tightly in her fingers; it was bent.
"Morgan?" He stopped on the opposite side of the bar. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"
She slowly turned her attention from the photo to him. Tears flowed down her face, which had lost its color, making her appear drained of blood. Silently, she handed the picture to him.
Victor looked at it. Sitting close, with his arm wrapped around her, Cord and Cassie smiled out of the picture. On the back side was scrawled, "Love, Cassie."
"Where did this come from?" He picked up the envelope to read the postmark. "Cancun, Mexico," he looked back at Morgan.
The horrible truth was crashing down around her. Blind to everything except the terrible anguish that made her feel as if her heart would burst, she wasn’t even aware of his words. All the hopes she’d secretly harbored that Cord would come back to her were dashed – smashed all to hell.
It's true. He's really gone. No dream, no mistake. I've lost him.
As if her brain could no longer cope with the despair and heartbreak, she shut down, with each beat of her heart, becoming more devoid of life and hope. Within a matter of moments her mind went blank, unable to deal with anything more.
Victor saw the empty look that came across her face. Her eyes unfocused as if she had lost her sight. "Morgan?" He reached over and shook her shoulder. "Morgan?"
He received no response and slapped her lightly on the side of the face, trying to snap her out of it. "Morgan? Listen. You can’t let this thing destroy you. Snap out of it. Can you hear me? Morgan?"
A bolt of panic shot through him. She was unresponsive. Her face was pale and devoid of expression and her eyes were blank and wide. Victor rushed around the bar, grabbed her and turned her towards him. He shook her roughly and called to her. "Morgan, listen. You have to hear me!"
Her body jerked back and forth as he shook her, like a rag doll in his grip, , her hair flying around her and falling over her face. Victor had no idea the photo would affect her this way. He had to think of a way to bring her back.
The first night he was here he spotted a picture of Cord and their son, sitting together outside on the deck. As soon as his eyes fell on the small framed photo, the idea popped into his mind and he'd taken it.
He gave the photo, along with a shot of Cassie, to his people with directions to compose the picture Morgan just saw. They’d done a superb job, making it appear as though the happy couple was on holiday in some tropical locale. Even the background looked authentic.
What he's never expected was Morgan's reaction. She was almost in a state of catatonia. Not knowing what else to do, he swept her up in his arms and ran to the nearest bathroom.
After sitting her on the edge of the tub, he quickly undressed and reached in to turn the shower on cold. He then pulled her to her feet and stripped off her clothes. She stood unmoving, as if unaware of what was going on.
Victor picked her up and stepped into the cold spray. Shivers ran down his body as the icy water poured down on them. Holding Morgan with her back against him, he turned her face up into the cold spray. "Come on Morgan," he whispered frantically, "Come on, snap out of it!"
For what seemed like forever he held her unresisting body beneath the downpour, both of their bodies being drained of heat. Shivering wi
th the cold and the fear that he was going to lose something he'd waited so long to have, Victor endured the cold, talking to her and trying to get a response.
A violent shudder suddenly wracked her body, and she gasped like someone drowning. Victor spun her around to face him and cupped her face in his hands. Her eyes were wide and there was a wild expression on her face.
She blinked her eyes then clenched them shut and screamed like she was being tortured. The sound reverberated off of the tiled walls and pierced his ears as he held on to her rigid body.
For a small eternity he held her as she screamed over and over until at last her voice failed and her energy depleted. She slumped against him as her legs gave way beneath her. Victor supported her, pulling her close against his chest. He could feel the rapid pounding of her heart against him.
He turned off the water, lifted her in his arms and stepped out of the shower. Heedless of the water that dripped from them, he carried her into the adjoining bedroom, sat her on the edge of the bed and wrapped the thick comforter around her. Victor ignored the coldness of his own skin, knelt in front of her and looked into her eyes.
"Morgan," he whispered, searching her face for a sign she could hear him. "Morgan, please. Can you hear me? It's Victor. Please come back, I don't want to lose you. I need you. Can you hear me?"
From what seemed like worlds away, Morgan heard someone call her name. The voice said it needed her, wanted her. Part of her felt the pull of the voice, urging her to move toward it. Another part wanted nothing more than to stay safe within the protective numbness that enveloped her.
But the voice was persistent, touching that part of her that desperately needed someone to care, someone to want her. She reached for the source of the voice and rose out of the darkness.
Her eyes focused slowly, and Victor's face swam into view. Fear and worry furrowed his brow as he knelt before her, his eyes filled with concern and caring. She heard his voice in her mind, knowing his lips never moved.
Morgan, please come back to me.
"Victor," she said in a whisper.
"Oh, Morgan, thank all the gods!" He sprang onto the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I thought I'd lost you."
She lay her head on his broad shoulder and closed her eyes. Now she saw Victor in an entirely new light. He really cares, she realized, and that thought somehow made her feel a little less empty.
She pulled away and looked up into his eyes.
Two Days Later
Cotton Creek Texas
"Okay, I guess that's everything. Just make sure you call the supplier today. We’ll need the order by Friday." Morgan rubbed her temples as her assistant left. "Thanks, Sandy." she added just before the door closed.
Once alone, she picked up the phone and dialed from memory. "Hello," she said as soon as someone answered the call. "This is Morgan–"
The operator at the hotel in Odessa interrupted her, "Hello, Mrs. Alexander. Neither your husband nor your son is in the hotel. I have all of your messages and will relay them if I see them."
"Oh!" Morgan realized the people manning the phones were probably sick of her calling, as was the rest of the hotel staff, whom she’d aggravated with her continuous calls. "Well, thank you," she said and hung up. What's going on down there? Where's Trevor and why hasn't he called?
She was lost in thought when Sandy buzzed her. Absently, she picked up the phone. "Mrs. Alexander," Sandy's voice was excited. "There's a man here to see you!"
"Who is it now?" Morgan didn’t think she could face going through another round with Stork or any of the numerous federal agents who’d questioned her lately.
"I don't know. Hold on and I'll find out." Morgan could hear her over the phone, "Sir? Could you give me your name? Sir?"
A sound like the phone receiver hitting the floor banged in Morgan's ear. A moment later Sandy burst through the door. "He just left. I was asking his name, and he just walked out!"
"What's going on around here?" Morgan walked to the door of her office and looked out. Sandy's office was empty. She crossed through the empty room and walked down the hall to the storage and exam rooms, even into the small kitchen. Aside from two interns there was no one else there.
"I wonder who he is?" Sandy asked as she followed Morgan around. "You should've seen him. He looked like a movie star or something. I hope we find him. I hope he's single."
Morgan went to the door and looked outside. Sam and a couple of the ranch hands were standing there. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Beats the heck outta me,” Sam replied. “Some fancy dude and a fast car.”
Morgan walked outside. There stood Victor, leaning against the side of a very shiny sports car. What kind, she had no clue.
She pushed the door open and walked outside. Sandy and her two interns followed.
"Victor. What are you doing here? I didn't know you were back."
Victor tossed something up in the air and grinned at her. Morgan caught the object. "What's this?" she looked up from a key fob in her hand.
"A present," he indicated the car.
A collective gasp followed, along with a lot of whispering from the people behind her. "What? Victor, are you kidding?"
"Not at all. A beautiful woman should have a beautiful car to drive, not that worn-out old jeep you have."
"Hey, I like my jeep."
"You'll like this better," he crossed his arms and leaned back against the car with a big smile on his face.
“I don’t even know what it is.”
“A McLaren Speedtail,” one of the ranch hands said.
“Oh?” Morgan looked back at him. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a limited-production hybrid sports car. Pricey as hell. Like two million or something.”
"Are you serious?" She looked at Victor and held out the key to him. "I can't accept this!"
He shrugged, straightened up and reached out as if to take the key from her. But instead he grabbed her arm, pulled her to him and lifted her up. Victor swung her around, laughing. "Of course, you can accept it. It's yours."
Morgan wiggled around, trying to get free. "But Victor," she protested as he finally let her feet touch the ground again. "This is a very expensive car. It's not the kind of thing you give someone like a box of candy. And not only that–"
He silenced her with a kiss. The whispers from the crowd behind them made Morgan increasingly uncomfortable. She felt the eyes of everyone on her as Victor released her. "Damn!" she grumbled and put her hands on her hips. "Now look what you've gotten me into. They'll never shut up about this."
"No problem, fair lady." He took her arm and pulled her over to the sports car.
“What are you doing?”
“You mean we.”
“Okay, so what are we doing?”
"We’re off to have fun," he said as he opened the driver's door. "Would you like to drive?"
Morgan shook her head. There was no predicting Victor. "No," she said, then got into the passenger’s seat. "I'll let you get the ticket."
With a laugh he got into the driver's seat, started the car and they roared out of the parking lot.
Cotton Creek, Texas
Morgan unlocked the front door and let herself in. She almost hated coming home anymore, the house was so empty, yet so full of memories. It made her feel guilty to dread being there. At least she had her home back. Thanks to Victor. She didn’t know how he'd managed it, but despite threats, it was one of the few things the government hadn’t taken from her.
The government froze everything else or had it tied up in some kind of legal limbo. She was lucky to have been able to sell off cattle and close out savings accounts so she could keep the ranch and her clinic running.
She tossed her keys on a table by the door and headed for the phone, eager to find out if Trevor had left a message. She still hadn't heard from him and was really getting worried. He’d been gone a long time.
The only message was from Cabl
e, wanting to know if there was any word on Cord or Trevor. Morgan hung up the phone, not wanting to return the call right now. She still had nothing to report and every time she talked to Cable, they both just seemed to upset each other more with their fears.
She wished Cable had been able to come home for a while before going back to New York. But as luck would have it, she hadn’t been able to get a flight out soon enough. She'd been fortunate to get back only one day late for her summer job as it was, the airlines had been so backlogged.
Maybe I shouldn't have told her about Cord running off with another woman, Morgan told herself. Even though she's a grown woman, she's still Daddy's girl. She hated telling Cable, but she’d beaten around the bush for weeks hoping that something would change, and she'd never have to tell her.
When nothing changed, she flew to New York and spent a few days with Cable to explain everything.
Morgan checked her watch and realized she had a couple of hours before Victor was due. Time enough for a short workout before I get ready, she decided and headed for the stairs.
Just then she heard a noise behind her. Whirling around, she braced for an attack from whoever was there.
"Hi, Mom," Trevor rubbed his eyes, looking like he'd just crawled out of bed.
"Trevor!" She flew across the room and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're home. I've been so worried." She felt his body suddenly tense.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she pulled back to look at him.
Trevor averted his eyes, "Got anything to eat? I'm starving." He headed for the kitchen.
Morgan followed and leaned against the kitchen counter as he rumbled through the refrigerator.
"When did you get home?" she finally asked to break the silence.
"Around one this afternoon." He turned with arms laded. "I would've called, but I was tired, so I just crashed."
She knew something troubled Trevor and he was finding it hard to talk about. So, she backed off and didn't pressure. Morgan took a seat at the table and waited as he made himself a couple of sandwiches.
