On Sunday, they had got up and spent the day together until they’d had to go to the siblings’ dinner. That day, it had been at Noelle’s house. Her siblings had welcomed Keenan. Although he had never been to the dinner, he was already a part of their circle. Rissa had mentioned to everyone about the fun they’d had bowling. There were already plans in the works for the whole family to go. Some of the more competitive of her siblings and friends had even said they should have teams, with shirts and everything—Keenan was making arrangements for the shirts.
They had spent a lot of time together, so they could reconnect and for Keenan to get to know Rissa. The two of them were already close and she figured it was a matter of time before Rissa asked her about if he would weather the hurricane with them. At the family gathering, Keenan had met her parents and they’d welcomed him. The aunts and uncles had, also, and as she’d introduced him to all the Lockes she’d laughed when he’d mentioned there was no way he could remember all their names.
Keenan touched Rissa’s shoulder and walked back to Julianne. Rissa took a seat on a bench and lifted her book, starting to read. Keenan took Julianne’s hand and led her to the rail of the boardwalk. Once there he let her hand go and looked out at Vinmont Bay as Julianne enjoyed the view quietly by his side.
“Marry me, Julianne.” Keenan’s voice broke the silence.
Julianne glanced at him, shocked. She lowered her gaze and gasped. The pear-shaped diamond ring glittered in the sun. In the centre was a large diamond with smaller cut stones around it and the band was embedded with rubies that went a little down the sides. She raised her face.
“I…”
“Let me weather the hurricane with you and Rissa. Three is stronger than two.”
Julianne glanced at Rissa, then back at him. “You’ve been talking with Rissa.”
“No…why?” Keenan frowned, looking confused.
“No reason,” Julianne said.
“You don’t have to answer me now. I know it might take you time. But when you decide, let me know,” Keenan said.
He closed the lid on the ring.
Julianne snatched the box out of his hand. “I will marry you, Keenan. We’ll weather any hurricane together, as a family. Now put it on me.” She wiggled her fingers.
Keenan took back the box. Opening it, he removed the ring then slid it onto her finger. Julianne cupped his cheek, her hand bearing her new engagement ring. Looking into his light green gaze, she saw her future.
“I love you, Honey Fiancé,” she said.
“I love you, Honey Fiancée.” Keenan smirked.
Julianne laughed and kissed him. Keenan was her future and had her very soul. He was the man who would weather the hurricane with her and Rissa.
Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Blackstone Haven: Power of Attraction
Taige Crenshaw
Excerpt
Chapter One
Fear swamped Wesley McCarty as he looked at the date on the newspaper in disbelief.
January twelfth.
He had lost six months of time and had no idea of what he had done. Swearing viciously, he leant back against the couch. He ran his hand over his head. The last thing he remembered was going to bed early. When he woke he was so relived, hell thankful, he hadn’t dreamed.
Wesley looked down at his hands and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank God, no blood, cuts, or markings. You’re doing okay, Wes.”
Even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. It was just the beginning of summer when he went to sleep yet when he woke there was snow on the ground. He tried to remember what had happened.
Black waves of pain hammered in his head. He swallowed the nausea bubbling in the back of his throat. He breathed rapidly in and out. The feeling passed. After some time, the pain lessened and he could think.
Oh God, what is happening to me? I’m losing my—
Wesley cut off the thought before it could form. No. There is a reasonable explanation. There has to be one.
Wesley sat up and pushed the button for the answering machine on the table next to the couch. As the many messages played, he started to shake. By the last one he knew that one of his vague explanations weren’t going to fix this. His friends who were also his business partners would want an explanation. Besides this one, there were times before that he had disappeared for a few hours, or days, and he had easily explained them away. This last disappearance of so many months would only make them question all the other times he had been gone before. He wasn’t ready to answer any questions. He had no clue himself what was going on.
“What am I going to do?”
He slumped deeper into the couch and closed his eyes while he thought up various explanations for his disappearance. None sounded believable enough for his partners to buy.
With a sigh, he opened his eyes. His gaze landed on the tapestry over the fireplace. The profusion of colours of the scenic mountains, waters, and beautiful landscapes was a backdrop to a woman seemingly in the shadows. He couldn’t make out her features, but still got a sense of her happiness and sultry beauty. Her head was tilting back, and she held her body as if waiting for something. When he had received the piece from his friend Ian McIntyre, the note had said it was called Prophecy. Although it should have seemed like a weird name, it somehow seemed to fit.
He remembered the note had also extended an invitation to come to Blackstone Haven.
With a sense of purpose, he stood. He knew where he was going.
You’re running away. He ignored the voice in his head and continued to look at the tapestry.
The scene called to him.
In a swift motion, he picked up the letter opener from the table, turned, and threw it. It quivered, embedded into the wall behind him.
Shocked, Wesley stared at it. Slowly, he made his way over to it. A feeling of unease swept him as he saw the bug pinned to the wall with the opener. He curled his hand over the handle and tried to pull it out. He couldn’t.
Tugging hard with both hands, he was able to release it. Wesley looked at the letter opener, then at the mark it in the wall.
“What the hell?”
His voice echoed in the emptiness. He glanced around the room that usually gave him comfort. The long, dark brown couches, chairs, and other items he had chosen years ago when he had bought the house seemed to not be the same. The walls were closing in on him.
“I’ve got to get out of here.” Wesley turned quickly and made his way back upstairs.
Three hours later, he was shifting gears in his SUV. The tension in his shoulders and the closed in feeling had eased as he put the city behind him. He patted the head resting against his thigh. A tongue licked his hand.
“Newt, you’re not getting any steak for dinner, no matter how nice you try to act,” Wesley said.
A bark sounded, and he glanced at his copper-red and white Siberian husky, who had sat up beside him. Newton barked again. Her parti-coloured eyes—one brown, the other blue—twinkled with mischief.
“Don’t give me that look.” Wesley returned his attention to the road.
He had swung by Pan’s—one of his business partners—house to get Newton on his way out of town. He was grateful that Pan was out of town, too, or he would never have got away without questions. At least this time, they would know where he was. He had sent them all emails.
Newton barked.
“I’m not a coward. It is better not to talk to them right now,” Wesley defended.
Until he could figure out what was going on, it was best he went somewhere he could think and not have too many questions. He glanced at Newton.
She whined, as if sensing his distress. She curled against his leg and put her foot on his thigh. Newton whined again.
He glanced at her, running his hand over her thick coat. “It’s okay. We’ll figure out what’s happening.”
Wesley glanced back at the road.
A man stepped in front of the car.
“Oh, God.” Shaking, Wesley unhooked his seatbelt.
He glanced at Newton. She barked. His hands pulled open the door and he quickly got out. He ran to the man.
“Are you okay?” Wesley asked as he skidded to a stop beside him. He leaned over to help him, and the man’s hand flashed out.
The man turned to him, mirrored glasses hiding his eyes. His strong jaw and features seemed familiar, as did the long raven hair that shifted around his face as he turned his head and tightened his hold on Wesley’s arm.
Wesley brought up his other hand, but the man blocked it effortlessly. A small, cruel grin curved his lips.
An image of eyes almost translucent grey flashed in Wesley’s mind, and a sting on his arm made him jerk back. The man released his hold. Wesley’s head swam. A growl sounded behind him. He turned. Newton flew across the road towards them. He saw her stumble and fall.
“No!” Wesley screamed.
It came out instead as a weak murmur. He stumbled to Newton, but his knees buckled. Nausea swamped him. Blackness clouded his vision.
The man walked into his line of sight and knelt next to Newton. He ran his hand, seemingly gently, across her fur then looked at Wesley, a malevolent smile on his face. Then darkness swallowed Wesley, and everything went black.
Wesley jerked awake and looked around frantically, his heart pounding. The room he was in was unfamiliar. He swung his legs out of bed, and his foot touched fur. He looked down and saw Newton by the bed. She barked weakly and tried to stand, but couldn’t. Shifting his legs, he got down by her side and searched her for marks. He felt none. She licked his hand then laid her head back on her paws.
Cautiously, he got up and walked to the windows by the door. He stood to one side and looked out. His dark red SUV was parked in front of the door. He tested the door and it opened. Quickly, he stepped outside onto the porch and glanced around.
A little distance away he saw a house. He continued to glance around and realised there were a bunch of them. Confused, he turned and went back inside. A paper on the table caught his attention. Going over to it, he picked it up.
Blackstone Bungalows. Check in February first at 8:15 p.m.
His legs wobbled as he saw the date and his signature on the bottom. Wesley reached for a chair, pulled it out, and sat.
“Three weeks. I’ve lost almost three weeks.” Wesley stopped, considering. “Or have I? What is real? What’s happening to me? I was in my house, and I went for Newton to get out of town. We were driving, then—”
He stopped, trying to remember how he had got here, but couldn’t.
Fear coated his skin, and he breathed rapidly. “Did any of it happen? Is any of this real? It has to be. I’m here. Newton is with me. How did we get here?”
A weak bark grabbed his attention. Newton was dragging herself on the floor towards him. Getting up, he ran to her.
“Newton, what’s wrong with you?” He leaned over her and felt her pulse. It was weak and thready. Her eyes were unfocused. Quickly, he stood, lifting her in his arms. Frantic, he looked around the room for his keys. Spotting them on the table by the bed, he went and grabbed them. Slipping his feet into his loafers, he ran out the door to his car. He put her on the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver’s side and got in.
“Hold on, Newt.” Wesley turned on the car and drove down the road.
He tapped a key in his dash, and his computer slid out from its compartment. Silently, he thanked Pan for insisting they all have their cars outfitted with the special computers so they could work from anywhere. He rapidly punched in a request for the nearest veterinarian. Within seconds, the screen displayed the address with directions.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes, Newt. Hold on.” He touched Newton.
Her breathing was laboured. Wesley pressed down on the gas and roared past the office where a sign read Blackstone Bungalows. In minutes, he spotted what he was looking for. He screeched to a halt and jumped out of the car, going to the passenger side. Picking up Newton, he ran to the door, pushing it open with his hip and continuing inside.
“I need some help!” Wesley called.
He looked around the empty waiting area frantically. Spotting a door, he headed for it.
The door opened, and a woman stepped out. She looked at him, then at Newton. A frown filled her café au lait face, while her amber coloured eyes blazed with anger.
“What have you done to that dog?”
The fierceness of her question made Wesley’s fear increase.
“Please, help me. I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”
“Give her to me,” the woman demanded.
Wesley tightened his grip on Newton. The woman’s eyes narrowed as she sensed he wasn’t letting her go. She held open the door, then gestured.
“Fine. Bring her back here.”
Wesley walked through the door and waited for the woman to pass him. He followed her down a long hallway and into a room. Putting Newton down on the table, he watched her every move closely. The woman quickly hooked Newton up to a machine to monitor her pulse, then took a blood sample.
The woman looked at him. “Wait here while I check this.”
Wesley nodded. The woman left. He leaned over Newton. She opened her eyes and barked weakly. Tears burned Wesley’s eyes.
“I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.” He touched her muzzle.
Newton butted his hand and licked his arm. Wesley hugged her. Newton sighed and snuggled into him. He listened to her breathing as she slept. A sound made him look back.
The woman stood in the doorway looking at him. “It’s as I suspected. Your dog has been drugged.”
“Drugged?”
“Drugged. Now we need to know, Mr McCarty, is how.”
The fierce tone she used captured his attention. Then it registered what she had said.
Wesley stood slowly. “How do you know my name?”
The woman arched an eyebrow at his question. Wesley moved subtly and waited to see what she would do.
“We knew the moment you arrived in Blackstone, Mr McCarty.”
Wesley tensed at her statement.
The woman continued. “Besides, my sister owns Blackstone Bungalows.”
Wesley tried to remember how they had ended up there. Nothing came to him. He didn’t even remember checking in.
“My sister mentioned that your dog looked sick. I was on my way to check on her.”
“Why would you come to check on my dog? You don’t even know me.” Wesley frowned.
“All animals in these parts are my responsibility.” The woman got an unfathomable look on her face.
Wesley didn’t understand what was going on.
The woman put out her hand. “I’m Dr Grayson.”
Wesley took her hand and shook it. A weird look came over her face, then was gone. He blinked, wondering if he imagined it.
Dr Grayson walked over to Newton and hung the bag she held. Wesley hadn’t seen it in her hand. A feeling of unease filled him as he watched the doctor.
“What’s that?”
“Saline to help flush the chemicals out of her system. There is nothing else we can do. She’ll have to sleep it off. How did she get drugged, Mr McCarty?”
She slipped in the question so easily, Wesley answered automatically.
“I don’t know. I don’t even kn—” He cut himself off, realising what he had almost said.
“You ‘don’t even know’ what?” Dr Grayson turned and looked at him, her eyes intense.
Wesley tried to pull himself out of her compelling gaze.
Dr. Grayson gasped, then stumbled back.
Wesley reached for her.
She put up a shaking hand and waved away his help. “I’m fine. Focus on Newton.”
Newton barked and he looked at her. He glanced up and saw Dr Grayson was gone
.
“Let that run for a few hours then you can take Newton and go.” Dr Grayson said.
He looked at the door and saw her standing there watching him. Wesley narrowed his eyes. “That’s it? What kind of vet are you? You don’t even know if I was the one who hurt her, and you’re letting me take her.”
“You’re not the one who drugged her.” Dr Grayson got the same fathomless look on her face then turned to leave.
“How do you know that?” Wesley took a step towards her.
She turned, a serene look on her face, and gestured at Newton. “She would have told me.” Her face went cold. “And if you had been the one, then you would answer to me.”
Speechless, Wesley watched her leave. Newton barked, and he went over to her. He patted her and looked at the empty doorway.
“She’s one spooky lady.”
Newton barked in agreement.
Wesley glanced at her and frowned. “Am I losing my mind? What’s happening to me?” There was anguish in his tone.
Newton licked his hand and whined.
Wesley gripped her fur. “First we take care of you. Then we head over to Ian’s.”
He pulled his chair closer and watched her.
Newton watched him in return.
“Let her sleep it off and she should be fine.”
Wesley looked at the nurse who had unhooked Newton and brought him the bill for her care. She smiled at him.
“Where’s Dr Grayson?”
Surprise filled her eyes, and she replied, “She was called away on a case.”
Wesley frowned. Her statement seemed false.
The nurse patted Newton and left.
He picked up Newton and walked down the hall where the nurse held the door open for him. “Thanks.” Wesley mumbled as he went out.
“You’re welcome, Mr McCarty, and welcome to Blackstone Haven. We hope you enjoy your stay,” the nurse replied.
Hurricane Page 18
