by Sharon Sala
“Yes.”
Royal stared at his brother for a long, silent moment, and when he finally spoke, there was conviction in his voice.
“You fell in love with her, didn’t you?”
Roman didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. Royal could see it in his eyes.
“My God! I didn’t think there was a woman alive, other than my daughter, who could bring Roman Justice to his knees.”
“Shut up, Royal. There’s nothing funny about any of this.”
And then Royal remembered she’d been eloping with one of the men on the plane.
“Oh, hell, the fiancé.”
Roman looked away.
“Damn, I’m sorry, Roman. I suppose when she regains her memory, they’ll—”
Everything he’d been worrying about suddenly came to a head. “I’m going after her,” Roman said.
Royal looked startled. “But I thought you said—”
“I know what I said,” Roman muttered. “And I know what I told her when I sent her away. I told her it was for her own good, and that she needed to remember everything before she could make a decision about something this important.”
Royal frowned. “Are you saying that she fell in love with you, too?”
“Yes. And I sent her back to someone else without a fight.”
“So, what are you going to do first?”
“Put Maddie to bed and then catch the next plane to Las Vegays.”
Chapter 12
It was fifteen minutes after 10:00 p.m. For Holly, the day had passed in snail-paced increments with everything moving toward a single, important conclusion—waiting for Roman’s call.
She’d endured the entire day, including meals, with Gordon Mallory hovering over her every move, and every minute spent in his company made her increasingly nervous. If he looked at her, she found herself looking away. If he spoke, the very sound of his voice grated. And if he so much as reached in her direction, she had an instinctive urge to pull back. Whatever had been between them before hadn’t been good, no matter what she’d been told. Just because she couldn’t remember didn’t make her stupid. Subconsciously, she knew she must be protecting herself.
Eventually, Holly had made her excuses and escaped to her room. And now, she was waiting. She’d had a bath. She’d washed her hair. She’d done her nails. She’d even suffered a small spurt of feeling sorry for herself and cried. None of which had produced the desired result. No phone call. No Roman.
She kept telling herself that, in his line of work, anything could have happened. He might have been called out on an important case. And she had to admit that he also might have changed his mind. While her heart wouldn’t let her believe that he was an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of man, there was no escaping the fact that she’d known him less than a week.
Put in that perspective, the feelings she had for him could have seemed ludicrous. No one falls in love within a period of days, never mind falling into bed with a stranger. But she had done both and would do it again in a heartbeat.
She glanced at the clock, then rolled over on her bed and closed her eyes, making a bet with herself. It was twenty-two minutes after ten. He will call before eleven. It was a silly game, but it was a way to get through the next thirty-some minutes without going crazy.
Seconds later, she heard the faint, but unmistakable sound of the front doorbell. It seemed very late to be receiving visitors, but without any memory of her father’s habits, she had no way of knowing if this was out of character for the household.
She reached for the blue silk robe draped over the end of the bed as she got up. It wasn’t as if she would be expected to appear, but just in case...
Moments later, she heard voices, and much louder than they should have been. Curious, she opened the door and stepped out into the hall. And in that moment, she heard the familiar sound of a beloved voice.
Sweet music to her ears! Roman was here!
Forgetting that she was in her nightclothes, she bolted for the stairs.
Davis Benton was in a state of disbelief. Roman Justice had appeared on his doorstep and all but pushed his way inside. Angry with being disturbed, he had half a mind to call the police.
“Look, Mr. Justice, at any other time, I would be more than happy to receive you as a guest, but this is ridiculous. Do you know what time it is?”
“Couldn’t get an earlier flight,” Roman said, setting his bag on the floor at his feet. “And I’m not going to bed until I see Holly.”
“Go to a hotel, get some sleep, come back tomorrow,” Davis said. “She’s already in bed.”
Like Holly, Gordon Mallory had become curious and was halfway down the stairs when he heard Holly’s name being mentioned.
“What’s going on out here?” he demanded.
Davis turned. “Gordon, I’m sorry you were disturbed. Go back to bed. I’ll deal with this.”
But it was more than curiosity that made Gordon stay where he was. The stranger was looking at him in a judgmental manner, and like a herd bull sensing his territory was about to be invaded, he took the man’s measure—and instant offense.
Although the man seemed ordinary enough, in Gordon’s opinion, his style of dress left plenty to be desired. His clothing was entirely Western. Although he was wearing slacks, his white, long-sleeved shirt and Western-style sport coat seemed a bit too much. Added to that were black boots and a wide-brimmed gray Stetson. And then his attention moved from what the stranger was wearing to the man himself, and Gordon found himself wanting to bolt. He knows! But he took a deep breath, reminding himself there was no way he could know. No one but Holly knew and she couldn’t—
A sudden burst of panic made his belly knot. Dear God, what if this had all been a ruse? What if Holly didn’t have amnesia? What if they had planned this all along just to get him and Billy in a vulnerable position? What if...? He shuddered and grabbed hold of the railing for support. Get a grip, he reminded himself. Don’t quit when you’re still in the game.
Roman’s attention was completely focused on the man on the stairs. This is the man she was going to marry? Granted, by present-day standards, the man was good-looking enough. A thick head of brown, wavy hair, large eyes and a trim physique. But there was something about him—a weakness about the chin and a reluctance to meet one’s gaze straight on—that made Roman doubt. His eyes narrowed, his face becoming blank. Right now, Mallory was wearing a smug expression, but Roman couldn’t help wondering how Gordon would have looked if he’d come in with the bag of money.
And then he heard Holly’s voice and forgot about everything except her.
“Roman! You came!”
Davis turned and then groaned beneath his breath as Holly came flying down the stairs. From the look on his daughter’s face, this mess was just beginning.
When she called out his name, Roman knew he’d been right to come. This woman was worth the fight and then some. He walked past Davis and headed toward the stairs.
Unprepared for Holly’s sudden appearance, Gordon saw her run past him before he could stop her. When she threw herself into the stranger’s arms, his stomach began to knot. This was worse than he’d thought. This man was obviously more than a stranger to Holly, and he was a threat to Gordon’s plan. Now what should he do?
Holly leaped from the bottom step into Roman’s arms.
“I thought you were going to call,” she said, and threw her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the floor. Completely oblivious to the fact that she had an audience, she began hugging him, over and over.
Once he had her in his arms, every knot in Roman’s body began to unwind. “I came to tell you that you were right,” he said, and kissed the side of her cheek.
“Right about what?” Holly said.
“I shouldn’t have let you go the way I did..”
Her spirit soared. “So, are you saying—?”
Roman silenced her with a look, and then turned, still holding her in an embrace. His voice was str
ong and unwavering, his gaze clear and focused as he stared Davis Benton straight in the face.
“I came to tell your father something, too.”
But Davis was in no mood for revelations. This type of behavior was unseemly, and completely out of character for the way he believed a daughter of his should behave.
“Now, see here, Holly,” Davis cried. “This is extremely inconsiderate behavior in front of your fiancé. Have you no shame?”
“I keep telling you,” she said. “I don’t have a fiancé. I was never engaged. I was not eloping with that man, I just know it.”
Roman’s arms were around Holly, but his gaze never left Davis’s face. “When you came to get her, she begged me not to let her go. I’ve been sorry ever since. I made a mistake. I came to fix it. Plain and simple.”
Davis was floored. “Look here, Justice. Caveman tactics went out with woolly mammoths. People in our class don’t behave in such a bohemian manner.”
Anger settled deep in Roman’s heart as his expression stilled. His voice was low and steady, but there was no mistaking his meaning.
“I don’t come from class. I come from Texas. Down there, we fight for what’s right, and right now, I’m the only familiar thing in your daughter’s life.” Then he looked at Gordon, waiting for him to argue.
Gordon was speechless. The truth be known, that damned Texan could have her. All he wanted was his money. But it was painfully obvious that all eyes were suddenly on him, waiting to see what he had to say about this. And to keep himself on the good side of safe, he knew he had to at least make a fuss. So he came down the stairs, hoping for the right tone of shock in his voice.
“Holly, darling, how can you do this? After all we meant to each other?”
Roman didn’t give her time to answer. “You know something, Mallory, I’m beginning to believe Holly was right about you all along.”
A fresh spurt of panic shot straight to Gordon’s heart.
“Right about what?” he muttered.
“That you two were not about to get married after all. If this situation was reversed, and some man had just interrupted my world and tried to take my woman out from under my nose, I would have punched his face. Then I would have taken said woman—and myself—into a room and locked the door. And I would have made damned sure I had changed her sweet mind before I let her back out.”
Gordon began to sputter. “All men aren’t like you. Some of us are sensitive.”
Holly wanted to laugh at what Gordon just said, and she looked at him, her voice rich with indignation.
“You, sensitive? Really, Gordon. I saw you run over a dog without even looking back. To you, sensitive is a four-letter—”
When she stopped in midsentence, it dawned on them what had happened. Once again, a truth had come out when she least expected.
“Well,” Holly said. “I believe I’ve done it again.”
Gordon pivoted and stalked upstairs without looking back. Davis threw up his hands and gave his daughter a long, hard look.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Davis said.
“I told you, Daddy. Trust me.”
“You’re flying by the seat of your pants,” he muttered.
Roman felt it was time to finish what he’d come to say.
“Please, Mr. Benton, hear me out.”
Davis shifted his glare from Holly to the man who held her.
“What more could you possibly have to say that you haven’t already said?” he asked.
“I mean no disrespect, but your daughter is too important to me to just give her up without a fight. I’ve never backed down from anything in my life, and I’m not about to start now.” Then Roman took a deep breath and looked at Holly. “But I take nothing for granted until she remembers who she is. I can’t lay claim to a woman who doesn’t remember her own existence. However... making her wait this out on her own wasn’t fair.”
Holly’s heart began to pound, and her eyes began to burn. “So what you’re saying is you came because you feel sorry for me? I don’t need sympathy. There’s too much in this house already. What I need is some faith. I need someone...anyone...to believe what I do know!”
“And what would that be?” Davis asked.
Holly wanted to scream, but she stifled the urge, speaking instead in shaky and uneven tones.
“That I might not remember being Davis Benton’s daughter, but I know who I am. I would not many a man like Gordon Mallory.” Then she pinned Roman with a piercing stare. “Unlike you, I don’t have to wait for revelations and rainbows to know what’s in my heart. However, I’m glad you’re here.”
Roman took a deep breath. “So am I.”
She closed her eyes and leaned against his strength, gladly sharing the burden of her load.
Davis Benton hadn’t become rich by being weak or indecisive, and he appreciated strength, both of body and character, in others, as well. He hated to admit it, but the man intrigued him in a way Mallory did not.
Davis glanced at Holly and then shrugged. “As she reminded me earlier, it’s not up to me. This is Holly’s decision. But I would ask you to give her some space. Don’t pressure her into any decisions she’s not ready to make.”
Roman nodded. “Fair enough,” he said, and held out his hand. Davis shook it.
Holly hugged her father, and then started to pick up Roman’s bag.
“Holly, darling, what on earth are you doing?” Davis asked.
“Roman is staying here, of course.”
“But—”
The smile on her face turned to ice. “Since you invited the Mallorys—people I don’t even remember—I’m sure you won’t mind Roman being here. At this point, he is the only person I do know.”
Davis turned red with embarrassment. He had bullied her into accepting the Mallory brothers’ presence. Put like that, he had no option but to accept with grace.
“Of course,” he said quickly. “I was just thinking of the propriety of the situation.”
“I fail to see the connection,” she said. “I’m not in love with Gordon.”
“But you were,” Davis spluttered.
She shook her head. “It was Gordon who put that thought in your head. You told me you were surprised we were eloping. Why are you so dead set on believing a man you hardly knew?”
Davis threw up his hands. “I’m going to bed. Mr. Justice, I wish you a good night’s sleep.” He started up the stairs, muttering more to himself than to Roman, “And you’re probably the only one who’s going to get it.”
Gordon was worried. Not only had that damned Texan just yanked his reason for being in the Benton mansion out from under his nose, but he’d been unable to regain favored status and he knew it.
Instead of going to bed, he headed for Billy’s room. He didn’t consider the fact that Billy was probably asleep, or that he needed his rest. There was a kink in the plan that he’d made. Billy needed to know—just in case.
He burst into the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Billy woke with a jerk and then groaned from the motion. Blinking sleepily, he looked up.
“Gordon? What’s going on? What time is it, anyway?”
Gordon began to pace. “It’s time to worry,” he said. “That’s what time it is.”
Billy yawned. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for days.”
Gordon frowned. “Shut up,” he muttered. “I’m trying to think.”
“That’s what keeps getting us into trouble,” Billy said. “Look, why don’t we just move out tomorrow? We can get a place of our own and as soon as I’m able to travel, we could—”
“Get a place with what?” Gordon growled. “Thanks to you, we don’t have any money.”
“And thanks to you, I’m an accessory to a murder. Carl Julian is dead because of us,” Billy muttered. “Besides, what about the ten thousand we left in the bank?”
Gordon ignored the reference to the money in the bank. Ten thousand was peanuts compared to the million he’d lost.
“Shut up. Shut up. I don’t want to hear Carl Julian’s name mentioned again.”
“You could try getting a job,” Billy said.
Gordon laughed, but it was a heartless sound, completely devoid of mirth.
“Doing what? I know how to run a scam, pick locks and cover my tracks. The openings for good con artists are few. I dare say my chances for employment would be better flipping burgers at a fast-food restaurant.”
“At least it would be honest,” Billy said.
Gordon’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Since when have you grown a conscience?”
“Since I saw you cut a man’s throat.”
Gordon blanched. Even he had succumbed to a moment of weakness afterward. But it had happened so fast. One minute they were on their way to financial security, and the next moment Carl Julian had caught them in the act. Even after Julian had promised not to tell, Gordon had reacted without thought, cutting off Julian’s pleas with the man’s own letter opener. It had been easier than he might have thought, and they’d escaped without further detection. At least they had until Holly Benton had overheard their argument on the plane.
Gordon combed his hands through his hair in a gesture of frustration.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve still got a few friends here in the city. All I need is something to make Holly talk.” When he saw the look on Billy’s face, he quickly added, “Nothing that will hurt her. Just something to make her spill her guts.”
Billy glared. “You mess with her again, and I’ll tell everything I know. I’d rather go to jail than go to hell later on.”
Shock spread on Gordon’s face. “Since when did you get religion?”
“Since I woke up from the crash and found myself alive.”
Gordon was stunned. He’d never heard his brother speak with such conviction. Now he was faced with the choice of doing what he wanted and leaving Billy behind when he ran, or changing his plans again. But he couldn’t get past the lessons of his childhood. Take care of your little brother. Don’t let Billy get hurt. Watch out for Billy wherever you go.
