A Touch of the Beast
Page 21
Under the covers, with the lights burning all around them, they held on to each other. “Works for me,” Sheryl said as she skimmed her hand along Hawk’s side. “I don’t know if I want to live with a man who can read my mind. A woman has to have her secrets, you know.”
“Maybe I just imagined it,” he said again. “If it was real, maybe it will only happen when emotions are cranked up or when I’m inside you. There’s only one way to find out.”
“How’s that?” she asked as he rolled atop her and spread her thighs gently.
“Years of experimentation.”
“So now I’m a lab rat,” she teased.
He took a nipple into his mouth and drew it deep, while he stroked her intimately.
“A very happy lab rat,” she whispered as she tangled her fingers in his hair.
The FBI agent Sheryl had been expecting arrived on Thursday morning. Finding Sheryl’s house in ruins, he’d gone directly to the police station. Chief Nichols had directed Agent Brooks to the hotel. Considering the nature of their conversation, they decided to meet in the room Hawk and Sheryl had shared last night.
Hawk paced while Agent Liam Brooks told him a tale he didn’t want to believe.
But his gut instincts told him every word was the truth.
Benedict Payne, Hawk’s legal father and the man who had murdered his wife—Hawk’s mother—had fled from the scene of his crime and disappeared. In recent years he had been connected with an international criminal, a ruthless man who was into drugs and smuggling.
Hawk and Cassie’s other triplet was a man named Darian, and he had gifts of his own. Their older siblings, another set of triplets, were accounted for, alive and well. If he’d had the time to read the entire file he’d found at the farmhouse before it had been stolen, maybe he would have discovered some of these secrets on his own.
Liam Brooks was actually, if this tale were true, Hawk’s brother-in-law, having married one of the older triplets, Danielle.
Hawk told Brooks what he’d found during his time in Wyatt, and of course the FBI agent was very interested in the contents of the file. Until Hawk told him that it had been stolen.
He and Sheryl had never actually compared detailed notes. Hawk had assumed the man who shot Baby was the same one who’d pretended to be a building inspector. But apparently that was not the case. The man who’d shot Baby had silver hair and had looked to be in his fifties, at the very least. Sheryl described the so-called building inspector as a man around thirty. When she mentioned the long black hair and earring, Brooks had actually smiled.
The ponytailed man who had pretended to be Tony Carpenter was actually one of the older triplets, Anthony Caldwell.
Overnight, Hawk had gone to being one of two children to being one of six.
Hawk told the FBI agent about the encounter with Ricky Driggs, trying to remember every word the man had said. At the mention of the name Titan, Brooks had gone very still. His anger was deep, his dedication was fierce. Hawk could almost feel sorry for Titan. Almost. The man who’d shot Baby would get his comeuppance, once Brooks caught up with him. If Hawk didn’t find him first.
Brooks showed Hawk an old photograph, and though the hair color was different and the man was thinner and younger, Hawk recognized him.
“That’s Titan.”
“No,” Brooks said. “This man is Benedict Payne.”
Hawk returned the photo to the FBI agent. “Sorry, but you’re wrong. Ricky Driggs said Titan shot my dog. This is the man who pulled the trigger. I saw him. Trust me, this isn’t a face I’m going to forget.”
For a moment Brooks was still and quiet as he digested the information. “They’re the same man,” he said softly. And then he said a few words not fit for Sheryl’s ears. Bruce would be impressed.
Hawk held off telling Brooks about Cassie’s episodes as long as he could, but since Brooks had told Hawk about the gifts the others had, it seemed like the thing to do. When the FBI agent heard about Cassie’s flashes of precognition, he got very excited. And concerned.
“You have to call Cassie and warn her that she’s in danger,” Brooks said. “Is there a safe place she can hide out until we get there?”
The warning made the back of Hawk’s neck prickle. “What makes you think Payne or Titan or whoever he is can find her so quickly?”
“Trust me,” the man said sourly. “He’ll find her.”
Hawk tried to call Cassie on his cell phone, but she didn’t answer. He ended the connection when the answering machine switched on. This wasn’t answering-machine news. “No answer.” His heart thudded hard.
Brooks snagged his own cell phone and started to dial. “I’ll get my people out there ASAP.”
Hawk gave Brooks the address, and then he laid his eyes on Sheryl. She’d been listening closely, but she hadn’t said a word. Not to him, anyway. She’d answered Brooks’s questions, and that was all. Now that she knew the truth about him, what would she do? He and Cassie weren’t the only freaks in this mess. He came from a family of freaks apparently.
Of course, Brooks didn’t use the word freaks. Instead he used words like gifted and special.
It was a nice idea, but inside Hawk was still fighting with the word freak. If Sheryl refused his offers, he wouldn’t argue with her. If she wanted a quiet, normal life with a normal man, she wouldn’t find that with him, and he wouldn’t take that perfectly acceptable dream from her.
She loved him. He’d felt the love and he’d wallowed in it. But she would get over that if she had to. One day.
He wasn’t sure he would.
“You’re going home,” Sheryl said as a moment of silence fell over the hotel room.
“I don’t have any choice. After I’m sure Cassie is safe and this thing with Payne is over, I’ll come back and…we’ll see.” He didn’t want to say more, not with the FBI agent, his brother-in-law—and wouldn’t that take some getting used to—listening in.
Brooks was charged, revved up about the coming encounter. He said a quick goodbye to Sheryl, shook Hawk’s hand and said, “We’re on a plane out of Raleigh airport in two and a half hours. I’ve got a rental car downstairs.”
Hawk shook his head. “I’ll meet you there. Maybe I can get Cassie on my cell phone before we get in the air.”
As soon as the door was closed behind Brooks, Sheryl’s arms went around Hawk’s neck and she held on as if for dear life.
Sheryl watched as Hawk threw his suitcase into the rear seat of his pickup. Again. This time they were standing in the hotel parking lot. He’d swing by Cory’s and pick up Baby, and then he’d be gone.
When he turned to kiss her goodbye once more, she slipped out of his arms and rounded the truck to climb into the passenger seat. He looked surprised, but didn’t say a word.
“I need to make other arrangements for the animals,” she explained as he pulled out of the parking lot. Besides, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Not yet. “I did tell Cory’s mother that I’d only leave the kiddies there for one night.”
The short drive to Cory’s house was silent. Awkward. Sheryl’s mind was busy. Everything Hawk had told her, about his abilities and Cassie’s, was true. She’d learned that for herself. Now she had to face the fact that his entire family was…special.
And somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if all those sisters and brothers would like her when they met. Would they think she was good enough for a man like Hawk?
At the present time they had more pressing problems. This Titan or Benedict Payne. Whatever name he used, he was a very bad man, and until he was caught there would be nothing resembling a normal life for Hawk or any of his siblings. Could she handle that? Was she ready?
When Hawk pulled his truck to the curb and shut off the engine, he turned to her, pulled her gently toward him and kissed her goodbye.
Heaven help her, she wasn’t ready for goodbye.
When he took his mouth from hers, he said, “I’m gonna miss you.”
Without
waiting for a response, he left the truck. She exited, too, and side by side they headed for Cory’s front door.
“You’re gonna miss me, huh?” she asked.
“Yeah. What a kick in the pants.”
She wondered if Hawk Donovan had ever admitted that much to any woman before. She thought not. He didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve; he didn’t share his feelings. Maybe he didn’t even want anyone to know he had feelings.
He did, though.
“This has happened awfully fast,” she said, trying to sound strong and confident even though inside she didn’t feel either of those things. “It’ll probably be good for us to take things slow for a while.” She even smiled shakily. “That’ll be a change for us. Slow.”
“Yeah.” Hawk’s voice was low, distant, as if he’d already left her. “I’ll call you, and when this mess with Titan or whoever the hell he is is over, we’ll…see where we are.”
He sounded about as confident as she felt, deep down.
Hawk collected Baby, thanked Cory and his mother and then looked at Sheryl with those gypsy eyes that had a way of cutting right through her.
That was when she decided.
Hawk headed for the front door.
“Don’t leave yet,” Sheryl called softly. “I need a word with Cory and then I’ll be right out.”
He glanced over his shoulder, then left the house without a word.
Less than five minutes later, with Laverne clutched in her arms, Sheryl ran down the sidewalk to the truck, where Hawk sat anxiously in the driver’s seat and Baby lounged in the back. She opened the passenger door and stepped into the pickup. Laverne leaped out of her arms and joined Baby in the back seat.
“Let’s go,” she said.
He hesitated for a moment, so Sheryl looked him squarely in the eye. “I love you, Hawk Donovan, and I’m not going to let you do this alone.”
He smiled, started the truck and pulled away from the curb.
Cory was going to take care of finding homes for all the animals. Temporary ones or permanent, since she didn’t know how long she’d be gone. Laverne had been with her too long to leave behind, and besides, the ornery cat didn’t like anyone else. Except Hawk, of course. And Baby.
Cory and Bruce had bonded overnight, and he’d be keeping the bird himself. His mother was not amused, but since Cory had promised to continue the work of cleaning up the parrot’s language, she’d relented.
The house, the clinic, insurance, repairs…she could handle most of that by telephone. Debbie had promised to help when she could. Anything to allow Sheryl to get closer to a man, to get a step closer to what she considered perfection.
A husband.
Babies.
The Home and Garden Channel.
As they left Wyatt, Hawk reached across the space between them and threaded his fingers through hers.
She’d never thought she’d be willing to leave everything behind for a man. Her experience with Michael had taught her to embrace her independence. She realized now that it had also taught her to close off her heart.
It wasn’t closed anymore. She loved Hawk; she wanted to be with him. Now and always. Even if he could, on occasion, read her mind a little.
He hadn’t mentioned marriage, but then they’d known each other for less than two weeks. Still, she reminded herself, it hadn’t taken her long to fall in love with him. Her mother was going to have a fit! Sheryl laughed lightly. The way her mother had been talking about wanting more grandbabies lately, maybe she wouldn’t mind that everything had happened so fast.
Hawk lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “Slow is for sissies,” he said. “I think we should get married right away. As soon as possible.”
She watched his profile, one eye narrowing as she wondered. Had he just read her mind?
“Your mother is going to be a very happy woman,” he added. “I want kids. Soon, if it suits you. As soon as we get Titan out of our lives, I want to start a family.”
Sheryl gazed at his profile, so strong and beautiful in the sunlight that shone through the side window. Yes, she wanted his babies to grow inside her. She wanted little Hawks and little Sheryls, and if they had talents the rest of the world didn’t understand, she’d help them deal with that, the same way she planned to help their father.
“You’ve been reading my mind again,” she said accusingly.
“Can’t help it.” At least he didn’t try to deny it. No, Hawk had always been brutally honest with her. She didn’t expect that would change.
“So, can you read everyone’s mind now? Did what you can do…change somehow?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s just you, Sheryl. Just you.”
But why? How?
“Because you’re the one,” he said, even though she had not asked her question aloud. “We’re linked. Physically, spiritually. Even mentally. Don’t ask me to explain it. I can’t. I just know that’s the way it is.”
Linked. It was a scary thought, but it was also comforting. She had never known something could be both frightening and a blessing at the same time.
“Can you teach me?” she asked softly. “Can you teach me how to do what you do? Not with the animals,” she added quickly. “I know now that’s a gift no one else can ever learn. But with you… Do you think one day I could read your mind?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Let’s see.” He squeezed her hand, and after a long moment of silence he asked, “What am I thinking?”
Sheryl began to smile as a mental picture formed in her mind. It was jumbled, sure, but in an odd way it was also very clear.
She saw Baby and Laverne, curled up together before a stone fireplace. Her hand and Hawk’s were intertwined, much as they were now, but with two simple gold rings in the picture. Wedding bands.
She saw those babies—a little girl, a little boy.
She saw horses, galloping across a pasture with green grass and gently rolling hills, and in her heart she knew those hills were home.
She saw and felt Hawk holding her at night. Every night. Forever.
“Yeah,” she said, not knowing or caring at the moment if the pictures in her mind were hers, his or theirs. “I want that, too.”
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Linda Winstead Jones for her contribution to the FAMILY SECRETS: THE NEXT GENERATION series.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7356-0
A TOUCH OF THE BEAST
Copyright © 2004 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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