by M. G. Morgan
“Grant, let her in.” The voice piped up from somewhere behind me and it was a voice I would have recognised anywhere.
Swinging around my gaze came to rest on Marcus as he hobbled across the floor towards me. His right arm was in a sling across his chest and I could tell from the way his upper body seemed to be bulked out beneath his clothes that he was clearly wrapped up tight with bandages.
“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were taking it easy in the hospital,” I said, crossing the foyer to wrap my arms around him.
It was the most amount of contact I’d ever had with Marcus but considering all the time we’d spent together over the months and his connections to Stuart he was beginning to feel more and more like family.
Watching him get shot and writhe on the floor… It wasn’t something I was going to forget in a hurry. It wasn’t something I could or even wanted to forget. Marcus was hurt because of me, because of my stupid and reckless actions. If I’d stayed at home and…
I cut off my own thoughts and simply squeezed Marcus into a bear hug. He wrapped his free arm around me and a short chuckle that quickly became a coughing wheeze of pain erupted from him.
“Carrie, I don’t know how you’re going to forgive me for screwing up so royally,” he said, through his cough as I slowly released him.
“You screwed up? Don’t you mean me? I was the one who insisted we go to the Sovereign Club, it was me who put you all in danger… It was me who…” I trailed off and dropped my gaze to the floor as I propped Marcus up.
He swayed unsteadily on his feet and I planted myself a little more firmly against the marble tile floor. The last thing either of us needed was to sprawl out on the ground.
“You need to sit and rest, what are you even doing on your feet? I thought you were still recuperating in the hospital, Marcus, you were really hurt…”
He laughed again and hobbled towards the chaise lounge in the corner of the hall. I helped him to sit on it, grateful to not be holding his full weight any longer. That was simply an accident waiting to happen.
“Nah, I’m not so bad, the faster I can get back on my feet the better for everyone. The last thing I want to be doing is lying on my butt all day in bed. I don’t make a particularly good patient.” He smiled at me but I could see the slight wincing around his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath.
Clearly he was in a lot of pain but how was I going to persuade him to do what was right and take it easy?
“You’re trying to do too much, you don’t want to have a relapse, it’s not going to do you any good if you end up back in hospital because you decided you were too macho to have a few days off.” I scolded him, it seemed like the only viable route to go in, if he wasn’t going to listen to me when I was nice about it, perhaps he would take notice of me if I was more stern.
“What’s going on in there anyway?” he said changing the subject.
“Don’t try and get away from this, Marcus, I want you to rest…”
He smiled and dropped his gaze to the floor, “you know its been a long time since I had anyone care about me in the same way you do. It’s kind of nice.”
“Well it’d be even nicer if you’d take notice of what I’m saying,” I said before letting out a long sigh.
“Fine, I’ll rest as soon as you tell me what’s going on, everyone is jumpier than a sinking ship full of rats.”
“One of David’s cousin’s is here,” I said.
Marcus’ expression shifted from one of pure curiosity to being suddenly completely closed off and unreadable.
“You knew didn’t you?”
“Knew what?” he asked, but his coyness was nothing more than an act.
“All everyone does around here is lie to me and I’m tired of it. Why won’t any of you just be honest!”
“Carrie, this isn’t my secret to tell.”
“If you’re referring to the fact that Killian is the one David planned on killing to get rid of the Banks then I already know, he told me.”
“I’m glad someone around here is willing to tell the truth.”
I jerked my head up, colour flooding into my cheeks as I stared up into the face of a stranger standing framed in David’s office doorway. His blue eyes watched me with a coldness normally reserved for mortal enemies.
“Killian, please, leave my wife out of this. It’s between you and me,” David interjected, shoving out past the broad shouldered man in the door and into the foyer.
“Leave her out of it? She’s the reason I nearly died, I don’t think I can leave her out of it.”
“I think I’ll go and rest now,” Marcus said quietly before climbing to his feet and hobbling towards the stairs.
I stared at the stranger David had called Killian, there was something about him that was familiar but then it made perfect sense. Of course he would look familiar, he was after all David’s cousin.
David crossed the floor to where Killian stood and jabbed his finger in against the other man’s chest.
“You will leave her out of it or I’ll see to it that everything you’ve worked for is reduced to nothing but ash.”
“Are you threatening me, David?” Killian asked, his voice had gone dangerously low.
Pushing onto my feet, I crossed the foyer and placed myself between the two men, pressing my hand against David’s chest as I forced him to take a step back or crush me against his cousin.
“Cut it out, both of you. You’re behaving like children,” I said.
“Children? The only child here is the one you almost lost when you were out playing spy at Taylor Banks house.” Killian’s words cut me to the core but I forced myself to swallow back the bitterness that crawled up the back of my throat.
It was one thing for me to think those kinds of thoughts. I’d even expected it of David but he hadn’t blamed me for any of it. But I wasn’t about to let a stranger come into my house and berate me for the actions I’d taken to protect those I loved.
Turning on him, I pulled myself up to my full height and stared him straight in the eye. His lips were crooked in a cruel smile as I stared him down and took a threatening step forward.
“Just who the hell do you think you are, coming into my house and throwing your weight around as though you know what you’re talking about. If David was anything like your father or even his own, then he would have killed you instead of trying to find another way to settle the issue with the Banks.”
The smile on Killian’s face disappeared and his eyes darkened with rage.
“Control your wife, David, or one of these days someone will do it for you…”
The arrogance and sheer ignorance in the way he spoke surprised me. He was nothing like David or Aaron and I could suddenly understand why neither side of the family had anything to do with each other.
“You bastard,” David said, attempting to move past me to get to Killian but I blocked his path.
“You realise what’s at stake here don’t you?” I said, addressing Killian once more but he just shook his head.
His lips had thinned down and his bright blue eyes hard darkened to the point of being practically grey.
“Once they’re done with us, they will come for you. There’s a reason Taylor wanted you dead. He’s not the type of man to just do things on a whim.”
“I know what he’s capable of,” Killian said.
“Was capable of, past tense, Taylor is dead,” I quipped back.
“So he finally kicked it then, I did wonder when his cancer would get the better of him.”
“Not cancer. Me.”
Killian stared at me for a second before the smile returned to his lips once more.
“And I’m supposed to believe you killed Taylor Banks? You’ve got to be joking me, not even at his most feeble would someone like you have the courage or the strength to best him. That man was a monster, and you’re a little princess that constantly needs saving by her prince,” he said with a scoff.
I took another st
ep towards him, my gaze never leaving his face.
“I took a knife and stabbed him in the heart and I would do it again if I thought it would mean my family would be safe from people like him and you,” I said quietly.
He stared at me, his expression a mixture of bemusement and confusion. He didn’t believe me, it sounded too much like a tall tale for him and how could I blame him. The short amount of time I’d spent in Taylor’s company had taught me just how much of a monster he truly was. It only made sense that other people who knew him would see it as impossible for someone like me to best him.
“Now can we sit down and talk this out?” Aaron asked, from inside the office.
Killian cast a glance between David and me before slowly nodding and turning back into the office. I followed him, David’s hand on the small of my back giving me a sense of security that I hadn’t even known I’d needed until I’d felt his touch.
18
“And so what? You want me to just put aside the fact that you tried to kill me?”
“I didn’t try to do anything, if I’d wanted you dead, you’d be dead,” David said, his words only adding fuel to the already out of control fire that was Killian Ashcroft’s temper.
“That’s not what any of this is about,” I said cutting across their continued arguing. It was all they had done for the past fifteen minutes since we’d entered the office and the more they argued the worse they both seemed to get.
They really were beginning to sound and act like children.
“Then explain it to me because from where I’m sitting, all I can see is that your husband plans to have me knocked off if Andy and Dominic persist with their plans. You can’t just expect me to ignore something like that?”
“They believe Melissa is still alive…” I said, stroking the place between my eyebrows where the beginnings of a killer headache was starting to take up residence.
“What has any of that got to do with me?” Killian asked. There was a strain on his voice, one I hadn’t noticed a moment before when he’d been so irate about David threatening his life.
“They know she went to your side of the family, that your father took her in,” Aaron interjected.
Killian smirked and crossed his arms over his chest as he dropped back into his chair. His jaw was set tight and I could see a slight flicker in his neck as his pulse hammered beneath his skin. He was honestly panicked.
“What my father might have done has nothing at all to do with me, I tried never to interfere in his business and the rest of you would do well to do the same. He’s not a man you want to tangle with.”
“And neither was Henry but when it came to the Banks he still turned tail and ran from them, just like everyone else has. I don’t want to hurt Melissa but I won’t put my family at risk. Tell me where she is,” David said as he leaned forward in his chair.
“If you tell them where she is, you know what they will do to her,” Killian said, “I won’t hand her over like some lamb to the slaughter.”
“You care about her don’t you?” I said watching his expression soften as he thought about her.
“She’s family,” he said simply.
“And so are we,” David said, “so help me win against the Banks. Taylor is dead, all that’s left are his two sons. If we work together they’re not going to be a match for us all.”
Killian shook his head and pushed up onto his feet.
“I can’t do that, there’s nothing I can offer you. This fight is your problem David. Now I’m sorry Taylor threatened your wife and kids but really, what do you expect from someone like him? I’m not going to put my family or friends in the crosshairs for a bunch of strangers I don’t even know.”
“You already are, but you’re too stupid and pig-headed to see it,” David said but there was no anger in his voice just pure resignation.
Killian shrugged and smiled, “I’ll see myself out, Carrie, I can’t say it was a pleasure. Maybe if we’d met under circumstances that didn’t involve your husband trying to kill me things could have been different.”
I didn’t answer him, there was no point. He’d obviously made up his mind. He knew all about Melissa, he knew where she was and he was going to continue to hide her. But why he wouldn’t help David to defeat the Banks was beyond me. It just didn’t make any sense.
He didn’t seem like a stupid man and yet he was behaving ridiculously short sighted. How could he not see or understand that once Andy and Dominic were done with us, they would turn their attention to the other side of the Ashcroft family tree.
But then, could I really blame him? If I was in his position would I really want to get involved in something that had nothing to do with me, that had never really affected my family before now? Would I want to take that risk?
I already knew what the answer was but it didn’t make it any easier.
Aaron shook his head and followed Killian from the room, leaving me with David.
“He’s not going to try and use any of this against you,” I said, getting up from my seat and crossing the room to drop down beside David.
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because all he really wants is to get as far away as he can from you and me. He just doesn’t want to get involved in any of this,” I answered talking David’s hand into my own and stroking my fingers and down his skin.
“Carrie, what am I supposed to do? I know where Andy and Dominic will be tomorrow night but how do I end any of this? If I don’t do as they ask…” he trailed off and wrapped his hand around mine. “I won’t lose you, I won’t risk that.”
His words had a ring of finality to them and I pressed my hand to his face, forcing him to glance around at me. “What does that mean, what won’t you risk?” There was a note of panic in my voice that I couldn’t shake.
“I’ll do what I must to protect you, Carrie, no matter what it takes. If I can’t convince Andy and Dominic to see sense then I’ll do what needs to be done.”
“It won’t come to that, David, you’ll convince them, I know you will…” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince but David smiled and nodded but I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not.
He moved in towards me, his lips gentle against mine, his kiss feather light but it quickly became more. Whimpering I pressed my body to his, we’d started something earlier, something that needed to be finished and I was done waiting.
David wrapped his hands around me, lifting me from the couch onto his lap and I went willingly. The feel of his fingers sliding up beneath the jumper I wore, the skin on skin contact sending shivers of desire racing down through my core.
I bit down on his lip softly as he tightened his hold, crushing my chest to his.
There was a knock on the door that had David groaning against my mouth. Frustration made my body ache and I pulled away from his embrace.
“Wait for me upstairs… I won’t be long,” he said, his eyes had darkened with lust and I felt my core tighten in response to his promise.
Without uttering a word I climbed from his lap, my legs unsteady beneath me as I made my way to the door and tugged it open. Aaron stood outside, and the moment his eyes fell on mine his knowing glance sent heat into my cheeks.
I practically ran from the room, my legs like jelly as I climbed the stairs. I’d seen the look in David’s eyes, there was no way in hell he would keep me waiting.
19
Reaching the bedroom I stepped inside and halted, my heart raced in my chest and I could still feel the tingling across my skin where David had touched me.
I needed his touch, the feel of his body against mine. There was a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that it was something I needed to do, we needed to reconnect.
Taylor had done his best to rip us apart, to destroy what we held precious but he hadn’t succeeded, so why did it still feel as though he had? None of it made any sense and yet I couldn’t shake the niggling doubt.
Staring at my reflection in the mirror I could stil
l see the lingering effects of being stuck in the Banks home. Every time I tried to sleep I could still remember the feel of Taylor’s hand on my bump as he’d tried to crush the life growing inside me.
Even though he was dead I couldn’t shake that memory.
The door cracked open and David stood framed in the doorway, the look on his face was ferocious. There was a hunger in his gaze that sent a shiver of desire racing all the way from my head down to my toes.
He stepped into the room and slowly slipped out of his suit jacket, his dark gaze never leaving my face. I was like a butterfly pinned beneath his gaze.
It was a struggle just to remember to breathe as he moved into the middle of the room. He tossed the jacket aside and immediately began unbuttoning his shirt, each one he opened revealing a little more of his tanned muscled chest.
He moved to the cuffs of his shirt, each movement deliberate and slow, as though he was teasing me. How could he possibly know just how much I wanted and needed him? Was it written all over my face?
He removed the cufflinks and the sleeves hung loose over his wrists, brushing the tops of his strong hands, hands I knew intimately.
The thought of him touching me, brushing the places beneath my clothes that only he could sent a trickle of moisture straight to my core and my body tightened in anticipation.
“Strip,” he said, his voice soft and yet utterly commanding.
My body froze, my mind struggling to comprehend the nature of what he was asking of me.
Why wasn’t he touching me? Stripping the clothes from my body the way he usually liked to?
“David, I…”
“I said strip, I won’t ask you again,” his voice brooked no argument and a fine tremble started up in my limbs. My heart began hammering in my chest as I lifted my arms above my head and slowly shrugged out of my jumper.
I stood before him in a camisole and my soft satin trousers, my fingers playing along the edge of my clothes as I watched him.
