by J. A. Dennam
“You’re seriously questioning my judgment?”
“Well...yeah!”
“Who’s cohabitating with the enemy, Danny?”
Sputtering, Danny tried to find an answer to that. Instead, she asked, “Who told you that?” If it was Austin, she could deny it.
“You told me. Last night right before you got wildly active with Derek’s biggest adversary.”
More humiliation. Great. Never in her life had Danny felt so out of her element. It wasn’t pleasant and it made her edgy. “That...right there...should have told you I was under the influence of something a lot more powerful than one margarita.”
“Well, it wasn’t because of Brett. You should give him a chance, he’s a really great guy and you need someone to take the edge off. Especially now, before you get edgy again with Austin Cahill.”
Oh, please! Make it stop! “Not interested,” she said through her teeth. “In any of it. And you shouldn’t be, either.”
Some background noise over the phone instantly put her back up. Was that Brett’s voice?
“Let me talk to her.”
Yes. Definitely Brett. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What are you doing, Melanie, running interference?”
“He just wants to talk to you, hold on.”
Before she could protest, Brett was crooning in her ear. “Sweetheart, you don’t know how relieved I am that you’re okay.”
Danny made a disgusted noise. “Sweetheart? Wow.” There went her appetite. “Look, Brett. I don’t know you very well and you certainly don’t know me. So, I’ll give you a little heads-up on how I feel about men who have to drug women in order to get laid.”
“Come on, Danny,” he purred, his voice dripping with superiority. “You can’t blame your low tolerance for alcohol on me.”
Something slithered down her spine, but annoyance put posture in her tone. “Oooh, such a smooth-talker you are. Here, let’s try this one. And after I say it once, you can repeat it with me. Date...rape...drug.”
“Don’t condescend me.” Danny heard him collect himself. “And if you accuse me of that, I guarantee you won’t get very far.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be able to sniff out a few of your other victims. Compare stories.”
“You’ll do no such thing. Believe me, it is not in your best interest.” His voice was too soft, belying the underlying message. For Melanie’s benefit, no doubt. “So give me a chance to clear the air. Tonight. I would really like to see you in a pretty little dress like the one Melanie wore last night. I’ll take you to a party. We’ll have fun and I’ll prove to you that you don’t need drugs to want me to fuck you.”
Everything in Danny’s brain scrambled with fury. S cfurt>
“Now, tell me where I can pick you up.”
Oh, so he was one of those who wouldn’t take no for an answer. A wicked tingle put a smile on her lips. “Okay,” she said skillfully, but hesitant capitulation was not what she had in mind. “As long as you let me handle the drinks this time.”
“Absolutely.”
“Just you and me?” She had to know that Melanie wouldn’t be involved.
“Just the two of us.”
A sigh. “421 East Fairview Drive. End of the cul-de-sac, blue house.”
“Be ready by eight thirty. And remember, dress...”
Ooh, a test to see if she’d been paying attention. “Yes, don’t worry, I’ll wear something oober sexy.”
“Very good. See you then, love.”
She hung up and stared at the phone for a second then dialed another number.
“Y-ello.”
Danny pictured the shaggy sun-bleached hair and adorably crooked teeth of her brother’s close friend. “Hi Baker, it’s Danny. Derek’s sister.”
“Sure, darlin’ I know who you are. What can I do you for?”
“Is the gang going to be at your place tonight?”
“Can’t keep ‘em away on a Saturday night, not when ole’ Bertha’s yodeling ‘High on a Mountain Peak’. What about you, you feeling the need to test your limits, little sister?”
She hated when any of the gang called her that. It was a reminder that their respect for Derek kept her off limits in the dating circuit. Which was bad for her because the only men she was interested in dating were in their niche little group of rock climbers. “I’d love nothing better, but unfortunately I’ll be off the grid for a few weeks.”
“Bummer.”
“But I’m sending a playmate for Bertha, someone she can have fun with.”
“A sacrifice? Sweet.”
“His name is Brett. Fancies himself a real trad master, but he needs to find out what it’s like to downclimb like the rest of us.” Descending a rock cliff without weighting a rope, without protective equipment. It’s what they all did in Baker’s back yard since the man bought a piece of prime real-estate on the top of a decent-sized cliff. “The less Brett knows about your playground, the better.”
“You want us to sandbag him?” said with distaste.
“No, I wouldn’t ask you to lie about the terrain, but if he asks for beta, be vague. Let him figure it out for himself.” The less Brett knew of the cliff’s terrain, the better her plan would go.
“So, by vague...?”
He was wondering if she wanted Brett to know about the safety net below. “It’s important that he thinks he’s going to crater if he lets go. I guess y’all can spotlight him from the ground, place bets to see how long he can crush a hold before he poops his pants.”
“Harsh. What’d this guy do to you?”
She ground her teeth together. “He slipped me some pharmaceuticals last night. Of course, he won’t man-up and admit it and now he won’t take no for an answer.”
“No shit? You okay, Danny?”
“Yeah. It was an epic fail on his part, but now he won’t back off until I put out.”
“Nuff said, little sister. You leave the nut-sack to us, we’ll have him gripped for the better half of the night as long as we can coax him onto the crag.”
“Yay! Thanks, Baker. Just tell him I’m wearing a sexy little dress and waiting for him at the bottom. He’ll be eager to impress. And if Derek happens to show, don’t spoil the fun by telling him. He’ll just beat the guy up and ruin it for everyone else.”
“Gotcha. What time can we expect the gentleman?”
“Eight thirty. And, Baker...you’re sure you’re okay with this?”
“Girl, I’m stoked. Can’t wait.”
Danny hung up and smiled with a deep sated satisfaction. It burned that she wouldn’t be there to watch Brett cling to Baker’s backyard cliff-side in sheer terror. Bertha was a bitch in the daytime...and impossible at night. Which was what made night-climbing her so much fun.
The room erupted in a slow clap and she spun around on a gasp. Her eyes narrowed on the man leaning against the doorway. Was he following her? Then again, Austin looked entirely too good, his pecks jumping beneath the T-shirt every time his hands came together. His eyes and mouth were lacking the coldness she had been subjected to that morning. It made it incredibly hard to focus on his agenda...and the reality that they would forever be at odds.
“What’s that for?” she sneered, sensing he’d been there a while. Not that she meant to be nasty, but Brett had put her in a mood.
Austin quit clapping and shoved his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. “Such a grandioso performance, Bennett. I almost believed you were actually going to go out with the guy again.”
She gaped. “You’ve been standing there the whole time?”
He shrugged. “I gotta say I’m getting more entertainment out of eavesdropping on you than I’ve had in ages. Very interesting lifestyle you lead, Danny.”
“What would you know about it?”
“I can decipher enough of your funky language to figure out that Brett’s about to develop a hell of a fear of heights.”
Yes, she thought with sinful pleasure. He will. And the last thing she wanted to
do was supply entertainment for the man who’d shown her her own special brand of fear that very morning. “Don’t you have more interesting things to do on a Saturday than pester me?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether I have to guard your door in case your boyfriend comes to kick your ass for setting him up.”
She shrugged, undaunted. “If I can survive you, I can survive him.”
That one stung. “There are some men you don’t want to push,” he said slowly, with reserve.
Her eyes wrinkled in a humorless smile. “I can take care of myself, thanks.” Danny scooped her goodies into her arms and blew past him. “And don’t pretend to care. It falls flat no matter how you ice it.”
He let her pass without pursuing her. Now that he’d had time to calm down, there were many things he regretted about their heated exchange...starting with how much he’d scared her. She was a strong woman. She could handle his fight with Derek and all it entailed, and she could probably even handle Brett Lockton. But she couldn’t handle the threat of his physical rage. It made him feel no better than that scum he’d rescued her from.
Whatever it took to keep things in perspective, he would do it from now on so that he would never cause that fear in her again.
____________
For years, the Cahills had met one Sunday a month for gourmet pizza at the old house. This Sunday afternoon was no different. The usual crowd was there: Austin’s mother, Patricia, his sister, Ruth, her husband Winston and their ten-year-old daughter Laney. The smell of melted cheese and sausage permeated the rooms. But for the first time, the pizza was served from cardboard boxes.
Laney squealed with delight. It had been so long since she’d been able to indulge in the basic kind of pizza kids preferred.
The girl threw her arms around her uncle’s waist, causing him to bobble his slice in the middle of a bite. “I love you, Uncle Austin! Thank you for tossing that awful pizza oven out the back door!”
“Ehem!”
Austin met his mother’s glare and stopped chewing long enough to say, “What? It wouldn’t fit through the front door.”
Laney giggled below.
Ruth tossed glossy black hair over one shoulder, licked grease from her fingers. “Laney, that oven has been in our family for many years. Your grandmother isn’t too happy with Uncle Austin at the moment.”
“It’s okay, Mother,” Austin interjected, not the least bit fazed by the matriarch’s negative vibes. Patricia was way too uptight. “It can still be fixed, I just put a few minor dents in it.”
He remembered how good it felt each time the heel of his boot made contact with the broken stainless before he’d unmercifully pushed the hulking beast through the sliding glassed doors. Those, too, would need to be replaced, but at least he’d effectively released some of his anger.
Patricia Cahill closed her eyes for a moment then reluctantly chose a slice of veggie supreme. “You aren’t doing a very good job of taking care of this house, Austin. Remember, we get a twenty percent investment tax credit for the rehabilitation, not the destruction of it.”
“Oh, Mother, it’s not so bad,” Ruth interjected, winking at her brother from across the island. “You can barely see the marks on the floor.”
Patricia drew up, matched her daughter’s statuesque height. The two women were much alike in physical appearance, though one was stately, the other laid-back. Much too casual for a well-bred lady, according to Patricia. “They are ruts, Ruth Anne, ruts!”
Ruth smiled when Austin flinched in a comic display of drama every time their mother said the word “ruts!” Despite their eight-year age difference, they shared the same opinion about many things, including the fact their mother tended to over-dramatize. Still, she thought his treatment of the beloved pizza oven had been a bit harsh.
While the adults caught up in the kitchen, Laney took her slice of plain cheese and decided to look for the robot vacuum cleaner. It was such a fascinating device. And since the housekeeper was on vacation, she decided she’d check to see if it needed emptied. The thing was always creeping around the big house like a hamster in a ball, and it was by far the best entertainment here.
But the thing was nowhere to be found. She decided it could have rolled down the hallway, through the back door if it was propped open, and may be on a destructive path toward the salvage yard facilities in the back. As she c&nbut the t passed by the closed door of the old servant’s quarters, Laney stopped and wondered at the light coming from beneath it. She wiped her palm on the skirt of her yellow Sunday dress and turned the knob. There was soft country music playing from somewhere and when she peeked in she was surprised to see a woman sitting on the bed sandwiched between the lamplight and the natural light streaming through the small window.
Laney boldly walked in and met the woman’s startled gaze. She had her back against the wall, her legs drawn up to serve as support for a large textbook and notepad. Her right hand was on a white open laptop at her side and there was a pencil in her mouth as her other hand was occupied with some loose pages.
“Hello,” Laney greeted, took another bite of pizza.
“Hurro,” the woman responded back, then put the pages down and pulled the pencil from her mouth. “Can I help you with something?”
She was pretty, Laney thought, and the girl curiously walked to the bed to find the source of the music. “Where’s that coming from?”
Danny glanced down at her computer in utter confusion. She knew this little person was referring to the music, she was just utterly surprised by the intrusion. “My laptop,” she offered hesitantly.
“Cool.” A pregnant pause, then Laney asked. “Whatcha doing?”
Another question, Danny thought uncomfortably. Uh-oh. “Trying to determine the structural behavior of EMS using the finite element method.”
The girl hesitated, blinked. “Huh?”
Back in the kitchen, Winston noticed the absence of his daughter as he poured himself a glass of wine. “Ruth, did you see where Laney went?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Ruth,” Patricia scolded from her place at the breakfast nook. “Find her before she hurts something.”
“She won’t hurt anything, Mother,” Ruth responded and sent her husband a coy look as she took his glass and downed the contents. “You’re driving, dear,” she whispered softly and handed him back the empty glass. “I’m numbing the pain.”
Austin was busy at the sink with the dishes, heard the exchange and cracked a smile. It was a typical family gathering. Patricia Cahill had become positively unbearable since her husband Foster’s death, but she had a soft inner core that still revealed itself just enough to remind her children why they still craved her presence in their lives.
Before Ruth could make a sweep of the house in search of her daughter, Laney came strolling in from the back hallway. Austin noticed from which direction she came and instantly became wary. What had the little monster been up to or, more importantly, whom had she seen?
“Whatcha got, princess?” Winston asked grabbing the soapy dishcloth from his wife.
c>“Nothing.”
But clearly she had come back with more than she left with. Laney sauntered over to the bottom drawer by the stove and rifled through the contents until she chose an assortment of markers, then moved to a chair at the island.
“Watch it, honey, it’s still damp,” her father warned, shaking the crumb-encrusted dishcloth over the wastebasket.
Austin pulled the drain to let the dishwater out and looked behind him, curious about his niece’s find. A shape moved in the shadows of the hall behind her. It was Danny and she was desperately trying to get his attention without being noticed. He wiped his hands on a dishtowel and stepped a little closer. When his eyes adjusted, he could better decipher her frantic hand signals as she pointed to the child. Torn between curiosity and panic, he waved her back and disguised the movement when he noticed Ruth studying him.
“Uh.
..fly,” he grumbled and inched toward his niece to see what she was coloring on. His brows knit together in a frown. “Have you been in the library, Laney?”
“Nope.”
Before she answered, he knew she couldn’t have been. The library always remained locked. But the paper contained structural analysis flowcharts and tables that, upon closer scrutiny, had something to do with horizontal and vertical clearance limitations of God only knew. “Then where did you get this? It looks like something of Grandfather’s.”
Ruth peered over his shoulder and shoved her hands on hips. “Laney! You were in the library!”
Patricia gasped from her seat at the breakfast nook. “Austin, did you forget to lock it?”
Both Austin and Laney answered defensively. “No!”
The little girl was quicker to defend herself. “I wasn’t in the library, Mom! The lady in the servant’s bedroom gave it to me!”
“What lady?” Ruth asked, her confusion mounting as her brother quickly straightened and grabbed the paper off the countertop. Then comprehension dawned and she asked the question again to her younger sibling. “What lady, Austin?”
“Hey!” Laney whined, twisting around to glower at the theft of her project.
Austin shoved the paper into Danny’s awaiting hand. “Sorry,” he murmured distractedly. His sleeve was tugged when he tried to beat feet back to the kitchen.
“Okay,” Danny whispered, “just so I’m clear...you don’t want me to be found out. Right?”
“Right.” Another tug.
“An c Ront sd you remember that I don’t have a lock on my door. Right?”
“No more intrusions, I promise.”
“Because I’d move to the commons room, but I have a lot of stuff.”
“Don’t worry, I got this.”
“You sure?”
“Danny, the longer I stay here talking to you, the door will be the least of our problems.”
“Right. Sorry.”
Ruth kept her eye on the darkened hall, heard the frantic whispering, a moment of dead silence. Then her brother reappeared absent the paper. Was he amused by something? She plunked her hands on her hips while Laney skulked over to the breakfast nook and crossed her arms dejectedly across from her grandmother.
