Wolf Island

by Cheryl Gorman

  Jake huffed on the other end of the phone line. “No, I have a plan. I called in a couple of favors on the mainland, and the local authorities are sending a policewoman to the island first thing.”

  “How will one officer help us?”

  “I’ll explain everything when she gets here. How are things going with Ms. Chapel?”

  “Fine. She’s leaving in the morning, if the weather lets up.”

  Jake chuckled dryly. “How did you convince her to do that? She seemed very determined to find her sister.”

  Devlin pressed his mouth into a firm line. “Yeah, but I’m even more determined to get her off this island.”

  “Be careful, Dev. This wacko’s delusions made him see Miranda as his former wife and J.D. as the man she ran away with. His eye is obviously on you now, and maybe Ms. Chapel, too.”

  A shudder crawled over Devlin’s skin. If something happened to another innocent woman like Abby, he couldn’t bear it. “I’ve got to get her off this island.”

  * * * * *

  As the kitten snoozed contentedly on his bed, Devlin smiled and rubbed the back of his hand over the animal’s soft belly. The kitten opened his eyes, looked at Dev, and went right back to sleep.

  Devlin rose from the bed and paced to the French doors leading out onto the balcony off his bedroom. The sounds of the storm brewing outside seemed to close the walls in around him.

  He needed somebody to talk to in order to soothe his uneasiness.

  Otis went to bed early because he rose at the crack of dawn, and Devlin didn’t want to wake him.

  That left Abby.

  But he needed to stay away from her. She churned him up too much inside, made him start dreaming again. Dreaming about having a woman to love him and a child to wrap his or her arms around his neck and say, “I love you, Daddy.” Dreams that could never come true. Maybe if he went back to his office, he could get some more work done and shake off this mood.

  When he neared Abby’s room, he noticed her light beaming from beneath the door and heard the sound of her footsteps moving over the wood floor. He stopped in front of her door, raised his hand to knock, then lowered it again. He clenched his fingers into a tight fist.

  I can’t.

  He raised his hand again and held it a half-inch from the door. Damn it, he knew he shouldn’t, but he didn’t want to face the rest of the night alone. Always alone.

  Devlin inhaled a deep breath and tapped on the door. The footsteps ceased. “Abby?”

  He heard her walk to the door. She pulled it open a crack and looked out at him. Her eyes appeared tired, her mouth soft. A long pink nightgown hung loosely about her body. His fingers itched to touch her. “Yes?” Her gentle voice made him want to hold her.

  He felt like a fool. “I saw your light. Everything okay?”

  She rubbed a hand over her hair. When she raised her arm, the gown stretched over her breasts, revealing the outline of her nipples to his gaze. The breath caught in his lungs. “I’m fine.” She sighed. “The storm has me a bit restless.”

  Abby nervously fingered a button on the front of her nightgown. Briefly, she lowered her gaze to the floor, then back up again to his face. “I’m really sorry about being in your office. I’m just so worried about Miranda. I felt I had to --”

  Lightning flashed at the window, followed by the crash of thunder. “It’s all right. I understand.” His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Go ahead and ask. “Want some company?”

  She raked her upper teeth over her lower lip, then soothed it with her tongue. Heat bloomed in his belly. “Okay.”

  Abby opened the door for him to enter. As he stepped through, her feminine scent enveloped him, and he inhaled deeply. Almost instantly, the restlessness inside him eased. To keep from reaching for her, he moved to the hearth and held his hands out in front of the crackling fire.

  He listened to her footsteps padding over the floor and turned to look at her. She gave him a little smile and sat in the small white slipper chair. The same one his mother sat on in the portrait. Dreams, wants, and desires he usually kept under lock and key spread outward from his heart, threatening to choke him. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. To hide his feelings, he returned his gaze to the fire.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Yes, damn it. Everything. “Yes -- no --” His voice broke with pent-up emotion, and he cursed inwardly. He heard her rise from the chair and walk toward him.

  She can’t come over here. She can’t.

  When she laid her hand on his back, he tried to concentrate on the fire eating greedily at the logs, instead of her warmth melting into his skin. He couldn’t look at her. If he did, he would give in and touch her, hold her, kiss her. None of those things could happen. They just couldn’t.

  “What is it? Talk to me.” Her voice coaxed, urging him to respond.

  Kindness always smoothed the rough edges of his soul, bringing his needs and yearnings bubbling up to the surface, making him feel helpless. With everything inside him screaming for him not to, he turned and gazed into her violet eyes. Outside, the storm raged, yet before him stood the calm center.

  Devlin lifted his hand and touched her cheek. Questions and concern shone in her beautiful eyes. “I wish I could tell you everything, but it’s too dangerous.” He heard the unspoken plea for her understanding and trust in his voice. But how could he ask her to trust him when he couldn’t tell her the truth?

  “What do you mean?”

  He couldn’t tell her that Miranda was safe with his brother, J.D., because she would beat a path to her sister’s side for sure, and the evil on this island, a monster with a twisted mind, might follow her. He must keep Miranda and J.D.’s whereabouts a secret. Their lives depended on it. “I can’t answer your questions now, but I will soon. Your sister is alive and safe. I promise.”

  Lightning flashed, followed quickly by a sharp popping sound. The lights in Abby’s room flickered once, then blinked out. She glanced toward the window, but Devlin caressed her soft cheek with his fingers and brought her gaze back to his. Firelight shimmered over her face, illuminating her eyes and hair. She had never looked more beautiful.

  “Don’t be afraid. I would never hurt you.” He murmured the words with tenderness, hoping she would believe him. Without thought to the consequences, he lowered his head ever so slowly and kissed her. Soft, sweet lips met his. Craving a deeper taste, he slicked the tip of his tongue over the seam between her lips, asking her to open for him. She parted her lips and he slipped inside.

  He lifted Abby into his arms and sat in one of the wing chairs, settling her in his lap. With a soft caress, he explored the warm, silky skin of her neck and teased the tops of her breasts with feather-light brushes of his fingers.

  As he sat wrapped in the aura of her warmth and the enticing scent of her skin, the blood careened through his veins while his pulse tumbled. Liquid heat, heavy with desire, slid between his legs, making his groin ache.

  As though sampling some juicy, ripe fruit, he nibbled on the sides of her neck and the soft, sensitive patch of skin beneath her ear. When she tilted her head, giving him better access, he skimmed his lips to the smooth hollow of her throat.

  He had to touch her. Really touch her. He lightly grazed his hand up her thigh, pushing her nightgown out of his way. She stiffened slightly when his fingers brushed over her panties. Abby reached for his hand and tried to stop its rapid ascent toward her breast, but the drugging scent of her skin pushed him further into the sensual fog.

  Devlin lifted his head and stared into her passion-filled eyes. “Let me touch you, Abby.”

  The breath shuddered from his lungs. He knew she could probably see the raw need in his eyes, but he didn’t care. If she asked him to take his hands away, he would, even if her request made his heart stop beating. Fear and excitement raced through him -- fear that he might lose control, and excitement that he could go on touching her forever.

  “Please.”

&n
bsp; Slowly, she relaxed her body. With his eyes on hers, he slid his hand up to the underside of one breast, moved her nightgown to the side, and exposed her breast to his eyes. His arousal pressed against her nearly bare fanny with exquisite pain. He wanted to take her. Now.

  She shivered against the cool air, but he chased it away with the stroke of his rough palm over her softer skin. His thumb rubbed insistently over her nipple. Her eyes glazed, and the uneven rhythm of her breath answered his.

  The bedroom door squeaked open.

  Devlin’s hand stilled on the soft mound of Abby’s breast as he swiveled his head toward the door. A cool draft of air brushed over his body. He heard a metallic sound like a tiny bell and the audible breath of someone sighing. Abby pulled her nightgown down over her body and slid from his lap. “What was that?”

  Devlin turned to Abby and smiled. “The castle is old. Those kinds of noises aren’t unusual.” He tried to sound unconcerned. But they were damned unusual. He’d never heard anything like it.

  The wind howled outside the castle walls. Abby’s robe rustled softly as she put it on. Something tapped on the floor in the hallway, like a pebble bouncing over the wood. The sound of tinkling chimes drifted into the room, causing the hair on the back of Devlin’s neck to stand on end.

  Could the sound be the Chiming Lady? Ridiculous. He was the one who had hyped the idea about the island being haunted in the first place. No one had ever played a trick on him. What would be the point? The villagers were behind him all the way.

  A scrape and the distinct echo of footsteps.

  That was certainly no ghost. Devlin strode to one of the night tables in Abby’s room and jerked open the bottom drawer. He withdrew a flashlight stored there for guests in case of an emergency. “Wait here.” He clicked the flashlight on and hurried out into the hall. He swept the beam to the right and then to the left, but saw nothing unusual.

  Abby walked quickly after him. “I’m coming with you.”

  Devlin halted in his tracks and glared at her. “No. It isn’t safe. Someone could be in the castle. Go back in your room, lock the door, and don’t open it until I get back. Understood?”

  Abby crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin in determination. “I’m not going to just sit here and do nothing.”

  Devlin laid a hand on her shoulder and felt the fragile bones shift beneath his fingers. A man’s strong, unyielding grip could snap those bones like parched twigs. A shiver of terror stabbed his heart. He would die before he allowed anyone to harm her. With a gentle nudge against her shoulder, he pushed her back over the threshold. “You’re going to do exactly that. Lock the door when I leave.”

  He shut the door in her face.

  When Devlin reached the end of the hall, he stopped and looked around the corner. He saw nothing but darkness and the occasional flash of lightning blinking in through the hall windows. The sound of tinkling chimes faded into the distance along with a woman’s sigh. His heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out on his skin.

  He walked swiftly down the hallway until he came to the open door of the library. Out of habit, he reached up and flipped the light switch on the wall by the door, but everything remained washed in darkness. Lightning flared, illuminating the library for only a few seconds, but it was enough time for him to see the gruesome scene waiting for him.

  Tension bunched the muscles in his neck and shoulders while nausea swam through his stomach. Slowly, he walked over to examine the macabre package before him.

  He knelt down in front of the bookcases and shone the beam of his flashlight on a rabbit’s mutilated body. A set of chimes was wrapped around its small neck as it lay on the floor in a small puddle of blood. The chimes were made entirely of burnished copper and were identical to those sold in the village. Thin strands of copper dangled from a star-shaped piece of metal. Tiny crystals of different shapes and colors clung to the metal.

  He moved the beam of the flashlight over the trail of blood. It led to the bottom edge of one of the bookcases. Hard, cold panic welled in Devlin’s chest and pushed into his throat. Damn it! He’s been inside the castle.

  He pushed to his feet and ran toward the door of the library, the flashlight gripped firmly in his hand.

  Abby! I have to get to Abby!

  Chapter Five

  By the time Devlin reached Abby’s room, fear and dread had him breathless. He pounded on the door. “Abby! Abby! Open the door!”

  He heard the patter of footsteps, followed by the click of the door’s lock. Abby opened the door a crack. He raised the flashlight and shone the beam of light into her face. She stared back at him with anxious eyes. Her skin appeared wan and pale, her mouth creased with fear.

  Gently, he moved her back and opened the door wider, then stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded briskly. “I’m fine.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God. Have a seat.” He motioned to a chair in front of the hearth. With the power still out, the fire’s glow cast moving shadows about the room.

  Abby pulled the edges of her white chenille robe together and sat in one of the chairs. She raised a shaky hand to her brow and pushed the bangs from her worry-filled eyes. “It feels like you’ve been gone for hours. What happened?”

  He knew that when he told her about the dead rabbit, it would frighten her even more, but she had to know. Quickly, he related what he had found in the library.

  “Who would do such a thing?” Despite her deceptively calm voice, her nervous fingers twisted one end of the belt on her robe. “Aren’t you going to call the sheriff?”

  Devlin slid into a chair opposite her. “I will, first thing in the morning. There’s no sense getting Jake out of a warm bed on a night like this for a mutilated animal.” He rested his head against the back of his chair and watched her. Would she go running back to England once the reality of what he’d found set in?

  Abby frowned. “Has this ever happened before?”

  Devlin nodded. “A few days before you got here. Then, earlier this evening, I found a mutilated gull outside by the kitchen door.” Devlin leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. “Because of these incidents, I need you to leave.”

  She bit her lower lip. “Are you saying I might be in some kind of danger?”

  Not if he could help it. “I’m saying you need to be careful.”

  “Careful how?”

  He stood up from his chair and walked over to one of the windows. He saw nothing beyond the pane of glass but a world washed in darkness and rain. Devlin knew Victor was out there waiting, watching for the right moment to strike again. Would he leave another animal, or something worse? Devlin turned and looked at Abby, who stared at him, waiting for his answer. He didn’t want to frighten her further, but he needed her understanding and cooperation. “I want you to stay close to me over the next few hours. Just in case.”

  Abby tipped her face up to him. “In case of what?”

  “In case -- in case you need me.” Devlin heard the sound of desperation in his statement and hated himself for it. Wasn’t that what he really wanted, for her to need him? No woman ever had. Why should she?

  Abby’s gaze softened; the firelight sparkled in her eyes, caressed her face. “How close? Are you saying I’m not safe in this room, or even inside the castle?”

  Her controlled but weary tone made him want to wrap her in his arms once again. Safety was an illusion on Wolf Island. One day soon, he hoped that everyone living here would be safe. Forever. “You’re safe as long as you’re with me.” He hoped his statement held depth and authority, even though he didn’t feel very authoritative at the moment. He’d spent as much time as possible with her since her arrival at Morgan’s Keep. He knew his presence wouldn’t stop that monster from breaching the castle walls, but at least if Victor confronted them, she would have a better chance of surviving if he were by her side.

  She studied her hands briefly before lifting her g
aze. “I can’t be with you constantly over the next several hours unless we --”

  Her mouth fell open, and she stared at him with disbelief blanketing her face.

  Devlin couldn’t help but smile at her reaction. However, he felt relief as well. Thankfully, the shock over the news of finding the rabbit had begun to wear off. “Don’t worry; I’m not suggesting you stay in my bedroom, but in a guest room adjacent to mine. Why don’t you pack your things, and I’ll move them in there.”

  She closed her mouth and pursed her lips. He could almost see the gears spinning in her clever brain. “I’d rather stay in this room.” Abby gestured toward the nightstand. “There’s a telephone, which I won’t hesitate to use if I hear any more strange noises.”

  “I won’t take no for an answer on this, Abby.”

  She paused and tapped the tip of her index finger against her lower lip. “In the morning, I’ll make a couple of calls and see if a room has come available in town. I think I remember seeing a B&B very close to the sheriff’s office. I’ll be perfectly safe, and it will put me closer to the locals so I can ask questions about Miranda.”

  “Forget it!” He wasn’t letting her out of his sight. There was no telling what kind of trouble she might get into out there on her own. If that monster knew she had moved into town, he might -- No, Devlin couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to Abby and him not being there to stop it.

  Abby inclined her head. “That sounds suspiciously like an order, and it’s not very attractive.”

  He stepped close to her chair, leaned over, and rested a hand on the arm. With one finger, he brushed a strand of hair from her eyes and then trailed the tip over her cheek. “That sure wasn’t the case earlier.”

  Her skin flushed, and she licked her lips nervously. He lowered his gaze to her mouth and contemplated kissing her. “You caught me by surprise.” God, he loved her prim tone. “I was uneasy because of the storm. I’m not sure what my reactions might have been had it been a clear night. Thank you for not trying to force things further.”