by Nancy Gideon
“There’s nothing wrong with you or Oscar,” he growled. “Anyone would be lucky to have you.”
Her smile was heartbreaking. “Not everyone agrees with you.” She stood as Brigit returned, carrying an extra cup of coffee. “I’d better go get Ozzy up for school.”
Brigit took the empty seat and nodded after Tina. “She’s nice. She shouldn’t be so sad.”
Giles studied her, looking for a hint of cynicism, but the comment seemed sincere. “She is nice, and she’s had a hard life.”
Her reply surprised him. “We have that in common.”
He did snort then. “You don’t appear to have been suffering.”
Steady dark eyes fixed upon his. “You don’t know anything about me, Mr. St. Clair, except what you see.”
“You make it pretty difficult for anyone to discover much more than that.”
She sipped from her cup and sighed reflectively. “I suppose I do. Habit, I guess, from growing up the way we did. Our entire family was slaughtered by the Terriots when we were little more than children. Then it was just me and Silas and our cousin Kendra, doing whatever we had to in order to survive at their mercy.” She took in his obvious surprise with a mocking smile. “Oh, I know you see me as a spoiled bitch, but attitude and looks were the only weapons I had, and it was up to me to take care of Kendra after Silas left. I learned to use them well. Survival doesn’t breed good manners or tender sympathies. I don’t know how to do anything else but fight for what I need or want. And to be willing to do whatever’s necessary to protect those I love. But you probably wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Mr. St. Clair?”
He knew everything there was to know about sacrifice and the price it claimed.
“Now Silas has made a new life here that doesn’t include me,” she continued in a tougher tone that didn’t quite conceal her sorrow. “I’ve been forcibly barred from taking part in Kendra’s future. Tina and Oscar are strangers, but they’re all I have left.” Her smile was both rueful and sad. “The moral of my story? You don’t have to worry about me trying to run off.” She finished the rest of her coffee and stood. “I have nowhere else to go.”
And with that admission, she left him alone, not knowing what to think or believe about her anymore.
“So,” Brigit began casually as she wove a French braid in Tina’s baby-fine hair. She used to do the same for Kendra. “What’s it like having a human mate? Is he able to hold your interest, to satisfy you?”
They were sitting in the parlor. Brigit could see Tina’s reflection in the ornate wall mirror and watch her cheeks burn a fiery red.
“I have nothing to compare it to. I thought I was human.”
“What about Oscar’s father?”
Now Tina’s face drained of color. “I don’t remember anything about him. I was very young and had run away for what I thought was going to be an adventure.”
Brigit soothed a hand along one delicate shoulder. “But it was a nightmare. You don’t need to talk about it if it’s upsetting.”
“Maybe it’s upsetting because I don’t talk about it. I pretend nothing happened, the same way I pretend there’s nothing wrong with my marriage.”
“What is wrong with it?” Brigit coaxed quietly.
“I couldn’t make myself tell Alain about my past, about my worries, about what I discovered we were, Oscar and I. I kept pretending nothing was wrong, that everything was normal, because I wanted to be the wife of a police detective, not the mother to the heir of some Shape-shifter clan who was raped by a monster.” Those fragile shoulders began to shake, and Brigit squeezed them firmly.
“Does he still love you?”
She sniffled and said, “I think so. But he’s so hurt and angry at me for keeping the truth from him. He can’t look at me without seeing some unnatural beast.”
“We’re females, not beasts,” Brigit corrected indignantly. “Doesn’t he know we don’t change form?”
“I don’t know what he knows. I don’t know much myself.”
“He’s been partners with my brother and doesn’t seem to have any difficulty accepting him, so that’s hopeful.” Brigit paused, then chuckled. “But he’s not having sex with my brother.”
That coaxed a reluctant smile from Tina as Brigit finished up the ends of the braid and admired her handiwork. “You’re very lovely, you know. With the right dress and the proper lipstick, I bet you could get him to forget about everything but animal instinct.”
Tina’s gaze lifted. “What kind of dress?”
“Oh, something bright but not too daring. You wouldn’t want to scare him off. A little color on your face, a whiff of something sexy, an accidental fall into his arms that somehow manages to mysteriously pop open your bodice. Nature takes its course.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It is easy.”
“For someone who looks like you.”
“For any female. Men are linear creatures, led by their lusts. You only have to give them an excuse to act on what they already want to do.”
Tina gave a naughty chuckle. “And what excuse are you giving Giles?”
Brigit went completely still. “Giles St. Clair?”
Tina raised an eyebrow.
Rattled, Brigit sniffed. “I don’t do humans. They can’t measure up to what I’m used to.”
Clearly caught up in the woman-to-woman conversation, Tina asked, “Have you ever been in love with any of them?”
The open admiration in the big dark eyes made Brigit’s thoughts stumble. She’d been envied, hated, feared, but never admired. Not even Kendra had ever gazed up at her with such a desire to emulate her. It was all a lie, of course, the qualities Tina Babineau thought she saw. There was nothing the least bit admirable in who she was or what she was doing.
“Once,” she admitted hesitantly.
“With that fellow who gave his life for you? Under other circumstances, I would have seen that as romantic.”
“Romantic?” Brigit huffed. “It was stupid. If he’d listened to me, we’d be together, and I’d be . . . Things would be different.”
Not disillusioned, Tina sighed. “Was he handsome?”
“There’s nothing more delicious than a Guedry male,” Brigit confided with a smile, then her purpose faltered.
She saw in the other woman’s gaze a reflection of the emptiness in her own soul. That longing to be loved for who she was. For a time, Brigit had thought Daniel was the one who saw through to her inner self, but he’d misread her so completely. So fatally. She probably deserved her solitary punishment, but she was equally convinced that Tina had done nothing to earn hers.
“What are you willing to do to get your man back?”
Tina met her gaze in the mirror. “Go shopping?”
“Exactly.”
“I really can’t afford—”
“My treat,” Brigit offered, thinking of the cash she’d won off Giles’s coworkers. “And my pleasure.”
Hope and gratitude lit Tina’s eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes. Clothes are a good start, but a great dress and a quick tumble won’t seal the deal. You need some time together to talk . . . when you can catch your breath.”
The sexual insinuation made Tina blush, but only for a moment. “We’ve never really spent any time alone. There’s always been Ozzy and his job.”
“Excuses, not reasons. He must get vacation time, and Oscar is perfectly content here, from what I’ve seen. I could watch over him for you. What are sisters for?”
Brigit remained perfectly still within the sudden wrap of Tina’s embrace. She was smiling again when her half sister sat back, eyes glistening but bright with anticipation.
“Fuchsia. I had a scarf that color once.”
“Then fuchsia it is.”
He took one business call, and by the time he was finished, they were gone.
Fifteen damned minutes was all it had taken.
Giles stormed through the house
, bumping into Jasmine.“Where did they go?” he asked fiercely.
“Teddy drove them into the city. Is something wrong?”
Teddy? Might as well trust a St. Bernard. All bulk and drool, with no ferociousness or brain.
Giles stalked back toward the study, too agitated to wonder over the immensity of his own rage. He thought about calling, about pursuing them himself, but finally dismissed both impulses as overreactions. Teddy would keep them safe and bring them home. Unless Brigit got clever. Then Teddy was absolutely useless.
She’d lied to him and defied him. Lied right to his face. And he’d believed her.
He’d looked into those deep brown eyes and read sincerity there because he’d wanted to. He wanted to think she was something other than what he knew she was the second he saw her.
Trouble.
He reached for the decanter of Scotch on Jimmy’s sideboard. He wasn’t a drinker, but at the moment he needed something with a stronger burn than his humiliation.
She’d played him. But to what purpose?
If she was trying to escape, why involve Tina and Teddy? True, she’d be near a transportation hub with the sizable amount of cash she’d won off his coworkers. She could easily slip her companions and be anywhere in a matter of hours. But why run, and from what?
She’d been desperate to meet with Silas when she arrived. She’d offered no explanation for the bloodied clothes, but Silas never would have left his sister in any true danger.
So she’d kept her silence and let her protector leave. And now she didn’t have enough respect for him to trust him with whatever shadowed her stare.
Giles had heard a brief snatch of their conversation in the parlor. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the optimism in Tina’s voice had made him pause to smile, glad she’d found someone to unburden her heart to. He didn’t interfere because there was a basic wisdom in the things Brigit was imparting, the kind of straight-shooting truth that Tina needed to hear to escape the numbing limbo she was hiding in.
Of course, the last thing he selfishly wanted was for Tina to reunite with the idiot she’d married, and for her and Oscar to move back home. He did think of them as a surrogate family, and their safety was only one reason for wishing they’d remain. Brigit had been right about that, too. How pathetic that made him sound, greedily coveting another man’s loved ones as if they were his own.
If it was part of Brigit’s plan to endanger them in any way . . . He took another long swallow in an attempt to quench that smolder, and began the restless wait for their return.
He heard Oscar’s voice first, chattering happily as they came in the front door. They must have picked him up from school on the way back. Giles stepped into the hall, letting his stern features crease with a smile. “Hey, sport. How was your day?”
“I aced that geography test Brigit helped me study for, but I’ve got an essay due in English tomorrow.”
“You’d best get to it, then.”
They bumped forearms as the boy passed him, and Giles experienced a deep cut of misery. What was he going to do once the boy moved on?
“Wait until you see what I bought,” Tina gushed with a female’s mistaken belief that a man was ever interested in what came out of a shopping bag unless it had to do with lingerie, auto parts, or sporting goods.
He eyed the packages with an indulgent smile. “From the looks of it, you’ve got a regular fashion show planned.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t make you suffer through that.”
“I wouldn’t mind as long as there’s popcorn and I get to wolf-whistle,” he teased.
She laughed, her pretty face warmed by happiness and a blush that made him long for his sisters with a wrenching ache.
“Need a hand carrying those up?”
“I’ve got it. Thanks.”
He watched her go upstairs and then turned his narrowing stare to Brigit MacCreedy. She stood just inside the doorway with empty hands and an emotionless expression.
“Have fun?” he drawled softly.
“Tina did, once she got used to the idea. Don’t worry. I didn’t let her bankrupt her savings.”
He saw it then, the edge of fear behind her steady gaze.
“Anything eventful happen in town?”
She regarded him unblinkingly. “No.” She took a breath. “Did Silas leave a number where he can be reached?” she asked as if it were a casual question. Giles could see it was anything but.
“He gave me a message phone in case of an emergency. Do you have one?”
A quick smile. “No, of course not. I just wanted to ask his opinion on something, but it can wait.”
She started toward him with a nonchalant stride. He waited until they were side by side to say quietly, “If you’re in trouble, tell me. I can help you.”
Her gaze was as flat as her tone. “What could you possibly do for me?”
He stepped aside to give her more room to pass. “Silly me for thinking I might have something to offer.”
It was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
Brigit stared at the empty chair as they ate their evening meal. Giles’s absence had her heartbeats crashing about like an untethered vessel upon a violent sea.
When had she begun to see him as her safe harbor?
I can help you.
Perhaps it was the affection she saw in the eyes of mother and son that whispered, ”Trust him.” Perhaps it was her cautious brother’s willingness to leave his business and his personal matters in the human’s care. Or maybe it was Giles’s solid, immovable presence that gave her the feeling she could cling and not get swept away.
No matter the reason, she was fast running out of options. Danger was on their doorstep, and she couldn’t face it alone.
She’d experienced the same shiver of threat as they’d walked through the Shops at Canal Place that afternoon with Teddy dogging their steps. Again, a quick search had given no sign of danger. But the rapid pump of her blood, the agitation quivering in her breath, insisted it was there.
Was it Terriot or Guedry? Both had reason to want her dead. Or was Tina the one in jeopardy? Surely she and Silas weren’t the only ones who realized Oscar’s value within their clan hierarchy.
She’d kept Tina close and had ended their trip as quickly as possible while maintaining a vigilant watch. Nothing to warrant her suspicions.
But she didn’t breathe easy until the mechanized gates closed behind them.
She’d never been good at asking for help. From learning to tie her own shoes to discouraging an overly aggressive suitor, she had preferred to struggle and do things her own way rather than depend upon another’s assistance.
Silas was the only exception. He knew her too well and still loved her. She could place anything, no matter how horrible or embarrassing, in his hands and know he’d come through for her. Always. Until now.
She couldn’t wait for him to return, nor did she have the luxury of selecting a proper champion. She would have to make do with what was at hand.
I can help.
But would he, could he, really?
If Giles thought her presence put Tina and her son at risk, would he take on the troubles she’d made for herself?
Eleven more days and she could turn the whole matter over to Silas. She could say nothing at all until then. The estate was built to keep danger at bay. Max Savoie and Jimmy Legere before him had prepared for enemies both criminal and supernatural when designing those defenses. No threat could get inside the walls; all she had to do was stay safely within them.
But how would that protect a mother and son who left that protection daily?
She stared at the naive female opposite her—an interloper in Brigit’s family, a tool she’d thought to use and discard without remorse.
Dark eyes, like those of the mother they shared, touched on her stare and warmed with fondness. Well, she hadn’t asked the silly creature to like her or trust her motives. Shared blood didn’t automatically imply shared anything
else. She didn’t owe this woman and her son anything: not compassion, not protection, not the annoyingly strong sense of kinship that had been growing since they’d shared a fitting room like BFFs instead of rivals. Brigit didn’t need a female friend, and she had enough family, thank you very much.
All she had to do to protect her interests was say nothing.
But she found herself smiling at Tina’s lively retelling of their excursion to a squirmingly bored Oscar. The younger woman’s features were flushed with a happiness that Brigit hadn’t known in a long time but had briefly recaptured as they’d conquered the shops arm in arm.
She couldn’t salvage the situation on her own. The fierce pride that had always served her well was now more liability than asset. She’d never learned to bend or compromise, not the way her brother had in order to save them. If she were going to get them all through the next eleven days, if she couldn’t bring herself to beg, she would have to do whatever it took to beguile Giles to ensure his cooperation.
He couldn’t very well refuse to help her if there were more to bind them than his word to her brother.
And that meant casting aside subtlety in her pursuit of the human who’d left his chair unclaimed.
Giles stood under the shower’s hot spray, trying to steam his brain open. Sometime in midafternoon it had stopped functioning on a rational level. He could blame one too many drinks of that fine Scotch, but he knew the cause wasn’t liquor. It was an intoxication of a completely different nature.
He could hear Brigit’s contemptuous drawl. I don’t do humans.
That knowledge didn’t keep him from wanting to do the shapely Shape-shifter in the worst possible way.
He’d tried to build every roadblock he could think of to hold back the lust that just kept rising. She was Silas’s sister, entrusted into his care. She was an unnatural being. She was a deceitful bitch totally devoid of decency.
But Brigit MacCreedy was also the most gorgeous female he’d ever seen. And she was afraid, which was all his stupid male instincts needed to put him into a tailspin. He didn’t know how to pull up before the crash and burn.
