Anita Clenney - Embrace the Highland Warrior

A girlfriend? Cody had a girlfriend? Shay eased back into the hall, trying to breathe.

“You’re right about the candy,” the woman said. “I don’t think it did me any good. I wish I could just lie in bed all day.” There was a thump, like a pillow hitting flesh, and a low male chuckle.

“Serves you right,” Cody said.

Shay backed away and slipped down the steps, her brain and legs numb. Marcas and Lachlan were in the living room, their voices coming closer. She couldn’t face anyone. She turned and went down the hall, opening the nearest door. When she was a child, the door stayed locked. Ewan MacBain had forbidden them to go down there. Shay adored Ewan, sometimes even pretended he was her father, but she wouldn’t have dared defy a direct edict from him. She closed the door and waited for the voices to pass. Someone had left a light on. Curious, she looked down the stairs, expecting rickety steps, cobwebs, and spiders, dangerous things for kids, not a Bat Cave with rows of computers and weapons lining the walls, guns, swords, and battle-axes, a blend of high tech and medieval. Was Ewan a collector?

She moved down the steps in a daze. The weapons were amazing, authentic, from what she could tell. There was a sitting area with worn leather sofas and chairs. Another room had weights and workout machines. Beyond that, she could see a large, empty space with what looked like wrestling mats covering the floor.

A tall cabinet caught her eye. It was an old piece, probably eighteenth century, in great condition. It held several old books, a few small knives, and a long, wooden box. The grain of wood was unusual. Shay couldn’t resist peeking inside. She saw a thick, round necklace, similar to the one Cody and his brothers wore, but this one had three swirls in the center, etched with some kind of symbols. There were other things, too, gadgets she’d never seen before. Off to the side, a small door stood ajar. She nudged it open and peeked inside, gaping at the wall of monitors. Good heavens. It was Nina’s house. They were recording Nina’s house, from every angle; front, sides, and back, even views of the woods.

She rethought her childhood, wondering if she had missed the signs of insanity in her next door neighbors, but then she saw that their house was monitored as well, again, from all sides. The entire perimeter was covered on both houses. Did this have something to do with her father’s top secret job? Ewan was involved. He’d admitted that much when he and Laura called to apologize a few weeks after she left. But video surveillance?

How could she have spent so much time in this house and not known about this basement? She and Cody had sneaked into plenty of places they weren’t supposed to. Thinking of Cody brought Shay’s attention back to the woman in his bed. Who was she? Did he love her? Want to spend the rest of his live with her? Grow old with her? How many had there been before this one? It shouldn’t matter; it was his life, but she couldn’t stay and watch. Why would he kiss Shay if he had a girlfriend? Was he just trying to exorcise old ghosts so he could move on? As Shay was? The thought left her feeling as hollow as a straw.

If she hurried, maybe she could leave before he noticed. She could go back to Leesburg, call and apologize, say Renee had called. Shay slipped up the basement stairs. Faint voices came from the kitchen. She hurried into Lachlan’s bedroom, passed his unmade bed, and slipped out the back door onto his cobblestone patio. She ran toward Nina’s, stopping once when she thought she would throw up. After a few steady breaths, she continued to the house.

The white cat was waiting at the front door. It stood, tail swishing, as Shay approached. “Move over, cat. I’m in a hurry.” The cat didn’t move, so Shay stepped around it. Her hands were still shaking as she opened the door. A soft thud came from the sitting room. She walked to the doorway and stepped on something. Stooping, she picked it up. A book? Her foot struck another one. She flipped on the light switch. A man stood in the center of the room. He had long, blond hair and icy blue eyes.

One second he was by the fireplace; the next he was in front of her, eyes as clear as glass. “You can make this easy… or hard,” he said with a tight smile.

Shay screamed and hurled the book at him, hitting him in the face. She turned to run, but tripped over the cat who had wandered inside. It hissed and darted into the room. Shay scrambled off the floor and sprinted outside. She looked back to make sure the man wasn’t following her and ran headlong into a wall. Someone grabbed her arms. “Cody, there’s—” She looked up and saw it wasn’t Cody, but the man who broke into her shop in Scotland. There were two stalkers? Shay punched him in the nose.

“Damnation, woman. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Stay away from me.” She wasn’t sure which way to run. One was in the house, one was outside. She would have to fight. She attacked the man, punching and kicking, when a pair of arms like steel bands encircled her from behind.

“Are all the women in this century bloody deranged?” the man said.

“What’re you doing here? I almost shot you.” That was Cody’s voice, and Shay could smell his scent. He was the one restraining her.

“Shoot him,” Shay yelled.

“You need a new cell phone,” the man said. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

“I haven’t been home much, and I left my cell phone on the charger. I’ve been distracted,” Cody said.

The man looked at Shay and rubbed his nose. “I can see. I didn’t have your home number, only your address.”

“You know this stalker?” Shay demanded.

“I’m not a stalker,” the stranger said.

“Then why are you stalking me?”

“He’s a friend,” Cody said.

“A friend?” Why had Cody sent a friend to spy on her? “I guess I need to apologize to the other guy for hitting him,” Shay said.

Cody frowned. “What other guy?”

“The one inside the house.”

Cody tensed. “Who’s with you?” he asked the stranger.

“No one.”

Cody released Shay so fast she staggered to catch her balance, and both men rushed past her into the house. Shay hurried after them.

“What in blazes?” Cody looked at the bookshelf knocked over and books strewn across the floor. “Did you see anyone?” he asked the stranger.

“No. I just got here when I heard a scream and ran to help. She came at me like a madwoman.”

“The last time I saw you in Scotland, I thought you were going to attack me,” she said. “You shouldn’t creep around spying on people.”

The stranger gave her an exasperated look, similar to the one Cody wore. “I was trying to protect you.”

“Well, you should have introduced yourself and said, ‘Hey, I’m here to protect you,’ instead of scaring the daylights out me.”

Marcas rushed in the front door, with Lachlan right behind him, hopping as he shoved one foot into his boot. “What’s going on?”

“Someone just broke in here,” Cody said.

“I thought I heard something tearing through the woods,” Lachlan said. His sense of hearing was unmatched.

“Shay, lock the doors. We’ll search the woods,” Cody said. “Let’s go, before the tracks get cold.”

***

The night was dark, the moon hidden behind clouds. Cody tuned in his vision and saw something dart between the trees. He sprinted toward it, but nothing was there. He stood still and listened, sniffing the air. There was a strange smell, almost sweet, and everything was quiet.

Too quiet, he realized, a second before something slammed him into a tree. Cody caught a glimpse of pale hair and lunged, tackling the man low. The guy felt like he was made of metal. Cody heard a grunt and tree limbs breaking as they fell. The moon emerged. There was a whooshing sound, and the man disappeared. Cody spun around, but his opponent was gone. Alarm prickled up his spine. A stalker, and now this? Had the clan been wrong about Shay? He wouldn’t let anything harm her, not after he’d just gotten her back. He turned around and bumped into Shay.