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He glances at Jill. “I’ll be right there.” It’s a dismissal that purses her lips, but she turns and walks away.
Jax lowers his voice. “She was Hunter’s fiancée.”
“Oh.” I frown. “Then why does she look at you like she wants to lick you all over?”
He doesn’t laugh. “I think some sort of post-traumatic stress.”
“Then you know?”
“Yes. I know.”
“I like that you were honest about that.”
He lowers his mouth to my ear. “And I like that you’re thinking of licking me all over.”
Heat rushes through me and I glance up at him. “I wasn’t, but now I am,” I dare. “In your castle bed.”
“I’m now even more motivated than ever to get you to that bed.” He kisses me. “I’ll be just a minute. You can explore the castle if you want or I can have one of my men take you to our room.”
Our room. This statement does funny things to my belly. “I’ll wait on you. I might explore.”
“Pick a hallway,” he says, winking before he walks the direction Jill disappeared.
I glance at the hallways and decide on the one to the left. Excited to see what awaits me, I walk through the archway and find myself walking a long stone hallway with cutouts filled with pieces of art. I stop at each, admiring the pieces, some of which are expensive and well-known. Eventually, I have the option of entering a library or a winding stairwell. It’s a tough choice, the books call me, but I think this might be the tower I saw upon our approach.
I start the walk, winding left and right for a rather long climb. Finally, I step into a giant room that appears to be a chapel, based on the stained glass cross etched in the left stone wall. But what’s even more incredible is the giant cutout archway directly in front of me, at least ten feet wide, the wind lifting from what I believe to be the ocean beyond.
I approach it, hoping I can spy at least a shadow of the water. The wide landing is a large step up and I take that step but I don’t walk forward, certain there’s a long drop, that I will confirm in the morning light.
“The drop is two hundred feet.”
At the sound of a male voice, I turn to find a good looking man in jeans and a T-shirt, with blonde wavy hair so like Jax’s that I know who this has to be. “You’re Jax’s brother, Brody.”
“Yes. I am.” He stops almost just below me.
“I’m Emma—”
“I know who you are.” He steps up on the landing and literally crowds me to the point that I have to turn. I step and press my back to the stone archway, wanting something solid to support me. Suddenly I want off the landing.
Brody steps in front of me. “Why did you come here?”
There’s an accusation in his voice. “What? I —was I not supposed to?”
“Do you know how my brother died?”
My stomach knots. Ireallywant off this landing, but for reasons I can’t explain I know not to move. “He killed himself.”
“He jumped. He jumped from this very spot. If we believe what they tell us.” Brody grabs my arms. “Or maybe he was pushed.” He turns me, placing my back to the drop and with one shove, I’ll be over the edge, too.
Part Two: One Woman
Chapter forty-two
Emma
My heart is racing; cold wind off the Maine coastline blasting over me, biting at my legs beneath my skirt, the black space and drop behind me suffocating. The man holding me over the edge of the tower, brutally handsome and brutal is quite literal. “Do you think he jumped or was he pushed?”
I grab for him, but he’s out of reach. I can’t breathe. “I don’t know what happened to your brother, Brody,” I whisper, but then self-preservation kicks in and I shout. “Let me go!” But he doesn’t listen. He won’t listen, and I shout out beyond him, hoping someone hears me. “Help! Help! Help!”
