AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Travis laughed. “She created the danger in her life as I’m certain your investigator told you. Do you think her enemies aren’t well aware that she’s now Lady Victoria Lillian Harrington? Do you honestly believe her past isn’t going to return to bite her on the ass?”
He was the concerned past lover. He was the man that knew her secrets better than any other. He was the man her family was going to have to accept whether they wanted to or not.
“Leave it alone,” Desmond fired back. “I can take care of any repercussions if you’ll walk the hell away.”
“And what repercussions would that be, Uncle Desmond?” Lilly stepped into the room.
Travis knew the creature Lilly Belle was. Silent, stealthy, but too damned curious. She was known for her inability to keep her nose out of danger. Even within the Ops her reputation was fairly solid in that regard.
She stepped into the room, obviously surprising her uncle with her clothing, as well as her demeanor.
Desmond Harrington rose to his feet, shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks.
“I have the limo outside,” he stated, his tone grating. “We need to leave, Lilly.”
A smooth, negligent shrug of her shoulders was the first indication Travis saw of the agent he once knew. Lilly pursed her lips thoughtfully as she propped her hands on her hips and surveyed the room silently for long moments.
“You said you didn’t know anything about where I’ve been or what I’ve been doing for the past six years,” she told her uncle. “You lied to me.”
A dark frown creased Desmond’s brow. “At the time, I had no idea,” he bit out, his tone icily angry now. “If you recall, I informed you I would hire investigators to pursue the subject. Their report came in weeks ago.”
“And I wasn’t told?” She leaned a shapely hip against the back of the couch Travis sat in. A move that Desmond clearly understood. Lilly Belle was in the room right now.
“Could we discuss this at home?” Desmond demanded. “With your mother present, if you don’t mind, rather than with this gentleman.” He made the last word sound like a curse.
“Funny, Uncle Desmond,” she mused then. “Your investigators know so much now, but they didn’t find me in the six years I was missing?”
His expression became pinched. “We believed there was no way you could have survived that explosion,” he answered. “You were declared dead when no evidence of your whereabouts could be found.”
“And now my whereabouts are known,” she drawled, her tone cold.
“Once we had your new . . . ,” he looked uncomfortable, “identity was rather easy.”
Travis wanted to shoot the bastard.
He rose slowly to his feet and moved to the bar. All the while he kept his gaze on Lilly’s face through the large mirror on the other side of the room.
“This gentleman, as you call him, seems to know more about me than you or Mother,” she informed him, her tone calm and quiet as she moved from the couch.
That wasn’t a good sign. A nice calm tone from Lilly Belle was usually something to be wary of.
Desmond grimaced. “And I know more about him than he can imagine. He’s not the sort of person you want in your life, Lilly.”
“I think I’ve always been able to make that decision on my own, Uncle Desmond,” she reminded him, her smile tight now.
Damn, good ole Uncle Desmond was really starting to piss her off now. And he seemed to realize that. Travis was almost amused.
Travis watched as the other man took careful control of himself and attempted to repair the damage.
“I regret I haven’t given you the information I received,” he stated, and there seemed to be sincere regret in his tone. “The psychologist you were seeing in the hospital suggested it might be best that you remember certain things on your own. In the interests of your health, we elected to wait.” He cast Travis and Nik a harsh glare. “Victoria, please . . .”
“Lilly,” she informed him, the quick, sharp tone of her voice drawing a reaction from her, as well as surprise from Desmond. “Please, call me Lilly.”
Travis cast the other man a tight smile of victory. She was Lilly Belle, Lady Victoria Harrington be damned.
“Lilly.” Desmond obviously didn’t approve of the name. “Please, dear. Let’s return to the house, and we’ll discuss this. The limo is waiting outside.”
“I brought the bike. I’ll follow you back.”
