AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You better be calling to apologize,” I say into the phone.
“Is this Aurora Locksley?” asks an unfamiliar woman’s voice.
Caine hops off his stool and saunters up behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist, kissing my neck. A shiver of desire runs down my spine.
“Yes, who’s this?”
Caine nips playfully at my pulse line and heat floods my body. His warmth is like a furnace I sink into him.
“Tell them you’ll call back later. You’re busy,” Caine says in a rough voice.
I wave him off or try to. He isn’t easily deterred. His hand trails along my stomach underneath my shirt to graze my bare skin. My breath hitches as warmth blooms.
“Miss Locksley,” the woman says. She hesitates. “I’m Dr Sanchez at Massachusetts General hospital. I’m sorry to tell you this, but your brother Liam has been injured in an accident. We’re about to go into emergency surgery.”
“I’m on my way.”
Caine straightens up and steps back, seeming to realize something has happened.
A second later, his phone rings too, and he disappears into the other room.
I hang up and stand frozen in shock.
When Caine comes back into the kitchen, I’m still standing in the same spot.
“What happened?”
“Liam was in an accident,” I say. My voice sounds hollow even to my own ears.
“I swear, this wasn’t my doing.”
“I know,” the words come out in a shaky whisper.
“Nick rang from the front gate. Cops, but just two of them. Give me a minute to deal with that and I’ll take you to the hospital. You shouldn’t drive. Not now.”
I nod.
While Caine goes to answer the door, I sit down.
Moments later, raised voices reach me. Caine sounds angry. In some distant part of my mind, I wonder if he is being arrested. But he said there was just two of them. Whenever mob bosses are arrested there’s a swarm of cops and a media circus.
Caine looks furious, but restrained when he shows the police in. Plain clothes officers with shiny badges. Probably detectives. They have that look.
“Her brother’s been in an accident. Now isn’t a good time,” Caine growls. He comes to stand next to me in a protective stance.
One of the detectives, the older man, clears his throat. “Actually, that’s why we’re here, Mr. O’Connor. I’m detective McIntyre, and this is my partner, detective Stone. We’re sorry to inform you the accident involved your father, Miss Locksley.”
“What about my dad?” I ask. Panic clutches at me. Its greedy fingers twisting and tearing into my flesh.
“We are so sorry,” detective Stone begins and to her credit she sounds genuine. “But your father passed away.”
“We suspect there may have been more to it than just an accident,” detective McIntyre grunts. “Know anyone who would want to hurt Billy?”
Dad was murdered?
Caine wraps his arm around my waist. My world is spinning. I’m left speechless. I know I should cry or rage or have some kind of reaction. But I’m numb. I must be in shock.
I fall against him, and he catches me. I cling to him as the only solid thing I have left. I stumble, rocked by the realization that I’m hanging on to my kidnapper for dear life. Then I shake myself out of my stupor. Liam isn’t dead. He’s in the hospital, but dad wasn’t so lucky.
