house.
“We’re working on it, Cade,” Tara promised him, her voice firm though not in the least conciliatory. “Rick should be back tonight with the information he went after, so hopefully, we’ll have answers soon.”
“I’m going upstairs.” Sam’s voice broke through the beginnings of yet another heated argument over the safeguards in place around the ranch and the August family. Heather knew they were all beginning to chafe under the restrictions, and the stress of waiting on a damned phantom that struck when they least expected it.
“Not yet, Sam.” Heather watched as Tara went to block him.
“Stop.” The barely leashed violence in Sam’s tone stopped her in her tracks. Heather watched in surprise as Sam’s expression hardened, his eyes turning cold and bleak.
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
37
“Sam, I need to know what the hell happened,” Tara argued.
“Then call the sheriff,” he growled, moving past her. “I need a shower and a fucking nap. Not a bunch of questions that I’ve answered already.”
He stalked past her. As her sister went to stop him again, Heather laid her hand on the other woman’s arm warningly. “Let him go, Tara. Now is the wrong time.”
Tara turned on them, her gaze going to Cade rather than Heather.
“How the hell am I supposed to protect his ass?” she bit out. “He wanders around at all hours of the night, refuses to take the bodyguards with him, and refuses to answer questions. Where does that leave us, Cade?”
They were all worried about Sam. The past months, the dark anger barely glimpsed in his gray blue eyes was growing. He was tenser than ever before, angrier. Cade turned to Heather, his gray eyes swirling with concern and rage.
“You’re the only one that can stop this, Heather.”
Heather’s eyes widened. How the hell was she supposed to stop any of it?
“Goddammit, Cade,” Tara snapped out then, her voice raising. “Don’t try to pull her into this mess.”
“It’s her decision, Tara,” he growled furiously. “Stop playing nursemaid to her, it won’t help anything.”
“And fucking the August men in some glorified orgy will?” Her voice was raising, anger surging through it.
“Dammit, Tara, shut the hell up,” Heather snapped out, moving between the two combatants. “It’s not up to any of you, it’s up to Sam and me, and he doesn’t want me here. So the question is not debatable.”
Cade’s head snapped around, his eyes penetrating, filled with cynical derision.
“Are you insane, Heather? There’s nothing Sam wants more in this world than he wants you. Don’t play the fool at this late date.”
Heather took a deep, steadying breath. “He’s damned good at denial then. But still, that’s beside the point.” She looked at Marly, seeing the glimmer of humor in the other woman’s eyes, the way she watched Cade and Tara as though they were children, arguing over a prized toy. The woman never ceased to amaze her.
“Heather’s right,” Marly said firmly, placing her hand on Cade’s muscular arm.
“Sam has to work this out for himself, and so does Heather. All the arguing in the world won’t change that, Cade.”
He swiped his fingers through his thick black hair. “Dammit, Marly, he’s going to get himself killed.”
The dark fear that pulsed in Cade’s voice seemed to fill the entire entryway. The bond the men shared went far deeper than that of any sibling relationship that Heather had ever known.
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
38
“I’ll talk to him, Cade,” Heather promised. As Tara went to protest, she held up her hand with a sharp shake of her head. “This isn’t any of your business, Tara. It’s mine and Sam’s.”
“Goddammit.” Tara turned and stomped through the house then, the sound of her boots a rapping tap on the hardwood floor that had Heather wincing. Tara only did that when she was really pissed.
“Heather, Sam’s getting too reckless,” Cade bit out, his voice lowered in
“We’re working on it, Cade,” Tara promised him, her voice firm though not in the least conciliatory. “Rick should be back tonight with the information he went after, so hopefully, we’ll have answers soon.”
“I’m going upstairs.” Sam’s voice broke through the beginnings of yet another heated argument over the safeguards in place around the ranch and the August family. Heather knew they were all beginning to chafe under the restrictions, and the stress of waiting on a damned phantom that struck when they least expected it.
“Not yet, Sam.” Heather watched as Tara went to block him.
“Stop.” The barely leashed violence in Sam’s tone stopped her in her tracks. Heather watched in surprise as Sam’s expression hardened, his eyes turning cold and bleak.
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
37
“Sam, I need to know what the hell happened,” Tara argued.
“Then call the sheriff,” he growled, moving past her. “I need a shower and a fucking nap. Not a bunch of questions that I’ve answered already.”
He stalked past her. As her sister went to stop him again, Heather laid her hand on the other woman’s arm warningly. “Let him go, Tara. Now is the wrong time.”
Tara turned on them, her gaze going to Cade rather than Heather.
“How the hell am I supposed to protect his ass?” she bit out. “He wanders around at all hours of the night, refuses to take the bodyguards with him, and refuses to answer questions. Where does that leave us, Cade?”
They were all worried about Sam. The past months, the dark anger barely glimpsed in his gray blue eyes was growing. He was tenser than ever before, angrier. Cade turned to Heather, his gray eyes swirling with concern and rage.
“You’re the only one that can stop this, Heather.”
Heather’s eyes widened. How the hell was she supposed to stop any of it?
“Goddammit, Cade,” Tara snapped out then, her voice raising. “Don’t try to pull her into this mess.”
“It’s her decision, Tara,” he growled furiously. “Stop playing nursemaid to her, it won’t help anything.”
“And fucking the August men in some glorified orgy will?” Her voice was raising, anger surging through it.
“Dammit, Tara, shut the hell up,” Heather snapped out, moving between the two combatants. “It’s not up to any of you, it’s up to Sam and me, and he doesn’t want me here. So the question is not debatable.”
Cade’s head snapped around, his eyes penetrating, filled with cynical derision.
“Are you insane, Heather? There’s nothing Sam wants more in this world than he wants you. Don’t play the fool at this late date.”
Heather took a deep, steadying breath. “He’s damned good at denial then. But still, that’s beside the point.” She looked at Marly, seeing the glimmer of humor in the other woman’s eyes, the way she watched Cade and Tara as though they were children, arguing over a prized toy. The woman never ceased to amaze her.
“Heather’s right,” Marly said firmly, placing her hand on Cade’s muscular arm.
“Sam has to work this out for himself, and so does Heather. All the arguing in the world won’t change that, Cade.”
He swiped his fingers through his thick black hair. “Dammit, Marly, he’s going to get himself killed.”
The dark fear that pulsed in Cade’s voice seemed to fill the entire entryway. The bond the men shared went far deeper than that of any sibling relationship that Heather had ever known.
Lora Leigh
Heather’s Gift
38
“I’ll talk to him, Cade,” Heather promised. As Tara went to protest, she held up her hand with a sharp shake of her head. “This isn’t any of your business, Tara. It’s mine and Sam’s.”
“Goddammit.” Tara turned and stomped through the house then, the sound of her boots a rapping tap on the hardwood floor that had Heather wincing. Tara only did that when she was really pissed.
“Heather, Sam’s getting too reckless,” Cade bit out, his voice lowered in
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