He was tense in her arms for the first few moments, almost rejecting the comfort of her touch. Finally he turned and gathered her close, his face buried in her hair, his arms wrapped around her so tightly it hurt.
She wanted to kill Moira. She’d never wanted to kill someone before, but if she had Moira Dunne alone in that moment, Leo would be minus a sister. She held him, stroked his hair, and resolved that she would get to the bottom of whatever had caused Moira to hurt the man in her arms so badly that he shook with it.
When Moira stepped out on the porch, looking both sheepish and penitent, Ruby couldn’t find it in her to forgive her. Yet.
Ruby shook her head slightly, trying to get the other woman to go away. She didn’t think Leo would want his sister seeing him so vulnerable. With a slight nod, the girl went back inside, and Ruby went back to trying to soothe the slowly calming man.
Jaden stared through the one-way glass at the unique man on the other side. Shane Joloun Dunne lay sprawled on his back, his dark blue eyes glued to the ceiling, a look of total concentration on his face. He was completely naked, not that Jaden was looking.
Okay, yes, he was. The man had a hell of a physique.
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49
Dana Marie Bell
“Why the hell is he naked?” Jaden asked, turning to Malmayne the elder. Other than for my viewing pleasure, that is.
Cullen Malmayne looked at him blankly. “In case he tries to escape, of course.”
Jaden nodded, and then shook his head. “What kind of spy movies have you been watching?”
Cullen’s snort of aggravation was music to Jaden’s ears. “Shane will be too embarrassed to run through the streets of, may the gods help us, Omaha, completely nude.”
Jaden blinked, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. If it were him behind that glass wall, you bet your ass he’d be running around Omaha stark naked if he had to. But from what he’d seen, when the time came Shane wouldn’t have that problem.
“Any clue as to what he’s doing?” Cullen’s voice was mildly curious, like a man wondering what his dog was doing and why.
Making himself clothes, Jaden thought. He was pretty sure the hybrid had some secreted around his cell, not that Jaden would tell. Jaden shook his head, turning once again to stare at Shane and hoping like hell the man would be ready soon. Jaden hated working for Malmayne the Elder and the Deranged Darling.
“Any word from the Dunne’s?” Jaden waited for the answer he knew would be coming.
“No.”
He nodded, not really surprised, when the door behind them opened.
“Has Leo called?”
Jaden shuddered at the saccharin sound of Kaitlynn’s voice, his eyes never leaving the two-way glass.
Much better view, anyway.
“No, my dear, he hasn’t. He should contact us soon, however.” Jaden kept watch on Cullen and Kaitlynn out of the corner of his eye. Cullen moved towards his daughter, his voice soothing and mild.
Crazy bitch, he thought, watching a slight movement of Shane’s hand. A shimmer of dark blue silk appeared in his hand and was swiftly thrust under the mattress. The hybrid’s eyes shut wearily, his task complete. For the moment.
Jaden grinned, careful to hide his teeth. It was only a matter of time before both his and the hybrid’s plans could be set in motion.
“You want to tell me what that was all about?”
The quiet question didn’t surprise him. The calm acceptance did. He figured she deserved some answers, starting with who, and what, he was, and why he needed her with him.
They were sitting in the barn, in the hayloft, staring up at the sky. He hadn’t wanted to go back into the house just yet, hadn’t wanted to face Moira’s accusations or his mother’s understanding. So he’d taken his kitten to the barn and up into the hayloft, his favorite spot, and settled her down on the hay.
50
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Dare to Believe
He felt her patient gaze on him, but had no idea how to explain to her everything that was going on without revealing the family’s secrets. He didn’t know if she was ready for that. Unfortunately, he didn’t think he had a choice in the matter.
“Just spit it out, Leo.”
That faint hint of impatience pulled a reluctant grin from him. He settled back with a sigh, his eyes fixed on the sky out the barn doors. It was a beautiful day, the sky bright and blue, with what few clouds there were only adding to the overall picture. The Dunne lands were extremely fertile; his father’s magic saw to that. He could see him in the distance, working his lands, talking to some of the other people who helped to run the huge amount of acreage Sean owned.
Leo didn’t often brag about his father, but the man had just as much talent for making money as he did for growing corn and potatoes. His parents chose to live in the house they did rather than something more elaborate, keeping a low profile and enjoying the benefit of having their neighbors feel free with them.
“Leo. You’re stalling.”