Home, she thought with a smile. Uncle Bart had bought the second house, so she and Luke now had the first floor of the first house to themselves. In the past three weeks they had made love in every room, and she found herself blushing at odd times, remembering the pleasure. That was the one thing her mother and the other women had never mentioned, and she wondered if any of them had ever known pleasure with a man.
Candace found her eyes roaming to her husband, enjoying the ripple of his muscles under his snug t-shirt as he loaded the vehicle.
“Never gets old, does it” Mel whispered in her ear.
Candace started then blushed when she looked up to see both Mel and Addy watching her, their grins telling her they knew just what she’d been thinking about. She started to speak, then froze in terror when she heard a familiar voice
“You really thought you’d get away from me, didn’t you?”
Candace turned to face the one man in the entire world she had prayed day and night she would never have to meet again.
The Manager hadn’t changed. Even in the bright lights of the studio, he was all darkness, from his ebony skin to his black-pinstriped suit, to his black shirt and tie. The four men at his back—two black and two white—were dressed in much the same way, though she knew their clothing would not be as finely cut.
“Candace, Mel, Addy,” Luke said. “Come over this way.”
All three women began to comply, but the Manager pulled a gun and pointed it at Luke.
“I don’t think so. I’ve just come for what’s mine,” he said in an amazingly smooth voice. Candace knew under that smoothness there seethed a bubbling caldron of fury—all of it directed at her.
“There’s nothin’ here that’s yours,” Luke said, sounding remarkably calm for someone with a gun pointed at him.
“Don’t bet your life on it,” the Manager said, letting just a hint of the heat show. “I spent a lot of time and money on this particular whore, and she belongs to me. I’m just here to take back what’s mine.”
Candace forced herself to take one step toward him. “Don’t hurt anybody,” she said. “Please.”
The Manager’s eyes flickered only briefly to her, before he ignored her.
“Saul, Johnny. Get her.”
Two of his minions began to move toward Candace. They ignored the other women which was their mistake. Suddenly a scream rent the air, and Candace turned just in time to see a mountain lion leap for one of the men. The Manager turned in surprise, raised his gun, and fired, but his shot went wide, and before he could make an adjustment, he was flattened under the charge of a vicious bear. Only seconds passed, and before the other men could get to their own weapons, the room was suddenly filled with bears, who were taking down the bad men like a farmer harvests his grain.
Once every last one of them was down, the Saint men Shifted back so they could disarm each of them. They conveniently found handcuffs on the four minions, which the brothers used to subdue them. Luke picked up the manager’s gun and pressed it to the man’s forehead.
“Don’t shoot him, Luke!” Candace cried. “Please!”
Luke controlled himself, but just barely.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
The studio manager, hearing the commotion, came bursting into the room.
“Call 911,” Bart said. “These clowns tried to kidnap our women.”
30
Candace lay in her husband’s arms late that night, and tried to sleep. He had loved her slowly and carefully, trying to set her mind at ease, but she still couldn’t turn off the images of the day’s fiasco at the studio.
At least it’s finally over, she reminded herself for the umpteenth time. I suppose I should worry about what’s going to happen to my mother, but I just can’t.
“Hey, you still awake?” Luke asked in a sleepy voice.
She nodded. “I can’t help it.”
Luke shifted, letting her down carefully so he could lean over her.
“It really is over,” he reminded her. “The cops believed everything we told them, because they wanted to. The so-called “Manager” has been on their radar for a long time, and you gave them what they needed to bring the guy’s whole empire down. They owe you, and they know it. That lieutenant who showed up promised to keep you out of it, so you’ll never have to testify. It really is over, darlin’.”
She shook her head. “I know. It’s just that I can’t get the picture of him pointing his gun at you out of my mind.” She reached up to play with the silky fur on his chest with trembling fingers. “If Addy hadn’t…” She broke off, still finding it hard to believe what her new friend had done.
Luke grinned, though. “Addy was sure somethin’, wasn’t she?”
Candace had to smile, too. “Yes. Yes, she was.”
He grasped her roving hand in his and held it to his lips.
“We’re all right, then, aren’t we?”
She searched his eyes in the dim light and reached her other hand up to cup his face.
“I think I love you, Luke Saint,” she whispered, surprising herself at the depth of the feelings she already had for this man whom she hadn’t even known a month.
He took a deep breath. “I’m glad to hear it, darlin’, ’cause I love you, too.”
“Do you?”
He nodded. “Do I need to show you some more?” he asked.