Kit & Rogue (The Sons of Dusty Walker) (17 page)

In the dark, she felt his hand cover hers. “Not as lovely as you.”

“Elijah…” Lucia was at a loss for words.

“Am I scaring you?” He would never want to do that.

“Oh, no.” She assured him. “You’re just surprising me.”

Realizing he needed to slow down, Elijah changed the subject. He asked about her day and what she’d been doing since he saw her last. He also told her about the incident Rogue and Kit had endured and the photo. “I know I’ve seen her before, I just can’t remember when,” he explained.

“Why would they call him a murderer?” she asked in a confused tone. “Rogue Walker is a good man.”

“Yes, he is. He never has been an outgoing guy, but he doesn’t have a violent bone in his body. Not that he wouldn’t die defending someone he loved, like Kit, but he’s a gentleman. A true Southern gentleman.” As Elijah said the words, it hit him. He remembered. “Oh, my God. I know who she is.”

The rest of the trip, Lucia sat silently while Elijah talked to Zane. He first tried Rogue’s number, but no one answered. “Zane, her name was Lorna Close. Rogue was driving home from work one night and saw her stranded on the road with a flat tire. He stopped to help her. You know how Rogue is. Before Kit and his brothers, you and I were about the only people Rogue had anything to do with other than his mother. Oh, he dated, but he didn’t really socialize. This woman, Lorna, she started pursuing Rogue. She stopped by the office every other day. She asked for his number. She sent him gifts. I don’t think Rogue was that aware of her. He just passed it off. He wasn’t rude, he just wasn’t interested. I don’t think he realized how obsessed she became. This went on for about a month, and all of a sudden it stopped. We thought she just gave up.”

“Okay, I’ll check it out pronto. Have you talked to Rogue?”

“No, I couldn’t get him. He must have his phone turned off.” Elijah could understand that. Rogue had Kit to keep happy. If he had Lucia, Elijah thought he’d turn his phone off too. Just the idea of having her to come home to everyday, to hold in his arms at night, made Elijah half-mad with desire.

By the time he’d ended the call, he and Lucia were pulling up to Osprey House. “Marliss has made us a meal fit for a king, I’m sure. She said she’d keep it warm until we were ready. How about taking the walk first?”

Not waiting for her to answer, he came around to her side, opened the door and offered Lucia his hand. “Careful,” he cautioned when her foot slipped on the wet grass. “The dew’s pretty heavy on the ground.” Any excuse to touch her was good. Taking her hand, he led her from the drive to a path that led down by the water. “I enjoy being with you so much,” he began. Lord help, he was nervous. He’d never proposed to someone before.

“I have enjoyed our time together also.” Lucia glanced at him shyly. “You have been most kind to me. I wanted to tell you in person, I’m leaving in a few days. I have to report to the immigration office and turn myself in. I’ll be taken somewhere…”

“Karnes City,” Elijah said in disgust. “Rogue told me.” He stopped in his tracks, placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. They sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight. “Lucia, I don’t want you to go.”

Lucia’s voice hitched in her throat. “Elijah, I have no choice.”

“Yes, you do. Stay.” His tone was urgent, he voice compelling. “Stay with me.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice was shaking.

“I want you to stay here and marry me.”

His words made her want to cry. They were beautiful, a balm to her soul. But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t take advantage of this good man in that manner. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Elijah felt like he’d been poleaxed. “I can save you, Lucia. Stay here with me where you’ll be safe.” This wasn’t what he wanted to say. He wanted to pour out his heart and tell her that he’d never felt about another woman the way he felt about her. He wanted to tell her how his body yearned for hers. He wanted to tell her that he dreamed of her at night–but he couldn’t. She wouldn’t want to hear those things. But he’d thought she would allow him to rescue her. She might not let him love her, but at least she could let him be her protector.

Every cell in Lucia’s body screamed to touch him. She wanted to say ‘yes’ more than anything. She wanted to accept his offer of sanctuary. Lucia wanted to tell him that staying with him would be a dream come true, not because he offered her a green card, but because she’d fallen in love with his kind eyes and gentle hands. This was no mere man. Elijah Bowman was a hero.

But he wouldn’t be her hero. She would not ask him to sacrifice his future to save hers.

“I’m sorry, Elijah. I can’t marry you.” She offered no further explanation.

And Elijah didn’t have the heart to ask for one.

*  *  *

“I can’t believe we did that.” Kit stretched in the bed. Her whole body was limp with pleasure.

“Stick with me, sunshine. We’ll fill up that pinto bean jar in no time. How many times did you cum?” He asked with a smirk.

“Hmmm,” Kit pretended to have to think about it. “I’m not sure. Three?”

“Five!” he snorted. “I kept count.”

She giggled, feeling happy. They’d returned from Texas needing to shut the world out for a while. So, they’d left their phones downstairs out of earshot and lost themselves in one another. “I have to get up and help Mother today. We have a big group coming in to the lodge. I also need to work my horses. I’ve let their training lapse.” She pulled herself from the bed, wrapped in the soft sheet. “Speaking of a horse, do you think Jester felt at home in the barn last night?”

“He’d rather have been here in the house with us, but I’m sure he was fine.” Rogue stretched. “I’ve got a lot to do too. Paperwork is not my favorite thing.” He leaned over to steal a kiss. “Why don’t you hit the showers first and I’ll go down and get us some coffee.”

“Bring up my phone as you come. I might as well see if there’s anything that needs my urgent attention.”

“Will do.” Rogue felt the same way. It was time to get to work. He needed to reclaim his life and get back on track.

Finding a tray, he filled it with sugar, creamer, muffins and two hot cups of coffee. Then, he went to the bar and retrieved their phones. Seeing he had several missed calls, he checked the texts and voicemail.

“Rogue, where the hell are you?” He heard Elijah’s voice. “I know the name of the woman in the photograph. Lorna Close. Remember her?”

“Lorna Close.” Rogue repeated. “Hell, it doesn’t sound familiar.”

“Call me, you son-of-a-bitch,” Elijah’s excited voice caused Rogue to laugh.

“Lorna Close,” he repeated the name. Knowing he had something to go on, Rogue walked faster, excited to tell Kit. Once he was in the bedroom, he could hear the shower running. Knowing he had a few minutes before she was through, he gave Elijah a call. No answer. “Payback?” he asked sardonically. Next he called Zane, who answered on the second ring.

“Where in the hell have you been?”

“In bed with my wife.” Rogue answered calmly as if that explanation was the only one needed.

“Have you talked to Elijah?”

“I got his voice mail. He said the woman is Lorna Close.”

“Yes, a woman who apparently pursued you for a while. You helped her change a tire and she kept trying to ask you out to thank you.”

Rogue thought hard. “Yea, I remember changing some woman’s tire…but…”

“Elijah said most of the times when she called or came to your office, you were out. He and the secretaries fended her off. They knew you weren’t interested in her. Apparently this was fairly normal in your world.”

Rogue ignored the jab. “Hey, I’m a busy man.”

Zane snorted. “I talked to your Lone Wolf staff this morning and they confirmed that she acted a bit obsessive.”

Rogue rubbed his eyes. “God, I don’t remember all of that. If she pursued me, I wasn’t aware of it.”

“You have been known to be pretty self-absorbed.” Zane’s comment wasn’t meant to be critical, it was just the truth.

“I’m not that man anymore.” Rogue was sure of that fact.

“No, you aren’t. But that doesn’t change this. You didn’t owe this woman anything, she chose to expect more of you than you could give.”

“All right,” Rogue muttered, trying to make sense of what he’d just learned. “What does she have to do with all of this and why call me a murderer?”

Zane’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “She committed suicide a few months ago, Rogue. We think the man who’s after you is her brother. Presley’s team has traced the IP address back to Austin and they will be confirming today if Norman Close is the perpetrator. We did check where he worked and he hasn’t been in to his jobs in weeks. He’s disappeared. Also, the notary public has been found, the one I told you was missing. He’d been shot in the heart.”

“Damn! You think Lorna’s brother is responsible for all of this?” Rogue was shocked.

“Yes, we think he blames you for Lorna’s death. We’re going to go talk to some of his friends and coworkers today and see if we can find out more. Maybe one of them can tell us where he is.”

Rogue sank down to the bed. Kit came into the room wrapped in a towel, looking so cuddly, his heart constricted. “So, this may all be over soon.” He kept on with his phone conversation.

“Yes,” Zane agreed, “But it’s not over yet. He’s still out there and he’s dangerous. The man wants you to pay for the life of his sister. He’s been systematically trying to destroy you–your finances, your peace of mind–even any relationship you might have.”

“Yes, my Kit. God, this man must be a piece of work. He’d have to be planning this for some time. The amount of effort it took to gain Lucia’s trust must have been enormous.”

Kit’s ears perked up. “They found him?” she mouthed.

“Not yet,” he whispered, “but we may know his identity.”

“Norman Close is a madman, Rogue.” Zane insisted. “Do not let your guard down. I’m on the way to the airport, I’ll be there in a few hours. And I don’t know if you know it, but Elijah is in Red Creek. He intended to propose to Lucia last night.”

“I knew he was coming, he called and asked if he could use Osprey House. I wonder if she accepted?”

“He loves her. She’d be a fool not to.”

“I agree, but you never know what another person is thinking. Look at the mess I’m in.” Once they’d hung up, Rogue explained everything to his wife. “Knowing his identity is going to make this all so much easier. We can undo all of this mess and get on with our lives. He won’t be able to hide forever.”

Wrapped only in a towel, Kit sat in his lap. “Thank God, maybe things can get back to normal.” She relaxed against him as he rubbed her back.

“Did you bring my phone? I guess I need to check in with the real world. Promise me that as soon as all of this is over, we can take a real honeymoon.”

“Yes, I said we’d go to Colorado, but if you’d rather go to Paris or Hawaii–wherever, I’m all yours.”

He handed her her phone and she nuzzled his neck. “Thanks, that’s what I needed to hear.”

Kit turned her cell on, seeing there were several messages. Several were from Jack Alfred. “Oh, no. I hope nothing is wrong with the horses.” She gave him a quick call, but it went to voicemail. Next, she checked her texts.

Rogue was in the bathroom getting ready for the day when he heard her cry out. Running back to her, he asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Jack’s been trying to get ahold of me. He’s called a dozen times. His text says ‘come home right away, it’s an emergency’. “She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “What if we’ve lost another horse?”

Rogue saw that she was about to cry. “Maybe not. Get dressed and I’ll go with you and see what’s going on.”

Kit jumped up to get ready and Rogue dressed also. His head was aching, his mind whirling with all that was going on. Finding out the identity of his stalker, because that’s essentially what Norman Close was, had led to some conflicting emotions. He began to search his memory for any clue that he’d done anything to Close’s sister to lead her on.

He hadn’t. He’d been kind, nothing else.

The fact that he’d given her the brush-off or turned her down on any invitation she issued had been his prerogative. Again, he tried to remember if he’d been rude. Nothing came to his memory. Rogue knew he’d always been a lone wolf, but he never thought he’d been an ass. He was struck by the fact that a person can be living their life and minding their own business, yet become the focus of a person who feels they have a claim on you or your time with or without your cooperation.

“Ready?” Kit asked him, grabbing her jacket. She was anxious to be on their way.

“Almost.” He picked up his gun and placed it in the holster. This time, Kit didn’t question the weapon.

On their way out the door, she texted Jack that they were on the way. The barns weren’t far from her little house, only about a mile down the road nearer to the lodge. “He says he’ll meet us there. When we came in yesterday, everything was fine.” She’d checked each horse while Rogue had bedded Jester down for the night, making sure each animal was securely in their stall with plenty of food and water until they could be exercised the next day. “I’m scared, Rogue,” she confessed.

“Don’t be, I’m here.” He understood why she felt that way though, between losing her horse and the man who was tormenting him, it seemed they were forever on edge. Constantly looking over one’s shoulder was no way to live.