WindSwept Narrows: #14 Daphne Paddington Read online

  “This is a mistake,” she whispered, willing her feet to move her away from the dark, intense stare.

  “Tell me why,” Vlad countered, unwilling to break their stare.

  “I don’t want to be married. I don’t want to…to be a possession. I like my freedom,” she told him honestly, her chin tipping stubbornly.

  “And you believe that’s what a relationship is? Possession? Is that what your cousins have in their relationships?” Vlad lifted one palm from the coffee, his finger drawn along the line of her jaw. “You’re stubborn.”

  “I don’t know…about them…they seem happy,” she said softly, too aware that her breathing had slowed to almost nothing.

  “You don’t believe an arranged marriage can work.”

  “The world is full of females who would take you on,” she shot back. “Why are you single? Your brothers are married…your aunt told me.”

  “You spoke of me with Anca?” One brow rose curiously, watching a tint of pink strike her cheeks. “So there was interest, Daphne. You are as curious about me as I am about you.”

  “Anca talks about her family,” Daphne admitted, lips pulled into a tight bow. “She found it interesting that both times I needed…help…it was you that responded,” her head shook rapidly. “She’s like Zora…going on about tarot cards and…and destiny…and the paths we find ourselves traveling…”

  “But you don’t believe?”

  “What I believe…is that this is my fault. What I believe…is that I have to make it right. What I believe…is I should have had my head examined the instant the idiot plot popped into my brain,” she said with a low growl, tearing her eyes from the dark bottomless circles and striding around the front of the SUV to climb inside. It was cold out there and she hadn’t felt a thing except heat. She waited for him to close the car door and start the engine. “I could drive if you’re tired.”

  “Daphne…” Vlad just shook his head. “Do I really appear that gullible to you?”

  “Hey…a girls’ gotta try,” she mumbled, ignoring his laughter.

  “Imagine how much progress we could make if you used all that energy to make this work,” Vlad countered, guiding them back to the highway.

  “A platonic marriage. I have my quarters and you have yours. A year from now, we can divorce and part friends,” Daphne declared with a nod, curling against the window and laying her head on the folded blanket, her jacket tugged snuggly around her.

  Vlad just let the silence surround them.

  It was a few hours before he pulled before a moderate sized hotel proclaiming all the necessary forms and wedding capabilities. He listened to the soft noises as she woke up, a pert, wrinkled nose aimed at him, pale lashes half open as drowsiness left her when he opened the car door for her.

  “Welcome back,” he said quietly, his hands on her waist and lifting her to the ground, holding firmly when she stumbled against him. “You have to be awake for this, Daphne,” while a major part of him found the soft, warm blonde resting against him an interesting turn of events, the other part reminded him that this kitten had claws.

  She shoved hard against him, inhaling the cold night air deeply and forcing her eyes to open.

  “Sorry…I didn’t realize I was so tired,” or that you were so nice and comfortable to lay against, she heard in the back of her mind. “Right…awake. That’s me. Now what?”

  “I’ll get us a room and we’ll get this over with,” he said, wincing at the harsh way it sounded. But she didn’t seem to notice or care, striding off ahead of him and pushing the doors wide to the main entrance.

  He had both their complete forms in one hand, his other palm wrapped tightly around her elbow, guiding her into the office.

  “Real lucky time of night,” the man said with a chuckle, taking their forms and the money and checking things over. “It’s been a quiet Friday…but it is March…you should have seen Valentine’s Day! Whew…what a weekend,” he recalled with a long breath. “Alright…everything’s in order here. Not like you’re a couple of kids…”

  “How very true,” Daphne agreed with a nod. “We’d just like to have it finished before I deliver our child…”

  “I…oh…” The man looked from the abruptly coughing Vlad back to the innocent wide blue eyes of the woman with a palm resting on her stomach. “Well…then double congratulations to you both…”

  “And that was necessary why?” Vlad asked after thanking the man and leading her quickly into the large foyer.

  “Never said I’d make it easy,” Daphne told him, accepting the key card he held out to her. She saw the second one slid into his pocket.

  “I need a drink. Want to join me?”

  “No thanks. I want sleep,” she pressed the elevator button.

  “I’ll be up in a while…it’ll give you time to get ready for the wedding night,” he told her, leaning over and brushing her lips with his before she could recover. The sample he had when he kissed the bride had sent an interesting, alarming jolt through him and he wanted more.

  “I hope you don’t grow old waiting,” she murmured, leaving the key card on the front desk and going out the entrance without a backward glance. Daphne had her jacket buttoned high as she slid into the back seat of the taxi requesting she be taken to the airport.

  Somewhere she managed to garner a little luck, she thought, making it into the line for the immediate departure of the flight to Seattle. A long taxi ride south and she crept quietly into the camp where she’d left her car, driving off without looking back. By one, she was settled and cozy in her own home, in her own bed.

  Shortly before nine, Vlad concluded he really was as gullible as she believed. He stared at the empty, untouched room, tossing his coat to the chair and going to take a long, hot shower.

  Daphne woke slowly. There was no light yet as it wasn’t even March. Her eyes fell on the large silver plated ring sporting a deep red stone in the center. It was his military ring and all they had for the ceremony the night before. She sat up tiredly, ignoring the slender straps of the tank top that rested just past her shoulders. She’d spent too long tossing and turning, too long lost in dreams that woke her breathless and frightened.

  She had searched for her phone, coming to the conclusion that it was either in Anca’s tent among the pillows or had fallen from her jacket pocket into Vlad’s car when she laid against him asleep. Very undignified, she chastised as she dressed for the day. She placed the call to Eloise on her drive to the property, telling her she’d be waiting there to help her with the wiring of the security system.

  Wearing comfortable walking boots, Daphne walked over the expansive property while waiting for Eloise. It baffled her that it had all set empty for so long, but it was to their benefit, if not her own. She still wasn’t sure how to handle the forced marriage or the man she shared the title with. She was sitting on the wide staircase to the house when the smaller SUV came along the drive.

  Together they worked through noon, clamping and attaching the units around the long expanse of fencing. It wouldn’t be wired into the electrical line until next week when everything was checked and ready. Daphne had made certain water was functioning and the gas lines to the kitchen stove and water heater were on and working.

  An approaching vehicle brought both heads up, a frown on their faces.

  “I don’t know who…” Eloise began, looking down to find her hand grasp and herself being pulled toward the house. “What…?”

  “It’s that man…from the resort…he was supposed to be locked up, Eloise,” Daphne and Eloise broke into light runs, reaching the house and going instantly inside, the locks set. “Check the side doors…I’ll go in the kitchen…I don’t have my phone! We need to call someone…tell them…”

  “Already working it,” Eloise said, striding quickly to the side entrance between the house and large three car garage. “Morgan? Oh, Morgan…I’m at the property with Daphne and we have a…a problem…yes, we’re okay…we’re inside the house…no,
it’s the man who attacked Daphne…I don’t know, the police were supposed to let her know…she doesn’t have her phone…lost, maybe…alright, we will…inside…thank you…”

  Fifteen minutes earlier, Vlad had tried to call Daphne only to have the ringing sound inside the front seat of the SUV. He pulled off to the side and quickly found the phone, flipping it open and frowning at the text message from the police. He called his brother and had his foot a little more solidly on the accelerator, taking the next exit and heading to the new property.

  “Morgan and Eli are on their way over…I think Mariah, too…and they placed a call to the police,” Eloise said as she entered the very large, empty entry way for the house.

  “I need to lead him off, Elle…away from you and the house…” Daphne paced over the hardwood flooring, hands up on her shoulders. “I keep trying to understand why he won’t leave me alone…I don’t wear any perfume…what the hell…is it all about his ego?”

  “You can’t go running off and it’s not about you, it’s about him,” Eloise said firmly, grabbing her cousin’s palm and tugging her from the window. “Let’s find some place…”

  Both of them jumped when the angry pounding began on the front door.

  “I’ll get in, bitch…I saw you run in there!” Came the angry shout. “All you had to do was go out with me!”

  Daphne backed up a pace, pushing Eloise behind her.

  “Maybe if I go out and talk to him…and you stay in here…it’s got to be like…like calming a horse…or…”

  “Don’t even think it,” Eloise whispered hoarsely. “There’s a wine cellar…let’s go find it and hide there.”

  “This has to stop, Elle…I had…all night long…night mares because of this creep. Cassidy and Abby are both trying to devise a way to detect this kind of problem in new hires…but it’s impossible…don’t know the triggers…” Daphne couldn’t stop her body from reacting when he kicked the heavy, old wood door. “I’ve got to do something…”

  “Daphne…”

  “If you go wait in your car…I’ll come out and talk to you…alright?” She called loudly through the door. “You lock this door the instant I’m outside.”

  “This is a bad idea,” Eloise hissed angrily. “We should stay together. I’m sure the police…”

  “I’ve been having crappy luck lately…which means the police are probably the last ones to come to our aid…” Daphne peeked out the window, exhaling slowly when she saw him move toward his car. “Even better would be jump in your car and take off! Get out of here and away from this crazy person…”

  “Now you’re talking like a lunatic,” Eloise growled, making a last minute grab for her cousin’s hand and finding her already through the door. She stomped her boot hard on the floor before flinging the door wide and going after her.

  “Elle! Get in the house!”

  Eloise picked up a handful of rocks and threw them at the man standing by the old car.

  “Elle!”

  Daphne did the only thing she could think of and that was to take off running across the property, toward the large old barn. She didn’t have to look to know he was following, his hard pounding footsteps echoing around her, as well as the strong curses he tossed out with the threats of what he’d do to her when he caught her.

  “I should just shoot you, bitch!” Dust and dirt sprayed around, the sound of the gun echoing in the barn. Several birds let loose with squawks of complaint, feathers falling to the straw covered floor.

  Spinning on the toes of her boots, Daphne came to a skidding stop, standing still and waiting. Her heart was pounding. She was angry and tired.

  Chapter Seven

  Vlad pulled the SUV into the wide dirt before the house, looking around as others began arriving. All their attention went to the noise of the birds exiting the barn in a loud panicking flurry of wings. He gestured to his brothers, sending them and their vehicles to the side and back.

  “This is a really big mistake on your part…” Daphne backed up a step, carefully keeping her hands and arms out of his grasp.

  “Shut up…you come with me or I’ll go take your cute friend. We’re going on a long drive…”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she shook her head slightly, pursed lips bowed and frowning. It was one thing to worry about herself, but she didn’t like being responsible for others safety. She kept her gaze on his hand, the gun holding her focus. A familiar dark head appeared off to the side at the same time she heard engines of vehicles around the barn.

  “Shit!” He made a wild grab, gripping her arm and pulling her hard against him.

  Daphne sent her elbow back, the hard steel of the gun butt slammed into the side of her head at the same time the sirens shrill arrival broke his concentration. She felt the hard packed dirt and straw beneath her knees when she fell forward, the deafening explosion of the gun in her ears.

  Eloise would have run into the barn except she was grabbed tightly and held back. Mariah and the police sprinted inside in time to see Vlad’s fist strike out once and once more, the gun kicked aside and the man crumpled to the ground.

  Eli took off at a run back to the car, returning within seconds holding the large bag she had concealed in their trunk.

  “Take him for a walk, Eli,” Mariah said through her teeth, feeling gently around Daphne’s side, blood pooling on the straw. She worked quickly, pulling her shirt aside and sighing in relief.

  “Mariah…” Daphne blinked, groaning softly. “Is he…”

  “The police have him…again,” she said sourly. “Don’t you dare think of moving…”

  “He hit me in the head…but I’m okay…just a little headache…” She stared up, blinking uncertainly. “Things are a little fuzzy…Vlad?”

  “Right here,” he said quietly.

  “I’m okay…why are you looking so serious…”

  “The ambulance is here, Dr. Peyton,” a police officer stepped into the barn.

  “Ambulance?” Daphne pushed her elbows back, closing one eye and finding that it didn’t help. “What in the…he shot me? That idiot shot me?”

  “Daphne…you need stitches,” Mariah nodded to the EMT’s. “I patched you up enough to get you to the…”

  “I don’t want to go,” she said, her feet pushing against the ground to get away, her behind scooting a few inches over the straw and dirt.

  “It’s not an option,” Vlad informed her, moving quickly and lifting her off the ground and laying her on the waiting gurney.

  “Hey!”

  “You won’t be there long, Daphne,” Mariah walked alongside the gurney. “Just long enough for me to stitch it closed. I swear it.”

  “Then I can go in the car…my car is here…keys! Eloise, give them the keys…they can move over here,” Daphne winced, struggling to push her arms behind her.

  “Can’t you knock her out?” Vlad growled, his hands up and pushing her shoulders down.

  “That is not a nice thing to say,” but Daphne was glad there was something behind her head. “Oh, my…”

  “Lay still, damn it,” Mariah growled, snapping the belt holding her legs flat on the gurney.

  “The health center then…please…” Daphne saw clouds swirling seconds before she slumped unconscious.

  Vlad felt his knuckles whiten on the stainless steel of the gurney.

  “She’s just out…the knock on the head and the blood…” Mariah held her pulse, nodding to herself and sighing. “Meet us at the health center,” she looked up and winked at Eli who nodded and headed for his vehicle.

  Eloise put her palm on his arm when he stepped back, watching the door close and the ambulance drive off.

  “She’ll be okay, Vlad,” Eloise told him firmly. She held up a collection of carefully labeled keys. “She wanted you to give these to whoever should have them. We…we’ll finish the security hook-up tomorrow or…maybe next Friday might be better,” she welcomed the arms around her from behind.

  Vlad took t
he two large key rings and tossed them to Emil. “Get those to Anca. Tell her the property is ready and get our people moved off the resort property.”

  “It looks like a storm is brewing,” Emil commented. “The barns and house will be welcome with the cold that’s in the air. She’s strong, Vlad.”

  He didn’t respond to his brother, just walked off to his SUV without looking back.

  The resident cast an odd look at Mariah while he was cleaning the wound for sutures.

  “You don’t want her awake? Someone has to sign the forms,” he reminded her carefully.

  Mariah peered through the thick drape, one palm up and gesturing.

  “Authorization…qualified husband…” she answered, checking Daphne’s pulse and her eyes once more. “You can stay, Vlad, it’s a lot less than you’ve seen. What I don’t get…I thought we were supposed to get some kind of warning when he was released?”

  “She did,” Vlad answered, moving to her side and lifting her hand from the white sheet. She still had the over sized nickel plated ring on her middle finger. He tipped her palm slightly. She’d wrapped something around the ring to make it fit better.

  “I didn’t have my phone,” came the drowsy voice.

  “Do not move, Daphne,” Mariah ordered. “You’ll make me mess up my stitching.”

  “Sorry to mess up your Saturday,” she said softly.

  “The police warned you…in a text about nine AM but I didn’t find the phone in the SUV until I was almost back at noon,” Vlad explained.

  “Wasn’t the wedding yesterday?” Mariah asked with a slight frown. “She was at the farm and you were…”