Shades of Truth (The Summerlynn Secrets) (17 page)

Taking a deep breath, I began, “Please convey my regards to your father for the pleasant accommodations.”

I felt more than saw the tautness enter his muscles at my words. His eyes burned into me, but I refused to look up. Instead, I studied the grains of the wooden floor beneath us.

“I fail to see how my father has anything to do with our current situation.” His voice was nonchalant.

I shot him a sharp look. “Sparing your life says much more than any denial you may offer.” I was hardly stupid. Since when did marauding bands of men spare the lives of men they took women from?

“Perhaps they don’t like to murder.” I gave him an ironic look.

Could I have misinterpreted what I’d heard about his father? No. Three separate people mentioned his parentage. That was more than coincidental.

Why was he so secretive? Did he have reasons for wanting his parentage to remain a secret? Why? What was it? Who was he? Looking at his face, I recognized the stubborn line of his jaw and knew Colton had no intention of revealing his identity to me.

Fine. He could keep his secret. I would hold onto my suspicions and pay close attention to what happened in the future. Right now, I needed to focus on the current circumstances and how we were going to escape. The quickest route to freedom lay before me.

“How are we going to escape?”

“We’re not.”

Immediately, I pressed the back of my hand against his forehead. “Are you feverish?”

“No.” He thrust my hand from his face. Our fingers entwined briefly, before I snatched my hand back.

My tact left me in that moment. “Are you crazy? Of course we’re going to escape.”

“You may leave whenever you want.”

“Of course I can.” I gave him a look meant to convey the absolute absurdity of that statement. “Want to tell me what is going on?” If it turned out he had been working with these men all along, I would kill him.

“Not particularly.”

“So there is something going on.”

“Obviously.”

“You do realize you are five seconds away from being strangled.”

“I wouldn’t recommend killing the one person standing between you and a potentially dangerous situation.”

“You’re not standing.”

“True.”

“You know those men.” It wasn’t a question. He shrugged. “What kind of an answer is that?”

“A very good one.”

“You have pushed me as far as I go. Tell me right now who those men are or I shall do something very horrible to you.” That was the best I could do as my imagination didn’t extend to causing pain with only a couple blankets.

“I would like to see you try.” His mouth turned up in a half smile. “The one rule in negotiation is to always know the value of what you have, and you, sweetheart, have nothing of value with which to bargain.”

I almost shot back
That’s what you think
, but closed my mouth tightly before the words could escape. The last thing I needed was to alert Colton that I did have something of value. The pendant. “Those men mentioned my father. Why?”

“Your father is very instrumental in the plans of many.”

“Explain.”

“Sweetheart, you are not ready to hear what I have to say.”

“I am ready for anything you care to tell me.” I met his eyes steadily.

“Cadrian, enough of your world has been turned upside down. Can you not trust me on this?”

“You don’t know the first thing about me. Do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot handle.”

Another long moment passed as we stared at each other. “No,” he finally said. “I will not be responsible for destroying your good opinion of your father.”

“Someone has to. Why not you?” I had to know. And if he refused to tell me, I would find someone more forthcoming.

“You already hate me enough as is.”

“I don’t hate you,” I answered before I could stop myself. Was I frustrated with him? Yes. Did I suffer from frequent urges to scream at him? Yes. That didn’t mean I hated him. “Much,” I added.

His smile was slow. “Too late. You rather like me.”

“The way I like headaches.” Our eyes met and the moment spun longer. The slant of his cheekbones, the shape of his upper lip, and the length of his fingers tempted me. I simultaneously wanted to leap at him and run away.

The moment broke as a door slammed in the hall, causing me to jump and remember I was effectively a prisoner and I would not be going anywhere for a while. I shivered, remembering the demeanor and the fact each man I’d seen carried a gun.

My gaze left the closed door, returning to Colton. He stared at me intently before asking, “How are you holding up?”

I held his sapphire gaze for a mere second before averting my eyes. I thought of coming up with some flippant answer but decided against it. “I’m fine.”

Sitting up, Colton abruptly rearranged himself so he sat close beside me, legs extending behind me. His hands came up to frame my face. He titled my head to one side and then the other, carefully deciding what I was not saying. Slowly, so slowly I had opportunity enough to pull away if I wanted, Colton pressed his mouth to my mine.

My heart began pounding at the tenderness inherent in this kiss. Everything about Colton at the moment was gentle. The fingers framing my face were mere wisps of fingertips to skin, his mouth barely brushed my lips, and there was no other contact between our bodies. I wished he’d pull me into his
arms and kiss away my fears.

For whatever reason, the fact I was terrified resonated deeply within the man in charge of my life. I read his concern in the tight lines around his mouth and the way his body practically hummed with tension.

“There is no reason to be scared,” Colton told me, his hands dropping from my face as he stood. “No harm will come to you.”

“You speak as though you control what happens.” I rolled my eyes. “Your arrogance astounds me.” I, too, stood.

“At least I have found one way to impress you.” He shrugged.

“Why are you so concerned, anyway?” My eyes narrowed. The earlier feeling of tenderness was rapidly fading. “I am nothing to you.”

Colton didn’t look away as he answered. “You are not nothing to me.”

I stilled the leap of my heart at his words. “Oh? Then what am I? If not for my father and this stupid spy business, you and I never would have met!”

“And my life would be less without you.” A crooked smile rearranged his lips.

“Less what?”

“I don’t believe either of us is quite ready for me to clarify.”

“Convenient.” Turning to face him, I put my hands on my hips and glared. I concentrated on taking deep breaths. Feeling if I looked at him one second longer I would strangle him, I began pacing in quick angry strides. Colton watched warily.

“I see I’ve upset you.”

“Apparently.” I completed a circuit of the room, repeating over and over to myself that murdering him would not solve anything. Just when we were finally starting to settle into a less combative relationship, he pulled out the old you-might-mean-more-to-me-than-a-friend card in the hopes of distracting me from anything he’d said previously.

I did not for one second buy any of what he’d told me, which was basically nothing. What had begun as a conversation about our current situation had derailed into a personal discussion of why exactly Colton was so attached to me. To find out I was his personal brand of amusement heated my temper. While I was completely terrified and fearful for my life, Colton was completely at ease.

That meant he knew exactly what was going on.

“I will only ask you this once, Colton. What is going on?”

“That’s twice, actually.”

“Do not tease me. I am not in the mood.”

“I‘m not teasing.”

“You are.”

“Not.”

“Are.”

“Are you always this difficult
? “

“Only with you.”

“Wonderful. I do love a stubborn woman.” Leaning against the wall, he watched me pace.

“I hope you’re being sarcastic.”

“Of course I’m being sarcastic.”

“Sarcasm isn’t helping us escape.”

“Think if it did. We’d be free by morning.”

“Does this mean you’ve reconsidered?” I couldn’t very well escape by myself. For one thing, I didn’t have any ideas.

“We won‘t need to escape.”

Ah, so he did know something about our current situation. Before I could question him more closely, or, failing that, smack him, a knock came at the door.

I looked at Colton who looked at me. Was I supposed to summon them? “Yes?” My voice was thin and raspy. That chloroform made my throat dry.

The door opened, and a stranger poked his head in. “There is a meeting in ten minutes.” And that was it.

Straightening, Colton rotated his shoulders. That done, he walked to the window, attempting to pry an edge up. No luck. The nails held.

“If I come near, do you promise not to kill me
? “ A light smile on his lips, Colton balanced on the balls of his feet as he awaited my answer.

“No.”

He laughed. The sound nearly affected my own frown, but I resisted.

Ignoring my earlier warning, he came to stand before me. With a light touch, Colton brushed my hair behind my ear. “Do not look so worried, sweetheart. All is well.” On the verge of adding more, he released me to once again walk to the far wall. An off tune whistle allowed me to track him in the dimness.

Whistling? He was whistling? My eyes narrowed. His behavior struck me as odd. Instead of being fearful, Colton actually seemed to want to attend the meeting.

The door suddenly opened. The man from a few minutes ago stepped inside. “If you please, this way.”

What? No push or threat to help us on our way? I followed Colton out the door into a dreary if clean hallway. The green runner had seen better days, but the side tables and other accoutrements were dust free. Someone cared what the place looked like.

It wasn’t very large, either. Barely two doors down, we stopped. The man escorting us, wiry and mild, knocked.

“Enter!” The summons, a deep baritone, was authoritative. That man sounded as though he made decisions regarding world peace before breakfast each day. Our escort opened the door and walked inside. Suppressing a shiver of apprehension, I followed close on Colton’s heels as we entered the room.

Around a large, square table sat at least fifteen men. Attired in some form of loose shirts and trousers, they didn’t appear friendly. Instead they looked supremely capable of conquering a small country. They probably knew a hundred ways to murder me without breaking a sweat.
Among them, tucked against the far wall, was the man from Lisbon. I wasn't surprised, but his presence added at least three more questions to my already overflowing mind.

I barely had the chance to take in my surroundings (not much in the way of decoration though the landscape above the fireplace was quite pretty) before the man seated at one head of the table spoke. I recognized him as the leader who ordered our abduction. “Please forgive our earlier poor treatment of you.” He paused. “You understand one cannot be too careful in our position.”

Colton nodded. “Be aware my charity does not extend much further.” I looked askance at Colton, hearing the implied threat beneath his words. The leader was anything but tiny. His arms were huge, his legs the size of tree trunks. If I were Colton, I would at least attempt to be nice.

A bark of laughter. Treeman was actually amused? Surely I’d passed into some parallel world where insults became compliments. “Please, have a seat.”

For the first time, I noticed two empty chairs along the far wall. To get there, we’d have to pass in front of everyone. Feeling like a disobedient child sent to serve my penalty in the corner, I wordlessly followed Colton to the chairs. He pulled mine out for me, only sitting after I sat.

“I imagine you have come to bargain with us. I do not negotiate.” Treeman steadied his hands on the table. All the heads at the table turned for Colton’s response.

“In that, we are well matched. I do not negotiate either.” Colton met the other man’s intense grey gaze without a flinch. “Nevertheless, I have come for the express purpose of reaching an agreement.”

Aha! I knew the man was up to something. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how my father fit in, or why I was even at this meeting. If I didn’t think everyone would know, I would attempt to slip out unnoticed.

“Yet you dare bring her?” Treeman’s comment drew all eyes to me. I wanted to sink into the floor in embarrassment.

“Surely she cannot be held responsible for her father’s actions.” Colton nudged my foot under the table with his. “Besides, if I recall, her father was very instrumental in preparing the house for you.” His blue eyes hardened.

A laugh. “Summerlynn succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Even so, I will not discuss these matters while she is here.” That was a change from earlier, when he said my father had involved me.

“I fail to see what bearing her presence has on the matter. She is entirely uninvolved.”