Sins of the Undead Patriot (13 page)

The candles Rowley had brought had been knocked over and started a small fire. The park staff had called her parents. It didn’t help him any that her father had disapproved of her dating him. He wasn’t charged, but the incident further damaged her father’s opinion of him.

Rowley parked the car.

Leera opened her door. “I haven’t been back here since.”

Theodore Roosevelt Island held a shared meaning for them then. “Ready, set, go.”

“You wouldn’t?” She pointed at him.

“You want to bet?” He cocked a brow and grabbed a handful of snow. “I know how much you’ll love me stuffing this into your top.”

She darted off, running. “I’m going to be so pissed at you.”

He locked the car, put the keys in his pocket and chased after her. “Is that a promise, Lee-lee?”

“No, a threat.” Around a corner of leafless branches, she ran, laughing. “Can’t keep up at your age anymore?”

“My age? Just wait until I get a hold of you.” He’d been young and eager then. Now he’d take his time, not rush through and turn the passion to ashes.

“No way.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up.

“Let me go.”

Never again, if he could help it. “Okay.” He set her feet to the ground, and she walked backward.

“See, you like the chase,” she said.

“I’m going to enjoy what comes after even more.” Especially this time.

She glanced away. Slowdown, lover boy. He didn’t need to scare her off. “Do you remember our first date?”

The river lapped against the shore, as he slipped his arm around her.

She relaxed her body into his frame. “Of course. My parents were so worried and annoyed with me. I didn’t care. I’d been in lust with you for so long.”

Hard for him to believe, when she had been so coy. “Is that what you felt for me, Lee-lee? Lust. Raw physical need drove you to me?”

“I don’t know.” She flipped her hands up and shrugged. “I just remember how I felt when I was with you and the contrast of being apart.”

The same torment he had, and currently, suffered. “How did you feel when you were with me?”

“Amazing, adored, strong, beautiful... It’s hard to describe.”

She hadn’t done a bad job of summing things up. “Are you hungry?”

Her lips slanted, curving upward, and she nodded.

“Good. Let’s head back to the car.” He slipped his hand into hers.

The dark sky held pink-gray clouds and a chill breeze blew off the Potomac as he opened the back door for her. Inside were a blanket and a plastic battery-operated candle with a picnic basket.

“It’s a little too cold for us to eat outside, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t recapture the night.”

“Very romantic.” She spread her lips in a genuine smile. The first of many, he hoped.

She climbed in, and he entered behind her. “If you’re cold, I can turn the car on.”

“I’m fine, thank you. The blanket will do the trick.” She tucked the cover over her lap.

He pulled out the bottle of iced wine from the Niagara region. Perfect for the mix of flavors of bread, cheese, dips, fruits and meats they would share. Both plates had a little of everything. The assortment of cold-served food provided them the ability to chat.

Easing into topics wasn’t his strength. “What happened between us? I mean, why did you end things and go off to Paris? I don’t see how we can build something anew, if we don’t deal with what happened the first time.”

Her gaze held fear. “I’d thought you might ask me about what happened. I will tell you on one condition.”

Was she stalling to come up with a lie? “What would be your demand?”

“That you may only speak of it with me or in life-threatening circumstances.” She fixed her gaze on the back of the driver’s seat.

Pain gripped his chest at the seriousness of her expression. “Life threatening, in what way?”

She huffed. “You’ll understand when I tell you.”

“This sounds grave.”

“It is. Will you give me your word?” She avoided looking at him.

What choice did he have? “Yes.” Was he ready to hear what she was about to tell him?

“I can only assume it happened the time I didn’t let you pull out, the night you asked me to move in with you. I said yes, on the condition that I go away with my parents for the summer a week later. I promised to move in September.”

How could he forget? Her need had echoed his own. That night had been everything he’d hoped for. She’d agreed to move in with him when she returned. His own condition was that she study culinary arts, as she’d so desperately wanted, but her parents objected to. He would have given her the stars to make her happy.

“I didn’t panic too much when my period was late in latter part of July.” She popped a piece of bread in her mouth.

Could she be hinting at what he thought she was? They’d conceived a child.

“I was never regular. Then it came, dark and watery with a lot of pain on my right side. I ignored it for a few more weeks.”

Maybe he was wrong. Something else. Of course, her appendicitis.

“I lay in bed and my shoulder hurt. Peter was worried about me. When Momma and Dad went out, he stayed behind to watch over me. I don’t remember what happened. From Peter’s account, I screamed. He found me collapsed in the bathroom, blood soiling me between my legs. I woke up in the hospital. Dad wouldn’t even look at me, so Momma explained that the baby implanted in my fallopian tube, which ruptured. It’s common for women with endometriosis. But we needed to keep it hushed up for my own good. That’s why, when you came to see me at the hospital, I just kept crying, and they wouldn’t leave you alone in the room with me. My parents decided it was in my best interest, after all, to go away to study. You were a bad influence on me.” Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes.

If he didn’t know Leera, he would have thought the entire story was made up. Broken and scared, they had sent her away. He had been selfish with her. When she’d wanted sex without protection, he’d only thought of wanting a child with her. Not that she was still so young. He had put her life at risk.

“I’m so sorry, Lee-lee. You went through that alone.” At the time, it took everything in him to agree to let her spend the summer at the cottage with her parents, but she’d been so damned insistent and she’d promised to move in with him when she returned.

“Peter wasn’t even told. I couldn’t be with you and have that lie between us, just like my mother and father, who lived with all those lies. My parents feared I’d tell you–wanted me to end things cleanly, as soon as possible.”

That was why she had asked him to meet at the coffee shop. He remembered strange details. The song in the background. Cinnamon. Her white v-neck top. She was going away to study and didn’t want a long-distance relationship. When he’d offered to go with her, she had been harsh. “
You don’t understand. We are over and I’m moving on.
”

Chapter 12

Leera sensed Rowley’s pain from the glossy shine in his eyes. More followed. He’d pushed her at the coffee shop as he wouldn’t accept what she had been telling him.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” she said. For a year, she had moped around Paris with the hope he would come after her. Silly ideals of a little girl.

“I never understood why you cried, when you were breaking my heart.” He gathered her hand in his. “I’m hurt that you didn’t tell me. I would have done everything I could to help you.”

And that scared her most. Didn’t he get that her parents and Peter were her family too? Despite the horrible outcome, she wouldn’t betray them. It was easier for her to walk away from him than them.

“I’m angry with myself. In those moments in the coffee shop I questioned everything that happened between us. You were so cold in your delivery. In my mind, you didn’t love me. Nor had you ever. Now I find out you were bullied. Fuck.”

“We were young.” Back then his edgy side had thrilled her.

“You were young. I was older. I should have seen the signs. I knew what your parents were like, all the expectations put on you and Peter. It was the reason I wanted you to move in with me, to get you away from the pressure.” He locked his fingers with hers.

None of this would change what happened. “After what transpired, I couldn’t face you if you knew.”

“If things had gone differently, would you have kept our baby?” He stared into her eyes.

There was no real answer to that. “I don’t know. The only answer I can think of is tainted by everything that’s happened since. The infertility related to my endometriosis means that our child may be the only one I ever carry. I can’t say that I would have had the strength to fight the pressure from my parents. They would have wanted us to marry or for me to abort the baby.” Given those choices what would she have done? Run away. She had known Rowley most of her life. He had always maintained the government was out to make him into a monster. That he had been harassed because he had founded the Coalition for the Living. Since he had claimed the government was run by those who could line politicians’ pockets–like wealthy undead–the feds kept trying to frame him. She would have tired of not knowing what Rowley was up to.

“I would have married you without hesitation. The only reason I hadn’t asked you yet was not to alarm your father any further. I feared he would take you away from me.”

In her heart she knew that. But his dark side scared her.

“What are you thinking about?” He stroked her cheekbone with his knuckles.

“There is a side of you I don’t know. And that scares me.” Always had.

“I know, but you have to trust that even that part of me would never hurt you.”

Did she? She wasn’t the one she feared for. No, it was what he could do to others that unnerved her.

“I promise. I’ll protect you from the monster inside.”

Confirmation of what she had feared. She had to direct his attention off this subject. Nodding, she lifted a grape and brought the fruit to his mouth.

He parted his lips in acceptance and closed them over her fingers. Desire seeped into his gaze. Heat shot up her arm as she retracted her hand.

He groaned. “Still sweet.”

Her clit pulsed. No way could she hold him off physically forever. Soon enough, he’d want more and so would she. She slid away. Her body had never really stopped craving him.

“Too much, too fast?” With his hand on her shoulder, he scooted closer.

“A little. Do you mind dropping me off at home?” The stress of the last few days wore on her.

“I pushed you too far with that move, if you want to go home.” Sadness pooled in his gaze.

“No. I’m just drained. My emotions are all over the place. Tonight’s conversation was necessary, but took a lot out of me.” Opening up to him would deepen their bond.

“I want you to know how grateful I am for your honesty.” He covered her hands with his. “Never knowing would have been intolerable.”

Wondering what had occurred did leave a person with a pit of doubt.

“Buckle up and I’ll chauffer you home.” He smiled.

“Okay.” She latched herself in. Vaihan would have checked her seatbelt, if he were there. Where did that come from?

Rowley climbed into the front, started the car and pulled onto the road.

Blue-and-red lights flashed, and then a siren chirped.

“Shit.” He hit the steering wheel with the heel of his hand.

She swallowed. Don’t let it be Barton.

“Everything is going to be okay.” He signaled, veered toward the sidewalk and stopped. “It’s because of the protest tomorrow.” He shot a quick glance into the rearview mirror. “No matter what you hear, you aren’t to get out of the vehicle.” He slid back his cellphone. “If they ask you to step out of the car, dial Peter. Tell them you’ve contacted your attorney, and won’t be going anywhere until he arrives. Do you understand me?”

If he wanted her to remain calm, he wasn’t doing a very good job at keeping her that way.

“Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Rowley.” She nodded.

A broad figure stopped next to the driver’s side window. Large knuckles knocked on the glass. Her heart rate sped. The driver’s side window lowered.

“License and registration,” the man asked.

Rowley held out the documents. “Here you go, sir.” His tone was cordial.

“Mr. McKie, where are you headed tonight?” The black uniform had white lettering. CPD, Check Point Defense. The man angled his body and made eye contact with Leera.

“I’m about to drop off my date at home.” Rowley gripped the steering wheel.

The officer examined them with his gaze, first Rowley, then her. “Have you had anything to drink this evening?”

“I have not.” A lie.

He nodded and handed Rowley back the documents. “I’ll let you go with a warning, but I suggest you get your broken headlight changed.” With a few steps toward the front, he withdrew his stick and smashed the light.

She gasped.