Take a Chance (11 page)

“
Ma’am, are you
okay?”

It was a reasonable question, since she was
swaying. He helped her sink back onto the seat of her car and asked
for her name. “Is there someone I can call for you?”

Feeling better about a uniformed officer next
to her, she fished out her phone and stared at it for a few
minutes. She should call Simon, but he’d smother her for a year or
two or three. Instead, she found Steve’s number.

“
Hey, doll. On your way to
work?”

“
I had a wreck.” Not a wise
choice of words. Maybe she should’ve gotten to that part a little
easier, because his voice went from smooth to hard as a rock in a
flat second.

“
Where are you? Are you
hurt?”

She tried to look up at the patrolman
standing next to her, but her head hurt and her hands were
twitching like she’d had an entire pot of coffee in less than ten
minutes. “Where are we?” she asked the cop.

He took the phone before she dropped it, and
she let her hand fall into her lap, thankful for his help. The
man’s directions were more concise than hers would’ve been and when
he finished, he slipped the phone into her purse for her.

“
Thank you,” she told him,
trying to smile. “What happened to the other man that was helping
me?”

The officer squatted in front of her to
answer and she relaxed a little. It was damned frustrating to have
a conversation with a man’s knees. Unless they were Steve’s knees,
but he wasn’t here. Yet. Her eyes kept shutting and she pried them
open and repeated the question.

“
What other man?” he asked.
“I didn’t see anyone else with you.” He turned his head to the
right and shouted to someone. Her head pounded a little harder, and
then someone else was in front of her, wearing a different uniform
and shining a light into her brain. Not fun.

Steve’s voice penetrated the random noise
around her and then he was there, in place of the uniforms and
touching her face. “Dena, tell me what hurts, baby.”

“
I’m okay.”

“
I don’t think
so.”

Damn. That was her brother behind Steve’s
shoulder. He’d start weaving that stupid cocoon any minute now and
she’d never see the light of day again. He’d even take away
Steve.

“
I’m fine. Just a little
headache.”

One of the uniforms started talking and she
stopped listening to the discussion, happy to have Steve’s hands on
hers. The various male voices blended around her, mostly calm
except for Simon’s, but she heard Steve override his suggestions.
Then she was in his arms and he was putting her in his truck and
buckling her in place.

The hospital rapidly turned into an adventure
she didn’t want to have. Steve and Simon hovered while a nurse took
her information and then her blood pressure. When the nurse put her
in a wheelchair, the two men followed, bickering about which should
stay with her.

Simon’s subdued but strident demand to take
charge of her care grated on her nerves more than the pain in her
head while Steve’s calm, collected tone and failure to participate
in an argument with her brother was a godsend.

The nurse let her lay down on the table but
she wasn’t allowed to sleep.

“
How could anyone sleep with
all the noise?”

Probably not wise, talking to herself, since
she had a head injury. At least, a padded cell would keep Simon out
of her love life. Eventually, both men were allowed into the exam
room, but they’d come to some kind of truce. Simon observed with a
firm face while Steve kept a hand on her every second. It was
comforting that after a couple dates and one amazing night of sex
he’d be so touchy-feely.

The doctor finally pronounced her banged up
but not dangerously so. She had a mild concussion and several
bruises, but she could go home.

Simon disagreed. “She keeps asking about a
man that helped her, but the paramedics didn’t see anyone with her.
Are you sure it’s just a mild concussion?”

“
Oh, shut up, Simon,” she
said, glad the medicine was finally taking the edge off her
headache. “I’m not crazy. The man was real, whether you believe me
or not.”

“
Walk me through the meeting
with this mystery man,” Steve said, shooting a sharp glance at
Simon.

Not sure if she was being patronized or if
Steve was working points against her brother, she opened her mouth.
“He showed up at my window once the cars stopped moving and asked
me to turn off the engine. He helped me out of the car and said he
could take me to the hospital since the paramedics were helping the
man who hit me.”

“
He offered to take you to
the hospital? You didn’t say that earlier.” Simon’s face shifted
into worry mode.

“
I just remembered. He was
helping me to his car when the officer came over to ask me
questions. When I turned around again, he was gone.”

Steve stepped close, blocking her view of the
room and everyone in it. “I believe you, Dena. Can you tell me
anything about what he looked like or what kind of car he was
driving?”

She focused on the emblem on his shirt and
tried to picture the man. “I remember thinking he looked like a
football player, tall, with big shoulders and muscles. His hair was
light brown or maybe dark blond, and he had on sunglasses, I
think.”

“
Good girl, baby. Were you
standing next to him?” She nodded and he continued. “When you were
next to him, was he taller than me or shorter?”

“
Shorter.”

“
Do you remember anything
else about him?”

“
Just that he kept telling
me he would help me, and wanting me to go with him.”

“
Son of a bitch.”

She hadn’t heard that phrase out of her
brother in years and the surprise had her turning in his direction.
But Simon was looking at Steve. “Do you think this is about the
burglary? Why am I asking? It has to be.”

“
You want to call the
officer from the scene?” Steve asked. “Might be better to call the
detective working the break in at the office and her home. It’s
beginning to look like they’re connected.”

“
She’s not going back to her
house or to the office, Simon. I’m taking her home with
me.”

“
No. She’ll be safer at my
parents’ house. There’s a staff that will look after her.” Simon
took her hand in his. “Dena, you should come with me. I’ll hire a
nurse to help you until you’re safe and on your feet.”

“
Simon, you’re a wonderful
brother and I love you, but I have a concussion. I don’t need a
nurse and I don’t want to move in with Mom and Dad. I’d rather be
sent to a convent.”

“
That can be arranged,”
Simon replied with a smile. “I guess she’ll stay with you,
Gladston. Be nice to her.”

“
Oh, he is,” she whispered
into his shoulder and Steve laughed when her brother’s face turned
red.

“
I don’t want to hear it,
not any of it.” Simon made for the door and asked Steve to join him
in the hall.

Hell. He knew exactly what Simon wanted to
discuss and he wasn’t having any of it. Dena was a grown woman and
she was his. To hell with her brother’s puritanical ideas. He had a
wife and three kids at home, so he sure wasn’t a virgin.

Before he could start talking, Simon had
moved him into a quiet corner and said, “I don’t know what your
financial status is, but I’m sure your company is sound, so don’t
take this the wrong way. If you need extra guards, a place to hide
her, anything, just ask. She’s my only sister, and while I don’t
like your lifestyle, I respect her right to choose.”

The man just about knocked him to his ass.
“Thank you, Simon. I care about her, and I won’t let her get
hurt.”

“
I know you’ll do the best
you can, but I’ll still worry.”

“
Let me put your mind at
ease. You know I went into the Navy out of high school. Between you
and me, I did five years as a SEAL. I can handle whatever comes
along.”

“
No shit? Why didn’t I know
that before?”

Steve put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “It’s
not something I advertise. Sometimes surprise works better than a
weapon.”

Simon shook his hand. “When all of this is
over, I’d like to sit down with you for an hour or two. I’d like a
chance to get to know you again. Apparently, you’re not the kid I
knew in high school.”

Chapter 11

Ethan moseyed into the diner and spotted
Lloyd in a booth, his back to the door. The jackass didn’t have a
clue about keeping a low profile and watching his own back. He had
a laptop open in front of him and was aware of nothing but the
screen. Easing through the aisles, Ethan stayed out of Lloyd’s line
of sight until he could drop into the seat opposite him. Lloyd, of
course, flinched and cursed like a sailor.

“
What the hell? You scared
the shit out of me.”

Ethan grinned and tapped the laptop. “Your
fault, not mine. Find anything useful?”

If the man had a clue about who they’d almost
had their hands on, he’d have a conniption fit. She’d been so close
to coming with him, and it hadn’t even been planned. Sure, he’d
been following her ass, but the wreck was a freak of nature, the
scenario falling into his lap like manna from heaven.

Test time. “Almost had her just a few minutes
ago.”

“
What?”

Okay, that was too loud and squeaky for
comfort, even for Ethan. “Calm down, will you? She was in a car
wreck and I tried to help her.”

“
You tried to kidnap her
again, didn’t you?”

“
Yes, but it didn’t work
out.”

“
Were you seen?” Lloyd shut
down the laptop and closed the lid. “Well? Were you?”

“
Yes, she saw me. I was
trying to help her.”

“
Right. Help her do what?
Roll over and give you the passwords?”

“
Hey, she had a bump on her
head. I could’ve talked her into anything.”

“
You have a death wish,
Ethan.” Lloyd grabbed the laptop. “Later.”

Damn. No codes and no help from his one
remaining conspirator. This plan was unraveling much too fast for
his liking. Tomorrow, he’d work on Sara, see what kind of info he
could pull out of her.

As for tonight, he had hot plans, with or
without a girl in tow. A new club was opening and dear ole uncle
big shot was a member. And it was a family membership.

* * * *

Steve pulled into his garage and put the door
down before letting her touch the seatbelt release. Reminding her
to stay in the truck until he came for her, he got out and accessed
the recessed panel next to the trash cans. It might look like a
plastic bag holder, but when it opened, a flat screen panel showed
every part of his home’s interior. Forget dogs, gadgets were a
man’s best friend.

He helped Dena out of the truck and grabbed
the one bag he’d allowed her to bring. The stop at her place was
quick and silent and he’d taken the long way home, making sure they
weren’t followed. Leading her into the kitchen, he paused and
adjusted the settings on the security system.

“
Paranoid, are we?” she
asked with a lopsided grin.

“
No, ma’am. Security is my
business and I take it seriously. With you in the house, more so.”
The sight of her standing in his kitchen, her hair a mess of brown
silk floating around her shoulders and her eyes half glazed, made
him itch to lift her in his arms and carry her to his
bed.

Not a good idea.

A concussion and his kind of sex, done right,
didn’t make good bedfellows.

She needed tenderness and a sense of safety.
Without proper preparation, her first sight of his toys could put
her on edge.

“
I’m going to settle you on
the sofa and you can watch a movie.” Taking her bag and putting it
on the kitchen island, he steered her into the main living area,
appreciating the fact that his housekeeper had been through the
place just yesterday. Newspapers had been corralled and all the
incidental clutter had disappeared.

“
I’m fine, really. I just
need a nap,” Dena said when she sat down on the definitely sleep
worthy couch. He’d had many a productive nap in that spot but he
didn’t want her dozing too soon.

“
I’d rather you stay awake
for a little while. I want to watch for signs of concussion
issues.”

“
I have a little headache,
that’s all.” Her shoes dropped to the floor and she curled her feet
up on the sofa. “This okay, with my feet up here?”

Damn straight. With her knees bent and her
feet next to her hips, the little blue skirt she wore rode up her
thighs and gave him a sweet peek of soft skin. His body responded
of its own accord and he reminded himself to back off. She’d been
in a wreck. She’d been traumatized and almost kidnapped. She’d been
naked with him just last night and after everything he’d done to
her, she was most likely sore.

Didn’t keep his dick from rising to the
occasion.

“
No problem.” Clearing his
throat to keep the tone casual, he said, “Tell me the names of your
brothers.”

Her head tilted to one side and a thin
wrinkle formed above her nose. “Why? You already know my
brothers.”

“
It’s a test. Tell me their
names.”

A soft sigh twisted his buttons a little
tighter, and she replied. “Simon’s the bossy one, Grant is the
quiet one but follows Simon’s orders most of the time, and Brent is
my sweetie. He always brings me treats and helps me get away with
things.” Her lips curled in and her eyes popped in his direction.
“I shouldn’t have said that last part. Brent’s a good brother. The
end.”