Shadows and Silk Read online

  She stopped walking and turned to face him again, but this time she only saw the cold hard side of him that had been taking over more frequently. “I believe that was the summer you told me it’d be a cold day in hell before you put your hands on me, and that I should just go and find a college boy to tempt. Then you said some other horrible things and kissed the daylights out of me. And then you didn’t look at me for the rest of the summer. I just did what you told me to. And a girl has to lose her virginity at some point.”

  Brant went completely still, the green of his eyes turning almost black as he stared her down. “Jesus, you gave your virginity to that prick? What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Well, you didn’t want it, so I figured he was as good as anyone. Of course, I know better now.” She sighed and shrugged her shoulder. “But I guess you live and learn.”

  He opened his mouth to say something else, but footsteps coming up the path had him jerking her to his side. A young man of around seventeen came around the bend, his dark hair and eyes slightly familiar. He looked sullen and a little angry, but he still gave them a smile when he saw them.

  “Here you are,” he said. “I’m Enrique Luna. My father sent me to find you in case you got lost on your way.”

  His eyes trailed a slow path over Darcy from head to toe, and the very adult look in those young eyes made her shiver. He then took in Brant’s torn shirt and he smirked. “I guess you had a reason for getting lost.”

  She couldn’t see Brant’s look since she was standing partially behind him, but she saw the younger Luna pale considerably and take a step back.

  “You can follow me this way to your cottage,” the boy stuttered out. And without another word he turned on his heel and headed back up the path.

  “Ah, men never change,” she said, feeling better now that those creepy eyes weren’t turned on her. “Is there ever a time in life when you don’t have to compare dick size? You all make things very complicated in a woman’s life.”

  “The size of my dick is the only one you need to worry about, sweetheart. And if you weren’t practically naked, it wouldn’t be an issue in the first place.”

  The Luna kid was practically running down the graveled path towards the beach, but they walked at a normal pace behind him, forcing him to slow down and wait for them to catch up, giving them impatient glares all the while.

  Darcy sighed as Brant kept moving her slightly in front of him and to the left. She assumed it was so his shooting hand would be free, just like her brothers always did when they were out together.

  “Jesus, you’re just like my brothers,” she finally said.

  “That’s not what you were saying twenty minutes ago.”

  She snorted out a laugh, and he relaxed a little beside her.

  “I mean it’s impossible to go anywhere with them without feeling like your life is on the line. You guys are always looking for bad guys in hidden corners and the closest escape routes. It makes me itchy. One day I’d like to take a normal walk with a normal man and not have to look over my shoulder.”

  “Is that what you had with Kenneth?” he asked. “Normalcy?”

  Her brow furrowed and she thought about it for a second. “Sometimes normalcy is nice. And sometimes it just feels good to be with someone who cares about you.”

  “You don’t love him,” he said with confidence. “Why waste your time?”

  “Because being lonely sucks. I grew up in a town of three thousand people and four brothers. Friends were few and far between, and my brothers stuck together like glue. I just don’t want to be alone anymore.”

  “So get a cat. Don’t keep tying yourself to men like Kenneth just because you’re lonely. You’re a MacKenzie, babe. You can’t live without a little excitement in your life.”

  “I guess it’s fortunate I have you for the next six months to keep me occupied. Maybe you’ll cure me of my need for adventure, and then I won’t mind having a man like Kenneth in my life. Six months was a good idea, love,” she said, patting him on the arm.

  She was playing with fire, and she knew it. Brant was nothing if not competitive, and the thought of her leaving his bed at the end of their time together and going to a man like Kenneth wouldn’t sit well.

  They followed Enrique in silence—off the graveled path and through the manicured tropical gardens—both of them lost in their own thoughts. The beach opened up suddenly in front of them for miles in each direction—white sand and crystalline blue waters. Thatched roof huts were built at the ends of docks that were spread every few hundred feet down the shoreline, but Enrique headed in the opposite direction and up a narrow sandy path lined with palm trees and flowers in bright pinks and yellows.

  Darcy was starting to think the boy was leading them in circles when they finally came upon the honeymoon villa. It sat high up on a hill—a small white stucco replica of the main hotel. The windows and doors were arched and the roof was red tile. It was completely secluded from the rest of the resort.

  “Here it is,” the boy said, handing Brant the key. “My dad said your luggage is being brought up. Enjoy your stay.” And with that, he started back down the hill without looking back.

  “Little prick,” Brant said. “I guess he didn’t want a tip.”

  “I think you scared the hell out of him with your macho display earlier.” She grabbed the key from his hand and was just putting it in the lock when he put his hand over her wrist.

  “Let me go in first. Stay behind me.”

  Darcy rolled her eyes but she stepped back and let him do the honors. Brant pulled the heavy black pistol from the small of his back and kept it down at his side while he unlocked the door with his left hand. It opened on smooth hinges, and she followed in close behind him into an open foyer. She inhaled the tangy scent of citrus and moved to Brant’s side so she could see the room better.

  The cottage was larger than it seemed from the outside, and it was dominated by shades of white. Two long white couches faced each other and a wicker coffee table sat between them. The little kitchen off to the side had a coffeemaker and a large basket of fruit on the counter, and a wall of floor to ceiling windows were all that separated them from the beach.

  Darcy assumed the arched doors on each side of the main room went to the bedrooms, and she sighed in relief at the thought of taking a shower and changing clothes. She tried to move around Brant, but he held out an arm to stop her.

  When she looked at him, she could see the tension in his shoulders, but he shook his head at her.

  “Come on out, Dec,” he said. “I won’t shoot you. Yet.”

  “What—” Darcy said, confused. Until she saw Declan come out of the bedroom.

  He was dressed like one of the resort guests—navy blue swim trunks, a loose white t-shirt and flip-flops—except for the weapon he had in his hand. The scar on his face stood out against the darkness of his skin as he frowned while looking her over from head to toe. And then he took in Brant’s open shirt, and Darcy took a step in front of Brant because Declan looked like he wanted to use the gun in his hand.

  “Don’t ever try to stand in front of me,” Brant said from behind her. “It’s not your job to protect me from anyone, much less your brother.”

  “Of course not,” she said, a little hurt by his brusqueness. “I don’t know what I was thinking, little ole me trying to protect a big, strong man like you.”

  “Why don’t you go find something decent to wear?” Declan said. “I need to have a word with Brant.”

  “Why don’t you both blow it out your smokestack,” she said, heading over to the little bar just off the kitchen. She poured herself two fingers of whiskey and took a healthy drink, enjoying the burn as it settled in her stomach. “Let me ask you something, Dec. Have I ever given you the impression that I need any of you to make decisions for me? Or judge the decisions I do make? I don’t recall saying a word that time you brought Lisa Helmsley to Thanksgiving one year.”

  “You don’t want to sta
rt in on me right now, Darcy. And you had plenty to say about Lisa Helmsley if I recall. But I think you’re the one who has some explaining to do this time around. Or maybe I should just ask the SEAL team I have watching you guys for protection. I’m sure they enjoyed the show.”

  “Enough, Dec,” Brant said. “It’s none of your business, and you’re not giving either of us enough credit.”

  “Don’t bother to try and protect me,” she said, giving Brant his own words back. Having each other’s backs was only something a real couple did. She’d forgotten that when she’d stood in front of him before. Brant didn’t want anything from her but sex. Not her protection and not her love. He’d made that clear. “He’s been lecturing me a lot longer than you’ve been around.”

  She looked at her brother and Brant and then knocked back the rest of her drink. “I guess I’ll go take a shower and change. I wouldn’t want to interrupt whatever important business you have to discuss.”

  She’d always been on the outside in her family. Always the one they saw as weak and unable to fend for herself. The one they saw as reckless who should do nothing more than stick to her studies and her books. Growing up in a house with four older brothers who were all domineering and bossy had made its mark on her, and all she’d ever wanted was to feel like she could stand on equal ground with them.

  Declan took her arm as she walked by and she could see the warning in his eyes, along with the worry and love. She knew he meant well, but she didn’t need any more unsolicited advice at this point. She’d already made her decision.

  “The beach is secure,” Declan told her. “SEAL Team 2 has watch over this area of the beach. You’ll need to watch yourself and your behavior.”

  “I’m twenty-eight years old. I can take care of myself. And I didn’t sign on to help with this mission to have my private life spied on. Tell SEAL Team 2 they’d better watch for threats and nothing more. After all, I’m on my honeymoon.”

  She smiled sweetly and glanced over her shoulder at Brant, giving him a look hot enough to melt butter. She could practically feel Declan vibrating beside her.

  “We just want to keep you safe, Darcy,” Dec said evenly. He was one of those people whose voice got softer and more level the angrier he got. “Don’t try to make our jobs harder by being stubborn. And if you’re going to act like a child by cavorting around the beach without thought or care to your safety, then you deserve what you get.”

  “Sure, Dec. You know I live my life just thinking of different ways to make you guys miserable. I guess I should apologize for not having enough common sense to do what’s right and for being such a fucking burden all the time.”

  She hated the tears in her voice, but she’d had a hell of a last twenty-four hours. She chalked it up to exhaustion and realizing she had a long road ahead of her where the men in her life were concerned. If she didn’t love them so damned much she wouldn’t have bothered.

  With her chin held high, she pulled her arm from Declan’s grasp and made her way into the bedroom.

  ***

  “I’m assuming you have a reason for being here,” Brant asked Declan, going over to the bar to get his own drink. He’d heard the tears in Darcy’s voice just as he was sure that Dec had.

  “You’re really walking the edge to the limits of our friendship,” Dec said.

  “Like Darcy said, it’s none of your business.”

  “No, but I’ll be the one still here when you walk away again. Do you think we didn’t know something happened between you four years ago? None of us are stupid. You practically disappeared off the face of the planet after you were sent to protect her from del Fuego’s men. We should have sent someone to protect her from you.”

  “Yeah, maybe you should have,” Brant said softly. “You don’t have to worry this time. She’s making the rules.”

  “She’s not Vivian,” Dec said.

  “You think I don’t fucking realize that?”

  “I think you don’t realize that Darcy has loved you with everything she has for years, and you’ve given her nothing in return because you’re so caught up in the past you can’t see what’s standing in front of you.”

  “I asked her to marry me,” he finally said, his frustration bordering on the edge of violence. Nothing would feel better than slamming his fist into Declan’s jaw at that moment. “What more do you want from me?”

  “What did she say?” Declan asked, his mouth twitching in what looked suspiciously like a smile.

  Brant stared at Declan, trying to read the other man’s thoughts, but that was like trying to read a book without pages. “She said no,” he finally said, giving into his frustration and slamming his fist against the bar. Bottles and glasses rattled, but none tipped over. “So like I said, Darcy is calling the shots this time.”

  “Good. You deserve to have to work for it a little after what you put her through the last time. Whatever happened between the two of you changed her.”

  “I’m assuming you broke in here for a different reason than busting my ass over your sister.”

  “That’s just a secondary benefit,” Declan said. His face went back to the unreadable mask he normally wore. No one could accuse Dec of letting emotions get in the way of a job. “We’ve got a hell of a problem.”

  “Of course we do.”

  A knock sounded at the door and Brant and Declan both pulled their weapons up, the air going still and silent around them. Declan slipped back into the bedroom and Brant went to the door. Two bellmen waited on the other side with their luggage, and he put the gun away as he opened the door.

  “Just leave it in here,” he said. “My wife is in the shower.” Brant tipped them well and locked the door behind them.

  “The my wife certainly comes off your lips easily,” Declan said, coming back into the living area with a manila envelope in his hands.

  “Shut up, Dec.”

  Declan shrugged and poured the contents of the envelope out on the kitchen bar, flipping on the bright overhead lights. Brant knew the news was bad when he saw the photographs of five innocent faces.

  “A group of girls disappeared from their hotel about three o’clock this morning. They’re here with their school for two weeks to study the ruins. A very exclusive private school that had excellent security and brought along their own guards. Three of the guards are dead. The other two critically wounded. The girls were taken from their beds, and we can’t find any witnesses who are brave enough to speak up. The youngest was fourteen. The oldest is eighteen. Five girls total.”

  Brant closed his eyes in horror at the thought of what would happen to those girls if they weren’t recovered soon. “Ramos is suspected?”

  “More than just suspected at this point. And it proves he’s getting ready to make waves in the worldwide drug market. In that group of girls are the daughters of a U.S. senator, a member of British parliament, the Canadian Prime Minister, and a Supreme Court Justice.”

  “Shit.”

  Dec nodded and said, “We expect a ransom demand at some point. There’s a bill on the Senate floor right now about sending more agents and soldiers into Mexico to help crack down on the cartels. It’s backed by Senator Robert Mitchell, and he’s taking a no leniency stance against those caught.”

  “Let me guess,” Brant said. “Senator Mitchell’s daughter was one of those kidnapped.”

  “Two daughters, actually,” Dec said. “The bill has the full support of the Mexican government, but I think Ramos is going to ask for that bill to be expunged in exchange for the lives of those girls. We know for a fact he’s bought most of the local authorities in his territory. The poverty level is so great that they almost have no choice but to accept his offer and turn the other cheek when he runs the drugs.”

  “Have any glyphs been found to lead to a drop site?”

  “Not yet. Shane’s SEAL Team is scouting the area where the girls were taken. He’ll let us know when they find the glyphs, and we’ll need Darcy to decipher them as soon as po
ssible so we can get to them before it’s too late.”

  “That’s a hell of a lot of pressure to put on a person. She’ll make herself sick trying to get to those girls in time. And she’ll blame herself if it all goes wrong.”

  “Which is why we’re not going to tell her about those girls,” Dec said. “I don’t want that on her conscience if we don’t make it in time.”

  “You can’t keep that information from her,” Brant argued. “If you have the balls to pull her in on a mission like this then you need to have the balls to keep her apprised of what’s going on and tell her the truth.”

  “You don’t want to lecture me on the truth, my friend. When are you planning on telling Darcy about Vivian?”

  A cold sweat broke out on Brant’s body at the thought of Darcy finding out the one thing that would really make her walk away for good. “Never,” he said, almost choking on his fury.

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Declan turned his back and went to the sliding glass doors that led out to their private beach, and Brant watched him impassively, wondering for the first time if he could really trust the MacKenzies to keep his secret.

  “I won’t tell her,” Dec said, reading his mind. “But you don’t give her enough credit. She loves you. And maybe you need someone to listen.”

  Declan slipped outside and was gone from view before he could blink, and Brant rubbed his hands over his face and head, wishing to God he knew what was right and wrong anymore. The lines had become blurred somewhere along the way.

  Chapter Nine

  Darcy knew the moment he came inside the bathroom. She could feel his presence like she could feel her own skin, and already her body was responding to his nearness.

  She kept her back turned, scrubbing away the hours of travel and lovemaking, but she stopped as his arms came around her. His lips kissed her shoulder while his hands caressed her stomach, working the lather of soap across her skin, down her thighs, avoiding the swollen folds between her legs.