Guarding Raine Part 1

Guarding Raineby.

Kylie Brant.

Prologue.

P an through the night with a speed born of terror.

She could hear his heavy footsteps behind her.

He was close, very close.

She could feel his breath on her neck, imagined his arms reachingtoward her.

Sobbing, she tried to put on a burst of speed, but her legs seemedwooden, unresponsive.

They couldn't move her fast enough, far enough to avoid him.

He caught hold of her long hair and yanked her to a painful stop, andthen his weight hit her, knocking her to the ground.

He loomed over her like a shadow born of the total darkness around them.

She fought wildly, with a strength belied by her youti~ fed by herpanic.

There was a single hopeful instant, when she thought she could get awayfrom him.

And then her eyes fixed on something in his hand coming toward herface, before her head exploded in pain .

She came awake with a start, bolting upright in bed, hauling in hugebreaths of air to fill lungs as starved as a runner's.

She pulled the sheet and coverlet up to her chin, and wrapped it aroundherself to still the shaking in her limbs.

Even as she made the motion, she knew it was in vain.

The chill skating over her skin wasn't due to the temperature, but tothe deep, pervasive cold spreading within her.

The darkness in the room was broken only by the faint glow of the moons.h.i.+ning through the window.

The night seemed even more oppressive than usual, more sinister.

Eleven years had pa.s.sed since she'd regarded the darkness with anything less than fear.

In that time she'd learned ways to deal with her lingering phobia.

But none of the tricks she'd devised, not the deep breathing or the

mental gymnastics would help her tonight, she knew.

It wasn't only the old nightmare that had her shaking in her bed like a child, it was the one being revisited on her daily.

Dawn wouldn't bring an end to her fear anymore, because the specter

from her sleep had been transferred to daylight.

Her eyes went to the' window as if she could search out her tormentor in the night outside.

She couldn't make herself think of the darkness rationally when she

knew someone was out there.

Someone was watching, weighing her terror, planning yet another move against her.

She huddled in her bed, unable to stop trembling.

She could no longer deny what was happening in her life, couldn't shake

the feeling of for boding The very real nightmare from her past had begun all over again.

Chapter C.

ichaels surveyed the man seated across from him from beneath lowered gray brows.

No wasn't an answer he ever accepted gracefully, and certainly never from a man who looked as disreputable as this one.

"Surely you could postpone your vacation."

His tone changed his words from a suggestion to something approaching a command.

"I could,"

Mac O'Neill agreed, "if I wanted to."

He crossed his arms lazily, leaned back in his chair and added, "But I

don't."

He paused to note the mottled red color his answer brought to Simon Michaels's face before going on.

"I told you on the phone, my partner is perfectly capable of handlingyour security problem, whatever it may be. If that's not acceptable,you'll have to find another company." ~ Only the fact that Simon hadbeen a good friend of Mac's father had convinced Mac to at least showhim the courtesy of this visit. But no amount of pleading was going tochange Mac's vacation plans.

He hadn't taken any time off since starting his company, and after fouryears he was burnt out to the core. This trip wasn't for pleasureonly, although he was going to do his d.a.m.ned-est to fill it with such.A man too long on any job made mistakes. In his line of work,miscalculations could cost lives.

It was his att.i.tude as much as his words that triggered Simon's temper." Dammit, Mac," he thundered, slamming his hand against the top of thepolished teak desk. " What difference does it make if you spend thismonth lying on a tropical beach, or the next?

What are you planning that could possibly be so d.a.m.n important?

" " What I'm planning," Mac replied bluntly, " is to get tanned, drunkand lucky.

And not necessarily in that order.

I just hope a month is long enough.

" Simon snapped his mouth shut, not for the first time reconsideringhis selection of Mac for this particular problem. He needed to be absolutely sure that the person he hired was a gentleman, as well asd.a.m.n good at his job. Unfortunately, in this case, the two qualitiesseemed to be mutually exclusive. Macauley O'Neill, or Mac to all b.u.t.the unwise, had the experience necessary for the job, but Simonremained unconvinced that the man wasn't as morally corrupt as hesounded. Nothing about his appearance was rea.s.suring. The look in those blue eyes was sharp enough to cut gla.s.s. His dark brown hair was worn much too long, and it didn't appear as though he'd shaved thatday. He. looked like a good man to have at your back in a fight, anda bad one to cross. Simon squelched his misgivings. He needed Mac O'Neill, needed that uncompromising toughness and experience. There was too much at stake to change his mind now, at any rate. He'd have to hope that the memory of his friends.h.i.+p with Mac's late father wouldtemper any less admirable qualities the man had. He relaxed in his leather chair again, rea.s.sessing his strategy. It was obvious that Grady O'Neill had bequeathed to his son his d.a.m.nable Irishstubbornness. But Simon had had plenty of experience getting aroundGrady over the years, and he didn't doubt his ability to persuade his son. " It occurs to me that I've been unfair to you.

" He spread his hands expansively. " Here I'm ~asking you for acommitment before I've even outlined the job.

" He paused invitingly, but when Mac didn't respond, he continued. " You know how close your father and I were when we were growing up.

" " That's the only reason I'm here, and not already on a plane headedsouth.

" The man nodded, as if in appreciation for that consideration, but Macwasn't fooled by his affable pose. When Simon Michaels wanted something, he got it. That's what Grady had always said, torn betweenadmiration and disapproval. And it was clear that Simon wanted Mac. It just wasn't clear for what. " I don't think you've ever met mydaughter, Raine," Simon said. He gestured to the wall behind him. " That's her in the picture with her mother.

She was about fourteen when that was taken." Mac gazed at the picture impa.s.sively. There was actually very littleto see of the girl. The portrait showed Lorena Michaels, Simon's wife,smiling a warm, sweet smile, with a girl's silhouette in thebackground. He examined her delicate profile and heavy fall of hairfor another moment before s.h.i.+fting his gaze back to Simon. The otherman was still studying the picture, and his face had visibly softened.

He collected himself after a moment and faced Mac again. " Most menwould move heaven and earth for their children, and I'm no different.I know that's how I feel about Raine.And the boys, too, of course, but." He shrugged. " They're men now, capable of solving their own problems.

But Raine has always been special, and now she's in trouble.

" His gaze was level as he added, " That's why I called you, Mac.

I need your help to keep Raine safe.

" Mac crossed one leg to rest his ankle on the opposite knee. " From

what?

" " My daughter's being hara.s.sed.

G.o.d knows how long it's been going on--she doesn't like to confide in

me.

But I recently found out that she's been receiving threatening letters, phone calls, that sort of thing.

I think she might be the target of a stalker, and I don't mind telling

you, I'm scared for her.

She's too d.a.m.n trusting for her own good.

If this person, whoever it is, decides to step up the intensity of this

unpleasantness, Raine would make an easy target.

" " You could call the police.

" Simon snorted. " She did that, of course, but they've been no

help.