Guarding Raine Part 27

I didn't see the car, so I don't know what it looked like.

" " It resembled a folded-up accordion," she said shakily. He gave hera look then that reminded her, without words, jus~t how lucky she wasto have walked away from it. Pulling up in front of her house, he camearound to her side and helped her down from the truck. " I'm reallyall right," she protested, as his hands settled on her waist, " You mayfeel all right now, but I can guarantee that every muscle in your bodywill ache by tomorrow," he predicted. " You go clean up.

I'll take care of supper tonight.

" She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. " Meal one, two, threeor four?

" she asked suspiciously. " I'll surprise you.

" No doubt he would. He'd been a constant source of surprises sincehe'd co{ the uninvited, into her life. She'd interpreted the burst ofawareness she'd felt as soon as he laid his hands on her waist without shock.

Something happened to her whenever Macauley O'Neill touched her. And that, perhaps, was the biggest surprise of all. Supper turned out tobe meal number two, and Raine had to admit that the juicy hamburgerstasted delicious. They were again eating on the patio, and there was agla.s.s of wine in front of her. She had refused it at first, but Machad insisted.

"You need it," he'd a.s.serted flatly. " You had a h.e.l.l of a shock today, and this will calm your nerves.

" It was easier to drink it than to argue with him. And after the first few times, she'd stopped protesting when he refilled her gla.s.swhenever she took a sip. Already a little of the tension from the daywas seeping out of her limbs. She would have liked to go along withhis plan, finish the meal and drink enough wine to complete the job ofrelaxation, but she wouldn't allow herself to s.h.i.+rk reality. " So what happens next?

" she asked quietly. He didn't pretend to misunderstand her. " Next you give me your word that you're going to do as you're told, withoutquestion.

" He held up a hand to forestall her response. " The stakes have been raised, Raine.

Big-time.

We're not talking about a crank with a bad att.i.tude toward artists.

Someone is out to get you.

And you're going to have to face the fact that it could very well besomeone you know.

" Her eyes got wide. " What m~kes you"" Think about what happenedtoday," he cut in sharply. " Somebody knew you well enough tomasquerade as a doctor on the phone.

He knew just what b.u.t.ton to push--the illness of your mother--to getyou to abandon Caution and go tearing out of your home.

That doesn't speak of an anonymous crank, Raine.

It tells me that you know this person, at least slightly.

Who knows that I've been staying at the house?

" She shook her head. " No one.

I didn't mention it because I was hoping.

" Her voice trailed off. She'd been hoping that this whole mess wouldclear up before she had to explain to anyone. She'd thought thatperhaps, Once the security measures were completed; the letters wouldhave stopped or the hara.s.ser would have been caught or... She shook herhead. She was no longer sure what she'd thought. But she was sure what she didn't believe. " I can't imagine how anyone other than myfriends would know about my mother's health, and none of them would doanything like this.

It's too ludicrous to contemplate.

" He surveyed her over his beer bottle. She wasn't ready to believethat anyone close to her could be capable of this kind of evil. He couldn't blame her. It would be d.a.m.n hard for most people to consider.He wasn't going to push her any further on the subject tonight. She'd already been through enough today, and had held up d.a.m.n well, too. She was shaken, it had taken conscious effort on her part, but she wasn'tdown for the count. Raine Michaels had more moxie, more sheer gutsthan most men he knew. He couldn't help but admire that. Setting thebottle down carefully, he said, " If you haven't told anyone that I'mstaying at the house, whoever planned this thought he could get you outby yourself.

So we're going to continue to let him think that.

I've been putting my truck in your garage I'll keep doing that.

Once the workmen have left, we're going to let him think I've gone withthem.

" Her gaze moved to the horizon. The sun had long since gone down in abrilliant, glorious display. " You think that will draw him out?

" " It could.

" " And then what?

" Mac chose his words deliberately. " Well, if we're real lucky thepolice will step up their efforts and find the person behind this.

" She looked at him silently, waiting for the rest of his thought. " If not," he said bluntly, " I'm going to have to get the b.a.s.t.a.r.dmyself.

" His tone was chilling and full of purpose. Their eyes met, and shehad no doubt that he would do as he said. He would accomplish what thepolice had so far been unable to. He'd find whoever was responsiblefor hara.s.sing her, the person who had almost killed her today, and hewould stop him.

Unquestioning certainty filled her at the realization. For the first time since she was fifteen years old, she had complete and total faithin another person. No, she corrected herself. Not another person. In one person.

Macauley O'Neill. Raine came awake with a start, her heart pumping ina familiar terrible rhythm, her breath coming in pants. She should have known better than to try to sleep tonight. But she thought thelong, hot bath Macauley had recommended, coupled with the gla.s.ses ofwine, would work their magic on sore muscles and an exhausted mind. Andso they had, for a while..

Until a dream-induced replay had awakened her. The red digits on theclock at the bedside glowed twelve o'clock. She'd been asleep lessthan an hour.

Chances for a return to slumber were slight, at least for a while. She stared out at the night fixedly. The full moon of a few weeks ago hadsplintered to less than a quarter now, adding to the darkness of thesky.

She took deep breaths, from long practice familiar with the tricks ittook to calm a body in flight mode. But the old tricks weren't workingwell tonight. Deep breathing didn't calm her nerves, didn't chase thechill from her skin. She wasn't sure what would. Mac heard the raggedbreathing coming from her room as he pa.s.sed it-on his way to his own.He poked his head in the door, unsurprised when he saw the small figuresitting up in bed, arms wrapped around her knees. " Raine.

" His voice was low. She didn't answer, and he took a.reluctant step

over the threshold. " Are you all right?

She nodded, then, aware he wouldn't be able to detect the movement in the dark, tried to speak.

"Yes."

The ache in her voice negated the meaning of the word.

He came farther into the room, reaching for the light, but she

forestalled his movement toward it.

"No,"

she commanded, her voice quiet but even.

"Leave it off."

His hand hovered at the switch for a moment before dropping.

He'd never questioned the extra light plates, but had been aware

shortly after he'd first come here that extraordinary efforts had been taken so that Raine would never have to be in the dark if she didn't want to be.

He hesitated.

Every well-honed instinct he had screamed at him to back out of this room.

This woman needed nothing he could give her, because he was empty

himself.

His feet moved with a life of their own, rounding the corner of the bed.

Raine's eyes stayed trained on him as he moved through the room.

He'd removed his s.h.i.+rt.

Even in the dim moonlight that filtered into the room, it was easy to

discern the power in his muscled torso.

"Can I get you anything?"

The words hung in the air.

He'd obviously been on his way to his room from the bathroom down the

hall.

She knew that he would be clean-shaven.

Her nostrils flared in appreciation at the slight scent of soap andafter-shave.

" She shook her head, and this time he was close enough to her to seethe action. He crossed in front of the window, and she caught herbreath. For an instant he stood there, silhouetted against the sky, aportrait of shadows, dark against dark. And then he continued his approach until he was standing next to her. " I can't.

" She took a huge breath. " I dreamed about today.

" She tried a laugh that sounded more like a gasp. " Why is it alwaysscarier in the nightmare?

Mac sat on the edge of bed gingerly. " Recycled adrenaline?" he asked. " I guess." " When something like this happens, a person is in shock, operating to a large extent on instinct.

Survival takes over and emotions are left behind.

I guess when we sleep the emotions take over.

' "They say most people don't dream in color, did you know that?"

she whispered.

"But I know I do. The dreams are vivid Technicolor horror shows, every

time."

The dreams.

She wasn't talking only about tonight couldn't be.

But he knew what she was saying.

The unconscious had a way of opening even the most tightly locked

mental doors in the sleep process.

And sometimes that produced unpleasant nocturnal phantoms.

He wondered about her nightmares.

What would cause a woman like Raine to suffer from them?

He knew from experience that guilt would do the trick, but she had