Night Angel (Angel Haven) (9 page)

She watched his eyes darken with checked anger and sadness over what had been done to his brethren. Power rolled off him in waves and her own answered strongly, making her shiver.
Oh, Bradford, you’ve really opened a big can of worms.

“Troyington made me sign a contract stating I wouldn’t harm him or his people.” He winked at her, and the disarming grin was back. “I snuck in my own clause when I signed. It says if it’s in the children’s best interest, I can do whatever I think necessary to whoever I want.”

A headache began behind her eyes. She rubbed the back of her neck.
I don’t think I can take in too much more information.
“Why can’t you just do what you need to find the children?”

He stopped, turning her to him. “When any magic creature signs a contract or makes a promise, they’re bound by it to uphold it to the best of their abilities. I have no choice. I’m bound by the contract I signed. That’s why I amended it before putting my signature on it. If they do anything to the kids, I can take matters into my own hands in the pack’s best interest.”

Karen laid her hand on his arm, savoring the feel of his skin under her fingers.
Again, her power flared at the contact, and she was ready to jump him right then and there.
She saw light glow in his eyes briefly as he watched her
.
“Harmon said you upset his animals. How? I thought animals and the fairy world got along.”

“We do. I was talking to the horses to find out what they’d seen.” He shrugged. “He walked in when I was getting answers. He saw it as they were upset. I saw it as finally getting an intelligent answer.”

“You talk to animals too? Why am I not surprised?” They continued walking back to the mansion, Karen shivering in the chill morning air. “Why aren’t you ever cold?” He still wore no jacket outside.

He shrugged. “I’m not affected by the weather as much as humans.”

Karen watched him glance at her, and she smiled just a little. “I’m still having a hard time believing you’re not human.” She ran her hand down his arm. He felt as warm as if he’d been in the summer sun for hours. “You feel human.”
Really, really human.
Her face grew hot as she stared at him.

He cocked an eyebrow, the look on his face saying he suspected what was going through her mind. “I’m half human. My mother’s human. My father’s a guardian, like our mutual friend.”

She searched his face. “He said you have feelings for me.” She stared into the depths of those magical eyes. “Do you?” She could almost feel what he kept protected in his heart. Knowing more about him, she could see the inhuman part of him, the wildness she had sensed, dance in those blue, blue eyes.

He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “Yes,” he admitted. “I do.”

She closed her eyes and held his hand to her face. She stepped closer to him. “We can be together, right? I mean, your parents are together.”

“Yes. She gave up everything to be with him. She understood how important the guardians are to the fairy world.” He leaned down and whispered, “Could you give up everything for me?”

“Right now, yes, I could.” Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.

He leaned a little closer, dropping his hand to the side of her neck, then to her collar bone. “But it wouldn’t be for just now. It would be forever.” His finger traced a line down to the top button of her shirt.

Karen ran her hands along his chest and up to his face. The warmth of his skin flowed into her hands, filling her whole body. He leaned closer as she caressed his face.

“Dupré!”

Cray’s shout shattered the stillness, ruining the moment. Randall stepped back, smiling as Karen’s cheeks burned. “We’d better get back. We don’t want Troyington’s men to find us out here.”

“No.” Disappointment swept through her. But didn’t this kind of stuff always happen in fairy tales? The path to true love was always filled with obstacles.
Yes
, she thought.
But why does my path have major construction signs?

“Go back the way you came.” He nodded off to his right. “There’s a shortcut down that way I can take to come out at another area on the estate.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Promise me you’ll be careful.” She gazed at his face, searching for the magic they’d shared moments before. She held him tighter when he smiled, turning her legs to jelly.
If he doesn’t quit that, I’ll be helping him from a jar.

He gazed in her eyes. “Everything will be fine. Trust me.”

“Dupré!” The shout was much closer this time.

Randall ran down the path and in moments had disappeared. Karen resumed her leisurely stroll, drifting out of the woods not ten feet from Cray. “Good morning, Mr. Cray. Was that you shouting just now?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m looking for Dupré. Have you seen him?” Cray glanced over her shoulder, searching for Randall.

“No. I was taking a walk. Mr. Troyington said I should stay on the path. I’m waiting for Edna.” She smiled what she hoped was an innocent smile. “If I see him, should I tell him you’re looking for him?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Cray stomped off toward the mansion.

Karen sagged against a tree, breathing a sigh a relief. A squirrel sat near her feet, staring at her. Again, a blackbird’s mocking call echoed around her. Making her way back to the house, she had a strange feeling that the animals were spying on her. A dull ache started in her temple, and she rubbed her head.

****

“Edna, good morning,” Karen called.
I’ll bet your morning wasn’t nearly as exciting as mine.
Her face grew warm, still feeling Randall’s light touch. If she put his impish grin with it, she may as well confess every feeling he crammed into her body.

Edna slammed the door shut she’d just come out of. “Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.” She nodded at the door behind the older woman. “What’s that room?”

Edna looked over her shoulder at the door she’d just locked. “This is Bradford’s private study. He does all his important work in there. I help him sometimes.”

Did Edna seem a little nervous? Karen mentally shrugged. It was probably her own close call with the handyman outside coloring her perceptions. “Oh. Do you think he’d show it to me sometime?”

“I’m not sure,” Edna said slowly. “He’s particular about who goes in there. I think I’m lucky I get to go in.” She smiled at Karen, taking her arm and leading her away. “Oh, let him have his secrets. What shall we do today?”

Karen had her own plan in place. “I was hoping you could show me around. I’m sure I haven’t seen half of this place yet, and I didn’t want to wander around by myself, just in case there were places, like this room, I wasn’t supposed to go in.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Edna winked at her. “Then you’ll see I know what I’m talking about when I tell you Bradford is right for you.” They stood in the hall while Edna thought. “Let’s start on this floor. We’ve already been through the basement pretty thoroughly.”

She took Karen into the library. Karen inhaled the scent of the leather-bound tomes lining the tall shelves. French doors opened into the garden and the curtains were drawn back to let the morning sun light up the room. “Do you think it would be all right if I borrowed a book while I’m here? I forgot to bring my own with me.”

“I don’t think Bradford would have a problem with it. I think there’s very little he’d deny you.” Edna peered closely at her. “You’ve been staying away from that Dupré fellow, haven’t you?”

“Of course.” Did her feelings for him show on her face? “I realized everyone here knows him much better than I do.”
But that’s slowly changing
, she thought.

Bradford’s regular study was sparsely furnished compared to what she’d seen of the rest of the house so far. Just a desk and a few filing cabinets with a small stereo on a table by the wall. Next door was the billiard room, which led to the ballroom. The air felt stale and unused. “Does he use these rooms much?”

“Not really.” Edna gestured around the room. “He added them because he found out his neighbors had them. He didn’t want them thinking he couldn’t keep up.”

That fit with what Karen was finding out about the millionaire so far. He wanted things others had and planned to get them. The fact that he took werewolf children in order to claim their abilities spoke volumes about his character. Adding on a couple of rooms to keep up with his neighbors was nothing to him. How much time did Randall and the children have left before Troyington got impatient with not being able to do the things they could? The dull throb in her temple intensified.

Karen went on with the tour, trying to ignore the incessant pounding in her head. This might be the only chance she’d have to look around without Bradford being there. All her body wanted was to lie down. Preferably with Randall. She gave a mental sigh, wishing her mind would quit sneaking in those totally distracting comments.

The kitchen turned out to be much smaller than she expected. “I would’ve thought the kitchen would be huge with an army of cooks.”

Edna chuckled. “No, he’s only got one cook. He had the kitchen redesigned to her specifications. She told him she didn’t need something the size of a barn to fix meals in. This suits her just fine. And it’s just her, no one else. She’s very possessive of the kitchen.” Edna opened a door in the far corner. “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you the other bedrooms.”

She led Karen up the back stairs, and they came out at the end of the hallway. Most of the bedrooms near these stairs were closed off, curtains pulled tight and covers draped the furniture, making odd shapes in the near dark. The air felt stale and dust tickled her nose. She sneezed. “Are these rooms ever used?”

Edna pulled a small pack of tissues out of her pants pocket and handed them to her. “Very rarely. They won’t be opened now until next summer. He always entertains in the summer.”

They went a little further down the hall, and Edna opened the door closest to the main staircase. Karen knew instantly it was Bradford’s room. It reflected the man himself, soft, yet masculine. The ivory and tan colors were light and restful, the furniture definitely for a man, but not the heavy dark things one would expect. His closet was its own room, leading to a huge private bathroom.

“All this luxury could really ruin a person,” Karen said, craning her neck to see everything at once.

Edna laughed. “I’ll show you my room. It’s not nearly as grand as this, but it suits me.” She led Karen to the door directly across from Karen’s room and flung it open. “Here it is.”

The room was pastel blue. Little pink flowers brightened the wallpaper, the comforter, and the matching curtains. “I have this room every time I come here.”

“It’s very sweet,” Karen said. “Just like you.”

Edna lightly slapped her wrist. “Stop. You’ll have an old lady blushing in a minute.”

Karen walked around the room, admiring the white antique furniture and the view from the windows. She could see the wood shed where she and Randall always seemed to meet up. Had Edna seen them together? If so, had she told Bradford?

As she turned, a sparkle of sunlight on the floor caught her eye. She stepped closer, cutting the glare and saw a medical syringe.

Why would a syringe be in Edna’s room? Did she need insulin or some other medication? Was she a drug addict? Karen wasn’t sure if she wanted to consider the other options. What if Edna was somehow involved with the missing werewolves? Karen’s face froze into the smile she’d pasted on. The headache lanced through her temple as she tried to keep Edna from suspecting how she felt.

“Can we walk around the balcony before lunch?” she asked.

Edna looked at her watch. “I think we have time. The view of the garden from up here is wonderful.” She opened the door, and they stepped into the chill air.

Karen barely heard what Edna was talking about. She was looking for Randall and wishing she could talk to him. The occupants of the grand house sent chills down her spine. She prayed silently for time to move quickly. If ever she needed to talk to the guardian, it was now.

Chapter Eight

“Thanks for an informative day,” Karen said as she and Edna sat down to dinner. She’d popped enough extra-strength everything to make her head stop throbbing, getting it down to a dull, but bearable ache. The warm, amber light from the chandelier was low, making it easier to sit there.

Edna poured blood-colored wine from the decanter into their glasses. “My pleasure.”

“Good evening, ladies,” Bradford said from the doorway.

Karen stood. “You’re back early. We missed you.”
Liar
, her inner voice screamed at her, making the headache stab sharply for a second.

Edna turned in her seat to smile at him. “Yes, we did. It was too quiet without you here.”

Bradford took his usual seat, the yellow-orange glow from the chandelier casting strange, dancing shadows over his face. “We wrapped things up quicker than expected.” He reached out and grabbed Karen’s hand. “I didn’t want to spend any more time away from you. So, how did you two spend your day?”

Karen gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to snatch her hand away. She caught a glimpse of something in his eyes that made her shiver, and she looked away quickly. “Edna showed me around,” she said, nodding to the older woman. “I knew the house was huge, but I had no idea there were so many rooms.”

Bradford glanced at her. “Sometimes this place is a bit much for me. That’s why I’m glad you stayed longer. It gets lonely here.” He shrugged. “But it was my parents’ home, so I can’t bring myself to sell it.”

“Is that why you had the murder mystery weekend even though you’re busy with work right now?” she asked. “To have people around?”

“Exactly.” He raised his glass to her. “You really are a good detective.”

Karen stared at her plate as she pushed the food around. “Thanks.”

“Maybe before you leave, I’ll have a party.”

“That’d be great. I’d like to meet your friends.” Karen drank some wine, trying to wash the lies out of her mouth.

****

Edna left Karen and Bradford alone in the drawing room after dinner, saying she needed to call her sister.