She was going to kick him again and he knew it, he could see it in her eyes. Damn, he loved it when she got physical with him. He smiled at her. A slow baring of his teeth, a sexual reminder of retaliation. He was pleased to see the slight widening of her eyes, the ripple of response that was barely detectable, the scent of sweet, clean arousal that suddenly bloomed from her body.
He stepped back slowly, his arm going behind her, his hand clasping her hip to be sure she stayed close and well out of reach of the threat he was sensing.
“Hmphf. I can see you’re getting along fine.”Reginald couldn’t hide the small telltale hint of vindictive displeasure in his voice. The insult that had Taber flexing his muscles in preparation to take the bastard apart, limb by limb.
“Broke already?” she asked him softly. Her voice was smooth and mocking, but Taber sensed the anger he could feel building inside her.
Reginald grunted. “They burned the house. Your mom’s pictures, the quilts, everything’s gone.” Roni flinched noticeably. Taber speared the man with a look that promised retribution, a rumbling growl of warning sounding from his chest. He was deliberately hurting her now, choosing his words carefully, striking where she was most tender.Reginald eyed him warily.
“You used to be nicer than this, Taber,” he sighed as though the reception he was receiving disappointed him.
“And you used to be smarter than this, Reggie,” Taber retorted softly, barely restraining his violence. If only he could figure out why the other man was sending his instincts off the scales, then he would feel more comfortable. “You’ve seen her. She’s fine. You can leave now.”
“Roni, you gonna let them throw me out?”Reginald turned to his daughter, the whine in his voice grating on Taber’s ears. “Things are real tough right now. With our pictures flashing all over the television screens and your association with this…”Reginald paused insultingly, “…man being reported all over the world. I can’t even get a decent job from the old sources anymore.” The “old sources” no doubt being illegal.
“You should have spent your last payment more wisely,Reginald.” She tried to sound unfeeling, cool under pressure, but Taber could hear the pain in her voice. “This isn’t my home. Mine burned to the ground. Remember? I have no right to determine who stays and who goes.” Reginald cast Callan a calculating look. “You gonna throw her daddy out on the street? You know how much trouble this has caused me, Callan?”
Callan watched Roni as closely as Taber did.
“You have family,” Roni reminded her father almost desperately. “I’ll give you the money,Reginald…” She stopped. Taber could hear her breathing in harshly. “I don’t have my purse, but I’ll call the bank. I’ll get you the money…”
“No, Roni honey, you know none of those brothers of mine are going to let me bed down in their fancy-assed houses. You know how they always turned their backs on us.” It was no less than the truth. Just as it was no less thanReginald’s own fault that his family had literally disowned him.
“The house is full at present,Reginald.” Callan finally stepped forward. “We can put you up at the barracks on the other side of the house grounds. There are a few empty bunks there.” Reginald’s gaze never left Roni’s. He stared at her the way a snake did an intended meal. Cold, deliberate, unflinching.
“That’s right friendly of you, Callan,” he finally said softly. Taber felt a chill chase down his back as Roni stilled a flinch.
She was frightened. He could feel it, almost smell it radiating from her body. She tensed, holding herself rigidly erect as she stared back at her father.
“Don’t make trouble here,Reginald,” she finally warned him, her voice low, resonating with throttled anger. “I won’t be held responsible for what they do to you if you try to.” Taber looked down at her, holding back his surprise. He had never heard Roni threaten anyone other than him personally. And certainly never her wayward, mercenary father.
“Why, Roni, shame on you, making these good people think I’d cause trouble.” He hadn’t even blinked at he stared at her. “You know I’m a right social person. They won’t have a peep of trouble out of me.” Taber tensed at the veiled threat directed at Roni. It pulsed in the air around them and caused the fine hairs on the back of Taber’s neck to lift and bristle in response.
Taber wanted to order the son of a bitch off the estate, cast him out into the streets and tell him to fend for himself. For as long as Roni had been old enough to hold down a part-time job the bastard had leeched every penny she could make. There had been no protecting her from him then, but by God, he could do it now.
“Escort Mr. Andrews to the workers’ bunk shed, Merc,” Callan ordered one of the burly guards.
Mercury was six and a half feet of muscle with a face so closely resembling that of a cat’s that there was no way the man could walk down a public street without inciting riotous panic among the citizens now.
He was stern, cold, a killing machine and one of the most loyal, honorable men Taber had ever known.
“He can have the bunk nearest mine.” Thin lips spread into a cold smile as eerie amber eyes glittered with cold knowledge. Merc wasn’t a fool.
“We need to talk soon, Roni.”Reginald smiled thinly as Merc gripped his arm firmly. “Catch up on things, ya know?”
“I think we said enough last week,Reginald,” she answered him firmly, her voice cold enough to chill an iceberg. “Enjoy your stay. But I doubt I’ll have time to visit.”
“You might want to make time.”Reginald tried to pull his arm back from the soldier escorting him from the house. “Think about it, Roni. Think hard.”
The door closed on his parting words.
Taber continued to watch his mate closely, his mind working, turning over possibilities and threats and only coming up with more answers.
“You want to explain that little meeting to me, Roni?” he asked her softly, aware that all eyes had turned to them.
Her gaze lifted to his slowly, but not slow enough for him to miss the flash of fear that she fought to hide.
“Sure, Taber.” He didn’t like that slow, tight smile that crossed her lips. “I’ll be more than happy to, the very minute you answer my earlier question. Turn about, baby.” She nudged his waist with her elbow in a deliberately forced playful mood. “You just let me know when you’re ready to talk.” She turned then, moving quickly for the stairs again and taking them with quick, almost running steps.