Standing in the Shadows (McClouds & Friends #2)(129)

"What clinic?" Barbara asked.

Sean shot her a wry glance. "The clinic where my brother spent two months in a coma, remember? That clinic."

Cindy saved her the embarrassment of a reply by appearing at the top of the stairs in a baggy sweatsuit, rubbing her fist in her reddened eyes like a little girl. She stumbled down the stairs, shy and hesitant.

"Miles brought you flowers," Barbara said. "Isn't that sweet?"

Cindy gave Miles a wan smile. "Thanks. They're really pretty."

Miles gazed up adoringly. "I, uh, brought you some, uh, other stuff, too," he stammered. "Some vids. Your sax. You know. Stuff."

"That's cool," Cindy said. "You want to come up to my room?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." He looked around at the rest of them. " 'Scuse me," he mumbled. He bolted up the stairs after Cindy.

Sean turned back to Tonia. "I know I saw you at the clinic a couple of times. That uniform actually looked good on you."

Tonia's laugh sounded forced. "Thanks. You have to forgive me for not remembering you. It was a long time ago."

"A year and two months," Sean said. "To be precise."

"I thought Erin said you worked at Highpoint," Barbara said.

"I do," Tonia said. "I'm sort of a butterfly. I flit from job to job. Well, ran… I'd better be on my way. And that matter we discussed, Mrs. Riggs? Really, it's urgent. Get right on it, please."

"Oh, I will," Barbara said fervently. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Lovely to meet you," she called back over her shoulder. " 'Bye."

There was a long silence after Tonia left. Sean's green eyes were so much like his brother's. Bright, direct… compelling. Dark, fluttering panic threatened to unravel her. She steadied herself against the wall.

"Hey, Mrs. Riggs. Are you OK?"

How ironic, an offer of help from one of the few people on earth she could not share her problem with. "I'm fine, thanks."

"You sure? Can I help you out with anything? Anything at all."

The concern in his face made her feel ashamed for lying to him. She forced herself to smile. "Just dandy, and thanks for asking."

"OK, then. I'd better be on my way, too. Things to do. Glad that Cindy's doing better. You take care, now."

"Thank you, I will," she said.

Sean bounded down the walk and got into his mud-splattered Jeep. Barbara reset the alarm and stumbled back into the kitchen. She grabbed the cordless phone, sat down, and stared at it.

Both of her girls had been threatened by violent men. Erin six months ago by Novak and Luksch. Cindy by Billy Vega. And now her innocent, eager-to-please Erin had been swept off her feet by an unbalanced, controlling man with 3 family history of mental illness.

Her sweet girl who tried so hard, who deserved the very best.

It was unendurable. She was done with sitting around and doing nothing. It was up to her to protect her children, in any way she could think of. And Tonia's suggestion was a damn good place to start.

She dialed a number she had thought she would never dial again.

"Would you please beep Nick Ward for me?" she asked the switchboard operator. "It's urgent."



The slam of a car door jerked Connor out of his stupor. He twitched open the kitchen curtain to make sure it was one of his brothers. Not many people knew how to find the ramshackle, hand-built house out in the hills that Eamon had left to his sons, and the McCloud brothers liked it that way. It was a sure refuge from the weirdness of the world. Only their closest friends knew where it was.

It was Sean. This was going to be exhausting. He looked down at the bottle of Scotch on the table. His attempt to drown his sorrows in alcohol was as much of a failure as the rest of his life currently was. Instead of blunting emotions, like liquor was supposed to do, it had just blurred his capacity to mink clearly. The emotions had parried right on.

He didn't need Sean to scold him for sulking. He was already scolding himself, but there wasn't enough oomph behind it to break his paralysis. The kitchen door creaked open. He didn't bother to turn.

Sean's distinctive smell wafted into the room. Expensive citrus aftershave and well-tended leather. God, his brother was vain. But he loved him, even when Sean drove him nuts. The whiskey was making him maudlin. He buried his face in his hands and braced himself.

"I've been looking for you all morning." Sean's tone was accusing.

"You found me," he replied.

Sean was silent for an unnaturally long time. "I went by your house. Did you know that you left it unlocked? It's not a bad neighborhood, but you did get robbed a few months ago, remember?"

He gestured carelessly with his scarred hand. "If somebody wants my stuff, they're welcome to it."

Sean made a sharp sound under his breath. "Oh, Christ, not again. What bug has crawled up your ass this time?"

"Leave me alone, Sean."

"I tried Erin's place, but no one was home. And I tried to call you, but the phone's off, of course. Why should today be any different."

"I gave the phone to Erin."

Sean sighed in frustration. "I don't know why you keep getting rid of them. You know we're just going to get you a new one."