Heroes Are My Weakness(27)

Instead of the fear and disgust his scrutiny should have elicited, she had a disturbing desire to sit down on one of the tree stumps and tell him her troubles, as if she were fifteen all over again. Exactly how he’d roped her in the first time. Her hatred spewed over. “Why did you burn Regan’s poetry notebook?”

The fire flared. “I don’t remember.”

“She was always trying to protect you. No matter what horrible thing you did, she’d defend you.”

“Twins are weird.” He almost sneered, reminding her so much of Leo that she shivered. “Tell you what,” he said. “Maybe we can work something out.”

The calculation in his eyes made her suspect he’d set another one of his traps. “No way.”

He shrugged. “All right.” He pitched a full trash bag into the fire. “I’ll go talk to Jaycie.”

The trap snapped shut. “You haven’t changed a bit! What do you want?”

He turned his devil’s eyes on her. “I want to use the cottage.”

“I’m not leaving the island,” she said as the acrid smell of burning plastic filled the clearing.

“Not a problem. I only need it during the day.” The waves of heat rising from the fire between them distorted his features. “You stay at Harp House in the daytime. Use the WiFi. Do whatever you want. When evening comes, we trade places.”

He’d set a trap, and the jaws had snapped. Had he ever said that he was going to fire Jaycie, or had she and Jaycie merely assumed that was the case? As she considered the likelihood that this was a ploy designed to manipulate her into doing his bidding, she was struck by something else. “You’re the one who was using the cottage before I got here. That coffee I found belonged to you. And the newspaper.”

He threw the last of the trash into the fiery drum. “So what? Your mother never minded lending out the cottage.”

“My mother’s gone,” Annie countered. She remembered the newspaper she’d found that had been dated a few days before her arrival. “You must have known when I was arriving—everybody on this island seemed to know. But when I got here, there was no water, no heat. That was deliberate.”

“I didn’t want you to stay.”

He exhibited not even a trace of shame, but under the circumstances, she wasn’t handing him a gold star for honesty. “What’s so special about the cottage?”

He grabbed his jacket from the stump. “It’s not Harp House.”

“But if you hate the place so much, why are you here?”

“I could ask you the same.”

“I didn’t have a choice.” She jerked her hat over her ears. “That’s not the way it is with you.”

“Isn’t it?” He hooked his jacket over his shoulder and headed toward the house.

“I’ll only agree on one condition,” she called after him, knowing as she did that she was in no position to make conditions. “I can use your Range Rover whenever I want.”

He kept going. “The key’s on a hook next to the back door.”

She remembered the underwear she’d left scattered around the bedroom and the book of pornographic art photos lying open on the couch. Then there was the black cat. “Fine. But our deal doesn’t start until tomorrow. I’ll bring you a key to the cottage in the morning.”

“No need. I already have one.” In two long strides he’d rounded the stables and was out of sight.


ANNIE HAD BEEN BLACKMAILED, BUT she’d also gotten something out of it. Not only did she now have reliable transportation, but she also wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into Theo during the day. She wondered if he’d discovered the handprint she’d left on the bathroom mirror. If only she could hear him scream.

Maybe tonight she’d scratch claw marks into the turret door. Let him figure that one out.

When Annie got inside, Jaycie was sitting at the table, sorting a pile of clean laundry. Livia looked up from a big jigsaw puzzle on the floor, her attention on Annie for the first time. Annie smiled and vowed to bring Scamp out again before the day was over.

She made her way to the table to help with the laundry. “I talked to Theo. You don’t have to worry.”

Jaycie’s debutante eyes brightened. “Really? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Annie picked up a bath towel and began to fold it. “I’ll run the errands into town from now on, so let me know what I need to do.”

“I should have had more faith in him.” She sounded almost breathless. “He’s been so nice to me.”

Annie bit her tongue. Hard.

They worked in silence for a while. Annie dealt with the sheets and towels so she wouldn’t have to handle his personal items. Jaycie took her time folding a pile of silky boxer briefs, fingering the material. “I’ll bet these cost a lot.”

“Amazing that such delicate fabric can hold up against all those clawing female hands.” Not to mention a large body part . . .

Jaycie took Annie’s comment seriously. “I don’t think so. His wife died just a year ago, and the only females around here are you, me, and Livia.”

Annie gazed toward the four-year-old. Livia’s forehead was knit in concentration as she pressed the giant jigsaw pieces into their proper places. There was nothing wrong with her intelligence, and Annie had heard her humming softly to herself, so her vocal cords were working. Why wouldn’t she talk? Was it shyness or something more complicated? Whatever the cause, her muteness made her more vulnerable than the average four-year-old.