CHAPTER ELEVEN
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“Why?” Thomas asked. When had he become rebellious? But this man might be a threat to Tammy. He could never allow her to be harmed. “Who are you and why are you here? I came to talk to Tammy, not to you.”
“I’ll bet you did,” Marrec grimaced.
Tammy drew herself up beside him. She was wearing a drab tee shirt much like his own, though she filled it out much more nicely, and black jeans and practical boots, along with a leather jacket that hugged her figure. She should wear bright colors though, as she had in Las Vegas. Luckily, her hair was vibrant. She could not make that dull. Why did she wear depressing colors? It must be because she was unhappy with her family. He would fix that.
“Mr. Marrec is here,” Tammy said, “to protect us.”
“Ahhh. Your family will try to keep you prisoner.” Thomas nodded. “I understand.”
“Well, sort of.” Tammy looked a little regretful.
Mr. Marrec studied her with narrowed eyes then turned his gaze on Thomas. “Sit, both of you. And you, lover-boy, start talking.”
Tammy flounced onto the bed. Thomas sat gingerly at the end of the bed, trying not to be too close to Tammy. His painful erection hadn’t subsided, and while he was trying to keep his hands folded in front of it to conceal the problem, they sometimes brushed his jeans and that was bad. He cleared his throat. Normally he wouldn’t think of challenging such an order, but Tammy’s safety was at stake. “You have not said who you are,” he said, with what he thought was admirable control.
Marrec stared at him then threw up his hands in exasperation. “I am her half-brother. And I am here to see that she comes to no harm.”
Thomas jerked his chin up. “You are a member of her evil family?” He sprang to his feet. “Come, Tammy, we must leave. I will not allow him to keep you prisoner.”
But Tammy didn’t rise. “I want Mr. Marrec here, Thomas. I…” But she didn’t seem to be able to finish.
Thomas felt his shoulders sag. She did not trust him. But of course, how could she know that he wanted nothing but the best for her? To prove to her that she should come with him and serve Morgan, he would have to get time alone to convince her.
She was examining his face.
“I want to get to know you,” he said. Which was true.
“And I want to get to know you as well,” she said firmly. “Mr. Marrec is going to take us to Catalina tomorrow, and we’ll have some time to talk. It’s an island, so we’ll be safe there. We can just hang out.”
Hang out? Of a window? But he couldn’t question her when she had agreed to talk to him. He turned to glare at Marrec. “Very well. He can stay.”
Marrec chuffed a derisive laugh. “Merci beaucoup. And now your name?”
“Thomas Llewellyn.”
“Noted,” Marrec said. But he didn’t write it down. “And me, I believe that you have been in a monastery, though some might call it a wild tale. Now, why are you out?”
Tammy surged off the bed. “You don’t have to tell him, Thomas.” She glared at Marrec. “You’re just the muscle, Mr. Marrec. You don’t call the shots.”
Thomas didn’t quite get that. What did Marrec’s muscles have to do with “calling shots? And what were shots that they could be called? It didn’t matter. He understood Tammy’s tone. He stepped in front of her, just to let her know she would be protected from this Marrec.
“Why do I get a feeling that this information is exactly what I need to know?” Marrec asked. But he seemed resigned to not getting an answer.
Tammy pressed on. “Now, who did you call? Who found the hotel? Kemble can trace almost anything.”
“You said you wanted protection. I am the best. I will provide.”
Thomas became alarmed. “Who do you need protection from, Tammy? Your family?” She couldn’t mean him, could she? He would never hurt her.
Tammy looked conscious. Marrec answered for her. “Morgan Le Fay. Her Clan would kill a Tremaine in the blink of an eye.”
“My mentor?” he asked. But he knew it was true. Duncan had said the Tremaines were her sworn enemies.
“What?” Marrec half-shouted, rising too. “You’re Clan?”
Tammy looked worried.
“I am not this Clan. I don’t know it,” Thomas protested.
“You said Morgan Le Fay is your mentor.” Marrec turned to Tammy. “What is this?”
Tammy tried to answer, but Thomas interrupted. “She donated to the monastery so they would keep me after I was orphaned.”
“So now you’re in her hip pocket and she’s sent you after this very naïve jeune fille.” He glanced to Tammy, disgusted. “How did you two even meet? Or are you one of those loons who fall in love with criminals in prison without ever having seen them?”
Tammy sputtered in outrage.
“I saw her in Las Vegas,” Thomas declared. “Across a place with many cars. She is not a loon or any kind of bird.”
“Oh. That makes me feel better,” Marrec muttered. “That’s the only time?”
“No. We spoke today at the fence of her house.” Thomas wasn’t sure why he felt he had to justify himself. “She is important to me.”
“I’d bet money she is,” Marrec said. “I thought this was supposed to be true love.”
“Stop! Both of you.”
Thomas and Marrec both turned to Tammy, surprised at her vehemence.
“You,” she said, pointing to Thomas. “Sit down.” Thomas realized that he and Marrec were practically nose-to-nose. Thomas sat.
“And you,” she said, turning to Marrec. “We had a deal. You protect me while I take three days to get to know Thomas. That’s all. You don’t get to judge.”
“True love across a crowded parking lot between mortal enemies?”
“Well, guy, there happens to be a lot you don’t know about our family, and sometimes that’s the way it happens to us. Because of Thomas’s, uh, unusual connections, you can see why I don’t want to entertain him at The Breakers. And,” she said, holding up a finger to interrupt Marrec’s protest. “You can also see that he’s not the usual Clan material.”
Marrec’s lips thinned, but he seemed to be considering that.
“So I’m going to stick with my plan to figure that out,” Tammy continued. “And you’re going to make sure we’re not interrupted by any of Morgan’s friends or my family.”
“Morgan’s friends are certainly going to be looking for their lost lamb, even if he isn’t an actual agent of your destruction.”
Tammy grudgingly acknowledged his point. “Probably.”
Thomas brightened. “They might know I’m gone by now, but not where I am. I hid on a helicopter as it came out of the desert. They are far away.”
Marrec said nothing for a while. “Merde.”
Thomas saw Tammy visibly let out a sigh. “So we’re good then?”
“We are far from good. But I will get you to Catalina in the morning.”
*
“I’m calling in the search parties,” Jason said. “It’s dark.” Enough was enough.
“Damn you,” Morgan said, pacing her palatial office. Palatial at least for a metal compound in a desert canyon. Her fucking raven was making itself at home in front of a bowl of raw meat on her desk. “We’ve got to find him.”
“Wait until the temperature goes down,” Jason said, keeping his voice even. “Toward dawn we can take out some heat-seeking equipment.”
“He’s probably dead from exposure and dehydration at this point,” Morgan fretted.
That was not like her. Well, he guessed she had an excuse. Where was she going to find another Thomas in four days?
“Strong young buck like him?” he asked, taking pity on her, as if she deserved pity. “And used to deprivation. He’s not dead after one day in the desert.”
Hardwick came in, his spectral features drawn into a frown. “I’ve located a standing stone we can acquire. Illegally poached. Very expensive. But it’s about the right size.”
“Spare no expense. Can you get it here in time?”
“Just. The air freight will be horrendous. Then it’ll be shipped from LAX by truck.”
“Well, by all means go do it.” Morgan waved her hand and Hardwick disappeared. Morgan stared at her raven, which gulped down the ground red meat. Small twisting shreds hung from its beak like red worms. She turned to Jason. “So we have the altar. Now all we need is the star attraction.”
“We’ll find him,” Jason said grimly. He’d better find the moron kid, or he’d be the one dehydrating in the desert. Only he’d be staked out by Morgan and left for the crows.
*
Tammy watched Thomas tuck into the rib-eye as he sat cross-legged on his bed with the tray on his lap. He looked like he’d never had a steak before in his life.
Hmmm. Maybe he hadn’t.
She glanced to Mr. Marrec, who was seated at the desk, eating with equal concentration. What was it with men and food? Definitely one-track minds. Mr. Marrec disdained the knife that arrived with the food order and pulled a huge and intimidating blade out of his boot to cut his meat. She didn’t want to know where (or in whom) that knife had been. She picked at her salmon. What she wanted was time alone with Thomas.
She told herself that it was to extract information about the Clan and anything he knew about the coming Pentacle event. That was partially true. But she wanted to touch those rounded biceps and the shoulders that bunched under his tee shirt, and…
Maybe she shouldn’t be alone with Thomas. She knew only too well that if they ever, uh, consummated a relationship, they’d be trapped. And if either one of them gave it up, it would be feel like having your soul ripped out. That’s how Tris and Drew described it. If she and Thomas were alone, would she have the will-power to stop what would inevitably start?
“This is very good,” Thomas said, as he swallowed. “You say this is cow?”
Mr. Marrec grunted an affirmative. “Never had beef?”
“We only had goats at the monastery and they were for milk. We didn’t eat meat. We had cheese though. I churned enough milk and pressed enough cheese to last a lifetime.”
“I knew you didn’t get those shoulders from a gym,” Mr. Marrec muttered around a mouthful of steak.
“How did you know that?” Thomas was now attacking his potato.
Mr. Marrec laughed. “Muscles from gyms look pretty, but they can’t work. Or fight.”
“Fight?” Thomas asked. “Is that what you do?” He gestured toward the knife with his own, much less fierce implement.
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
“You must have a strong purpose.” Thomas nodded in approval.
Mr. Marrec looked taken aback. “Purpose?”
Thomas looked up from his plate, his eyes wide, as though he didn’t comprehend Marrec’s ignorance. “The goal which drives your life,” he explained.
Mr. Marrec’s expression shut down like a steel door. “I wouldn’t know about that.”
Thomas grew wary. “I did not mean to chide you. I am very lucky to have a purpose.”
“Yeah, right. You.” Marrec cut savagely at his meat. “What purpose does a kid have who’s been in a monastery all his life? You going to do God’s work and be a monk? Me, I think Miss Priss here won’t like that much.”
Tammy felt herself flush. “He can be whatever he wants.”
“But you are both wrong,” Thomas said, his brows drawing together. “I do not believe in God. And I have only one true purpose, so I cannot be whatever I want.”
“You lived in a monastery and yet don’t believe in God…” Mr. Marrec stopped his knife and went still. “I’ll bet I know who gave you your ‘purpose.’”
Thomas nodded eagerly. “My mentor.”
Mr. Marrec turned only his head to stare at Thomas. Tammy held her breath. Just maybe this boy knew everything.
“So, what is this purpose?” Marrec asked.
Thomas’s expression collapsed. “I do not know. I know only the time is not yet come to fulfill it.”
Marrec snorted in derision and turned to his meal. “This purpose cannot be trés fort if you don’t even know what it is.”
Tammy sighed. Yeah. That would have been too easy.
Thomas smiled. That smile was so beatific he looked like one of those paintings of saints. “But to know you have one—that is surely a blessing, even if it is not from God.”
Actually, he might not have religion, but he certainly had faith. In some ways, Tammy envied him. She hadn’t had faith since her father was hurt. Her life since then had been less naïve, no matter what Mr. Marrec said. Not a bad thing. But also less joyful, less willing to face the future. Unlike Thomas.
So Thomas didn’t know how he figured in Morgan’s plans. That was a dead-end. Bu he might know where Morgan was hiding, or something about the Clan or the Pentacle event. Anyway, she had to pry Thomas away from Morgan’s influence if her Destiny was going to be a happy one. Tall order for three days.
She put her head down and concentrated on her food, though she had zero appetite. He was so different, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to pair up with Thomas, marry him.
She put her plate on the bed and got up, feeling overwhelmed. She’d gotten herself into this mess and she was going through with it. But right now she needed to be alone. “I’m going to bed,” she whispered. “It’s been quite a day.”
She could practically feel two pairs of male eyes drilling into her back as she headed for the door.
“Lock your room door,” Mr. Marrec grunted as she left.
*
Michael tried to stay out of the traffic lanes in the house as long as he could. That way no one could ask him any questions he didn’t want to answer. But as dinner approached, he knew Jane and Brina, at the least, would start wondering where Tammy was. God knew if they took a look at Lance, flat and morose in the corner, they’d know Tammy wasn’t here.
Damn it. He sighed. Time to lie. At least he could put off the inevitable and give Tammy some time. He sure hoped he’d done the right thing. But with Drew’s vision as his guide, how could he have done anything else? Tammy was going to Catalina and he couldn’t change that.
He headed around the outside of the house in the dark and came in through the French doors to the kitchen and the informal dining area. Sure enough, Jane was on top of things.
“Kee, do you know where Tammy is?” she asked, turning from where she was layering noodles, cheese, and meat in a big oblong pan. Yum. Lasagna. One of Michael’s favorites.
Kee was taking a load of plates into the more formal dining room that could hold the whole family. “Haven’t seen her.”
“Hmmm,” Jane muttered. “She’s been pretty invisible lately.”
Michael knew that tone. Jane had very subtly taken on the female leadership of the family since Brina had been so preoccupied with Senior’s recovery. And now she was thinking about what to do about Tammy. That was bad.
“I just came from the barn,” Michael interjected, trying to sound casual. “She’s down walking Guinevere around. She thinks the mare has a touch of colic.”
“Oh, dear. Should we call the vet?” Jane asked. “That will throw Mr. Edwards into a security tizzy.” Drew was washing vegetables in the sink. Dev had gotten out several bottles of wine and a decanter. They both turned to Michael. Did everyone have to stare at him? Christ. He was comfortable lying to anyone else but family.
He cleared his throat. “Tammy said no. But she might be there a while. I’ll take her dinner.” He tried to appear to consider. “She’ll probably want to sleep down in the stable. You know how she is. I’ll be sure she has some bedding too.”
“If you’re sure…” Jane said slowly.
“Yeah. Sure.” He noticed Drew watching him through narrowed eyes. Uh-oh.
But just then Brina and Brian came in, and there was much fussing to get them seated at the breakfast table with glasses of wine. They were followed by Lan and Greta, looking lazily post-coital, and Maggie came in from the terrace with Jesse in tow.
“It’s dark out, honey. Time to come in,” Maggie explained to the five-year-old.
“My fort isn’t finished,” he whined. “What if it rains and it gets all wet?”
“It isn’t going to rain until December,” Kemble said, entering the room. “This is Southern California.” Leave it to Kemble to quote facts to a five-year-old.
But all of this distracted his wife. Thank God for a big family. Drew handed him a glass of Scotch, neat, as they started cocktail hour. He took it without meeting her eyes.
He’d take a plate down to the barn. And bedding. While he was there, he’d better feed the animals since Tammy wasn’t around to do it. That might let him avoid Drew’s prying eyes.
*
Thomas felt better. Earlier he had vomited up most of his dinner. He wasn’t used to eating cow. Now couldn’t sleep. The bed was way too soft of course and he didn’t like to sleep on the floor in front of Mr. Marrec. It would make him seem too different. But the bed wasn’t the only reason he couldn’t sleep. He could feel Tammy in the room next door and it was driving him crazy. His mind darted from thought to thought. His penis was fully erect. His clothes were drenched in sweat. In short, he was unraveling. One moment he was trying to think how to convince Tammy that she should help Morgan and the next minute he was imagining touching her, and what a religious experience that might be. He’d never had a religious experience, even though he lived in a monastery. But he was pretty sure that touching Tammy would qualify.
He jerked up out of bed and stood, trembling, in the middle of the floor. He had to see her. More than that, he had to touch her. But Tammy had warned him against that. What should he do? What would he say to her? What was happening to him? He didn’t understand the urges shuddering through his body. They were almost painful in their intensity.
The voice startled him. “Do it.” Marrec’s rumble filled the room, though his voice was soft. Thomas had been sure he was asleep.
“Do…do what?” Thomas tried to keep the tremor out of his voice. He was mostly successful. Did Marrec know the wild thoughts careening around in his head?
“Go see her.” Marrec locked his hands behind his neck. He lay on top of the bed, fully clothed. His tee shirt bulged over the biceps in his upper arms. “Maybe we can avoid traipsing off to Catalina.”
“I feel…odd. She might know why. Do you think so?”
“Me, I would guess she feels ‘odd’ too,” Marrec said, his tone sardonic.
“I want to touch her,” Thomas confessed in a whisper.
Marrec rolled up to a stand in one smooth motion. “Of course you do.”
“She said I shouldn’t. I don’t want to anger her.”
Marrec rolled his eyes in disgust. He turned Thomas around by the shoulders. “If she really doesn’t want you to touch her, don’t. But she may change her mind.”
“How will I know?”
Marrec was pushing him firmly toward the door. “Ask her. Nicely. You’re a nice man, aren’t you?” Marrec reached around and opened the door. He shoved Thomas out into the hall.
“I think so,” Thomas said, feeling naked even though he, like Marrec was fully clothed.
“Then go. You’ll know what to do.” Marrec shut the door firmly and Thomas heard the lock snick back into place.
He took a deep breath. Marrec was obviously very experienced with women. Thomas squared his shoulders. He was not one to shy away from work, or study, or punishment, and he wouldn’t shy away from talking to a girl either. No matter how much he wanted to touch her. He had control. He only hoped she had answers.