Читать книгу Castle's Fortress - Rhonda Lee Carver - Страница 6

Chapter 3

Jake stalked down the hallway, heading for his office. He needed a moment of peace and quiet to gather his thoughts and hopefully remove his sour mood. He reviewed the morning’s ordeals, one by grueling one, and reassured himself that he had put out all the fires. Another surprise was the last thing he needed.

That morning on his way to work, some idiot had pulled out in front of him. The roads had been wet from a recent downpour and Jake’s car had slammed into the rear end of the offending vehicle. The fender-bender left a foot-sized dent on the other driver’s monster SUV. However, the destroyed hood of Jake’s new Aston Martin had brought tears to his eyes. The car would be in the shop for who knew how long.

The accident made him thirty minutes late getting to the office, where he was scheduled to meet with an important client. Thankfully, his secretary had convinced Mr. Masters, a potential six-figure customer, to wait. After a bit of smooth finagling and hard-core security mumbo-jumbo, Jake had convinced Mr. Masters to take the contract for Castle Security with him and to read over the fine print with his own legal guru.

Jake was certain he’d have the signed copy returned by the close of business today. He looked forward to popping the cork on the bottle of expensive champagne he kept in his office refrigerator for special occasions. Adding the Masters name to his company’s repertoire was definitely something to celebrate.

His enthusiasm thinned as he remembered another problem that tipped the scales.

During the staff meeting, he’d gotten a call from one of the company technicians who’d found an internal glitch in a recently installed computer program. Jake waited to hear back from his top computer tech. The problem needed to be repaired before lunch. His company must run without a glitch.

Jake didn’t like problems.

Passing Ms. Holbrew in the hall, he greeted her with a brisk “Good morning.”

The receptionist turned up her nose and kept walking.

“What the hell?” He frowned as he continued down the hall. It wasn’t the first time he’d been on the receiving end of a woman’s pissy disposition. He sure as hell knew it wouldn’t be the last. Perfect reason why he wasn’t in a relationship. He didn’t have the time to coddle and entertain.

His cell rang and he dug it out of his pants pocket. “Castle here.”

The car repairman.

Jake listened as the man quoted a bill for the Aston Martin. On top of the astronomical figure for repairs, his car would be in the shop for two weeks. He’d owned the car less than that amount of time.

He hit the end button and cursed again under his breath.

Making a mental note to ask his secretary to arrange for a rental car, he pushed his phone back into his pocket as he opened the door to his office.

Once inside, Jake gave a swift kick to the side of the couch. He didn’t give a shit how expensive the piece of furniture was. He needed a release of stress. “Damn, son of a bitch, bastard–”

He froze. Lying on the corner of the sofa was a purse. He wasn’t alone.

He did a quick turn on his heel, and that’s when he saw her. The woman’s back was to him and she was staring out the window. He swept an aggravated gaze over her long mahogany hair, slender waist and firm backside encased in a pair of nice fitting slacks. Not bad, not bad at all, Jake thought. But he didn’t recognize her and he wasn’t in the right frame of mind for making new friends.

What a shame. Even a tight ass couldn’t soften his mood this morning.

“Who the hell are you? I don’t have time for–”

She twisted around. His words glided on the exhaling of a breath and were lost. He’d know those saucer-sized blue eyes and crooked grin anywhere. “Fall Winters.” Her name slipped off his tongue like liquid velvet.

“Hi, Jake.” She gave a quick half wave with her fingers.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood erect. She looked different, but the same, as conflicting as that seemed.

She’d once been a short, scrawny girl with big eyes and even bigger teeth. Her eyes were still large, but mesmerizing, and her teeth perfected her smile. No mistaking the fact that she’d grown into a woman. Her body had filled out, in all the right places.

He brought his attention back up and swallowed hard.

Her sky blue gaze stared back at him. She blinked, and long lashes fluttered against her radiant cheeks, glowing from the sunlight streaming through the window. Her pale pink lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came.

She continued to stare. The room grew painfully silent.

A twitch below his belt made him sigh. He mentally reproved the sensation of a normal man’s desire for a beautiful woman. Hell no, he couldn’t–and wouldn’t–find Fall Winters physically attractive. She wasn’t just any woman. She’d been like a sister to him. That’s all.

The neckline of her white sweater rose high across her collarbone. He knew what secret she hid underneath her clothes. She bore scars from when she’d fallen at the haunted farmhouse. The night he’d thought he’d lost her. The night he’d tried to forget but never could.

The memory made him sick and angry still, today. At twelve, he’d been consumed by guilt and it continued to course through him. The overwhelming emotion angered him.

Fall had been a constant presence in the back of his mind over the years. Trapped by remorse and shame, all of those feelings were mixed into one tight ball of fury buried deep in his gut. She’d uncovered that obsession inside him that he’d masked long ago.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Jake.”

Her choice of words ripped through him like the fingers of Jack Frost. He turned away. Had to look away. He couldn’t do this…not today, of all days. He had no desire to mosey down memory lane.

So what in the hell did she want?

“What are you doing here?” His words cut through the air, a little harsher than intended, but he’d made his point. She hadn’t been invited. And in his defense, that she’d showed up was the ultimate shocker. He needed time to adjust.

When she didn’t answer, he brought his gaze back to her.

Guilt was a bitch. He’d made promises to her that he hadn’t kept, and he had left her alone in that godforsaken town. He hadn’t even said goodbye. He’d been cloaked in bitterness over losing his mom. He’d blamed everyone and pushed anyone away who tried to console him.

His blood now surged through his veins and his hands turned clammy. He’d forgotten how strong the charge between them could be. The connection remained. He needed to get rid of her ASAP.

“I’m here to speak with you.”

“A phone call wouldn’t suffice?” He marched around his desk and dropped into the black executive chair. The smooth leather usually welcomed his form like a worn glove. Now, it was hard and stiff. Even the material of his soft Armani suit scratched his skin, and his black Oxfords were too tight.

“I wouldn’t have driven all this way unless I thought it was important that I see you face to face.”

“I don’t know how you got in here, but the receptionist should have warned you that I have a full schedule. Maybe we can plan something–”

She had moved to the front of his desk, placed her palms flat on the top, and leaned across the stretch of glass. She came so close he got a whiff of her scent. Cinnamon? The spice reminded him of the pancakes his mother used to make before school. He forced the thought out of his mind. He didn’t need another reminder of the past.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me before, Jake Castle. I drove all the way from home, if you can remember where home is, and it wasn’t a short trip.” She narrowed her gaze, piercing him with laser blue. “We need to talk, and it can’t wait until you have an available space in your busy schedule.”

He saw the firmness in her expression. Her innocence had disappeared and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. And why wasn’t he quick to tell her to leave?

He jabbed the intercom button on the phone. His secretary answered, “Yes, Mr. Castle?”

He kept his gaze steady on Fall as he spoke. “Clear all of my appointments between twelve and one.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied. He clicked off.

“Surely, whatever it is that has provoked you to drive all the way here to speak to me can wait for–” He glanced at his gold Rolex. “–one hour and ten minutes.”

She pulled back, crossing her arms defiantly over her chest, though her eyes lost some of their wild glint. “Would it matter if I told you it couldn’t?”

He shrugged. His shirt seemed to have shrunk by a size or two. “I’m beginning to get the idea this isn’t a friendly visit.”

“You’re a smart one, Jake.” Her pretty gaze shone like sapphire in the sunlight flowing through the window. “Did you hear I had a sister? My mother was pregnant when Charlie went to prison.”

He nodded. He remembered hearing something about a baby.

“Her name is Renee, and she’s all grown up now. She’s missing. I think the same person who killed Crystal is back and he’s done something with my sister.”

Her words were salt to an open wound. He sucked in a deep breath and scrubbed his jaw. “The man who killed my sister is locked away for life.”

“If you hear what I have to say, you may change your mind.”

Jake doubted she could say anything that would change his thoughts on the past. Damn, he’d known there wasn’t even a slight chance the day would get better; it’d been doomed from the start. “There’s a coffee shop on the first floor. I’ll meet you there. Give me half an hour.”