Guarding Raine Part 73

Turning from his post, he ran softly toward the front of the building.

There was no time to waste.

"Forget the acid, we'll come back for it later,"

Joe told his sister impatiently, "Lead the way with that flashlight and

let's find a good place for Raine's accident."

The light's beam turned away from them, and Joe used his grip on Raine's wrists to propel her forward.

The adrenaline that had been pounding through her for the last several

minutes had her heart beating wildly in her chest.

How long could it be, she wondered wildly, before Andre or Harold missed her?

Had Macauley joined them?

She knew without doubt that he would come for her, if he had.

She had to try to buy time, to allow an opportunity for help to

arrive.

Her body needed no commands from her brain to progress slowly through the hallway.

She was encased in her two worst nightmares, and in her panic couldn't

determine whether her greatest fear was the darkness around her or the man behind her.

"Move, b.i.t.c.h,"

Joe said in her ear.

He forced her forward more quickly until they were standing with Sarah in a corner of the gallery's large room.

"All right, Sarah, find one of those little tables they have scattered around here. We can arrange the scene to look like she tripped over it."

The flashlight beam shone in Joe's face, illuminating Raine's at the same time.

She welcomed the glare in the otherwise dark room.

"I'm not going to let you do this, Joe."Sarah's voice sounded thin but determined."It's over. It never should have started.""Don't start babbling now,"her brotbe~ growled."It's over, all right--for Raine Michaels. I've already told you how it's going down. Don't make me repeat myself, Sarah!"

The beam of light moved away, and Raine could hear something sc.r.a.pe across the marble floor.

"You got it?"

Joe asked.

"Damreit, give me that light. I can't see a thing."

"Sarah, think,"

Raine blurted out, still unable to believe the extent of her friend's

duplicity.

"Whatever you blame me for, you can't want me dead! We've been tooclose.For G.o.d's sake, think!""She's right, Joe?" Sarah's voice wavered. " You know she's right." " There's no choice now.Do you think she wouldn't tell what went on tonight?She has to die.And when she does, it won't be long until the money from your sculptures starts rolling' The beam of the flashlight bounced crazilyas Sarah brought it down on her brother's head. Grunting in pain, hestumbled, letting go of his grip on Raine's hands. With a snarl of rage he turned and backhanded his sister with a vicious slap that senther reeling. The flashlight flew in an arc across the room, beforeshattering at its contact with the marble floor.

The gallery was once again completely dark, and Raine started to runfor the faint light that beckoned from outside the front doors. She hadn't gotten more than a few feet before her arm was grabbed and shewas pulled backward.

Joe's voice pan~,xl in her ear. " You're not leaving yet.

Or ever.

" She screamed with all the pent-up terror and adrenaline inside her,

and then a force knocked both of them to the ground. She lay stunnedfor a moment, and then rolled as far away as she could before climbing to her hands and knees, peering frantically into the darkness. She could hear Sarah sobbing somewhere in the room, and the sounds of astruggle taking place.

Disoriented in the tomb like room, Raine tried to head away from theaction.

Then there was the unmistakable sound of a fist making contact Withhuman flesh, and the struggle came to a conclusion. Raine's head jerked up, and she forced herself to go completely still. Scarcelydaring to breathe, her ears strained for the next movement. She'd have to be quick. Once she had a clue where Joe was, she'd have only onechance to get to the office window to make her escape. " Raine?

Where are you?

" She swayed a little at the sound of the voice coming from theshadows. " Macauley," she whispered tremulously, disbelievingly. He found her in the darkness and captured her in a tight embrace. Then,with unerring accuracy, he tipped her head back and sealed her mouthwith his own. She clung to him tightly, welcoming the almost bruisingstrength of his arms. Her mind was still confused by his presencehere, dazed still further by the sensation of being held by him again." It's going to be all right, Raine," he murmured huskily, rocking herslightly in his arms. " It's going to be all right, I promise.

Do you trust me?

" Her answer was immediate, and aching with tenderness~ " Always.

" Epilogue EThe waves were gentle, rocking the boat likea large cradle. The aquawaters off the sh.o.r.e of Cancun sparkled in the sunlight. The boat'sdistance from the white beaches turned the people into brightly clothedspecks. Mac handed Raine an icy-cold gla.s.s of lemonade. He droppeddown on the deck mattress next to her with a can of Dos Equis in hishand, supremely, confidently naked. She blushed and looked away, but not before her eyes had painted him with a quick, thorough glance. "

You could have at least dressed when.

you went to get the drinks," she scolded feebly. Unable to prevent it,

her eyes Shuck back to him, and she gave silent thanks that he hadn't.

What he lacked in modesty he made up for in sheer masculine beauty. "

No, thanks.

I don't want any tan lines.

" He c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. " You were working on a cute little all-over tan yourself until a few days ago.

" " Yes," she retorted in a scandalized voice, " until Alberto left the

steering wheel and came back here to ask you something.

" She put her gla.s.s down and punched him with a gentle fist. " You

a.s.sured me that He in "I covered in time, didn't I? And I explained tohim once more that he must never do that. It won't happen again.""I'm not taking any chances,"she said loftily.Leaning back on her mattress, she gave a contented sigh."You know, in some ways this has been the most perfect month of my life."

His voice was quiet.

"I'm glad."

He hadn't left her side since that nightmarish night in the gallery.

He'd arranged this trip quickly, with ruthless efficiency.

They'd dealt with the police swiftly, and after a few days he'd had

Raine on a plane heading south.

He hadn't known how long it would take for the ghosts to fade from her expressive golden eyes.

They hadn't disappeared completely, but they'd definitely faded.

Yes, they'd faded, he thought with satisfaction.

And sometime since he'd met her, his own ghosts had started to fade,

too.

He'd been much too busy taking care of her in the last few weeks to spend any time on regrets.

In his concern for her, he was finding it surprisingly easy to let go of some of the guilt he'd borne for so long.

"It still hurts,"

she whispered softly, gazing pensively at the water.

"Sometimes I catch myself thinking of things to remember to tell Sarah about, and then I remember..."

"I know,"

he responded quietly.