Enthrall Him (Enthrall Sessions Book 3) (49 page)

“So you’ll come to the trial and support him?” I said. “Be there for him? Show him you’ve forgiven him for that terrible ordeal in the desert?”

Henry looked astonished.

It was as though the world took a breath.

He stared off across the lake. “A mind can fracture if pushed too far. You don’t even feel it happening. Just snaps. And you’re gone.”

“During the debriefing?” I whispered.

“No, during my capture.”

“Cameron hates himself because he kept you in that tent afterwards.”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t have done it without him. The plot involved an attack on Time Square.”

My feet felt unsteady with the realization. These two brothers had saved the lives of thousands of people. The consequences tore them apart instead of a city.  

“You don’t hate him?” I whispered.

“He’s my brother.” Henry gestured to the house. “He pays for all this.”

“Cameron thinks he’s the cause of you being here.”

“Then he’s an idiot.”

“Perhaps you could talk to him?” I said. “Please say you’ll come to the trial. He needs you.”

Henry turned and started back for the house.

I hurried after him. “Will you?”   

Dex licked my fingers and I bent to scratch his chin.

“I’m sorry, Mia. I can’t help you,” said Henry. “This is my life now. I spend my days painting, watching TV or movies, staying well out of hell.”

“Hell?”

“Society.”

He climbed the steps of the cabin and walked back in.

There was no more talk of him ever leaving Big Bear. Henry would hear no more of it.

He rinsed our dinner plates and the cooking utensils and placed them in the dishwasher. I worked beside him tidying the kitchen.

Reassured by Bailey’s text that she was okay with me running a little late, I tucked my phone back into my handbag and headed out to the jeep. I brought in my suitcase. Henry met me by the door and carried it all the way in for me.

Considering he’d not wanted me here at all an hour ago, I felt lucky he’d changed his mind and was at least willing to hear me out. Now that our conversation had left all the horrors of war and Cameron’s troubles behind, he seemed to like the company. Something told me this surprised him as much as me.

He made up the spare bedroom and left me to climb into bed. He and Dex headed off to sleep.

I thanked him for letting me stay. Even if I’d failed at persuading him it had been nice to get to know him a little. It was actually like spending time with Cameron in an odd kind of way. Their similarities went deeper than just looks.   

The small bedroom was cozy.

I stripped off my clothes and changed into my pajamas. Within a few minutes, I’d washed up, brushed my teeth, and finished readying for bed. I was tired after that long drive here and that tasty hot meal. The wine made me drowsy.

This bedroom was small but cozy. Everything was clean and well taken care of and I could see Henry looked after his home lovingly.

Pulling back the curtain, I peeked out at the view. It really was spectacular. That sheer lake was breathtaking. A flock of birds flew low over it. One tried to catch up with the others and I willed it on.

A scream left my lungs.

My hand slapped to my mouth as I staggered back. The thing was going to kill me.

Yes. It. Fucking. Was.

That big fat hairy spider with yellow spots scurried up the wall, all eight legs moving too fast for that to be okay.

Henry burst in.

I pointed at the wall.

He ran over to it and caught the spider, cupping it in his hands. We might as well have been camping, for goodness sake. He opened the window and set it free. Not that I wanted it dead, but I also didn’t want it coming back around to find me again.

“Okay now?” he said.

“Not really.” My hands shook. “How many of those are around here?”

“Well, we’re kind of in their territory.”

The thought of seeing another spider freaked me out.

“Night, Mia.” Henry headed out and shut the door behind him.

I yanked the curtains closed.  

Under the covers, with my head resting on a soft eiderdown pillow, I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep. So far this visit had been a mega fail. It had been nice meeting Henry, but there was no way to persuade him how much Cameron needed him. Henry had been through a lot and I was asking so much of him. This place was his refuge, and understanding this came all too easily. So many times I too had wanted to escape Los Angeles and run away from everyone.

I hoped Cameron would never find out I’d come here. I could only imagine his fury.

A low growl rose from outside my windowsill.

My feet landed firmly on the hardwood floors and I flew out of there, scurrying down the hallway.

I nudged open Henry’s door. He was tucked into bed with the blankets pulled over him. Dex lay beside him, snuggled close.

Henry pushed himself up the bed. “Found another one?”

“I know this sounds strange. But is there any chance…”

“Yes?”

“Are there coyotes around here?”

“You heard something?”

“You could say that. It sounded like a growl.”

“It could have been a mountain lion. Or a bobcat.”

“And that’s okay with you?” I screeched.

He gave a laugh and held his hand out to me. “Come on, city girl.”

I closed the door and turned back to him. “Just so we’re clear, there’ll be no sex.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he said with a smirk.

Climbing in beside him, I tucked my legs under the comforter and burrowed beneath the blankets. The warmth of his body rested against my back as he spooned behind me. Yes, we’d only just met, but there was no way my body was being dragged off by some strange animal without him noticing now. Surely my carcass being ferreted away would awaken him?

He sniffed my head. “Your hair smells of strawberries.”

“That’s my shampoo.”

“Thank you for clarifying that. For a minute there, I thought you’d stuck your head in a bowl of strawberries.”

“Very funny.”

“Coyotes love strawberries.”

“Henry.”

He chuckled.

“I like your pillows,” I said.

“Why, thank you. Get that a lot actually.”

“When was the last time you cuddled?”

“Are you going to talk all night?”

“I’m getting settled.”

“It’s been a while,” he said. “I don’t get too many visitors to be honest. Not the spooning kind, anyway. Please tell me you don’t snore.”

“No.”

“You’re one very brave lady,” he said. “I’ll give you that.”

“Other than spiders, I’ll face off with pretty much anything,” I said. “You’re the brave one, Henry. I don’t think it’s really dawned on you yet.”

“What’s that?”

“How incredible you are.”

There came the softest inhale of breath.

His hand wrapped around my waist tighter. “No sex,” he said. “Just cuddling. You have my word as an officer and a gentlemen.”

“See, isn’t this nice? You might want to consider meeting a nice girl who you can spoon with every night. My offer on a dominatrix still stands.”

“Aren’t I the lucky one?” he said. “Now get some sleep. You have quite the drive tomorrow.”

I raised my head off the pillow. “What is that?”

“What?”

“That.”

“Dex,” he said. “He’s dreaming.”

Dex was asleep at the foot of the bed, his hind leg twitching and scratching the bedsheet.

“Here.” Henry reached towards his side table and brought over a pair of headphones. He eased them over my ears.

A flood of music filled me with a profound, comforting aura. A piano wooed, lulling…

Resting my head back down, soothed by these haunting, mesmerizing notes, I felt my limbs relax, my shoulders lower. Henry placed his iPhone in front of me.

“Thank you,” I whispered, and reached out to scroll over the dial. A moody instrumental piece was playing.
Captured Through a Quiet Window
by Steve Jansen. “Beautiful. Cameron likes this kind of music too.”

In his arms, calmed by this hypnotic music, I drifted off.

Carried away into a dream, I strolled along hallways with dramatic paintings of angels on either side, and above, a row of chandeliers with crystal droplets twinkling.  

When I woke up, it was still dark.

Henry was no longer beside me. The bedside clock stated it was 5AM. I climbed out and went looking for him.

Henry was in the kitchen and the tempting smell of coffee filled the cabin.

“Egg sandwich?” he said, leaving the pan for a second to pour two fresh coffees into two mugs.

“Yes please,” I said, taking my place at the kitchen table. “You’re up early. I hope I didn’t keep you up?”

“Slept like a baby,” he said. “We have to get you on the road. Your friends need you. Mission ‘coming out’ is underway.”

I raised my hand in a cheer. “Team Bailey and Tara.”

Henry waved his hand too.

“Thank you for this,” I said, as I took a sip of coffee.

“I’m feeling a little guilty for keeping you from your friends,” he said. “At this time, you’ll make it to Vegas in three or four hours.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said.   

We ate breakfast and chatted away.

He’d been destined to join the family business after his military career, he told me, only his six months in Afghanistan had put the kybosh on that. He’d left the military with PTSD and needed intensive therapy just so he could leave his cabin. It was hard to hear how bad things had been, but I sensed talking was helping him.

Henry’s nightmares had stopped and he didn’t drop to the ground any more when hearing a car alarm. Quite the progress, he jested, though he still found it challenging to be around people. He read too much into their expressions and sensed their angst; he couldn’t bear to think they were struggling too. Henry had been drowning and the thought of helping anyone else made him fear he’d take someone with him.

His initial scariness had gone. Henry was smart, funny, and kind, and now that his dark brown eyes didn’t scare me, I could admire his handsome ruggedness. Had he wanted to, he could have turned on the Cole charm, only it seemed he just didn’t care about all that.

I apologized for turning up out of the blue last night and he told me he understood why I’d done it.

Before I climbed back into my Jeep Wrangler, I accepted the bottle of water he handed me, as well as his promise Cameron never need know about our visit.

We hugged goodbye.

This had been good for both of us, it seemed.  

I threw a wave to Henry and Dex and took off for Las Vegas.

CHAPTER 44

PERCHED ON THE edge of the hotel bed, I pressed my phone to my ear. “I took the scenic route.”

Richard sounded exasperated. “You were going to text me once you arrived.”

“I fell asleep.” It was not too much of a lie. I’d checked in to the Bellagio, and the moment I’d gotten to my room I’d collapsed on the bed. That drive from Big Bear had wiped me out. Though Henry had been right. It had only taken me three hours.  

This was a lovely room. The décor luxurious, the furnishing looking new, and I had an entire weekend of relaxation ahead of me.

“Are you telling me you slept fourteen hours?” said Richard. “Mia, are you still there?”  

“Reception’s not too good down here.”

“Vegas is up, Mia. You wonder why I worry about you,” he said. “And you’re in the Bellagio. Wifi comes with the room.”

“I miss you too, my darling.”

“I was worried about you.”

“I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”

“Yes, but as my sub—”

“How are things in the harem?”

He breathed heavily. “Hope’s gone back to New York.”

Great, so you’re alone with Jasmine now?

“Mia?”

“Yes.”

“I took Jasmine over to Chrysalis,” he said.

“Why?”

“She needs a new master.”

Not Cameron. Don’t let it be Cameron.

“Will it be…”

“Cameron’s going to help Jasmine through this transition. It’s pretty stressful for a sub to lose a master. Shay’s with her right now.”

Although I wouldn’t want this carpet in my house, I liked it. There was a modern feel to the circled pattern.