Dark Bargains 3 Read online

  Cold chills crawled across Diane’s skin and she stared at him in disbelief. “Lucas, what’s going on?”

  His voice held a hard edge when he answered. “I don’t know. But I do know that I don’t believe in ghosts, and I don’t believe that it’s a coincidence that you showed up at the same time all of this started.”

  That rocked her. “You don’t think I have anything to do with this?”

  “No. If I did I would have sent you packing with Marcus. My gut tells me that he’s behind all of this, and he brought you here to drive it all home.”

  “But how? How could he do that with the cell phones? And what you saw in the arroyo? And last night?”

  “I don’t know. But I can’t think of anything else that makes sense. I don’t have any enemies. There are a few business rivals, mostly polite, but none of them would do anything like this.”

  “What about your father? Could it be someone trying to get to him through you?”

  “Dad has pissed off a few people over the years, but this isn’t their style, either. And what would be the point? No, this is very personal and directed at me, not Dad.”

  “What if it isn’t Marcus?”

  “I just don’t know who else it could be.”

  “I mean...” She paused and wet her lips. “What if it really is Sandra?”

  Lucas shrugged. “Then I’ll check myself into a mental ward. Right after I burn this place down to the foundation.”

  A nervous laugh escaped her. “That sounds a little extreme.”

  “I believe if you’re going to do something you should do it right.”

  “Thank you for telling me about all of this. I was beginning to think I was going insane.”

  “You and me, both. But if it is Marcus behind it, I am going to destroy him. And regardless, I’m going to make damned sure he never hurts you again.”

  He stated it with such firm determination that she had no choice but to believe him. His confidence tempted her to tell him everything in turn. He had opened up to her, told her things that might have made her think that he was crazy. But there were too many secrets, too much potential for the other people in her life to be hurt. Her family could be destroyed, and no matter what she did or whether Lucas believed her, she wasn’t sure if they would ever forgive her for what she had done. So she kept her secrets as she had sworn that she would, even though they were eating her alive.

  They passed the evening quietly with a couple of movies and finished by watching the stars from Lucas’s boat. Both of them were still tired from the previous night, and before long Lucas noticed her yawning.

  “Ready to call it a night?” he asked.

  Fear swept through her like a cold wind. Lucas might not believe in ghosts, but she had no desire to be alone with whoever or whatever she had seen in the atrium. As though he had read her mind, though, Lucas took her hand and led her back to his bedroom. Another kind of fear gripped her then, and she couldn’t help trembling a little as he closed the door behind them.

  “Just sleep, Diane, that’s all,” he told her softly. “I don’t want you to be alone.”

  She climbed into his bed with relief, because she did trust him. It was the one real comfort she could cling to, and she snuggled up next to him with a sense of security she hadn’t known in weeks. For once the night held no fears for her, and she fell asleep almost instantly in his arms.

  In the morning she made breakfast for them both, and they ate together on the patio before the heat of the day became too oppressive.

  “What would you like to do today?” Lucas asked her.

  “Can we get out of here?”

  “Of course. Want to go to Vegas?”

  She shook her head, having already seen more of the casinos than she wanted. “I just want to be away.” Away from the house. Away from everything with any taint of Marcus. Somewhere she could make a new, clean memory with Lucas.

  His eyes lit up. “A picnic, maybe?”

  “Oh, yes! That would be perfect.”

  “I know a place that you’ll like.”

  Half an hour later they were driving through the hills again, north and west of the lake and then through a long stretch of road through tall trees. The end of the road was blocked off, so Lucas pulled off into the grass to park.

  “This is part of the big Wetlands Park,” he explained as they got out.

  “Wetlands Park? This is the desert.”

  Lucas smiled. “It’s a man-made wildlife preserve. There are creeks and ponds all through here, with miles of trails for hiking, and there are picnic tables up at the trailhead.”

  He took her hand and led her to the picnic area. Diane’s palm tingled against his, and butterflies darted about in her stomach. It was such a little thing to cause that kind of reaction, and she almost felt like a teenager again.

  “This is why I brought you,” he said.

  Below, the entire Las Vegas Valley spread out in a sea of pale browns and greens which lapped at the mountains at its edges, with the city a glittering pile of jewels at its heart. Thin, puffy clouds drifted slowly against a sapphire sky so blue that it didn’t look real, while in the distance jagged peaks of red and brown marked the edges of this little world.

  “Wow,” she breathed.

  “This is one of the best views around.”

  “It’s amazing. I’d love to see this at night.”

  “There are some good spots up here to camp, and the view of the city under the stars is really something.”

  “I’ve never been camping.”

  He glanced at her in surprise. “Really? Sounds like something for your bucket list.”

  “I don’t have one of those,” she admitted.

  “Neither do I. I never really thought about it. Maybe we should both make one.”

  Diane almost felt hopeful enough to give it a try. Could she have a future? One that didn’t involve her living Hell with Marcus? Standing there looking out at that breathtaking view with Lucas at her side it felt possible, and she mentally added the first two items to her bucket list. They had everything to do with him, but they were nothing she’d ever write down in a million years, though!

  The mood seemed to be catching, because his grin was enough to leave her giddy. “Feeling up to a walk?”

  “Sure. I used to go for long walks in the woods at my parents’ place in Vinton, and I’ve been missing that.”

  “Some of the trails are really nice. We’ll take one of the easier ones, since I haven’t been doing a lot of walking lately.”

  They tramped for about half a mile along a well-maintained bike trail until they came to a bridge spanning two streams.

  “That’s the Las Vegas Wash,” Lucas told her. “All of it is reclaimed water, and it feeds the other streams and ponds through here.”

  Past the bridge they turned off onto a hiking trail that ran along the wash. Ponds dotted the woods on the other side of the trail, all teeming with numerous different species of birds. It was nothing like the pine woods back home in Louisiana, but the peaceful sounds of the birds and running water soothed Diane’s battered soul.

  “I would never have expected to see something like this here. It makes it special, somehow.”

  “There are a lot of great places scattered around the valley. This one is conveniently close to the house. I used to ride the bike trails early in the morning quite a bit, before...”

  As his voice trailed off Diane knew that he meant before Sandra had died. Her heart ached for him, for what he’d lost and what he’d put himself through afterwards. She wasn’t the only one suffering, and the loss of his wife had wounded Lucas so deeply that she wondered if he might not be even more badly damaged than she was. She remembered the expression on his face when he’d told her about Sandra’s death. His appearance of strength and normalcy was a veneer, a hard shell covering the deep wounds still bleeding beneath.

  He’d been so good to her, though, despite his own problems and when he didn’t even know her
and had no reason to put himself out for her. If only she could do something to repay him for his kindness. But as she watched him, the hints of pain tightening the corners of his eyes faded. While they ambled along he pointed out things that to him were familiar and comforting, and she thought that maybe she was paying him back just by being there with him.

  They took their time, enjoying the scenery and the unsullied peacefulness of the morning, and only turned back towards the car when the sun had climbed far overhead. By the time they got back both of them were hungry from the long walk, so they ate their lunch at a table in the shade with a magnificent view of the valley.

  “The city looks so different from up here.”

  “Yeah,” Lucas agreed with a sigh. “There are things about Vegas that I like, but most of the time I’m glad to get away. Sometimes I wish I’d stayed in Louisiana and chosen something different to do with my life.”

  She had difficulty imagining him anywhere but in Las Vegas. It fit him like those expensive, Italian suits he wore. Yet he was sitting outside with her now wearing a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt acting like any of the guys she had dated in Louisiana. She didn’t belong here, but what if he really didn’t, either?

  Diane’s mind shied away from thinking about the two of them or the future. Even if it hadn’t been for Marcus, the whole thing was too crazy to believe in. They might both be from Louisiana, but they were from different worlds. She couldn’t picture fitting into his. She was just a small town girl dragged into this world of limousines and mansions and casinos by circumstances. It wasn’t anything she had ever wanted or dreamed of for herself, and she had been perfectly content in her old life with her friends and her little house and her cat. But Lucas almost made her want more.

  Even if by some miracle Marcus could be convinced to let her go, could she have what she was beginning to desire? Marcus’s words haunted her. Do you really think a man like Lucas, who is as proud as Lucifer and can have any woman he wants, is going to settle for his brother’s cast-off whore? She knew that Lucas liked her—more than liked her. It was apparent from the way that he looked at her. If only all of those secrets didn’t lie between them to spoil everything, because once he knew the truth, that look in his eyes would likely change forever. Wouldn’t it?

  Her original opinion of him had slowly changed, especially after he had told her about Sandra. Would he have confided in her the way he had and treated her the way that he did if he was the kind of man who would just drop her when he found out the truth? She wanted to believe, wanted to trust in him. Her resolve to keep her secrets wavered a little more with every minute she spent with him. She could tell him everything, here in the clean outdoors and bright sunshine, and get it over with.

  “Lucas...”

  But when he turned his golden eyes to her, she quailed. It would kill her if he judged her or turned his back on her. She couldn’t go through with it.

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” she finished lamely.

  The fine lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. “You’re welcome. Want to try one of the other trails?”

  “Absolutely.”

  For the next two hours they wandered through the park, until Lucas glanced down at his watch.

  “We should probably get back.”

  “Do you have to go somewhere?”

  “I do, actually.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  Her stomach twisted as they started back to the car. She was not looking forward to being in the lake house alone. But then she caught the knowing smirk on his lips and cocked her head in an unspoken question.

  “We both have somewhere to be,” he told her.

  “Where?”

  His face lit up with mischief. “It’s a surprise. I think you’ll like it.”

  “What is it?”

  “I told you, it’s a surprise.”

  “I’m not too fond of surprises at the moment,” she grumbled.

  “Diane. Have I given you any reason to doubt me yet?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  “Then trust me on this.”

  “All right.”

  Why not? After all, she did trust him. It was just one more step towards what she was beginning to think was inevitable. At some point she was going to trust him with everything and could only hope that when she did it would all work out.

  Once they got back to the lake house she paused at the foot of the stairs.

  “What should I wear?”

  “Something comfortable, like the dress you wore to the Stratosphere. Don’t worry, it’s nothing fancy. Just fun.”

  She regarded him dubiously. “If you say so.”

  They were going out somewhere—she’d guessed that much. He’d told her not to dress up, but she wanted to wear something special, something that would make him proud to be with her and turn those golden embers which burned behind his eyes to flame. It needed to be less casual than what she’d worn the last time while not being overly dressy.

  She flipped through the dresses hanging in her closet and finally settled on a sleeveless, navy blue dress which stopped an inch above her knees and nipped in at the waist to emphasize her slender curves. An apricot floral pattern relieved the dark fabric to make it softer and more feminine. Diane slid it on and examined herself in the mirror critically.

  Over the last two weeks she’d lost weight, and dark circles under her eyes made their china blue even paler. She desperately needed to catch up on her sleep while Marcus was gone. The thought of him made her flinch, and she angrily shoved her fears away. She would not think of him again, and wouldn’t allow him to ruin these days with Lucas. She intended to enjoy this precious time and enjoy it to the fullest. Tomorrow would have to worry about itself. For now all that mattered was the two of them and this bright moment they shared.

  When she came downstairs she knew that she had chosen well. Lucas was waiting for her and he went still at the sight of her. His gaze traveled from her feet in their strappy silver sandals up to her face with a hungry deliberation that took in every inch of her so thoroughly that it left her quivering inside. A ghost of a smile touched his lips as the heat she’d longed for kindled in his eyes. Slowly he walked up to her, a panther stalking its prey, utterly confident nothing would stand between it and the prize it had chosen.

  His fingers were impossibly gentle when he touched her face and tilted up her chin. Lips of warm velvet descended to kiss her, warm and deep as a tropical sea. Diane sank into his embrace and let it carry her away while Lucas’s fingers wove into the loose mass of her hair, possessive but not grasping. He would release her in an instant if she pulled away, although she had no intention of doing so. She was right where she wanted to be, right where she belonged, safe in Lucas’s arms with the rest of the world and all its troubles nothing but a hazy memory.

  They lingered for what felt like forever there at the foot of the stairs, until Lucas reluctantly let her go.

  “We need to leave, or we’re going to be late. Or else not make it at all.”

  Her laughter came out in little gasps as she tried to catch her breath. “Let’s go, then. I don’t want to miss my surprise.”

  They took his Mercedes, which told her that they were probably heading into Vegas, and it wasn’t long before she was staring at the city glowing ahead of them. Despite his earlier assurances, she felt a twinge of disappointment when he pulled up in front of one of the casinos and handed the car off to a valet. She had spent enough time inside already with Marcus, none of it pleasant.

  But this time it was Lucas’s hand directing her inside rather than his brother’s, and the vibe was completely different. He guided her through the twisting maze of the casino floor to a side wing which was less crowded.

  “Will you please tell me where we’re going?”

  “Well, you didn’t get to see one when you were here before, so I thought you’d enjoy seeing a Cirque show.”

  She gaped at him. “Really?” she squealed.r />
  Her reaction had him grinning again. “Really. Come on.”

  He handed over their tickets and led her into the cavernous theater. He had gotten them amazing seats, and Diane craned her head to take it all in. When the show began it swept her up and enthralled her so that she almost forgot that Lucas was sitting next to her. So much was going on all around and even above her that it consumed all of her attention. Not until the final curtain call did she sink back into her seat, her head still whirling with exhilaration over all she’d seen.

  She floated out of the theater behind Lucas, and the crowd in the lobby pushed them close together. Suddenly she grabbed his hand and pointed to the gift shop next to them.

  “Can we go in?”

  “Of course,” he replied with an indulgent smile.

  Without letting go of his hand she pushed her way through the throng of people in the doorway. She felt giddy and free, and yes, happy as she poked through the displays with Lucas patiently in tow. Finally she picked out a couple of CDs of the show’s score—one for herself and the other for her friend Theresa—along with a couple of items to send home to her parents. Hopefully if she sent them all some souvenirs to show she was having a good time they would stop worrying.

  When she started to pay, though, Lucas stopped her and handed the cashier his credit card instead.

  “I can get it,” she insisted.

  Lucas raised an eyebrow. “With Marcus’s credit card? That’s not a good idea. The less he knows about what you’re doing, the better.”

  She hadn’t thought of that, and while true it still rankled. “But you already paid for the tickets,” she protested. “It’s not fair.”

  “Diane, this isn’t even a rounding error on my card. Don’t worry about it.”

  With a shrug she let it go. She hated being dependent, and had always taken care of herself and been the one in the family who looked out for the others. At the moment she had little choice, though, and there was no point in spoiling the evening worrying about it.

  “Thank you,” she said, giving him an open smile to let him know that it was okay.