Chao covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a cough, but seeing the twinkle in his eyes, Gabe thought it was more likely a chuckle.
“Ah, yes. Ana’s chamber is at the top of the stairs to the left.” Chao said with a polite bow. “I will meet you there, Gabriel. First, I want to get one of the maids to find Madam Ling. She is a miracle worker with bruises and other injuries.” He added with a slight twist to his lips, “She spent time with Kai today. I’m grateful that he now looks human again. I was concerned when I first saw him this morning.”
Gabe nodded, hoping that Chao’s apparent good humor meant that he was not angry with Gabe.
~~~
Gabe tightened his hold on Ana. He was relieved when she stopped resisting, at least overtly. He walked through the doorway and started across the formal anteroom toward the curving staircase leading to the family’s private chambers. Turning the corner, he almost ran into Penelope bustling down the hallway.
When she saw Gabe carrying Ana in his arms, Penelope sneered, “Really, Ana, you do like attention, don’t you?” She turned to Gabe. “Don’t be misled by this outrageous young woman, Gabriel. She was always a dramatic child and unfortunately her father gave in to her whims and tantrums. The result is that Ana is a thoroughly undignified young woman.”
Chao’s quiet voice came from the doorway.
“That’s enough. Penelope. I know you are aware that Ana was hurt today.”
Before he could continue, Penelope scoffed. “Of course, she was. What do you expect, Chao? She rides everyday by herself in the north canyons when you have repeatedly warned her. And then she wore that disgraceful dress last evening. It was an obvious attempt to flaunt herself before respectable men—”
Ana interrupted her aunt’s tirade in mid-sentence.
“Shut up, Auntie. Don’t say another word, do you hear me? “
Penelope choked, ugly purple splotches flaming her cheeks. She stammered. “Well, I… I never! I—”
Gabe broke in. “Ana’s right, Penelope. You heard Chao Li. Ana has had a difficult day. I’ll thank you to get out of my way so that I can take your niece to her chambers.”
When Penelope stood rooted to the floor, her fingers pressed to her thin lips, Gabe moved toward her, a powerful predatory animal advancing on its prey.
“Now, Penelope. Move. Now.”
Penelope jumped back against the wall, her eyes wide with shock.
Ana circled her arms around Gabe’s neck and glared at her aunt over Gabe’s shoulder. He held her tightly and strode across the formal hallway, then took the steps to the family quarters two at a time.
Chapter 16
“Damn, honey! And you are, I presume, the woman who denied being a princess less than two hours ago?”
Ana’s cheeks flushed and her lips twitched. “She deserved it, Gabe. How dare she say all those terrible things about me in front of you and Clem and my father? I hate the things she says to my father, Gabe.”
“I agree, Princess. I also hate the things she says to you.”
Ana nodded and then twisted out of his arms. He didn’t resist, instead he helped her down, standing her on the floor in front of him.
She looked up at him, deciding if she would take him on. He was looking at her with a questioning frown, as if he didn’t know what to expect. Good, she thought, because she had never been so unsure of anything in her life. She appreciated him standing up for her. She would treasure that shocked look in her aunt’s eyes forever! But how dare he carry her up to her chambers like she was a disobedient child to be put to bed. Remembering how angry she was helped. She took a deep breath and looked him square in the eyes.
“Why did you do that, Gabe?”
The lines around his eyes crinkled, as though he was holding back a smile, trying to be serious.
“I can think of a couple of things I’ve done to you today that might warrant the look you are sending my way. Which of my many bad acts are you referring to?”
Ana turned away, not wanting to meet his gaze. For a second, she thought back to the scene at waterfall, but shut off the vision. She knew if she allowed herself to think about what happened she might burst into tears. Squelching her upset, she turned back to him, ready to attack.
“Why did you embarrass me in front of my father and all those men? Insist on me coming up here when you know I am fine, perfectly capable of telling my father what happened, without your take on it—”
Before she could finish her convoluted sentence, Gabe stopped her. He put his finger to her lips and shook his head.
“Same rules apply, Princess, as at the waterfall.”
She stepped back. For a short moment she was confused, then understanding flooded her causing her cheeks to heat.
She stammered, “How dare you threaten me! I… I am not a child and if you ever—” She was horrified at the shivery sensations she felt remembering his threat.
He grinned at her. “Princess, there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t dare do to you. And yeah, there’s enough bad things going on around here that you and I are going to come to an agreement. When I tell you to do something, I need you to do it, do you understand?”
Ana couldn’t believe her ears! Did he really think that he was in charge of her? That he could tell her what to do and she would obey him like a trained horse, or a dog? Good God, even her father never gave her orders. And now this impossible man thought he could control her? Just because he was accustomed to women doing his bidding? Oh no. That would NOT happen with her. She drew herself up to her full height, frustrated that she didn’t even reach his shoulder. Damn, why did he have to be so tall, so big — all over.
She got control of her shaky emotions and said in as strong a voice as she could muster, “You are an arrogant bastard. Do you really think you can order me around and I will do your bidding? Like… like all the other women falling at your feet?”
Gabe frowned. He seemed genuinely puzzled.
“Now I don’t know where the hell that came from. But, honey, once again I need two minutes with you without arguing. As I said a minute ago, the waterfall rules apply. Do you understand?”
His expression was stern, and his voice was soft, threatening. It scared her.
“I asked you a question, Ana. Do you understand?”
She tossed her head and shrugged. Without answering, she went to her dressing table and plunked down on the velvet tufted stool, refusing to look at him.
He met her gaze in the mirror and frowned,
“I will take that for a yes.” He was quiet for a moment then asked, “Where are the notes, Ana?”
She whirled around to face him, not hiding her shock.
“What? That’s why you dragged me up here. No,
carried
me like a disobedient child… embarrassed—”
He broke into her outrage.
“Ana, be quiet. Your father will be here any minute. Where are the notes?”
She paled, glaring at him. He was surprised to see tears well up in her eyes. His frustration choked him. Dammit. He didn’t have time for her histrionics. He needed the notes now. Something was burning in his gut. Something he was missing. He needed to get with Gunnar and especially with Eagle. He had to know what Eagle had come up with. What clues. He was convinced that Ana’s notes held at least some of the keys. They had to.
“The notes, Ana.”
When she turned back to him, her tears were gone. Instead she looked resigned as if she had accepted a difficult reality. Without speaking, she walked across the room to an adjoining sun room. Two of the walls housed floor to ceiling bookcases filled with hundreds of leather bound books. Gabe remembered Chao saying that Ana had read every book in his library. Apparently, that was only the beginning. Still not meeting his eyes, Ana pulled out a book that looked like all the rest. It was leather bound with the title and author’s name embossed in gold. “
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.”
When she released the clasp and spread open the book, he was surprised to see the pages had been removed, torn out. Inside were a number of trinkets and a stack of crisp folded sheets of paper. Ana handed them the notes without looking at him or speaking to him. Putting a room of distance between them, she walked over to the window and gazed at the garden below.
Gabe’s hands shook. He resisted the impulse to spread the notes on the desk, to pour over them, decipher them. But he knew Chao would arrive at any minute.
He was troubled by the rigid set of Ana’s shoulders. Her refusal to speak to him — hell, even to look at him. He decided to use the tools that had served him well with angry women all his life. His humor laced with an irresistible touch of arrogance never failed. It worked every time.
He inched closer to her. His voice was teasing, insinuating.
“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it, Princess? Two minutes, no arguments. I do believe you are trainable after all.”
He sighed with relief when she whirled on him, her eyes flashing. Before she could strike, he threw kerosene on the fire.
“I’m surprised, Princess, that you cut up Miss Bronte’s fanciful romance. Not what I expected from a little girl who’s lived most of her life in the make believe world between the covers of books, especially one filled with agonizing unrequited love and the like.”
Ana sniffed. “To the contrary. I find books about tall dark handsome men who are arrogant to boot, extremely tiresome. The only thing more tiresome is such men in person.”
Gabe threw back his head and roared.
“Damn, Princess, you never miss a beat, do you?”
At that moment, he heard Chao coming up the stairs. He shoved the notes in his trouser pocket.
Chao knocked on the door and entered, a soft smile on his face.
“I’m glad to hear laughter coming from this room. After that rather unusual scene downstairs, I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
He walked toward Ana, but she held up her hand stopping him. Once again, Gabe thought he saw tears in her eyes.
Chao frowned and said in a gentle voice, “Ana, I know you have had a difficult day. Madam Ling is on her way here. She will bring something for your pain and also something to help you sleep.”
Ana shook her head. Then to Gabe’s surprise, as if she was too tired to argue, Ana nodded in agreement.
Her voice was soft, flat. “Yes, father. It has been a difficult day. But Gabe is right about one thing. I do need to rest. It is better if you both go, leave now. I am confident you and Gabe can figure out who is doing these terrible things to our family without my help. But, please hurry. I want to this to end. I want it be over — all of it.”
Gabe and Chao exchanged a glance, both frowning.
Before Chao could answer, Gabe broke in.
“Chao, will you excuse Ana and me for a moment? I’ll meet you in your office shortly.”
Chao looked to Ana. When she simply turned away and stared out the window, he acquiesced. “I’ll be in my office, Gabriel. Good night, Ana. We will talk in the morning, dear.”
Ana nodded and spoke without turning around. “Good night, father. Don’t worry about me. I am fine. Just tired.”
~~~
After Chao left, Gabe stared at her slender figure. She looked small, vulnerable. Unfamiliar emotions coursed through him. He knew the reasons Ana was upset, but he didn’t want to discuss them. No, for once he didn’t want to try to convince her of anything, he only wanted to hold her. He moved closer to her, close enough that he could smell that spicy exotic smell that drove him crazy, played havoc with his senses.
Her response was immediate.
“Don’t touch me.”
Gabe stepped back and let his hands fall to his sides. Touching her was all he wanted to do. But he knew she was right. He shoved down the anger and frustration that had plagued him since the episode in the barn, barely two days earlier. It was as though in that short time his life had turned upside down. And the fucking cause of it was a haughty young woman. A beautiful little Chinese princess.
He was spared further introspection by Ana.
Her voice was cold, distant.
“Why did you do that to me?”
He resisted the easy way out. He could’ve pretended he didn’t know what she was talking about. But he chose to be direct.
“Because you were being dishonest.”
His answer surprised him. In a flash, he realized that that was why he had done it. Why he had touched her, driven her to whimpering, trembling pleas. Opened her to sensations he was sure she had never felt before. He’d needed to hear her say that she cared as much as he did that he come back to her. But then he’d stopped. Not because he wanted to. Because he had to.
She whirled on him.
“What do you mean, I was
dishonest?
”
She was still angry, but her fierceness was gone. The flush in her cheeks confirmed that he had struck gold.
“You said you didn’t care if I came back. Since you were unwilling to speak the truth, I encouraged your body to speak for you.” He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “And it did, quite eloquently.”
She flushed that deep rosy pink that made him wild, made him want to see if that same heated color tinted other parts of her body when she was aroused. He knew it did. When he had teased her he had seen her arousal, smelled it. Her lush body was an erotic treasure trove, just waiting to be explored.
“Stop looking at me like that!”
“Like what, Princess?”
“Like you think all you have to do is touch me or tease me, and I will fall in your arms like all those other women. I’m not like those other women!”
He frowned.
“By those ‘other” women,’ I assume you are talking about my indiscretion in the barn?”
She sneered. “Among countless others. You do have a most impressive reputation, Gabe; one I’m confident makes you a hero among impressionable men and women.”
With a haughty toss of her head, she stepped away, as if she couldn’t bear the sight of him.
Now Gabe understood. He’d wondered about her reaction to his moniker. Now it was clear. And yeah, he had to admit, there wasn’t a gambling joint west of the Mississippi that hadn’t heard tales of Angel, the Ace Angel. And, hell, every brothel in an even larger territory was as familiar with the storied legend as the gamblers were. If anything, the tales from the brothels spoke to an even more prodigious talent than poker.