Sam's eyes widened and she glanced uncertainly from Lucian to Mortimer.
When Mortimer nodded encouragingly, she
cleared her throat and glanced to Jo. "Umm... Jo?"
"Yeah, yeah, go to bed," Jo muttered, and spun away to head up the hall. She slowed, however, once she was out of sight of the railing and paused to listen. Much as she was relieved to get away from the penetrating stare of the man below, she wanted to hear what he would say next.
"Is she really Nicholas's life mate?" Jo heard Sam ask quietly, and frowned at the worry in her voice.
"Yes," Lucian said. "Which works in our favor."
"How?" Mortimer asked quietly.
"He won't be able to stay away from her."
Jo's eyes widened at that proclamation. She felt a moment's excitement at the prospect of possibly seeing Nicholas again, but it was quickly washed away and replaced with alarm when Lucian added, "Put two men on her when she leaves here tomorrow, Mortimer. He'll show up eventually."
"You want to use my sister as bait?" Sam asked in a voice that was suddenly steel with anger. Jo was actually glad to hear it. Sam had seemed a bit alarmed and uncertain during the last few minutes, which was unusual for her. She was normally the "most efficient and iron-willed lawyer chick." The uncertain and anxious Sam had been rather worrying to Jo, and she would have given her sister a high five if she could have when Sam said, "I won't have it."
"You'd rather we wipe her memory and refuse to allow you to see her?"
Lucian asked, annoying Jo all over again. Who
the hell did this guy think he was? No one was going to keep her from seeing her sister.
Jo heard Sam curse and then Lucian said, "Let's move this conversation into the library. Jo's heard more than enough of it already."
Her eyebrows flew up at those words, and she couldn't resist easing up to the rail to peer down into the hall. Three pairs of eyes stared back.
"Go to bed," Lucian said firmly. "You are very tired."
And suddenly Jo was tired, and bed seemed the most desirable place in the world. Turning dutifully away, she moved up the hall to the door to her guest bedroom and went inside. She was undressed and in bed before it occurred to her to wonder how she could have gone from wired and tense one moment to relaxed and exhausted the next. Jo fell asleep before she could worry about it too much.
The sun was shining bright and cheerful when Jo woke up. It made her groan and cover her eyes with the hope of easing the ache in her head. Damn, she had the mother of all hangovers. Too bad she hadn't had the good time to earn it. She hadn't had that much to drink last night, which meant the headache was probably thanks to the head banging she'd
taken... or possibly the result of getting her memory back, she supposed, recalling the agony that had shot through her skull as the memories had come rushing into her mind.
Sighing, Jo removed her hand and forced her eyes open, grimacing and breathing deeply until the first stab of pain eased.
She'd say one thing for her sister, Jo thought as she shifted to a sitting position and then got out of bed. Sam certainly threw memorable parties. Not necessarily memorable in a good way though.
Jo suspected this headache was going to
stay with her for the rest of the day. Here was hoping her memories stayed with her as well.
Jo grimaced at the thought and then moved to the bathroom. She needed to shower, dress, and get out of this house.
She didn't trust that Lucian guy not to try to "wipe" her memories. The idea of anyone messing with her head was rather alarming. She counted on her brain as everyone did, and the idea of pieces of it somehow being "veiled," as Nicholas had put it, was just scary to consider.
Jo turned on the water and took a quick shower, grimacing with pain the whole while. She'd hoped a shower would ease her headache, but instead the sound of the rushing water seemed to make it worse. She was glad to finish and step out, but less glad when she had to dry herself with a bath towel rather than the much larger beach towel she liked to use at home.
The thought of home made her sigh. Jo wished she was in her little apartment right now. She'd close the blinds, put a cold cloth on her head, and sleep until her head felt better. Eager to be able to do that, Jo left the bathroom as quickly as she'd entered. She dressed in record time, stuffed the overlarge T-shirt she'd slept in and the clothes she'd worn the night before into her backpack, and then slung it over her shoulder and immediately headed out of the room.
The hall was empty, and she hurried to the stairs. Jo jogged down them, pausing as the sound of voices reached her from the kitchen. She hesitated, eyes moving longingly to the door, but knew there was nothing for it. Alex had driven her here and she needed Alex to take her home.
Muttering under her breath, she set the backpack on the floor by the front door and then headed up the hall. The closer
she got to the kitchen, the clearer the voices became.
"I still don't understand why we can't just explain everything to them," Sam was saying. "Others know about you. Cripes, Bricker says there's a whole town two hours south of here that knows about you guys."
"Knows what about you guys?" Jo asked as she stepped into the room.
Dead silence was her response as Sam and Mortimer turned to peer at her from where they sat at the kitchen table. Sam looked alarmed, she noticed, but Mortimer just looked irritated.
"Here you are."
Jo turned to find Bricker entering the kitchen behind her. His gaze sought out Mortimer as he said, "Sorry, I only stepped away to go to the bathroom and she was gone when I got back to her room."
"I have a guard now?" Jo asked with disbelief. She scowled at Bricker and asked, "And how did you know I'd left my room? Did you go in there?"
"No. I just cracked the door when I couldn't hear you snoring anymore."
"I don't snore," Jo snapped.
Bricker grinned and shrugged. "Okay, I cracked the door when I couldn't hear your very loud snorting, snuffling breathing as you slept."
"Ha ha," Jo muttered.
"Do you want a coffee?" Sam asked, getting up to retrieve a cup for her from the cupboard.
"Yes, please, but I'll get it," Jo muttered, moving to meet her at the coffeepot. She murmured a "Thanks" as she took the cup from Sam. "Where's Alex? Not up yet?"
"Oh yes. She was up and out of here early," Sam said, returning to the table.
"What?" Jo whirled to gape at her with horror. "She was supposed to drive me home."
"I know, but I told her I would," Sam said soothingly.
Jo frowned and leaned against the counter, her eyes moving warily from Bricker to Mortimer as she lifted the cup to take a sip. She stiffened when Bricker suddenly moved toward her, but he merely opened the cupboard door beside her and retrieved a small bottle that rattled as he plucked it from the shelf.
"What's that?" Jo asked when he offered it to her.
"Pills Sam had me pick up for her the last time she had a headache," Bricker said, opening his palm for her to read the label.
Jo accepted the pills slowly, her narrowed eyes searching his face. "How did you know-?"
"You have that same squinty-eyed look Sam gets when she has a headache,"
he said with amusement.
"God, you're a charmer this morning, aren't you?" Jo said dryly, making an effort to remove the "squinty-eyed look" from her face. "I don't remember you being this insulting when we first met."
Bricker grinned. "Yeah, but you're practically family now. At least you're Sam's family, and she's like family now."
"Great," Jo muttered, setting down her coffee to open the pills. When she struggled with the chore, Bricker plucked the bottle away and opened it for her, forcing her to mutter another "Thanks" as he shook out a couple of pills and handed them over. She picked up her coffee and swigged down some with the pills as Bricker resealed the bottle and put it away.
She then glanced to the table to see Sam and Mortimer still watching her.
Sam was biting her lip as if there was
something she wanted to say, but Mortimer was looking a bit wary.
"Do you want some breakfast?" Sam asked finally.
Jo shook her head, and then winced at the pain the action sent shooting through her skull. She must have bruised her brain or something last night when she hit the wall, Jo thought with disgust, and wondered if you could bruise your brain.
It certainly felt tender this morning.
"No... thanks," she said. "I'd really rather just head home."
"I'll get my keys," Sam said, getting up at once.
"Why bother?" Jo asked. "Why not just let the guys that are supposed to watch me take me home. They can watch me up close then."
A moment of silence passed as Sam glanced to Mortimer. He stared at Jo with narrowed eyes for a minute, but then shrugged and said to Sam, "It will save you a trip, and that way I'll not have to worry about you." Before Sam could comment, he glanced to Bricker and said, "Anders is in the garage feehaving a drink."
"I'll get him and one of the SUVs and pick you up out front," Bricker told Jo, and moved toward the door leading into the backyard.
"I'll get my bag," Jo said, and set down her cup with relief. She'd be out of there soon... and with her memory still intact
as far as she could tell.
"Jo?" Sam said, standing to follow as she headed out of the kitchen.
Jo slowed, but didn't stop as she started up the hall toward the backpack she'd left by the front door. "Yeah?"
Sam scooted to catch up with her, taking her hand as she reached the front entry and drawing her to a halt.
Jo turned, her gaze sliding up the hall to see with relief that Mortimer hadn't followed. Shifting her gaze back to her sister, she raised her eyebrow.
Sam hesitated and then asked, "Are we all right?"
Jo raised her other eyebrow now. "Why wouldn't we be?"
Sam wrinkled her nose and sighed. "I know this is probably all weird and incomprehensible to you, and-to be frank-I'm amazed you aren't asking a ton of questions about what happened last night, and-"
"Would they be answered?" Jo interrupted quietly, and when Sam peered at her blankly, explained, "If I asked questions about last night, would they be answered?"
Sam bit her lip, but then dropped the uncertainty that was so odd coming from her and admitted bluntly, "No."
"That's what I thought," she said dryly. Besides, Jo suspected asking questions might lead to losing the memories she'd managed to regain. She wasn't sure why she thought that was so, but had decided to go with her instincts, keep her questions to herself, and get out of there.
"You always were practical," Sam said with a wry smile curving her lips.
Jo forced a smile in response and then said solemnly. "I am going to ask you one question though."
Wariness immediately crept over Sam's face. "What's that?"
"Are you happy?" Jo asked, and then raised her hand to stop her when Sam opened her mouth to answer at once. "Think about it. I mean it. Are you happy? It's all happened so fast. You've quit your position at the firm, moved in here with Mortimer, and started a whole new-and from what I can tell-very strange life. Are you sure it's what you want? Are you sure you won't regret any of this later? Is there any reason at all that I should be worried about you?"
Sam appeared to be seriously doing as Jo had requested and thinking about it. Then she let go of the breath she'd apparently been holding.
"I am very happy," Sam assured her solemnly. "It has all been very fast, but I am positive I won't regret any of the choices I've made. I love Mortimer and he really does love me, Jo. I know you don't understand a lot of what's happening, but-" Her words died abruptly as Jo hugged her. Her eyes were wide and questioning when Jo stepped back.
"That's all I wanted to hear," Jo assured her quietly. "It's enough. I won't ask questions you can't answer... for now," she added quietly.
Sam smiled crookedly and agreed, "For now."
"That's settled then," Jo said with feigned good cheer as she turned away to collect her backpack. She peered out the window at the driveway. Spotting the SUV pulling up, Jo gave Sam a smile as she opened the door. "Now I'm going home to bed. My head is killing me."
"Make Bricker stop and pick up some breakfast for you on the way home,"
Sam said firmly, following her out the door.
"I heard that," Bricker announced, slipping out of the front passenger seat to open the back door for Jo. He took her backpack, saying, "Get her breakfast. Will do."
"She'll be a good mother, don't you think?" Jo said dryly as she slid into the backseat.
"That she will." Bricker's voice was solemn as he set the backpack on the floor by her feet.
As he closed the door, Jo glanced to Sam, a frown claiming her lips as she saw the stricken look on her sister's face.
Apparently Smart Sam hadn't connected being in love and having regular sex with possible future babies. Jo sincerely hoped Smart Sam hadn't forgotten about birth control. If she had... well, a baby would be an interesting development, she supposed. She didn't mind the idea of becoming an aunt.
"And we're off."
Jo turned her gaze forward to see that Bricker had hopped back in the front seat and was pulling the door closed. The moment it slammed shut, the man behind the wheel, a dark-skinned, grim-faced fellow, set the vehicle in motion.
Jo shifted forward on the backseat and peered at the driver more closely. She hadn't met him at the party, but she might as well have. Like all the others, he was a perfect version of himself, with glossy, short black hair, perfect pores, and
shiny white teeth.
"You must be Anders," Jo commented, recalling Mortimer mentioning the fellow.
"Seat belt," was his growled response.
Jo raised one eyebrow and glanced to Bricker.
"Anders is a man of few words," he said almost apologetically.
"So I see," she commented dryly.
"Seat belt on or vehicle stops," Anders said firmly.