Hidden Legacy Read Online Free PDF

back? She went numb, couldn’t feel her feet, her hands. Don’t go there. You can’t go there.
    “I think he does,” Lucas said. “I think he wants me here.”
    Her mouth dropped open, her hands flattened against the table top. “Are you mad? He said no police, and if you’ve been after him for this rash of thefts, then he certainly doesn’t want you around. He called you a bastard.”
    “Maybe, but he also likes to think of himself as highly intelligent. He loves to play. He has a game of some sort in mind.”
    “Game? What kind of person plays games using defenseless children as pawns?”
    “A deranged one.”
    On that, at least, they could agree. “Lucas, I’m scared. I’m petrified something will happen to Briana.” Her throat thickened, choking her voice. “If something happens to her…”
    “I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”
    “How?”
    “Trust me.”
    He had an air of granite-hard solidity about him. His shoulders seemed wide enough to bear more than his share of problems, his lean, muscled strength powerful enough to overcome any foe. Confidence exuded from him in a scent more palpable than any aftershave. She had once given him her love—something she didn’t do lightly—but she hadn’t been able to trust him with her secret and her fears. Could she put her faith in him now when every wrong move could have a disastrous effect? She didn’t know. Helplessness trickled through her sour and stale. “Why hasn’t he called?”
    “He’ll call. He wants that piece of jewelry too much not to.”
    “What if he’s—”
    “Stop torturing yourself. You’re not helping Briana by going to pieces.”
    “I can’t help it. I can’t let her down.”
    “We’ll get her back. I promise.”
    His voice was rough, yet warm, making her want to believe his promise. But he couldn’t make it with a money-back guarantee. In situations like these, there were no sure things.
    Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock . She rubbed her chilled arms. The damned clock would drive her completely batty. Then Lucas would have the perfect excuse to take Briana away from her.
    Her gaze jerked up to watch him scrutinizing her. Would he? Once he found out, would he do something cruel like that? Realizing she didn’t know him well enough to be sure, she bit her lower lip to stop the trembling that threatened to tear her apart. Stay in control .
    “What now?” she snapped, desperately trying to hang on to her sanity.
    “We wait for his call.”
    “I can’t stand this.” She got up and paced the room, hating Lucas for his unruffled calm.
    “So let’s pass the time by talking.”
    She stopped, clenched her crossed arms tightly to herself. “Talking?”
    He tipped his head to one side, catching the spoke of sun shining through the drawn kitchen curtains, making the red highlights in his dark brown hair gleam. “Yeah, you know, I say something, then you say something.”
    “I know what talking is.” She resumed her pacing with feverish determination. “About what?”
    “Anything. Everything. It doesn’t matter.”
    “Why?”
    “Because we didn’t before.”
    He was right. The one thing they hadn’t done much of was talk. Until that night when she’d found out about the hyperstormic atrophy gene. Then the results had been a nightmare. Her “what-if” game had shown her that he would have a hard time dealing with a less-than-perfect child. So she’d taken the coward’s way out and ran, protecting her secret.
    “Okay,” he said. “I’ll start. Where did you get that wig?”
    She blinked at him. “I-I was Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. For a Halloween party on the town green.”
    “Can’t quite get the picture to work.” He smiled.
    She said nothing, simply stared at him. Every feature of his face was so familiar, yet so new.
    “Tell me about the kidnapping. I get the feeling you’re leaving something out.”
    She went to the coffeepot, planning to make a fresh pot, but couldn’t remember how to do the simple