The voices were all around her in the dark forest. She couldn't make out what the whispers were saying, but they were growing louder as she ran, desperate to get away from them. Chevalier was ahead of her in the clearing, but she couldn't reach him. He beckoned to her with his hand. She could see his mouth moving, but he was too far away to hear what he was saying.
They were getting closer, closing in on her from all directions. She could finally make out what they were chanting, and the words brought a new horror to the dark. It wasn't her they wanted, it was Chevalier. She had to get to him, to warn him, but her feet were moving in slow motion.
She screamed for him, if he would just run…
“Emily,” he said, sitting on the side of her bed.
She looked up at him, her breathing rapid. The realization that it was a dream wasn't sudden, it came through the fog of her mind.
“Emily, what's wrong?” he asked, his words hurried and concerned.
She couldn't answer him, couldn't pull her mind clear of the medicated slowness.
Chevalier reached down and pulled her into a cradle on his lap, then held her close as she shivered, “Tell me what's wrong.”
She buried her head into his chest, trying to block out the voices from the dream.
He sighed heavily, “Was it a nightmare?”
She nodded, refusing to pull her face away from the comfort of his chest.
He gently ran his fingers through her hair, “It's ok. It's over now.”
He held her for longer than he expected she would let him. At one point, he was able to shut his eyes and focus on her, her scent, her breathing, and her heart beat. The sounds were comforting to him somehow. At long last, she sat up and looked around the room.
She smiled sheepishly, “Are you still going to let me take a shower?”
“Of course, my Dear,” he assured her. He helped her to her feet. The pain seemed to be markedly improved this morning, and she didn't turn pale or begin to black out.
“I have the bathroom ready for you. Anything you need should be in the cupboard, but if you are missing anything, just yell and I will get it.”
She nodded and followed him to the bathroom. The bathroom was larger than her bedroom on the ranch. Its soft peach colors were in contrast to the man beside her, who always wore black. The room was warm and well lit, comfortable. There was a large jetted garden tub in the center of the granite tiled floor and a double shower in the corner. She watched as he walked out and shut the door. As she locked the door behind him, she thought she heard him chuckle.
He was still laughing to himself as he neared his study. He stepped inside and shut the door, glad that he soundproofed this one room. The small silver cell phone was in his hand in an instant and moments later she answered.
“Warwick Consolidation,” Storm answered.
Chevalier grinned. He always thought it was funny when she used the façade for his business number, “Storm, it's me.”
“Oh, Sir!” She sounded relieved, “I'm so glad you called, everyone's trying to get a hold of you. There are news crews just off of the island…”
He cut her off, “News crews?”
He could hear her sigh, “Yes, it's all been a big mess. Lord Ulrich tried for a few days to contact you when Emily went missing. When he couldn't get through to you, he had Sam point the finger at you for her disappearance. That led them here.”
A low growl escaped him, “You can tell Ulrich that I will call him when I feel like it and not before. What have the news crews said?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary. No one here will talk to them and they haven't found anything bad about the company,” she assured him.
“Thank you, Storm. I'm very pleased to see everything was handled perfectly.”
Her voice lightened with his compliment, “Are you coming back soon?”
“I'm not sure, things are progressing slowly here, but I hope to move things along faster, as soon as she's healed.”
“Sir, are you falling for her?” The concern in her voice was touching.
“No, Storm, this is all business.” He hoped she couldn't hear the tension in his voice.
“I'm worried about you, she's dangerous.”
“I do keep that in mind, I assure you.”
The long pause was awkward, “I know you do, Sir.”
“I need a favor.”
“Anything, Sir.”
“I need to get a check on the Russo ranch. See if Sam and Keith are keeping up with things. If they are falling behind, I want their bills anonymously paid and send over help, someone who knows about animals and offers to work for room and board.”
She knew better than to question him again, “Yes, Sir. I think Kyle used to work on a farm. I'll send him over.”
“Make sure he watches out for Sam. Sam is Ulrich's familiar.”
“Yes, Sir, I'll make sure he knows.”
“I'll call and check in on things later.”
“Are you sure we can't send someone else to help you?” It was obvious she was offering.
“No, stay there, I need you on guard, Storm. I can trust you more than the others and right now, trust is what we need.” He shut the phone and listened, the sound of the shower had just turned off.
He left his office and moved silently into the bedroom. When she emerged from the bathroom, he was sitting on the bed waiting for her.
“Feel better?” he asked again, appreciating her beauty.
“Much, thank you.” She was toweling her hair dry and sat gently in the chair by the fire, “Thank you for the clothes too, though I've never been big on dresses.”
He grinned. He knew that when he'd purchased the light blue cotton dress, “I took the liberty of buying you a wardrobe for while you are here.”
She looked over at him, “All dresses?”
He laughed, “No, not all dresses.”
She quickly braided her hair and stood up, her muscles still sore, “You also promised me a tour of the house.”
“That I did,” he said, standing and taking her hand in his. He felt her start to pull away, but held her hand tighter.
They walked through the house slowly. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, the way the feminine dress brushed against the contours of her body as she walked. She asked lots of questions and insisted on seeing inside all 45 bedrooms and ante-chambers. She seemed frustrated when he wouldn't show her