LITMIR.BIZ

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time left to him, including the installation of an alarm system at her house that would put a stop to intruders.

      He sighed as the ramifications of his new plan sank in. Virginia would miss her meeting on Friday after all. But at least she’d be safe.

      chapter 5

      DILLON HEARD the ringing as if from far away. It pierced his subconsciousness, but wasn’t enough to get him out of the dream. And he knew he was dreaming, knew it wasn’t real, but he couldn’t force himself awake.

      The cell was dark and cold, and in his dream he accepted that he would spend many years there, yet strangely enough, that wasn’t what bothered him most. No, it was Virginia, standing outside his cell, round with a late pregnancy. His child. He broke out in a sweat. Cliff was pointing and laughing from the background, and Virginia’s eyes looked wounded—and accusing.

      The ringing became more insistent, sounding like a small scream, and he jerked awake. His heart thundered and all his muscles felt too tight, straining. He had an erection.

      Unbelievable. He ran a hand over his face, drew several deep breaths. His stomach slowly began to unknot.

      The covers were tangled about his legs and he felt like he’d been in a furnace he was so hot. The dream, and his reaction to it, made no sense, and even if in some twisted way it did, he shied away from probing the reasons. He didn’t want to know what it meant, didn’t want to dwell on the strange things Virginia made him feel. Kelsey was the one who was pregnant, and Dillon planned to do only what he had to do. He would save his brother, protect Virginia, but he wouldn’t touch her. So there was no chance of the dream coming true.

      Still, he felt a drip of sweat slide down his brow.

      The bedside alarm continued its shrill call, and feeling drugged, Dillon reached for it. He glanced at the face of the clock. It wasn’t quite five a.m. and he had to meet Virginia at six. Today was the day.

      His heart still thundered from the dream—which hadn’t been a dream at all but rather a damned nightmare. Dillon ran a hand through his hair, shoving it away from his face.

      Peddling his legs, he kicked the blankets to the end of the bed and let the cold winter morning air wash over his naked body. The sweat dried quickly and he chilled as he considered what was on his agenda.

      He was going to kidnap Virginia Johnson.

      Ever since the break-in he’d tried to think of another way to do things, another way to protect her and his brother. But he’d come up blank, without a single alternative. She refused to take the time away from the office, refused to listen to reason or take extra precautions. He’d come up with only one solution.

      And his stomach had been in knots ever since.

      Anyone who’d met Virginia for more than two minutes would know how she’d react to being held prisoner.

      Everything in her would rebel. Hell, he’d had to fight her tooth and nail just to get the alarm installed at her home yesterday. He’d hired the very best agency, interviewed them himself, selected the alarm. Virginia had been outraged, only grudgingly giving over to his greater experience. Dillon had made sure the system was installed that very day, in case she changed her mind.

      Virginia, on the best of days, was hard-nosed and contrary and independent to a fault. She wouldn’t be an easy victim, and in the normal scheme of things, with a real kidnapping, her sarcasm and sharp tongue could get her hurt. Not that he would ever hurt her. He didn’t hurt women, and the very idea of harming Virginia made him ache. She’d been hurt more than enough over her lifetime.

      Poor Virginia. A brother who ridiculed her to employees and a spoiled little sister who thought only of herself. No wonder she’d become such a tough woman. She’d had to to survive the jackals, the people who would use her without regret.

      And now he would be no better.

      All his life he’d thought there were only two kinds of families. The type he and his father had, that existed on guts and strength and commitment. Their lives centered on survival, and they watched each other’s backs, because they only had each other. Their bonds ran deep with the bare bones of necessity.

      Then there was the other kind, the one filled with love and tenderness. Children playing, dogs barking, barbecues in the backyard and family outings to the amusement park.

      Now he realized there were many kinds, because Virginia didn’t fit into either group. She was as strong as an iron spike, but she didn’t have the respect and dedication from her family that same trait would have earned for a man.

      Neither did she have the love or tenderness. Maybe none of that even existed. Maybe it was just something he’d conjured in his brain when things had been hard and he’d foolishly tried to imagine the life he would have had with a mother. He was damn lucky his father had stuck by him, lucky the man had seen fit to teach him how to get by in the world.

      Dillon glanced at the clock again. In one hour he’d be picking up Virginia. She would be expecting a day full of intimacy. He was going to give her the fright of her life. More than anything, he’d like to simply walk away, to forget Virginia and her damn dysfunctional family. The ridiculous dream that couldn’t mean anything, no matter how it made his guts churn, was just that, a dream. He didn’t, wouldn’t, care for her, but for some damn reason, he wanted her. And he wanted to protect her. Chemistry, unaccountable and indisputable.

      It wouldn’t be easy, not with the complications growing every day, but he’d manage. Once Virginia was safely stowed away, he could concentrate on Wade.

      He wondered if Cliff was using Virginia’s distraction with the embezzlement to try to hurt her, to drive her away from the company. He hadn’t heard Virginia mention the embezzlement, so she might not even be aware of Cliff’s treachery. Or maybe she had gotten too close to discovering her brother’s underhanded tactics. Virginia took her obligations to the company very seriously; she wouldn’t put up with falsifying evidence. Was Cliff afraid of her finding out?

      Either way, Dillon knew in his guts that Virginia was threatened. And he knew Cliff would be closing in on Wade very soon now. They couldn’t have much time left. He had to get into the files and find the real embezzler before it was too late. Taking Virginia was the only option open to him, the only way to settle both problems at one time.

      Virginia wouldn’t like it, wouldn’t understand his motives. But Wade would. He knew it had to be now or never. He had no choice. Just as his father had watched out for him, he now watched out for Wade, regardless of personal feelings or conflicts. That much, at least, he understood about family.

      With cold resolution he climbed from the bed and headed for the shower.

      VIRGINIA COULDN’T HELP but be excited. She’d arrived at the parking lot fifteen minutes early. It was dark and cold and everything was covered in ice. The world sparkled beneath street lamps and moonlight, looking new and clean and magical.

      Headlights curved into the lot and then blinded her as they slowly crept her way. Her heartbeat picked up rhythm, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. Somehow, she knew Dillon wouldn’t be like the other men. He wouldn’t be satisfied with half measures and fumbling in the dark. The thought shook her, but in a small part of herself that she’d kept hidden for so very long, she was excited by the notion. She felt sexy.

      Absurd, a woman her age, with her weight problems and practical outlook on life, but she couldn’t help it. She’d even worn sexy underclothes. A silk teddy, garters and silk hose. Instead of twisting her hair into a tight knot, she’d left it looser, more like the romantic Gibson-girl style. Little curls fell around her ears. She’d felt silly when she looked in the mirror, but she didn’t redo it.

      She wore a long winter-white cashmere tunic and skirt, with ankle boots of the same creamy color. Even her thick cape was a matching off-white. Her red hair was the only color. And the blush on her cheeks.

      The vehicle that pulled alongside her, facing the opposite direction, wasn’t

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