Page 34 of Secret Crush

Chapter Twelve

An hour later, a Morgan security guard dropped off supplies. The man's identification checked out, but John still went through each bag of food and clothing, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

He put together a suitcase full of clothes and left it in front of Alice's bedroom door. John knocked and listened, hearing the splash of water from a shower in the background.

The shower didn't turn off, so Alice must not have heard his knock. He walked down the hall.

Today had been surreal. John put his clothes in the room he'd chosen across the hall, then went to the kitchen and put the two-month supply of groceries away.

They didn't have to go anywhere for a while, though she'd insist on going to her parents. He had to convince her to stay. How? The thought of going into her room to seduce her set his body on fire.

He wouldn't follow that thought, so he popped open a beer and took a sip. The brew did little to appease his mood so he picked up his phone, wondering if Vicki had one. He'd been so busy he hadn't asked. He swallowed and then called the Castle.

On the second ring, his brother answered, "Where did you disappear?"

No amount of beer would lessen the pain of this conversation. John drank, but the ale had a bitterness to it. "I went to the house dad gave me."

"With Alice?"

His grip on the bottle tightened. There had been no reason for Peter to cancel Alice's contract at the funeral. "Don't mention her name."

"I'm surprised. I never would have guessed she was your type."

Peter had the worst taste in women. John's spine straightened. Peter's disapproval could rot right next to their father's grave. Alice wasn't the topic of this conversation. He directed the dialogue. "Do you have Victoria with you?"

"Of course. She's my responsibility."

John pressed his lips together. That comment reeked of power, control, and all things taught in the House of Morgan. He found his FBI voice and regained his composure. "Put her on the phone."

"Yeah. Hold on."

Perhaps his brother's imitation of their father's voice was breeding, but the tone made John's entire body clench. His demeanor relaxed the moment Victoria uttered her first syllable. "Hey, you."

He placed his bottle on the table and flexed his fingers. "Can you talk?"

"I'm going to a guest room right now." Vicki sounded bubbly, calm, and alive. "Peter turned my bedroom into a gym."

John rubbed the back of his neck. "We thought you had died."

She clicked her tongue, and he smiled. "Don't defend him. I expected a shrine with a plaque on the door."

At least he wasn't alone anymore. The only person in the Morgan household who ever had a heart was his sister. In the distance he heard Alice's bedroom door open. He stood up and leaned against the window that overlooked the bay. "Why didn't you call and tell me you were alive?"

Outside the ocean waves could be heard, but night made the view of the water so black that the moon reflected in the ripples. He traced the moon with his fingers in the glass as she explained. "I needed to disappear."

"Where were you?"

"Europe."

She sounded evasive. He stared down the hall. Alice's suitcase had disappeared. He couldn't see her, but his sister's words played in his ear. "Care to be more specific?"

"Not over the phone. I'm happy I'm home. When did you start dating Alice?"

He tugged his collar. Alice's kiss played in his memory. He'd kiss her again, but keep that under wraps until he knew she was safe. His gut churned knowing that the danger was because of him.

"I asked you a question, bro."

Bro was so Miami. He smiled and realized his sister was still the same. "You can ask her, later. She's sleeping."

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