Page 65 of Hidden Raphael
Likewas such a light word for what she felt. She pressed her lips together and chose to hold that thought back. She traced his face. "You're my angel, Raphael. You're a little battered and you lost the halo. But your heart and soul are good. I can't say no."
"I have to go too, but I'll be back for you soon."
Clearly he had to work out whatever bothered him. She scooted off his lap and stood up. "Can I have Eileen's diary?"
He averted his gaze again. "Yeah. I'll bring it to you when I find you and that coffee."
She should have read it sooner, she thought as she got dressed.
She threw her jeans and socks on, and then went across the room for her bra and shirt when he stirred from his seat. He dressed fast. His jeans almost hid the delicious manhood of his, but her body hummed from the memory.
Today was clean and pure. Perhaps if he was gone awhile in the afternoon, she'd go in search of where Raphael had buried Roger. It had to be near the castle grounds. For all either of them knew Harry might have had military training and thought Raphael an enemy. She had to know what happened. If she found Roger’s body, they were safe. "Will you be a few hours?"
"Yeah." He threw on his shirt. "I've business to attend to, but I'll hurry."
"Don't bother. Take all morning. We'll meet up for lunch then. I’ll have coffee in the pot and a muffin waiting for you before you leave."
He stilled then nodded. "Perfect."
She stopped. “Can you take me to Roger’s grave, then?”
He averted his gaze and threw another shirt on his head. “I guess.”
He didn’t want to go there. He didn’t want to take her. She needed to know this. She needed to see. She needed to trust him and trust herself.
He took her hand in his and led her out of his bedroom and back to the main part of the house. "I'll be back soon, Kimberly."
Perhaps she'd find a way to break him of his sullen departures from her soon. She rubbed her arms. He had spent all night next to her. Her last thought was unkind. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "See you soon."
He ran his hands through his hair like he intended to say something else, but then held his lips together. She stepped into the hall and he turned on his heels.
She turned in the other direction, but her neck and face followed him. Where did he go?
He walked fast.
Perhaps what she intended was an invasion of privacy, but she hoped whatever she saw he did freed him. She turned and followed in his footsteps. Where did he go? What business was so important? He turned sullen and silent too often. She tiptoed down the hall. Meg wasn't there. Then she clutched the door handle. He'd gone this way.
She swallowed her doubts and pushed the door open.
The empty room had a huge table for a conference, or perhaps an old-fashioned dinner. She chewed her lip. Was this the direction he went? She thought so. The huge double doors were twice the size of a normal door, and swung open. The walls were sparse, but the stone walls were blacker in here and the carpet more threadbare. Huge metal suits of armor were mounted like they were still guards inside them that watched everything. This might have been a throne room at one point, though she hadn’t seen any pictures with people in a crown. The tapestry on the wall was long, but dirty. This wasn't part of the remodeled castle. Was this another secret room? She lifted the edge of the tapestry.
Her blood pumped faster as she saw the concealed door. There were secrets. She squared her shoulders, grabbed a candelabrum from the table, pocketed the matches from the drawer, and opened the door to the next room.
She refused to light the candles in case Raphael was still there. The pitch-blackness of the secret hall echoed every footstep, so she treaded carefully.
Using her fingers, she guided herself down the hall by touching the stone wall. Raphael wasn't hiding in total darkness, but whatever was next, she should be quiet.
The castle stones grew moist, as if she were heading outside. The front door was in the other wing. Was she heading to the inner courtyard from another tower? She put one foot in front of the other until she reached the end of the hall.
Natural sunlight filtered inside. The stairs went both up and down here. She hadn't known there was a lower level. A sound carried in the air like a fan, but much heavier, that came from upstairs. The wind would blow out her candle. She placed the candelabrum on a nearby table. As she continued, she held her stomach and climbed up. The roar became louder. She ignored the relentless scream of a machine, and checked the door. It wasn’t locked.
Kimberly's hand shook, but she pushed at the door. It resisted. Was the wind bad right now? The noise of the huge fan deafened her. It was almost like a plane or a helicopter. What happened? She pressed both of her hands on the door and fought the pressure to open it.
Sunlight beamed in her face during the struggle. She set one foot outside, and then the other. The noise sounded more like an engine the closer she came.
Was that it? Was she saved? She turned her face outside and her jaw fell.
Raphael stood next to a helicopter and hugged a curly-haired brunette woman. Who was she? What happened?
