Page 15 of Her Mountain Man Protector
“You should answer it,” Mila says, her voice barely audible. “Just in case…”
I’m reluctant to leave her, but I grunt my assent. “Stay here, okay? Don’t make a sound.”
She nods, paling as the knock sounds once more.
“I won’t let anybody hurt you, sugar,” I tell her firmly. “You don’t need to be scared anymore. If it’s somebody looking for you, I’ll get rid of them.”
With a weak smile, she thanks me, and I grab her hand, kissing her palm before forcing myself out of bed. In the living room, I pull on my clothes, smoothing my expression into something neutral.
No, I haven’t seen a woman in a wedding dress.
Never heard of anybody called Mila.
I’m not much of a liar, but I’ll say whatever I need to keep Mila safe. But dammit, I hope it’s not her parents at the door. If it’s them, I don’t trust myself to keep a hold of my temper. After everything she’s told me about their controlling behavior, my instinct will be to sock her dad in the face until I see blood.
Keep your cool,I tell myself.Whoever it is, just get them away.
At the last second, it occurs to me to grab Mila’s clothes and throw them into the bedroom, out of sight. Then, I reach for the front door and open it.
9
MILA
My heart is thumpingas I listen to Holden’s heavy footsteps walk toward the front door. It was easy to forget everything when I was in his arms—the two of us existing in our own world. But the knock on the door pulls me back to reality, and I strain my ears as it creaks open, dreading the possibility of hearing my parents’ voices.
“Hello again, Officer,” I hear Holden say.
Crap…the police…
“Afternoon, sir,” a man’s voice responds. “Sorry to bother you again. The young woman I asked about yesterday, Mila Van Alstyne, is still missing. I’m here to ask if you’ve seen her since our last visit.”
Holden doesn’t miss a beat. “Sorry. Still haven’t seen her.”
“No problem. Just call us if you see anything. The girl’s sister is out of her mind with worry.”
I flinch at the officer’s words, something cracking painfully inside my chest
Poor Grace. I’m so sorry.
I was so swept up in being here with Holden that I neglected my sister. It doesn’t matter how scared I am to face my parents—I need to do it for Grace. I need to let her know everything will be okay.
“Sorry to hear that,” Holden says. “I’m guessing the girl’s family is still up at the castle?”
“Yes.” The cop’s voice sounds strained as he adds, “It’s an…unusual situation. They’re actually hosting another wedding this afternoon.”
My blood turns to ice in my veins. I know what’s coming. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before, didn’t even consider the possibility…
“What do you mean?” Holden asks. “What other wedding?”
“Well, when my colleague and I went up to the castle this morning, the Van Alstynes had just returned from applying for a marriage license for their other daughter at the clerk’s office in town. Since the oldest daughter has gone missing, they’re now marrying her sister, Grace, to the groom instead.”
My stomach roils. I clap a hand over my mouth, trying not to let the cops hear my horrified groan.
“Damn…seriously?” Holden asks.
“Yeah. They’re getting married this afternoon. Had a dress flown in from Paris and everything. Bizarre, huh?”
“Jeez. Very bizarre.”
