Anything He Wants: Castaway #2 (Anything He Wants 7) by Sara Fawkes Page B

knees.
    Lucas stood there, shaking in rage. His hands curled into fists as he stared down at his little brother. “You make me sick,” he spat. “Did you have a similar contract with Anya? Goddammit Jeremiah, answer me!”
    “No,” Jeremiah answered evenly, although he continued to glare up at his brother. “She never had to sign anything.”
    The urge to beat the man before him was overwhelming. Remembering everything she’d told him, her reaction when Jeremiah had appeared, his kiss. Lucas had seen the love in the girl’s eyes, the fear of him when she thought he would shoot Jeremiah. Struggling to control himself, Lucas took a step back. “You don’t deserve her.”
    “Why do you fucking care anyway?”
    Why indeed. “Because we’ve ruined enough lives in our time.” Anya’s face flashed through his mind. “I’ll be damned if I let anyone else suffer because of us.”
    Jeremiah said nothing, and his silence finally gave Lucas enough time to recover himself. “Someone is targeting us both,” he said, not caring whether Jeremiah was listening. “I had a saboteur almost try to blow up this ship. Someone had fed him the wrong information deliberately, then given him a bomb the boy didn’t know how to work.”
    He stared down at his brother, meeting the hard green eyes. “I think somebody is targeting our family , not just you.” Lucas bent down. “So get this through your thick skull: I’ll do whatever I need to survive. But this involves you too.”
    The words were a bitter gall; he couldn’t bring himself to ask for help. Not now, not with what he’d just learned. Jeremiah looked away first, and Lucas straightened. “Throw him back inside the room,” he said, then turned his back on his brother.
    ––––––––
    T he ship was big enough that even with everyone searching, it was nearly an hour before they were given the all clear. They’d have to do a more thorough search to see if Jeremiah’s group had left any tracking devices, but for now the ship was clear. After speaking briefly with Frank and Matthews, Lucas borrowed a duffle and went back downstairs.
    Lucy still sat on the bed, and when he opened the door she stood to her feet. The confusion and sorrow he saw etched onto her features made his throat tight. Without a word, he walked over to the dresser and began stuffing clothes into the bag.
    “Where are you going?”
    “I’ll be bunking up top with Matthews and Frank. You can have this room to yourself.”
    “Why?”
    Lucas stayed silent for a moment, unsure what to tell her. Because my brother may not deserve you, but I deserve you even less . “My selfishness ruined the life of one innocent girl already.” He kept his face carefully blank. “I won’t repeat that mistake again.”
    She looked away, and Lucas read the guilt on her face. Her obvious regret tore at him; he’d taken advantage of the situation, but clearly she blamed herself. It wasn’t hard to anticipate her next question. “Does Jeremiah know about...”
    “He thinks you are my prisoner, and you are. Anything else that’s happened is up to you to tell.” Lucas’ kept his voice even, giving nothing away about how he felt. He couldn’t bare to see her expression, so busied himself grabbing essentials. “You’re free to leave the room, my men have strict orders not to touch you.”
    Lucas was at the door, ready to leave, when he heard a whispered plea. “Don’t go.”
    His eyes felt closed for a heartbeat and he let out the breath in a quiet sigh. Looking back at the girl on the bed, something he’d thought long dead inside him twisted at the sight of her damp eyes. He set down the bag and walked over to her, kneeling down to his heels. A strand of hair had fallen across her face, and when he idly tucked it behind her ear she leaned into his touch.
    “Lucy,” he said, not speaking until she raised her eyes. “Tell me why I shouldn’t leave.”
    “Because...” Her mouth worked silently as