Page 76 of Nauti Boy (Nauti 1)

“Don’t go out there,” she cried out, her face paling as her fingers gripped his arm. “It’s too dark Rowdy, and you don’t know where he could be hiding. Wait—”

There wasn’t a chance in hell he wasn’t going out there.

“You’re mine,” he snarled, sealing the claim with a hard kiss to her lips. “All mine, Kelly. And that bastard is going to figure that out at the end of my fist or my gun. I don’t care which. ”

He pulled away from her, jerking the door open and closing it before Dawg could see her, her sweet breasts rising over the lace of her bra, her pale face staring back at him with equal amounts of fear and anger.

The fear was going to be gone.

“Let’s go hunting. ” He took the rifle Dawg handed to him and headed downstairs.

TWENTY

Kelly waited until nearly dawn for Rowdy, Dawg, and Natches to return to the house. Whatever or whoever had been out there had been determined not to be found. They had disappeared, leaving the three men with a growing, restless anger. And a determination to get her where they felt she would be protected.

Despite her objections, Rowdy packed her clothes and loaded her into Dawg’s truck as the sun began to rise beyond the mountains.

She was terrified, she admitted. Whoever was stalking her knew how to hide, which only made him more dangerous. The thought of Rowdy, or one of his cousins, paying for the danger stalking her was eating a bleeding wound into her soul.

Finally, despite her objections and her demands that she simply leave town, the pickup pulled into the graveled road leading to Dawg’s house.

Kelly knew the moment she saw the house why they had chosen Dawg’s as a secure location. She had forgotten about the house, built by Dawg’s parents, and set into the base of the mountain that ran through their property outside Somerset. He spent most of his time on his boat, so she hadn’t considered the house.

The huge dwelling was set into the side of the mountain, with only the front left in view. Dawg’s father had designed and overseen its building, Ray had once said, claiming that he was determined to have the most unique home in the county. And it was that.

It had been meant to be a vacation home, private, out of the way, and as unique as his parents had been. Though Rowdy had often wondered if Dawg’s father hadn’t been more than the architect he claimed to be. There were too many secrets in the Mackay family, he admitted, and one of these days, he was going to get to the bottom of them.

The face of the house was warm wood, covering steel and cement, with large windows looking out from the kitchen on the left, and the large living room on the right.

It wasn’t opulent, or expensively furnished, but it was a huge dwelling with four bedrooms, accompanied by private baths. There was an exercise room and a basement pantry–wine room larger than some apartments she had been in.

The house was built in three levels—kitchen, living room, and exercise room on the ground level, bedrooms above on the top level, and the basement on a third level. She now understood why Dawg’s father, Chandler Mackay, had been considered one of the finest architects in the nation.

It had been surprising when Dawg entered the Army then took over the lumberyard his father had owned. Everyone had expected him to step into his late father’s shoes and become an architect instead.

Rowdy led her through the large open living room to the wide hallway that opened at the back of it. There, two sets of curved wooden steps led to the other levels. He moved aside as they reached the stairs that led to the upper level, allowing her to move ahead of him.

The steps were narrow, but comfortable, and led into another short hallway and two open doors.

“The left. ” He nudged her toward the open door, his voice brooking no argument as they moved into the room.

A huge king-sized bed took up the center of the room, draped with sheer curtains that hung from a steel ring in the center of the ceiling and tied at each corner of the bed.

A dark wood dresser and chest, writing desk, and vanity table sat along the walls. Scenic pictures set in frames that resembled windows on the far side of the bed. Behind it, another door opened into what was obviously a large bathroom.

“Nice,” she murmured as Rowdy moved in behind her and closed the door before setting her bags on the floor. He must have packed everything she had before they left his father’s house.

“It suits Dawg. ” He shrugged negligently. “Go ahead and get settled in, take a nap if yo

u need to. We’ll go out to dinner later. ”

“I’d prefer to stay here. ” She turned to him slowly, keeping her expression carefully bland.

“Too bad. ” He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her, the dark gray T-shirt he wore stretching over his rippling muscles. “Dawg, Natches, and I decided we’re going to eat out. ”

“I want to be alone. ” She pressed her lips firmly together. “I told you that. ”

The argument had raged for hours. She couldn’t believe his complete arrogance and stubbornness. He refused to leave her alone for even a second, and he wouldn’t hear of her leaving town without him. At this point, he wouldn’t even hear of her leaving town with him. She would have settled for that.

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