Partners by Nora Roberts

Author:Nora Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Matt parked his car in the shadow of the wall that encircled the Trulane estate. The moment he cut the engine, silence fell. He could sense, though she climbed from the car as he did, Laurel’s regret over the one thing they’d carefully not talked about. Trespassing, in secret, on what belonged to Louis. He also knew it was something that would continue to remain unsaid. He slipped his flashlight, base first, into his back pocket.

“I’ll give you a leg up first.”

Nodding, Laurel placed a foot in his cupped hands and reached for the top of the wall. She shinnied up nimbly, then, bracing herself on her stomach, reached a hand down for his. The grip was firm and dry, holding briefly until they lowered themselves on the other side.

“Somehow, I think you’ve done this sort of thing before,” she murmured, dusting her hands on the back of her jeans.

He grinned. “Let’s just say I’ve had to scale a few walls in my career.”

“And not all metaphorical,” she concluded.

“You’ll force me to mention that you went up and over like a veteran yourself.”

Laurel took one brief look around, letting her gaze linger on the shadow of the house in the distance. “I don’t suppose you’ve considered the legal repercussions if we’re caught.”

It was as close as she’d come, he knew, to speaking of Louis. Matt took her hand, drawing her away from the wall. “Let’s not get caught,” he said simply.

They moved, as quietly as shadows themselves, over the north lawn. Flashlights weren’t needed here. The light of the half-moon was thin, but clear enough to guide the way. The air was still, but far from silent. Night birds rustled in the trees, their whisperings punctuated now and again by the hoot of an owl. Overlaying all was the incessant music of crickets.

Fireflies glimmered with their sporadic gold-toned light. It smelled thickly of summer blossoms and green grass.

Already Laurel could see the gloomy silhouette of the edge of the swamp. The aversion was so ingrained she had to force herself not to hesitate. But her fingers curled tightly around Matt’s. His palm was cool and dry against hers.

Doesn’t he feel it? she wondered as the chill raced over her skin. Doesn’t he feel the darkness of the place? It held secrets best left alone—secrets that bred in the soggy grasses. She shuddered as the lawn gave way to it.

“It’s a place,” Matt said quietly. “It’s just a place, Laurel.”

“It’s evil,” she said, so simply he felt a tremor of unease. Then she stepped under the first overhang of trees.

Determination made her force back the fear. Though her fingers remained in his, their grip lightened. “Hard to believe,” she began in an easier voice, “even driven by love—or lust—that one of the Trulane women would have picked this place to cheat on her husband. I think her name was Druscilla.”

Matt gave a choked laugh as he pulled out his light. “Maybe Druscilla had a thing for humidity and mosquitoes. Now .

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.