Guarded Heart Read Free Page A

find that solution, she’ll be elevated to the designation of
Master Ranger.”
    Morgan didn’t miss the flash in Brook’s icy eyes. It had
almost been…warm. He found himself tilting his head to the right. Morgan wanted
to see more of the curious expression of hope that had settled into features he
was certain had never smiled a day in her life. Her focus snapped to him. Hope
immediately fizzled when resentment darkened her gaze to the color of the
stormy Pacific Ocean.
    Destan’s voice filled the room with a single word. “Yes?”
    “Yes, Master Destan,” she said tightly.
    “I trust there will be no further problems,” the male said
in such a way that even Morgan felt obligated to agree.
    But he was high priest now and that meant a responsibility
to his people. This wasn’t a decision he could make with a Master Ranger on the
phone, Irvin hovering at the desk and Brook bloody Lochlan standing grumpily at
his door.
    He inhaled slowly and then spoke with care. “If we decide to
utilize the services of Neptune’s Rangers, we will use whichever Ranger you
deem the best fit. Thank you for your time, Master Destan. And we apologize for
interrupting you.”
    Morgan stood from the small table. Both Brook and Irvin
watched him cross to the desk. There he personally disconnected the call.
    He turned toward the woman slouched at his door. “We will
need a day to consider this. You are welcome to sightsee while we consider the
issue at hand.”
    “I’ve seen about all I need to see of this…place,” she said.
    Morgan’s muscles stiffened at the insult she ’ d barely held back. He’d come to enjoy
the region. The lake was an impressive body of water that soothed him down to
his pores. He considered himself privileged to have a home within feet of it.
    How could a Water witch of any kind find the region
distasteful? Perhaps the woman had never been to a desert. Maybe he’d find a
way to make sure she experienced one.
    Rather than argue with her, Morgan gestured for Irvin to
find a new phone number. “We’ll have a car brought to take you into Chicago.
You can see the Magnificent Mile. Shop a little. Enjoy yourself on our dime.”
    Disdain settled around her pale eyes. Morgan gritted his
teeth to keep from snapping at her. After a count to five, he released his
irritation. He smiled at her, giving it his all. Her expression darkened.
    And that made his lighten.
    Brook hadn’t changed much from her youth. But he had. If for
some unfortunate reason he was forced to deal with her for longer than a day,
he would take great pleasure in showing her exactly how much.
     
    He hadn’t changed a bit since the last time Brook had seen
him. Morgan was still the bleeding heart he’d always been. But this time when
he got himself in trouble for trusting the wrong person, a seven-state region
would be in trouble.
    Who had been the brainchild behind that decision?
    And sightsee? The guy was clearly on a very strong
prescription drug if he thought she had any interest in seeing what this dump
of a steel town had to offer. Perhaps she’d drop a choice word or two to make sure he decided not to use the Rangers’ services.
    But if he did that, she wouldn’t have the chance to make
Master level. Brook had to become a Master Ranger. She’d worked her ass
off for years to be the best. No liberal priest was going to keep her from her
dream.
    So she stalked through the dated interior toward the front
door with her duffel bag still slung over her shoulder. Fresh air—any air that
wasn’t shared by Morgan—was in order.
    The weather outside was a little too warm to sit comfortably
for the few minutes it would take the car to return. Brook walked around the
house in the direction of the cooler lake while simultaneously checking for
security issues.
    Unreal. Didn’t they understand how dangerous a
building with more windows than walls was? Though a concrete wall would do
little to stop a determined witch, the windows were worrying