Secrets Of Bella Terra Read Free Page B

five thousand guys here in Bella Terra.” Rafe smiled his crooked smile.
    Brooke told herself that when he smiled like that, he looked like Novocain was working on one side of his mouth.
    But that wasn’t true. Instead, in his jeans and black leather jacket, he resembled a tough, half-amused, world-weary Gerard Butler. She’d seen that expression work magic on women from around the world. She’d felt the impact herself.
    She felt it now, and it wasn’t even aimed at her.
    “The police said the burglar might be a vagrant,” Noah said.
    “Everybody always wants to think it’s a vagrant rather than someone who lives in their nice little town.” Rafe’s cynicism grated on Brooke’s nerves.
    And on Sarah’s, for she stirred restlessly, and winced.
    He turned to her right away. “Don’t worry, Nonna. We’ll keep you safe. No one’s going to hurt you again.”
    At once, Sarah recognized her chance to get her way. “At home. Promise me I can stay at my home.”
    The brothers exchanged exasperated, helpless glances.
    “Nonna, it would be so much easier if you’d stay at the resort,” Noah said.
    “Or with me. You know you love my house.” Eli had finished his new home on Gunfighter Ridge overlooking the glimmer of Bella Creek. “I’ve got a guest cottage. You can be alone as much as you like.”
    “In my own house,” Sarah said stubbornly, but her voice trembled and a single tear slid down the soft wrinkled cheek.
    Sarah never cried, and that one tear broke the guys.
    “I’ll keep you safe in your house,” Rafe promised.
    “I know. I trust you.” She smiled, but her lips trembled. “I’m not afraid for myself. But if something happened to one of my boys, I couldn’t live with myself.”
    Real amusement lit Rafe’s face. “I’ll take care of my feeble brothers.”
    “Yeah, Nonna, Rafe’ll take care of us.” Eli used sarcasm like a weapon. “Nothing can happen to him. As long as the mugger hits him on the head, Rafe’ll be fine.”
    “They have knives. They have guns,” Sarah said fretfully. “Even after all these years, he’s so angry. . . .”
    Brooke came slowly to her feet.
    The brothers all leaned forward, intent on their grandmother’s face.
    “Who, Nonna?” Rafe’s voice was the soft rasp of velvet. “Who are you afraid of?”
    “What?” Sarah looked puzzled. “I’m not afraid of anybody. I just want you to be careful.”
    The brothers exchanged glances, and nodded. Brooke could almost see the communication between them—
Later
.
    “I’m going to have to have someone stay with you,” Rafe said firmly.
    “Someone’s going to have to stay with her anyway,” Noah said. “That concussion—”
    Sarah broke in. “The arm hurts worse than anything.”
    “I’ll take care of security for you, Nonna. I need to talk to someone who knows a lot of people, and for that, Brooke will help me. Won’t you, Brooke?” For the first time, he turned his head, the deliberate motion of a predator viewing its prey.
    Of course. The man was in the security business. He cased a room as soon as he walked in.
    He had always known she was there. He had known she was observing him. And the iciness in his eyes made her want to cower.
    But she didn’t. She knew men like him, men who stayed at the resort for rest and relaxation, who carried with them a chill that froze the marrow in her bones. It was her policy to never, ever let them know how much they scared her.
    And Rafe scared her more than any of them.
    Because no matter how much she hated it, he still made her want him.

Chapter 3

    B rooke walked to the bedside and did the one thing the guys were afraid to do—she stroked Sarah’s head, smiled into her eyes. “I’m going to help Rafe find the person who did this, and bring him to justice. You know I can do it, too.”
    Sarah relaxed and looked like the Sarah they all knew: kind, happy, optimistic. She smiled back at Brooke. “I know. I have absolute faith in you.” She turned to