The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

“At the CIA?” Elliott asked.

There was something in Paul’s expression, in his eyes, that showed how surprised he was that Elliott knew the truth about James Cullen’s employment.

“You should have told JC that you know about his job. He hated lying to you,” Paul said.

“I knew from the beginning, but it was his choice. I wasn’t going to interfere.”

“Then you understand why I couldn’t betray The Company or JC?”

“No. Not at all.”

“I’m sworn to secrecy, Dr. Fraser. That’s why I came after JC to find out if he was in trouble. But I don’t understand how you arrived here first.”

“Ye arrive when ye were meant to arrive. Not sooner. Not later. Now tell me everything from the moment ye came out of the fog.”

Paul told him what Erik said and how he threatened him twice. Elliott took it all in, but he wanted to hear it again. So Paul started over and had just finished telling the story the second time when the sound of pounding hooves made them both turn around.

Sean dismounted. “Let me give ye a leg up,” he said to Elliott.

“Let me examine him first,” Emily said, swinging her leg over the saddle to dismount, but Elliott shot her a look, telegraphing what he thought of her idea, and instead of dismounting, she sat back down in her saddle. “Maybe I’ll wait until your ass falls out of the saddle, you pigheaded Scot.”

Elliott managed a chuckle. “Ye’ve spent too much time with Charlotte. I’m quite capable of mounting a goddamn horse.”

“Ye’re a stubborn old man is what ye are. Now bend yer leg.” Sean reached for Elliott’s bent leg and gave him a boost.

“Uncle Sean, you shouldn’t have helped him. I could see it in his eyes. He knew he didn’t have the strength to mount up by himself.”

“He didn’t fool me, lass,” Sean said. “I saw it in his eyes, too. I was only saving his pride. I owed him one.”

“If ye two are through talking about me like I’m not here, I’d like to go see my son.”

Emily tossed Paul the reins to the horse she was leading, and he mounted up. “Thanks, Emily. Good to see you. It’s been a while.”

“I’m surprised to see you here,” she said. “But I guess I shouldn’t be, considering how close you are to JC. What do you know about his injuries?”

Paul settled into his saddle. “Nothing. Erik seems to know everyone in the family, but he wouldn’t tell me anything about JC. He just ordered me to bring you to the cabin.”

Elliott nudged his horse, and they all galloped off.

Erik was standing outside the cabin door when they arrived. Elliott dismounted, tossed the reins over the hitching post, and stormed the porch, and the others followed.

“Get out of my way, Erik.”

Erik shook his head, and his mouth thinned as if he was restraining whatever he wanted to say, which only angered Elliott more. Then Erik put his huge hands on Elliott’s chest, and they felt like bricks cementing him in place.

“No. There is much I must tell you before you go in,” Erik said.

Elliott jerked his arms up and out, hitting against Erik’s to get his hands off Elliott’s chest, but he didn’t have the strength to do it, which pissed him off even more. All he had was his voice, and he slung words instead. “There’s not a goddamn thing I need to know until I see James Cullen. So get the hell out of my way!”

“You can’t see him yet,” Erik said calmly. “Sit down and listen to me.”

Elliott’s anger began to burn in his throat like bile as his son’s endless screams reverberated through his mind, and his rage, his desperate need to know what happened to his son, seemed to explode through him like a violent storm. He barely held it back.

Elliott glared at Erik. “Is he dying? Tell me that.”

Erik released his restraining hands. “He is not, but he needs healing that could require years.”

“Years?” The anger seemed to whoosh out of Elliott, and he dropped into one of the rockers. “Dear God. What happened?”

“James Cullen is in what you call a coma.”

Elliott jumped up. “Then he needs immediate medical attention. Let Emily see him. We’ll take him home right away.”

“I didn’t ask for Emily so she could attend to James Cullen, but to attend to you. You are strong and healthy, but you have unrealistic expectations of what your old body can do. You must calm yourself.”

“Can I see James Cullen?” Emily asked.

“Dr. Duffy, even you cannot help him.”

She threw Erik an exasperated look. “I’m a medical doctor, and I can help him. What are his injuries?”

Paul was standing next to Emily, and Erik grabbed his arm and shook it. “Go inside now and stand by the bed. Make sure no one uncovers James Cullen or touches him. Not you. Not Elliott. Not his mother. Not Charlotte. Not Dr. Duffy. Do you understand?”

“You’re putting me between you and Elliott. That’s not—”

Erik jerked on Paul’s arm again, almost hard enough to dislocate the shoulder joint. “I’m putting you between James Cullen and people who can harm him unintentionally. You must do as I ask, or James Cullen will never fully recover.”

“Why?” Elliott demanded. “Why are ye doing this to James Cullen? We’ve got to get him medical attention!”

Erik whirled around and got in Elliott’s face, but Elliott didn’t back down.

Erik thumped Elliott’s chest with his finger. “You have come to depend more on medicine than on the power you have.”

“What kind of power?” Paul asked.

Erik glared at Paul with hard eyes. “Why are you still here?”

Paul looked uncomfortable but not scared. “Uh, I’m going.” He opened the door, and hot, wood-scented air flowed out. “It’s hot as hell in here.”

“Close the door,” Erik demanded.

Paul closed the door. “I thought you wanted me inside.”

Erik jerked on Paul’s arm a third time, and this time Paul grimaced. “Close the door behind you!”

Paul shot a glance at Emily, his lip twitching