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  Falling

  The Blackthorn Brothers Series - Book 5

  Cali MacKay

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Falling

  Book 5

  The Blackthorn Brothers Series

  By Cali MacKay

  Copyright © 2018 by Cali MacKay

  Published by Daeron Publishing

  Http://calimackay.com

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher or author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The story contained within is the work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This story contains explicit sexual scenes and adult language and is only for readers over the age of 18.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2018, edition 1.0

  ISBN: 9781940041544

  Chapter One

  Slater

  With Emerson at the wheel, I flipped through the file once again, even though I had already been through every detail a dozen times. This was too important a client and they were in some real danger, which was why we had a full security detail and were even working with the local police department and the FBI.

  Elena Rutherford of the Rutherford fortune, and her daughter Isabelle.

  Hell…as much as the Rutherfords were worth, we not only had every available body on the job, but had also pooled all our resources, though some would be working behind the scenes. Luckily, every one of us would be partnered up, and we’d be on a steady rotation.

  But for now? We were heading to the Rutherford estate to meet up with the current security team that had escorted Elena and Isabelle here to Seattle from their London home.

  The file had a list of the threats they’d already received, and though there was enough here to have anyone worried, more worrisome was the fact that things seemed to be escalating. Rants about the inequality and injustices of the world had turned into explicit threats, though whoever was sending them had been smart enough to keep everything generic. It was clear they were upset about how much money the Rutherfords had when the sender was forced to struggle, accusing the family of being unfair and unscrupulous in their business practices.

  But so far, there had been no way to track down who was sending the threats. They may amount to nothing, but we weren’t taking any chances, and with luck, the move from London to Seattle might just be enough to put an end to this, though there was no guarantee that the threat had originated overseas to begin with.

  The mansion that sat perched atop the hill just beyond the secured gates was massive and damn impressive. It’s not as if my family didn’t have more than its fair share of wealth, but this wasn’t the sort of money you made in a lifetime. This was the sort of wealth that was accumulated over centuries and passed down from generation to generation, with wealth begetting even more wealth. There was no other way anyone would be able to afford an estate this size in such a prestigious suburb of Seattle, where prices were already at a premium.

  Our IDs were all checked at the gate before we were allowed to pass, as the guard radioed up to the house to let the team there know we were on our way. I ignored the tension in my shoulders as we continued up the winding driveway that ended in a cul-de-sac so that drivers could leave their passengers at the front entrance before continuing off to the carriage house, which sat off in the distance. Of course, that had been converted into a garage, though it retained all the old charm and details original to the home.

  Emerson, who was in charge of this operation and had already ironed out the details with the current security team, led the way, taking us to a side entrance, where we were met with the two men in charge of the current security detail. Emerson shook their hands as the rest of us fell back, letting the exchange happen. “Thanks for holding down the fort until we could get here.”

  “I’m Rollins, and this here is Pritchett. Can’t say we aren’t happy to see you so we can get this exchange underway.” His English accent sounded precise and formal, like he’d spent years guarding English nobility. “Looking forward to getting back home and taking a bit of a break.”

  I wasn’t sure that his enthusiasm to be off the job boded well for us, given that Elena Rutherford’s reputation had preceded her. She could be more than a little difficult and trying on the best of days, and too often didn’t want to listen to what anyone else had to say—even if it put her in danger. But we were all up for the challenge, and I was lucky enough to be on Isabelle’s detail, along with my cousin, Colton, rather than Elena’s. Not that watching the daughter of an heiress would necessarily be much better than watching the heiress herself.

  To be honest, I was half expecting a spoiled brat of a girl, used to getting her way and looking her nose down at everyone. I could be mistaken, but if she was anything like her mother, then I didn’t have high hopes.

  The last of the details were ironed out with Rollins and Pritchett, who then led the way to introduce us to the heiress and her daughter. As we walked through the home, it was damn hard not to be impressed by the sheer size and opulence of it all, built in a day when labor was cheap, and one’s fortune was meant to be put on display for all the world to see.

  The floors were all of beautiful polished marble, stretching out as far as the eye could see, and the walls were all elaborately paneled and carved, the details accentuated with gold foil, while enormous paintings and sculptures adorned the place. But it was the ceilings that were true masterpieces, embellished with intricate geometric designs, the detailed plasterwork then painted to enhance every little detail.

  I couldn’t imagine how much it would now cost to replicate something like this. Not that it hadn’t cost a fortune even back then. And to think, this had actually been just one of many residences that the Rutherfords had built—their summer home, as it were, since summers in Seattle were mild, and even sunny.

  We walked into a massive sitting room, which despite its size felt remarkably cozy, in part due to the wall of bookshelves and the comfortably worn leather furniture that surrounded a massive marble fireplace. A roaring fire warmed the room as light poured in from the towering French doors and windows, dappling the quarter-sawn oak floors and Persian rugs, taking what could have been a dark and overbearing room, and leaving it feeling far more inviting.

  Though Elena stood by the windows that overlooked the landscaped yard, demanding one’s attention, my eyes drifted to Isabelle, who was sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, looking like she was hoping for a bit of warmth that might never com
e, despite the blaze mere feet away. Her green eyes looked forlorn, and I couldn’t remember anyone looking so alone, despite being in a room full of people. Yet she was also breathtakingly beautiful, her blazing red hair playing up the carefree freckles that danced across her milky skin. And though I forced myself to focus on my job, it was damn hard when my gaze kept drifting back to Isabelle.

  Rollins was the one who made the introductions, though it was clear that the heiress wasn’t all that interested, given that we were clearly nothing more than the help. She waved us away with a flourish of her hand, her fingers adorned with rings so heavy, I was surprised she was able to lift her hand at all. And when she spoke, it was with the poshest of English accents. “Well, I do certainly hope that this team will be adequate, given the threats that have been made. The authorities—both here and in London—have been useless in finding out who’s behind all this. I don’t how much longer I can deal with this interference in my life. No one seems to understand that I have things to do, and I can’t keep altering my schedule just because some psychopath keeps slipping under everyone’s noses.”

  Emerson stepped forward to address her concerns, clearly not bothered by her demeanor. “We’re in touch with both the local authorities and the FBI, and they’ll be keeping us up to date on the situation. But until this is sorted and the perpetrator is caught, we’re here to keep you and your daughter safe.”

  “I would hope so. After all, it’s what I’m paying you for, isn’t it?” Her tone was pompous and obnoxious, making me question my decision to join my cousins’ security firm instead of working at my family’s whiskey distillery. “My daughter, Isabelle, will be staying here in Seattle, since she insists on dabbling in that lab of hers, though it’s beyond me why she’s wasting her time, when she could leave things to the scientists who know better. I, on the other hand, will be flying back to London in just a week or two, with any luck—and the sooner the better.”

  That was an understatement.

  Chapter Two

  Isabelle

  I hated that this was my new reality—that I wouldn’t be able to take a single step outside my home without my every move being shadowed by armed men. I just wanted to focus on my research and live a normal life. Not that I really knew what a normal life entailed.

  No…instead of birthday parties and school field trips, sleepovers and playing at the park, my childhood had been filled with language lessons and etiquette classes, formal events and being shipped off to boarding school. And then when I was older, it was balls and society galas, and being groomed to be some rich man’s wife, all in an attempt to join our already outrageous wealth with someone else’s, with the hope of it being even more outrageous and our family even more powerful.

  It was all so preposterous—and not at all the life I wanted for myself. And though my father had wanted me to have a somewhat normal childhood, knowing what it was like to be groomed as the heir to a fortune, my mother had always chastised him for not being strict enough with me, always telling him that he was too indulgent. He had only ever wanted me to be happy, without the constraints and dictates expected when you bore the name Rutherford. Yet my mother had had other ideas, and she usually got her way.

  My father had been my one true friend, someone I could talk to easily and speak my mind without having to watch my every word and my every move. Except that my father was now gone, and had been for over ten years.

  As if my mother wasn’t difficult enough to deal with under normal circumstances, we now had the added worry of death threats—and that certainly wasn’t helping her normally dour mood, nor was our recent trip to Seattle.

  This had been my father’s family home, rather than hers, and I think she resented him for being happy here when she couldn’t be. Although that would imply that she was happy elsewhere, and that certainly had never been the case. That said, the English countryside tended to suit her best, and that was where she’d be returning in just a week or two, whereas I’d be staying behind to work on my research.

  Yet when our new security detail walked in, I had to admit that having a bodyguard might not be such a bad idea after all. Especially not when they all looked lethal and gorgeous, quite unlike the men I was used to meeting at my mother’s society events or in the lab where I worked on my project. And the one standing closest to me? He was the most stunning of them all.

  That was when his gaze met mine, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief, and though he remained professional and serious, I could see a smile pull at his lips, making me blush at having been caught staring at him.

  “Isabelle.” The tone in my mother’s voice was all too familiar, always sounding frustrated or scolding me for something I had or hadn’t done. “Are you paying attention?”

  “Of course, Mother.” Except that I hadn’t been, too distracted by the man standing before me.

  “These are two of the men who’ve been assigned to guard you until this is all over with. I just hope that it won’t take the authorities an eternity to track down the wretched man who’s threatening us. It’s just horrible. How does anyone expect us to live our lives while dragging around a security entourage? Hardly appropriate, now is it?” My mother went on and on, though I wasn’t quite sure who she was speaking to. Not that it really mattered when we were all stuck listening to her complain. “I suppose this is the changing of the guard then?”

  It clearly was—and I had no doubt that Pritchett, Rollins, and the rest of their men, would be looking forward to heading home, and most especially, not having to deal with my mother, even if they were always professional with her.

  I got to my feet, hoping that this meant our little family meeting was over with, and I’d be able to get on with my day. “If that’s all, I’m going to get going. I have to get back to the lab.”

  Mother rolled her eyes at me and went over to the bar cart to pour herself a brandy, even though it was barely noon. “I don’t know why you bother wasting your time with that nonsense. But go if you must. Just remember that we have the gallery opening this Friday night—and since it’s several days away, I expect you to squeeze it into your schedule. There’s no reason for you not to be there.”

  The guy in charge—Emerson, I believe was his name—stepped forward. “We really don’t think it’s wise for you to go to a public event where we can’t really secure the area or control who’s coming or going. There will be no way of guaranteeing your safety, and I’m highly recommending that until the authorities have someone in custody, you should limit your exposure by staying in controlled environments.”

  She scoffed, looking at Emerson with a fierceness I had no doubt few would dare attempt with a man as intimidating as he was. “If you think I’m going to stay cooped in this house indefinitely, I can guarantee that you are mistaken. I go where I please, and I’m not going to let some deranged lunatic change that. Now if I could just get my daughter to give me an answer, without me having to ask my question yet again.”

  I stifled my groan and resisted the urge to argue with my mother, knowing it wouldn’t change the outcome any, and in the end, I’d have added the trouble of dealing with her wrath. Not showing up, or defying my mother in any way, just wasn’t worth the hassle. I’d learned that a very long time ago, and at a very young age.

  “I’ll meet you there, if I must—though I think it’d be far wiser for us to listen to the security professionals, since that’s what they do for a living.” I made my escape before an argument ensued, heading for the door, though I was surprised to find the guy who’d caught me staring at him was one of the two men assigned to me. I suppose I’d know that if I’d been paying attention when my mother had been speaking to me.

  As we headed down the hall, I shyly turned to them. “I’m sorry if I missed it, but…what are your names?”

  “I’m Slater Blackthorn. And this is my cousin, Colton Blackthorn. Blackthorn Security is a bit of a family affair.” When Slater smiled at me this time, it was full on, sending my heart racing l
ike never before.

  I had clearly led a far too sheltered life, if a mere smile from a good-looking man could have such an effect on me, though I was sure he’d have this effect on any woman with a pulse. Tall, muscular, dark hair, and striking blue eyes…and though he was wearing a suit—and looked damn good in it—there was something rugged and wild about him. Like he might be more suited to jeans, a leather jacket, and a motorcycle—or maybe that was just me fantasizing a little.

  “I’m Isabelle, but you can call me Izzy if you’d like. All my friends do.” Not that there were a whole lot of them, given my years abroad and never staying in one place for too long. Truth be told, I’d never quite fit in with the other girls at boarding school. Most of them were happy to make the most of their enormous fortunes, always trying to one-up each other with their latest purchases or gifts, and that had never really been me.

  Instead, I’d spent most of my life with my nose in a book—and happily so. What few friends I had were scattered around Europe and busy with work, which meant I rarely saw them.

  Colton stopped at the front door, and radioed to one of the drivers to come around. “So, Izzy…where to?”

  “Nowhere terribly exciting, I’m afraid. The two of you are going to be bored to tears looking after me.” That wasn’t an exaggeration either. “If I’m not at one of my mother’s events, then I’m here or at my place in the city. Or at the lab, which is where I need to go at the moment, and where I spend most of my work week.”