Chapter 12
Duncan's Loft.
Duncan put Dani's holdall on the bed "Do you want a coffee or something stronger?"
Dani sat on the sofa "Coffee will be fine" she watched Duncan walk to the kitchen. She could see that he looked troubled; he seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her.
"Is there something you don't want to tell me, Duncan?" Duncan was surprised that she seemed able to read him so easily. "Please Duncan.I need to know what is going on" she got up and joined him in the kitchen. Duncan filled the coffee pot with water trying to play for time while he thought of what to say. "Duncan? If you know where this manic is.you've got to tell the police"
He leant against the counter and dropped his head forward. "The police can't help.I need to do this my way"
"Are you telling me that it's someone like you? But why would they be after me?" the silence hung between them. "It has to do with the name on that card.doesn't it?" Silence fell over the room again "If you won't tell me.then maybe I'll ask your friend Joe myself" Dani said as she snatched up her bag and started for the door. Duncan moved quickly blocking her path "Don't go." Duncan took hold of her arms "Dani, you're in danger, he will try again."
"Why is he after me?" Dani looked into his eyes searching for answers. "Yes, it's the man on the business card.he thinks that you're someone he used to know and trust me.I'll deal with him."
"But why.would anyone hurt Maria?" Duncan took hold of her hand and led her to the sofa. He took Dani's bag from her shoulder and gestured for her to sit down. "He was looking for me.wasn't he?" she said as she lowered herself onto the sofa.
Dani put her hand to her mouth as if to stop the words getting out, Duncan's hand reached out and took her hand away from her face and held it. "I believe so.when she couldn't tell him where you were." Dani finished his sentence "He tried to kill her".
Dani withdrew her hand from his grasp and got up, she walked to the window looking out at the desert street below she folded her arms around herself. Without looking around she said, "Do you think he will try to hurt Maria again?"
"No.he's only interested in finding you and he knows now that she can't tell him that"
"We need to find him, Duncan.I could talk to him.convince him I'm not who he thinks I am" Duncan walked over to her, he turned her towards him "Believe me.that won't work.he won't listen.he's been obsess with this for far too long".
"How long? She asked
"Does it matter?" Duncan said looking down at her gently brushing her cheek with the back of his hand.
"Yes.Duncan it does". She didn't know why she was making him spell it out after all she felt that she already knew the answer.
"Let's just say for a long time"
Her eyes started to fill with tears "If it's such a long time.how can he think I could be the person he knew?.. Duncan, I can't believe this is happening" Duncan lifted her face and gently wiped away a tear that was slowly falling down her cheek. "Just leave this to me.I will stop him." He said softly smiling at her, as he looked into her deep blue eyes he felt something stir inside him, it almost felt that the warmth he saw in her eyes was warming his heart, a heart which had grown cold since he lost Tessa.
"Hold Me.please," she pleaded, Duncan put his arms around her and drew her into his embrace. The warmth from his body started to warm away the chill she had felt ever since she had seen Maria 'In all this madness, he has been here for me' she thought.
Duncan kissed her hair lightly, she lifted her face towards his, 'those eyes they have seen so much and now I can see the pain I'm feeling reflected in them' she thought. "Thank you, Duncan," she said with a small smile he tilted his head to one side "For what?"
"For helping me.I mean.this doesn't really involve you.he only wants me.I could leave" Duncan cupped her face in his hands "No.we're in this together" Dani tried to look away but he wouldn't let her "But you could get on with our life"
"This is part of my life Dani.and now so are you" as he spoke he could feel her relax in his arms. He pulled her back into his embrace and they stayed entwined for some time just gaining strength and warmth from each other. Duncan broke the embrace "I think we could both do with getting some sleep" he said as he went to get the extra bedding.
Duncan was awakened by shouting he reached for his sword which he had laid on the floor next to him as he stood up he could see by the light from the street that Dani was thrashing around in the bed. He walked over to her and laid his sword down by the bed and gently sat on the bed, he didn't want to wake her but just to sooth the nightmare away, gently her stroked her hair and spoke softly to her "Your safe Dani.no one can hurt you here" Dani stirred at the sound of his voice and her eyes slowly flickered open "It's only a nightmare Dani.I won't let anyone harm you" she smiled weakly at him as a tear broke free from her eyes "Hold me, Duncan please" she said moving the bedcover back. Duncan lay down beside her and wrapped her in his arms; she let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- The next morning
Duncan awoke first he still held Dani in his arms he found himself burying his face into her hair and letting her scent fill his nostrils, he felt so warm and contented. He then slowly raised himself up on one arm and looking down at Dani as she slept he smiled to himself 'how had this woman who I've only known for such a short time have found her way so easily into me heart' he thought. He slowly got out of the bed and went to make some coffee.
Some time later Dani stirred and found Duncan sat on the edge of the bed rubbing the sleep from her eyes she smiled and sat up "Sorry, about last night" Duncan held out a cup of coffee "After what you've been through the last few days.nightmares are quite normal.So what do you want to do today?" Dani took the cup "I really should go into work" Duncan looked quizzical "What on a Sunday?" the realisation hit Dani she had been staying with Duncan for 2 nights now "I didn't realise.the last few days seem a little blurred" she placed the empty cup on the side table "I.I'd like to see Maria if that's OK?" he placed his hand on hers "I thought you might.but don't expect too much.it's early days"
Duncan's Loft.
Duncan put Dani's holdall on the bed "Do you want a coffee or something stronger?"
Dani sat on the sofa "Coffee will be fine" she watched Duncan walk to the kitchen. She could see that he looked troubled; he seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her.
"Is there something you don't want to tell me, Duncan?" Duncan was surprised that she seemed able to read him so easily. "Please Duncan.I need to know what is going on" she got up and joined him in the kitchen. Duncan filled the coffee pot with water trying to play for time while he thought of what to say. "Duncan? If you know where this manic is.you've got to tell the police"
He leant against the counter and dropped his head forward. "The police can't help.I need to do this my way"
"Are you telling me that it's someone like you? But why would they be after me?" the silence hung between them. "It has to do with the name on that card.doesn't it?" Silence fell over the room again "If you won't tell me.then maybe I'll ask your friend Joe myself" Dani said as she snatched up her bag and started for the door. Duncan moved quickly blocking her path "Don't go." Duncan took hold of her arms "Dani, you're in danger, he will try again."
"Why is he after me?" Dani looked into his eyes searching for answers. "Yes, it's the man on the business card.he thinks that you're someone he used to know and trust me.I'll deal with him."
"But why.would anyone hurt Maria?" Duncan took hold of her hand and led her to the sofa. He took Dani's bag from her shoulder and gestured for her to sit down. "He was looking for me.wasn't he?" she said as she lowered herself onto the sofa.
Dani put her hand to her mouth as if to stop the words getting out, Duncan's hand reached out and took her hand away from her face and held it. "I believe so.when she couldn't tell him where you were." Dani finished his sentence "He tried to kill her".
Dani withdrew her hand from his grasp and got up, she walked to the window looking out at the desert street below she folded her arms around herself. Without looking around she said, "Do you think he will try to hurt Maria again?"
"No.he's only interested in finding you and he knows now that she can't tell him that"
"We need to find him, Duncan.I could talk to him.convince him I'm not who he thinks I am" Duncan walked over to her, he turned her towards him "Believe me.that won't work.he won't listen.he's been obsess with this for far too long".
"How long? She asked
"Does it matter?" Duncan said looking down at her gently brushing her cheek with the back of his hand.
"Yes.Duncan it does". She didn't know why she was making him spell it out after all she felt that she already knew the answer.
"Let's just say for a long time"
Her eyes started to fill with tears "If it's such a long time.how can he think I could be the person he knew?.. Duncan, I can't believe this is happening" Duncan lifted her face and gently wiped away a tear that was slowly falling down her cheek. "Just leave this to me.I will stop him." He said softly smiling at her, as he looked into her deep blue eyes he felt something stir inside him, it almost felt that the warmth he saw in her eyes was warming his heart, a heart which had grown cold since he lost Tessa.
"Hold Me.please," she pleaded, Duncan put his arms around her and drew her into his embrace. The warmth from his body started to warm away the chill she had felt ever since she had seen Maria 'In all this madness, he has been here for me' she thought.
Duncan kissed her hair lightly, she lifted her face towards his, 'those eyes they have seen so much and now I can see the pain I'm feeling reflected in them' she thought. "Thank you, Duncan," she said with a small smile he tilted his head to one side "For what?"
"For helping me.I mean.this doesn't really involve you.he only wants me.I could leave" Duncan cupped her face in his hands "No.we're in this together" Dani tried to look away but he wouldn't let her "But you could get on with our life"
"This is part of my life Dani.and now so are you" as he spoke he could feel her relax in his arms. He pulled her back into his embrace and they stayed entwined for some time just gaining strength and warmth from each other. Duncan broke the embrace "I think we could both do with getting some sleep" he said as he went to get the extra bedding.
Duncan was awakened by shouting he reached for his sword which he had laid on the floor next to him as he stood up he could see by the light from the street that Dani was thrashing around in the bed. He walked over to her and laid his sword down by the bed and gently sat on the bed, he didn't want to wake her but just to sooth the nightmare away, gently her stroked her hair and spoke softly to her "Your safe Dani.no one can hurt you here" Dani stirred at the sound of his voice and her eyes slowly flickered open "It's only a nightmare Dani.I won't let anyone harm you" she smiled weakly at him as a tear broke free from her eyes "Hold me, Duncan please" she said moving the bedcover back. Duncan lay down beside her and wrapped her in his arms; she let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------- The next morning
Duncan awoke first he still held Dani in his arms he found himself burying his face into her hair and letting her scent fill his nostrils, he felt so warm and contented. He then slowly raised himself up on one arm and looking down at Dani as she slept he smiled to himself 'how had this woman who I've only known for such a short time have found her way so easily into me heart' he thought. He slowly got out of the bed and went to make some coffee.
Some time later Dani stirred and found Duncan sat on the edge of the bed rubbing the sleep from her eyes she smiled and sat up "Sorry, about last night" Duncan held out a cup of coffee "After what you've been through the last few days.nightmares are quite normal.So what do you want to do today?" Dani took the cup "I really should go into work" Duncan looked quizzical "What on a Sunday?" the realisation hit Dani she had been staying with Duncan for 2 nights now "I didn't realise.the last few days seem a little blurred" she placed the empty cup on the side table "I.I'd like to see Maria if that's OK?" he placed his hand on hers "I thought you might.but don't expect too much.it's early days"