Free JAKrentz - Witchcraft by User Page A

would!" Scott Emery's delighted face appeared at the window of the car on Cavenaugh's side.
    He looked past his uncle to examine Kimberly. "Hi, Miss. Sawyer," he said, his voice lowering under a sudden attack of shyness. "Do you remember me?" Kimberly grinned. "Believe me, Scott, I will never forget you!"
    "Kim's going to be staying with us for a while," Cavenaugh began, opening his car door and pushing a hand affectionately through the youngster's shaggy black hair. "Oh boy, I can show her my new train setup!"
    "Miss. Sawyer, we're so glad to have you. I told Dare he wasn't to return without you!" Kimberly was sliding out of the Jaguar, not waiting for Cavenaugh to open the door for her when the new voice interrupted Scott's excited chatter. she looked up to see an attractive, black-haired woman with Cavenaugh's green eyes coming down the front steps. There was no doubt about who she was. Julia."
    Kimberly held out her hand politely to Darius Cavenaugh's sister. "I've been wanting to meet you since the night Dare brought Scott home and told us what happened. I'm sure he told you how very, very grateful we all are for what you did. I'm delighted he was able to talk you into visiting us!"
    "Thank you," Kim began awkwardly, wondering how long she would be welcome when Cavenaugh's household discovered that she was there for an unspecified duration. Before she could think of anything else to say to the pretty woman who was Scott's mother, Kimberly became aware of yet another person standing at the top of the steps. ', Starke," Cavenaugh said calmly as he nodded at the newcomer. "I'd like you to meet Kimberly Sawyer. We'll be looking after her for a while."
    Kimberly managed a polite smile as the man came slowly down the steps.
    It wasn't the easiest task she had ever set herself. The man they called Starke suited his name. A forbidding face that Kimberly guessed rarely knew the tug of a smile was outlined in awesomely blunt planes and angles. There was a sense of restrained menace about the man, as if the layer of civilization was rather thin. Kimberly could see a raw, potentially violent intelligence deep in the dark pools of the brooding gaze under which he pinned her. She hid a shudder and wondered where on earth Cavenaugh had found him. "It's about time you got here, Miss. Sawyer," Starke said in a graveled riverbed voice as he inclined his iron-gray head austerely. " Cavenaugh needs you." Before Kim could find a response to the outrageous remark, Starke had already turned and stalked back into the house. "Don't mind Starke," Julia Emery exclaimed cheerfully as she urged Kimberly up the steps. "He's a little weird but he's nice."
    "And no one will ever get past him to get at Scott again," Cavenaugh observed softly as he carried Kimberly's suitcase inside the house. "You can say that again," Julia whispered confidentially to Kimberly. "Poor Starke took it very hard when Scott got kidnapped. I think he felt it was his fault, which of course it wasn't. Whoever took Scott got him on the way home from school. We used to let him ride his bike, you see. Not any more, naturally. Starke drives him back and forth now."
    "I see," Kimberly said, glad that everyone was going to let Starke's nutty remark about Cavenaugh needing her slide by without comment. To make certain nothing more was said on the subject she hurried to exclaim over the beautiful interior of the house. "What a lovely home, Julia. It looks like an elegant old chateau."
    "But fortunately has all the modern conveniences," Julia said, chuckling.
    "Including plenty of room. I'll take you upstairs to the bedroom you'll be using. We had it prepared just in case Dare succeeded in getting you to agree to stay with us for a while." Another figure bustled forward as Julia guided Kimberly through the wide hall toward a large, curving staircase. "This is Mrs. Lawson. She takes care of us. Don't know what we'd do without her. The house would probably fall apart. Mrs. Lawson, this is