GoodKnight: A Reed Security Romance

by Giulia Lagomarsino

  “You said that you had worked with Adam before,” Kate accused.

  “I had. I never liked him, but sometimes you have to do the job anyway. But I’ve never kidnapped a woman. And then I overheard the guys talking about you,” he nodded to Knight. “I gotta tell you, when I heard the name Garrick Knight, I was shocked to say the least. Last I heard, you were dead.”

  “How did you know my name?”

  He smirked slightly. “Hud, you know how it is. In our line of work, you hear things and you take notes. Too many things tipped me off. I started digging, and after a lot of research, I just knew. It all added up to Hudson McGuire being the same man as Garrick Knight.”

  “Nobody else figured it out,” Knight said, narrowing his eyes at Ty.

  “Not true. Otherwise, a bunch of senators wouldn’t have kidnapped your wife. Someone found out, and they used it against you.”

  “But how are you involved?” I asked, still unclear on how this all played out.

  “When Kate shot that man at her office, she took out the third man on the team. Adam called me in to help out. I didn’t know the details of the job, but Adam knows what kind of work I do. He must have thought I would be okay with this. But as soon as Kate was thrown in the back of my car, I knew I had to find a way to get her out of this.”

  “Did you know who she was at that point?” Cap asked.

  “Not a clue. It wasn’t until we got to the cabin that the two other guys, Adam and Tristan,” he said, smiling at Kate. I had no fucking clue what that was about. “It wasn’t until they were discussing the senators and Knight that I understood some of what was going on. They didn’t really include me on any of the plans, and I played my part, pretending to be the one that watched over you while they took care of the other shit.”

  “How did you know about what the job was?” Kate asked. “You told me Hudson had to finish his job and then you would take me back.”

  “Senator Cortez has loose lips. Apparently, he filled Adam in on his plans. They had your kidnapping worked out from the moment the senators found out that Garrick Knight was involved. I heard bits and pieces of what was going on, enough to understand that Hudson would go after anyone that kidnapped his wife. I mean, it wasn’t hard to figure out. If he killed off his superiors over soldiers being killed, it wasn’t hard to believe that he would do it again.”

  “But how did you know when I could go home?” Kate asked in confusion.

  “I didn’t,” Ty said with a shrug. “I figured I just had to wait it out until senators stopped being killed. I didn’t know how long it would take or if he would even come for you. Hell, I’m not sure how you figured out she was alive.”

  “It was the video,” Cap answered. “One of my techs kept going over the video. There were flaws with your plan, although very well executed. We wouldn’t have caught it if we hadn’t recorded the call.”

  “Well, it was all done on the fly. It wasn’t like I had a lot of time to come up with a plan.” He turned to Kate. “I’m sorry I had to do that to you. It was the only way to convince everyone that you were dead.”

  She brushed it off, snuggling into Knight’s side. “I’m just glad to be alive.”

  Knight was awfully silent and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. It was a lot to take in for one day.

  “I still can’t believe that it was you,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “It was pure luck you were there.”

  He nodded, his head dropping slightly as he stared at the floor. “Kate’s a strong woman. If she hadn’t killed that guy, this would have turned out a lot differently.”

  The weight of his words really sank in. Looking back, that one moment saved her life.

  “So, what is all this about anyway?” Ty asked. “All I know is that a bunch of senators were planning something and they went after you for some reason,” he said, nodding to Knight.

  “It doesn’t matter anymore,” Knight said. “It’s over.”

  “Bullshit,” I snapped. “You fucking know that it’s not over.”

  “It’s over for me. I’ve done my part, now I’m taking Kate home.”

  “Wait, what are we missing?” Cap asked.

  “Senator Burke made a deal with Nathan Arrington. If he helped him snag the election, Arrington would make Burke vice-president.”

  “Whoa,” Ty said, leaning back in his seat. “Why do I have the feeling that this is a lot more involved than what I imagined?”

  “Stick around,” I grinned. “We’ll fill you in, and maybe you can even help us out.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Agent Dennick

  Everyone was dead. I had no contacts anymore, and that should be a good thing. Except these guys at Reed Security wouldn’t give in and I had pissed them off. It was only a matter of time before they came for me. Parker was high on that list. He promised me that he would see me fall, and I believed every word of it. It wasn’t like I had a choice though. When these senators demanded something from you, you complied or you risked your career. In hindsight, I should have risked my career, but I really thought I would do the job and move on with my life. Now I knew that what Parker had said was true. The day I fucked with him was the beginning of the end for me.

  I stood outside the campaign office of Senator Nathan Arrington. He was the nominee running for the presidency, and he was also the reason all this shit was happening. When Burke had approached me and “asked” me to work for him, I took matters into my own hands. I had his phones tapped and I watched every move he made. Once the senators were taken out one by one, I knew that I had to gather as much information as I could on what was happening, and I had to do it fast. It was then that I found out the entire plan, what they were hoping to do and achieve. It was sick and twisted, but it still had the potential to work.

  When the senator walked out of his office, I stepped right in front of him. “Senator,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “Do I know you?” he asked.

  “No, but trust me, you want to know me.”

  He eyed me warily and then glanced around the room. All his staffers were busy working on his campaign, while he was probably about to head out for the day. “Why don’t we step into my office.”

  I nodded and walked inside, waiting for him to shut the door behind him. “What’s this about?”

  “Your relationship with Senator Burke.”

  His steps faltered for just a moment before he continued walking over to a minibar where he poured a scotch. “It’s a terrible thing, what happened to him.”

  “Yes, and it’ll be even worse when they come for you.”

  He swallowed his drink and turned to me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m referring to the fact that you were involved in a conspiracy to steal the election.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Agent Dennick with the FBI. You could say that Burke persuaded me to assist him in anything he needed. Except, now he’s dead, and I’ve made some very powerful enemies at a security company in Pennsylvania. It would benefit both of us if we were to combine our forces and work together to solve this problem.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment, just stared at the floor. “I can’t see a need to continue with any plans. My numbers are doing well and risking anything else at this point would be fruitless.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him and walked over to his bar, pouring my own drink, like I had every right to. “Trust me when I tell you that you aren’t going to walk away from this. Our only option is to strike now while we still can. The man that killed those senators knows of your involvement.”

  “I didn’t get involved in any way.”

  “You agreed to it. Trust me, he’s not going to care if you were involved in the planning or the execution or if you sat on the sidelines. He will come after you, and you’ll die just like the rest of them.”

  “So, what are you suggesting?”

  “You have enough power to get ahold of the cont
act inside SynGen and push the plan forward. But what I need is the actual virus. If I get even one syringe of it, I can draw out Knight, this guy that’s killing everyone. I can infect him and take down the whole goddamn company, while simultaneously putting the plan back in motion.”

  The senator slowly swirled the ice in his glass, staring at it intently. “I was under the impression that a vaccination was not ready.”

  “Again, you have the ear of the woman in charge at SynGen. Make it clear to her that it needs to be ready and that you need the vaccination ASAP. We can still pull this off. We can still make this work in our favor and take out the same men that will hunt you down and kill you. In fact, they’re probably trying to figure out the best way to take you out as we speak. This is the only way to ensure that we stay alive and succeed in our plans.”

  “And what do you get out of it?”

  I grinned at him. “You made a deal with Burke. I would imagine that a similar deal could be struck.”

  He poured himself another drink and grinned at me, raising his glass in the air. “To a new alliance.”

  I raised mine and smiled back. “To a new alliance.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Kate

  He hadn’t stopped watching me since we left the cabin. I had no idea where we were, and I really didn’t care anymore. All I wanted was to get home to my kids and stay inside for a week. As I curled into his arms, I felt the tension still thrumming inside him and that made me nervous. I knew he blamed himself for what happened. I still didn’t know the full story, and at this point, I didn’t care. I just wanted it to be over.

  His hand slid down my arm, brushing up and down slowly. It was like he just needed to touch me, to know that I was alive. I understood the feeling. Hunter was up front in the SUV with Sebastian. I was actually surprised that Hudson had insisted someone else drive. He didn’t like to give up control, but as we got in the back, he told me that he just needed to hold me right now.

  “I have Cazzo’s team making plans for the lab. They can take care of Helen Taylor while they’re there. Are you sure you don’t want to go in on this?” Sebastian asked Hudson.

  “No, I’m done.” He glanced down at me, pressing a kiss to my lips.

  “If you need to go…” I didn’t really want him to go, but I also knew that Hudson liked to make sure that things were finished. It wasn’t like him to step aside.

  He shook his head slowly, his eyes burning into me with the same intensity they always did. “I need to get you home. I don’t care about the rest of it anymore. We’ve been through enough.”

  I nodded, but I was dying to ask him what he had been through. I didn’t know what happened while he thought I was dead, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I was going to have to give Becky a big hug when I got back. As far as I was concerned, she saved not only my life, but also Hudson’s. I didn’t want to think about what could have happened, what he would have done if he hadn’t found me. I understood why Ty had kept me hidden though. He knew that it was safest if no one knew I was alive, and I couldn’t fault him for that. But I also wondered how bad it got for Hudson while I was gone. I was going to have to talk to Hunter and hope that he would fill me in.

  “What happened with my clinic after I was taken?”

  “I took care of it,” Sebastian said. “We had it cleaned up and your partner took on all patients for the time being. Of course, he thinks you’re dead now, so we’ll have to sort that out.”

  “There’s no rush to go back,” Hudson said, his fingers running through my hair. “Give yourself some time.”

  The way he was staring at me right now with all the love in the world made my heart stop. But there was also something in his expression. Something close to defeat. My heart skipped a beat when I realized what that look was. It was the same look he gave me when he decided that there was something he was going to do, and he was leaving me. I swallowed hard and turned away so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. I didn’t know exactly what he was thinking, but I could take a guess. I couldn’t think about it right now. I just needed to get home and talk with Hunter. Then I could figure out how to go on from here.

  As we got on the elevator at Reed Security, I glared at Hunter, trying to let him know that I needed to talk to him. His brows furrowed in confusion, but then I jerked my head slightly and he caught on.

  He leaned forward and hit the button for the training floor. “Let’s stop here. I want to check Kate over before you head to the panic room for the night.”

  “I want to see the kids. Hudson, could you get them and make sure they’re okay? I’ll meet you there.”

  “I’m going with you,” he said, not giving an inch.

  I placed my hand on his arm and pleaded with my eyes. “Please, I’ve been gone for weeks. I need you to go check on them and make sure they’re okay.”

  He glanced at Hunter, his jaw ticking angrily, but he nodded and stepped aside for Hunter and I to get off the elevator. “Hunter, you walk her back. You don’t let her out of your sight.”

  “I wouldn’t think of it,” he assured him, stepping off the elevator and waiting for me. I kissed him and followed Hunter. Once the doors were closed, I turned to Hunter and grabbed onto his arm.

  “What’s going on? Why is my husband looking at me like he’s ready to bolt?”

  He sighed, running his hand over his jaw. “Come on. Let’s go to the medic room.”

  “I don’t need to be looked over. I’m fine. I just need to know what’s going on.”

  “I’ll tell you, but let’s go somewhere private.”

  I nodded and followed him down to the medic room. Once the door was closed, I laid into him.

  “Tell me everything. Why is he looking at me like he’s leaving?”

  “Kate, you know him.”

  “But I just got him back,” I choked out.

  “And he blames himself. He…” Hunter clenched his jaw and glanced away. He was obviously struggling with this as well. “He made me promise that when we found you I would take care of you.”

  “He’s leaving?” I asked, tears filling my eyes. “Why?”

  “Kate…” His voice cracked. Whatever it was, this was bad. “When I caught up with him after…after the video, he was in his motel room and he had a gun in his mouth.”

  I covered my mouth as tears poured from my eyes. I couldn’t believe this. What about our kids? Did they mean nothing to him?

  “He was so lost without you, and he blames himself for all you went through. Hell, even convincing him that you were still alive was difficult. He thought I was trying to trick him into coming home.”

  “But…” But now that I was back, that had to change. He wouldn’t still walk away, not when I needed him. Except, Hunter said that he had to promise him. “You agreed.”

  “I did what I had to. Kate, he wasn’t in his right mind, and I’m not sure that he is now either. He still thinks that none of this would have happened if he hadn’t started digging. He thinks that he’s put you in danger too many times.”

  “But I need him.”

  “Then you have to convince him. Kate, I’ve never seen him the way he was in that motel. That was the lowest he’s ever been. There’s nothing I can do to convince him that he needs to stick around. In his mind, he’s bad for you, and as long as he’s with you, you’ll always be in danger.”

  I shook my head slightly, unable to believe what I was hearing. My husband was going to abandon me. “What do I do?”

  “You need to figure out a way to convince him to stay. I don’t know how the hell you’re going to do it, but you need to try. I don’t want my best friend walking away. And I don’t want to see what that would do to you or your kids.”

  “What can I do? You know him, he always does what he wants.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I could fake some nightmares or…”

  “No. Anything you do that reminds him of how he put you in danger is only going to make it w
orse. It’ll solidify in his mind that the decision he’s making is right.”

  “I can’t lose him,” I whispered, not knowing how I was going to make this right.

  “You need to figure this out, or we’ll both lose him.”

  I rushed into the panic room, needing to see my family now more than ever. Cole and Alex had them in the living room and Hudson was standing off to the side leaning against the wall watching it all. I could see the pain on his face and it was heartbreaking.

  “Mommy!” Raven ran over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and squeezing me tight. Griffin followed, holding his arms up for me to grab him. I wrapped them both in my arms, tears running down my face. I didn’t think I would ever get this again. I shoved thoughts of the night I “died” to the back of my mind. The terror and sadness were overwhelming, and if I let myself think about it too much, it would be crippling.

  “Where were you?” Raven asked, squeezing me so tight that I thought I might burst into sobs.

  “I had a work conference, and then I got stuck at the airport. Daddy had to come get me.”

  “You were gone a long time.”

  “I know, baby, but I promise it won’t happen again. Daddy and I aren’t going anywhere.” I looked up at Hudson to make sure he understood me, but he glanced away, rubbing his hand across his jaw. I could tell he was itching to leave. Everything in his stance told me that he wanted out now.

  I smiled at Cole when he walked over to me, pulling me into his embrace, but I couldn’t stop looking at Hudson.

  “We thought you were gone,” Cole whispered in my ear.