For Love

by Jeannette Winters

  Josh had been busy on his cell phone the entire ride, most likely working. Melissa was glad Ellie was too tired to have noticed and had been half asleep. This definitely wasn’t the way she thought her vacation was going to start; then again, she didn’t think it would be in Italy either.

  Melissa had meant it when she invited Chris to join them. And part of her was disappointed he’d shot her down. But another side was glad he had. She might feel like a third wheel, but Chris, for the most part, was a stranger to her. All she knew about him was he worked with her brothers. What he did was still a mystery. And from Josh’s comment, that’s the way they like it.

  So right now all she really had to look forward to was the book she’d decided to toss in her luggage at the last minute. She pulled it out and put it on the nightstand but the last thing she wanted was to open it and get sucked into the story. She might not be sleeping, but the others would be rested and raring to go. It would be her luck that she’d be the one who was dragging butt and holding them back. She wasn’t much of a flyer and they all knew it, so it’d easily be played off as jet lag.

  Leaving her bed she headed to the bathroom and opted for a hot bath instead. If it didn’t relax her, at least she’d be clean. She was glad Josh had booked this hotel. She knew many places didn’t provide such an elaborate bath. They must assume tourists were going to be out seeing the sights. With any luck, Melissa would be doing exactly that when the sun and Ellie rose. Until then, she’d do what she could to occupy her time.

  As she soaked in the hot water she finally began to relax. Once it started, jet lag began to set it. The water had begun to cool so she should get out of the bathtub. Instead she used her toes to turn the hot water knob and let it run until the water was steaming again.

  Nothing was going to drag her out of this tub now. Normally she’d get home from a long day at work and take a quick shower before bed. It had been too long since she had absolutely nothing to do. Closing her eyes, Melissa sank up to her neck in the tub.

  It was perfect, or at least it was until she heard her phone ringing. Darn it. She wished she had brought it with her into the bathroom. Once she left the warmth, she wasn’t going to want to start the process of easing back in again. Dragging herself out, she wrapped a large towel around her and rushed to answer the phone.

  “Hi, Jada. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. I’m actually checking on you.”

  “Me? Why?” Melissa asked.

  “David told me Josh gave you a difficult time on the flight over.”

  So you weren’t sleeping after all. “No. Well, not really.”

  “I don’t think you’d complain even if he did. But trust me, he must’ve if David mentioned it. He also said Josh has been acting a bit odd. I hope those two aren’t fighting. They seem really good together, and I really like Ellie. At first I thought it was my imagination, but I don’t believe that any longer. Have you noticed that they are . . . different too?” Jada asked.

  She had, and Melissa knew why. She really wished Josh and Ellie would tell the others about the baby. It would explain a lot to them instead of everyone thinking they were having problems.

  “We have to remember how much Ellie has been through. First losing her brother Frank and then learning she was next on the list. Those are things that would have anyone under a lot of stress.” Then Melissa recalled how close it had been for Jada as well. She’d been held captive, and if it hadn’t been for David, Jada might not be alive now. “You would understand this much better than I would.”

  “You’re right. It doesn’t go away just because you have someone in your life that you love. It takes time. I’m sure Josh is trying to adapt to his new role as well.”

  Yeah, from player to a soon-to-be father. “And I was pushing him too.”

  “David mentioned you were looking for a member of the team.”

  “Actually, I’m not sure he even works for Turchetta’s Promise.”

  “I wish I could help, but David clammed up as soon as I asked him if he’d help you. I’m not sure I understand why it’s such a secret. It’s not like what they do is illegal. If anything, these men should all be viewed as heroes.”

  “Yes, but once the world knows who they are and what they do, they no longer would be free to . . . help others.” It was funny; hearing her explanation to Jada answered her own questions as to why Josh wouldn’t give her the information. Could she continue to dig and pry for the answer to Chase? Yes. Would one of her brothers finally give in? It was possible. But no matter how much she wanted to help Mac, it couldn’t be at the expense of Chase’s safety. If he was working for Turchetta’s Promise, the best thing she could do was let him continue.

  “You’re right, of course. I’m so used to having no privacy that I have a hard time relating to those who don’t live in the limelight.”

  “Are you missing your modeling lifestyle?” Melissa asked.

  “Not one bit. But I miss traveling to new places. I usually didn’t get to see much of anything except the hotels and the airports.” Jada laughed.

  “Why don’t you fly to Italy and join us? David’s . . . preoccupied, and I could use the company.”

  Jada laughed. “Are you out to see how much it takes to send Josh over the edge? He’s adapting to having one woman around all the time. Now you want to give him three?”

  “Although I believe he deserves it, I actually was thinking about heading out on my own for a few days. There’s a small village I heard about which sounded . . . amazing if you like things a bit more rustic and old Italy feeling. What do you think? Are you up for an adventure?”

  “Yes, I am. You know who else might be?” Jada asked.

  “Who?”

  “Deanna. She was telling me she missed the girls-only weekends. This would be a bit longer, but she might be game. Want me to give her a call and ask?”

  “We better ask Hydria and Vanessa too.” Melissa felt it all coming together. The only one who was going to be missing out was Ellie. “Is it horrible if I ask Ellie to join us?”

  Jada chuckled. “Why don’t you call the ladies and leave Josh to me.”

  “Why you?” Melissa questioned.

  “Because I’m all the way over here in the States. You’re just a few doors down the hall.”

  Melissa laughed. “I see your point. Okay, you talk Josh into it, and I’ll round up the others. What do you say about all meeting here in two days?”

  Jada replied, “I say give us twenty-four hours, and we are good.”

  It was nice that Jada believed everyone could drop everything and take off like that, but she wasn’t positive it would go quite that smoothly. Her brothers were all control freaks and would want details on exactly where they were staying and for how long . . . and they would have to check out the crime rate. And they had good reason to be that way. Sadly, their jobs prove how unsavory life can be and how the world can be a truly dangerous place. But she would leave dealing with the guys to the ladies. Her job was the invitations and finding a place to stay.

  “Then I better hang up now before they all go to bed.” It was cutting it close for timing, but Melissa was banking on everyone staying up late.

  “Sounds good. I’m really looking forward to this vacation,” Jada said.

  “Me too,” Melissa replied as she ended the call. It was funny. She had wanted to be alone, and now knowing the others were coming, she was more excited than before.

  Melissa quickly reached out to each of the ladies, who agreed without checking. Then she was left with one problem: where to stay. She searched the internet for lodging, and they all directed her back to a city. That’s not how Chris had described it. She didn’t have his number to call him and ask either. But Melissa wasn’t about to give up. She’d just promised everyone a vacation in old Italy, and that was what they were going to get.

  Sending a quick text to David, she said, PLEASE GIVE CHRIS MY NUMBER AND ASK HIM TO CALL ME.

  David respond
ed immediately. WHY?

  Melissa rolled her eyes. This is why I can’t ever date with you guys around. Can’t do anything without an explanation first. Although she was tempted to tease David and profess her undying love for Chris, joking would only delay getting what she needed. And right now she needed to speak to Chris. I won’t be able to do that if David knocks him out. No matter how old she was, they would never stop.

  BECAUSE I NEED TO SPEAK TO HIM.

  That was the only answer David was getting. Of course he didn’t respond to her either. Tossing her phone on the bed, she decided to get dressed. With all the calls, she’d forgotten she was still only wrapped in a towel.

  A few minutes later, David still hadn’t responded to her. Of course they were working, but Melissa didn’t believe they had arrived at their destination yet. If so, David would’ve let her know immediately they were working. Now he was only being difficult.

  Her phone chimed and she reached for it, expecting a text from David. Instead it was his wife, Jada, again.

  SPOKE TO DAVID. HE SAID I CAN’T GO UNLESS YOU TELL HIM WHY YOU WANT TO TALK TO SOME GUY. OF COURSE HE WON’T TELL ME WHAT GUY. DON’T WORRY. I’M GOING TO BE THERE. LOL. AND YOU CAN TELL US ALL ABOUT THE GUY WHEN WE GET THERE. LOL

  Really? Of course she probably would’ve sent the same text if she was in Jada’s shoes.

  WE’LL SEE.

  Jada responded. YES WE WILL!

  It was almost comical that Jada wanted to hear about a guy Melissa knew practically nothing about. She could actually count on one hand the things she knew.

  1. He works with my brothers.

  2. He likes remote places.

  3. He’s drop-dead gorgeous and probably has women falling all over him all the time.

  That list wasn’t really much to talk about, and she had no issue sharing that short list with them. Well maybe two of the three.

  Her phone rang and she hoped it wasn’t Jada calling to tease her again. Checking the caller ID, it showed an unlisted number. There was only one way to find out who it was and that was by answering it.

  “Hello?”

  “You wanted me to call?”

  Chris. It was funny that he had only said five words, and she knew his voice. There was something different about it. Maybe because he whispered so many times in my ear.

  “Yes. You talked so much about your little getaway spot, but I can’t seem to find a place to stay. Are there any hotels?”

  “No. There aren’t. So you’re going?” Chris asked.

  “Yes. A bunch of us are.”

  “That explains David’s call earlier. I’ll need to make a call, but when you get to the town, ask someone to show you to Sirveo Esposito. He’ll be expecting all of you. But be aware that this is not your normal vacation spot.”

  “I know. You said it is rustic.”

  “Not the word I used. They will open their home to you. You will be treated like family. And hence, you’ll work like family too.”

  “Work?” Melissa asked.

  “Yes. So don’t bother packing any of those pretty high heels of yours. You won’t need them.” He thinks I have pretty heels?

  “Oh, they own a vineyard.”

  Chris laughed. “They don’t make wine. They make cheese.”

  “That doesn’t sound . . . messy.”

  “No. But the goats are. Have fun. I’ll call and check on you when I return.”

  Melissa didn’t know that before inviting everyone. What were they going to think? And worse than that, how was pregnant Ellie going to handle the smell of a goat farm? Before she could tell Chris not to bother calling, that she’d make other arrangements, he ended the call.

  Damn. What have I done? Guess she was about to find out tomorrow. Right now all she wanted to do was undress again and soak in the hot bathtub for hours. Somehow if Chris was right, she was going to need it. Before and after my so-called vacation.

  * * *

  Chris had no idea what Melissa wanted when David told him to call. Of course David was an ass and didn’t give him any privacy for the call either. He got it. Melissa was his kid sister, and he didn’t want someone like Chris around her. They had worked together long enough to understand why he had a valid concern. Chris wouldn’t consider himself unstable, because if he was, he shouldn’t be doing what he does. But he knew he was fucked up.

  His childhood, if you could consider it one, was horrible. If anyone said he had unresolved issues with his parents, he would say that was only the tip of the iceberg. But in the end, everything he’d faced growing up, made him one hell of a force to be reckoned with.

  Right now there wasn’t an outlet for his frustration. They were sitting in a black SUV waiting to be needed. It didn’t appear to be an issue at the moment. Bennett Stone had sent a team to act as security and Prince Kalen was monitored 24/7. If his brother was planning on taking him hostage again, he wasn’t going to find it as easy as the first time.

  That’s the only reason he and David were there. This wasn’t just a family argument brothers could resolve peacefully. They were battling for power. From everything Chris had read on Prince Kalen, he was the sibling who had inherited common sense, if not kindness. There was a valid reason Stone and the Turchettas wanted to make sure Kalen wasn’t taken or killed. Although the king was still alive, the sons were the ones in his ear giving him advice. Without Kalen, things might turn for the worse for the people. So no matter how bored Chris was, he needed to remember this wasn’t about one guy. It was about the country, Runashia.

  “Stone still in Tabiq?” Chris asked.

  “From what I hear, he’s been back and forth from Tabiq to the States for the last six months.”

  “That sounds like progress if you ask me. Two years ago, if you blinked, trouble sprang up.” Chris was one of the last men to be brought into Tabiq, but also one of the last to leave. It had been one of the longest assignments he’d been on with the Turchettas. Although things had improved, he was fine with not seeing that place again. From the sound of it, he might not need to either. That was a gratifying thought, if he were honest. He wanted stability for that country. Wanted the people to regain their solidarity.

  “The Hendersons have really started to turn that place around. It’s not where I’d choose to build a house, but the economy is starting to stabilize,” David said.

  “You guys thinking about opening an office there?” Chris joked.

  David shot him a look. “Yeah and you’re going to head it up. What do you think?”

  “Me? Why?”

  “I don’t know, maybe because my sister wanted to talk to you and won’t tell me why.”

  Chris laughed. “You can’t think there is anything going on between Melissa and me.” David didn’t answer. Or maybe you do. “Let me reassure you. She only wanted to follow up on a conversation we started on the jet. I guess she and some friends, including your wife, are off for a little adventure. I only provided them with the information on where to go.” He wasn’t sure if David was playing some kind of game or not. He’d been sitting right beside him while he spoke to Melissa.

  “And this place is safe?” David asked.

  I’d never send her to a place that wasn’t. And that wasn’t just because she was David’s sister either. He had an underlying need to keep her safe as well. Unlike some, he would never willingly walk away, leaving someone abandoned. “The worst thing that could happen there is they step in goat shit.”

  David cocked a brow. “Where the hell is this place you’re sending them?”

  Chris knew David wanted the name of the town or GPS coordinates. That wasn’t going to happen. He was shocked he’d shared the information with Melissa. That was his place. All this time he’d never told anyone about it. Why he told her, he didn’t know. And now it’s being invaded by a bunch of women. Hell, Sirveo might not let me come back after this. “Someplace I go to . . . regroup.” He knew David understood that well. He’d built a cabin up in the mountains for that sole pu
rpose after all. And that seems to have been taken over too. “I hope your wife doesn’t mind a bit of physical labor.”

  “Jada isn’t afraid of anything. Of course, I’m not sure that’s what she’s expecting on her vacation.”

  Chris stated, “Melissa didn’t know.”

  “But she does now, and I don’t think she’s updated the others.”

  “How do you know?” Chris asked.

  David held up his phone. “Because if Jada knew, my phone would be blowing up.”

  “Are you going to tell her?” Chris asked.

  David laughed. “Nope.”

  Chris shook his head. “I guess I can’t say anything. I’m the one who let Melissa plan it without knowing what she was getting into.” At that time he thought she would go, and he was interested to know if the place held the same calming peace for her as it did for him. Not that he knew her well enough to know if she needed that. Now it might be out of the question for him to have that time with her. Odd that it caused an unfamiliar twinge in his chest. He hoped he’d meet up with her when she returned and hear her take on his little hideaway. Then again, she might not be as impressed with it as he was. Chris’s reason for spending time at Sirveo’s was far different from Melissa’s after all. It’s no vacation spot for me. It’s mental therapy.

  “They wanted an adventure. It sounds like they’re about to get one.”

  Beats the hell out of sitting here bored shitless.

  “How long are we going to just sit here?” Chris asked.

  “Until Stone gets his replacement team in place.”

  “And in the mean time we—”

  “Sit and wait.”

  Damn. That’s what Chris was afraid of. But on the bright side, he would know what Melissa was up to. Because he was positive Jada would be in touch with David as they arrived at their destination.

  “You want me to take the first shift?” David had slept some on the flight, but right now he wasn’t tired either.

  David shook his head. “No. I’ll wake you if Kalen decides to go out anywhere.”