Passages (The Kings of Guardian Book 13)

by Kris Michaels

  Placing the precious keepsakes next to the box, he looked at the jewelry underneath. His fingers traced the ruby-encrusted jewelry and the diamond solitaire necklace. Yes, he remembered these, and those weren’t good memories. The man who had given her this jewelry was someone she’d dated before they’d met. Frank took a breath and sat back. Dated? Well, it was a little more than that. Elizabeth had been engaged to this man. He never did ask why they’d broken up. Didn’t figure it was his business, especially after Elizabeth agreed to marry him. Thought the guy was water under the bridge. Gone and forgotten. Apparently not.

  “Are you going to read your letter now, Daddy? Tori and I are going to wait until things settle down. Maybe tonight.”

  “I’m not sure if I’ll ever open it.” He reached over and squeezed Amanda’s hand before looking at his daughters. “Would that be okay with you?”

  Tori let out a long sigh. “Whatever you want, but I think I will. I just need some privacy and Jacob.” She turned to regard her husband.

  His gaze questioned Keelee.

  “Same here. Whatever you want is fine by me. Part of me wants to rip this open and see what Mom said. Then there’s part of me afraid of what’s in this letter. I mean, who does that? Who writes letters and leaves them in a keepsake box? Is that kind of… I don’t know, maybe fatalistic?”

  He shrugged. “There’s no telling, but she wrote these letters and put our names on them. That means she intended for us to read them. I may take my time, but sooner or later, I’ll be ready to see what Elizabeth had to say.” He looked at his daughters. “You need to make that call on your own.”

  The girls and their husbands said their goodbyes, and Tori took the little box with her. Frank sat with Amanda, but his mind was lost in memories. Well, in questions, if he was honest.

  “Are you all right?” Amanda leaned her head on his shoulder.

  He shook his head and listened as a chorus of children’s laughter filtered from the front room into the den. The sound made him smile. His grandchildren, he was so damn blessed. Letting this letter get to him? No. He wasn’t going to allow it. “That jewelry in the box? I didn’t give it to her.”

  “You didn’t?” Amanda turned to face him.

  “Nope. That was from her ex-fiancé. She never wore it. The jewelry I gave her was in her big jewelry box.”

  “Maybe she didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable about her keeping it? It was pretty. Maybe she just wanted to keep it because it was expensive?”

  “Maybe.” But he didn’t think so. Seemed like Elizabeth had been keeping the memory of that man as a private thing. That didn’t bode well.

  “Do you want me to put this away?” Amanda nodded at the envelope.

  Frank grunted.

  His wife laughed and picked up the yellowed envelope. “I’ll take it upstairs and put in our room. It’ll be in your bedside drawer. Now come on, Grandpa, you promised to take the boys to the barn.”

  Amanda stopped at the door and turned with the envelope lifted in her hand. “I know I don’t have to say this, but I love you. What’s in this letter doesn’t matter. Elizabeth gave us two beautiful daughters; I will be forever grateful to her for that. She’s a memory of your past, and nothing she says in this letter can hurt me. Nothing she says can change the way those girls love you or my love for you. You are one of the most amazing men I have ever met. Chance King was my children’s father. I loved him; you know I did, but I cannot imagine my life without you in it. If I were to find a letter from Chance, I’d feel the same way you feel right now. What we have isn’t a cheat on our love for them, and wanting to know what’s in this? It’s natural. You know that, right?”

  Frank stared at the woman in front of him before he nodded once. She smiled, winked and left the den. How the hell that woman could read his mind was beyond him, but she knew what he was thinking. He chuckled and stood. He had five boys who wanted to go see the animals. His city grandchildren loved animals. He had a surprise for each of them and their parents this year. His chuckle sounded in the empty room. Chief had helped him ensure no one would be the wiser. His grandkids were going to love him. Their parents? Probably not so much.

  He glanced at his watch. He best get after it, otherwise his grandsons would be racing up and down the halls and tearing the house apart, starting at the rafters. He glanced at the wall where Elizabeth’s portrait hung. Right beside it was a portrait he’d commissioned of Amanda. She was right. Nothing in that letter would change how he felt about her. His only concern was if that letter was going to change the way he felt about Elizabeth—or perhaps himself.

  Chapter 6

  Jacob knocked on the door to Joseph’s house. He knew Ember and Blake were with Jasmine and the rest of the children at her house. Tori, Jewell, Jade, Dani and Jillian were gathered in the kitchen with Keelee. They were prepping for the cookie decorating party while the children were occupied at Jasmine’s. With the amount of children at the ranch, the divide and conquer mentality was efficient and necessary. Later, all the children, both big and small, would gather in the kitchen to decorate Christmas cookies. Jacob could remember the fun they’d had as kids in that small Mississippi kitchen.

  “What can I do for you, little man?”

  Jacob spun on his heel.

  Joseph leaned against the side of his house. The man hadn’t aged—other than a few more gray hairs at his temples.

  “I was wondering if I could borrow a private location. Tori and I need to be alone.”

  Joseph let out that low evil laugh. “Dude, you’d think after four kids, you’d be adept at finding private time.”

  “Very funny, asshole. Seriously, I need a place where we can go and not be interrupted. You know that jewelry box I had Justin open? It had letters in it. Letters from her dead mother to her, Keelee and Frank.”

  Joseph straightened and nodded toward the compound. “You can use the Shadow area. I’ll clear it with Kaeden. I don’t believe we have any assets in the facility at the moment, but let me check. I was just heading to Frank’s house to grab Jason when I saw you coming here. I’ll walk back with you.”

  Jacob fell into step with his brother. “How are things going for you?”

  Joseph shrugged. “Life is good.”

  The good and bad thing about families is that not much slipped by. He looked at his brother. “But?”

  Joseph stopped and crossed his arms. “Gabriel has offered the Arizona project to me.”

  “No shit? As in running it?”

  Joseph nodded.

  “That is fucking fantastic. What does Ember think about moving?”

  “I haven’t talked to her about it.” Joseph stared down at his snow-covered boots.

  “Why the hell not?”

  “She’s got the hospital here. It’s growing, and there is one hell of a lot of work. She enjoys what she does.” Joseph shrugged again. “I’m not going to ask her to leave. Figured I’d tell Gabriel when he shows up the day after Christmas. Thanks, but no thanks.”

  Jacob chuckled. “Not sure that is what I would do.”

  “What the hell do you mean?” Joseph growled.

  “Look, if there’s one thing I’ve learned since being married to Tori, it’s don’t make decisions for your wife. It always backfires. Women will not do what you expect them to do. You make this decision for Ember and you’ll never live it down.” Jacob rubbed the back of his neck as he looked toward the ranch house. “Maybe allow her to make that decision for herself.”

  Joseph started toward that ranch house again. “It surprised me when Gabriel approached me. I figured just staying in the shadows, no pun intended, was what he needed me to do. We have four new identity architects trained. I’m not needed for that purpose any longer, although I review every cover. I’m pretty good at finding nicks and dents in covers, but these guys are too damn good to let a hole slide through. I’m getting long in the tooth, though, you know? I figured I was out to pasture for good.”

  “Who the fu
ck are you, and what have you done with my brother?” Jacob laughed as he bellowed the question into the South Dakota afternoon.

  “Fuck you, man.” Joseph pushed him, almost knocking him off his feet.

  “Dude, that sounded almost like you were feeling sorry for yourself. Can I help it if I don’t recognize that characteristic in my big brother?” Jacob walked a few more steps with his brother before he spoke the truth as he knew it. “I think you’d be the perfect person to bring the Arizona project in line with the vision Gabriel has for it. What we have there is a good beginning. Dixon and Drake have built the infrastructure, and the entire development is off the grid, but there’s so much more to be done. It will take a driving force like you to make that place a reality. Gabriel, as always, has a reason for asking you to take the helm. I don’t know what the fuck that reason is, but I guarantee it’s valid and that you’re essential to the equation. Ask Ember. Don’t let this chance pass you by.” When his brother paused at the path leading up to the ranch house, Jacob paused with him.

  Joseph looked up to the sky and followed the flock of snowbirds as they headed toward the barn. “Life is good here, but if I’m honest, I feel stagnant. I figured once I’d retired from the Shadows, I’d just lie low and fade away. But, man, I’m a fucking father and a husband.” Joseph turned his eyes to Jacob. “I never thought I’d have this life. I figured I’d die in some foreign hellhole. I want to show Blake I can be something. I want him to be proud of his old man.”

  “You want this job.”

  “Yeah. I do.”

  “Then ask her. If she says no, explain what you want to her. Just don’t assume, man. Listen to your little brother, for once.” Jacob threw his arm around his brother’s shoulders.

  Joseph shrugged Jacob’s arm off. “Yeah, well, if I do, I’m not telling you.”

  Jacob laughed and launched up the stairs to the kitchen. “Never entered my head you would. I’m going to grab Tori, and we’ll head over to the complex. Give Kaeden a call and clear us in.”

  Tori gazed down the long underground hallway. She had the necessary clearance to be in this facility, but the fact that she was actually in this place, boggled her mind. She’d had no idea it existed. None. She’d visited the ranch during just about every phase of its construction and still been unaware this massive underground structure was being built. A true marvel.

  “Here it is.” Jacob held her keycard in front of the digital lock. It beeped, and a green light flashed as the deadbolt system disengaged. Jacob pushed the heavy door in. A light automatically turned on inside. He pushed the door wider and allowed Tori in first.

  Tori now knew what Kaeden meant when he’d met them at the facility’s entrance and told them, “This is the keycard to one of the eight transitory suites we have below. It’s yours until you leave. You both have clearance to enter the facility, so I’m not going to play keeper of the keys. Just make sure to give that to Joseph, Isaac, or myself, prior to leaving. Having new keys made sucks.”

  Tori looked at the spectacular suite. There were curtains on the far wall. A light behind the curtains simulated daylight. There was a small living room, apartment-size kitchen, and a master bedroom suite. A sixty-inch television hung on the wall over an electric fireplace, and the deep jewel-tone rugs on the floor brought warmth to the space. “Wow. This is amazing. Kaeden said there were eight of these down here?”

  Jacob nodded and slid the keycard onto the kitchen counter. “When we were down here for Nic’s bachelor party, we only saw a portion. There’s a common room, several offices, and an area that none of us was cleared to enter. Since your clearance is higher than mine, you could probably find out, but I’d tread lightly. Shadow business isn’t something you should stick your nose into without justification.”

  “Excuse me? Stick my nose in?” She feigned indignation. It was everything she could do not to laugh at the way Jacob snapped his head her direction. Oh hell, he was so going to backpedal hard.

  Jacob’s hands went up and his eyes expanded to the size of silver dollars. “Babe, that is not what I meant.”

  Tori laughed and shook her head. “How much shoe leather have you eaten since we’ve been married? You think you’d get tired of putting your foot in your mouth.”

  “But, baby, if I stopped screwing up, you’d be worried. Admit it.” Jacob wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss.

  Tori wrapped her arms around Jacob’s neck. She leaned into his warmth and ran her hand through his hair as her other arm pulled him down and closer. She chased his tongue, dancing to a tune only they could hear. It was a song they’d memorized and played from the heart.

  Jacob pulled away and glanced at the king-sized bed. He turned back to her and waggled his eyebrows. “We have the room. We have no children at the moment. What say we make use of that big, soft bed?”

  Tori smiled up at her husband. “I think you have the best ideas, Mr. King.”

  Jacob jolted, standing straight. “Really?”

  “Absolutely. It’s been… ages.” Tori laughed at the ridiculousness of the statement as she started to unbutton Jacob’s shirt. It had been… three days. His hands grabbed hers.

  “It has been a while. Between work and the boys and family… Have I been neglecting you?” Jacob’s earnest question preceded his tender kiss.

  Tori’s breath caught in her chest. “No, you haven’t neglected me. If anything, you overwhelm me. Never change. Never stop.” She stared into his eyes as she spoke. The man she adored was a romantic, and he wined and dined her, sent her flowers and small gifts. She was constantly amazed by the attention he poured on her.

  “Regardless, let’s take the time to get reacquainted. Let me make love to you. Then, we can read the letter.” Jacob lowered his head and sought her lips.

  Tori followed his lead. They shuffled from where they stood to the bed. For every piece of clothing Jacob removed, Tori returned the favor. A small game, one they’d started to play years ago, but it teased and tantalized. She shivered as she removed her panties. The full body shudder wasn't caused by the cold; no, it hinged on the thrill of anticipation. Her husband, naked, hard, and standing proud, swiped the comforter to the foot of the bed. Tori slid onto the sheets, as Jacob moved with her, covering her with his body. The hair on his chest tickled her nipples. Sensitive to the stimulation, they hardened as he held himself above her.

  "You are so fucking beautiful." Jacob's eyes studied her face as if he'd just seen her for the first time. He lowered to kiss her, deepening, sweeping, and teasing her with just a bit too much, followed by not quite enough. He left her panting and needing more. She spread her legs, cradling his hips with her thighs. The feel of his hard, hot cock against her sex sent another shiver through her body.

  He kissed down her neck and swirled his tongue at the dip of her throat. She rocked her hips into him. The man knew how to excite her. He teased her with barely there kisses, punctuated with long, sucking pulls only to retreat back to the soft teases. Tori threaded her fingers through his hair and tightened her grip. She pulled him up. His cock-sure attitude and happy smile were too much. She laughed, and he pounced, growling as he tickled her.

  She pounded on his back, laughing so hard she was shrieking. "Stop!"

  Jacob finally listened and rolled them, so she was on top. "I love you." He pushed the mass of blonde curls over her shoulder.

  "I love you more." Tori leaned down to him and kissed him before sucking his bottom lip and pulling it. Jacob rolled them again, not breaking her kiss.

  She moved, allowing him between her legs. Fun and games were over. As she gazed into her husband's eyes and the absolute truth of his love, the constant in her life, she saw the man whom she'd built her life around, the man who had given her four sons, and the man who was her touchstone. As he entered her, she sighed in contentment. They'd made love so many times, but each time they came together, the connection between them strengthened. Her body reacted to his. Their hearts beat in the s
ame rhythm and their lives became one song. There were dips and crescendos, bridges and refrains, but the music hadn't stopped. Jacob led her through the familiar, yet still exciting, chords of their love song. She shattered under him and barely registered his thunderous growl as he came. As he dropped over her, resting on his elbows to keep from crushing her, she ghosted her hands over his back. They came down together, heart rates slowing and regaining their breath. They kissed and touched, extending the intimacy. Jacob tilted and flopped to his side, pulling her with him.

  "We are so getting a room here whenever we come to the ranch." Jacob's voice reverberated through his chest.

  Tori raised her hand. "I second that motion."

  His laughter bubbled around her. She adored that about him. He was a happy man. It was impossible to take life too seriously when Jacob wanted to play and, thank God, that was most of the time.

  She wasn’t sure how long they lay in the bed together. There was no rush, the children were taken care of and there were no phones to answer or meetings to rush to. Life had gotten hectic lately. Strange how it took memories from the past to make you look at the present and the future. Tori loved the job she did, but she wasn’t the only one doing that job any more. Granted, she was only supposed to be part-time, but she’d been working more and more as the boys got older. Lately, she’d been playing with the idea of quitting. As the children grew, she wanted to do the PTA thing. She wanted to be a classroom mom. She wanted to be at each of the awards assemblies, recitals, plays, sporting events. The Guardian job diverted so much of her attention from her boys.