“Yes, thank you.”
“Hannah, Novah, I’ll be back. I’m going over to the cottage and change.” Pao gave Novah a comforting smile, the first one she’d seen from him, then retraced his steps outside.
“It’s okay.” Hannah looked up from where she filled a rooster teakettle with water. “He’s not going far. He stays in the guest house in back. After Mom and Dad left us the farm five years ago we decided it only made sense that I stay in the main house and he take the cottage. We’d kill each other if we shared this house. I like my privacy and so does he. Not to mention, he never got along with my ex-husband, Jake, but that’s a story for another day.”
As Hannah was taking down cups the whistle blew on the electric kettle and Hannah set about pouring boiling water over tea bags that she’d placed in a pretty flowered carafe. She brought the tray of matching cups and canisters to the polished shaker table which held a lovely vase of fresh wildflowers. “Please. Have a seat and help yourself. I’ll grab some cookies. I have lemon and no bakes. I know better to have them in the house because I can’t stop myself from eating them.”
Hannah was a definite personality contrast with her brother.
Novah pulled out a chair and sat down, checking her phone although she knew Egan wouldn’t reach out to her on it. She poured herself some tea and added a good amount of honey.
“That serious, huh?” Hannah brought back a plate of the cookies and set them on the table, closer to Novah.
“This table is beautiful.” Novah admired the craftsmanship put into the table.
“I made this piece a few years ago.”
“You made this? You’re talented.”
“I wear my work on my hands.” Hannah laughed and held up her stained hands, waving her spirit fingers. “Wood stain doesn’t come off with soap and water. I keep telling myself that I’ll start wearing gloves, but I’d miss the feel of the wood as I’m staining it.”
“Thank you for opening your house up to me although admittedly I don’t know why I’m here yet.”
The screen door opened and Pao strolled in, looking much more relaxed in a T-shirt and worn jeans.
“Pao, tell our guest why she’s here,” Hannah said, giving him a cocked brow look.
“She’ll be safe here.”
“And just why does she need a place that’s safe?” Hannah pressed
“Don’t be nosy, Han.”
“You are here, aren’t you?” Her lips dipped into a frown, a warning that she wouldn’t back down easily.
“I don’t have all the information myself.” He grabbed an apple from the bowl on the kitchen island and bit into it, swiping the back of his hand across his mouth before sitting down to join them at the table. “I guess you should tell me what you know.” He met Novah’s gaze. Now that both Pao and Hannah were sitting next to each other Novah could see the shared resemblance of the brother and sister pair.
Folding her hands on the table, she thought his words over carefully then told them the events that led her there.
“That was very brave of you,” Hannah said with a reassuring smile.
“Or very stupid.” Pao smirked. Hannah darted a narrowed gaze his direction. “What? I’m just being truthful.”
“No, you’re being rude. Ignore his foul attitude, Novah.”
“It’s okay. I was being stupid and now not only is the woman’s life in danger, but so is Egan’s. I-well…I just couldn’t leave Lindsay’s fate in the hands of those men.”
“I for one would have done the same thing,” Hannah added. The cat had jumped onto her lap and was purring so loud it reminded Novah of a train in the distance.
“Why do you think she was brought to the resort?” Pao tossed his apple core into the open trashcan in the corner.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t have time to ask a lot of questions. I had met her once in Mr. Langley’s office.”
Pao nodded. “She could be Mr. Langley’s lover.”
She nodded. “Maybe. Yes. At least I think so too.”
Hannah stood, putting an end to the conversation. “Enough for now, Pao. It’s late and I think our guest needs some rest. After a few hours of sleep we’ll feel refreshed.”
“I won’t be sleeping.” Pao stood and downed his tea, squinting as if it burned his esophagus. “Thanks for the tea, sis. If you need me,” he said to Novah, “I’ll be on the porch.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Would you like to take one of the guest rooms?” Hannah offered.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to stay out here and wait. I don’t think I can get much sleep.”
“That’s fine. Try to catch a few winks. I find that even fifteen minutes can help the mind rejuvenate. I have an early morning date with the farm animals, so I better turn in. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Novah finished her tea, paced the rustic planked floor until her feet started to hurt then finally sat down on the couch. Reaching for a magazine from the coffee table, she flipped unseeingly through the pages.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EGAN LOOKED ACROSS the seat of his SUV at the resting stranger. She’d fallen asleep some twenty miles back and he was glad to have some time to toss around the events of the day in his head.
He had no clue who in the hell she was, but saving her could have cost him his case, and possibly his career. He hoped she wasn’t just some disgruntled lover of Langley’s.
Yet, Novah had told him a bit of what she saw, and it didn’t sound like “just” a disgruntled lover and the response from Langley’s security team didn’t appear like “just” an intruder they were trying to catch. If so, Egan would have every law enforcement officer up his backside by now.
He rubbed his sore jaw, but it could have been a lot worse than a few bruises and cuts.
Egan had contacted Pao and was relieved that Novah was safe at Noel Farm, not that Egan had doubted for a second that Pao wouldn’t get her there unharmed.
Hitting the gas pedal, the diesel engine rumbled, eating up the cracked asphalt of the back road. He gripped the steering wheel as a mirage of emotions fled through him, incapable of getting to Novah fast enough. This was supposed to be a simple job, but sometimes the simpler ones turned out to be the most complicated.
Now that he was certain they didn’t have anyone in hot pursuit of them, he reached for his cell and clicked a button. After four rings, Novah’s mother answered, sounding groggy from sleep. “Rita? It’s Egan.”
“Egan? What’s wrong? Is Novah okay?” The alarm was obvious in her high-pitched voice.
“She’s fine, but we’ve run into a little situation. Listen carefully. I’m having someone I trust come get you and Finley. His name is Justice.”
After explaining as much as he could to his ex-mother-in-law who took the news that she and Finley would be whisked away in the middle of the night as well as expected, he hung up and placed a call to his buddy and co-member of VK. Justice would keep Rita and Finley safe.
Once the immediate concern for his family was taken off the table, some of the tension released from his brow. The wheels of the SUV bounced over the unkempt country road as his tense thoughts hit every nerve along the map inside his head. He’d witnessed a lot in his military career and in VK, but this was a fucked-up situation if ever he’d seen one. Langley had a far and deep reach into a sinister world of crime. Where did this woman in the passenger seat fit into all that?
What did she know? She hadn’t said more than a few words to him. Eventually he’d have to ask the hard questions because not only had Egan put a lot on the line, so had Novah.
Staring ahead, all he could see in the dim headlights was Novah.
A few hours ago he’d made love to her, she’d squirmed in pleasure. She’d felt so damn good she’d burned through him. He needed to choke those thoughts and needs from his head and concentrate on what the hell kind of mess they were in. Just because they’d slept together didn’t mean they would wipe
away all the toxicity from the blood of their relationship veins.
Clutching the steering wheel in a stranglehold, he continued into the darkness and the long stretch of pavement. His headlights feathered along fields, wide open spaces, and a cluster of houses now and again. Each mile down took him closer to Novah.
Glancing into the rearview mirror for the hundredth time since they’d driven off the resort—or rather busted through the closed gate that had been locked and monitored. Why weren’t they being followed? That worried him more than being tailed.
He scratched his cheek and he caught Novah’s scent lingering on his skin. Or maybe her scent was embedded in his nostrils, in his brain, in his soul. He certainly knew she had etched her name into his heart. Egan could spend the rest of his days trying to fight the feeling, but at some point, he’d have to find a way to accept the pain and move on or find a way to make things work.
Blowing out a long breath, he rolled his head to each shoulder, stretching the kinks from his neck and shoulders. He was grateful they were getting close to Noel Farm.
Egan snorted. He’d spent some time at the secluded farm after he and Novah had divorced. Those were the days he spent at the bottom of a tequila bottle way too many times. In his defense, he’d been heartbroken. In his struggles he’d chastised himself for not being stronger—chastised himself for being human. Fighting wars had taught him to bury his emotions, to learn the capability of looking at any situation without becoming emotionally involved. He’d been as skilled at having “robot” emotions as he’d been at disabling bombs. However, he’d failed miserably when it came to hiding his feelings for Novah and that had made him weak.
Seeing familiar landmarks, he was reminded that the last time he’d been out here he’d been in an entirely different mindset. At that time he’d wanted to eradicate Novah from every vessel of his body and now he wanted to have her again, no matter what he had to do.
Noel Farm sat on a secluded piece of property in a small town that wasn’t even a blip on any map, which was a security advantage. Egan parked next to Pao’s SUV, shut off the engine and he didn’t have to wake Lindsay because she stirred on her own. Once she realized they were stopped, she popped up in the seat, blinking and rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Where are we?”
“We’re at a friend’s house. You’re safe. You’ll be able to relax here.” He opened the driver’s door and slid out. Pao stepped off the porch and shook Egan’s hand.
“Glad to see you, man.”
“Glad to be here.” Egan whistled through his teeth. “Things turned ugly fast.”
Pao’s pensive gaze brushed over a disheveled appearing Lindsay who had her arms wrapped tight around her waist. He then brought his gaze back to Egan. “I don’t see any serious wounds.”
“Piece of cake,” Egan said but his jaw hurt like a mother. Joe packed quite the wallop. Egan would give the bastard that.
“So you’re the reason why we’re in this mess?” Pao directed at Lindsay.
Damn, although Egan’s head was all mixed up, seeing how sorrowful she looked with her long hair in knots, eyes beet red and faint bruises over her cheek, his concern was tweaked. He patted Pao’s shoulder, hoping his buddy caught the silent message to back off a bit. “She needs a few hours of sleep. Think you can help her out?”
Pao blinked and shrugged. “Sure.”
“We’ll debrief after I get a few hours of shut eye. No one followed us so we’re safe. Where’s Novah?” Until he saw her, smelled her, touched her, he’d feel like he was repeatedly banging his head against a brick wall.
“Inside.”
“See you in a few.” Egan hurried up the steps to the porch and inside the quiet house.
Novah was curled up in the corner of the couch, hugging a pillow tight against her chest. She must have been reading a magazine because it was laying upturned on the floor. He roved his gaze over her delicate features, relearning her, although he’d memorized every sensual line and curve. She looked like a sleeping angel with her cheek resting against her praying hands. He shouldn’t wake her, let her rest, but damn he needed to have contact with her.
Kneeling next to the couch, he brushed off a tendril of her hair from her forehead and slipped the tips of his fingers down her smooth, flushed cheek. On her neck he could see dark bruises the color and size of blueberries marring her pale skin. He growled and the sound roused her. Her long lashes fluttered across her silken cheeks then her eyes opened. Once she saw him, she dove against him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. He wasn’t an emotional man, hadn’t cried in years, but his eyes filled with tears. Damn, she could have been killed and how would he have recovered? How could he have told Finley that she’d never see her mother again?
Then it clicked in him like a bright light coming on. This must have been how Novah felt each time he left.
Swallowing back the emotion, he breathed in her scent, never wanting to let go of her.
“I’m so glad you’re here and you’re safe.” Her words were muffled against his shoulder. She pulled back to visually examine him. “You are safe, right?” She quickly moved her hands over his chest, his stomach, searching for any injury, then her fingers came to rest lightly on his face. “Do you have a black eye? You also have a small cut on your chin.”
“It’s nothing. I’m safe.” He dragged her back into his arms, enjoying the feel of her warm, soft body. He felt the threads of his reserve break. He loved her. Wanted to possess her, no matter what he had to do to keep her right where she belonged. Some would call him egotistical for wanting to own her, but she was his lifeline and she surely owned him too.
They held each other for a while. Not saying anything.
Then she broke the connection, but not completely. “Where’s Lindsay, Egan? Please tell me she’s okay. Did you get her out of there?”
Standing, he stretched his arms high above his head. “Yes. She’s with Pao and we’ll speak to her once I’ve had a few hours of sleep.”
“What about Finley? Mom? Pao told me not to make any calls until you said it’s okay.”
“It’s already taken care of. I sent one of my team to take them to a safe location.” He yawned.
“A safe location? Mom will never agree to that.” Her expression dropped.
“I called and she didn’t cause a fuss. They’re with Justice now.”
“Where are they?” She dropped her feet to the floor.
“Trust me, they’ll be safe with Justice.”
“I should be with them.”
He sat down next to her and took her hand. “Listen, they’re safer where they are, for now, until we can figure out what the hell’s going on. I know it’s hard to wait, but we need to get some rest.” Seeing the concern in her expression, he realized she had every right to be confused and upset. In his career, he was used to dealing with missions that left him on unsafe ground, but Novah liked things stable. He stretched out on the couch and patted the available space beside him. When she narrowed her gaze in hesitation, he chuckled. “Get your head out of the gutter, sweetheart. Let’s lay here and we can talk for as long as you need to.”
He saw something in her eyes that he hadn’t seen in a long time. Relief. She crawled beside him with her back pressed against his chest. Her firm bottom snuggled into the spoon of his hips. Although not his intention, his body came to attention, but as much as he wanted her, right now he needed to comfort her in a way that didn’t involve sex.
Threading his fingers in her soft mantle of hair, he massaged her scalp, just how she liked it when she was stressed. “I know you’re worried about Finley, your mother and Lindsay but I promise you, they’re safe. I wouldn’t let anything happen. You can call them tomorrow and see for yourself.”
“Are we safe here?” Her shoulders stiffened slightly, but when he moved his fingers to her neck and rubbed the muscles she relaxed again.
“Yeah.”
“I believe you.”
He lifted her hair and twirled th
e strands around his knuckles then let them drop back. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. You should know that by now.”
There was a long, aching silence that stretched between them. “I’m sorry, Egan. I got us into this mess, but I didn’t know what to do.”
“Novah, you did the right thing. I couldn’t have left Lindsay any more than you could have. You followed your instincts. In the morning we’ll find out everything the woman knows. We’ll put a clear picture on all the mayhem.”
He moved his fingers to her tight shoulders and kneaded. A soft moan escaped her.
When he stopped rubbing, she rolled over to face him, looking up at him with angst in her expression. “What will this mean for you and your team?”
He gave a quick shrug. “Fuck if I know the fallout yet, but I don’t want you to worry about that shit. I always land on my feet, you know that. The bigger question, what will this mean for Langley’s career?” He couldn’t stop staring at her because she was so damn beautiful, even though he knew how worried she was. He traced her soft cheek and then smoothed the area right under one eye with his thumb.
“I worked for him. How could I not see what he was really like?”
“A lot of people are good at pretending to be something they’re not.” He relaxed his head on the cushion, feeling the fingers of sleep massaging him inside.
“What about you, Egan?” She touched a finger to his bruised jaw.
“Me? What you see is what you get.”
“I’m referring to you ending your military career. You loved that lifestyle.”
With a chuckle, he responded, “I liked feeling useful and making a difference in the world. It’s an indescribable feeling of going into war-stricken countries and seeing children devastated from hunger and their terrible environment, begging for a scrap of help. They were caught up in the ravages of war, used by adults to fight the enemy. Damn, it’s a disaster in some places of the world and we’re here, living in a bubble.”
Protector of Novah (Valor Knights Book 1) Page 13