“That’s a very good observation, Munchkin. How could mommy do all of those things if her brain was somewhere else?”
Hearing his voice had her body on alert. B.B.’s mind immediately went to the last time the two of them were in the kitchen together and how little food was made while they “mixed things up.” She involuntarily shivered. When she turned her head in his direction, B.B. saw the remnants of the smirk he’d been wearing before his mouth formed an “o” as their child hopped out of the seat she’d been in and ran toward him.
“Daddy! Daddy’s here! I didn’t know you were home. Did you run fast today, Daddy? Will you make me waffle cakes with bacon-eggs, Daddy? Are you taking me to school or Mommy?”
B.B. smiled as she watched the two of them together. Her daughter’s questions answered one that she’d had about the man’s rippling muscles and rock hard abs. It was something she’d taken note of before. He’d had a somewhat toned body long ago, but that body she’d explored with her hands and her tongue was something entirely different.
Her daughter giggled, which pulled her out of her naughty thoughts. Camille grabbed her father’s face and pulled it to her so she could kiss his nose. He returned the favor before waiting a beat and responding.
“Daddy did go for his run today and I was able to run faster, but I missed having my Millie Mil with me. I think we have time for some waffle cakes and eggs, but not the bacon-egg.” When he saw Camille begin to pout in his arms, his face turned from soft to a sterner look before he spoke again. “Why can’t we have bacon-eggs, Camille?”
“It takes a lots of minutes and we don’t have lots of minutes before you have to take me to school.”
They both smiled at the little hopeful tone Camille’s statement took. That little girl knew what she was doing. If she couldn’t get all of the things she wanted that morning, then she was going to get her daddy to take her to school. They may have spent secret time together over the years, but he’d never been to her school. He was called in to work the last time they were supposed to take her together. He missed out on that occasion and hadn’t attempted to go on his own. Someone would’ve told her. With the students being children of the rich, famous, and military at the school, security was tight there.
“We, Mommy and Daddy, can take you to school this morning. Mommy has to show me the best way to get there and introduce me to some people so they don’t freak out when I’m there.”
The little mind was working again. B.B. could see the cogs turning as Camille tried to figure out what his statement meant.
“Why would they freak out, Daddy?”
Camille didn’t know who her father was to the outside world. One of the main reasons Brian kept Elijah indoors was because the man was kind of famous. He was also very rich. Rey Sec, Inc. was one of the most sought after security companies in the world and Eli was the Founder and CEO of the company. Everything passed through him. He was behind securing quite a few of the elite’s or richer individual’s homes. They knew his name as well as his face. Not many members of the team knew those details about her man.
“Speaking of, let me make a phone call or a dozen.”
B.B. tried to move passed the two of them, but found her way blocked.
“I do believe I didn’t get a proper hello this morning from my leading lady.”
His eyes danced with promises of retribution for the oversight later when not so appropriate responses could happen because their little person wasn’t in the house. She quirked her eyebrow as she looked at him then their daughter.
“You have to give kisses, Mommy. That’s what all the other daddies and mommies do at school. They give kisses to each other.”
One smart cookie that little beauty is.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
B.B. kissed his lips and lingered for just a moment. They both breathed each other in as they rested their foreheads against one another’s. Camille clapped and they shared a smile. That familiar feeling that she had before happened again as they turned and looked at their little girl while rubbing her back. It just felt right. They both nuzzled Camille’s neck while kissing her which made her howl with laughter.
“All right, a hot breakfast for three coming up while Mommy makes phone calls.”
B.B. made her way to the dining area where her bag was and grabbed her phone. She began making the calls she needed to while listening to the chatter of two of the most important people in her life get busy on completing their first family breakfast. She looked at the clock and decided to call Camille’s teacher to let her know that one of her favorite students might be a little late this morning.
It didn’t take her long to get her calls made and have Elijah added to the school’s records for pick-ups, drop-offs, and drop-ins. If she knew nothing else, she knew that he would be spending a hell of a lot of time at his daughter’s school. The first trips would be for surveillance purposes. He would need to know that it was worthy of keeping his little girl safe. With a quiet laugh, B.B. stood in the doorway and watched the two of them interact. They had a rhythm that reinforced the facts that Eli had laid out when he let her in on the secret times he’d spent with his daughter. It was wonderful to see and she hated that she wasn’t the one to initiate that contact or able to watch the first times they’d spent time as father and daughter.
There was guilt over that. It would be something she would never get over and she knew it. He could forgive her. Her little girl could as well. The issue was could she forgive herself for that and so many other things that happened as a result of a decision she’d made. Time would tell.
After dropping Camille off, Eli tells her he has a surprise for her.
“I know you’re not one of those girly girl types, but I wanted to do something for us. I hope it helps you to wind down.”
“I don’t think that will happen until Lance, Lang, and Mercer are all taken care of and the Hamiltons are safe.”
She knew he knew she was fishing for details. It didn’t stop her from trying to pry something from him. It also didn’t cause him to share anything more than the Hamiltons would be safe and she would be free to roam freely as soon as everything was taken care of. As they drove, the more she thought about things. The more she thought about things, the more annoyed she became. The more annoyed she became, the more unreasonable her thoughts were. The cycle would just begin again. It was vicious that way and she couldn’t take it.
Nothing was in her control. Not one thing and it thoroughly pissed her off. Her heart wasn’t her own anymore because it belonged to two people with the last name of Reynolds. Her body wasn’t her own because of that damn Reynolds name. Her life wasn’t hers because she was basically under house arrest because of some assface name Lance. Her clients weren’t her own because J.H.C. had controlling interest in that. She was losing her fucking mind.
They pulled up outside of what looked to be a massage parlor. She loved the thought behind it, but didn’t know if she was in the right mood to be around humans at that moment. They should probably reschedule. B.B. didn’t suggest it because Eli looked like he was going to come out if his skin he was so excited.
“Your couples massage includes …” Barbie—that was actually the woman’s name who was the lifelike version of the doll—droned on about what the day would include.
B.B. really didn’t care. Elijah had told her that Sam won the passes and gifted two of the four of them to the two of them. It was his way of slightly guilting her into actually going along with the plan for the day. It worked because she’d remained right where she stood.
Every time he tried to engage her in a conversation she snapped at him. Her thought to herself was “So much for her feeling bad for how she’d been treating him.” Suddenly, he was the bane of her existence and she was tired of him breathing near her. They spent most of the time they should’ve been enjoying together arguing about his need for a family and her not wanting to be tied down. Trig and Sam had pretty much remained quiet except
for the occasional whispers and grunts shared between them.
“You know what I want and what I’ve always wanted, B.B.” He only called her that when he was annoyed. “You knew it when you left my ass standing by myself with a minister, watching the sun set over the Pacific fucking ocean. Why are you even discussing this … yelling at me about this right now? You said, ‘Let’s enjoy the damn ride.’ Why are we talking about something that isn’t in play right now?”
B.B.’s face must’ve shown the truth of her secret because of Sam’s immediate response of squealing and jumping around. Eli took another moment, but still she had to speak the words.
“You’re going to be a father,” she yelled at him.
“I already am a father.”
“Well, dumb ASS, you’re going to be one again. Damn!”
“Ooooh, shit!” Trig stated as he finished lacing up his boot.
“What?” Eli asked.
“What?” B.B. questioned at the same time.
“Shut it, Trev. Everything will be fine.”
“Whoa. What do you mean? What in the hell is going on?”
Eli was a statue then a flurry of motion.
“I need that in place yesterday. I don’t give a fuck. She’s pregnant. If it’s not done, then pack up your fucking office.”
Eli grabbed their things and began making his way to the front door. He was in constant motion with his cell phone in one hand and his tablet in the other. A driver pulled up as another individual was tossed the keys to the car that they’d driven as they walked outside.
“What just happened?”
“Your protection detail just increased exponentially and so did Camille’s.”
“Why is he acting like this?”
The question came from Sam and B.B. paid close attention because she wanted to know the answer to that question as well.
“You received another letter and threat. Apparently, Lance was stalking your apartment close enough to watch you. Photos were received of … a sensitive nature.”
Brian was getting ready to further explain, but she interrupted.
“What in the hell do you mean?”
“That fucker was recording or watching you, Belinda. Bastard sent fucking video to your email that I intercepted with a message that said he was coming for what’s his. I’m making sure that shit doesn’t happen. Can we go?”
The shock must’ve registered on her face because he stopped his forward motion and came back to her to help her get into the car. Could things get any worse than they already were?
Evidently they could.
Chapter Seven
The Key
B.B. couldn’t contain the joy she felt at knowing she was headed to J.H.C. headquarters. She’d missed being in the halls or sitting at her desk. She was ready to get back to work, but knew it was going to be a while before that was the case. The thought of knowing she was going to be in the building had her feeling like a live wire. When she entered the main lobby, she was thrown to see the person that greeted her.
“Daddy? Hi. What are you doing here?” B.B. was surprised to see him.
Her father rarely made surprise appearances. The main reason was because his schedule never allowed for it.
“I needed to speak with Elijah.”
B.B.’s hackles rose. Judging by the look that was on her father’s slightly weathered, but beautifully tanned face, she wasn’t going to like the conversation that he wanted to have.
“Daddy, we agreed.”
B.B. could feel the tears begin to threaten. Her father lifted his hands and pulled her close. Kissing her forehead, he took her hand and led her away from the main entrance to the doorway of Elijah’s office. Once she was on the other side of room, he spoke two words.
“It’s time,” he told her as he walked into Elijah’s office then closed the door in her face.
The snick of the closing door felt so final. She and her father had agreed and she’d known that her parents were going to make good on the promise. She still wasn’t ready. Even with the door closed she could clearly hear what was being said.
“Elijah, you might want to have a seat. There’s a bit to this story and you’re going to want to sit once everything is out.”
B.B.’s hands shook as she heard Eli’s slight groan.
“General Banneker, is there something wrong? Something I don’t know?”
“Yes. Yes, there is and Lin won’t share it because of how she thinks it will make her look. She was young then. She was too young to know how to deal with all that she’d learned and too late to be able to fix any of it. Have you ever heard the name Joseph Pippens?”
At the mention of the name, everything came rushing back to her and she was the seventeen year old who was madly in love with a mad man. He hadn’t always been that person. He was this charismatic wonderful guy that everyone loved and adored. He was her equal and her complete opposite. She began to sob as she listened to her father share her greatest shame with the man that held the power to decimate her heart if he couldn’t see why she couldn’t be the one to share the story.
“No, sir. I’ve never heard that name before.”
B.B. covered her mouth with both of her hands as she listened to the briefcase that her father had with him be placed on the desk. She knew what the contents were. She’d been the one to place the file within that case. The file had all of the details of the truth of who Joseph Pippens was.
“Joseph Pippens was a troubled young man that had the ability to mask just how troubled he was and fooled an entire town including my little girl. He was the male every guy imitated and every female greatly desired. All of the elder generation loved him because of his good nature and his ability to entertain them while engaging them in conversation. When people learned what he’d done, they didn’t want to believe it. They hurled accusations and my girl was the one on the receiving end of every nasty word, cruel message, and horrendous act they could think of to get her to leave town. Never mind the situations she was facing.”
Hearing her father speak of such a time and the pain she heard as he relayed the facts of a different version of herself had her wanting to barge into the room and tell her father the story was done. She couldn’t do it. B.B. couldn’t stop the truth from coming out. Booted feet appeared before her as she hunched over and she tried to control her breathing.
Four sets of hands helped her to the floor as she continued to listen. Trig, Hounder, and Isa joined her there. The tears continued to fall as she remained where she was seated. No one said anything. They just sat with her and listened as the sorted details were revealed.
“I don’t understand. What does this have to do with Lind … Belinda?”
“Everything. What no one knew was who Joseph truly was. They didn’t understand he’d been well-trained to be just who he was to all of us. He was drilled on how to be the ‘all American boy.’ He was born in the United States, but his parents were from Russia. He was so much more than what met the eye. Joseph Pippens entered into the war and never returned. It was said that he’d taken twelve members of his unit with him.”
B.B.’s hands were in her hair as she curled in on herself. She knew what was coming next. It was there. it was the answer to her husband’s next question. Eli had dragged her to a justice of the peace to make it official a few days prior. Her parents and the team had been there. Their mothers were promised a big wedding after the birth of the baby, but that was enough for the two of them. Even with their new status, her husband learning of this might end their marriage before it had a chance to start. Her secret was the thing that she prayed for forgiveness for every day of her life.
“Whoa. What do you mean he took twelve members with him? Who was he?”
“Joseph Pippens was Belinda’s first husband and the father of the child that would have been her firstborn had the stress of the truth of who her husband was not been too much for ‘Lil’ Pip’.”
“Lil’ Pip?”
There it was. The
re was the sure sign that her husband and father were almost on the same page.
Her “family” that sat around her tried to console her, but she was too far gone and she didn’t want to welcome their affection until everything was out in the open for all to know what was going on. She heard movement, but her father’s voice halted Eli’s actions.
“There’s more you need to know. It’s something that was suspected, but was recently confirmed.”
“What? What else could there possibly be?”
“I know my daughter is known for her hellish skills in hand-to-hand combat. The fact that she is known as ‘ball buster’ has been a running joke in my circle. Joseph … Lin loved that man with all of her heart. She has a signature move and a way of moving that no other person has ever been able to mimic except for one. His name was Joseph Pippens. He took several of those men’s lives that way and used the other training he learned from watching her to kill the others. She was court martialed when all was said and done.”
B.B.’s vision blurred as she leaned her head back against the wall.
“She blames herself for those men’s deaths.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement, but her father responded.
“The moment she saw photos from the grounds and the autopsies she knew and took full blame for everything that happened. Every heinous word spoken against her, she accepted as if it were her penance for loving the wrong man.”
B.B. heard Eli’s footsteps as he ate up the distance to get to the door, to get to her. She braced herself, but her man was halted again.
“Son. There’s just one last thing that we just learned.”
“How could their possibly be more? I need to get to her. I know that shadow on the floor on the other side of this door is her. I need her to know I’m still here.”
With that, B.B.’s tears fell harder and she pulled at her hair as she bounced her head off of her knee.
Field Stripped: 15 Steamy Military Romances Page 25