He would miss this place.
“Send me the address of the new safe house,” he said.
“For now, I’m thinking we stay in the valley,” Zoey said. “It’s a good defensible position.”
The idea surprised him. Maybe she was as reluctant to leave their home as he was.
“You think that’s the best option? You think you should talk to Jarrod first? You know, before we come up with a plan?”
He could almost hear Zoey bristle. “You don’t worry about anything other than getting your butt home, and fast. Jarrod will go along with whatever I think is best. And right now, I think the best thing we can do is focus on our family, lure these bastards into one place and then strike down with the force of Thor’s hammer. I want to be free of this weight. And the only way this is ever going to happen is if we kill them all.”
He looked over to Shaye and thought about their conversation.
STEALTH was more than capable of cleaning up a dead guy here and there, but an entire menagerie of dead Turkish mercenaries and Algerian Special Forces was another story. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to test Wyatt’s familial bond or his willingness to sweep the Martin family’s dirty deeds under the rug.
With the growing body count, he would need to work fast in order to protect not only the people he loved, but the town that offered them solace. No more innocents could die.
Chapter Seven
How could she make such an imprudent mistake? Shaye criticized herself the entire ride back to the ranch. She thought she was doing something nice, helping the family out, and instead she had made everything so much worse. Once again, she only had herself to blame.
Chad reached over and took her hand, like he could almost read her mind. “Don’t worry about it, Shaye.”
That was easy for him to say. All she could do was worry about her stupid mistakes and stupid decisions. Her entire life had been nothing but a mistake. If she didn’t make it out alive, she had it coming.
And what if her father came here, looking for her?
“I can see you’re beating yourself up, but you need to stop.” Chad squeezed her hand. “Everyone makes mistakes, but you can’t dwell on it. If we did, nothing would ever get done.” His hand went slack on hers, as if he was thinking about all the mistakes he had made throughout his life—mistakes she wasn’t sure she wanted to know about. Was he thinking about Kash’s sister? More women like her?
His being secretive was both a comfort and a hindrance. She wanted to know him on a deeper level, but with that deeper level they would both have to unearth their skeletons.
And yet, with his hand on hers it was hard not to want more from him. He had just saved her. What had she done in return?
She groaned. “Tell me how I can make this right. I can leave.” There had to be something they needed that she could provide, something other than the water heater and a spontaneous evacuation.
Based on her latest faux pas, he’d probably be smart if he told her to catch the next flight out.
He paused for a long moment, as though he was trying to think of something nontaxing and especially harmless that she could do to assuage her guilt.
He tapped on the steering wheel of the truck. “I know it’s selfish, but I really enjoy having you around. With my siblings all coupled up, I sometimes feel like the odd duck.” He glanced over at her as if he was gauging her reaction. “Not that we are a couple or, like, dating or anything, but well...if you don’t have anywhere to go, it’s nice to have a friend.”
That wasn’t the most romantic thing she had ever heard, but it still melted her heart. Truth be told, she was enjoying being around him just as much. It was nice to think about something besides her own family dynamics—even as her father’s constant torment was still raining upon her.
“You’re only saying that to be nice. I would totally understand if you thought it best if I left. From the moment I got here, I’ve brought nothing but misery and hardship.” She touched her cheek lightly, motioning at the bruises on his face.
“Oh, you don’t get to feel bad for these bruises,” he said. “Are there any new ones? If there are, yeah, you can claim those.” He sent her a wilting smile.
She laughed. “Well, I’m sorry about that guy trying to kick your butt back at the hardware store.”
“As you should be.” They rolled up to the ranch’s parking lot, where Sarge was currently being loaded into the horse trailer.
She shouldn’t have been surprised that this family would be quick to mobilize and would refuse to leave a man—or animal—behind.
Zoey stepped out of the horse trailer and latched the door behind her. Wiping her hands on her jeans, she made her way over to them. “We found a rental in the area, cash only, no names. It’s about ten miles from here on the frontage road. We set up a series of cameras around here, so we can keep an eye on the place after we bug out. At least that way, we can see who our enemies are and act fast.”
Shaye couldn’t help but notice the way Zoey’s gaze slid over to her.
“I’m sorry—” Shaye began.
“I’m sorry we were so slow in getting home. Roads are a mess, lots of snow,” he interrupted, shooting her a look that told her she was to remain silent.
It only made her feel worse.
“I want you to stay and button up the last things after the rest of us leave.” Zoey handed him a piece of paper. “Make sure nothing happens that could compromise us again when you come to our new place. I’ll have new phones ready for you after you arrive.” She motioned to the slip of paper, and gave Shaye a look, not even bothering to hide her disdain.
Without thinking, Shaye stepped behind Chad like he could deflect the hatred in Zoey’s eyes. The worst part was she couldn’t blame her for being mad.
“I promise nothing,” Chad said. “As the boots on the ground say, life sucks and whether you want to or not everyone has to take a ride in the blue canoe.”
Zoey looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh. “Well, brother, we’re not talking about just a few people who were impacted. Now, when we have to move out, we have Anya and our fiancées and the horse to think about.”
“And whose fault is that?”
Zoey raised an eyebrow. “Really, Chad, are you going to begrudge any of us for finding happiness in our lives?” She nudged her chin in Shaye’s direction. “Besides, we’ve had enough crap happen in our lives that it was about damn time for us to finally get a break.”
According to Zoey’s logic, Shaye should be getting her big break and finding happiness anytime now. And yet, with each passing minute, it was like happiness was drifting further and further out of her reach.
Chad reached behind his back and took hold of her hand. It was a simple action, and he had done it before, but this time it felt different. It wasn’t just about comforting her. It felt protective and possessive, as though he would allow no one—not even his sister—to hurt her. Had something changed back there when they had come under attack?
She looked at the back of him. Before now, she had never noticed that he had a small brown birthmark at the base of his neck where it met the top of his shoulders. She could barely see it, as it was mostly covered by his jacket, and it made her wonder about all the other mysterious things he hid under his many layers.
“I’m sorry, Zoey,” Chad said, finally taking a breath. His hand slackened slightly. “It’s been a long day. And I appreciate everything you’ve done to pull this together. What all do you need us to do?”
Zoey nodded, seeming satisfied with her brother’s attempt to mollify. “Just make sure that we leave nothing behind that can give us away. Then make sure the barn is locked up.”
Chad nodded. They followed her over to her truck, where Sarge was stomping loudly in the horse trailer. Zoey got into the pickup.
They watched as the caravan pulled out an
d Anya, Chad’s niece, gave her a big, toothy smile and a joyous wave. Out of all of them, she was the only one who had a smile, as if her life was just becoming one bigger adventure and more wondrous things waited for them out there on the road.
She couldn’t wait for a chance to get to know Anya better. So far, she’d only seen the girl in passing, and it hardly seemed like enough. Shaye had always loved children, but had rarely spent time with any. What little time she had spent with children had been like reliving her childhood. It was as if children had a magical power to, for at least a short amount of time, bring a sense of innocence to an otherwise burdened life.
She and Raj had talked about having children someday, but they hadn’t had enough time together to make any sort of concrete plans. It was simply one of those things they had discussed superficially, almost as if they were talking about each other’s favorite foods and not about bringing another human being into the world. How naive she had been.
Thinking back about Raj’s favorite food, she couldn’t even remember.
Just when she thought she couldn’t feel any worse, his ghost came back to remind her of all she had lost—and, most importantly, time and memories that were slipping away.
If she wasn’t careful, she would lose Raj entirely and be left with nothing more than a place in her heart reserved for the first man she had ever loved.
Maybe now she was doomed to live a lonely life as her penance for not being able to stop Raj from picking a fight with her father.
As they walked through the house, turning off lights and eating half a box of chocolate-chip cookies that someone had left on the kitchen counter, she and Chad barely spoke. It was like in the space between them, the echo of his sister’s words circled—the family couldn’t be compromised again.
Chad stuffed the last bite of chocolate-chip cookie into his mouth, and a crumb caught in the corner of his lips. She was tempted to reach up and brush it away, but she didn’t trust her feelings enough to get that close to him. Right now, she couldn’t trust anything she was feeling, least of all when it came to Chad.
“You’ve got something right there,” she said, pointing at his mouth.
Of course, he wiped away at the opposite side, leaving behind the little stowaway. It made her laugh. He was so normal and she liked him even more for it. If she brainstormed about her ideal mate, normal wouldn’t have been anywhere on her list—it would’ve been comprised of qualities like ambition, self-motivation and a sense of humor. But after getting to know Chad, normal was going on the list.
It was nice to see a man unburdened by the constraints of high society—he was free to be himself.
He wiped at the other side when she smiled and yet still missed the crumb, making her laugh out loud.
“If you’re going to laugh at me, the least you can do is help a man out.” He gave her a pouting look.
She stepped closer to him and brushed the crumb from his lip with her thumb. His lips were soft and warm, which made her wonder what it would be like to kiss those lips. They would be such a contrast to the strong, deadly man they belonged to.
Not that she could kiss him.
As she stood there thinking about him, she realized that her hand was still on his face, holding this unexpected moment longer than she had intended. And yet, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she envisioned him pulling her into his arms and taking her lips with his in a moment of heated passion. It had been so long since somebody truly held her, kissed her, wanted her. She dropped her hand to his shoulder and he reached up and took it.
He placed his fingers between hers, only further reminding her of her carnal desire—the entangling of bodies and the heat of embrace. Her breathing quickened and a part of her she had nearly forgotten came to life.
Though she could think of a thousand reasons not to, she wanted him.
He moved in closer to her, his breath caressing her skin and she didn’t have to wonder whether or not he was feeling the same way.
He reached around her with his free hand, wrapping his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. Their lips were mere millimeters apart, and she could’ve taken the helm and kissed him, but she held back. She wanted this stolen moment, and she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss his lips, but she also wanted him to make the first move.
She knew it was somewhat archaic, for a woman to yield her sexual power to a man, but in a moment like this, she wanted her lover to relieve her of her need to control.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful I think you are?” he asked, the warmth of his words brushing like secrets over her skin.
She gave him a lust-drunk smile. “Keep talking.”
He exhaled, long and hard, like he was releasing the pressure of being so near to her, so close to...
He kissed her. His lips were as soft and pliable as she had expected, but beneath their softness was a hard urgency, as if he needed to taste her...all of her.
Her body was electrified by his kiss, sparks of lust mixing with the flames of desire.
His kiss. Oh, his kiss. She put her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his soft, thick hair.
He roamed over her curves with his hands. Teasing her as his fingers slipped under the edges of her shirt, playing with the waist of her pants, making her body ache for all the places they could go.
Desire didn’t even begin to describe what she felt for him—it was closer to a wild, unchecked primal need to be one with him, to be possessed by him, both body and soul.
“Chad,” she whispered against his lips, wanting to draw him in even closer, but he leaned back.
Damn it.
She moved after him, hungry with the need to continue their kiss.
But the look on his face stopped her.
“Did you hear that?” he asked, suddenly on guard even though just milliseconds before he had seemed so vulnerable.
She strained to listen, but all she could hear was her own blood thundering throughout her body.
“Hmm?” she asked, the only word she could think of other than more.
“I think I hear a car outside,” he said, but this time his words were slow, like he was somewhat legless after their kiss. “I bet Zoey forgot something.”
She forced her body to move back from his. She’d already been castigated by Zoey, so she didn’t need another browbeating.
If it wasn’t for Zoey’s arrival, Shaye had little doubt that things would have quickly escalated and they would’ve ended up making love right here on the kitchen floor, rolling in cookie crumbs.
The silliness of the cookies made her smile.
“You better go check on things,” she said, smoothing her ruffled clothing and hair as though they really had made love. Zoey couldn’t see anything that would give away their budding romance.
Not that she didn’t already know that there were feelings between them. But hopefully she just assumed that it was merely friendship and nothing more. Their changing friendship didn’t need a witness, at least not now. Not when things were so new and fresh between them.
He pulled down, straightening his shirt and cleared his throat. And as he turned away from her, she could see his body had been reacting in nearly the same way as hers.
She rubbed the back of her neck, about to comment, but then again she was sure that he was aware of his body’s current state.
A sense of accomplishment filled her, though she knew it was somewhat ridiculous. But it had felt good to turn him on. She still had it.
She followed him out of the kitchen and toward the front door as Chad took his time, no doubt trying to right his state of affairs.
As they drew nearer to the door, they heard the sound of a car careening from the house. Outside, a gray Ford Escape was slipping and sliding as the driver, a woman, must have been slamming on the gas pedal hoping for a speedy retreat.
“That’s not Zoey,” she said, chastising herself for stating the obvious. Of course, they both knew that it wasn’t Zoey. “You have any idea who it is?”
He shook his head, and there was a puckered expression on his face.
“You don’t think it’s somebody looking for us, do you?” she asked, fully back in their current reality.
It had been foolish to think they could steal a moment and kiss.
She had Chad, and if they were smart, they would make it out of this mostly unscathed. And if she had her way, maybe things between them could continue to progress.
Although, she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready for anything more than a love affair. Anything else was far too dangerous for her heart.
The expression “dancing too close to the flames” came to her mind, but she pushed away the thought.
Chad stepped to the front door, moving like he was going to take off after the car. As he opened the door, he stopped. From where he was standing, she couldn’t tell what he was looking at, but she could hear a long line of expletives.
“What is it?” she asked, hoping against all hopes that whoever had come hadn’t left them with any sort of explosive surprise.
“I... You—you aren’t going to believe this.” He let the door move farther open as he squatted down to something on the porch.
Oh, please be a puppy, she silently pleaded, though she was more than aware that the odds of her wish coming true were slim to none.
She stepped over to him and stopped. There, sitting just outside the door, fast asleep in a black car seat, was a baby.
“Oh,” she said, the wind nearly knocked out of her.
What in the actual hell was a baby doing sitting on their doorstep? Who would have done such a thing? Why?
Her world spun out of control as she tried to fit together the pieces of a puzzle that had no edges. Apparently, nothing was outside of the realm of possibility when it came to this family.
“Whose baby is it?” she asked.
“I have no clue.” Chad lifted the baby inside, closing the door as he brought the bundle over to the warmth near the dwindling fire.
Protective Operation Page 7