by Marie Wathen
“Ah, I do recall telling you that it gets me hot. I love your legs in that dress. It was the reason I insisted on you having it when we shopped in Seabrook,” I reply, parking in the driveway and then slipping out of the car quickly before she starts up an annoying game of twenty questions. Can’t have her pissed before she sees my big surprise. Distracting her, I point toward the sky, “Let’s go inside before those dark clouds drop a rainstorm on us.”
As I open the door, allowing her to precede me, she asks, “Who lives here?” Her gaze moves around the large foyer and shifts down the well lit hallway, spotting the large staircase, leading upstairs. “Rhys?”
Drawing her hand into mine, I escort her into the large living area. The coloring in here is darker, but accented with strokes of light green and greys. “Sit with me,” I suggest, guiding her toward the large sectional sofa, positioned on the back wall.
“Okay...”
“Okay,” I repeat absentmindedly, sitting beside her and releasing a loud breath. “Here goes. Wait, ah…Sam, promise me that you’ll hear me out completely before you get all pissed off and storm out.”
She snorts. “I’m making no such promise,” she counters incredulously, crossing her arms over her chest. “You convinced me to marry you before telling me this big thing, so now just say it fast, like ripping off a band-aid. Do it.”
“Yeah,” I breathe and swallow hard. “This is my house. Our house.”
She exhales and smiles, lacing her fingers with mine. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“That isn’t everything.” Squeezing her hand, I admit, “I had a special interior designer help me pull it all together. She’s very special.”
Narrowing her eyes at me, she leads, “How special is she? And who is she?”
“One of the most important people in my life, and she’s been living here for a few months while she supervised the makeover to the house.”
“Are you serious?” Her voice raises and I can see anger building in her eyes. “Living here? In your house?”
Trying to recover, I add, “Yes, she insisted on doing it herself because she knew that you would want a woman’s touch.”
“Did she now? And you really thought that I would be cool with this grand idea?” Another level higher in her pitch and I feel like I’m screwing this up somehow. “Well, where is the bitch?” My eyes pop out of my head. She is pissed. Dammit.
A throat clearing fills the room, and I watch Sam turn to seek out where the sound came from. Her hostility fades instantly as her eyes begin watering. A whisper of a name gets stuck in her throat and she releases a soft sob.
“Sam, she’s here to see you,” I say, hoping to help her through the moment.
Sam stands, her hands come up, covering her mouth while tears streak down her beautiful face. I move to wrap my arms around her waist, kissing the side of her head and she says, “Natalie?”
“Hi, Sam,” Natalie greets stepping into the room cautiously. Moving her eyes from Sam, to me, and then to the room, she says, “I hope the house is to your liking. Eth…ah, I mean Rhys wanted it to be perfect for you.”
“You’re here? Really here?”
“Yes, silly girl, and I have a surprise for you too.” Natalie calls behind her, “Come on guys.” Simone bursts into the room giggling and Dean shuffles behind. Natalie takes one of their hands into each of hers and walks straight up to Sam. “We’ve missed you.”
“Oh my god, Natalie…” Sam stammers through tears. “I…can’t believe it.”
A squeaky small voice says, “Empress Angel, will you play with me at the castle? Mommy says we have to stay here, but I like the castle and my new friends.” Her big eyes look up seriously at Sam.
Sam busts out laughing, beading down and pressing a kiss to the top of Simone’s curly blonde head before straightening up and hugging Natalie tightly for several long minutes. Without releasing her, Sam holds out her fist for Dean. Like he is the coolest kid on the planet, he bumps it and says “What’s up?”
When they separate, I guide Sam back to the couch, threading my hand with hers, and Natalie tells the kids to go play before sitting on the other side of Sam. Once the room is cleared, she turns toward Sam again. With a shaky voice, she says, “I’m so sorry.”
“What?” Sam gasps. “Why are you apologizing to me, Natalie? I’m the one who is sorry. I wish…” her voice cracks and she tries again, “I wish that I could have save him, but–”
“No,” Natalie interrupts. She glares at me, I nod and then she turns her attention back to Sam. Gathering her strength, she says, “Sam, that night in the club, Jude didn’t die.” Sam is motionless, except for her eyes, which are moving between both of Natalie’s. The pressure of her tightening fingers in mine grows painful. “There was a hit placed on him because his undercover role was discovered. We found out that Juan was coming to Atlanta and he wanted to look Jude in the eyes before he gave the kill order. You weren’t supposed to be there. When you showed up after Decks had demanded that you stay away, I nearly freaked out and screwed the plan.” Sam is trembling. The anger pulsing off of her is palpable, and Natalie notices. Peeking over at me, she says, “Rhys didn’t know any of this before the funeral. We worked with Max.”
“Max did this?” That motherfucker,” Sam snaps before pushing up, and storming across the room. Her angry monologue continues for at least three minutes. Natalie and I remain silent as she works it all out. “Where in the hell is the bastard?”
Natalie turns to me, blinking and I stand, holding my hands up trying to calm her. “We don’t know where Max is, Sam.”
“Not that bastard,” she huffs. “Where is Jude?”
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” Jude says standing five feet behind Sam.
Spinning around, she teeters and I rush to grab her before she falls. “I’ve got you, babe.”
“Jude,” she breathes, shaking her head while staring straight at him. Finally, relief breaks across her face. “Holy shit. It’s true, what Natalie said. You’re not dead.”
“As alive as you, good looking.” A broad grin spreads across his face and he holds out his arms, presenting himself like some damn prize possession. I snort.
She bolts out of my arms, leaping right into his. “You…asshole.” Jude laughs at her outspokenness.
“She’s all glorious moxie,” I tell him, drawing her out of his arms and turning her so that she can look at me. Cupping her cheeks, I say, “I wanted so badly to tell you in Seabrook. I actually planned to confess everything to you and then bring you back here, but you bolted. I’m sorry about lying, doll.”
“Oh, I’m pissed,” she replies. “But, right this minute, I am more relieved, so I’ll save your payback for another day.” She’s serious as hell. Jude laughs, but I don’t. I know she means business.
“Flowers always work on me,” Natalie offers with a sweet smile. Sam cuts her eyes at her and shakes her head, expressing for her to stay out of it. Natalie covers her lips with her fingers, hiding her humor.
“If it takes my whole life, I will make it up to you,” I vow, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She snorts. “Oh yeah, you will, and then some, buster.” Nodding, I smile, knowing that I’ll pay whatever price it takes to keep her happy.
“Well, now that this is all behind us, let’s get down to business,” Jude interrupts, walking over to his wife, and wrapping an arm around her waist. “Sam, you know about Dr. A and this disgusting drug, Ryske. Rhys says you’ve been recruited as part of his team.” Sam nods, and I take her hand guiding her toward a seat. We all sit on the two sections of the couch closest to each other. “On paper, I am dead. But, with Max’s help we are getting assistance with moving us into witness protection. I hope that we’ll stay on the island, but the higher-ups might eighty-six that idea.”
“I’m sure that he’ll convince them that we work better together,” I offer.
He nods. “In the meantime, we’ve found a place a few miles down the road that we�
��re renting. This place is like a prison. I’ve personally handled the security.” He smiles proudly. “We are keeping a safe distance, but if you need us…” he trails off, and both Sam and I nod.
“And, you know what our mission is?” Sam asks, “The path to capturing Dr. A?”
“I do,” he replies, shifting his eyes toward me. “He can’t know about your nuptials. She must remain as cool about her affections toward both of you to get him to slip so that he’ll provide the whereabouts of Dr. A.”
Sam grunts. “Decks…I mean Tyle. What a stupid ass name, by the way. Anyway, he was pissed off about me using him to get Nelson, but I know that his feelings for me are real.” She shivers. “It might take some time, but sooner or later, he will trust me enough to lead us to that sick fucker.” She turns toward me, placing a hand on the side of my face. “And then on that day, the world will know how special today was for us.” I smile, and she kisses me softly.
“I’ll shout it from the roof tops, Sam,” I promise. “But, first, I have another surprise. There are four more people who will know of our marriage, and I want you to meet them.” She looks confused, but nods.
I leave the room and return after a few minutes, catching Natalie and Sam whispering and giggling. Seeing this perfect moment between my girl and my best friend’s wife makes the love in my heart swell even more. As I enter, Sam breaks away from Natalie giving me her attention before her eyes fall to the four faces behind me.
She rises of off the leather seating, strolls over purposefully and smiles demurely before greeting, “Urban and Oakley, I am so pleased to meet you.” My youngest siblings offer her a casual hug. “It’s great to see you again, Indie.” Sam winks at her, and my sweet sister mimics the silent exchange. With their familiar exchange, it hits me that Indie said she had met Sam at the Black Lake near our home in Atlanta.
Attacus steps around me, his swagger on full display. “Hey there, hotness.”
Turning her attention to my charismatic brother, Sam says, “And, Tac,” she tilts her head thoughtfully staring at him for a moment, “I’m happy to see you again, too.” He smiles, reaching out toward her, but she holds up her hand cutting off his embrace. “Not so fast. If you ever try to tell me to back down from a hot scene again because you think I can’t handle it, or fail talking him down from a drunken negotiation, I’ll put my size seven pump up your rump. Got it?” Apparently, when I was stumbling into shit in the small exam room with Mad Hatter, my brother tried talking Sam into standing down and waiting for him to bust through the barricaded stairwell door. Instead of cooperating, she flipped him off.
Grabbing her up in a bear hug, Tac hoots before saying to me, “Oh brother, you are so screwed.” He plants a kiss to the top of her head, and swings her around until she becomes dizzy.
The room erupts into laughter, making that swelling within my chest turn into an all out detonation of sorts. Gone are the thoughts of past pains, retribution and self-loathing. After the process that I’ve endured, I feel like a piece of glass put through the kiln. I really am a new creature. Life is good. Better than good. With the room full blessings standing before me, I realize how lucky I am to have them, and that only by the grace of God, I have survived the deadly riptide that tried to consume me…this time.
Epilogue
“She is really cute,” Sam comments, peering through a pair of binoculars pointed out the side window of the car. She chuckles and then a few seconds later she gasps loudly, the sound startling me as I park along the rusty guardrail bordering the shoreline. “Oh my god, look at him.” She thrusts her binoculars toward me, the leather strap stretching out from around her neck. I chuckle, reach down into the cup holder and then hold up a matching set.
“Chill out, doll.” Without looking away from her brother, she sticks her tongue out sideways at me. I shake my head, drawing my own visual aid enhancer against my face. “What is your brother doing that would make you forget that you just handed these over to me?”
The scene beyond the circular glass appears blurry, so I correct my view by rolling the treaded adjuster while stretching them apart. Then I focus again. Breesan Maxwell steps off the port side of a fancy speedboat, smiling and following her friends, Anna Knight and Tristan Walker, into the Flora-Bama–an Alabama beachside club. She is a very petite brunette, dressed causal in blue jean shorts and a white 3 Doors Down fitted concert tee-shirt. Her eyes scan slowly across the exterior of the crowded bar and then her feet move hesitantly, carrying her inside the party mob.
No longer able to see her, I shift my attention toward Sam’s brother. Marcus Walker is the newest member of our team. His role as Julia’s bodyguard, when he isn’t chauffeuring her around to castle related meetings, is to keep strict tabs on her stepdaughter and report back every minute detail. The evil stepmother is uber suspicious of Breesan. According to Marcus, he hasn’t noticed anything extraordinary of the girl’s schedule or behavior.
Marcus leaps from his Jeep, and casually strolls toward the same entrance. He doesn’t seem out of place and he isn’t acting weird, so I don’t get what has Sam behaving so oddly.
“You don’t see it?” Hopefulness fills Sam’s question.
Pulling the binoculars away a couple of inches, I glance at her, seeing a twinkle of something anew lighting up her slate-grey eyes. “What am I missing?” I need to know. Narrowing my eyes through the looking glasses again, I search.
“He has a goofy expression on his face while looking at her and…” hesitating, she sighs, “Nothing, Forget it.” Her hands fall into her lap, the binoculars dangling against her chest. Another loud sigh precedes her claiming, “I’m bored.”
With the target out of sight, I return my set to the cup holder in the console and watch Marcus push open the door, entering the club. We don’t really need to watch him, watching Breesan, but it never hurts to check up on him and Kole occasionally. Kole De Luca is technically my right-hand man, but I won’t ever trust anyone more than I do Sam. The gym downtown is Kole’s cover, but he also runs a security company on the side. Upon my request, he hired Murph as one of the bodyguards for special clientele. Of course, the big Irishman had to make a few changes in his appearance, along with his new identity. With dark blonde hair and green eyes, Conner Donnelly’s men-in-black disguise somewhat works to keep him hidden when the paparazzi goes crazy over the music mogul or movie star that he protects from time to time. All the players are in place now that Marcus joined our team.
Then I twist toward Sam. “What’s going on, Sam? You’ve been so distracted lately.”
Peeking up at me from under her long lashes, she tucks her bottom lip between her teeth and chews anxiously. I pinch her chin, tugging her to look directly at me and then form my lips over hers, kissing her deeply. She threads her fingers into my hair and moans away her angst. Achieving the desired effect, I smile and pull away.
“Are we stopping?” she chuckles, glancing down at the growing tent in my cargo shorts.
Glancing up from her lips and meeting her smiling eyes, I counter, “We’re postponing.”
“You are such a tease.” Crossing her arms and leaning away, she adds, “Worse than any woman.”
Mimicking her posture, I repeat, “What’s going on? Something has been bothering you for months. I’ve been patient, but I want you to trust me.”
“I trust you with everything. You know every detail about my life growing up on Willow Island, working for Atlanta PD and about my relationship with Kris and Russ, but…” she pauses, glancing out the front windshield again. “This isn’t about me.”
“Is it Marcus then?” She tilts her head, giving me that look, the one that screams, ‘Really? I just said I can’t talk about it.’ Stubborn woman. “Whatever it is, we’ll work through it, but you need to tell me. You might even discover that it isn’t that big of a deal.”
“Okay,” she sighs, “I think that Morgan could be using Ryske.”
I scowl. “What makes you believe that?”
&nb
sp; “His attitude has changed so drastically lately and he hangs out at Club Toxic a lot when he visits the island.”
The first night that I returned, she told me about her life. Sam and her twin brothers, Marcus and Morgan, were born on Willow Island, but moved away to England nearly fifteen years ago. She has absentee parents, but her grandparents have more than made up for their lack of moral support. She confessed that she knows Barret Walker isn’t her biological father and that he hid their family away from the gossipmongers on Willow Island to protect his family’s name. The Walker Corporation provides a multitude of options for islands all over the world, ensuring that if a catastrophe hits the mainland that they depend on, the residents can sustain normal lives. She told me that even though the family expects everyone to join the board after they attain their college degree she decided to go into law enforcement. It was one more nail in the coffin for Barret, allowing him to end their relationship by disowning her. What a bastard. Her aversion to the word perfect comes directly from his bitterness toward Sam’s true paternity. She claims that she has no idea who the man could be and that her mother probably will never reveal his identity. Allowing him to treat Sam so poorly confirms that Haleigh Walker is also a selfish bitch.
I haven’t met Morgan yet, but Club Toxic is bad news. If he’s hanging out there when he visits then I need to let my informant know immediately. Tyle has been working there since we moved here and I know that he has a contact there who is supplying him with Ryske. My guy on the inside has been watching, but still hasn’t identified the dealer. I would love to pop Tyle’s ass with the distribution charge, but Max’s orders are clear. We must locate Dr. A’s pharmaceutical plant. That’s the only way that we will successfully shut down the production of the world’s deadliest drug.
Next weekend, Aileen has a welcome home party planned for Morgan. Gran Walker has wrangled Sam into helping her organize the festivities at the Renaissance Castle. I’ll use the occasion to meet the rambunctious womanizer and see if I can get a read on him. Determining if someone is on Ryske can be difficult at times. The effect it has on a person is as individual as DNA.