How had he gone without her for five years? That showed he had willpower he hadn’t known he had.
And the one thing he liked most about kissing her was the way she would kiss him back, just like he’d taught her all those years ago to do. Some women’s mouths were made for kissing, and he thought hers was one of them. She tasted just as good as she looked and smelled. And that was another thing about her: her scent. His breath would quicken each and every time he took a sniff of her.
His cousin Zane swore that a woman’s natural scent was a total turn-on for most men. It had something to do with pheromones. Bane wasn’t sure about all that, but the one thing he did know was that Crystal’s scent could literally drive him over the edge. And her scent was a dead giveaway that she wanted him regardless of whether she admitted it or not.
There was a loud knock on the truck’s window, and he broke off the kiss to glare at the intruder, who said, “Knock it off, Bane.”
Rolling his eyes, Bane returned his gaze to Crystal, mainly to focus on her wet lips. “Go away, Thorn.”
“Not until I check you over to make sure you’re all in one piece. I’m on my way to a benefit bike race in Daytona and in a hurry, so get out of the car.”
Bane shook his head as he eased his car seat back. But then in a surprise move he reached across and pulled Crystal over the console and into his arms. He opened the door with her in his arms and got out.
“Bane! Put me down,” Crystal said, trying to wriggle free in his arms.
“In a minute,” he said, holding her a little longer before sliding her down his body so her feet could touch the ground.
He then turned to Thorn. “Good seeing you, Thorn.”
“Good seeing you, too,” Thorn said, giving Bane a bear hug. Thorn then reached out to Crystal and pulled her to him, as well. “You too, Crystal. It’s been a while.”
Bane watched the exchange and knew Thorn’s comment had surprised her. Thorn Westmoreland was the celebrity in the family, a well-known, award-winning motorcycle racer who as far as Bane was concerned also built the baddest bikes on earth. He had several movie stars and sports figures as clients.
Crystal and Thorn had only met once at a Westmoreland family reunion, but Bane knew that when it came to his family, Crystal had assumed they saw her as the reason he’d gotten into trouble all those times.
“Thanks, Thorn. It’s good seeing you again, as well,” Crystal said, as Bane pulled her closer to his side. “How is your family?”
“Fine. Tara’s inside along with all the others.”
“And just who are all the others?” Bane asked.
No sooner than he’d asked that question, the door to the cabin opened and his family members began filing out. The one person Bane hadn’t expected to see was Dillon. His older brother stepped out onto the porch along with their cousin Dare. Bane shook his head, not for the first time, at how much Dillon and Dare favored each other.
Bane smiled as his family kept coming out of the cabin. There was Dare and Thorn’s brother Stone, and Quade’s brother Jared. And besides Dillon, Bane saw his brothers Riley and Canyon, as well as his twin cousins, Aidan and Adrian. He’d just seen the latter four in Denver for Thanksgiving.
“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked chuckling. “Last time I looked, Crystal and I were on the run and not dropping by to socialize.”
“Doesn’t matter,” his cousin Dare said, grinning. “We all wanted to see for ourselves that the two of you were okay.”
“And we’re ready to take anyone on who thinks they can snatch Crystal away from us,” Riley said.
“From us?” Bane asked, looking at his brother. He knew that of all his siblings and cousins, Riley had been bothered the most by Bane’s relationship with Crystal. Riley was afraid that Bane’s quest to find her might prove painful if she hadn’t waited for him those five years the way Bane had waited for her.
“Yes. Us. She’s a Westmoreland and we take care of what’s ours” was Riley’s response.
Bane looked over at Crystal and pulled her closer to his side. “Yes, she is a Westmoreland.”
Quade came forward. “Most of the men arrived yesterday. Figured we would get some fishing in while we waited for you to get here. The women showed up this morning and are out back on the porch frying the fish. First we eat breakfast, then we talk about putting a plan together. There’re a couple of others we’re waiting on.”
Bane wondered who the others were but didn’t ask. Instead, he said, “Fried fish in the morning? Hey, lead the way.”
* * *
Crystal had never felt as much a part of the Westmoreland family as she did now. And she knew she had the women to thank for that. They had oohed and aahed over her ring, telling her how much they liked it and how good it looked on her finger. And they had congratulated her on her marriage to Bane and officially welcomed her to the family.
This was her first time meeting Dillon’s wife, Pam. In fact, the last time she’d seen Dillon, he was a single man on a quest to find out more about his great-grandfather Raphel. It seemed that pursuit had landed him right on Pam’s doorstep, and it had meant nothing to Dillon that Pam was engaged to marry another man at the time.
And then there was Tara, Thorn’s wife, whose sister, Trinity, was married to Bane’s cousin Adrian. Crystal thought it was pretty neat that two sisters were married to two cousins. And the same thing went for Pam and her sister, Jillian. Jillian was married to Bane’s cousin Aidan. Crystal also enjoyed getting to know Dare’s wife, Shelly, Stone’s wife, Madison, Jared’s wife, Dana, and Canyon’s wife, Keisha.
Quade’s wife, Cheyenne, was back home in Charlotte with their triplets—a son and two daughters. The girls had dance class today; otherwise, he said his wife would have come with him.
All the women were friendly and the men were, as well. Crystal fought back tears when they welcomed her to the family in a toast. And when Bane’s brother Dillon pulled her aside and said that as far as he was concerned, she’d always been part of the family, and that he was glad she and Bane were back together again, she had to excuse herself for a minute to compose herself. Coming from Dillon, that had meant everything.
After going inside for a quick second to get a beer out of the refrigerator, Bane found her sitting on the dock by the lake. Without saying anything, he pulled her up into his arms. “You okay, baby?”
She looked up at him and nodded. “Yes. Everyone is so nice to me.”
He smiled and reached out and caressed her cheek. “And why wouldn’t they be nice to you? You’re a nice person.”
“B-but you and I used to cause your family so many headaches. We did some crazy stuff and got into a lot of trouble.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “We did. But look at us now, Crystal. I finished the naval academy and I’m a SEAL, and you’re just a few months shy of getting your PhD. I think Dr. Crystal Westmoreland will sound damn good, don’t you?”
Swiping tears away from her eyes, she said, “Yes. I think so, as well.”
“All I’m saying is that you and I have changed, Crystal. We aren’t the same people we were back then. We’re older, better and more mature, although I’ll admit we still have a lot of growing to do. But above all, what didn’t change was our love for each other. That’s the one thing that remained constant.”
Crystal knew Bane was right. Their love had been the one thing to remain constant. “I love you, Bane,” she whispered.
“And I love you back, baby.”
Standing on tiptoe, she slanted her mouth over his, doubting that she could or would ever tire of kissing him. And when he wrapped his arms around her and returned her kiss, she knew she could stay in his arms like that forever. Or maybe not, she thought, when she began feeling weak in the knees.
It was the sound of a car door slamming that made them pull their
mouths apart. They both turned to look toward the clearing at the people getting out of the cars that had just pulled up. There were three men and a woman. The only person Crystal recognized was the woman. It was Bane’s cousin Bailey.
“I’ll be damned,” Bane said. “That guy... The one in the black leather jacket sure does look like—”
“Riley,” she finished for him. “Riley doesn’t have a twin, so who is he?” she asked staring.
“That has to be Garth Outlaw. I never met him but I’d heard how he and his five siblings look just like the Westmorelands. And they are Westmorelands. I told you we found out that my great-grandfather Raphel had a son he hadn’t known about who was adopted by the Outlaws as a baby.”
“Well, if anyone doubts Garth Outlaw is related to your family all they have to do is put him and Riley side by side.”
“That’s true,” Bane agreed. “And the man with Bailey is her fiancé, Walker Rafferty. I wonder why they decided to come here instead of flying back to Alaska. When I talked to her the other day that’s where they were headed. And I have no idea who the third guy is. The one in the dark suit.”
Bane took Crystal’s hand in his. “Come on. Quade is beckoning us to join them.”
A few moments later when they reached Quade, introductions were made. Just as Bane said, Riley’s lookalike was one of their newfound cousins from Alaska, the Outlaws, and the man with Bailey was her fiancé, Walker. However, the third man, the one in the dark suit, was just what Crystal had figured him to be—a government man. She wasn’t surprised when Quade said, “Bane and Crystal, this here is Hugh Oakwood. He was recently appointed by the president to head a special agency under the Department of Defense.”
Bane raised a brow. “Department of Defense? I don’t understand why this would involve the DOD. Their primary concern is with military actions abroad. The Department of Homeland Security’s role is to handle things domestically.”
Hugh Oakwood nodded as he glanced from Bane to Crystal. “Typically that would be true, but what’s going on here isn’t typical. We think we’re dealing with an international group. And it’s highly likely that some of our own people at Homeland Security are involved. That’s why the president has authorized my agency to handle things.’’
The man glanced around and saw he had an audience. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Is there someplace where we can talk privately?”
Quade spoke up and said, “Yes, come this way, Hugh. I got just the place.”
Seventeen
Bane had heard that after Jamal had purchased the cabin for Delaney, he’d hired a builder to quadruple the size of it to expand the kitchen, add three additional bedrooms, three more bathrooms, a huge family room and a study. The spacious study was where they were now.
He couldn’t imagine anyone getting any studying done in here. Not with the gorgeous view of the mountains and the lake. And if those two things didn’t grab you then there was the room itself, with its oak walls and beautiful rustic decor. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf took up one wall and another wall consisted entirely of a large plate-glass window.
Bane sat beside Crystal on a sofa facing the huge fireplace. Dillon, Quade, Clint, Cole and Dare grabbed chairs around the room. It seemed that Hugh Oakwood preferred standing, which made perfect sense since he had the floor. It was obvious that everyone was interested in what he had to say.
The man turned to Crystal. “I read the report and you, Dr. Westmoreland, have a brilliant mind.”
Bane noticed that everyone’s gaze had settled on Crystal and she seemed uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting. They were realizing what he’d always known. His wife was a very smart woman.
Crystal blushed. “I wouldn’t say that. And officially I’m not a doctor yet.”
“I would say that. And it’s only a matter of months before you get your PhD. After going over all your research, at least what I have access to, there’s no doubt that you’ll get it,” Oakwood said. “And if you don’t mind, although I noted you’ve never used the Westmoreland name, I prefer using it now.”
“No, I don’t mind,” she said. “Bane and I decided years ago to keep our marriage a secret.”
Oakwood nodded. “That in itself might be a blessing in disguise. Because no one knows of your marriage, the group that’s looking for you has no leads as to where you might be right now.”
He paused a moment, then said, “In your research you’ve basically come up with a formula to make items invisible. Similar testing and research have been done by others, but it seems you might have perfected it to the degree where it’s almost ready to use.”
“So what does all this mean?” Bane asked.
“It means that in the wrong hands it can be a threat to national security. Right now one particular terrorist group, PFBW, which stands for People for a Better World, sees it as a way to smuggle things in and out of countries undetected.”
“Things like what?”
“Drugs, bombs, weapons, you name it. Right, Dr. Westmoreland?”
Crystal nodded. “Yes. Although there’s quite a bit of research that still needs to be done before that can happen.”
Oakwood nodded. “PFBW have already nabbed the other two chemists, as you all know, and would have grabbed you if your husband hadn’t intervened.”
“I got that note from someone as a warning,” Crystal said.
“Yes, you did. PFBW started recruiting members a few years ago. But we managed to infiltrate the group. That’s the only way we know what’s going on. When you join, you join for life and the only way to get out is death. We’re lucky that our informant hasn’t been identified so far.”
He paused a minute and then added, “The best we can figure is that although Jasmine Ross started out as part of the group, somewhere along the way she had a change of heart and is the one who slipped you that note. It seems that she tried to disappear as well but wasn’t as lucky as you. They found her.”
And Bane was sure everyone in the room was aware of the outcome of that. “My wife can’t continue to hide out and be on the run forever.”
“I agree,” Oakwood said. “The problem we’re facing is not knowing who we can trust in Homeland Security. The one thing we do know is that PFBW still wants you, Dr. Westmoreland. You’re the missing link. The other chemists’ work can only go so far. You have researched a key component they lack, and it’s your work that’s needed to put their scheme in place.”
“Sorry, but they won’t be getting her,” Bane said through clenched teeth as he wrapped his arms around Crystal’s shoulders.
“That’s why we have a plan,” Oakwood said, finally taking a chair.
“What’s the plan?” Bane asked, removing his arm from around Crystal to lean forward.
From the looks exchanged between Quade and Oakwood, Bane had a feeling whatever plan Oakwood had come up with, he wasn’t going to like it.
* * *
Bane was off the sofa in a flash. “No! Hell no! No one is using my wife as bait!”
Crystal reached out and touched Bane’s arm. “Calm down, Bane. It doesn’t sound too bad.”
Bane stared down at her. “They want to set you up someplace and then tell PFBW where you are so they can grab you and—”
“When they do come for me, it sounds as if Oakwood and his men will be ready to arrest them.”
Bane rolled his eyes. As a SEAL, he of all people knew things didn’t always go as planned. “But what if something goes wrong? What if they fail to protect you? What if—”
“Their mission is successful?” Crystal asked, still trying to calm her husband down. “I have to take the chance their plan will work. Like you said, I can’t be on the run for the rest of my life.”
Bane pulled her up into his arms. “I know, baby, but I can’t take a chance with your li
fe. I can’t have you back just to lose you.”
Crystal heard the agony in his voice, but she needed to make him understand. “And I can’t have you back just to lose you, either, but every time you’ll leave to go on covert operations as a SEAL I’ll face that possibility.”
“It’s not the same. I’m trained to go into risky places. You aren’t.”
He was right; she wasn’t. “But I’ll be well guarded from a distance. Right, Mr. Oakwood?”
The man nodded. “Right. And we do have an informant on the inside.”
A muscle twitched in Bane’s jaw. “Not good enough,” he said, bracing his legs apart and crossing his arms over his chest. “She won’t be alone. I will be with her.”
Oakwood shook his head. “That won’t work. The people looking for her expect her to be alone.”
Bane frowned. “Damn their expectations. I refuse to let my wife go anywhere alone. At some point they’ll suspect she had help. They probably already do from the way we’ve successfully eluded them up to now. I don’t like your plan, Oakwood, and the only way I’ll even consider it is if I’m the one protecting my wife.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Everyone in the room glanced over at Quade.
“What’s your suggestion, Quade?” Crystal asked when it was obvious neither Bane nor Oakwood was going to. Tension was so thick in the room you could cut it with a knife.
“Oakwood ran his idea by me earlier and knowing Bane like I do, I figured he wouldn’t go along with it, so I came up with a plan B, which I’m hoping everyone will accept. It still requires using Crystal as bait, but at least Bane will get to stay with her.”
Oakwood stared at Quade for a moment and then said, “Okay, what’s your plan?”
Quade stood. “Before I explain things, I need to get two other people in here who will be instrumental to the success of this plan. The three of us discussed it last night and feel it will work.”
He then went to the door, opened it and beckoned for someone. Moments later, Bailey’s fiancé, Walker Rafferty, and the Westmorelands’ newfound cousin Garth Outlaw entered the room.
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