Orin wiped them away as another set of footsteps came closer to the pair.
“You scared the hell out of us, May.” Trevor reached over the side of the sofa and stroked her arm. She figured the simple gesture would help reassure him as well.
From the look on his face, she could tell Trevor had some bad news to give her. She shook her head slowly. Damn, I’m not ready for this. “May, you will stay here tonight in the spare bedroom, and in the morning we leave for the mountains.” Trevor walked around the sofa and sat on the opposite side of her. Each man held one of her hands. “Everything will be okay.”
For some reason, May was finding that hard to believe. Earl Timmons was after her, and she still didn’t know what he wanted. No matter how bad she wanted to stay in the land of denial, she knew the incident in the parking garage was just the beginning.
Chapter 6
The sun was just coming up over the horizon, but May recognized the area almost instantly. Why the hell were they in the same city where two of her sisters lived? Any idiot with a computer would find her here. May was about to voice her opinion when she realized they weren’t headed to either of her sisters’ homes but were instead going toward the mountains.
“Where are we going?”
She caught Trevor eyeing her in the rearview mirror, but he didn’t respond.
“I’m not some incompetent little witness that needs coddling.” May slammed her hand down on the empty seat beside her. She instantly became irritated with being ignored. “I know you both can hear me.”
Trevor locked eyes with her once again. The only response he gave was an arched brow. Orin didn’t even bother turning around in the passenger seat. May slumped back in her seat, pissed off with both men.
When the SUV she was traveling in slowed down to turn onto a gravel drive, May sat up once again. She looked around, and as far as the eye could see were humongous, lush trees, bushes, thicket, and barely any life at all. It only took moments before the most beautiful mansion popped into view.
“Okay, tell me what an Italian-style castle is doing deep in the woods of Whispering Mountain?” May thought the home was jaw-droppingly gorgeous but out of place. “This isn’t even close to being inconspicuous.”
Orin finally turned around in the passenger seat. “The men that own this house are the ones that will be protecting you.”
May almost jumped out of her seat. “You mean you two are just going to dump me off with a couple of strangers? Are you telling me that you trust my life with these men? Why in the hell aren’t you two going to be here, protecting me like you said?”
Trevor huffed out loud as he put the SUV in park. Orin sighed before placing a hand on her knee. “May, we can’t do everything. We trust these guys with our lives, and on several occasions, we had to do just that. They worked in a different unit but backed us up on a few missions once upon a time.”
Trevor added, “We will be heading up the protection detail around the perimeter of the house. Don’t forget we still have to watch your house. We have a contact or two that are keeping an eye out for Earl Timmons. While we are still working on what he wants from you, you will stay here and let these men protect you.” Trevor had all but growled out the last part.
May’s eyes widened. Trevor was giving her an order. His tone let her know there would be no arguing. Her safety was important. After the incident in the parking garage yesterday, she knew things were escalating. She let out a relenting sigh. It was no use in putting up a fight. Trevor and Orin were just as stubborn, and the looks they had given her were clear indications that their minds were made up.
“Fine.” She opened her door, not waiting for Trevor or Orin to open theirs. “Where are these guys?” Although she trusted Trevor and Orin’s judgment, she prayed these men were as good as they said.
She inhaled the sweet mountain air. It had an instant calming effect on her body and mind. A cool breeze suddenly swirled around her, causing May to button up her coat. May took a couple of steps forward, away from the truck. She was captivated by the gorgeous, picturesque mountains. The enormous home was surrounded by shrubbery, trees that housed intricate bird feeders, and ornate benches strategically placed around the property. It all looked as if it belonged in a painting or even an architectural magazine. The entire landscaped scene took her breath away.
There were several large multicolored stone chimneys, and tall, soaring, picturesque windows. This was no run-of-the-mill safe house. This was a vacation spot. A spa retreat. She could get really comfortable in that house.
“Glad to see you guys made it to our vacation home safely.”
May froze. She would know that silky-smooth, soul-trembling, deep voice anywhere. She felt the slow-growing quiver in her body. An internal battle began. Her body was reacting to the voice she knew all too well, but her mind was reeling with questions. Shock and confusion were instantly replaced by a quick recollection. Never would she have imagined that minutes ago, when Orin was chatting about the guys he trusted with his life and who had also backed him up on a few missions, those guys would be Remy and Kane. Learning that they had worked with Trevor and Orin was surprising, but it wasn’t as if she’d shared every aspect of her past with either Remy or Kane.
“Remy,” she whispered, just before turning to face him. She hadn’t heard him walking toward them. The ocean-blue eyes nailed her. How did he manage to do that? They pierced right down into her soul. It had been so long since she had last seen him. He looked angry, threatening, worried, and something she couldn’t quite put a finger on. The long-sleeve, black Henley shirt, black jeans, and matching black boots made her want to groan. If she overlooked the holstered guns, the man looked like he was ready for a night on the town, yet his stance and the way his sharp eyes scanned the perimeter spoke volumes. By just watching Remy, mentally acknowledging how lethal he looked standing only a few feet from her, she knew she should never assume anything.
Although it felt like years since she had seen him, it had only been three months. Three very long months. Images from the night she had shared with him and his brother flooded back, rendering her speechless. She was light-headed for a split second and felt the warm tingling below her navel. The fluttering grew quickly and spread throughout her body. She wanted to be in his arms now! But she refused to act on it, to move closer to him. She wouldn’t fold that easily.
“May, how long are you going to stand there?” Remy scanned the area once again before his eyes landed back on her. “I need for you to get inside the house. Trevor and Orin already grabbed your bags and went inside.”
What the hell? How long had she been standing, staring at Remy like a silly schoolgirl? “Sure, sure, I’m coming in. It’s just so beautiful out here.” That was all she could come up with, and he clearly didn’t believe her, by the funky smirk he wore on his face.
May stalked past him, trying her best to keep her composure. There was nothing she wanted more than to kiss him right then. She couldn’t believe how much her fingers itched to touch his face and to caress those lips just before she kissed him. But she knew things wouldn’t be that easy. Not by a long shot. She just wondered how long it would take before one of them brought up that hot, exquisite night they had shared.
* * * *
Remy locked the door and set the alarm after they walked into the house. He thought he had hit the lottery when Trevor had phoned him about May. It was clear she didn’t realize how much danger she could be in. Trevor and Orin knew of his and Kane’s connection to May, so it was only natural they would call him first.
It had been years since either Remy or Kane had been on a mission. They had traveled the world and hunted down some of the most dangerous men. Bringing the bad guys in alive was never a part of their missions. Remy and Kane had decided that after their death toll passed the twenty mark, they would get out before the job completely hardened their souls. Moving into the slow pace of architectural design and real estate had been a great decision. And their fami
ly was grateful for the change.
When they’d agreed to guard May, Remy had made sure to tell only his parents about May’s situation and where they would be and made it abundantly clear that no one was to call or arrive on the property unless he or Kane gave specified instructions to do so. He knew May was extremely close to her sisters. To keep trouble from brewing, he had managed to soothe over the situation with May’s sisters by telling them this was an opportunity for him and Kane to win her over. Which wasn’t a lie. And thankfully he didn’t have any worries about leaving the firm in the hands of his competent family and crew.
As he brought up the rear, he had the almost uncontrollable urge to swallow. Hard. May’s plump ass was luscious in her jeans. She had a radiant glow about her, but he shook that off as his mind playing tricks on him. It had been a while since he had seen her. He wanted her naked right there in the foyer so he could do whatever he wanted to her.
She had been on his mind constantly since that night they had shared together. If he was honest with himself, she had been a lingering image in his mind since the first time he had laid eyes on her.
He shook his head. May had dodged every call he or Kane had made to her. Now he had her in their home with nowhere for her to run. She would have to deal with them. They would make her face facts about the loving relationship they could have together. May was what he wanted, and she was what he was going to get. Remy smiled to himself. He was positive she would fight him every step of the way.
They had entered the spacious family room. After removing her coat and placing it on a nearby chair, May had moved silently over to the fireplace, pretending to look at the pictures sitting on the mantel. Trevor, Orin, and Kane were having a tense conversation that instantly halted when Kane laid his eyes on May.
For a brief moment, Remy caught his brother’s stare, or was it a glare? Kane had a puzzled look on his face as he looked from him then to May. Remy wanted to laugh when his brother’s brows furrowed and he cocked his head to one side, taking a long head-to-toe examining look at May. There was something about her that always had him doing a double take as well.
“Kane, are you all right?” Remy chuckled lightly as he watched May shuffle side to side, as if to deflect Kane’s roving eye.
Kane raised a hand to speak but was interrupted by the loud beeping sound erupting from Orin’s cell phone.
“What is that?” Remy asked as he stalked over to where the three men stood.
After a quick glance at his phone, Orin answered, “That would be the special alarm system we set up over at May’s house.” Just as he was about to explain, Trevor’s cell phone started ringing.
The look on Orin’s face was telling. He knew more that she realized. “I don’t need to wait to hear what Trevor has to say.” Orin locked eyes with May. “Someone has broken into your house.” He turned back to Remy. “My phone alerts me when the perimeter we set up around May’s house is broken. Trevor’s phone rings if and when they actually penetrate her house.”
“It seems both have happened,” Trevor interrupted. He walked quickly over to May and gave her a brief hug. “We have to get back. You are in good hands, and you know it.” Trevor winked at her just as Orin walked up behind him.
“We will return after we investigate whatever has happened at your house, but we need to question whoever it was as soon as possible. The men we have watching your house would have waited until the intruder entered your house before apprehending him.” Orin glanced over his shoulder at Remy and Kane. When he turned back to face May, his lips had curved into a grin. “You are safe with your men.” He hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, “Work it out.”
That was the worst example of whispering. Remy silently walked back to the front door, the two older men falling in behind him. He turned off the alarm and watched Trevor and Orin leave. He stood at the door longer than necessary. Things were silently heating up in the family room, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it. Something told him Kane had a thing or two he needed to get off his chest, and his brother was about to burst at the seams.
When Remy entered the room once again, he wanted to laugh. May was still standing in front of the fireplace, frozen like a deer caught in the headlights. He was close enough to notice that Kane’s calm blues had darkened. Remy could not tell if his younger brother was pissed or horny.
Something was off.
Remy ignored his brother’s continuous glare at May and instead decided to speak to her first. “May, would you like to eat, drink, take a seat?” She didn’t even look up.
Her eyes were pinned to the floor. “No.”
It was a low mumble, but Remy heard her. He stood in the middle of the room. Kane was to his left and May was to his right. The air seemed suddenly thick with silence. Something was going on, and he was completely missing it.
“All right, dammit, what the hell is going on?” Remy didn’t like being kept in the dark.
Kane’s lips tightened as he continued to stare at May, and she wouldn’t make eye contact with either of them. With a loud huff, Remy realized this was not going to give him any results, so he tried another route.
“May, would you like to see your room? Your bags are already in there.”
“She’s staying right where she is, Remy, until she can explain herself.”
Remy turned, staring coldly at his brother. He loved him, but Kane could be a real asshole at times. “Kane, we can discuss why our little princess has ignored us for the last few months later.”
Eyes narrowing, Kane shook his head and all but growled. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Okay, what am I missing?” Remy asked, feeling even more confused.
“Just take a good long look at our little princess.”
Remy noticed how the last word was hurled out with such bitterness, but he did as his brother asked. He turned and took a long look at May. She had on snug jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. He didn’t notice anything…at first.
His eyes started with her black hair. It was longer and shinier than he remembered, but it had been a few months. Her skin seemed to glow. Oh dear God, he wanted to taste her sweet, golden-brown skin, but he shook those thoughts away. He was missing something, and he wanted to know what it was. His eyes went down to her breasts. They looked lovely and plump. The T-shirt was a little loose, so he couldn’t see everything, but once his eyes locked onto her slightly curvy hips, his mouth watered.
Wait. A. Damn. Minute.
It was as if she knew what he had figured out in those long, silent minutes. May’s head snapped up, but Remy’s head swung back in the direction of his brother. Kane looked over at him and nodded once, still looking pissed, and now Remy knew why.
He turned back to May and her slightly curvy hips, plump breasts, and teary eyes. “Holy. Shit! Why didn’t you tell us?” Remy tried his best not to sound angry or hurt but he was.
May remained silent.
Kane answered for everyone. “You’re pregnant.”
Chapter 7
May wanted to scream! She should have known those two would have figured it out eventually. Damn, that Kane has X-ray vision. The minute he laid eyes on her, she knew he knew. It wasn’t as if she would not tell them when she was better prepared to handle their reactions, but she didn’t see this coming.
Hell. She hadn’t even seen a doctor about it yet. She hadn’t had one symptom that would have alerted her that she could be pregnant. May had unintentionally mistaken the morning sickness for her allergies going into overdrive.
She’d never missed a period a day in her life. It was like clockwork once she’d started taking the birth-control pills that gave her a menstrual cycle every three months. So when she’d stocked up for the occasion and nothing happened, she bought a test three nights ago. When she was suddenly swept up in all of the craziness, as impossible as it was, she had forgotten about the pregnancy test.
Neither man was speaking, just staring at her. The silence w
as killing her.
“Stop looking at me like that.” She wiped harshly at her eyes just as the tears finally burst free.
“I can’t be around her right now, Remy.” Without another word or even a backward glance, Kane stormed out of the room. His heavy footfalls echoed through the silent hallway.
May jumped at the sound of a door slamming in the distance.
“I would apologize for my brother’s reaction, but I can’t.” She watched as Remy paced slowly back and forth. “Wow.” He looked over at her, rubbing his day-old beard with his hand, and shook his head in disappointment. “Wow.”
May wanted to move closer to him. She wished he would hold her, but the hurt in his eyes was hard to ignore. She wanted him to do anything besides say wow. She was now a full-blown waterworks show. The tears wouldn’t stop falling so she let them flow unchecked. “I was going to tell you both—”
“Why didn’t you, May?”
The abrupt way Remy had cut her off was telling. He was angry with her, but he wasn’t quite ready to storm out like Kane had. He wanted an explanation, and he was willing to listen to what she had to say. That was a good sign.
“We’ve called you dozens of times, and you never once picked up the phone. Never responded to any of the voice mails or text messages. We were getting so desperate to see you, to be with you, that we were about to get your sisters involved.” He stood with his arms folded, consuming all the air in the room. “How long have you known?”
How long have I known? No answer would be the right answer. She knew he was going to be disappointed in her no matter what she said. At least he wasn’t raising his voice, nor had he walked out of the room. “Three days.” She jumped, startled when a harsh grunt filled the room. His eyes narrowed, and he shoved his hands through his hair. She figured some poor vase or picture frame would go flying through the air at any moment. “I found out just before all of this chaos with Timmons started.” Her legs felt like warm jelly.
Alexander, Kortny - Come and Get Me [Whispering Mountain 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4