He only had a second to drop the knife he held before catching her. A smile broke out on his face, his face lighting up in a way she had never seen before.
Even standing unnoticed across the room, she could feel his happiness. She didn’t know who the little girl was, but she obviously meant a great deal to him.
Ada set the vase aside, still not making her presence known, just watching the two of them together.
Seeing her reminded her of the books on the shelves that she’d wondered about—they made sense now.
But who was—
“Daddy, I missed you!”
One word managed to freeze her in place, her shocked gasp drawing all eyes to her. The little girl smiled with curiosity, looking over Keanu’s shoulder at her while his expression blanked completely.
Daddy …
Keanu had a daughter.
Soleil.
The light of his life.
Even knowing this was a shock for Ada who stood in the doorway watching him with wide eyes, he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t happy to see his daughter—even if he hadn’t intended for this meeting to happen like this.
No, he hadn’t meant for this meeting at all, he corrected himself.
Whatever this was, no matter how much he was enjoying it at the moment, it was still something he intended to keep separate from his personal life. Mixing business with personal never ended well, and if a child was brought into it, it could get messy really quick.
The last thing he needed was a complication following him home and disrupting the life he’d made for him and Soleil.
Moira hovered near the front door, her curious but knowing gaze darting back and forth between them, drawing her own conclusions. “She insisted,” she said apologetically. “You never said …”
She trailed off without finishing though he didn’t need her to—he’d never mentioned that he had company when she’d told him he was here on business for a few weeks. His intention had always been to wrap up this assignment and have Ada on a plane back as quick as possibly before giving Soleil the vacation he’d promised.
He hadn’t expected it to go on this long … nor had he expected to get as close to Ada as he had.
Things were well beyond complicated now.
Soleil, not one to be ignored, put her tiny hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look back to her. “Now we can go snorkeling?” she asked in an adorably high-pitched voice, the one she always used to get him to do her bidding.
He couldn’t fight his grin even if he tried. “Yeah, little monster. We will.”
“And swimming with the dolphins?” she asked next, hazel eyes shining with excitement. “Oh! And we can get Ku’uri’s pupus!” She was still talking, jabbering on about everything they would do while they were here, but all too quickly, she realized that his attention was torn between her and the woman who’d yet to take her eyes off them.
With the exception of Calavera, he had always been careful about the women he brought around his daughter. At first because he hadn’t wanted her to think he was attempting to replace her mother, then later because he didn’t want her getting attached to someone he wasn’t sure would be around for long.
Boundaries, Moira had told him when he’d called her years ago for help, are one of the most important things to establish.
It wasn’t the only lesson she’d instilled in him when he’d shown up six years ago with a squirming toddler and no fucking clue how to raise a child.
But that hadn’t concerned him when he found her in her crib, crying for a mom she didn’t realize would never again be able to hold her. He could have left her in Paris and let the police figure it out, but no part of him had wanted to walk away from her that day.
And he’d never regretted that decision.
Thankfully for him, Moira had experience raising children since she’d raised him since he was a boy, ensuring his childhood was relatively normal, no matter what occupation he’d later chosen.
Once a contract was signed, a mercenary was supposed to give up their family—it was easier that way, especially in the trade of dead men—but Moira had been one of the amendments he’d made in his. He’d refused to erase her out of his life.
He was never more glad for that than when he’d brought Soleil to her the very first time and watched her eyes light up. It hadn’t been her first idea when she’d said she wanted grandkids, but she hadn’t complained.
It didn’t matter whether she had an ounce of his blood or not, Soleil was still his.
Pushing out of his arms, Soleil forgot all about him as she walked over to a now wide-eyed Ada.
“Hi,” she said holding her hand up for Ada to shake. “I’m Soleil.”
Whatever questions she had or confusion she felt melted away as she focused on his daughter. Every part of her softened as she regarded her.
“I’m Ada. Lovely to meet you, Soleil,” she said with the gentlest smile he’d ever seen, even crouching a bit so they were eye level before taking her tiny hand in hers.
“You talk like Uncle Kit. Is he your brother?”
It was clear Ada had no idea who Kit was, but she hid it well. “I talk funny? I think you talk funny.”
Soleil giggled, seeming utterly captivated.
Keanu was still watching them when Moira walked over to his side, nudging him with her elbow. “She’s as stubborn as you were when she wants something,” she said with a nod of her head to Soleil, a proud smile curling her lips. “I slipped and told her you were here and she refused to let me hear the end of it until I agreed to bring her over.”
“Tell me about it.” She had a way of getting what she wanted.
Moira cleared her throat as her gaze went back to Ada and Soleil. “Is this one of those things you’re not allowed to talk about?”
The smart answer would have been yes—that was the easiest way to get out of talking about her and this and everything he wasn’t ready to explain—but smart answers weren’t always the truth. And he didn’t intend to lie to her.
“It’s complicated.”
“You’ll need to figure it out soon,” she said with a nod of her head. “Who is she?”
“Ada.”
“Ada …” she trailed off, waiting for more.
“That, I can’t answer.”
Yet, some small part of him thought.
Moira looked over at him. “You know she’s not going to want to leave now. She won’t understand why you’re here but she can’t be.”
He knew that.
She was used to him going away for work, rather than to a place she was familiar with.
Before he could think better of it, he found himself saying, “She can stay.” He could practically feel Moira’s surprised gaze on him. “It’ll be fine.”
He hoped.
Oh, how he fucking hoped.
Ada adored children as much as they terrified her.
In the years since she’d left home, she hadn’t been around many, but now she was standing in the room with Keanu’s daughter, trying to hide her surprise.
Not because she was his, though that revelation played over and over in her head, but because she hadn’t the slightest idea how she was supposed to act.
It wasn’t as simple as saying she was a friend of her father’s, nor did she want to mention the real reason why she was there.
And even from what little she’d gleaned from their short conversation together, these were the plans she’d interrupted when the Kingmaker had assigned him to her.
She hadn’t given much thought to it before when he’d mentioned it, but now she could understand why he’d been so angry.
“You never answered my question.”
Ada blinked, focusing back on Soleil, realizing she’d been standing there staring at Keanu and the woman standing beside him as they talked.
“I’m sorry, darling. What question?”
“Are you Uncle Kit’s sister?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know who that
is.”
Her face scrunched up as she concentrated. “Then how do you know my daddy?”
At a loss for words, she stammered, “I—”
“You can ask all the questions you want tomorrow,” Keanu called as he came over to them, “but it’s past your bedtime.”
“Aww, but daddy—”
“We’ll still be here tomorrow,” he promised, walking over with an easy smile before scooping her up.
Ada watched them disappear around the corner and through the door immediately to the left. Funny how she’d never thought twice about the door and whatever was hidden behind it because if she had, seeing Soleil wouldn’t have been much of a surprise.
The woman standing to her right, Moira she thought her name was, stared after them fondly before she looked at Ada, just as warm. “We haven’t met. I’m Moira.”
“Adaline,” she replied.
“I’m Keanu’s mother.”
A moment of suspended disbelief passed through her as she took the woman’s hand, but once those words penetrated, her face burned hot as she became rapidly aware that she was hardly wearing more than Keanu’s shirt, and though long, it was not even remotely appropriate.
“I, uh …” she cleared her throat. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, m’am.”
What could she even say?
They’d only known each other a few weeks, and in that time, she’d only learned about him and everything to do with why she was here, but they hadn’t delved much deeper than that.
Now, in the span of a few minutes, not only had she met his mother, she also learned he had a daughter.
“He’s a bit protective of his family,” she said as if reading her thoughts. “He doesn’t talk about us very much considering what he does …”
The way she trailed off at the end told Ada she wasn’t quite sure what Keanu did for a living, but that she was hoping she would shed some light on it.
Short of telling her what she’d done to be here with him, she wouldn’t be revealing that little secret.
“How long have you known him?”
Ada thought over her answer, figuring it was better to stick to the truth. “For a few weeks now.”
“And he’s already brought you here?”she asked, and for some off reason, she looked oddly pleased about it.
Maybe she was reading more into this than there was.
“Oh, we aren’t in a relationship.”
“No?” she asked, still smiling, making it quite obvious as she eyed her current state of dress. “Maybe … maybe not, but I do know you’re the first I’ve met.”
Unable to form a response, Ada thought of retreating, but Keanu appeared, gently closing the other bedroom’s door.
“She’ll be out ’til morning.”
“If you want, I can come back and grab her then.”
Something unspoken passed between them before his eyes cut to Ada. “Let me walk you out.”
Keanu walked her back out as Ada lifted her hand in goodbye. Of all the crazy turn of events, this was one she hadn’t anticipated.
She walked back into his bedroom, stripping out of his shirt and pulling on her robe, finally finding her bra in the corner.
It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes before Keanu was back. The silence stretched between them as she awkwardly looked from the floor back to him.
“So you have a daughter?” she asked, keeping her voice level.
He met her eyes, cautious and guarded. “I do.”
“But not a wife.”
“You don’t have to be married to have a kid, babe.”
Her cheeks warmed. “Of course not. Could be a girlfriend, a friend, or anything, really.”
His head tilted to the left a bit. “You want to know about her mother?”
“I want to know if she’s still around,” she said quickly, then shook her head. “Not that it’s any of my business—well, no that is my business.” Never in her life had she ever been this frazzled.
“Her mom died when she was younger,” he confessed, and from the way he said it, she knew it wouldn’t be a pretty story.
“It’s late,” she said. “I’ll just go on to my room.”
She didn’t give him a chance to respond before she slipped from the room and away from him.
What was there to say anyway?
He was a person too, with a life outside of what he did for a living. He didn’t owe her any explanation for that.
Christ, she’d only known him a few weeks, but she couldn’t help but feel as if he’d been hiding this part of himself from her. Not because he was ashamed of his daughter, obviously.
But because she wouldn’t be around forever.
Ada woke up to the smell of pancakes and childlike laughter filtering down through the open door of her bedroom.
The night before came rushing back to the forefront of her mind as she sat up, sweeping her hair out of her face.
Keanu had a daughter.
She couldn’t help but think of the sheer length of time they’d spent together in this house, the long hours they’d talked, but not once had he mentioned her at all.
Logically, she knew why, but it still didn’t erase the surprise she’d felt at her sudden appearance. Then, there was the brief conversation they’d had before she’d run off, not wanting him to see the look of panic on her face.
She wasn’t sure when it happened, when she’d stopped thinking of him as a mercenary or bodyguard and just as a man—or maybe she never had.
Figuring there was no point in hiding, she walked into the bathroom first to clean herself up, then started upstairs, pausing on the landing to look around to the kitchen, not quite ready to go out there just yet.
Soleil was leaning far across the kitchen island, watching Keanu with a rapt smile as he flipped a pancake.
He was in his usual attire of worn cargo shorts and a white t-shirt that did amazing things for the muscles in his back.
They made such an adorable sight that Ada found herself smiling, watching them as they interacted.
There were already two sides to Keanu that she’d seen since she’d known him, but now there was a third, and this one, hands down was her favorite.
He was relaxed, from the way he effortlessly moved around the kitchen, to the easy smile on his face.
Ada fully intended to enter the room, but Soleil’s question brought her up short.
“Is Ada your girlfriend?”
It probably would have been better for her not to eavesdrop, or at least announce her presence before Keanu had a chance to answer.
But she remained tucked around the corner, waiting on baited breath to hear what he would say. It was foolish—it was something even they had yet to talk about—but she still wondered how he felt about her.
Whether the feelings she was struggling with were one-sided.
“That’s the third time you’ve asked me that in an hour.”
“But you haven’t answered. I can stop asking once you answer.”
“No,” he finally said. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
Ada nodded absently though they couldn’t see her—she expected him to say as much, but she still felt a pang in her chest at his answer.
“But you’re here together,” Soleil added, not ready to give up. “So you must want to be.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“But you like her, don’t you? That’s what Nana said when she called.”
“Jesus.”
The sheer look of surprise on his face made Ada snort in laughter, drawing their eyes back to her. She couldn’t even pretend that she hadn’t been listening.
“You joining us?” Keanu asked, flipping a pancake before sitting the pan back on the stove and looking at her.
She smiled even as she shook her head and stepped further into the kitchen. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Nah, we’d be happy to have you. Right, little monster?”
Soleil nodded eagerl
y. “Daddy makes his special pancakes on Saturdays. They’re the best.”
“Then I’d love to join you.”
Keanu hooked an arm around her waist, lifting her with ridiculous ease onto the island. Soleil giggled behind them.
Ada, unsure of what all she could say—especially with how she’d met Keanu—she let Soleil ask her every question she could think of.
Where are you from? That one was easy enough.
How did you meet my daddy? That one was a bit more complicated, but she got around it by saying they met at work, which wasn’t completely untrue.
She had a way about her that was infectious, from the long spiraling curls that that fell wildly past her shoulders, to the way she used her hands as she spoke.
Ada might not have seen the resemblance between her and Keanu physically, it was definitely present in her personality.
Keanu’s special pancakes were made with chocolate chips, and once they were stacked, a dollop of whipped cream was sprayed on top.
“We can go to the food truck on Kanuai,” Soleil suggested around a mouthful of pancakes, a smear of chocolate on her cheek.
Ada hesitated with her fork in hand, glancing over at Keanu, hoping he had a way to explain why that possibility couldn’t happen.
“Later,” he answered, “but for now, we’re going to hang out here.”
Soleil thought it over before settling on a shrug. “Then can I show Ada my tree house?”
“Knock yourself out. I need to make a few work calls.”
Soleil hopped down, racing around the table to grab Ada and pulled her up. “Let’s go.”
11
Syn.
Syn hated the dark.
The cloaking silence. The way the shadows seemed to surround and tighten around him until he suffocated. It didn’t matter that it had been years since he was in a room completely devoid of light—he could still feel the hands on his skin, the slaps and punches, the way scalding water had felt as it burned his skin.
His memories blended one into the next, until he was no longer sure whether the torture he’d suffered was at the hands of the other mercenaries, or if it had been his mother and brothers.
By the time he was thrown into a room in the compound, Syn hadn’t been sure which part of him was reacting to the absence of light. The scared little boy who’d been trapped in a house with a mad woman and demented siblings who’d liked to see just how tough he was, or the savage his old organization had shaped and molded until his crazy became a weapon for them to utilize.
Skorpion. (Den of Mercenaries Book 5) Page 12