by Em Petrova
“I heard this group’s at a festival. You ever go to those?”
“No.”
“Me either. Maybe we could make it a date sometime.”
She gave him a small smile. “What do you like to do in your spare time, Chaz?”
He settled in to have a real discussion with a woman he actually wanted to know more about. “My family’s got a cabin that I go to as often as I can to fish and just kick back.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It is. We’re planning to expand it since the family’s growing. All four of my brothers are married. And my sisters won’t be far behind, I’m sure. What do you do to relax?”
She seemed to think for a bit before letting out a sigh. “I used to love just walking the plantation. I took a lot of solace in the land. It almost was like a friend. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. “That’s how I feel about the cabin.”
“I’ll miss my home the most when I finally leave.” She fell silent again, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. The action had his libido revving at the idea of what he could do to those plump lips of hers besides bite them. Next time he laid hands on her, her mouth would be swollen from him plundering it.
As the van pulled up to the front of the warehouse and the Knights started leading the men from the building, Chaz moved his shoulders to block her view. If not for the weird situation, they might be on a date, getting to know each other.
She turned her gaze on him. “Chaz…”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“Sweetheart, you never have to thank me for anything. It’s my pleasure to give you whatever you need.”
The words rang so true that he knew before long he’d need to contemplate his feelings and these changes inside him.
To admit that he already envisioned her at the family cabin, cuddled in his arms as they stared out at the bayou.
* * * * *
“Goddammit,” Chaz burst out for the fifth time, once with each time he paced past the conference room door. The closed door. The one with Fleur behind it, trapped with a team of OFFSUS interrogators.
“She has to be questioned,” Dylan said quietly.
Chaz threw his brother a dirty look. “They could let me sit with her.”
He shook his head. “Not the rules of our game. You know that. She has to go this alone, but she’ll be all right.”
The fact that Chaz couldn’t help her through this—hold her hand as the fucking men in black suits questioned her about the crimes her father had committed—was making him feel like a ticking time bomb.
Ben grabbed his shoulder on the way by, his fingers clamping hard on the muscle. “Dylan’s right.”
“I fucking know he is!” he exploded and tore away from his brother’s hold, pacing once more.
They watched him pivot ten times, twelve. He jammed his fingers through his hair and let out a harsh growl. “How fucking long can it fucking take?”
An amused smile spread across Sean’s face. “Spoken like a true Knight, adding as many fucks into one sentence as possible.”
He sent his brother a glare but kept lacing together the expletives until Sean had to turn away to hide his chuckle. Finally, Roades got in Chaz’s path, stopping him in his tracks.
“She’s going to be fine. We know how you feel,” Roades said.
“How the fuck can you know how I feel? Has Carissa been interrogated by OFFSUS? Fleur is in there with that fucking asshole McCain. You remember him, don’t you?” Chaz’s words were spat like bullets.
Roades nodded once. “’Course I do. He’s a real fucker, but he’s not going to abuse Fleur. Not with three other men in the room to stop any questioning that’s getting too harsh for her. OFFSUS isn’t in the business of torture, man.”
Chaz shot him a long look and then collapsed into the nearby chair. The thin metal legs threatened to snap beneath his bulk but it held. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor, blindly tracing the little squiggles in the faux-marble tile.
Long minutes passed. “She’s innocent,” he said quietly.
Everyone looked at him, and he raised his head to meet their stares.
“We believe you, Chaz,” Ben said. “She’s only being questioned because she was kidnapped and some authority needed to be brought in. Especially since the one to do it was her uncle. He’s clearly operating on Sutton’s command.”
Chaz nodded. “What a fucking mess. She doesn’t even know the truth about me.”
They narrowed their eyes at him. “What are you talking about?” Sean asked.
“She thinks I was just sent in to help. As soon as she finds out that I was gathering intel from her, she’ll fucking hate me.”
“I don’t know how she doesn’t hate you already, looking at your ugly face,” Rocko drawled. He shifted in his seat, making the metal beneath him snap and pop. “The base really needs to get some better seating for men who weren’t a hundred-thirty pounds. These would be more suited to church ladies at bingo.”
Several chuckles sounded, but Chaz didn’t add his own. He was too knotted, so tense he wouldn’t be surprised to bust off his teeth from clenching his jaw.
“For what it’s worth, if it was any of our women, we’d be losing our shit too, bro,” Dylan said.
Chaz started to say she wasn’t his woman and checked himself.
If this was Dani, Kath or any of the others who texted him constantly in that room, he wouldn’t give half a fuck. Sure, he’d get her home safely and make sure she was okay because he was a nice guy. But he wouldn’t be climbing the walls knowing she was alone in there.
“You guys can go on home to your wives,” he said at last. “No use waiting for me.”
“We’re staying,” Ben said, eyeing each of them as if they were about to protest. But all remained quiet.
As the sun changed positions in the sky, Chaz got up again to pace. The act of beating down the interrogation room door was a huge fucking possibility right about now. He swallowed another growl of frustration and went to the door.
His hand was on the handle before Ben spoke. “Interrupting will only keep her in there another hour. Just grab a cup of water and sit down, man.”
“I can’t drink more water from those miniature paper cups. Or sit in these fucking chairs meant for bingo like Rocko said.” He kicked one, sending it careening across the polished floor before it fell over with a metallic crash.
The door opened and they all whipped around to look at Colonel Jackson.
“Chaz, a word.”
His chest burned as he strode to the door and followed the colonel out of the room without a backward glance at his team.
“You don’t look like you’re holding up very well,” Jackson commented.
Chaz almost snorted.
“Follow me.”
About to bellow until the walls crumbled, Chaz did his bidding.
“Did my daughter and Ben tell you Beth and I are throwing my annual barbecue this weekend?” Jackson tossed back over his shoulder, referring to his new lady friend he was smitten with.
Chaz barely kept up with the flow of conversation. “Um, no, sir.”
“Well, I am. Make sure you’re there.”
He didn’t respond because the colonel had turned back around and walked up to a door. He turned the handle and pushed it open to reveal Fleur seated at a table, her head bowed.
She looked up at the sound of the door opening, her gaze locking on the colonel and then Chaz. Hope lit in her eyes, and he couldn’t hold back another second. He stepped around the colonel and moved to her side. She started to get up, and he drew her to her feet, holding her by the arms as he searched her eyes.
They were glossy with tears, her cheeks pink from crying. To be expected.
“Miss Sutton has a hard decision to make, Knight,” Jackson said.
He tore his gaze away from her to fix on the colonel. “What’s that?”
“She can go into
WITSEC until this is all over and she’s safe.”
Chaz was already shaking his head. “WITSEC is no match for mafia, sir.”
Jackson went on as if he hadn’t spoken at all, “Or I pass her into your custody and you’re responsible for keeping her alive until the smoke clears.”
Chaz’s heart gave a wild flop. “And if I’m called away?” As he would be. It was inevitable. It could be years before they hunted down Darius Sutton and arrested him for international arms dealing as well as murder.
“You’ve been doing this for a while, Knight—you’ll figure it out.”
He looked to Fleur. “When does she need to make a decision?” He was already forming an argument in his mind to get her to agree to come with him rather than take her chances with WITSEC.
“I’ll give you two minutes.” Jackson exited and closed the door behind him.
Chaz cupped her face and stared into her eyes. “God, are you okay?”
She let out a shaky breath and nodded. “I don’t want to go through that again.”
“Not as long as I can help it, you won’t. I was going crazy. You’re sure you’re all right?”
“Yes. Chaz, I had to tell them everything I know about my father and his friends. They asked me so much I didn’t remember at first but then things started to come to me, things I overlooked that now I see are fishy. I can’t believe my father is wrapped up in all this. To me…” she swallowed hard, “he’s just the man who raised me, you know?”
“I imagine that’s a blow to your mind, and I’ll do anything in my power to help you through it. We’ll find counselors if we need them, people we can trust to keep quiet.”
She raised her hands and covered his where they rested on her cheeks. “I’m not sure what I need right now besides a hot bath and a bed. I’m so drained.”
“Of course you are, petite fleur. But what is your answer for Jackson? If you go into WITSEC—”
“I don’t want to go into that program.”
“—I wouldn’t see you again,” he finished.
She stared into his eyes. “Chaz, I don’t know what’s going on between us, but—”
Jackson opened the door.
Dammit, Chaz wished the colonel had better timing. He wanted her to finish what she was about to say.
“That was only a minute, sir,” he said.
“Tough shit, Knight.” He looked to Fleur. “Your decision, miss?”
She turned her gaze to Chaz. “If Chaz feels like taking on the responsibility, I’d prefer to be released to his custody, sir.”
Chaz’s heart didn’t just do a dance, it did a wild jig. She’d chosen him, and that felt monumental right now.
The colonel gave a nod. “Then I release you from the obligation this weekend I mentioned before, Knight. Take her someplace safe.”
He stared down at Fleur. “I know just the place.”
“It’s settled,” Jackson said. “Knight, a word.”
Shooting her a glance, Chaz said, “I’ll be back for you in a minute.” He stepped out of the room and followed the colonel into the adjoining one.
Jackson didn’t fuck around the bush and spoke as soon as the door closed. “We still need information from her, Knight. Our psychiatrist believes she has more repressed memories and possibly information on her father’s dealings. And it’s your job to get that information.”
His jaw nearly dropped. “You want me to probe her, sir?” He could think of probing her in a hell of a lot of different ways besides pumping her for intel.
“You do whatever you have to do, Knight.”
He struggled to not slump and remain at attention in the presence of a superior officer. He’d drive a wedge between him and Fleur with his questioning, and she’d lose any trust she held for him.
Jackson’s gaze was piercing. There was a reason people called him the Eagle—that sharp stare could take down an opponent from sheer fright. But Chaz was a Knight and Knights didn’t cave.
“I understand, sir.”
“Good. We’ll be in touch. And you know how to find us when you learn anything more.”
His guts were churning now. He nodded. “Will do, sir.”
After Jackson left him standing alone, Chaz had an urge to walk in there and tell Fleur to take the witness security program. Because he couldn’t stand the thought of her not looking at him the same way ever again.
Chapter Seven
Fleur woke in a big, comfy bed and opened her eyes to a rustic room. The walls were clad in light wood and a primitive bench sat at the end of the bed, a light quilt in shades of blue folded on it.
It took a second for her to get her bearings, and then everything came rushing back to her. This was the second bedroom in the Knights’ cabin in the bayou. Chaz had brought her here last night, and after hauling in several bags of groceries, he’d set about making her dinner.
Now the scents of something baking hit her nostrils, and she pushed herself up to a sitting position, the big T-shirt Chaz had given her to sleep in slipping off one shoulder.
He assured her that her bag left at the apartment when her uncle had surprised her on the balcony was safe and Elise would be bringing it later today. In the meantime, she had done a quick wash of her panties last night and hung them to dry on a towel bar in the bathroom, donned Chaz’s shirt and fallen heavily into the bed. She couldn’t remember when she’d last slept so soundly, and no wonder after what she’d been through.
She got out of bed and padded to the bathroom in the hall. The cabin had three bedrooms built around a central bath that was quite large, but with a big family like the Knights, she could see why they planned to add onto the cabin. Chaz had told her all about it on their drive here. And in the pirogue ride through the narrow waterway to reach the secluded cabin, he’d talked about his plans for extending the deck.
Quickly, she washed up again and put her panties on. The sleep shorts she’d been wearing when her uncle had taken her were all she had, so she put them back on, but instead of going for the tank top she’d previously worn too, she kept Chaz’s big shirt with US Marines written in bold font across the chest.
She knotted the hem so it fit her curves better and looked in the mirror. The worn cotton felt good against her skin and what it stood for—Chaz’s training and strength—gave her peace of mind.
When she walked into the kitchen area, he was hunched in front of the fridge, shifting things around. He pulled out a jug of orange juice and gave her a once-over that raised the hair on her arms.
And caused her nipples to harden too.
“Sleep well?” He carried the jug to the counter and pulled down two glasses off a wooden shelf.
“I did. Too well.”
He chuckled. “There’s no such thing as sleeping too well, and this place does that to you. It has a healing quality.”
“I agree,” she said softly, taking a seat. He brought a glass of juice to the wooden table and set it on the blue placemat in front of her. “What are you baking?”
His crooked grin did things to her insides as he turned for the stove. “Don’t be too impressed. It’s just cinnamon rolls from a refrigerated can.”
“They still smell good.”
She watched his muscles ripple with the action of locating an oven mitt and pulling the pan from the oven. When he caught her stare, he arched a brow.
“I hope you’re not against carbs or something like that.”
She laughed. “You didn’t seem to care when you gave me pizza the other night. Or waffles.”
How long ago that felt. The last day of her life had gone on and on, rising her up on a wave of terror and dropping her frighteningly when she realized all the things her father had done. She was still reeling with what those interrogators had pulled from her memory—things she’d never given thought to.
As Chaz set a plate of gooey cinnamon rolls with icing in front of her, she pushed away the unpleasant thoughts. For now, she just wanted to enjoy a moment of peace and pretend t
hat this was her new life and her only obligation was to walk out onto the deck and soak up the Louisiana sunshine.
It had been far too long since she’d experienced such things.
Chaz took the seat next to her at the big oval table. She looked at all the empty chairs.
“It doesn’t hold us all, if that’s what you’re wondering,” he said, using a fork to cut off a piece of roll that was too hot to pick up. “If we’re all here, some of us have to go out on the deck and sit in the lawn chairs to eat. Not that it’s a hardship.”
She found herself smiling at the vision of Chaz out there, kicked back.
This man had broken something down inside her, and she didn’t quite know how to explain it.
The intense moments when he’d kissed her and touched her… Well, she didn’t plan for it to happen again. Though looking at him sitting there, his T-shirt skimming his muscles and his biceps bulging from the sleeves, made her rethink that decision. If he made advances, she’d have no reason to stop herself from giving in. Not when she wanted him—badly.
She was too mixed up, and she had to stop thinking these things. She dug into her roll, and the cinnamon and sweetness gave her a shock of energy.
“Do you ever swim off the dock?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. Most of the time someone’s pushed in.” He arched a brow. “Want that to be you?”
She laughed around a bite. “I’d like that to be you.”
His eyes twinkled a little too much, and her breath caught. The moment stretched as their gazes locked, and she had to force herself to look down at her plate with the tiny blue stripe around the rim.
“If you plan on swimmin’, I’m sure one of my sisters has a bathing suit here somewhere. Unless you’ve got one in your bag Elise is bringing.”
She shook her head. “Chaz, the money in my bag—”
“Won’t be coming with Elise. I had her place it into an account with a false name. It’s safe.”
“But that’s the money I plan to use when I leave.” If she had to make a quick run for it, she wouldn’t have access.
“You’re not going anywhere, Fleur.” His voice held a tone of finality that made her tense all over again. “Not until we sort a lot of things out and I know you’re completely safe to walk away and start over.”