Breathless (Goose Creek Book 4)

by Lee Wardlow

  She shook her head and put the phone to her ear. “How are you two getting along?” Jamie asked when she said hello.

  “Just fine.”

  “You okay?”

  “Ducky,” she replied. “I peed in the bushes with my ass hanging out in the cold wind. I’m sleeping on the hard ground. I’m warm at least in the sleeping bag.”

  “We got your car and moved it back to the reservation.”

  “Thanks. Maybe I should have just hidden out in the trunk. I could be sleeping in the cottage with the other women.”

  “Or with me,” he replied.

  Or with you. Right now, Jamie sounded really good. Snuggled up against his warm body. Her head laying on his chest. “I missed you Jamie.” She had to tell him that.

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He had a deep voice when he softened the tone and the words like he was doing right now, it was like warm chocolate syrup flowing over her.

  She wanted to moan in pleasure and lick her lips tasting all of him. Nova loved chocolate syrup on her ice cream. On her bananas. Hell, she drank it straight from the bottle if she was crying her eyes out over a boy. She had drunk a lot of it when she cried over Tyler. Now she wondered why.

  “So when are you going to bring down the firewall or have you?”

  “I’m trying to find out who is after you first. I’ve been trying to trace the text messages to your phone.”

  “You’re hacking my phone?”

  “I am. Sorry about that.”

  “I have nothing to hide,” she told him.

  “Do you want to know about the text messages from Tyler?”

  She sighed heavily. “More of the same? Give me a second chance?”

  “And sorry to hear about Zach. Are you doing okay? Call me if you need me,” he added.

  She leaned back against the tree behind her. “I don’t need him. I have my family. Seamus. You.”

  “Won’t he be surprised to find out you are expecting a baby with me.”

  “CeeCee won’t be. The whore has gotten herself pregnant to ensnare Jamie Stone,” Nova declared.

  “Nova, don’t say that. What we have is special. Our baby is something special too. I can’t stop looking at that picture you sent me.”

  Note to self, delete picture from Seamus’s phone. “I’m still smarting over the black tie event in D.C. Can you tell?” She asked not really expecting him to answer her but he did.

  “I can. I meant what I said, I love you Nova.”

  She knew how she felt. From the moment she made love to him the first time, she was in love with him or she wouldn’t have made love with him.

  What was holding her back from repeating those words to him? They were on the tip of her tongue. She just couldn’t let them fly. She swallowed.

  “I can’t wait to see you,” she said instead.

  He sighed softly into the phone. “Can’t wait to see you either.”

  They hung up after saying goodnight to each other. They didn’t want to waste Seamus’s battery. The ground was unforgiving; in the morning, she was stiff. Her nausea was making her stomach roll. She sucked on saltines until she felt better. Then Seamus asked her the question that boggled her mind.

  “Want to go with me to find breakfast?”

  “Like hunting?”

  “Or fishing,” he replied.

  “Why not.”

  She put on the sneakers that she had purchased. She was wearing the thermals bought at Target. She slipped the sweatshirt over her head and followed Seamus into the woods. Trying to be as quiet as she could. She slipped once or twice. Stepped on twigs. He glared at her.

  “First of all,” he told her. “You’re hunting in thermal underwear.”

  “There is no one to see me.”

  “I can see you.”

  She rolled her eyes at him.

  “Second of all you’re as quiet as a moose.”

  “Be nice,” she snapped at him. Nova took a cracker out of her pocket and sucked on it. She looked up at Seamus. “Want one?”

  “No, I don’t want one.”

  He began walking again. Nova followed. She tripped over a root in the path and stumbled. He caught her. They walked some more. She was getting tired. “I have to pee,” she whispered.

  He stopped walking and rubbed his hand across his neck. Then he took his ball cap off and rubbed his brow with the back of his sleeve. “So find a bush and pee.”

  “You don’t have to be so grumpy.”

  She almost started to cry. Seamus felt bad for snapping at her. She really was trying. Not complaining at all. Doing better than Kale gave her credit for but they had only spent one night in the open with bugs buzzing around their heads.

  “I’m sorry, baby girl. Go pee. I’ll stand guard so the bears and wolves don’t bite you in the ass.”

  She glared at him. “Thanks.”

  Nova met him on the path when she was done. “I’m taking you back to the campsite so I can find us some breakfast or we’re going to starve.”

  She scowled at him. “I’m trying to be quiet.”

  “I know you are,” he grumbled. “Let’s go. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a stream where I can catch some fish.”

  Three hours later, Seamus returned with two bunnies and two fish. She had to run into the bushes and throw up when he skinned the rabbits, preparing them for cooking. Seamus cleaned the fish and started them cooking over a low flame. The rabbits he roasted as well.

  With her belly full Nova laid down and took a nap. Seamus watched over her while he grabbed a book from his brother’s truck. Pride and Prejudice? He liked to read but not chick lit.

  He sat down and opened the book. Shaking his head with every page that he turned. Then his phone rang. A blessed reprieve from the novel his brother had brought him as a joke.

  Jamie was calling. He had been trying to trace the text messages that had been sent to Nova’s phone for two days now.

  “Any ideas?” Jamie asked him.

  “Do you think it’s Omega?”

  “I really don’t Seamus. I’ve analyzed other traffic that came from Omega in the Fort Knox and FBI break ins and the tracing is different. The hops are different but sometimes their traffic seems to take different routes every time so it’s hard to tell for sure.

  Jamie ran his hands over his face. He was exhausted. He was going on a few hours of sleep and adrenaline. He wanted Nova back with him so he kept pushing himself.

  “They are using different methods to make it look like they are coming from different routes so you can’t trace them,” Seamus told him.

  “Yeah, I got that. How is she?” He asked.

  “She’s a trooper. Kale underestimated her.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “She loves you Jamie.” He was surprised by Seamus’s statement.

  “I love her too,” he replied.

  “Then do what’s right when you get her home with you.”

  “What makes you think I won’t?” He asked. He leaned back in his chair and waited for Seamus to respond.

  “Jamie, I’ve been around for a very long time. I’ve fished with you and Kale since you could walk. You have been running from commitment since you were old enough to chase girls because of how your parent’s relationship was.”

  “Nova is different.”

  “She is. I want to be sure you don’t hurt her the way that Tyler Danner has.”

  “He did a number on her.” Jamie agreed with Seamus on that part. Tyler intentionally or not had made her feel less that what she was truly worth. She didn’t realize how special she was. Jamie thought the man was starting to figure that one out from the text messages Tyler was sending to Nova.

  “I’m not bringing her home if you won’t take care of her.”

  Jamie laughed. “I’ll take care of her Seamus. I promise. I just hope she’ll still want me.”

  “Why wouldn’t she?”

  “Because I might have two sixteen-year-old twin boys, a fourteen-year-
old boy, a twelve-year-old girl, an eight and a four-year-old boy on my hands too. She might not want that responsibility.”

  “Momma’s not doing so hot huh?”

  “No, she isn’t. Seth’s been trying to keep the kids fed while she drinks with the money I’ve been sending.”

  “What’s Mark say?”

  “He said I have to do what is right for the kids.”

  “Maybe you should talk to Nova. Tell her how bad things are. Prepare her for this but I think you’ll be surprised by her reaction to that too kid. She’s pretty adaptable.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Back to the traffic,” Seamus replied. “Have you talked to Sly Lee?”

  “God damn, I didn’t think of him.”

  “Watch your mouth boy. I’m a Christian man.”

  “Sorry Seamus,” he responded. “That is a great call.”

  “Yes it is. There is one man who is almost as good as you in computers, it’s Sly.”

  “I’ll give him a call when we hang up.”

  Seamus watched her roll over and open her eyes. She blinked a couple of times. “Is that Jamie?” He nodded. “Can I talk to him?”

  “Jamie, sleeping beauty just woke up from her nap. She wants to talk to you.” Seamus handed her the phone. He did what he always did when she talked with Jamie. He made himself scarce.

  “How are you?”

  “Just tired,” Nova replied.

  “Hey, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”

  She was worried when she heard those words come out of his mouth. Nova could hear the pain in his tone of voice as he discussed the state of his mother right now. She could hear the worry he had for his younger siblings. She realized what he was asking. How did she feel about them living with them?

  Hell, they hadn’t discussed what they were doing. He just assumed that she would be living with him. She had to smile though. He was taking her into consideration when trying to decide what was best for the six children. One baby and six children of various ages. She was going to have her hands full.

  “Jamie,” she was still sleepy so her voice was soft and sweet making him long for her even more. She knew that he was struggling with this decision. She wasn’t going to make it any harder for him. “Whatever you decide about your siblings doesn’t affect us in any way. I’ll be there to help you and support you in any way I can. Is everyone all right?” She asked.

  “They’re concerned about Cami.”

  “I remember being thirteen and losing my dad. Jamie, it’s frightening when all you have left is a mother who can’t get out of bed most days. You wonder what will happen to you. Lola was only eighteen. To me she still seemed like a kid. She had to grow up overnight when my mother killed herself. Reassure them that you are there for them no matter what.”

  “I will,” he replied. She could hear the emotion in his voice. “You aren’t scared away by the prospect of six kids besides ours?”

  “Terrified,” she replied honestly. “But there are lots of people who can help us with this. We’ll get through it Jamie.”

  “Thanks Nova. I was afraid I might lose you if I told you I now come with six kids.”

  “There is no chance she’ll get help?”

  “I’ve been here a while. She was good the first week. Then she started falling apart. She’s not trying. Doesn’t want to.”

  “I’m sorry,” she told him. She knew what that felt like. She was so angry when her mother left them. She had always felt like she didn’t even try.

  “I love you Nova.”

  There were those words again. Words that filled her with warmth. She laid her hand on her stomach. Their child was inside her. She loved that baby as much as she loved Jamie. She wanted him to know how she felt no matter scared she was.

  “I love you too Jamie.”

  She heard his soft gasp. Then there was silence.

  “Jamie?”

  “I’m here,” he rasped.

  “You okay?” She asked him.

  “No, I’m not. I want you here with me. In my arms where I can hold you and protect you myself.”

  “I want to be there too. Seamus is taking good care of us.” She meant her and their baby. “He won’t take me hunting again though. I make too much noise.”

  He chuckled.

  “I’ll let Kale know that you went hunting with Seamus.”

  “I tried. I’m just clumsy. I kept tripping over things or stepping on things and making noise. I was irritating him. He brought me back to our camp and left me while he went to get food for us.”

  “That’s my girl. I knew you would be all right.”

  “I am,” she replied. “I really am.”

  “I need to go. I have a phone call to make.”

  “All right. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Jamie hung up the phone and dialed Sly Lee’s number. He worked security for his father at their casino in Cherokee but he was ex-special forces too. He knew things that most people didn’t know. He was good at finding information that couldn’t be found.

  “Sly Lee,” he responded when he answered. He hadn’t recognized Jamie’s number.

  “Man, you forgot me already?”

  “Jamie Stone, millionaire playboy.” Sly chuckled. “How are you man?”

  “I’m going to be a father,” he replied.

  “Damn, congratulations. I think.”

  “Congratulations. You know Kale Yaholo right?”

  “I do. He made the table that sits in my cousin’s cabin in the mountains.”

  “His sister-in-law is my girl. We’re having a baby in June.”

  “Never in a million years did I think it would happen to you.”

  “Never thought I’d meet somebody like Nova Daughtry.”

  “Well congratulations man. What can I do for you?”

  “Have you been following the Zachariah Daughtry case?”

  “Related to your girl?” He asked.

  “Cousin.” Jamie went on to explain how Nova was receiving threatening messages. Was blackmailed by Senator Danner in hopes that she could convince Zach to cooperate in bringing down Omega.

  “So do you think it’s Omega or the government?”

  “Not sure man. Leaning towards the government. Trying to scare her so she’ll coerce Zach into helping them bring down his firewall.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  Jamie recognized that tone in Sly’s voice. He had used him before to gain information about a security breach at a large bank in New York. He was in full-on special forces mode. He was ready to take action.

  “I’m going to send you some secure files. See if you can trace where they are coming from. They’re text messages that Nova received.”

  “You got it.”

  “You sure you don’t want to work for me full time?”

  “Nah, I’m good man. I like working with the family. You and Nikolai Guryev keep me busy enough to keep the adrenaline pumping.”

  “Guryev, the ex-head of the Russian Mob in North Carolina?”

  “One and the same,” Sly replied. “He’s married to a sweet girl I know quite well. They have their first kid together.”

  “That is one hell of a connection Sly.”

  Sly laughed. “Yeah, it’s enough for me.”

  “Well the offer stands,” Jamie replied.

  “I’ll keep that in mind man.” He was already thinking. Jamie knew Sly. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Thanks Sly.”

  He rose from the desk where he was sitting. A desk he had used as a kid doing his homework as quickly as possible before he helped his siblings get ready for bed.

  Jamie glanced around at the things that hadn’t changed about his room that he shared with Jessie, Kyle and Joey, his brothers next in line to him.

  Football trophies for all three of them lined up on a shelf bringing back happier memories of days when their dad was alive. Karl Stone never missed a game.

  Jamie touched one of the t
rophies. Jessie’s. All-American, his senior year in high school. He joined the Air Force instead of going to college because it got him away from home. Away from her.

  He picked up a picture of all of them. All twelve kids that someone had taken sometime after their father’s funeral. His first leave actually. Jamie was holding Kaylee in his arms. He tilted his head back on his shoulders.

  Now he was going to be a father. Nova carried his child inside her and it filled him with both wonder and terror. He sat down on the bed holding that framed photograph. Did she drink before he died? Jamie had to think about it. He guessed she probably did and they all made excuses for her.

  Momma has a headache. Let her sleep.

  Momma was drunk.

  Momma was throwing up this morning Jamie. Would you take care of the kids for me?

  She had been on a bender and drank until she vomited all over the bathroom floor, rolling in it. Coming home did things to him. It made him remember what it was like growing up with her. She was beautiful and fragile. God, they all loved her but she was crazy too.

  Things crashing against the walls as she had a temper tantrum over something someone did. Glasses shattered on the kitchen floor. Then she would disappear to her room for a while. When she returned her speech was slurred. Sure she was calmer. Happier Momma. Amazingly enough she was not completely wasted during her pregnancies. He knew even then that she had a drink or two to get her through life.

  He heard the screaming. Jamie rose to his feet and carried the picture to the dresser. He sighed heavily as he placed the frame carefully back in its place. Then he opened the door to his room. He could hear her screaming from upstairs. She was losing control. It didn’t take much to make their mother lose control these days.

  Then Wyatt and Bradley flew up the stairs as he walked down the hall. Bradley holding his little brother’s hand. “Problem boys?” He asked.

  “We’re taking cover before things start flying,” Bradley explained. He wanted to laugh at the precocious statement that his half-brother made but it really wasn’t funny.

  “Who is she pissed at?” He asked realizing too late he should watch his mouth.

  “Kaylee,” Wyatt supplied the answer in his tiny voice that still held a hint of toddler in it.

  “Ah shit,” Jamie replied.

  Since he had come home he had broken up more fights between Kaylee and his mother than he cared for. He watched the two youngest scurry down the hall and go to their room they shared with Mikey.