Finally Home (Home Series)

by Vaughn, Ann

  She crossed her arms over her chest. "I was on the floor by the bed, and no, I did not hear you."

  "You can't do stuff like that in this type of situation. We have to be aware of where you are at all times."

  "Relax, Commander, I was just in the other room," she said, starting to walk past him.

  He grabbed her arm just above her elbow, stopping her.

  "Do not walk away from me."

  "Hey," Gavin said, stepping forward when Mike put his hand on her. "Back off, Casiano."

  Mike glanced over at Gavin but did not release her arm. Lainey looked from Mike to her father and back to Mike, then sighed.

  "It's all right, Dad," she said, but he cut her off.

  "It's not all right. Get your hand off of her."

  Mike raised his brow but released Lainey's arm and held his hand up to placate her father.

  "Go pack a suitcase, Lainey," Gavin told her.

  "All right, just stop, both of you," Lainey said, feeling things getting out of hand fast. "Everything is fine. Tensions are high, but we don't need to start turning on each other."

  "You aren't going to manhandle my daughter like that."

  "Then tell her to use her brain and not create unnecessary stress."

  "Use my...! You just..." She was so mad she couldn't even form a coherent thought. "Look. Both of you. I am not a child. Stop treating me like one," she snapped, then stormed off.

  They were quiet while she went upstairs, all eyes on her. When Mike turned back around, Gavin stepped in his way.

  "I understand you have a job to do. But that's my daughter. You treat her with respect, you got me, Casiano?"

  "Hey, back off," Colt said, stepping in now that Lainey was gone. "He didn't do anything to her."

  "That's my little girl and I don't appreciate seeing anyone push her around."

  "He wasn't pushing her around," Colt snapped.

  "Stand down, Harris," Mike said, softly.

  Colt ignored him. "You need to understand that your daughter is a target. Things get intense and she's got to understand the gravity of the situation she is in. If Mike directs her to do something, she's got to know that she needs to do what he says without question for her own safety."

  "Colt!" Mike snapped. "Stand. Down."

  Colt glared at them both and then turned away, spitting out a foul oath as he did. Mike watched Colt walk away, then turned back to Gavin.

  "I apologize if you feel I'm being to harsh with her. I just don't want to see her get hurt."

  "Neither do I," Gavin said, turning away. Mike had a feeling they weren't referring to the same thing.

  When Lainey came back downstairs, the energy in the room had calmed; the men were all subdued. The officers had left. Only her father and Mike's team remained. They'd boarded her window with plywood and cleaned the office up and were now all sitting, waiting for her.

  Her father stepped to her first, embracing her.

  "I love you, baby."

  "I love you, too. Did y'all sort everything out?" she asked, glancing pensively past him to see Mike watching them.

  "For now," Gavin said. "Mike is going to take you to his place. Unless you'd rather come back home with me."

  She offered him a weak smile. "No offense, Daddy, but I would actually feel safer with Mike and his crew. Plus, Riley will be here within the hour to help look after me."

  "I know. I just got off the phone with him. He's picking Cam up from Jenna's parents and dropping them off at home, then he'll meet you at Mike's."

  "OK. Tell Mom I'll call her later."

  "I will. See you tomorrow, baby."

  He nodded in Mike's direction then left. Lainey took a deep breath and watched the guys emerge from her office.

  "Ready to go?" Mike asked. She nodded. Colt picked up her suitcase, and he, Whit and Coop all went out to the driveway, leaving Mike and Lainey alone inside the house. "Look...if I upset you earlier..."

  "No more than usual," she said with a soft smile. "My dad over-reacted. Contrary to what the men in my family think, I'm not made of glass."

  "No," he said, looking down into her eyes, "you're not. Ready?"

  "As I'll ever be," she replied.

  He opened the door and Colt was there to guard her front as they made their way to Mike's Escalade. She felt Mike's warm hand on her shoulder and took comfort from it. As he helped her into the backseat and got in beside her, she had a feeling that things in her life had just shifted and would never be quite the same again.

  Chapter Seven

  Colt drove them to the hospital. They were all anxious to see Tessa to make sure she was all right before they settled down for the night. Lainey was a little anxious about the guys seeing Tessa's husband again. They'd had enough drama for one night; she really didn't feel like dealing with more, but she was concerned about Tessa.

  The men surrounded her when they got out of the SUV, Colt at her front, Whit and Coop at her side and Mike behind her, his hand on her shoulder again. She felt a bit funny, being surrounded by four such large men, but she was extremely grateful they were there, and grateful for Mike's hand on her.

  As they passed the nurses stations, Lainey found it amusing at how many eyes were suddenly drawn to them. She had to admit, the four men she was with were exceptionally handsome. Colt stopped briefly to ask which room Tessa was in, then they were heading down the hall to her room.

  Shane McCanton did not look pleased to see them when he opened the door at Colt's knock, but he stood aside and let them enter. Tessa was sitting up in bed, her face still swollen and battered, which caused Coop and Whit to swear upon seeing her.

  "Gee, thanks, guys," Tessa said, teasing them.

  "How you feeling, Little Bit?" Colt asked, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

  "I've been worse," she replied. "Heard you had some more excitement tonight."

  "We did," Mike confirmed.

  "Do you remember anything about the guy who did this to you?" Whit asked.

  "That he knows what he's doing. He's had training. His voice is rough...I think he's older...late forties to mid fifties. He's about the same size as Shane. And he's crazy. He thinks Lainey is his."

  "I don't suppose he gave you his name, did he?" Lainey asked. She watched Shane pass behind all the guys and come to sit beside Tessa on the bed, putting his arm around her and allowing her to lean up against his side.

  "No...I did ask him. All he said was that you would remember him soon enough."

  "He keeps saying he loves me and yet he doesn't do anything to let me know who the heck he is," Lainey said, frustrated.

  "Are you sure this isn't some ex-boyfriend out to make a point?" Whit asked.

  "Don't you think she would recognize an ex's voice, Whit?" Tessa replied snidely, making the guys chuckle.

  "Well, I don't know!" Whit huffed, "The dude is saying he loves her."

  "I haven't had a boyfriend in a few years," Lainey told him. "And yes, I would recognize an ex's voice."

  Tessa moved and then groaned at the pain it caused. Shane stroked his hand over her hair and kissed the side of her head, reaching for the button that would administer more pain medicine to her.

  "We'll leave you to rest," Mike said, nodding to her.

  "Thanks for stopping by," she told him, the medication already beginning to drag her under.

  "Get some rest, Little Bit," Colt said, leaning down to kiss the opposite side of her head from where Shane sat.

  "G'nite, Big Guy," Tessa said, her eyes fluttering closed.

  Shane eased himself from her side and followed them out into the hall.

  "She's done, Casiano," he told Mike. "Don't ask her to take on another mission."

  "Don't you think that's Tessa's call?" Colt snapped.

  "I know that she is more capable than most, but she isn't one of you," Shane shot back. "Having Gabe was hard on her body, on top of all the other injuries she's sustained over the years. She doesn't bounce back as fast as she used to. Sh
e may not like it, but she's got to realize her body's limitations. I'm not trying to be an overprotective husband; I'm stating the facts. Her body cannot go through another trauma like this. She won't survive it...and I will not lose her again."

  "She's not going to be content to sit on the sidelines," Colt pressed.

  Shane raked his hand through his hair in frustration. "I know that, Colt, I do. But she can't do the things she used to be able to," his deep blue eyes shifted to Mike, "you're going to have to switch her back to tac support only."

  "I understand. We'll take care of her, I promise."

  Shane nodded. "Thank you."

  Mike clapped Shane on the shoulder, and then they were all off again, closing ranks around Lainey. They were all quiet until they got back into the SUV. Colt slammed the door and slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

  "This is bullshit!" he roared. "This is going to kill her."

  "She'll be all right," Mike said, "she's strong, don't ever forget that. She's reinvented herself several times before."

  "You aren't going to cut her out of Orion, are you?" Colt asked.

  "No, but she's going to have to re-evaluate her role and decide if running tac is where she wants to be. Shane is right; her body can't take any more trauma. I never should have -"

  "You can't second guess yourself," Lainey spoke up, cutting him off. "You had no way of knowing that he was still over there."

  He didn't speak, jaw clenching. No, he hadn't known that the suspect was still over there, but he should have. And he should have known better than to send Tessa alone. He'd come to rely on Tessa over the years. Colt had trained her well by the time she came with Captain Gibson to the task force. Mike had been impressed with her skills and had utilized her when he could. But after the IED attack, what happened to her on her last investigation with the FBI, and then her extremely difficult pregnancy, her body was just too traumatized to sustain any more damage.

  He gave Colt the address to his place, which confused Lainey because it was the address of a downtown warehouse. When they drove up, she saw Riley's truck at the curb. Colt pushed the button to open a garage door and drove in, Riley pulling in behind them. They were in a massive garage, with the sedan she'd seen Mike drive to Jenna's, a 4x4 pick-up, two Harleys and 3 Ducatis all parked in neat rows. Mike got out and helped her out, then she found herself crushed in a massive bear hug from Riley.

  "Hey, Tink, you OK?" he said into her ear, having lifted her off her feet to embrace her.

  "I'm fine. I hate that you cut your honeymoon short because of me."

  He sat her down. "Don't worry about it. Jenna understands. She was missing Cam, anyway. They've never been apart that long."

  He shook hands with Whit and Coop and gave Mike that one-armed embrace guys did, clapping him on the back. Colt, he bumped his shoulder into, each trading mild insults as they followed Mike to the freight elevator. Lainey was a bit surprised that Mike hadn't put his hand on her to guide her to follow him, but she supposed he figured they were safe inside his building. Riley came up beside her, putting his arm around her as they got into the elevator. She glanced at his left hand on her shoulder, seeing his wedding ring there and it made her smile. She noticed something underneath his ring and took his hand in hers to see it more closely.

  "What is this?" she asked, nudging his ring with her finger.

  He slid his ring down to his knuckle, revealing Jenna's name tattooed in a band around his finger.

  "Not always safe to wear a ring in this line of work," he said simply.

  She glanced over at Colt who also held up his left hand and pulled his ring down, revealing the same thing; his finger tattooed with Sarah's name. She ran her thumb over Riley's tattoo and smiled up at him.

  "That's really sweet, guys."

  Colt shrugged, then shoved Coop in the shoulder. "Coop started it when he married my sister."

  She glanced in surprise at Coop just as the elevator came to a stop.

  "You married Colt's sister?"

  "About three years ago," he replied.

  Her eyes shifted to Colt. "And you were OK with that?"

  "I want my sister taken care of. Who better than one of my brothers?" he said simply, stepping out of the elevator.

  Lainey thought that statement spoke volumes as to the depth of emotion shared between the guys...but it also puzzled her again as to why Riley had never introduced her to Mike. She made a note to corner him at some point and ask. Maybe Colt was unique in his thinking. Or maybe Riley was.

  When she stepped out of the elevator, she froze, scanning the enormous room they were in. It was the top floor of a converted warehouse. It reminded her very much of the converted warehouse she and Kacee and two other roommates had shared when they were in college, although this one was still a work-in-progress. The kitchen and living areas were completed and furnished nicely in sleek black and varying shades of grey. On the opposite side of the room, he had a full size boxing ring and enough gym-quality workout equipment to make the staunchest fitness enthusiast drool. There were studs set up that would designate guest rooms and three completed rooms that she assumed were bathrooms given their locations. Across from the living areas was his home office, which consisted of a large U-shaped black-glass topped desk with several workstations set up. A staircase led to a loft with an impressive library and doors that led to what she assumed was the master suite. Everything about the huge space was masculine and sleek, tasteful yet Spartan...she decided it suited Mike to a T.

  The guys went immediately to the office area, each setting up at a different workstation as if they'd all done this a million times, which, she assumed they had. She watched them for a moment, then decided to take a tour of the main floor. Everything was exceedingly neat and pristine; military crisp, as she always referred to her cousins' places. There wasn't anything particularly inviting about the space, and that saddened her a bit. Although, she knew he'd been staying at his parents' homes for a while now, in an effort to placate his mother. She'd heard him say a few times that he'd put her through enough stress, so he wanted to indulge her any way he could.

  He had a few pictures on the shelves by his television. Most were of the guys on his team in various desert locations. She saw a few of him before he'd gotten that nasty scar on his face. There were a few of him where he had a hint of a smile showing, but it never reached his eyes. She found one picture of him with his family but it seemed as if one of his brothers were missing. Kacee said he had two brothers and a sister, but there was only one brother in the picture. She wondered how long old this picture was. His hair was longer than he wore it now.

  Turning from the shelves, she saw something she missed earlier. In the corner opposite from the boxing ring sat a baby grand piano. That surprised her. Did he play? She had to consider, as one of Jeannette Chandler-Casiano's children, he probably did take piano lessons growing up.

  Sighing, she picked up her briefcase and laptop bag and settled down at the end of his sofa to work on some of her patient notes. She had a feeling he wouldn't be letting her go in tomorrow so she needed to send out notifications to reschedule appointments. It would be an inconvenience all around, and once this was all resolved, she was going to have a heck of a time catching up on everything, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. She absolutely could not chance having that man show up at her office and jeopardize any of the children.

  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the couch, listening to the guys talking in the background. The sound of their voices, low and steady, was oddly soothing and it wasn't long before she found herself drifting off to sleep.

  Mike felt a little better about Lainey's security here at his loft. He had most of the windows blacked out. The few he had cleared were strategically placed where there was no line-of-sight from surrounding buildings, and the glass was heavily tinted on the outside so it was hard to see in from the outside. His family called this his lair, and he supposed they were right. After years of government h
ousing, he was happy to have a space of his own to retreat to...and he was very much aware of Lainey wandering about in it. While he listened to Colt and Riley trade barbs, his eyes followed her around the room as she explored. He probably should have said something to her when they came in, but he needed to put a bit of distance between them with Riley around. He'd already succeeded in upsetting her father; he didn't need Riley to be upset as well.

  "How do you want to handle security for this place?" Colt asked, pulling him from his thoughts. "You want us to take shifts watching outside?"

  "That's probably a good idea," Whit said.

  Mike nodded. "I'll take the first..."

  "You stay in here with her," Riley said, cutting him off. "That's non-negotiable."

  "I can..."

  Riley pointed into the living area toward Lainey, who they all saw had fallen asleep on the couch.

  "Outside of Jenna, Lainey is the most important person in the world to me. I want the best person for the job with her at all times. That is you. No offense to the rest of you," he said to the others.

  "None taken," they all agreed.

  Mike nodded. "OK, fine."

  "Coop and I will take the first shift tonight. I know Colt wants to go back to the hospital and see Tessa. Riley, you need to go home and see your stepson."

  Riley nodded. "Are you making her stay here tomorrow?" he asked Mike.

  "Yes...and I'm recommending that Kacee stay home as well. I don't think they need to go back there until we can get a better take on who this guy is. Lainey says she doesn't remember him, but he keeps indicating he has met her, so somewhere along the line, she had to have had some kind of contact with him. I'm going to work with her on remembering." Riley gave him an odd look. "What?"

  "She says she doesn't remember him?"

  "Yes."

  He glanced into the living area where she was sleeping. "Lainey has eidetic memory. Photographic memory, as it's more commonly called. She doesn't forget much. If she says she doesn't remember him, then it's possible she never did have contact with him and he's just created these supposed things in his own mind."