Caught In Flames

by Natalia Banks

  To my surprise, Victoria leans into me, placing her face on my arm. I see the look and know what she’s going for. “I don’t love her like that anymore.” I’m not just saying it to make her happy. I realized that with her and Kieran so happy that I’m just no longer hanging onto fear he’ll hurt her and she’ll come to me .

  And if she does, I’ll help her. But it’s nothing beyond family love. She’s my sister now, and having my brother back reminds me of that .

  “You know, you’ve never even met Connor,” I tell her .

  She blinks. “Who’s Connor ?”

  “My other brother .”

  Her brow crinkles and I sense humor incoming. “Sheesh, how many of you are there ?”

  I put the half gallon of milk in the fridge and glare at her. She giggles and shakes her head. “Don’t tell me you two hate each other too .”

  The thought of Connor’s never ending support of Kieran and how he always tries to keep us close to mom fills my mind. I haven’t heard from him in a while, and it hits me now that he’s never gone so long without calling .

  But I’m sure he’s busy. He’s got a life too, a job, things .

  And it occurs to me how little I know of my own brother. He’s as closed lipped as they come and he’s never one to talk about himself. Now, wondering where he is and what he’s doing, I make a mental note to call him .

  “Do it,” Victoria says, shouldering me out of the way so she can put things away .

  “How do you do that?” I ask her, ever amazed at how she seems to know what I’m thinking .

  She winks at me. “It’s a gift. Go call this mystery brother .”

  I sit down at the kitchen table, watching a nicely-healing Sentinel get up and stretch before walking into the kitchen to see what Victoria is up to. I smile that he’s doing so well and that she sneakily offers him a bit of turkey .

  “I saw that,” I tease her .

  “You saw nothing,” She says, tossing me a playful glance over her shoulder as I dial Connor’s number. It goes straight to voice mail and that sense of dread in my gut grows a little bit. So I call mom .

  She answers, her voice light and happy. “Kyle !”

  “Hi mom,” I say, realizing I owe her a bit of an explanation. And I see Victoria peeking at me like she’s curious how this is going to play out .

  “How are you?” Mom asks, and I stare Victoria in the eyes as I answer .

  “Mom, I’ve met someone. Someone amazing .”

  I hear mom laugh on the other end. “She’s not tied up in your basement, is she ?”

  “What the hell, mom, no.” What is wrong with all the women in my life right now? And then I get it. “Em already called you didn’t she?” Of course Emma would put mom up to saying something silly like that. I bet they planned it as retaliation for me not telling mom sooner .

  “She did!” Mom sounds so excited I know what other news Emma leaked. “And she’s going to make me a grandma again. When are you going to give me grandkids?” she asks, her voice playfully petulant .

  “Never. I’m going to die alone, a lonely old man.” They’re her words, of course, but I’m going to tease her with them. But now, Victoria is watching me, her brown eyes wide, as if this phone call is what makes it real for her. “Mom, I love you, I have to go, I say, recognizing the panic in Victoria’s eyes .

  I hang up the phone and am at her side in a flash. Pulling her into a supportive hug, I feel her cling to me. “You’re okay,” I whisper, feeling her breaths coming quick .

  “You told your mom,” she says, her voice breathless. I feel her heart hammering against my ribs and I want to apologize, to fix what I’ve broken. But I let her speak. “What if we don’t work out?” she says, her brown eyes locking on mine .

  “Then she’ll accept that.” It seems so simple in my head, but I understand that things I don’t understand are valid points of panic for her. Part of loving her is being patient. Being understanding. Accepting her imperfections as features, not bugs. And, as I press a kiss to her forehead, I know the next words are going to hurt. “You’re here as long as you want to be .”

  “What if you get tired of me first?” she asks, her eyes worried .

  I can’t help but smile. “I can’t imagine ever getting tired of you.” And it’s true. She’s an amazing woman .

  “But I have so much baggage, so many issues,” she says, her voice little more than a humiliated whisper .

  I shrug. “Who doesn’t? You accepted mine and my crazy ass, broken family. I think I can handle whatever you throw at me and it’ll never be as bad as what I’ve put you through .”

  She nods and I feign insult. “Well fuck, you could have told me they aren’t that bad .”

  She looks up at me with an incredulous expression. You’d know that was bullshit,” She says, a smile tickling the corners of her lips. I nod in agreement, glad the humor helped ease her panic and worry. Even now, her breaths seem to be coming back to normal and her heart is slowing, matching the steady, strong pace of mine .

  “Remember,” I tell her, waiting until she looks up at me with all of her attention before continuing, “I’m not interested in where you came from, but where you’re going .”

  Epilogue

  Victoria

  O livia, my soon-to-be niece, sits next to me chattering about her horse, Warrior. I smile at her and catch Emma’s sympathetic look. I shrug, not minding the little girl’s attention. She’s so damn cute .

  Emma is getting huge and she looks uncomfortable, but cuter than hell .

  Olivia winds down a bit and Emma asks her to go outside for a while. When we’re finally alone, Emma turns to me with a sigh. “Summer is difficult,” she says, her eyes full of humor. “I’m grateful for my mother in law .”

  I laugh .

  “Wait until you have two,” I say, and she rolls her eyes .

  “I’ll wine about it,” She says, rubbing her round belly. “So,” she says, her eyes sly. “You have news for me ?”

  I nod, thinking about the route I’d chosen. Kyle had supported me every step of the way, and now things feel right .

  “I need you to be my maid of honor .”

  I see Em’s eyes light up, knowing it’s the first she’s heard. “You’re getting married?” she asks, her eyes dancing with joy. “Oh, yay!” She pulls me into a hug and I realize her belly is an obstacle between us .

  “Oh, my gosh, how to you live with that?” I ask, “It’s like a basketball between us .”

  She laughs. “It’s weird. But I have a feeling by the time I’m used to it, it’ll be gone and I’ll be listening to a screaming baby wishing I still had this,” she says, rubbing it again .

  But I shake my head, not buying it for a second. “You’re going to be a great mom,” I say, knowing the words are true .

  “I hope so,” She says, and I amend my statement .

  “You already are.” Olivia is such a sweet girl, so full of life and love there’s no doubt in me that she’s thriving in an amazing home life. The love and warmth here is everything I would have wanted as a girl .

  My eyes tear up a little and I remind myself that it’s a happy day. That the past is behind me, that I can choose to look back or I can face my future .

  So I start spilling details to Emma. “I wanted to do something small. Just closest friends and family,” I say, meaning them. But I know she understands. I’ve confided some of my past to her, knowing that she’s a good friend. I’ve also told her she’s the best friend I’ve ever had, because my past meant never getting close to anyone for fear they’d find out what was happening to me at home .

  And she’d come back to tell me she never really had friends either, but because she’d been so busy. Once her father passed away of cancer, her life became work, work, work until Kieran came in and changed everything .

  But now it feels like I’ve known her forever. And, with Kyle’s words in my ears, I begin to plan my wedding to the man who’s changed everythin
g for me. The man who’s not interested in where I’ve been. The man who’s interested in where I’m going .

  No, the man who’s interested in where we’re going .

  T HE END

  Unbridled Pursuit: Knight Brothers Series

  Part 3

  Part III

  Copyright

  C opyright © 2017 by Natalia Banks

  All rights reserved .

  N o part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review .

  N OTE: This is a work of fiction, names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real life is coincidental. All characters in the story are 18 years of age or older. Intended reading audience 18 +

  Chapter 1

  Jane

  I ’d thought going on this vacation would mean fun, maybe hot guys, maybe a chance at some adventure .

  Ugh. This place is boring and I wish I’d never come. I should have stayed home. At home, I could have felt sorry for myself while making comfort food for myself in my kitchen. Instead, I’m feeling sorry for myself alone in a hotel room with obnoxiously loud neighbors .

  Pulling the pillow around my ears like I’m some kind of face taco, I realize I can still hear them and glare at the ceiling like it’s responsible for my woes .

  For fuck’s sake .

  Are the walls paper thin here ?

  Should I bang on the wall and tell them to keep it down ?

  I stand up, feeling my white short shorts ride up a bit more. But it’s so hot here, there’s no way I’m going to put on something longer. I should have gone somewhere cooler. But no , I’d thought getting away from the coast and rain would be a good idea. Because I’m an idiot and I forgot how much I hate the heat .

  The grass is greener, I guess .

  Tugging an errant shoulder strap up, I place my ear against the wall of my quieter neighbor. He’s talking in a low voice and I imagine what he looks like. There’s something gritty about his voice, a gravely growl that’s enough to make my heart beat faster even as I imagine him as the monster of his own life’s story .

  I bet he’s tall; he sounds tall. That sounds so stupid , I chide myself. How does someone sound tall ?

  But he does. I stand by it .

  Turning, I lean on the wall and slide down. Running my hands through my black hair, I tug it back from my face. The front of my tank top gaps open and I roll my eyes. Sheesh. Dad would blow a gasket if he saw his sweet little darling dressed like this .

  I guess that’s a curse no one thinks about when it comes to having a ‘good’ family. Yeah. ‘good’ family. Dad makes money and we’re upper crust. But it came with certain freedoms and many more restrictions. Daddy wanted me to be perfect all the time .

  And now that I’m that good girl gone rogue, I’m sure he’ll have people hunting me down as soon as he catches wind that I’m gone. But I was smart; I covered my tail. I’ve got at least a week until he realizes something is wrong .

  With my knees to my chest, I run my hands down my shins, feeling the many thin silver and gold rings on my fingers roll with the motion .

  “Cami,” The guy on the other side of the wall says, and I turn to place my ear and hands on the it, feeling like some starved drama queen listening to her lover on the other side of a wall with his side ho’s. “I need you to tell my why you were following Olivia .”

  And I hear the woman – Cami, I guess – answer. “She’s my daughter, Connor. I just wanted to see her.” The sound of her crying is so quiet, I’m not sure if I’m imagining it. Tucking an errant lock of hair behind my ear, I try not to think about how normal people act on vacation .

  This is not it; I’m pretty sure .

  Ear to the wall, zeroing in on the secrets of strangers ?

  No way. I’m fucking psycho or something .

  “Were you planning on snatching her again?” he asks, his voice so low and controlled the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I shiver, wondering what the hell is going on. Every second that ticks by makes this whole scenario seem more and more off .

  I mean, maybe they’re rehearsing for a play. Maybe they’re method actors. Maybe it’s a social experiment. Maybe I’m some nosy bitch who needs to get the fuck out of the hotel room and get some fresh air or see the sun to verify its actual existence .

  “Why were you calling his work every day?” Connor - as Cami called him – sounds fucking scary .

  I hear her make a noise, like a refusal to answer, but Connor doesn’t seem to be feeling too patient. “Were you trying to threaten him?” He asks and she must have shaken her head because he responds with tightly controlled anger that’s more frightening than someone losing their temper. “Why then, Cami ?”

  The vision of the man forms in my head. He’s tall, I established that. Older, like Kurt Russell, and just as menacing. And maybe just as good looking. Slim… no, scratch that. He’s buff. All brawny and terrifying like Arnold. Wait, no, that’s too far. Somewhere between Arnie and that dude who plays Thor, what’s his name …

  Chris Hemsworth! I think. Is it ?

  I puzzle over my pop culture references and listen with half my attention. Whoever the dude is, he’s clearly intent on getting information. And I’m going to sit here on the other side of the wall we share and just listen to my very own, real life soap opera .

  Damn, I wish I had popcorn. That would make this all better. Except, I bet they’d hear me crunching on it and I might ruin their improv routine .

  My fingers tangle in my hair and I quickly braid the mass of waves that hang to the middle of my back. Not that I’m going anywhere, I don’t need to pretty-up. I’m not even really wearing make-up; just that minimal amount I need to feel human. You know, that little bit that means you don’t have to cringe when you walk by a mirror .

  Because that shit sucks .

  I press my ear to the wall again. They’ve gotten pretty quiet. I wonder what I’m missing. Then the man talks and the very calm, very matter of fact words send an icy shiver down my spine. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me what I want to know .”

  Chapter 2

  Connor

  I sit, sipping smooth scotch as I stare at Cami. She’s trembling, terrified, perhaps hating me with every fiber of her being, I’m sure. Good. Let her fear and hate me. Those emotions will stop her from doing something stupid .

  Like running .

  Like fighting .

  Like calling for help .

  What should I do with her? I’m here, holding the bag as always. I’m forever cleaning up after Kieran’s messy mistakes .

  But I’ll clean up his messes. Like I always have .

  He should be the one questioning her right now. He should be the one fixing this. He should have hunted her down, should have cornered her, threatened her; he should have secured his safety. And the safety of my niece, Olivia .

  Cami already took Olivia once. She almost killed her that time. Does he really need it to happen again before he takes her seriously ?

  I glance at her, seeing how she’s cowering in her chair like I’m going to stoop to the level of hitting her. Son of a bitch, I don’t hit women. I’m many brands of monster, but a woman beater isn’t one of them. I draw the line at intimidation .

  And true to form, I walk over and place both hands on either side of the back of her chair. Leaning down, I push my face near hers, leaving only inches between us. Deep in her dark blue eyes, I see anger, resentment, and the one I cherish; fear .

  “Cami,” I say her name to make sure she’s paying full attention to me and every word that comes out of my mouth. I need her to know how serious this is. Her eyes are locked on mine and she’s hardly breathing .

  I’d say she’s paying attention .

  “I need you to tell my why you were following Ol
ivia.” I say and her eyes begin to tear up like I’ve asked an impossible question. One she can’t possibly answer. Her eyes jolt to my arms as my fists lock on the chair and she sees the flex tighten every inch of my upper body .

  “She’s my daughter, Connor. I just wanted to see her.” Her tears are flowing freely now and she’s staring at me as if she expects me of all people to get it. After the unforgivable shit she’s done, she better feel lucky I’ve got a no woman beating rule .

  But there’s more information I need from her. Information that’ll keep me from sleeping. Information that has kept me from sleeping since she came back into our lives like a demolition derby champion intent on wrecking every last rig again .

  I clench my jaw to keep my emotions in check. And she seems to not only see that, but correctly interpret it as well .

  I ask her in a voice manufactured by tempered steel and control. “Were you planning on snatching her again ?”

  I stare her down again, silently warning her that I’ll know if she lies to me. And I won’t be so forgiving if she lies. No, a lie is a threat of harm and I’ll treat her accordingly .

  Her lower lip drops and I see a flash of the beautiful woman Kieran had fallen in love with. But years of substance abuse and neglect have stripped her of all but the framework of someone who clearly used to be pretty. It’s both sad and fitting, really. All beauty eventually fades, it’s the nature of the game. And it’s the reason I prefer substance over looks. Brains over beauty .

  But she is slowly shaking her head as if the thought of snatching Olivia had never even crossed her mind. And the shock in the very depths of her eyes leaves me believing it. After all, snatching Olivia before had been something she did while wasted on whatever drug she’d been indulging in at the time, and likely a generous helping of alcohol as well .