Brother's Keeper III_Luke

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  “You don’t need to exercise. You’re plenty thin,” he said, looking her up and down. “But there’s a gym in the building.”

  He had an answer for everything. “Fresh air. Everyone needs fresh air and a little sunlight. It’s healthy.”

  With an eyeroll to beat all eyerolls, he fired back, “Balcony, rooftop, walks to get coffee or the pub. That’s it – no exceptions. You take me or one of my brothers, or you’ll really feel trapped.”

  She gasped. “Fine. What about Ronan and Ryker?”

  “What about them?”

  “Am I allowed out of the house with them, Dad?”

  “Dad? Jesus, Daisy. Fine, Ronan and Ryker too, but that’s it. Don’t even ask about Eva, City, or Sheridan. I don’t care how trained they are…it’s a hard no.”

  “Because they’re women?”

  “Yes! Because they’re women. Is that what you want me to say? They’re women, and we protect them, then we beat our chests and piss all over everything. How about that? Was that better?”

  “Chauvinist,” she said under her breath.

  “Pest,” he rebutted.

  “Pest! You’re impossible. I’m a…a…prisoner, and I didn’t even do anything wrong.”

  Luke stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to face her. “You are a prisoner, you’re right.”

  She crossed her arms in defiance. “I’ve been kidnapped and held hostage for my own safety. How does that even make sense? Prisoners have rights. They get so many hours of daylight and social time if they behave. This is too much.”

  “Right on all counts, but remember, being a prisoner is what’s keeping you alive. Once they figure out you’re out in the world, they will be looking for you, no doubt. And they won’t stop until they find you. They’ll want to kill you like all the witnesses before you. Keep that in mind the next time you want some fresh air.”

  Luke didn’t have anything more to say to that, because she was right. She was a prisoner simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn’t fair, she didn’t deserve it, but it was the hand she was dealt, and they had to make due.

  She was stunned, eyes filled with uncontrollable emotion. She knew he was right, and that was the worst part. Plus, these people – these strangers – were putting their own lives on the line to protect her and getting nothing from it. She felt spoiled and selfish, and she was neither of those things. There were no words to fire back, so she waved her white flag.

  He felt bad when he saw the emotion building. because she didn’t ask for this. It wasn’t like her to behave this way. She was feeling trapped, like a caged animal. Just as Sheridan had said.

  Luke turned and started to walk toward Watermark again, and Daisy followed. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook.”

  Daisy shrugged. “What are my options?”

  “Whatever you want. Anything,” he replied, hoping the gesture would be seen for what it was.

  “I could go for a fat steak and a beer.”

  He smiled. Again, something he didn’t do often, unless she was around. It was starting to feel familiar – feel good. Steak and beer, he thought. Dream girl. His own internal admission startled him. What was he thinking? But if he were entirely honest, despite their spat…or many spats, he didn’t hate that she was stuck there. In fact, it had only been a handful of days and he didn’t remember what it had been like without her.

  He was in trouble.

  CHAPTER 6

  The days passed quickly, and they fell into a routine as roommates with plenty of highs, but more lows. Daisy talked, Luke grunted. Daisy got frustrated, Luke grunted. Luke cooked dinner, Daisy was in awe. Daisy sang, Luke was in awe. Daisy wanted to go for a walk, Luke said no, Daisy grunted. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t hard either, and it just became who they were.

  Luke had taken Gibson for a mid-day run to help the anxiety he saw brewing in her – she was licking off patches of fur again. When they returned, and the dog was still having a hard time, Luke was concerned. The run hadn’t helped, and Daisy wasn’t home. She was off visiting one of the ladies in the building, inevitably contributing to the wedding planning.

  He liked that the women had all bonded and she at least had that little bit of freedom. It wasn’t leaving the building, but it was something other than being locked up. It also meant she had someone else to talk to because she. Liked. To. Talk. He did not.

  As much as Luke hated to interrupt whatever she was up to, Gibson was pacing, whining, and licking. He didn’t know what to do for her. When Gibson was especially worked up, only two things seemed to calm her back down: laying on Luke’s bed…all night, on his pillow, wrapped around his head, and Daisy’s singing.

  He texted each of the ladies, but none of them were with her, nor had they seen her. Luke began to search the building after checking in with his brothers. None of them had taken her to Wired or the pub. A search ensued, and he had everyone involved. She wasn’t in the gym, or on the rooftop – she was gone.

  “Who doesn’t own a cellphone this day and age?” Luke questioned when he met his brothers in the lair.

  “If she had one, we would’ve taken it, bro. Moot point,” Liam added as he hunted through video feeds, looking for her.

  “Where would she have gone?” Luke paced the floor, his nerves getting the best of him. “She doesn’t know her way around Portland. She’s only been to the Pub and coffee place.”

  “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere. She knows better than to leave without anyone,” Dace chimed in. “We probably just missed each other when we were searching. It’s a big building.”

  “We haven’t heard anything else from Carter,” Luke started again, his worry evident. “What if someone found her?”

  “Dude, first of all, I think you have a little crush and you’re missing your girl,” Wylie teased.

  “Fuck off, Wylie,” Luke fired back in typical fashion.

  “Second,” Wylie emphasized, “you forget we are in the most secure building anywhere. It’s easier to breach the White House than this place. Nobody got to her.”

  “Maybe,” Luke conceded. He knew better than to think Watermark was accessible, but what he didn’t know was what to think about the crush comment.

  Sure, he was concerned, and was right to be, but was he overly concerned? He couldn’t recall a time where a client managed to create such a knot of helplessness in his gut. He was worried, and Luke O’Reilly didn’t worry…ever. He defined confident and wasn’t capable of worry. Until Daisy, apparently.

  “I got her,” Liam said, drawing attention to multiple screens on the wall. “Looks like she’s been gone an hour or so.”

  “After I went for a run.”

  “Yep. Got her passing through the lobby. Hold on. I’ll get the outside feed up.” Liam nodded to yet another screen. “There. Got her. Oh shit.”

  “Who is she talking to?” Luke squinted, as if that would help him identify the stranger.

  “Not sure, bro. Can you get facial to match him, Liam?” Declan asked, referring to the facial recognition software they often used in their line of work.

  “That could take a while – especially if he’s a nobody,” Liam answered, his fingers flying over his keyboard. “I have the security algorithm set to pick up facials of known threats. If he were a big fish, I would have found him before he got within a mile of us.”

  “So, this guy is a nobody.” Luke let out a sigh as the threat level where Daisy was concerned seemed to lessen.

  “We don’t know who all the bad guys are, brother. Just the big ones,” Dace corrected. “This guy could be a local creep and not on our radar.”

  Dace was right. Their enemies were bigger and badder than any local thug. They went after the big stuff and left local petty crime to the Portland Police.

  “I lost them on the cams. City must be down or updating. They were on the corner headed west,” Liam said, pushing back from his desk.

  “Okay. There’s a series of shops, restauran
ts…” Wylie began.

  “So, what, she’s just out on an adventure?” Luke interjected, fury filling him. “What the hell?”

  “We won’t know until we find her,” Declan said, grabbing weapons from the nearby gun cage. “Who knows what we’re walking into. Prepare for everything, boys. Let’s go find Daisy.”

  The men moved swiftly through the area where she was last seen. She had just over an hour on them, and that was plenty of time to get through a handful of shops and restaurants or get the hell out of the city. One by one, they cleared each shop – no sign of Daisy. At the end of shop row, with only two remaining buildings to clear, Luke began to worry something had happened and they wouldn’t have a clue to stand on.

  “Son of a bitch.” Dace laughed, grabbing his brother’s attention. “Found your girl, Luke.”

  As the brothers began to chuckle, Luke began to fume. Daisy was just up the block, walking out of a thrift shop with a bag in her hand and a smile on her face – a smile that faded the minute she saw a herd of oversized O’Reillys headed her way. Luke was front and center, clearly pissed to high heaven.

  “What the fuck are you doing, Daisy?” Luke was angrier now that she was safe and had just been shopping. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to her, by any means, but her reckless behavior had him on edge – and maybe the fact that he was so worried to begin with.

  “Buying clothes. I’ve been wearing the same three things since I left Nashville. Your cousins weren’t really particular about what they threw in the bag either. I’m a stone’s throw away from looking homeless. I barely match and border circus attire here,” she joked, realizing only after she spoke it was not the right thing to say.

  “What? You used a credit card? If they figured out you exist, I guarantee they know exactly who you are and where you are now!” He grabbed her arm and guided her down street, his brothers surrounding them, watching for any potential threats.

  “I don’t have a credit card. I only have cash, and not much because I didn’t get my last check since there was this whole murder thing and I was captured by oversized goons and rushed across the country.”

  “Keep your voice down. You’re causing a scene,” Luke warned. “Goons. Cute, Daisy. Those goons saved your life, and these goons are keeping you alive. Besides, you don’t need money, so forget about that check. It isn’t coming.”

  “By goons, I was referring to you – not your brothers. They actually treat me like a person,” she fired back, her temper hot. “And I’m pretty sure it isn’t my volume that’s drawing attention, but the gang of giants surrounding lil’ol me. I bet they’re trying to decide if they should call the police. Let me just smile and wave so they don’t get suspicious.”

  Smile and wave she did, causing the brothers contained snickers to escape as laughter. “And of course I need money. I don’t need much, but there are certain things I will need from time to time, like toothpaste and shampoo.”

  Shaking his head, Luke looked to the sky as if searching for patience. She was driving him crazy. “No, you don’t. You need something, just tell me.”

  “Tampons, Luke. You want to go pick up some tampons for me? Grab some deodorant while you’re at it. I like the tropical smelling one.” Daisy was on fire. Weeks of being cooped up was unraveling in a moment of pure rage, and she wasn’t even done yet. “I think this is where you climb a really tall building with me in one hand and bat your other hand at airplanes.”

  Luke paused, a confused look plastered across his face. Given the laughter surrounding him, the brothers already caught the punchline and he was a step behind. “What? Oh, King Kong? You think I’m acting like King Kong? Mature. Really.”

  Daisy’s rage faded to a pleased nonchalant shrug. “If the giant ape shoe fits, just beat your chest and we can be done here.”

  “Beat my chest…” Luke shook his head, forcing a long pause before he replied in anger. “You don’t get it. This is literally life or death and you’re gambling right now. Don’t leave the damn building again, especially without asking one of us. Not saying it again, Daisy. You’re going to get yourself or one of my brothers killed.”

  Soft and sweet, she responded in a light, questioning tone, “Should I call you dad or father?”

  “Are you kidding me right now?”

  “Not at all, Dad…” The brothers laughing at the shot she took emboldened her. They weren’t getting involved for a reason. Though she saw now that she was wrong to leave, Luke was a pain in the ass and she was taking the opportunity to dish out some shit. The boys knew it, and if she hadn’t known any better, she would have thought they were enjoying Luke’s worked up manner as much as she was.

  “This is for your own good, Daisy.”

  She looked at him, making eye contact so she knew he heard her loud and clear. “I made it to twenty-nine all on my own. I think I have this life thing down.”

  Luke guffawed, shocked she could be so naïve, even after what she’d witnessed. “Really? So, you know what to do when faced with a stone-cold hitman who would love nothing more than to put a bullet in your head after they do God knows what to you? How many times in you twenty-nine years have you faced that one?” He paused for an answer, and when she didn’t give him one, he knew he was getting through. “Oh. Never. Okay. Maybe I do know what I’m talking about then. And you have no fucking clue.”

  “Luke…” Dace cut in, but didn’t finish his thought when Luke shot him a daring look. Though he understood the point his brother was trying to make, the look on Daisy’s face said she got it now.

  Daisy began to stutter, but not an audible word escaped her. He won – she understood and was scared shitless. Mission accomplished. For some reason, winning didn’t feel as good as it usually did, though.

  “No? Not a good idea? Sounds a little scary now, doesn’t it? Don’t leave the building again.” Luke pulled a smart watch from his pocket and slapped it on her wrist. “Now we can find you and communicate with you. Don’t take it off.”

  “Or?” she whispered.

  “Or you’ll really feel like a prisoner.” Luke walked off, letting out a signature grunt, no longer holding her arm. She stayed at his side, watching her surroundings. “You’re probably going to be here for a while, so you better get used to it and save us all a headache, got it?”

  The thought of what he just said – the idea of someone so brutally attacking her – left him sick. His intention wasn’t to hurt her or wish harm on her, it was to get her to understand just how fragile this case was and how much bigger than her it was. Truth be told, he didn’t just need her to comply for her own good, but for his too. If something happened to her, it meant something was indeed going to happen to him by way of emotions he’d rather tuck away than face.

  He broke the silence as they approached their street, his tone softer, but lacking any kind of emotion. “You don’t have to shop at the thrift store. I’ll get you what you need.”

  “I like thrift shopping. I love vintage things. It’s a fraction of the cost and has more character. That thrift shop has designer duds for bargain basement prices. Besides, there are better things to spend money on than clothes. These are just fine.”

  He mulled that over for a moment. Despite how complicated she made things, he loved how uncomplicated she was by nature. She was carefree and her own person. She beat to the sound of her own drum, and he liked the rhythm. Luke caught himself thinking of her that way again, and changed his train of thought. He didn’t like going there, pondering who she was and what he liked about her, because this was all temporary. And even if it wasn’t, he couldn’t have her.

  “Do you like bacon?” he asked her.

  “Yes?”

  “I’ll make a late breakfast when we get home.” Then he grunted.

  His brothers each exchanged looks and shoulder shrugs, all surprised by the gesture given what had just gone down. It seemed their consistently boring brother who didn’t have opinions or feelings about anything might have been co
ming around. A welcome surprise.

  Daisy smiled, because he’d said home.

  Luke was congested and sneezing in a not-so-subtle way while working in the lair on a government contract.

  “You sick, man?” Dace asked, sliding his chair away.

  “No. Daisy’s dog has been sleeping on my bed every night,” he answered. “She likes to sleep around my head. It’s the only thing that calms her down. Weird ass dog.”

  “At least the dog likes you. That’s something. Nobody usually likes you,” Wylie joked.

  “It follows me everywhere. When I leave her in the apartment, she whines. I hear her all the way to the elevator until Daisy starts singing to her.” Luke shrugged. “Weird.”

  “How is Daisy?” Dace asked. “Any better after the other day?”

  “She’s managing. Feels cooped up, but she’s getting by.”

  “Lydia really likes her, talks about her all the time,” Declan offered, his head still in his laptop, working.

  “City too. Daisy has been a big help with the wedding stuff. For some reason, they all want to make the decorations, like glittering Champagne bottles and shit. I guess Daisy has great ideas. They love her,” Liam added.

  “Yeah, she talks about them too. They’ve helped her get through the long days. And there’s glitter all over my apartment for your wedding. Keep that shit at your place, will ya?” Luke’s tone was harsh, because he was Luke, but he did enjoy hearing how much they all liked her. It pleased him, even though he shouldn’t have cared.

  After the thrift store blow up, they had come to some sort of silent understanding. She still talked a lot and he mostly just listened, but he tried to offer conversation, even though that really wasn’t his thing. The more she was around him, the more she brought out of him. He wasn’t so sure that was a good thing, because when she was gone, he’d have no one to talk to.

  “Carter said they’re serving arrest warrants left and right. They’re bringing this thing down, piece by piece. Each arrest gets them closer to the top. They’re closing in on the big fish behind the murder. He isn’t looking for Daisy, he’s running from Carter,” Liam reasoned. “Why don’t you let Daisy go out? Just one day with the girls. One of us can go with them. She’ll be okay.”