“No. God, Leo, why?”
“I told you I’d keep you safe.”
“I know, but…” I took a deep breath, swallowing back my tears. “No. No, this is not how this is going to end. You said you’re where?”
“It’s an old lumber mill, just outside a town called Kennett Falls.”
I opened Google maps, and searched for Kennett Falls.
“What are you doing?” Zoe asked.
“I’m getting him out.”
“Hannah, you can’t,” he said. “This place is crawling with people. Armed guards. Who knows what else. I can barely see anything from where I am.”
“And where are you, exactly?”
“The accountant’s office. Door’s locked, but only until someone decides to come in.”
“How many people?”
“I don’t know,” he whispered. “I had eyes on two guards when I came in. But people started showing up after I got inside. There’s no way I’m walking out of here.”
“You will if we create a distraction,” I said. “Sit tight. I’m getting you out of there.”
I zoomed in on the map and found the lumber mill. The satellite image showed the building. A fence surrounded it. It wasn’t far from the town, but there wasn’t anything else nearby. Just trees. It was isolated. Easy to defend. Perfect for a criminal operation.
“Is there a sprinkler system?” I asked.
“No,” Leo whispered.
“Damn it.” If he could trigger the sprinklers, it might be enough to make everyone evacuate. But fire gave me an idea. Maybe we didn’t need sprinklers. Or actual fire. “Is the money guy’s PC on?”
“No.”
“Power it on for me.”
There was a moment of quiet. “Done. It’s coming up. What are you doing?”
“I’m going to place a 911 call to report a fire.”
“What?” Leo asked.
“Trust me.” I explained what I was doing as I worked, as much for everyone here as for Leo. “I’m going to connect to the computer there, but I’m routing through a proxy in Russia. My signal will be untraceable.”
“Holy shit, baby,” he said. “And connecting to this machine through the card I installed.”
“Exactly.” It took a few more seconds to connect. “Now time for a voice-over-IP phone call. I’ll keep you on speaker, Leo, but stay quiet.” I dialed 911 through the computer Leo had hacked. To the 911 operator, it would look like the call was coming directly from the lumber mill.
An operator answered. “Nine one one, please state your emergency.”
“Oh my god, there’s a fire.”
“What’s your location?”
“I’m at the lumber mill outside Kennett Falls,” I said. “My dad works here, and I don’t know where he is. I’m stuck in his office and the door’s hot.”
“Okay, stay right where you are,” she said. “I’m sending emergency responders now.”
“Please hurry.”
“Miss, is there another way out?” she asked.
“No, just one door.”
“Okay, just stay where you are,” she said. “They’re already on their way.”
“Thank you so much.”
She was probably about to instruct me to stay on the line, but I ended the call.
“Fuck,” Leo whispered.
My heart leapt into my throat. “What happened?”
“Someone just tried the door.”
“Don’t hang up,” I said.
“I’m just turning off the PC,” he said. “If I actually get out of here, I don’t want them to know it’s been touched.”
“You are getting out of there,” I said. “The fire department should be minutes away.”
“Hannah, I love you,” he said.
“I love you too, but please stop trying to say goodbye.”
I bit my lower lip, my entire body rigid with tension. Please get there before they find him. Please.
Minutes went by. Leo didn’t say anything, but I could hear him breathing on the other end. Everyone behind me was silent. I couldn’t even look at his family. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping for a fucking miracle.
“Something’s happening,” Leo whispered.
I almost flew out of the chair. “Wait for it. Don’t go too soon.”
“I know.”
My heart raced and my palms were clammy with sweat. “Is it the fire department?”
“I think so,” he said. “I hear sirens. Lots of voices out there. Baby, I’m going to hang up now. I’ll call you when I’m out.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said. “So much.”
He ended the call.
I’d never been so scared in my life—or so helpless. The man I loved was sneaking out of a criminal organization’s stronghold and there was nothing more I could do to help him.
Please get out, Leo. Please.
We sat in tense silence while the minutes ticked by. My eyes stayed locked on my phone. I tried to imagine Leo. Where was he now? Still in the office? Creeping down a hallway? Was he staying hidden, or trying to blend in and look like he belonged? What would happen if someone caught him?
I stopped myself from pondering that last question. I knew the answer and it wasn’t something I could let myself think.
Cooper got up and started to pace in silence while Amelia stood to the side, her arms hugged around herself. Zoe stood nearby, chewing on her thumbnail, tears shining in her eyes. Brynn and Chase sat on the couch together, their hands clasped.
Six minutes since he hung up.
“When do we panic?” Zoe asked.
“Not yet,” I said. “He’ll get out.”
We kept waiting. Another minute ticked by. I stared at my phone, as if I could will him to call. As if the power of my hope and love would change anything.
Eight minutes.
Cooper sat down again, but shook his leg, like he couldn’t be still. Amelia sat next to him and rubbed his back, her face drawn with worry.
Nine minutes.
Come on, Leo. Get out of there.
It rang, Leo’s number flashing on the screen.
“Oh my god.” I swiped to answer so fast I almost dropped it. “Leo?”
“I’m out.”
Clutching my chest, I choked out a sob.
“Holy fuck, baby,” he said. It sounded like he was running. “Fire trucks, paramedics. They sent everything. The entire place is chaos right now. I can hear more sirens. Maybe cops, I don’t know.”
“But you’re out?”
“Yeah, I crawled back under the fence where I got in,” he said. “I’m almost to the car.”
Tears ran down my cheeks. I could barely speak. “Leo.”
“I’m coming, baby. I’m coming home.”
Thirty-Nine
Leo
When I drove through the gates to Salishan Cellars, I was hit with a deep sense of relief. But it was different from the other times I’d returned home. Usually I was jittery with PTSD-induced anxiety. Coming home to my family’s land eased my body’s tendency to panic.
This time, it was simpler. I’d gone out, knowing I might not return. But I had. I was coming home, and it wasn’t my fight against agoraphobia that brought the sense of calm and peace I felt as I drove toward my mom’s house. It was knowing I’d made it. I was alive, and Hannah was here waiting for me.
That seemed like a healthy reaction to what I’d been through today.
I’d stayed on the phone with Hannah most of the drive back. We hadn’t even talked much. A few words here and there. She’d walked over to my mom’s house and sat on the porch, and we’d simply existed in the silence together. Taking comfort in knowing the other was just a word away.
She was still on the porch when I pulled up in front of Mom’s house. As soon as I got out of the car, she stood and raced down the steps, launching herself into my arms.
I held her tight, crushing her against me. Finally let the reality of what I
’d done sink in. I hadn’t thought I’d get this chance again. To hold her. Touch her. Kiss her.
“You crazy asshole,” she said, her words muffled by my coat. “Don’t you ever do something like that again.”
“It’s okay,” I murmured into her hair. “I love you, Hannah. It’s okay.”
She trembled with sobs, so I didn’t let go. Held her tight and stroked her hair. God, I loved this woman. I wasn’t ever letting go of her again. I’d do whatever it took.
Mom’s front door opened. I heard shouts of he’s home, and my family started pouring out.
I kissed the top of Hannah’s head and she pulled away. She had tears in her eyes, but she stepped back as my mom approached.
“Come here,” Mom said, her eyes glistening. She held out her arms and I stepped into her hug. Then she grabbed Hannah and pulled her in too. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing my son back to me.”
And I knew she didn’t just mean today.
After my mom finally let go, I hugged everyone. It still didn’t feel great to be touched by anyone other than Hannah. But today, I welcomed the embraces of my crazy family. My brothers. My sisters. My mom. Ben. All these people who had loved me through the worst times of my life. Who’d never given up on me. Who would have taken care of Hannah and our baby if I hadn’t made it home today.
I loved them all so much.
We went inside and I filled them in on what had happened. They already knew most of it. I told them about the chaos that had ensued after Hannah’s fake 911 call. How I’d been able to sneak out while the building was being evacuated. How I’d crept away to the spot in the fence I’d cut to get in. And then ran my ass off into the woods, back to Mom’s car.
By the time Hannah and I left and went home, we were both exhausted. We needed to talk—there was so much to say—but we both needed sleep. I curled up beneath the covers with her in my arms and relaxed, feeling good for the first time in days.
* * *
Hannah stirred, her warm body shifting against me. Her back was to my front, my arm around her belly. She arched, pressing her ass into my groin and I groaned. She felt so good. I slid my hand up to cup her breast and squeezed gently.
“Mmm,” she murmured, nuzzling back against me.
I didn’t know what time it was, but it was dark outside. We must have slept for several hours. I kissed her neck and shoulder, gratitude filling me. Nothing had ever felt as good as Hannah in my arms.
But as much as I wanted to keep going—get her naked so I could kiss her all over—I knew we needed to talk first. There was too much to say.
“Are you ready to wake up?” I asked.
She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Yeah, I’m awake.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good.” I kissed her shoulder again. “We need to talk.”
“Yeah, we do.” She turned over.
I lay on my side facing her, my head resting on the pillow. Even in the darkness, I felt exposed and vulnerable being this close to her. But that was what we needed. Truth. Vulnerability. No more barriers.
“I need to tell you some things. But… this is going to be hard for me. I need you to know what happened. How I got this.” I gestured to my face.
“Are you sure you want to talk about it now?” she asked.
“Yes. The thing is, I never talk about it. My family doesn’t even know the whole story. But I really need you to know the truth.”
She nodded, tucking her hands beneath her cheek. “Okay.”
I took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you where I was or exactly what I was doing. It’s all classified. But I worked in military intelligence and let’s say there are reasons I knew how to do what I did today.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured.”
“We were overseas, and we were deep in the shit. Every move we made was dangerous. And I fucked up. I trusted an asset too far and compromised our location. It was a bad judgment call and it was all on me.” I took another breath. “That breach put a lot of people in danger. Lives were at stake, not to mention the intel we’d collected. There was no way we could let them find what we knew. So I did everything I could to make sure my men got out. And I stayed behind to take care of the rest.”
“What do you mean, take care of the rest?”
“Destroy the evidence,” I said. “I waited as long as I could to give my men time to get clear. Let the enemy get close. And then I blew that shit to kingdom come.”
Her lips parted and her eyes shone with sudden tears. “Leo.”
“I’d made my peace with it. I knew I wasn’t walking away. And that was how it should have been. It was my responsibility. They were my responsibility.” I rolled to my back and looked at the ceiling. “None of my men made it out. They were ambushed before they could get to safety.”
“Oh no,” she breathed.
“A few hours later, an extraction team pulled my body out of the wreckage. Except somehow, I was still alive.”
“Oh god.”
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. I was the one who fucked up. My men were supposed to get out. Instead, they all got riddled with bullets. And I wasn’t dead.”
“You set off the explosion that burned you?” she asked, her voice quiet.
I nodded. “I knew I was going to die that day. And it would have been okay. I was ready. But I woke up in a fucking hospital in so much pain I thought I was in hell.”
“How long was it before you came home?”
“Months,” I said. “I was in a field hospital for a while, then airlifted to another facility for more treatment. They sent me stateside for surgery, then home to recover.”
“And then you didn’t leave.”
“Nope. At first I was just in too much pain to do anything. I was staying at my mom’s house and I’d lie in bed most of the day because it fucking hurt to even move. Then I started having panic attacks. Mostly at night. I’d wake up and think the house was on fire or that I’d been shot. One night I ran out into the vineyard. I was so out of it, I thought my dad was trying to kill me. It took him four hours to coax me back inside.”
“Oh my god.”
“There was talk of admitting me to a mental hospital, but Mom wouldn’t let them. I begged her not to. Begged her to let me stay. By then, I was terrified of leaving.”
She reached over and gently stroked my arm.
“My sanity started to come back, though. I still had problems with panic attacks, obviously. But I was coherent. My body starting to heal helped. Being in that much pain all the time can make you crazy. Literally. As my burns got better, I started thinking clearly again.”
“Is that when you started gaming?” she asked.
“Yeah. It was a good escape. Too good, sometimes. But it helped. And I met you.”
“I always knew there was something wrong,” she said. “I could hear it in your voice. But I was afraid to ask. I felt like you didn’t want me to.”
“At the time, I didn’t. When I was gaming, especially with you, I could forget for a while. It felt good.”
“You realize, you didn’t deserve this,” she said, reaching up to touch my face.
I didn’t shy away. Let her run her fingers across my scarred skin. “Yes, I did. I got people killed. I have to carry that around with me for the rest of my life.”
“But you were willing to sacrifice your life for theirs,” she said. “Not many people would do that, no matter the circumstances. And you did it again today. You went out there and risked your life to protect your family. To protect me… and our baby.”
I turned toward her and slid my hand through her hair. “Of course I did. I’d do anything for you.”
“Even raise this baby with me?”
“Yes,” I said, not breaking eye contact. “Especially raise our baby with you. I’ll be completely honest, I’m terrified. But I won’t let fear hold me back anymore. Not when it comes to you.”
“This baby i
s going to love you because you’re his or her daddy, Leo. Nothing else is going to matter. Not your face or your scars or anything in your past.”
“It’s still hard for me to believe that, but I’m going to trust you,” I said. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for how I’ve behaved the last few days. When you told me you were pregnant, I should have taken you in my arms and held you.”
“When you left, I thought that meant the baby was a deal breaker for you,” she said, her voice trembling. “I thought you’d broken up with me because I was pregnant.”
I closed my eyes, feeling awful for how I’d treated her. “God, no. I was surprised. And the fact that I’m kinda fucked up is no excuse. Although maybe if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been such a dick to you. I didn’t know how to react, but that doesn’t make it okay.”
“You’ve been through a lot lately,” she said. “Everything with your dad, and the threats to your family.”
“I still should have put you first. I shouldn’t have done the things I did, and I’m so sorry.”
“I forgive you,” she said, tracing her fingers down my beard.
“Thank you. I know I’m a mess, but I’m going to keep trying. I’m going to keep getting better. I promise you.”
“I know you will.”
“And I don’t want you to move out,” I said. “I want you to live here, with me. I want you to stay, and marry me, and have my baby and be a family.”
Her eyes filled with tears and she smiled. “Leo, did you just propose?”
“Yeah, but I’ll do it again and do it right. I just want you to know, I want everything with you. I want you forever, no matter what.”
“I want you forever, too,” she said through her tears.
“Does that mean you will?”
“Marry you?” she asked. “Yes, I’ll marry you. And not because I’m pregnant, either. I think I knew I wanted to marry you about five minutes after we met. I love you, Leo Miles.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
Hooking my arm around her waist, I hauled her against me. Found her lips with mine and kissed her. Soft at first. But as her hands started to roam, my body responded, my dick hardening between us.
Growling into her mouth, I pushed her onto her back. Delved into her mouth with my tongue as I climbed on top. She welcomed me in, opening her legs and hooking her feet around my thighs. With her hands in my hair, she kissed me back, hungry for more.
Hidden Miles: The Miles Family Book 4 Page 28