by Sheila Kell
After a right turn onto Thames Street, Trent laughed, and joy flooded her. She feared he’d never laugh this heartily again, or at least for a long time, after all he’d gone through—the family thing, the bombing and losing the love of his life to cancer—and how hard he’d taken it. That alone made the sound the most beautiful she’d ever heard. “I know what fine means.” Before her temper could rise, he asked, “John Steven’s tonight?”
Of course he’d picked her favorite restaurant. “Fine,” she answered with purposeful irritation. He thinks he’s such a smarty-pants. Let him figure that fine out. She almost laughed out loud at the juvenileness of it.
“Touché.” He dropped her hand and opened the door to the restaurant. With the crowd, she wondered about their getting a table until she realized he’d made a reservation. What if she’d said no? She almost shook her head. That wouldn’t have happened. Damn if he didn’t know her too well.
They were seated, and the waiter seemed put out they ordered nonalcoholic drinks. Maybe the man hadn’t seen her belly. With his being close to seven feet tall, he probably didn’t see past her swollen breasts.
Drinks delivered and food ordered, Kelly decided it best to go on the offensive and keep all talk away from the two of them or of her and Brian. “When are you going to tell me about your being a Hamilton?”
“Don’t call me that.”
“According to Megan—who told me and not you,” she accused, “you are actually Senator Hamilton’s son. Odd how that has stayed secret with a growing number of people who know.” She chuckled at the absurdity of it. “Including two journalists.” Their love and respect for the Hamilton family kept her and Megan from exploiting it. Sometime soon, though, she worried, someone outside this family will.
“That’s what I want splashed across the papers—Trent McKenzie, illegitimate child of Senator Blake Hamilton.” Shaking his head, he added, “Being a bastard child in private is bad enough.”
“Trent,” she whispered, not knowing what to say. He hadn’t reacted like she’d thought. Why wouldn’t he be happy since he loved that family so much?
“Part of why I left was because my brothers smothered me in welcoming me to the family, but mostly though, it was because of him. He wanted to get to know me better. Like I needed a new father just because mine was dead.” Anger radiated off him in waves, and she almost had to sit back at the potency of it.
Since the subject of Blake garnered such hostility, she went back to what should be a good thing because they’d been buddies since they were small. “How are things with your brothers?”
He shrugged one shoulder and took a sip of his ginger ale. Setting the glass back on the table, he looked up and smiled. “Okay. At the hospital, I thought I’d strangle them. Since I’ve returned, they don’t act any differently than before we found out. Jamie assured me they wouldn’t, but I didn’t believe her.”
She wanted to scream. Of course Jamie had been the one to soothe him. She’d been the one to obviously capture his heart. The heart Kelly had wanted since she’d first met him. A jealous rage attempted to overtake her. Instead, she took a breath and said, “Tell me what happened,” and was surprised with how he’d changed the topic back to Senator Hamilton.
On what sounded to her like a soulful sigh, he spoke, “Blake and his wife were divorcing. I don’t know why, but they were split. My mom was Blake’s assistant.” With a slight tremor, he took a sip of his beverage. After setting the glass down, more with a clunk over his unsteadiness, he looked back at her. “I guess she must’ve been infatuated with him or something.”
The waiter interrupted with their soup. Kelly dove into her Maryland crab bisque with gusto. Another thing she found herself craving. Thank goodness she didn’t live too far away.
“Yeah, well, as his assistant, she was around him all the time. Short story is that they had an affair. He got her pregnant, and he went back to his wife.”
“Oh, Trent.” Reaching across the two-top table, she pulled his hand from his drink and clasped it tightly.
He surprised her by jerking away. The same thing he’d forbid her to do earlier. Not holding tight enough, his hand slipped from her grasp, and he clasped his hands together in front of him. “Don’t. Roger McKenzie was a good father. Plus, I think my parents were in love.”
A thought struck her. “Is that why you grew up on the grounds of the Hamilton mansion?”
He nodded. “It makes sense now. At the time, I thought it was just to keep my mom close for whenever Blake wanted something.”
“Mrs. Hamilton must’ve been one heck of a woman,” she murmured but guessed Trent heard her when he nodded. “Do you think you’ll ever call him Dad or Father?”
“No,” he said vehemently.
Their food arrived, saving Kelly from responding. She had no idea what to say anyway. Finding out something like that about her family now would be devastating to her.
While savoring her twin filets, Kelly wondered what she could do to help Trent. He tried to hide it, but she knew him well, and he was hurting on the inside. Heck, they hadn’t even talked about the accident that could’ve claimed his life. Swallowing, she thought, I’m not sure I can tackle that subject. I almost died inside when I heard.
Between bites, they chatted about the baby. He seemed genuinely interested. Of course, he’d always appeared genuinely interested in anything she told him.
Forgoing dessert at the restaurant, she dragged Trent with her to get ice cream, something he thought stupid for winter weather in Baltimore. She didn’t care what he thought. Little Ashley wanted mint chocolate chip ice cream and she was going to get it. Almost giggling, she enjoyed how she could blame just about anything on the baby, and it was allowed.
Since the temperature had dropped, the sidewalk was nearly deserted. “People are smart enough to be inside,” Trent had told her.
“It’s supposed to snow again.” Trent reached for her hand, and she happily allowed it.
“Hmph. The weatherman said that last week.” Although, Kelly had a feeling the current forecast would come to pass. Bad weather had been moving their way. She had a strategy this time when she and Trent got into an inevitable snowball fight.
A man stumbled toward them, and Trent’s hand tightened guiding her to drift closer to him. Maneuvering her to the other side of the sidewalk, Trent kept his eye on the man bundled in a torn, khaki jacket. When the man weaved in their direction again, Kelly brushed him off as a drunken bum.
Trent reacted differently.
Yanked behind Trent, Kelly felt the impact of the two men connecting while she remained safely an arm’s length away. Trent’s hand slipped from hers and he dropped to one knee, doubled over a bit and clutched his stomach with one hand while the other settled on the ground, steadying him.
Fear lanced through her system and set her nerves on edge. With wide eyes, Kelly froze as the man stepped near her. Thankfully, her feet took over, and she began backing away, keeping distance between them. Her heart beat so fast she worried for the safety of her baby. Hell, she worried anyway. This ugly, menacing man had obviously hurt Trent, or he wouldn’t be this close to her.
Her only option was to make a run for it. The man might catch her, but she had to try. After becoming pregnant, Kelly had given up running for walking, but she remembered how and she used to be pretty fast. Of course, then she hadn’t been carrying a small basketball in her stomach.
“Stay still, bitch. I’ll make it quick,” the man growled.
Unable to stop her shaking with terror, she realized running wouldn’t work. His steely, determined glare told her he’d run her down. She’d learned Karate as self-defense, but it wasn’t like she’d achieved her black belt or anything. She’d just learned the basics and never against an attacker so large or with a protruding belly of her own. The thought of Ashley had her realizing it had to be enough because running would only prolong the inevitable. So, she needed to stand and fight for her baby and for an obviously injur
ed Trent.
Taking a calming breath to clear her mind and focus, she shifted her body to a ready stance. Then the man’s eyes changed, and he stopped, then raised his hands, a knife gleaming in one of them. She could’ve sworn it had blood on it. Trent’s? Oh no. That was why he’d doubled-over.
Had her change in demeanor been enough to put that fear in his eyes? She’d heard she looked fierce in class, but this surprised the hell out of her.
“Drop it, asshole,” Trent demanded, gruffly.
The man’s hand opened, and the knife clattered to the sidewalk.
“Kelly, are you all right?” Trent’s pain-laced voice reached her from behind the attacker.
Relief surged through her, and she wanted to run around the man and hug him, but she still had no desire to be near the man who’d tried to hurt them. “I’m fine. How about you?”
“No one told me you’d be carrying a gun.” The man grunted.
“Who would’ve?” Trent peeked around the side of the man and winked at her. Her heart soared.
“I ain’t saying a word.”
“Trent, you didn’t answer me.” Kelly’s stress level increased when he took the time to answer.
“I’ll be fine. Call 911.”
“Do you need an ambulance?”
“No.” He chuckled. “It’s just a scratch.”
Scratch, my ass, she thought. He never would’ve taken so long to help her if it had been just a scratch.
“While we’re waiting, I want to know who would’ve told you about us,” Trent demanded.
“Fuck you,” the man retorted.
Trent tsked. “I hope you enjoy jail. Trying to mug us and stabbing me.”
“Stabbing!” Kelly couldn’t help but screech. He’d said scratch. She’d known instinctively it was more than a simple scratch, but a stabbing brought to life a gaping wound in him. All of the blood rushed from her head, and black spots swam before her eyes. “Trent.” Her weak voice must’ve drawn him to her because before she lost consciousness, Trent had his arms around her telling her, “I’ve got you, Kelly. Always.”
WITH KELLY’S CONDITION to consider, Trent had informed her that two rides on the back of his bike had been the extent of risk he’d go with her and the baby. Since his nerves couldn’t take another ride, she’d driven her car to headquarters, and the entire trip had him wound up inside, feeling trapped in a metal box. It’d been too long since he’d taken a long trip in a car. Since he thought to one day become a family man, he needed to get more comfortable with something on four wheels, and he didn’t mean any newfangled bikes on four wheels. Before he’d considered purchasing a truck because riding his bike in shitty weather held no appeal, but with a baby on the way, a car seemed more suitable. They’d at least have Kelly’s for a while. That was… once she agreed to marry him.
That revelation blasted him after the incident with the knife. Thinking he could have lost her or the baby had wrung his insides out. It was then that he knew he’d been right to ask her to marry him. Your back, his conscience pricked and he ignored it. Then it whispered, Les, and his heart nearly stopped.
Outside Jesse’s home, he told Kelly to go ahead of him. With extreme concern in her eyes, she obeyed. That left him pacing in circles outside Jesse’s home wondering what the hell he was doing with Kelly. He’d decided it was right and then—How could he grab onto what would surely be extreme happiness? It wouldn’t be fair. Jamie’s words kept reminding him that he did deserve to live a full life even though Les had lost his. Death was a fucked up possibility of the job. Not a normal occurrence by any means, but a possibility. They should’ve found another way. But deep inside, he knew that if they’d wanted to save Amber, there’d been no other way that guaranteed that outcome. If they’d shot the terrorist, the bomb could’ve exploded, killing them all. If he hadn’t done what he’d done to protect his niece, she never would’ve made it.
When a fine sheen of sweat formed on his skin—out in the fucking cold—he stopped and took those damn breaths Jamie had ordered. They definitely worked, and he wished he’d remember to take them from the beginning of a mental explosion like that.
Having had enough, he slammed the door closed on his problems. He had to take care of Kelly. His shit could wait. Sure, he had a hard time fighting those demons, and they arose when he needed it least, but he had to overcome them.
Finally, when a calm rested inside him, allowing him to focus on Kelly and the trouble she had, not on what he’d lost, he moved toward headquarters, and that step brought him closer to a free life.
The walk beside AJ into the war room reminded Trent of old times after they’d just joined HIS. He’d been a team member and AJ had been a full-fledged partner. They offered you a partnership. Of course, they’d only asked him to be one out of pity. Hamilton blood may run through his veins, but he was not a Hamilton, and HIS was a Hamilton family business. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t exploit what he could to get what he needed for Kelly’s safety.
Before, he’d been invited to attend meetings between the brothers to decide which cases to take and plan. After learning of their familial relations, they wanted him to believe himself equal to them. He’d balked and left the entire conversation open when he’d hit the road. Being back, and needing them, he’d definitely sit at the big boy table, and they would listen.
Flipping the light switches, he glanced up and noticed the small, wet spot on AJ’s shoulder. With the unpleasant odor that floated to his nostrils, he knew the residue had to be Alex’s spit up, and a light chuckle escaped him. Picturing AJ as a father a year ago had been an impossible task. They’d been hangout partners at the bars from time to time over the years. If he hadn’t seen AJ hold Alex a few moments ago, Trent would still struggle with the image.
Then he thought, Ashley won’t be much younger than Alex. Only about six months would separate them. Considering how close Megan and Kelly were, the two would grow up together which meant poor Alex. With the Hamilton men adding wives, there would be a lot of women fussing over him, and if Trent had to guess, one little girl toddling after him. Ashley.
“Thanks for bringing Megan to visit with Kelly while we meet. I didn’t want to leave her alone.” Still reeling from the events of the prior night, Kelly hadn’t argued when Trent had refused to allow her to remain alone. She’d tried to remain strong, but he’d noticed the trembling as she changed his bandages from the stabbing that morning. Mothering came naturally to her, and he loved the attention. Now that he knew she loved him, he noticed how that love seeped through in everything she did for him.
Em had told him before that Kelly was in love with him, but he’d never believed it. He’d just been friends with her, kind of like with Em, except he and Em shared their growing up years, many with the two of them watching the Hamilton boys from the sidelines, or bushes, as Em would be apt to do.
Following behind her, and keeping her out of trouble, had become a job in itself. One day, he’d asked his mom if since she had been an assistant to the senator, would he have to be an assistant to Em since she needed him to keep her out of trouble.
At twelve years old, he’d been completely serious, but it’d only earned him a laugh from his mother. The discussion that had followed, and the push for him to stay away from Em, should’ve been another indicator that he and Em were siblings. But, what did a twelve-year-old truly understand?
AJ pulled him back from the memory. “Once Kelly called in sick, my wife did the same. She’d already insisted I take her to see Kelly. She was worried it might be the baby and wanted to comfort her however she could.”
Pain lanced through his gut and it wasn’t from the knife wound. It fucking could’ve been the baby. Luckily she’d regained consciousness as the ambulance arrived and all had checked out fine at the hospital. God, another trip to the hospital for her. Him too, but he’d been more worried about her fainting than his injury. All he could think about was that it could’ve been Kelly with the knife to her pregnant belly.
Matt walked into the room and pulled out his cell phone, then punched in a number—obviously speed dial—before activating the speaker function and setting it on the conference table.
They all huddled around as it rang twice before Jesse answered.
“Is something wrong with my kids?” Extreme concern wove around his words.
Matt cleared his throat. “As far as I know, they’re fine.”
“Then what the fuck?” Jesse’s roar sounded less severe with that just-woke-up raspy voice. “Why are you bothering me at six o’-fucking-clock in the morning? This shit had best be good.”
Of course it was good. It involved Kelly’s safety. No way would he allow his older brother to get to him. Belize being on Central Time Zone had slipped Trent’s mind. What the fuck? he also said, just not aloud. Jesse and the men were usually up that early.
“Have you turned into some kind of princess who sleeps the morning away?” AJ teased.
“Fuck you. No, we didn’t get them out of jail until a couple hours ago.”
Being tied up with thoughts of protecting Kelly, he’d nearly forgotten the reason Jesse had to travel to Belize. That’d taken them a long time to get the men—and Rylee—out of jail. He wanted to know what the hell had happened, but he needed the focus to remain on Kelly. So, he didn’t ask.
“Now, what the fuck do you want?” Squeaking sounded, like the springs of a mattress, as if Jesse, or Kate, moved around. Hopefully, it meant he was getting his ass up.
Before Trent could speak, AJ laughed. “Our new brother”—he gestured to Trent with a finger and a head nod even though Jesse couldn’t see it—“decided he hadn’t had enough injuries, so he got himself sliced and stitched last night.”