by Sheila Kell
“Talk to me, Adam,” Matt urged.
“Don’t tell her that it happened like this,” Adam rasped as blood trickled from the cut on his lip.
His gut clenched at the beating the man had taken, but he made no promises. It had been damn lucky Matt had come to visit when he had. Hell, a few minutes later, Caitlyn’s father might’ve been dead by the hands of the shooter.
Matt mentally kicked himself. He should’ve come sooner instead of pretending to enjoy the wedding. Yet how could he have known something like this was happening? Crime existed in Water Valley, but not typically to this level of attempted murder. The sheriff had to catch the shooter before he tormented someone else, or worse, killed them.
“Who did this?” Matt probed calmly. It was what he was known for—his calm in the face of a storm, his peacefulness amidst the horror. His brothers and SEAL buddies had dubbed him “the peacemaker.” Yet Matt’s blood boiled and temper rose, belying any semblance of internal peacefulness and calm as he stared down at Adam’s battered body.
The 911 operator responded just as Adam slipped into unconsciousness. “I need an ambulance. I have a gunshot victim….” He relayed the information and address before dropping the phone and applying pressure to the bleeding wound on Adam’s side. It hadn’t been in the heart or gut—a possible mortal wound. The fucker had still been toying with him by just inflicting more pain.
Finally free of the sheriff deputies and their questions, he drove to the hospital, wondering again what had happened to Adam. He had no idea what the shooter had wanted, but the asshole had been pumping Adam for something.
Picking up his phone, he called his twin. Thank the fuck Brad had pretty much goaded him into coming now. When his brother answered, his voice had almost been drowned out by the loud music in the background. “If you’ve chickened out, I’m coming to kick your ass.” Matt knew he wouldn’t actually do that, but he’d continue to prod until Matt made a move on seeing Caitlyn again.
“You drunk yet?” Matt asked.
“On my way, and I’ve got two pretty coeds hanging on my arms.”
Matt didn’t doubt it.
“Hang on, Matt, while I go some place quieter.” With the phone away from Brad’s mouth, Matt barely discerned, “Excuse me, ladies. I’ll be right back.” A shuffling noise sounded as the background noise dropped. “Well, did you get her address?”
“No, and I didn’t ask. Adam was being attacked when I arrived.”
“Holy fuck.” Matt could hear the outrage in his brother’s voice. “What the fuck happened?”
Matt relayed the information, ending as he turned into the hospital emergency room parking lot, and felt like a weight had been lifted. He still held the concern of Adam’s attack and finding Caitlyn, but knowing his brother knew always made him feel lighter. It sounded girly, but it was a twin thing. At least that was the excuse he’d always used.
“Do you want me there?”
Did he? He internally shook his head. Not for this, at least not yet, but he appreciated his brother had asked. “No. I’ve got this. Thanks, man.” He hesitated. “Brief Jesse for me.” It was early, but inside, he knew he’d need support of some sort—just the family or a team. He’d call his oldest brother later once he found out exactly what had happened and the identity of the threat to Adam.
They ended the call and before he could step from the car, Caitlyn came to mind.
Hell, she needed to know about her father, but he still didn’t know how to get in contact with her. She’d go ballistic that this happened. Adam had been his only hope in finding her. Maybe when Adam came around, he’d be helpful. However, it wasn’t how he expected his reunion with her to be. I missed you, but oh, by the way, your dad had the shit beat out of him and then was shot.
But life sometimes sucked. He’d learned that lesson on many occasions—losing Caitlyn, losing friends in combat, losing some of himself…. He’d tried to run away from the loss of Caitlyn when he’d joined the navy and then, eventually, qualified as a SEAL, where he’d run into a world that guaranteed success and failure. And he’d experienced both. Hell, he’d been on the team that had brought down a major terrorist leader, but he’d also been on a team that had been ambushed and lost half of its members. He swallowed hard at the memory that never faded and shoved it away. He couldn’t go down that road right now.
He’d learned to deal with life. At least as best as he could.
After too many worrisome hours to count, Adam’s surgery had been successful. Once he was out of recovery, Matt sat at his bedside, hoping the man would wake and tell him everything. He’d woke a time or two but had been too drugged to maintain a coherent conversation. If the sheriff’s department was going to find out who Adam’s attacker was, Adam had to survive and tell them. Hell, the deputies had been by once already and were eager to find out what Adam knew. Matt hadn’t had much to offer, except a description, but a shaggy hair and beard had covered most of the guy’s features. Since Matt really hadn’t gotten a good look at him, the description was vague. The thing was, from that flash of his face when Matt had his hands around his throat, the man had seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place him. He didn’t share that with the deputies, knowing they’d hound him for more until Matt was sure to snap.
“Catie.” Matt heard the faint word coming from the bed. It was the nickname Adam had given to Caitlyn when she was a baby. Well, then it was Catie-bug, but Caitlyn had told Matt that her father had finally dropped “bug” when she’d entered college. Matt had quickly put together that she liked the endearment, and in her mind, her father could do no wrong.
He leaned closer and watched as Adam’s eyes fluttered open, nearly clear of the drugs that had put him in a deep sleep. “Adam,” Matt acknowledged, hoping to gain the man’s attention.
Caitlyn’s father turned his head toward him. “My Catie, he’s after her.”
Fear sliced through Matt at the thought of anyone hurting Caitlyn. “Who’s after her?”
“Travis Ripley’s brother, Luke Ripley.”
Son of a bitch. He wanted to scream to the heavens. Now he knew why the guy had looked familiar. He’d been the brother of her rapist. He’d seen him in the courtroom of the trial. How could he have not noticed? Granted, Matt had only slipped into the trial for one day since Caitlyn had told him to stay away. How could he have allowed a threat to Caitlyn get away? Fuck! He wanted to roar and rip the place apart.
He took a deep breath and held it for a moment before he released it on a steady sigh. Calm, he reminded himself. “Does he know where she is?” That would explain the torture. But had Adam caved? Matt guessed not, since the shooter had still been there interrogating Adam, but he could’ve been just taunting him like his brother had supposedly done to Caitlyn during the trial.
“I didn’t tell him.”
Kicking himself for not noticing the scratchiness in Adam’s voice earlier, he reached for the pitcher beside his hospital bed and poured a cup of water, then pushed the button to lift the bed. He held the plastic cup to the man who had almost been his father-in-law’s lips. “Drink. Slowly,” he directed.
Fuck, all he wanted to do was run out of here, grab Caitlyn, and race for the hills. But he still didn’t know where the hell she was. And if Adam hadn’t shared her location, she was safe. For the moment. Matt was well aware though that Ripley had already taken extreme measures to find Caitlyn, so there was no telling what else he was capable of.
“You’ve got to go warn her and protect her,” Adam demanded.
“Okay.” His response was automatic.
Adam’s face registered surprise at Matt’s quick agreement. Maybe he’d expected Matt to fight him on it, but that would never happen when it came to Caitlyn’s safety. “You didn’t even ask why he wants her.”
Matt shrugged. “I figured you’d tell me.”
“Well, I would. I am. Travis is up for parole again, and if Catie testifies, he won’t get out. By the sounds of what Luke kept saying, t
hey don’t want her there and will do whatever it takes to ensure she doesn’t make it.”
“When’s the hearing?”
“A few months out. They’re obviously preparing early.”
“They?” Matt asked, surprised.
“I could be wrong, but I thought someone else was in the house.”
“I didn’t see another person.”
“I didn’t either, but like I said, I could be wrong. If I’m not and they got into my office and found her address….” He let the words trail off.
Fuck me. This just kept getting worse. “Do you want me to look through your office?”
Not addressing the question, Adam turned to hold his gaze. “I don’t know how she’ll feel about you just showing up, and you can’t tell her how bad I am,” he instructed, wincing as he spoke.
She’d probably be pissed off to see him, maybe throw something at him. No, that would be a massive underestimation considering how they’d parted, but no matter how she reacted, no way would he lie to her. “Let me worry about how she feels, but, Adam, I won’t sugarcoat your injuries. You could’ve died if I hadn’t arrived. Hell, they had to remove a bullet. Sure, it wasn’t a serious wound where it hit anything vital, but that’s no walk in the park. I’ll try to wait and let you tell her, but if I need to tell her so she understands the depth of this threat, I won’t hold back. She needs to know that fucker is out and looking for her.”
Adam appeared to think it over for a moment. “Just don’t bring her home.”
With a shake of his head, Matt countered, and a laugh tried to push its way out. It wasn’t an appropriate time to laugh, so he held it close, but telling her she couldn’t come home was laughable. “As much as I want to, I can’t guarantee that.” Adam had to know Caitlyn would want to be by her father’s side. At least the Caitlyn he knew would. And if she remained as tenacious as she used to be, nothing he could do would stop her. Short of tying her up and locking her away. That definitely wasn’t the way to go if he was also seeking her forgiveness.
“Just protect her,” Adam pleaded. “Promise me.”
“I can’t do that until you tell me where she is.”
“She’s going to kill me for sharing, but”—Adam turned back and pushed the button to lower the bed and then looked at the ceiling as if contemplating his next words, before continuing—“she’s in Winchester, Kentucky.”
“Winchester? What the hell is in Winchester?” He hadn’t even heard of the place. Had she just dropped a pin on the map and moved to where it landed? Oh shit, had she married? He hadn’t considered that possibility, but he had to explore it. It had been a long time, and they weren’t engaged any longer, no matter how much he wanted that to be the case.
All he knew was that over the years he’d realized they’d had something special. A love that existed for eternity. No matter how he changed or how he perceived her changing, that love would only grow. Yeah, he knew it sounded like a sissy talking, but his heart still beat for her, and no matter who she was now, he’d still love her.
Adam turned back to him. “It doesn’t matter. Just get there and protect her.”
That, he could promise. Now that he knew where to find her, he wasn’t letting her go so easily. He should’ve fought for them the first time instead of allowing guilt to lead his actions. “I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe.”
“Don’t let that bastard get to her. She suffered enough because of his brother.”
“I won’t.” He’d failed her once where that fucking family was concerned—hell, twice now for letting that asshole escape tonight—but he wouldn’t fail her again.
LUKE FUCKING RIPLEY, whose brother had ruined both his and Caitlyn’s lives with a single, reprehensible act. Caitlyn’s life had been irrevocably changed, and Matt had failed to do anything to protect her. He had no clue what Luke’s plans were once he had Caitlyn, and could only assume the worse.
The fallout of that fateful night swam in his head. While Matt had experienced a hangover, his fiancée had rested in the hospital, broken and brutalized. She’d turned into a shell of her original self, and it had destroyed him. In his next stored memory from when she was out of the hospital recovering at her home, she’d blamed him and later disappeared.
He wanted to scream at the injustice of it all. She hadn’t deserved to be raped and beaten. If Matt had been where he was supposed to be, it wouldn’t have happened. That “if only” slipped back into his mind, and he wanted to rip it out and strangle it until it couldn’t breathe life around him.
The past was the past. He couldn’t change it. He couldn’t forget it either. But, like he’d already convinced himself, he could move forward and change the direction of his future. He had a chance to make things up to her by protecting her this time. His heart pounded and his gut churned. Nothing could happen to her. He wouldn’t allow it.
Changed into jeans, a black T-shirt with the HIS logo—the words HIS in the crosshairs of a weapon—and claiming his tennis shoes, Matt finished tossing his clothes into his suitcase, uncaring if they wrinkled. He didn’t need much for his trip to Winchester, but he also wouldn’t be coming back to the family home for a long time. It actually now belonged to his sister, Emily, but it was still dubbed and used as the family retreat, as it always had been.
Adam had finally coughed up Caitlyn’s address in Kentucky. The man’s fear had dictated breaking his promise of secrecy to his only daughter. He wanted Matt to keep her safe, no matter what was required.
Hell, Adam wanted all of HIS to be there for her. Something Matt wished also but knew it wasn’t possible. The team had assignments. But, he’d speak with Jesse about the few team members who weren’t going out in the next couple of weeks. All the brothers and his sister were partners, but Jesse still mostly ran HIS. They needed a person who kept track of who was where and made any quick decisions on behalf of the family. Jesse fit that bill 100 percent.
Showing up and convincing Caitlyn that he was there to provide protection was going to be easier said than done. She might kick him out on his ass before he even had an opportunity to explain. And she’d have every right to do so.
No matter how she felt about him, Matt had to get her to understand and let him help keep her safe.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Matt placed his elbows on his thighs, then sank his head into his hands, his fingers in his hair. He’d fucked up so badly in the past. No matter what people said, her rape was on his shoulders. She’d been right to blame him… to run from him. How the hell could he convince her he was sincere and wouldn’t allow harm to come to her this time?
Hearing a noise in the open doorway, he looked up at his twin. Brad studied him before he walked into the room they shared. “You’re thinking about it again, aren’t you?”
He knew “it” referred to the rape. His twin knew him well. Too well. With a heavily burdened sigh, he nodded. “I should’ve been there. Christ, I was drinking with my friends instead of being where I was supposed to be. With Caitlyn. She waited for me—” He sprang from the bed, his nerves on edge. “If I’d been there, it wouldn’t have happened.”
Brad narrowed his eyes and nearly bore a hole in Matt’s skull. “According to Caitlyn, Ripley had a weapon when he cornered her. What would you have done?” He didn’t give Matt a chance to answer. “You didn’t have your SEAL training then. You were just a college kid. Plus you’d been drinking. What would’ve happened is that you’d have gotten yourself shot. And then it still would’ve happened. Hell, she could’ve been killed.”
Matt’s back straightened, ready to launch a defense. “That’s because he got scared off.”
Brad snorted. “Yeah, you and your drunk buddies happened to come by. None of you noticed him as he slipped away. So tell me, how would you have stopped it if you didn’t even see him after he attacked her?”
Anger surged through him like a volcano getting ready to erupt. Only Brad had ever pushed him to lose his calm. “Stop it!” he shouted. “Sh
e had every right to blame me.” He forcefully gestured with his thumb to his chest so Brad didn’t misunderstand.
Brad sighed and his shoulders sagged. “She was distraught, Matt. It was easy to blame you, and you took it all. You wallowed in your own self-pity and left her without a fight. I have a feeling she won’t still feel that way when you see her. Caitlyn was too good of heart. She’ll come to her senses. Probably already has set things straight in her mind.”
If only Brad was right. It was a fucked-up feeling being pulled in two directions—craving forgiveness and not deserving it—neither giving him the freedom of his hell that he sought. The hell that had started when he’d agreed to another round of shots with his college buddies, who were celebrating their upcoming graduation, and ignored the time he was to meet with Caitlyn for their date, knowing she would ask for him to repay her for that time with more loving in bed that night.
Needing to focus on now and not the past, he shook his head to clear what had been. “I’ve got to speak with Jesse about a team. I’ll see you later.” Not waiting for Brad to respond or try to give him more advice, he exited the room, descended the stairs, and walked into the large family room where he found Jesse and his family lounging on the sofas.
“Jesse, can I speak to you a minute?”
His older brother whispered something in his wife, Kate’s, ear, then stood and approached Matt on the other side of the room where it was surprisingly void of people, considering how many had packed themselves into the house.
“I’m going to see Caitlyn,” Matt stated matter-of-factly.
Jesse nodded, but didn’t mention Matt had already told him that when he’d filled Jesse in on all that had happened earlier with Adam to include his concerns for Caitlyn’s safety. “You want a team when she visits her dad? Because we both know she’ll demand to visit him.”
His brother had read his mind and, like the rest of the family, knew Caitlyn well. Hell, they’d dated for almost two years before he’d gotten up the courage and asked her to marry him. His brothers had teased him incessantly. As for protection, there’d never be enough as far as he was concerned. But he’d take what was available. “I do.”