“I know you can’t eat solid food yet, so I thought some good broth was in order.”
“Thank you. I love Thai.” I sipped the tasty soup and it warmed my stomach. I thought back to the last time I ate and couldn’t remember.
Raiden’s grin also heated my belly as I noticed him staring. “Looks as though you’re getting your appetite back.”
“Maybe. I haven’t eaten in a while, but the broth was excellent.”
“There’s something else for you in there.”
I looked to find a large cup. When I pulled it out, I was happy to see it was an Icee. “Ooh, my favorite. Cherry!” I scooped some into my mouth and hummed my delight. “I haven’t had one of these in forever.”
“Since it fell into the realm of what you could eat, I figured it would be a good choice.”
“An excellent choice. Thanks for not gloating over me taking the morphine.”
“I would never do that. It was something you needed but were afraid to do. I understood that part of it.”
Smoothing the blanket over the sheet, I tried to figure out how to bring up the next subject. “Raiden, there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“Okay.”
“It’s about staying with you when I get out of here.”
“I see.”
“I’d like to if the offer is still open.”
“Of course it’s open.”
“But I’d also like to have my own room. I know we’ve spent intimate moments together, but …”
“It’s fine, Scottie. Drex and Gemini will be staying with me as well. Acer and Isla are in the process of moving to Cruze’s so they’ll be there with my parents, along with Isla’s mother. That opens up my place. With everything that’s going on, Drex and Gemini thought it would be best for us all to be in two places. I understand how you’d like your space and you can have that.”
“No arguments?”
“My wish would be for you to be with me, but you’re right. We haven’t known each other very long and the last thing I want is to push you away. If you want your own room, there are plenty in the house. You can choose which one you want. They each have their own bathrooms, so it’s only a matter of which room you like best.”
How could a man like this exist? “Thank you for being so kind and understanding.”
“Scottie, I didn’t say I wouldn’t try to take advantage of the situation. I only said you could have your own room.”
The corners of my mouth curled up. Figured he’d have an ulterior motive. “You’ll have to persuade me first.”
“I can be very persuasive when I choose to be.” His brows waggled. He was right. That man could be anything he wanted. And sexy topped the list.
Chapter Nineteen
Raiden
They released Scottie from the hospital the following afternoon. I’d gathered her things from the apartment at WI and brought them to my house. Then I took her some clothes to wear home. When we arrived, I allowed her to choose her room. She took the one farthest from mine.
With a grin, I asked, “Are you purposely trying to get far away from me?”
An innocent look came over her. “Whatever do you mean?”
“You know very well what I mean. But I’ll spell it out for you. This is at the opposite end of the house from my bedroom.”
“True, but it’s not like it’s a mile away or anything. I love the colors in here. This pale blue is quite soothing and I need all the soothing I can get.”
“If it’s soothing you want, I know how to do that. I can soothe till the cows come home.”
“Why, Raiden Kent, you never told me you had cows.”
“If it’s cows you want, I’ll get them. Just name the breed and they’re yours.”
“I’m sort of fond of those black and white kind.” She did her best to suppress her laugh, but it broke through after that comment.
“Black and white ones, huh?” An idea formed, and I knew exactly what I’d do. “I think you’re referring to Holsteins.”
She snapped her fingers. “Yes! Those are the ones.”
I set her bags down. “I’ll give you privacy so you can get some rest. Scottie, please make yourself at home. If you need anything, just hunt around. I stocked the bathroom with everything you might need and if you find something’s missing, let me know. There’s also food in the refrigerator and pantry. The bodyguards are here to help too.”
The soft kiss she placed on my lips was unexpected but pleasing. I didn’t push for more, but held her close afterward. “You can’t understand how thankful I am you’re okay. As we drove to the hospital that night, I wasn’t sure. You were out of it and I kept patting your cheek, hoping you’d awaken, but you never did. Damn sure I lost a decade off of my life that night.”
The creases in her brow had me massaging them away. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t important. When I found out you’d be fine, I forgot about it. My next concern was you would insist on living alone, or something similar. With nowhere else to go, that would’ve escalated my anxiety to indescribable levels.”
“Raiden, I may be strong-willed, but I’m not stupid. It’s too dangerous to be alone. I recognize that much. And thank you again for everything.”
A whisper of a kiss dusted my cheek before she stepped away.
“If you need anything, just call.” I had to return to the office. To-do items I’d ignored piled high on my desk.
Phone calls and meetings packed the day. Cruze landed a new contract but traveling concerned us. We flew the owners of the company to our headquarters for the meeting.
We set it for tomorrow, which meant we had our work cut out for us today. I was working on the key slides of the presentation when Cruze called.
“What’s up?”
“I think Acer needs to be in on this too since he’s moving with us on the new software.”
“Fine. He can observe. Let him know.”
Acer had been a surprising bonus for us. Initially, we’d brought him on to help us develop software for law enforcement agencies on uncovering human trafficking. But his role had expanded into other areas. His brilliant mind was perfect for the think tank. He assisted in cyber security and other programs we developed. We’d already enhanced several older programs with his help, and we were working on new ones because of his creativity. We’d never given him much credit while he was growing up, because it seemed he didn’t care about education. But with Acer, his problem was finding what his interests were. Give him something he cared about and he was one hundred percent focused.
Wrapping up the last slide of the presentation, I prepared to leave for the day. We made two stops on the way.
Before I left, I called Scottie to see if she wanted anything special for dinner.
“I’m fine with anything.”
“Do you mind if I choose dinner then?”
“Not at all. I’m not picky.”
“I’ll see you soon, then.”
The team of men surrounded me as we left, and I instructed them where to go. I was lucky at the first stop and quickly found the perfect gifts. Then I called in a food order for everyone while the sales clerk wrapped up the items.
We stopped at the restaurant on the way home to pick up the food. Scottie was waiting for us when we got there. She appeared more rested than when I left.
“You look better.”
“I slept away most of the day. I hope I can sleep tonight.”
“You will. Your body is healing and needs it.” Then I handed her the giant gift bag. “This is for you.”
“What is it?”
“Open it and find out.” She went into the living area and sat down. Then pulled out item number one, which was bulky. When she got all the paper off of it, she cackled. It was a stuffed Holstein cow.
“This is brilliant.” She hugged the creature to her chest.
“I couldn’t resist. There’s something else.”
Her han
ds pulled out another wrapped item, and her slender fingers ripped off the paper. She held up a nightshirt with the same Holstein pattern on it. “This is the best.” Then she hugged it to her face. “And it’s so soft. I love it.”
“It’s not exactly something I’d love to see you in, but it will be comfortable.”
“How would you like to see me, Mr. Kent?”
“A Holstein thong with a cute cow tail and a matching bra.” My expression was dead serious because I was dying to see her reaction.
Her mouth opened, then closed, opened, and she swallowed. “Um, well buy that for me then.”
“Scottie, the truth is I prefer you in absolutely nothing.”
“That can be arranged.”
“Not just yet. I want you better first.” I ran a finger from her chin to the hollow of her throat. “I can’t wait for you to model the cow shirt.” I held out a hand. “It’s dinnertime. Are you hungry?”
“Um, yeah. But I’m not sure what for.”
We headed to the kitchen where the food was.
“Holy cow! No pun intended. How much did you buy?” she asked.
“Enough for everyone.” I handed her a plate. The guys had already started. I’d gotten Tex-Mex, so there was an array of everything. We filled our plates and took seats at the counter.
“Tell me about your day,” she said.
“Busy as hell. Meetings, calls, and so on. We have clients flying in tomorrow.” I filled her in on the rest.
“I talked with the team at WI today. They caught me up on everything.”
I stiffened with the fork halfway to my mouth. “Scottie, are you planning to go to Belfast?”
“So you know?”
“Yes.”
“I am.”
Setting my fork down, I turned to gaze at her. “Scottie, this is dangerous.”
“It is, but we’ve exhausted all options.”
“Talking you out of it won’t work. I get that. But promise me something.”
“What?”
“Don’t take any unnecessary risks. I won’t sleep a wink until you get home and are safe again.”
“Raiden, that may be awhile. We’ll stay there until O’Brien turns himself in.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“That’s the chance we’ll take, but he will. If he’s not concerned about her, why did he hide her away with a fake name?”
She had a solid point. “If you don’t come home, I’ll fly there and bring you back.”
Her hand covered mine. “I’ll come back to you. I promise.”
How could she promise something like that? O’Brien had men everywhere, especially Ireland. And what about the law? Kidnapping was a serious offense with major penalties. She could end up in an Irish prison with a life sentence. No amount of money would get her released.
Chapter Twenty
Scottie
Finally, my wound had healed to where I was back on my feet again and feeling well. The doctor had given me his approval to return to work, and we were now finalizing the plans for Ireland.
Raiden became withdrawn every time I mentioned it, but we had to discuss it. There were some things he needed to know about my past I hadn’t shared with him.
Nights were comical with our innuendos of us being together in his bedroom. We’d part ways, I’d go to mine, and he’d go to his. Desire would consume me and I'd end up in his bed before long. I was weak regarding that man. Somehow he’d torn down every reasonable excuse I’d created for why I shouldn’t be with him. My inner arguments were useless.
One particular night, as we lay in bed talking, I brought up the Ireland topic again. His body morphed into a giant two by four.
“Raiden, every time I bring up this subject, it feels like I’m in bed with a piece of lumber. I acknowledge you hate this, but I have to tell you things before I go.”
“Scottie, all the begging in the world won’t stop you, but I can’t help hating you going there.”
Curving my palm around his cheek, I said, “I understand. I wouldn’t want you to go either. But our plan is sound and the details are perfect. But I want you to know some important information.”
“Go on.” Lifting himself up to an elbow, he nodded.
“We’ve never talked about my past.”
“You avoided it when I asked.”
“Right. And for a reason. It’s not pretty. But you should know some things, in case something happens to me.”
“Scottie, you said—”
I gripped his arm. “Raiden, I could die in a plane crash. Or a car accident. Every job has its risks. This information is important. Please listen.”
He nodded. “All right.”
“There’s a key to a safe deposit box in the nightstand drawer. The bank’s name is on it. You have access to it in case of my death. Inside are papers that you can never share with anyone.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will, but I need your promise you won’t share what I’m telling you with anyone.”
“Never.”
I sucked in my lower lip as my belly knotted as it hadn’t in several years. The tears formed, but I swallowed them as I blinked, blinked, blinked.
Raiden pulled me into his arms. “Scottie, whatever it is, you can trust me. I swear.”
My voice was hoarse when I answered. “I know. It’s why I’m telling you.” I allowed the comfort of his arms to blanket me. Then I began.
“Several years ago, I was with a different branch of law enforcement, but I can’t say which one. The details are inside the box. Anyway, I was working on a case and we were getting very close to moving in on our suspect. My husband—yeah, I was married then—, my three-month-old daughter, and brother, were at my parents. It was Christmas Day, and we were eating dinner when the attack occurred, like when you and I were at the apartment. Except this was worse. There were a dozen or more men armed with SIG assault rifles. They took out my entire family except for my daughter and me.”
“Jesus, Scottie. I don’t know what to say.” His eyes softened as he stared into mine. Then he pulled me back into his arms and held me tightly against him. “I’m so sorry.”
I swiped at the tears the memory brought forth. “There’s not much to say. It was horrific. When the shooting began, I grabbed the baby, dropped to the floor, and called 911. My parents lived out in the country, the closest neighbor being about a half a mile away. I shouted for everyone to get down, but by that time, it was too late. My husband stood up. I’m sure he was in shock and confused. That’s when they blew his head off. Then Mom screamed and just sat there, frozen. I yelled again, but she took a round to her chest. They’d already shot my brother, along with my dad. I crawled to the basement where a door that led outside was. You know, one of those cellar doors? That’s how the baby and I survived. I ran with her and hid in the woods until the police came.”
“Where’s your daughter now?”
It was I who stiffened now. “I don’t know.”
“Wait, I’m confused.”
I looked into his eyes, eyes that were soft and compassionate. I knew he cared deeply for me, but these eyes were saying so much more. “This is the part that gets sticky. Those men came to the house for me. The suspect was an underworld crime boss. After that happened, I went into WITSEC. The Witness Security Program.”
“You assumed a new identity?”
“Yes. And that meant in order for my daughter to be safe, I had to make the toughest decision of my life.” That’s when I sobbed, my heart shattering into pieces again. My words were a jumbled mess when I spoke. “When I lost my entire family at once, I thought that was the worst that could ever happen to a human being. I was so wrong. Giving up my daughter was losing my heart and soul. I didn’t think I’d ever breathe again.”
He pressed himself against me and murmured things to me, words I didn’t understand because I was weeping so hard. It had been months and months since I’d allowed myself to think of Ariana, of giving h
er up, and the damage the loss did to me. It would never dissipate. I knew that, which was why I didn’t allow myself to dwell on it. A huge chunk of me would forever be missing.
“My God, Scottie, I’m so very sorry. The pain you’ve endured. I can’t wrap my brain around it.”
“There’s more. Not only did they change my identity, but they also altered my appearance. I had cosmetic surgery to change my nose, cheekbones, and chin. I was always a redhead, but dyed my hair black. Now it’s natural for me.” I hiccupped a sob. “I always loved my hair black.”
“Wanna know something? I adore it red.”
“I suppose you meant to make me smile?”
“Yeah. Epic fail, huh?”
“Thanks anyway.”
“Did they change your eyes?”
I nodded. “They used to be gray. I have lens implants now. The doctors agreed the green would be an impressive addition to my red hair.”
“I’ve got to say, the green is perfect. But I would love your eyes in any shade.”
Nudging him with my elbow, I said, “Aw, you’re just trying to score brownie points.”
“No, Scottie, I’m telling you what’s in my heart. Your eyes are gorgeous.”
For whatever reason, I couldn’t bear the honesty shining from him. Glancing down, I thanked him.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.”
“How long were you with the DEA?”
“WITSEC moved me to El Paso afterward, and I went directly into training. It was a smooth transition, and I enjoyed my job. I was a DEA agent for two-and-a-half years, but the official record added years to it.”
“Drex and Gemini—”
“Don’t know. They can’t know. No one does. Only the US Marshals and now you. And it has to stay that way unless we capture the mob boss.”
“Who is this crime boss?”
My silence was his answer.
He shot up from the bed. “Scottie, this is crazy.”
“Raiden, it’s not. The O’Briens are murderers, and there’s evidence they are dealing in military-grade weapons. The danger within them is endless. Aiden, the one at large, is the most dangerous. Now that his brother’s in prison, he’s an even looser cannon. We have to do this. If we succeed, it will dismantle his entire syndicate. Without a leader, the organization will be in extreme disarray. The higher-level leaders in the mob will be accessible to us then. This is our finest opportunity.”
Raiden: A Stand Alone, Irish Mob Crime Romance (The Kent Brothers Book 2) Page 11