Protecting My Forever (Blackthorne Security Book 1)

by Nicole Vidal

  I lower my lips to hers and kiss her softly. It’s the last thing I remember until my alarm wakes us in the morning.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Connor

  I slip out of bed and grab our breakfast. Even though she’s here for personal reasons and is singing as herself, Calliope still doesn’t want to inconvenience the team to eat breakfast at the hotel restaurant. If I were working, I would appreciate the consideration.

  “Good morning, beautiful. Breakfast is here.”

  She smiles and throws her legs over the side of the bed. In less than ten days, I’ll have her all to myself. While Calliope hasn’t mentioned what Madeleine’s plan is as far as recording new music, she did agree to allow the press release after her tour is complete. I don’t think Madeleine believed Calliope when she indicated she would simply walk away from Carys. After a quick stop in the bathroom, she joins me to eat.

  Once we finish eating, she returns to the bedroom to get ready for her performance. Dressing as Calliope for a performance is much simpler than Carys. After eight, she’s ready to take on the biggest song of her life. She chose a simple, expertly tailored sheath dress in navy with an eyelet hem and tall heels before we left home. To match, I have a fitted navy suit with a crisp white shirt and a tie. The tie might never leave our suite, but I brought it anyway. Thankfully, the agreement is holding and no one knows her entire story yet. I’m not one to give early credit, especially when a contract to keep one’s mouth shut is involved, but Carol and her team have acted appropriately in protecting Calliope, and I appreciate it. I’m sure there’s a significant amount of money that could be earned by breaking that nondisclosure agreement, even with the hefty penalties her attorneys included.

  There’s a strong knock on the door. The entire team is here to escort us to the ceremony. I’ve reviewed the plans as well. Only three team members will be at the ceremony, which is conveniently up by one since the last version. The others will be nearby in case it’s necessary.

  “Any updates, Jake?”

  He shakes his head. “Blaine has been working his magic all night. The only thing he found was that Mr. Kellerman is adopted, but the records have seemingly disappeared. Even Blaine can’t find them.”

  Blaine is one of the best, if not the best, white hat hackers in the world. If he can’t find it, something is hinky. “That isn’t impossible, but it means something is off.”

  “Agreed, but we have no way to know if it’s innocent or not. We need to proceed with extra caution. Other than the threat he made after Chicago, which he hasn’t acted on, Kellerman hasn’t done anything wrong. Perhaps he lost his temper, sent the threat, and immediately regretted it.”

  “Unfortunately, I agree. Other than joining us, what changes do you plan to make?”

  He tilts his head to the side. I didn’t need the warning. I feel her present before she touches me. “Nothing to change. I’ve shared the pertinent images and data with the entire team. I moved the backup closer to the museum though. I’ve also alerted Lt. Cruz that we’re here and why.”

  Cruz is one of our brothers in green and an NYPD lieutenant. He was with our unit during our first and second tours in Afghanistan. A spot is waiting for him if he ever decides to take Jake up on his offer to join Blackthorne.

  “Good morning, Callie,” Jake says as she steps into the room.

  “Morning, everyone.” She grabs her purse, and we leave for the venue. The street is closed for the event, so the traffic is nonexistent. We pull as close to the museum as possible and escort her inside. Jake is in front of Calliope and me with Maia and Christoph close behind us. Almost immediately, Carol greets Calliope and we’re escorted to a small anteroom to wait. Jake stays with us and is checking his email. Christoph and Maia each take a strategic position for after her song.

  “You look beautiful,” I whisper near the shell of her ear. Not only does it make her shiver, but it turns her on as well. It does the same to me when she does whispers near my ear.

  Her hand squeezes mine a little tighter. “I might be rethinking my opinion on ‘first thing in the morning Connor.’ You wearing a suit is tempting, very tempting,” she whispers and tosses a wink up at me.

  I lift our hands and kiss the back of hers. The sass is strong with my woman. I’m glad she’s comfortable enough right now to throw it in my direction. The ceremony is set to begin in ten minutes. A live feed has been set up in this room for Calliope to watch until she performs. If necessary, I’ll walk her right back here after she sings, although I know she would prefer to sit in the gallery.

  While we wait, I feel like I’m being split in two. My gaze is pinned to the screen scanning the gallery for Kellerman and his guest. My heart wants to protect Calliope at all costs, and I keep shifting my eyes down at her. Her hand is steady in mine, her foot isn’t tapping, and she isn’t vibrating with fear either. She appears to be calmer than me. I suppose that’s a good thing. It’s never the client who should be worried. Yet she isn’t my client right now. I’m not working, but I can’t seem to stop myself from searching for Kellerman. I simply want to locate him and watch his movements.

  Jake taps me on the shoulder and gives me an update. “Christoph has located Kellerman in the gallery. He’s seated on the opposite side of the room from Callie’s assigned seat along the outside. As of this update, the guest seat is empty beside him.”

  I nod. The door opens, and Carol escorts Calliope over to the stage. I take the same position I had during rehearsal but a bit further back. Jake walks to the rear of the room near the second exit.

  The words of Callie’s introduction float into my head and right out. I don’t even process them. My world stops spinning the moment she sings the first bar of the song. There are times when her voice gives me pause almost as much as her touch. I tear my gaze away from her and locate Kellerman in the gallery. Colton Kincaid fills the guest seat beside him. How did Blaine miss that connection? What is their connection? Fear they might recognize her courses through me. No, she took every precaution she could to protect her identity. What could either one want from Calliope?

  I pull my attention back to Calliope. She has one more verse and a chorus until she’s done singing. The lyrics of the song are heartfelt and on point for the occasion as well as her personally. However, only we know that. The crowd erupts in applause when she finishes singing. A smile graces her gorgeous face as she walks off stage.

  Chapter Forty

  Calliope

  My nerves are off the charts this morning. The importance of this performance is significant not only for the occasion but for me personally. The worry etched on Connor’s face isn’t helping. I have run through the lyrics in my head numerous times since we entered this small room. Jake and Connor are eyeing the live feed as if they’re looking for something. They probably are.

  Connor is more worried now than he was yesterday. I don’t know the exact reason for his increased concern. Sure, Mr. Kellerman, who is a Carys fanatic, will be in attendance. Unfortunately, it means he and I both have a direct connection to this event.

  Carol escorts me to the stage, and I miss my first cue from Jim. Like every talented music director at a live event of this magnitude, he simply starts again. Once I open my mouth to sing, the lyrics and melody simply flow through me. An image of my parents and me playing in Central Park floats through my mind. It wasn’t too long before they passed away. It’s one of the few memories I recall with any clarity. I feel Connor watching me. Instead of picking out a guest, I shift my gaze from Maia to Jake to Christoph on the outer edges of the room. I would prefer to look at Connor, but he’s too far to my right.

  The applause from the audience is heavy for me. I sing all the time, especially when I’m content and fairly certain no one will hear me. Today is the first time I sang for me at an event. The first time I chose to use my voice for artistic endeavors instead of contractual obligations. I smile and walk off stage toward Connor.

  Connor takes my hand and leads me
to my seat. Despite his initial instruction that I would be on the inside, he gives me the chair to his left.

  “That was perfect,” he murmurs near my ear. He pulls out his phone and sends a text to Jake.

  Connor: Kincaid is seated next to Kellerman. How did Blaine not find a connection between them? I will bring her to the rear exit before the last speaker in the program.

  Jake: Already sent an inquiry. Roger.

  Connor covers my hands with one of his. I flip mine over and intertwine our fingers. I push down my fears and focus on the memorial program. There are two more performers and a dedication of recently identified remains. Even all these years later, technology is allowing some closure for victims’ families.

  At the end of the dedication right before the last speaker, Connor nudges me to get my attention. “We need to move to the back of the room near Jake.”

  “Okay.” I rise from my seat, smooth my dress with my free hand, and move with Connor toward Jake.

  Connor sandwiches me between him and Jake. Our hands are linked, and he’s holding me against him. “You good?”

  I nod slightly. I’m not good, but he means overall not where we are or why. Frankly, I’m not sure how I feel right now other than elated for the response to my performance. Maia moves to my left, and soon thereafter Christoph joins our tight group, and we start to move to the rear exit. As the program ends, we step outside. No one is talking as we walk through the Memorial Glade toward the car. Alex and Finn fall in behind our group as we pass.

  Jake is driving, and I’m between Maia and Connor in the back seat. The others follow in another vehicle. Based on the route Jake is taking, we’re going back to the hotel. My heart plummets to my feet as my shoulders sag. I was so close to being able to do something for Connor. At every turn he has taken care of me without reservation.

  “It’s only a precaution, we may still be able to go.” Connor’s voice sends heat through me despite the situation I’m in right now.

  Our connection is beyond explanation. I shift my eyes to meet his. The look staring back at me is not only concern but intrigue about where I wanted to take him. As we approach the hotel, Christoph pulls into the driveway, and Finn exits the vehicle while Jake drives around to the side entrance of the hotel. We park, and Maia slides out, waiting for Finn to allow entry into the building. Once the hotel door opens, I slide out of the car and enter the hotel with Jake and Connor. Once we reach our suite, I head straight into the bedroom, close the door, and fall onto the large plush bed with my feet dangling off the bottom edge. There is a soft knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Connor enters our bedroom and closes the door.

  “You don’t have to knock.”

  His face cracks with a small smile. “I know. I wasn’t sure if you were changing, and everyone is still here. Do you want to talk now or later?” Connor takes a seat on the edge of the bed and twists to look at me.

  I shake my head. “About the ceremony, later is fine. I gather from the overall demeanor of your team that Kellerman and Kincaid are somehow connected.”

  “Yes.”

  “We don’t have to go, Connor. I truly want to pull off this surprise for you, but we can do it another time if you feel it’s too risky. I won’t like it one bit, but I’ll do what you and Jake think is best.”

  The tension in his shoulders decreases the smallest amount, enough for me to notice a difference. I doubt anyone else would. “Jake is waiting for a response from Blaine. Based on that, he’ll be able to determine if your outing can still happen.”

  “He wants to know how they are connected, right?”

  Connor reaches for my hand and pulls me up to sitting. “Yes. Nothing in the reports we’ve received has shown a relationship between Kincaid and Kellerman.”

  I lean forward and skim my lips across his. It’s barely enough to squash the need in my chest to cuddle against him where it’s safe. I see the irony there. I want to take him out on a date on one hand. Yet I want to curl into his arms and never move again.

  “Wait, last night Jake said Kellerman was adopted but the records have mysteriously disappeared. Could he have changed his name when he was adopted?”

  Connor kisses me hard. “You’re a genius!” Then he kisses me again with his usual finesse and skill that makes my heart rate tick up.

  “Thanks, I think. Should I stay in here?”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Okay, I’ll be out in a few.”

  He closes the small space between our bodies and kisses me again. “I’ll go share that with Jake.”

  I nod and let my hand slide down his chest as he walks away. I take some time to compose myself before joining everyone in the sitting room. Connor looks up at me as soon as the door slides open. The look on his face tells me Blaine came through with more information, but it doesn’t completely make sense or Connor still feels he needs more. Jake points to something on his phone, and Connor moves toward me and guides me back into the bedroom.

  “What did you learn?”

  He shakes his head. “Colton Kincaid not only attempted to pay for photos of you, but he’s also Theo Kellerman’s boyfriend.”

  I see their confusion with this bit of information. How does that relate to me and does Kellerman know about the payment for photos? “Okay, that doesn’t really tell us anything other than they know one another.”

  “Exactly. Blaine is going to investigate your suggestion. Even if the adoption records are somehow missing, a name change would be handled in a different case file at the court. Jake also sent Maia, Alex, and Finn on a sweep of the main areas of the hotel and grounds.”

  “As much as I want to go out, the extra trouble isn’t necessary. We can stay in until our flight to Atlanta.”

  Connor draws me against him, setting his head atop mine. “No, to them you’re a client and you have an itinerary that you want to keep. Our job is to not only make sure it’s safe but that you can do what you want. Don’t worry about the fact that whatever you planned is a surprise for me. As best I can on this trip, I’m ‘everyday Connor’ not ‘working Connor, partner in Blackthorne Security.’ It’s still something you want to do. Let them do their jobs.”

  I nod against his chest. There is something about his scent that’s calming to me on top of the protection I feel in his arms. Someone knocks on the door. “Who is it?”

  “Jake.”

  “Come in.” I expect Connor to let go of me, but he doesn’t. I turn my head so I can look at Jake though.

  Jake shakes his head when Connor doesn’t unclasp his hands from around me. “Good call on the name-change angle, Callie. Theo Kellerman was born Theodore Reus. His father was a victim like your parents.”

  I completely understand his need to hide his true identity. He did it with a name change; I did it with a wig and high-heeled shoes. “That’s helpful, but it doesn’t explain his response to the shortened time at the meet and greet in Chicago or the fact he’s been at all my shows. There’s no way he knows who I really am. He can’t really be a Carys fanatic, right?”

  Jake laughs. “I’ll concede that he doesn’t fit your standard fan demographic, but neither did Mr. Bergin and he followed you around. True, his motivation was familial, but still he doesn’t fit the mold either.”

  “What do we do now?” Connor asks Jake.

  “That information explains why both men were at the memorial ceremony. The sweep around the hotel and perimeter was clean. There is no reason why Callie can’t continue with her schedule for the day.”

  I attempt to contain a huge smile and fail. “Really?”

  Jake nods. “Yes, really. I have no reason to believe that either one of them knows about your afternoon date or anything else about your plans while you’re here in the city.”

  “There’s more?” Connor asks.

  “No, there’s nothing else you aren’t aware of,” Jake replies.

  “Do I need to change the reservation?” I ask Jake.

  “I a
lready pushed it back an hour. Do you want to change?”

  “Since we’re here, I will.”

  Jake nods and turns to leave.

  “Jake.”

  He turns back to face me.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  A look passes between Jake and Connor. I seriously need to talk to Norah about their secret language. He leaves the room. I kiss Connor and attempt to move to my luggage.

  He drags me back against him and draws his thumb across my lower lip before kissing me breathless in a manner only he can. “I don’t know where this date is, but thank you for taking care of me too.”

  “I love taking care of you. At least today, it’s helpful that you can’t stop me because you’re in the dark about my plans.”

  “I love letting you take care of me, but it’s difficult when I know you aren’t truly safe yet.”

  “I understand.” I kiss him and move away. This time he lets me grab jeans, a cute top, and sneakers. Within ten minutes, we’re both changed and ready to leave. Like the ride back to the hotel, I’m sitting in the middle between Connor and Maia.

  There’s no way that Connor will figure out where we’re going unless he knows his way around New York City and failed to share that tidbit of information. The ride takes a bit longer than I thought it would given the sheer amount of traffic this afternoon. I don’t recall the traffic as this bad when I lived here, but then again, I was a child and my parents only used the car one day a week for a trip to the grocery store.

  “It’s a real place?” Connor mumbles as we pull up in front of Serendipity.

  I smile. “You didn’t think it was a real place?”

  He kisses me before replying, “No. I assumed it was for the movie. Thank you, gorgeous.”

  I hear Maia giggle under her breath.

  “You’re welcome.” I turn to Maia and whisper, “You really should tell Nolan. I wonder what your nickname would be.”

  A fierce blush creeps over Maia’s entire face. I authorized Jake to spend whatever was necessary so he was comfortable with the space I would have on the date. Once we settle in at our table, which is set in the corner, we peruse the huge menu.