by Sheila Kell
As he turned off the Water Valley exit, his nerves tightened. Would that asshole be lying in wait for her? Maybe he should’ve had her wear a Kevlar vest. He’d have one of the women’s vests brought back with the second team since it’d fit her small frame.
“Brad will be there.”
“How is Brad? You haven’t said anything about him. Is he married with kids?”
At that image, laughter bubbled up, lifting his mood. “I don’t see that for a long time for my twin. He went into the secret service after graduation and then later joined us at HIS.”
She giggled. “I could see Brad strutting around protecting the president.”
Strutting would be about right. “Yeah well, he won’t talk about if he did protect the man at the top. He’s not the same Brad you knew in college. He’s jaded.”
“I remember Brad as being nice to me, but a bit cocky to everyone else.”
“Something happened while he was with the secret service. Before you ask, I’m not sure what exactly, but it made a cynic out of him.” He’d just lied to Caitlyn and wanted to kick himself for it. Not the best way for a new beginning. He knew exactly what had messed with Brad’s attitude, but it wasn’t his story to share. He’d been pulled into the strictest of confidences when Brad told him the horrible thing that had happened. The family knew he left the secret service in disgrace; they just didn’t know the how and why. Hell, Brad didn’t know the why.
“That’s a shame,” she declared softly.
Matt cleared his throat. “Well, there will be Ken Patrick who leads our teams when we’re in the field. He’s who I’ll work with for your protection.”
“Wait a minute, what about Brad or you? Wouldn’t one of you work with him since you’re both in charge of HIS? Didn’t you say you all owned and ran it?”
“Yes and no. Since we—my brothers and me—don’t go on all the assignments, we have a field team leader for consistency, and so at times like this, Brad and I don’t have to flip a coin. To make it standard for the men, when we’re out in the field, we allow Ken, or Rob, in Ken’s absence, to run things. Mostly. At times, like when my brothers fell in love with the woman in trouble, they took the lead, and Ken kept everything working like the well-oiled machine the men are. Now, as for Ken being in the lead,” he said with a smile, “that doesn’t mean we don’t drive him crazy interfering somewhat.” He didn’t add that he’d be taking command on this one since it was Caitlyn. No one would argue with him on that decision either.
She shook her head and chuckled. “That poor man.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t call him that. He’s bigger than I am and could give me a run for my money in the ring. He’s a former Army Ranger who likes to wear a ponytail and ride a Harley. He’ll also ‘ma’am’ you to death.”
“So, you have some heavy hitters on your team. Who else do you have? The world’s strongest man?” she joked.
Since he wanted her to grasp how serious the situation was, he didn’t show her how much he enjoyed having fun with her. Instead, he furrowed his eyebrows and tried to be serious. “Of course not.”
“Okay, so besides your team, what about the sheriff? Sheriff Brown’s still there, isn’t he?”
Matt nodded. “He is.” Crotchety old bastard that he was. Matt had only spoken with him briefly at Adam’s house when they’d made him stay behind and answer questions while Adam had been raced to the hospital. The sheriff had been concerned about the return of Caitlyn to the area if this was about her. He didn’t, however, offer protection.
“Your dad filed assault charges, but you’ll have to notify the county where you live of the verbal threat. I’ve already called and checked. They’ll let you file a report, and that’s about all they’ll be able to do besides some extra drive-bys.” Wanting to keep things more positive, he pressed on as if the sheriff hadn’t been mentioned. “Let’s see, we still have the rest of the team that’ll be there. Danny Franks and Steve Smith will also be protecting you, and then Neftali Navarro will be setup as a sharpshooter.”
“Why do I need one of those?” Her voice held a quiver.
Matt shrugged. In his mind, the assigned team wasn’t enough to effectively protect Caitlyn from the threat. He’d love enough expert shooters to cover every blind spot near her organization. It would already be a bitch for Neftali to see it all without being on top of the barn. “Better safe than sorry.”
Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she said, “You’ve got me a little scared. Good grief, all of you are needed to protect my dad and me. It’s… surreal.”
Matt reached over, took her hand, and inwardly did a fist pump when she didn’t yank it back. “All I ask is that you listen to us. We’ll keep you both safe.”
He turned to her and caught her staring at him. “I trust you,” she admitted.
As far as he was concerned, that was enough for them to start toward a future.
WHEN THEY ARRIVED at her dad’s house, Caitlyn wanted to bolt from the car and rush in to see him. Matt wouldn’t allow it. Safety, he’d told her. That gave her the chills. So she sat in the vehicle while Brad met with him at the car. They spoke where she couldn’t hear their conversation and imagined it had to do with security. That still chapped her ass that they had to go through this because of another Ripley. She wanted to run out there and scream, “I’m not scared of you,” but the truth was that she was petrified, no matter what she told herself or anyone else.
Matt finally opened her door. “Remember to do exactly as I or any of the men say. No hesitation. No questions.”
Once she’d nodded her agreement, he moved aside and she stepped from the vehicle. The men must’ve felt her urgency, because they moved at a fast pace to the front door where a rather large man with tattoos streaming down his arms, wearing a shoulder holster with a gun on each of his sides, opened the door, looked around, and then moved to allow them entrance.
“Caitlyn, this is Ken Patrick,” Matt said, then turned to the man. “Ken, this is Caitlyn Robinson.”
He thrust out his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
A smile flitted on her lips. Matt had tagged that one right. “Nice to meet you.” She turned back to Matt. “I want to see my dad now,” she requested.
Ken spoke up. “He’s resting in his room. He’ll be glad to see you, but expect an earful about you actually coming.” He shook his head and led the way. A route she knew by heart.
Her dad must think highly of these men, at least Ken, to tell him something like that. When she grew up with just her and her dad—she’d lost her mother to a car accident when she was three years old—she’d learned he liked to keep family business in the family. It kept them even closer.
Ken stopped outside her dad’s door, and she almost bumped into him. He turned to her. “He’s not as bad as he looks.” With that, he stepped aside and allowed her to enter the room.
Mentally preparing herself, she vowed she’d keep whatever emotion grabbed her off her face so she wouldn’t worry her dad. She should’ve learned by now that was impossible. When she walked into the room, she almost collapsed and, by the look on her father’s face, her expression showed her shock and fear.
With her hand to her mouth, she stood there, shaking, while he smiled through a swollen jaw, split lip, and two black eyes. She noticed he had a splint on his hand and his coloring was a bit gray. Good God, what had that bastard done to her dad?
She took a step forward and tried to appear unaffected. “Hi, Daddy.”
“My Catie,” he said weakly.
She asked the question that gnawed at her most. “Should you be out of the hospital?” Really, would they allow a man so gravely ill—that’s how he looked—out of the hospital early?
“It was a splint and a couple of stitches.”
“But Matt said you were shot.”
“Turns out the bullet went through. I was one lucky bastard and only needed the holes sewed up. That’s it, sugar.” He shifted on the bed and grimaced. “Now, di
dn’t Matt tell you that you shouldn’t’ve come?”
Knowing she had to be strong, she straightened, took a fortifying breath, and moved beside him. After kissing him lightly on the cheek, careful of where she placed her lips, she responded, “Of course I should’ve.” She fussed with his covers until he told her he was fine.
“I’m glad to see you, but I wish you weren’t here. Only because it’s not safe.”
Caitlyn forced a smile. “Of course it’s safe. There are several armed men keeping watch, so both of us are protected.”
“Thank God for Matt,” he murmured. “Give me some water, please.”
Taking a cup from the bedside table, she checked to make sure it had water and handed it to him. As he drank thirstily, she scanned his body again and noticed his arm that had been stitched. Heck, the closer she looked, she saw it wasn’t the only one.
Damn that fucking bastard’s soul to hell.
Her dad handed the cup back to her, and she returned it to where she’d collected it. Patiently, she waited for him to answer her.
“I bet you’re wondering why I sent Matt.”
“The thought had crossed my mind, but I understand he was here to help you.” She didn’t want to throw out that he surely had to remember she’d never wanted to see Matt again in her life. But, now that he had shown back up—when she’d probably needed him the most—she wasn’t as upset as she thought she’d be if that happened. Odd.
He held up his good hand to forestall her speaking more. “Yes, and because I wanted you to have protection when you came home. I didn’t want you to come home—not because I don’t love you, but because I worried Luke Ripley would be hiding in wait for you.”
“Well—”
“Now Matt,” he continued as if she hadn’t tried to speak, “and his brothers protect people for a living. They do more than that—lots more—but I knew they would protect you if you got stubborn and came home.” He looked at her and smiled. “Like you did.”
“But, Daddy, I could’ve hired someone near where I live.”
He continued and considering his words, he didn’t believe her statement. “And, if you couldn’t have found someone? You’d have come alone, and what would’ve happened if you came to the house and that asshole was in the front bushes just waiting? What would you have done? I don’t care what kind of self-defense you’ve taken. It’s not a risk I wanted to take.”
Her heart expanded at the protectiveness of her dad. “But why Matt of all people? There are plenty of people who provide protection.”
“Because he was here—” Adam coughed, breaking off his words, spiking her concern about what else could be wrong with him. Once finished, he continued his response, “And because I trust him with your life.”
She plopped down in the chair that was beside his bed. That pretty much put her in her place. No way could she argue with that statement since if she hired an unknown firm to protect her, she’d never feel that safe. The thing was, she did too, even though she hadn’t wanted to admit the truth until now. She truly did feel safe with him around. She did with the others also, even without meeting them all.
“I take it that Matt told you everything. He grilled me at the hospital.”
Caitlyn shook her head. “No. He did say he’d promised you he wouldn’t tell me everything, but he did admit to telling me stuff you didn’t want me to know but he never promised to hold back. For example, he didn’t tell me the extent of the damage.”
Adam sighed. “It’s not too bad. I’ll be good as new in a day or two.”
She winced at his bold-faced lie. That explained where she got the inability to lie well. “What happened?”
He grimaced. “I came home and he was in the house. I don’t know how he got in, but he did.”
She wished she’d have convinced her dad to buy a security system. He lived in a safe neighborhood where a resident could probably still leave his or her door unlocked, although the homeowners would rather not test that theory. But, no one in the little cul-de-sac had a security system—at least as far as she knew. Her dad had talked about getting one when she’d first returned home from the hospital, but she’d left so soon after that there hadn’t been a desire.
“I worried he’d found a letter from you. I keep them all in my office.” He shifted in the bed. “Anyhow, he had a gun, so I was pretty much stuck. I couldn’t see a way to run from a bullet. Only, he didn’t use it at first.” He paused. “Look, I don’t want to tell you about this. Suffice to say, I have a couple of broken fingers, some stitches, bruises, and two new scars from the bullet holes. I was very lucky. He didn’t shoot to kill.”
He said everything so casually that it took her brain a moment to catch up. Lucky? Lucky? she wanted to screech at the top of her lungs. Even in her mind, her volume rose with each word.
Before she could find the right response, her dad interrupted her thoughts. “Help me out of this bed. I’ve rested enough today.”
Knowing it would be dark soon and time to go back to bed, she didn’t argue. At first. “Okay.” She stood and watched him struggle to move to the side of the bed. Color had leached out of his face, and he panted his breaths. “No, Daddy. I think you should still be in bed.”
“Ken,” he belted out.
The burly man lumbered in the room and moved to Adam’s side. “The chair or the living room?” he asked her dad. Apparently they’d done this before.
“The living room.”
With an arm supporting him, Ken helped her dad shuffle to the living room. She followed behind with tears in her eyes at the pallor of her father’s skin and the small grunts he tried to hide from her.
Through bleary eyes, she watched in bewilderment as her dad, in his blue plaid pajama pants and white T-shirt, settled in his recliner, and the big, bad warrior leaned it back and then draped the afghan her mother had made on her dad’s lap. “Did you want anything?” Ken asked quietly.
Her dad shook his head. Exactly how long had these guys been here? The incident just happened, but you’d think they’d been doing this for a while now. And wasn’t that Ken guy supposed to be protecting her dad, not playing nursemaid? Thank goodness Aunt Liz was coming. She wanted Ken out there keeping her dad safe from that asshole who thought to ruin her life. Again.
With a smile, she dropped onto the couch. “Ken seems to be a big help.”
Adam nodded. “He has been. So has Brad.”
From what Matt had said about Brad, that statement surprised her. Maybe he was still a big softie after all. “Aunt Liz will be here tomorrow, won’t she?”
“Yeah. I think my sister is happy to have someone to care for. She’s lonely, but she won’t admit it.”
Her aunt never had children, and since her only niece—Caitlyn—hadn’t had children yet for her to spoil, she had no one but her brother and Caitlyn. She kept in touch with her aunt regularly and had a soft spot in her heart for her, even though Aunt Liz had moved away with her husband, who’d died a few years ago. From what Caitlyn had gathered, her dad had tried to get his sister to move back to Water Valley, but Aunt Liz had refused.
“I spoke with her last week. She started going to Bingo.” Caitlyn laughed. “Can you see her with all the blue-haired ladies who usually go? I mean, she and I went a time or two when I was in high school, but we were always the youngest women there, and they asked us to leave because we were giggling so much.”
“She needs something to keep her busy. Being retired at her young age isn’t working for her, but she knows trying to get hired at her age won’t be easy. She’s at a crossroads.”
“Maybe you can convince her to move back here now.”
“We.”
“What do you mean we?” she asked.
“You should still be here when she arrives, so you can help me talk her into it. She listens to you.”
Caitlyn laughed at that absurdity. “Listens to me? I’m still a kid to her. You’re her brother.” She knew all this talk was to keep her off the m
ain topic of Luke Ripley and what had happened, but she couldn’t allow it to go on indefinitely. Her dad was already tiring out. “Dad, I’m not sure how long I should stay.” She rushed to add, “I mean, I want to stay as long as you need me, but Matt….”
Matt hadn’t said how long they would remain in Water Valley, but she got the impression it was a quick trip. She would love to see her aunt again. Some of her most enjoyable memories while growing up involved aunt-niece days. Like when she’d check her out of school and they’d go to the movies where they had the theater all to themselves. Daddy didn’t really appreciate her aunt checking her out of school, so those stopped once he’d found out. But there was more that didn’t involve her being checked out. Instead, Aunt Liz would agree to pick her up from school. Her heart would always race when she saw her aunt’s car in the school pickup lane, because she knew they’d have some type of adventure.
They’d go to the fair or go paint pottery or go to the candy store or to the arcade, but they always got something sweet that usually ruined her dinner. It was a sad day for her when her aunt moved away with her husband. Although they always did something when she returned for a visit. Always building great memories.
“Ken,” her dad said.
The man appeared. Christ, where did he hide that large frame, and how did he move so quickly and quietly? That’s right, he was a former Army Ranger.
“Yes?”
“Would you get Matt, please? We need to talk.”
Ken nodded and turned from the room. The next thing she knew, the door opened and Matt and Brad entered. Brad smiled, opened his arms, and said, “It’s good to see you, Caitlyn.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she jumped from the couch and rushed into Brad’s arms. She missed the camaraderie she’d had with Matt’s twin. Of course, she was also glad he’d left off his typical endearment for her. He used to call her “Brat,” and she hated it.
“It’s so good to see you, Brad,” she said on his shoulder. Before she settled into the comfort too much, she pulled back and broke free. She hadn’t cringed at his touch. Obviously it hadn’t been sensual, but still, she couldn’t handle hugs from everyone. Maybe it was because she knew Brad meant her no harm. Curious.