by Marie Harte
He funneled all his rage, his pain, at Brent. He ducked a vicious jab aimed at his throat and rammed his head up, hitting Brent under the chin.
The bastard was off balance and shaky now, and Noel ignored a feeling of dizziness and tackled him to the ground. They rolled for dominance while Noel continued to hit Brent in the ribs, the gut, the groin, any soft part he took pleasure in annihilating, until he heard Brent wheeze and knew he’d broken a few ribs and possibly punctured a lung.
Noel found the knife lying on the ground by Brent’s side. He gripped it and shoved the blade into Brent’s belly, staring down the fucker who’d tried to kill all he held dear. “Go to hell.”
Blood bubbled on Brent’s lips. “Been there.”
Noel twisted the knife. He saw Brent’s frown, then a delighted smile that didn’t belong there.
Too late, he registered another person in the room and heard the gunshot. But he didn’t feel any pain. He rolled off Brent and saw a dark-haired woman clutching her throat and gasping as she fell to her knees. A gun tumbled out of her hands.
Addy lay on her side, Brent’s gun outstretched in her hands. She saw Noel staring at her and gave him a pained smile. “Could have told you I’m a crack shot.” Then she collapsed in on herself and moaned, “I’m okay. I’m alive. You’re good. We’re good.” She continued to mutter, conscious, in pain, but she’d be okay, he prayed.
Brent whispered something.
Noel reluctantly turned back to him, needing any kind of information he could get before the bastard died.
“What?”
Brent whispered, “Nine. I’m really…” Unintelligible words. “…nine. Angel man. Coming.”
Then he died.
Deacon shouted, “I’m coming in. Are we clear?”
“In here,” Noel shouted back and tried to stand, to cross to Addy. But he couldn’t make his legs work. That should have bothered him, the ice creeping up his body. It didn’t. It was just one more obstacle to overcome before he reached the love of his life.
Deacon entered and took in the scene just as Noel managed to crawl to her.
“Addy, baby. You okay?” She’d been shot in the leg. Not a bad wound. Especially because it appeared to have grazed her, not near a vital artery. But the gut wound worried him.
“I hurt.” She reached for and found his blood-covered hand. “You look terrible,” she said, blinking up at him.
“I’ve been better,” he admitted, letting the ice sweep over him. “So sorry, Addy. Love you…so…much.” He felt himself falling. “Don’t leave,” he wanted to add me, but his mouth wasn’t working anymore. He could no longer feel her hands, but he could sense her near.
And that was enough, that she lived and was loved. By him.
* * * * *
“It was a fucking nightmare, that’s what it was,” Noel heard as he woke, feeling groggy and undone by all the sunlight filtering into…his bedroom?
“Oh, look. Mr. Lazy is finally up and awake. Jesus, Noel. Take a vacation why don’t you?”
He blinked and focused. Deacon had the baby in his arms, swinging the kid around in an unsafe manner while the baby laughed. Solene frowned at him but didn’t say anything. She had a few bruises on her face, but being Solene, she managed to make them look fashionable.
Hammer stood behind Addy, watching Noel with a mix of worry and relief. “Finally. Took you four damn days.”
An IV and monitor sat next to his bed. An unfamiliar woman fluttered around him wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He instinctively reached for his gun and swore when he jerked his arm too fast.
“Easy. She’s good,” Hammer said with a grin. “I vetted her myself.”
“Pain in my ass,” the young woman grumbled. “Why the hell would Big Joe send someone unsuitable?”
“Her name is Violet. She goes by Vi,” Addy said.
“And she can talk too,” Vi said as she bustled out of the room.
He turned and drank her in. “You look wonderful,” he said, his voice scratchy. Addy had a bruised cheekbone. She wore a robe over pajama pants. He imagined she’d been bandaged up around her abdomen and leg. “Damage?”
“Shh. Don’t talk.” She fed him an ice chip that tasted better than anything he’d had in years. “I’m fine. My leg hurts, but it’s healing. It was just a scratch, apparently.” She glared at Hammer.
“Hey, you wanted the truth. For all that whining, you were barely touched.”
She turned her angry green eyes back on him and her expression eased. God, he loved her so much. “Yes, well, it hurt. I’ve never been shot before.”
“Trust me, it’s not fun,” Vi muttered as she returned briefly to remove some bloody bandages from the room.
“Your belly?” Noel asked, needing to know. To see and touch her.
“Easy.” Hammer and Addy gently pushed him back down. “She’s fine,” Hammer said. “Bullet passed through her and didn’t hit anything major. A few weeks of rest and she’ll be good as new.”
Solene drew near, deliberately turning her back on Deacon, who frowned. “That means no sex, you two.”
Addy blushed. “Solene. Really. He’s barely back.”
“Yeah, but he’s got that look. No boning, Mr. Ice, or you’ll break her stitches,” she admonished.
He gave a pained grin, feeling all was right with the world. “No secrets, I see.”
To his surprise, Deacon looked uncomfortable. “She had a right to know, considering those assholes tried to pound her into the floor.” Then he grinned. “You should have seen her work on them. Solene knows how to move—for a civilian.”
She flipped her hair back. “Black belt, buddy. Don’t you forget it.”
“I’m in love,” Deacon teased.
Solene blushed but her glare remained. “Whatever. So Noel, you’re apparently retired now. Hammer talked to someone who knows someone, and you’re out.”
Hammer nodded. “And not on any lists, so you’re clean. I had a talk with Big Joe.” He frowned. “But we’ll discuss that later.
“No, now.” He saw Hammer and Deacon exchange a glance. “Addy, would you and Solene take the baby out? I need to talk to the guys.”
She gave him a peck on the cheek and caressed his hair. “Sure thing, sexy.” She stood, and Solene took the boy from Deacon. “I love you, Noel.”
He smiled back. “I love you too, Addy.” He watched her leave, able to put up with any amount of pain for the sight of his woman.
Hammer made a face. “Okay, just stop. I’m hurting watching all this sap.”
“Prop me up, would you?” Noel hated being supine, even if he did have a pillow or two under him. “What’s my damage?”
Deacon answered. “Blood loss, mostly. You took a bullet that bounced off a rib, a miracle in itself. So you have bruising. Lots of cuts because of that window you dove through. Impressive, Noel. I saw you go through before I had to take on a few guys in hot pursuit. Brent had a squad staged around the outside of the house, but they had orders to wait until you were in. I didn’t.” He smiled.
Noel sifted through his memories. “Some of what he said made no sense. He was a contractor, I think. One of Big Joe’s, he said.”
Hammer shook his head. “That’s part of the problem. He wasn’t. Big Joe told me he’s never seen or heard of Brent Morgan under that name or any other alias. Fingerprints don’t show him in the system either. This guy was a ghost.”
Noel shifted on the pillows, feeling better about being upright even if his belly protested. He glanced down at his forearms to see them all bandaged up. He looked like a mummy, but he didn’t care. “Something else he said…” Another thought struck him. “There was a woman there, at the end. Who was she?”
“The chick Addy bulls-eyed? Annette Fusco, expensive informant and a woman with ties around the world? I gotta say, I’m impresse
d. Addy nailed her right between the eyes.” Deacon sounded proud.
“Fusco… That name is familiar.”
Hammer nodded. “It should be. We’ve used her before. The fact that Brent was using her too is telling. He might not be in our system, but I’d bet he was one of us. Big Joe is looking into the other handlers and their off-book missions. This might go deeper than anyone realizes. Shadow ops even we’re not supposed to touch.”
“Hmm.” Noel considered it. “That could be. Maybe Brent did work for one of the others. He had a similar background. No family that would care if he went missing, tough, resourceful. But something he said at the end. I don’t know if we’re done with all this yet.”
Hammer and Deacon frowned.
“He mentioned something about ‘nine,’ about Angel man coming. But I don’t know what it means.”
“I don’t know either.” Deacon shook his head. “But we have time to figure it out. Hammer and I are on leave until this is all cleared up. We’ll start plugging in the new info while you heal up.”
“And Violet? What about her?”
“I’m keeping an eye on her.” Hammer scowled. “I don’t trust her, though I have no reason not to. Something about her rubs me wrong.”
“Nah, don’t worry so much, Noel,” Deacon said with a grin. “She bothers Hammer the way Solene bothers me. I think it’s a case of deluded women not appreciating a godlike male in their presence when they should.”
At that, Hammer’s scowl turned into a smile. “You really do have a way with words, Deacon.”
“I know.”
The pair left after a few more reassurances about their new security arrangements.
Addy returned.
Noel wanted to sleep, but he couldn’t. Not yet. When she held his hand, stroking the bandages on his palm, he breathed her in and closed his eyes. And he slept.
* * * * *
Two weeks later
Addy rolled her eyes and ordered Noel to stop annoying Vi—for the tenth time in two days. “You really are the worst patient.”
“I need to get back up and training.” She knew he hated being weak. And as much as he said he loved hearing how Addy had shot the Fusco woman and saved his life, he hated that she’d needed to defend herself in the first place. Noel had a bad case of the guilts going on. Ice, apparently, had made a return, hurling cold insults at anyone in the vicinity.
Except for Addy.
For the most part, Addy felt up to snuff. Her leg still ached, but not like it had. And the stitches had come out of her belly yesterday. She experienced tenderness but no lasting pain. An ibuprofen and she was good to go.
She had talked to her parents, who planned to come back for Thanksgiving in another month or so. The children at school missed her, but after hearing that their teacher had been involved in that nightmare where some wacko had shot up the local daycare, they’d sent her cards and get-well wishes galore.
Noel’s people had been quick in forging the narrative they wanted in the official reports. Not a whisper of anything other than Brent going off his rocker and shooting up Solene’s daycare had made the news. He’d been off his medication, the poor guy. And the story had turned from raging violent shoot-up to the plight of those with mental illness who didn’t get the help they needed.
Everything and everyone had normalled out. Addy planned to go back to work on Monday, after a relaxing weekend with Noel—if she could get the blasted man to ease up. For someone who’d suffered so much, he sure healed fast.
He’d been up and moving last week, against Vi’s recommendation. He’d also pulled some stitches that needed re-stitching. And then she’d seen Vi’s temper in action. Not a woman she wanted to piss off, though Hammer had been more than intrigued.
“What do you really think of Vi?” she asked.
“Aside from being a human vampire? Always taking my blood? She’s okay, I guess.”
“Noel.” Addy laughed and sat next to him on the back porch of his home. They watched the others playing a brutal game of badminton in the backyard. Guys and against girls. And the guys were getting their butts handed to them. “What’s really wrong, baby?”
He gripped her hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a jerk.”
“You just can’t help yourself.” She smiled to take the sting out.
He laughed. He did that a lot more around her now. The guys had accused her of melting Ice. And she liked the notion.
“Addy, I’m out now. I’m done with the profession.” He seemed uncomfortable. “I don’t know what to do with myself, exactly. But I’ll find something. I swear.”
“I know. It’s okay, Noel. You’re in no rush. I’m not, at least. We can take it slow. You’re smart. You probably have savings. If not, I have some. It’s not much on a teacher’s salary, but my parents kind of gave me their place rent-free.” What a blessing.
His cheeks turned that delightful shade of pink that looked so incongruous on a face that could freeze a man in his tracks. “I’m not poor, you know.”
“Of course not.” She hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings.
“I mean, I’m really not. The Business paid us well. Very, very well. And I know how to invest.” He blew out a breath. “I never have to work again if I don’t want to.”
She stared. “Oh, well… You’re rich?”
“Pretty much.” He shrugged. “I want to marry you. I want us to live here. And then there’s the baby.”
She bit back a grin, so happy her joy threatened to burst through her. “Right. The baby. Can we please give him a name now?”
“None of us knows who he belongs to. But I’m ready to make him mine. If the others go back to the life, they can’t keep him safe. I can.” He looked into her eyes and held her hand. “We can.”
“Yes.” She leaned close to kiss him. “We can. I love you, Noel. And I’ll love Griffith too.”
“You mean Ryan. Or Daniel. Or maybe Jace, I like that name too.” He smiled then sobered. “But Addy, this isn’t over. Something you should know…”
“What?”
He leaned closer so the others wouldn’t overhear. “I got the DNA results in the mail today.”
“Oh my God. And?”
“I didn’t wait for the others. I needed to know.” He sounded defensive.
“Like I care. Tell me.”
He paused. “I’m not going to tell the others yet. I think we should keep this between us, at least for now. We have enough to worry about.”
“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to give you another scar, right now.”
“The father? It’s none of us, Addy. None of us are the father.”
She gaped. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I’m having a consultant look into this for me discreetly. It’s going to take a while, but we’re going to see who matches up, DNA-wise, from our organization. Someone sent this boy to me. The name Angel keeps popping up. We have a feeling she was the mother.”
He’d told her about this contractor named Angel. A scary woman, but one who must have loved her baby if she’d sent the little guy to Noel.
Addy bit her lip. “Could Brent have been the father?”
“Already checked. No. But that code in the locket means something. Deacon’s taken it as his life’s mission to find out what.” He nodded, seeming satisfied. “Hammer is going to keep looking into Angel. We’ll find out what’s what and get the baby back to his rightful mother or father. In the meantime, he’s ours.”
“And if we never find his mother or father?” she asked softly.
“He’s ours,” he repeated.
She liked that answer, a lot. “That’s if we don’t have to fight Deacon for him. He’s become a little attached.” They watched Deacon hurry to put the baby back on the blanket he’d rolled off of. She grinned. “It doesn’t help that the b
aby keeps saying ‘Dee-dee.’ Deacon is convinced he’s trying to say his name.” She watched Deacon give Solene a thorough once-over since she was turned the other way. “But you know, Noel, we might not be the only ones fighting to keep him.”
“How’s that?”
She nodded at Solene. “I could be wrong, but my friend and your friend don’t like each other a little too much. What if you’re not the only one who decides to leave the Business and start a new life on the island?”
“I don’t know.” He gave Deacon and Solene a thoughtful look. “But I’ll bet you fifty bucks it doesn’t happen. Deacon is too edgy to settle down. Solene hates men. Ask her. I think you’re seeing hearts everywhere because you love me.” So smug, her man. “Next thing you’ll be telling me Vi and Hammer are a thing.” He angled her chin so she could see them arguing over a point. “She’s close to braining the giant with her racket.”
Vi took being competitive to an all new level.
“Ah, well, maybe not those two. Not yet. But Vi’s new. Give her time.” She turned back to Noel and kissed him. The heat built, the love between them so strong. “Now how about you and I play hide the gun while the others play their own game?”
“Best idea you’ve had all week.” He darted to his feet as if he’d never been shot.
“Slow down or you’ll hurt yourself.”
“We need to talk before the fun starts. Come on.”
She bit back a groan of disappointment. She and Noel hadn’t been intimate since they’d both been shot. “Okay.”
He tugged her inside with him and hurried toward his bedroom, then locked them both inside.
“Noel?”
“Math first.” He grinned. “Okay, Ms. Rose. Time for numbers. Show me what sixty-nine really means.”
She watched him shuck out of his clothes, proudly displaying a scarred up body that never failed to turn her on. With a grin, she slowly took off her own clothes, then laid down on the bed. “Well, Mr. Cavanaugh, first you turn around. And then you…”
It turned out he learned much better by showing, not telling.
Chapter Fifteen