by April Wilson
Shane follows Cooper into the room, his eyes widening when he sees Beth perched up on the high counter. “What are you doing up there?” he says, coming to stand in front of her, wedging himself between her knees. He puts his hands on her waist, and for a second, I think he’s going to set her down on the floor.
“Eating grapes with my BFF,” she says, batting her sex-kitten eyelashes at him.
“She looks so innocent, doesn’t she?” Shane says, shaking his head as if he knows something we don’t. “Don’t believe it for a second.”
Beth plucks a grape off the stem and pops it into Shane’s mouth. He chews it, then kisses her. “Please be careful, sweetheart. When you’re ready to get down, let someone help you, okay?”
Now it’s her turn to roll her eyes at me, and we both laugh.
Shane looks at Cooper. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Letting these two live under the same roof together?”
Cooper shakes his head. “Probably not. I think we’re just asking for trouble. But it’s too late now.”
We hear the chime over the intercom system that announces the arrival of the elevator. A moment later, Lia’s voice filters down the hallway toward us. “Where the hell is everyone?”
“We’re in the laundry room,” Shane calls back.
A moment later, Lia walks through the doorway. “Why is everyone congregating in the laundry room?”
Shane shakes his head at his youngest sister. “Don’t ask.” Then to Beth, he says, “I mean it. Don’t jump down from there on your own.” He looks at me. “Sam, you help her when she’s ready to get down.”
I salute the big boss. “Shane, I broke my leg, not my brain.”
Shane and Cooper leave us to our own devices.
Lia gives me a curt nod. “Hey, red, how’s it going?”
“Fine, shorty. Where’s your better half?”
“He’s at the bar, talking to Jamie and Molly. They rode up in the elevator with us.”
“Oooh, cool,” I say, hopping off the counter. “I want to meet this Molly. I saw her briefly at Beth’s wedding, but I really didn’t get a chance to talk to her. I didn’t know they were serious.”
I grasp Beth by the waist and set her down on the floor.
“They’re definitely serious now,” Beth says. “Molly’s been living with Jamie since her crazy ex-husband broke into her apartment and attacked her. Now Jamie and Molly are inseparable.”
“Wait—what?” I say. “What the hell did I miss? Who attacked Molly?”
“Oh, that’s right,” Lia says. “You weren’t here when all that drama went down. You were on your” —and then she makes air quotes— “walkabout.” Molly’s asshat of an ex-husband broke into her apartment and assaulted her in her own bed, and my big brother took him out.”
I’m shocked I’d never heard anything about this. “Are you kidding me? Was she okay?”
“Yeah, she was okay,” Lia says. “Jamie got to her in time, before her idiot ex could do much damage. Jamie squashed him like a bug.” Then Lia makes a slashing motion across her throat.
“Jamie killed him?” I say, surprised.
“Dead,” Lia says. “Well, technically, Jamie didn’t actually kill him. The guy fell on his own knife.” She makes a scoffing sound. “Hey, my brothers don’t mess around.”
* * *
When we join everyone in the great room, Jake and Liam have arrived as well, and the party is underway. Everyone is congregating around the bar, where Cooper and Jake are acting as bartenders, and someone started up the sound system.
“Hey, what’s with the extra security in the lobby?” Liam says, taking the beer bottle Cooper hands him.
“I don’t suppose it has anything to do with our friends down in Sweetwater, does it?” Jake says, eyeing Cooper.
Cooper frowns at Jake. “You should go talk to Shane about that,” he says, nodding in the direction of Shane’s office.
Jake accepts a bottle from Cooper and heads toward Shane’s office. I’m tempted to go with him to find out more about the additional security arrangements. I guess I’m not surprised. Shane’s not going to take any chances with his pregnant wife living in the building.
I see Jamie and his new girlfriend sitting on barstools at the end of the bar, and I make my way down to them. “Hey, Jamie,” I say, giving him a heads-up to my presence before I lay my hand on his shoulder in greeting. For a change, he’s not wearing his dark glasses. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without dark glasses on. His eyes… damn, they look so real. I’d never guess they were prosthetic.
“Sam!” he says, smiling as he turns to me. “Welcome back, man.” He offers me his hand, and we shake. “This is Molly Ferguson, my girlfriend. Did you meet her at the wedding?”
“I did, sort of,” I say, offering my hand to the attractive brunette. “I’m sorry I wasn’t at my best at the wedding. I didn’t really get a chance to say ‘hi.’”
“That’s quite all right,” she says, hopping off her barstool as she meets me halfway to shake hands. “I’m glad to see you up on your feet again. How’s your leg?”
“It’s not bad. I’m not back to one hundred percent yet, but I hope to be able to return to work in a few weeks.”
Jamie reaches for Molly, and she catches his hand. He pulls her close, and she leans into him, putting her arm across his shoulder and smiling contentedly as she drops a light kiss on his lips. His smile says it all.
I’m glad Jamie’s met someone special. He’s a great guy—I’ve always liked him. And they seem so comfortable together, as if they were made for each other.
Up close, I can see a faint starburst pattern of tiny scars around his eyes, but the damage isn’t that noticeable. I know that he lost both eyes in an explosion in Afghanistan, and that he wears prosthetics. But honestly, even this close, I can’t tell just by looking that his eyes aren’t real. And the way he moves his head and blinks is so natural, someone who didn’t know he was blind would never realize it just by looking at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without your glasses before.”
He grins bashfully. “Yeah, Molly likes to see my eyes, so I’ve stopped wearing them around family.”
“You should listen to Molly. You look fantastic.”
The elevator chimes, and a moment later Shane’s eldest sister, Sophie, walks in. Damn! I’m not into women, but even I can admit she’s a knock-out. A tall, curvy brunette, she reminds me of an old-fashioned Hollywood movie star. Dressed in a form-fitting, cobalt blue sheath dress with matching heels, a string of pearls around her neck, she’s all glam. Her long, lustrous hair is pulled up into a complicated do, and she’s wearing an impressive pair of diamond drop earrings.
Sophie smiles warmly at everyone, but she heads right for Beth, giving her an affectionate hug. “Hi, sweetie,” she says to Beth, kissing her on both cheeks. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling great,” Beth says. “I’m so glad you could make it this evening.”
With her arm still around Beth, Sophie turns her attention to me, giving me a gracious smile. “I wouldn’t miss this party for the world. Hello, Sam. Welcome home.”
* * *
The rest of the guests arrive—Gabrielle Hunter and the uniformed caterers from Rinaldo’s, Erin and Mack from the bookstore, and Shane’s parents, Calum and Bridget McIntyre. Beth’s pretty mom, Ingrid, arrives, along with her intensely hot—and way too serious—brother, Tyler Jamison, who absolutely looks boss in his black suit, white shirt, and black tie.
“Sam!” Erin cries, running into my arms. “Oh, my God, it’s so good to see you.”
I hug the little pixie back, then shake hands with Mack, who never seems to wander far from Erin. At six-foot-six, Mack towers well over little Miss Erin O’Connor, and he shadows her like an avenging angel. I know she’s got the biggest crush on the man, but he’s way too old for her, and now they’re sort of stuck in limbo.
“Hey, welcome back, Sam,” Mack says as he releases my hand.
“I could sure use you back on duty, man. I’m feeling a little out-numbered by all the females in the store.” He says this peering down at Erin with a rueful smile.
Erin turns to Mack and smacks him on the arm, grinning. “Oh, stop. You are not.”
“Don’t worry, I hope to be back on duty in a few weeks,” I say, bumping fists with the big guy.
I’d forgotten this party was being held in my honor until I noticed a meet-and-greet line forming behind Erin and Mack. When Erin and Mack move away to grab drinks from the bar, Beth’s brother, Tyler, who looks every inch the uptight homicide detective that he is, approaches. It’s hard for me to believe he’s Beth’s brother. He’s dark and moody and so damn serious all the time, while she’s all sunshine and light. They couldn’t be more different. The only physical trait they share is their eyes, which are a gorgeous blue-green. On her, with her blonde hair, the eye color isn’t unusual, but on him, with his dark hair and even darker demeanor, it’s very unexpected. And he’s technically old enough to be her father, so there’s the age difference thing as well.
“Sam,” Tyler says, shaking my hand. “Welcome home. I’m glad to see you’re recovering well from your injuries.”
“Hey, Tyler. How’s it going?”
He tightens his hold on my hand. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did for Beth. If you hadn’t been there—”
“Hey, it’s in my job description, right?” I say, laughing off his praise. I don’t need to be thanked for protecting my best friend. I would do the same thing all over again, without hesitation.
Tyler doesn’t even crack a smile. “I’m in your debt, Sam.”
“It’s okay, Tyler,” Beth says, linking her arm with his and effectively pulling him away from me. “I’m okay. The baby’s okay.”
Tyler kisses the top of his sister’s head. “Hello, kiddo.”
“Here, Tyler,” Cooper says, reaching over the bar counter to hand him a tumbler of what appears to be a double shot of whisky. “You look like you could use this.”
Beth’s mother pulls herself away from Bridget McIntyre to join us, giving me a heart-felt hug. “Hello, dear boy,” she says, kissing my cheek. She pulls back and looks me over from head to toe. “You look wonderful. So much better than the last time I saw you, which was at Beth and Shane’s wedding. How are you? How’s your leg?”
“Almost as good as new, Mrs. J.”
At that moment, Gabrielle Hunter walks into the great room in a pristine, white sous chef uniform, which contrasts dramatically with her thick braid of bright red hair. Behind her are two Rinaldo’s catering staff members, also in uniform, pushing two industrial carts laden with stainless steel covered containers.
“I hope you guys are hungry,” she says. “We brought a ton of food.”
Chapter 19
Cooper
While everyone’s shooting the breeze in the great room, waiting for dinner to be announced, I wave Liam and Mack over to the bar. “Take over for me, will ya?” I say. “I need to talk to Shane.”
I head for Shane’s office, where I’m guessing he’s in a pow-wow with Jake, making plans for how they’re going to handle the fact that Roger Stevens skipped out on bail. I rap once on Shane’s office door, then open it and walk in. Shane’s leaning against his desk, and Jake’s standing by the window looking out over the congested street traffic.
Roger Stevens is my fucking problem, and I’ll be the one to solve it. I look Shane in the eye, expecting to see censure, but there’s no blame or resentment in his steady gaze. Just the determination to do whatever it takes to keep this family safe. I take a breath. “I’m sorry—”
“Stop right there,” he says, lifting a hand to cut me off. “None of this is your fault.”
“Bullshit. If Stevens comes to Chicago, it’s because of me, so hell yes, this is my fault.”
Shane shakes his head, dismissing my attempt to shoulder the blame. “No. You did the right thing by going to Sweetwater to try to settle that mess. The fact that Stevens skipped bail is not your fault. What we need to focus on now is how we secure this building. If Stevens is headed this way, we need to stop him from getting inside.”
Before he can hurt Sam, or indirectly Beth. He doesn’t come out and say that, but that’s exactly what we’re all thinking.
Jake speaks up from across the room. “I’ll set up perimeter security around the building twenty-four-seven. He won’t even make it to the lobby doors, I guarantee it.”
Shane nods to Jake. “Do it. I don’t want this fucker stepping foot inside my building.” Then, to me, he says, “If I get wind that he’s here in Chicago, I’ll have to move Beth to Kenilworth. I’d rather not do that if I can help it, because I don’t want to upset her. But if Stevens makes it this far, I’m not taking any chances.”
I nod. I can certainly understand why Shane wants Beth moved somewhere safe, and frankly, I want Sam to go with her. The difficulty will be in convincing him to go. He hates it when I coddle him—I get that—but he doesn’t realize how irrational I can be when it comes to his safety. The thought of him getting hurt—especially because of me—makes me break out in a cold sweat.
Jake’s on his phone, sending text messages as he heads out. “I’m on it.”
Shane turns his attention to me. “I’ve doubled security in the downstairs lobby and added security outside the entrances. I’ve also posted extra security on the penthouse elevator, both in the lobby and in the parking garage. That’s about as far as I can go without completely freaking Beth out.”
I nod, regretting that any of this is necessary. Regardless of what Shane says, I can’t help feeling responsible.
“I want Beth to work from home until this is resolved. And one of us—you or I—has to be here at all times. If Stevens does manage to get inside this building, you and I are the last lines of defense. If that fucker steps one foot on this floor, I’ll blow his head off myself.”
I laugh, but the sound is bitter. “Get in line, Shane.”
* * *
After coming up with a work schedule and putting a plan in place to keep the penthouse secured, Shane and I return to the party and do our best to be sociable. Heaven help Roger Stevens if he bursts into this penthouse tonight. Easily, six of us are packing heat, and that includes Tyler Jamison, who wouldn’t hesitate a second to put an end to any threat that could possibly reach his sister. But Tyler, and even Shane, would have to stand in line behind me. I’d give anything to drill a few slugs into Stevens’s head and end him right now.
As usual, most everyone is congregating around the bar, talking and laughing, with plenty of good-natured ribbing. Ingrid and Bridget are chatting on the sofa in front of the fire…most likely obsessing over the arrival of what will be the first grandchild for each of them.
Shane heads straight for Beth, who’s currently being entertained by Calum telling stories about his kids when they were little. Shane walks up behind her and slips his arms around her burgeoning waist, linking his fingers over her baby bump. He leans down and kisses the side of her head. “What lies is my dad telling you now? Don’t believe a word he says. I was a perfect child.”
“Ha!” Calum scoffs. “Don’t listen to him, lassie. He was a troublemaker from day one, just like your little guy will be too, if he’s anything like his old man.”
I shake my head, smiling and so damn thankful for this family. “I think you might be right there, Calum,” I say.
“Oh, you’d better believe I’m right!” Calum grins at Beth. “If you don’t believe me, young lady, go ask his ma. You know she’d never lie to you.”
“Dinner’s ready! Come to the table,” Gabrielle says as she walks out of the kitchen.
The long dining table is already set, and a few extra places have been added to accommodate this big crowd. I’m looking forward to the day when we have to add a highchair as well. The one thing this family needs more of is kids underfoot. I have a suspicion that we’ll be adding some of those over the next few year
s with all these new couples forming. I fully expect that Jonah will eventually manage to sweet-talk Lia into marrying him. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Molly and Jamie tie the knot before too long—they are two halves of the same soul. Yeah, this family needs a new generation of troublemakers.
Shane sits at one end of the table, with Beth to his right, and Gabrielle next to Beth. I sit at the other end with Sam. The table fills up quickly as the caterers begin carrying in platters of delicious Italian cuisine, courtesy of Rinaldo’s five-star restaurant, including several entrees to choose from, and a variety of side dishes, salads, and bread.
Sam smiles at me, looking relaxed and happy to be home and among friends and family again. I reach over the table for his hand, giving it a squeeze. The dazzling smile he gives me in return is like a one-two punch to my gut, making me dizzy with desire. I can’t wait to christen our shared bed tonight. I will ring every drop of pleasure I can out of his body, until he’s rendered boneless and satiated.
The caterers are courteous and efficient as they bring refills and pour glasses of expensive red wine, and bubbling grape juice for our expectant mother.
Once everyone is settled and has started eating, Shane stands, raising his glass of wine.
“I’d like to make a toast,” he says, his gaze singling out Sam at the opposite end of the table. He looks at Sam for a long moment, long enough that everyone grows quiet. I can see the tension in Shane’s body, his expression equally tight. He swallows hard. “I’d like to make a toast to Sam Harrison, in honor of the brave and selfless act that saved the life of not just my wife, but also our unborn son.” Shane pauses a moment, taking a deep breath as his words sink in. “We’re glad you’re home with us, Sam. It just wasn’t the same around here without you.”
Beth smiles first at Shane, and then at Sam, not bothering to hide the tears forming in her eyes.
Shane starts to speak again, then stops to take a breath and clear his throat. He’s obviously shaken. “I’m eternally indebted to you, Sam,” he says. “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to repay you.”