by Dale Mayer
Cade could rest with Talon on guard outside. And right now, the only thing that mattered was spending every moment he could with Faith. With that thought in mind, he gently shifted her so she was back in his arms, and he fell asleep.
Chapter 14
Faith opened her eyes, feeling heat she hadn’t expected. But, at the sight of Cade’s arms wrapped around her, holding her tight, even in sleep protecting her, she realized she’d never felt quite so cosseted or cared for before.
His gravelly voice murmured against her ear, “Are you awake?”
She gave a half nod.
“Finally,” he whispered. “I didn’t think I’d be able to wait much longer.”
And she could feel his erection prodding at her from behind. She gasped as he slid inside and took them on a wild ride that exhausted her but had her gasping for more.
When she recovered, she laughed. “Do you always wake up like that?”
“Only in bed beside you,” he admitted. He leaned over and kissed her gently.
She flopped on her back. “I don’t know about you, but I need a shower.”
He glanced at the clock. “It’s seven. We should probably both have a shower. We’re about to get company.”
She sat up. “Are the guys coming back?”
He shrugged. “I would imagine so. Unless we’re meeting somewhere else. But, since you’d be coming with me, it makes sense to have the meeting here.”
She bolted off the bed. “In that case I’m running to the shower.” She shot him a look that said alone. “Otherwise we’ll never get out of there,” she added on a laugh.
When done, she stepped out of the small room wrapped in a towel, her skin pink and flushed, tendrils of hair still dry but damp from the steam curling around her face.
He leaned forward, kissed her hard and said, “We’ll have to have a talk about showering alone.”
She patted his cheek. “Another time. There’s no way I’m getting caught in the shower with you when those guys are coming.” She turned to her closet to find something to wear.
Once dressed, she moved out to the living room and realized Cade had already cleaned up. She put on coffee and checked the fridge to see what there was to feed a hungry man, then mentally corrected that to hungry men.
As Cade came out, still towel-drying his hair, she said, “We could meet for breakfast somewhere.”
“Right. You haven’t been home, so there is no food, is there?”
She shook her head. “No. I did make coffee though.”
He handed her her phone while he dialed his. She listened with half an ear as she scrolled through her own messages. He was setting up plans for a breakfast meeting just a couple blocks away. And then she realized there was a message on her phone from Mary.
Thanks for setting the detective on me. Not.
She frowned and realized the detective must have done something. How to respond? She didn’t want to engage, but she wanted an update on Elizabeth. She turned to Cade. “Can Laszlo get me an update on Elizabeth?” She held up the message Mary had sent her. “I certainly don’t want to answer this.”
Cade studied the message and called Laszlo. “I know we’re meeting in twenty minutes but any chance we can get an update at the hospital for Elizabeth? Elizabeth’s sister, Mary, just sent an odd message to Faith. Something about Thanks for setting the detective on me.” He hung up the phone a moment later.
“Does that mean yes or no?” she asked. “I couldn’t tell from the conversation.”
“He’ll call the detective right now.”
She smiled with relief. “I’m really glad he speaks Norwegian. Almost everyone has spoken English but there have been a few conversations that went right over my head. Elizabeth taught me a few words, but it’s not the easiest of languages.”
He grinned. “Not to worry. We should hear back soon.”
She walked to the coffeepot and poured two cups. “Well, there is plenty of coffee at the restaurant, but here …” She handed him a cup. “At least it’s fresh right now.”
It was also a really small pot. She usually only had two cups in the morning. So this was just enough to kick-start her morning to get them to the restaurant. She collected her purse as she drank her coffee and turned to look at him. “Any chance we can walk?”
He considered the option for a few minutes and then said, “We could.”
“But you don’t like the idea?” she asked, eyeing him over her coffee cup as she took a sip.
“Out in the open like that, we’re slow-moving targets,” he said simply.
She frowned and stared down at the thick black brew in her cup. “Well, that puts it in perspective.”
“Sorry,” he said, his tone low. “I’m not the kind who hides things or makes them all pretty by lying about them.”
“Good,” she said. “I wouldn’t want you to. This is the state we’re in. This is what we have to deal with. Let’s be smart about it.” She looked for her keys, then turned and said, “Where are we going after breakfast?”
“I’m not sure yet. Do you have anything you need to do today?”
“Shop,” she said simply. “Particularly if we’re staying here for the next couple days. We need food.”
He nodded. “Then I’ll drive. Although I suspect our hired gunman knows exactly what vehicle you and I both drive.”
Frowning, she threw back the rest of her coffee, rinsed out the cup and put it in the sink. He followed suit, and, within seconds, they were outside her apartment door, locking it up, taking the elevator to the ground floor of her complex and now heading toward the parking lot.
She said, “Mine is in my spot. Where are you parked?”
“Out on the road.” He led her to his truck, opened the passenger door and closed it behind her. He walked around to his side.
She watched as he got in and started the engine. She buckled in. “Are you not worried about leaving your vehicle out overnight?”
He shrugged. “Talon was on watch last night.”
She stared at him wide-eyed. “He watched my place all night?”
Cade nodded. “Yes.”
She sat back, a little flummoxed to think somebody had watched over them all night and realized they might or might not have known of their nighttime activities. Nobody could have seen anything through her third-floor windows, but, at the same time, they must have wondered about any sounds that filtered through her open French doors. She didn’t know how she felt about that. What she and Cade had going was still too new. It was private. She wasn’t sure she wanted anybody to know. And then she realized these men knew each other so well, there was no way they wouldn’t know. The only thing she could do was put on a casual and nonchalant face and forget about it.
And, as it was, Talon and Erick never said a word as they walked in. Both had smiles on their faces and warm greetings, but at least they were gentlemen and never brought up how Cade and Faith had spent their night. For that she was grateful.
The waitress brought them cups of coffee and menus. Faith was really hungry and didn’t let the waitress leave before ordering her breakfast, already knowing what she wanted. Cade did the same.
The other two men looked up, their gazes going from one to the other, and Erick said in a deadpan voice, “Hungry?”
“Absolutely,” she said with a big smile. “I’ve definitely worked up an appetite.” She returned the menu to the waitress and asked for a glass of water at the same time. By the time the woman had disappeared, Faith turned to the men. “So what’s happening now?”
“We have a lock on who it is supposedly involved in this, but we must find a way to trap him.”
“Hence asking Warren to get involved?” she asked.
Erick nodded. “He has agreed. And I heard this morning from his contact that he is willing too.”
“Wow. Okay. That’s good then.” She smiled. “When and how?”
“Levi is sending over one of his men. Somebody with a new face and who hasn�
�t been around Santa Fe at all.”
“And why one of Levi’s men?” she asked.
“Because this hired gunman isn’t likely to know him. But Levi’s man is a badass and looks like he can handle anything.”
“Okay,” she said quietly. “And who would that be?”
All the men just looked at each other and then shrugged.
“You don’t even know who he is sending?”
“His name is Michael. He’s a former SEAL. And a badass in his own right. According to Levi, he can handle this with no problem.”
“And is he aware of how dangerous it is?” Faith asked.
Erick nodded. “All of Levi’s men do these types of jobs all the time.”
She subsided in her chair. “I can’t imagine. Once in a lifetime is enough for me.”
“This is what these men do.”
“How long until he gets here? Or how long until this is set up?”
“Our hit man is in a hurry,” Erick said. “I’m hoping it will be soon. It could be this weekend.”
“But there’s nothing we can do but wait and see?” she asked.
Cade nodded. “But these things can often happen very quickly.”
“Not quick enough,” she muttered.
The food arrived soon afterward.
Just as she finished eating, she noticed a large man walking in the front door. Something about his face, that look of take no prisoners, confirmed he’d been through the wars and had survived.
The man took a seat in the far corner of the restaurant in a booth near a window and ordered coffee. He stared out the window.
She frowned, inching closer to Cade.
He took notice of her movement. “What is it?”
She whispered to Cade, “Now that guy looks dangerous as hell.”
His gaze drifted along to see who she was talking about and landed on the man she meant. “Isn’t that Geir?” Cade asked the guys, his head nod giving directions.
The men looked toward the last booth, and the stranger turned slowly to stare at them. In a tiny imperceptible movement, he lifted a thumb in acknowledgment and then turned toward the window again.
Faith didn’t understand what was going on. But there was excitement on the men’s faces. She studied them and spoke in a low voice. “Isn’t he one of your men?”
They all nodded.
“So how come you didn’t recognize him?”
“The beard,” Erick said quietly.
Laszlo nodded. “Exactly.”
Just then Talon walked in, also giving their table a discrete thumbs-up. Instead of coming to them, he walked straight over to Geir’s booth and sat down. The two men smiled at each other. She could feel the men beside her itching to get over there and to talk with their friend. She motioned to them. “Go. I’m fine here alone.”
Cade snorted. “Geir is my buddy. But there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you alone.”
“Too bad you couldn’t use him for this deal. He looks dangerous as hell.”
“He is,” Erick said in a low tone.
Laszlo laughed. “But still, he’s one of us. And is easily recognizable.” Laszlo pushed his chair back, got up, walked over and sat down beside Geir, the two of them brushing up in a shoulder bump.
She smiled to see the pleasure on the men’s faces. “See? That’s what I never had.”
“What?” Cade asked, his gaze locked on the men.
She could feel him wanting to go but torn. She sighed. “If the booth over there was bigger, I’d come with you, but there isn’t room.”
He glanced at her and grinned. He got up, motioned to a waitress. “We’ll be joining that man over there.”
The men saw them coming, stood, grabbed a small table for two, and pulled it up against the booth. Next thing she knew she was sitting across from one of the most dangerous men she’d ever met in her life. She looked at the hard diamond gaze above the beard and the square-cut jaw hidden underneath the beard, and the power that radiated throughout his frame. She realized this man was on a mission. She didn’t know exactly what was going on, but there was rage almost vibrating through his soul. And she realized he had probably just heard about all the accidents and what these guys had been doing, potentially without him.
She placed her hand on his, deliberately covering his metallic-looking prosthesis that rested on the table, and said in a low tone, “I’m Faith. It’s nice to meet you, Geir.”
He looked at her in surprise for a long moment, his gaze searching. There was almost an uncomfortable intensity to it, and then he glanced down at her fingers and smiled. In a deadly smooth move, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers gently. “Welcome to the family.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Geir’s gaze wandered to each of them. “What the hell is this, a matchmaking service?” He shook his head. “And here I thought we were on a hunting mission.”
Anger hardened his tone, but she understood. She’d seen the shock in Cade’s expression when he had found out about his sister. She didn’t understand what may have happened in Geir’s life, but she knew the accident had already taken a toll. She didn’t know if he’d lost a leg or anything else besides his hand, like the other men, but she couldn’t imagine how much pain and suffering they’d all been through. She withdrew her hand and laced her fingers with Cade’s.
The conversation rolled around her. She listened, only hearing bits and pieces. But they were deliberately not making any reference to anything supersecret.
Just then Erick’s phone rang, and the table hushed. She glanced over at Geir to see a muscle twitch in his jaw.
Erick said, “Hello,” then listened, a hard look in his eyes.
She sat back, almost willing to distance herself from what was happening. She could see that, whatever it was, it would go down soon.
Erick took a look at his watch and glanced up at Laszlo. “We’ll be there.” And he hung up. “The meeting is today at four.”
“Somebody needs to tell Michael,” Cade said.
Geir, in a low voice, asked, “Michael?”
“One of Levi’s men,” Talon said quietly.
Geir looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. “I know him. Good man.” That’s all he said.
It seemed like almost immediately everybody turned their thoughts toward the upcoming meeting. But she knew they had a full day to get through. She also realized she was partly the reason why they couldn’t talk. They needed to strategize, although they shouldn’t do it in a public place. They also didn’t quite know what to do with her.
“How about I find some place to visit for the day?” she asked. “Somewhere you’ll all be happy that I’m safe and that nobody’ll be coming after me, so you guys can set up your plans. Because I can see you’re dying to do that.” They turned as one and stared at her. She laughed. “Yes, I can see that.”
Cade was startled at her keen observation skills. “Well, you’re right. But we don’t have any place to stash you safely.”
“How about my place then?” she suggested. “You guys can all sit in the living room, and I’ll go to my room, where I can at least read, watch TV or be on my laptop.”
The men again exchanged silent glances.
She shrugged. “Or pick some other place. I don’t care, but I don’t really intend to sit here all day. It’s wasting your time. You guys have less than seven hours to set this up properly. Not to mention meet with this other person.”
She had no doubt everything would go smoothly today, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a need for preparation.
“Four is only a few hours away,” Cade said quietly. “You’re right. We do need to make some plans.” His gaze went from one to the other. “Anybody have a problem with going back to Faith’s place?”
As one they shook their heads. Cade stood and held Faith’s chair for her. “Then we’ll head back now. You guys can come whenever you’re ready.” He led her back outside. As they stepped out into the fre
sh air, he said, “Thank you.”
She shrugged. “We had to do something. It’s obvious you guys need to talk, and I’m in the way.”
“It’s not that you’re in the way, but it’s not the kind of talk we normally have with other people around.”
“So, it’s not a trust issue?”
Startled, he stared at her. “No. It’s not that we don’t trust you. But it’s much better if you don’t know anything at all.”
“Whatever. Let’s just go home. I can do laundry and change the bed. I’m sure there’s any number of things I can keep myself busy with at home. But I’m not cooking for everybody,” she warned.
At that, he chuckled. “That’s not a problem.”
They were soon back at her apartment. He made sure the place was clear as they walked in the building and up to her apartment. As they stepped inside, he went in first and did a quick search, but it was as they had left it.
She went to her bedroom and called back, “Let me know when I can come out.” She closed the door gently in front of him.
He winced. This had to be difficult for her. He needed to give her as much space as possible, but, at the same time, it was a little tough. He wanted to crawl back into bed with her and make all this go away.
But it wouldn’t go away. As a matter of fact, he was caught up in something that was years in the making. If they could get any answers, he needed to get them now.
The doorbell rang. He walked over and opened it, letting Erick and Talon in. Within ten minutes the entire group was seated. “Anybody heard from Michael?”
Erick nodded. “He’s in Santa Fe. He preferred to have the meeting earlier, but it is what it is.” He shrugged. “Given the location, which is also another hotel, we need to plan how we’ll back Michael up.”
“Did he come alone?”
Erick shook his head. “Several of the men from his old unit are with him.”
Geir nodded. “I know them too. Sounds like Levi has hired himself some really good men.”
“He has,” Laszlo said quietly. “I’d consider it myself, if I was a little more whole.”