A Little Harmless Secret

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Hmm.”

  She threw her hands in the air. “It was just an argument.”

  “Can you tell me that there was a point you didn’t know whether you wanted to slap him or kiss him?”

  That was a little too close to what she had been feeling. What the hell was going on with her? She had been losing control of everything in her life, and now she was getting hot about a man she had no business messing with—especially considering the situation.

  “I plead the fifth.”

  With that, Alicia turned and walked off, ignoring Dee’s laughter and praying she wasn’t right. Getting tangled up with Devon Stryker was something she’d barely survived the first time around.

  * * * *

  Devon was still irritated as he stepped off the elevator. The woman was always trying to dismiss him. At one time, he might have let her do it. Now, though, his daughter was involved.

  That was a lie. Even if Bridget had never been born, the moment Devon saw Ali again, he would have hunted her down.

  “You might as well just let it go,” Micah said. He’d been talking in that calm “I know better than you” tone since they’d left the parking garage. If he didn’t shut the hell up, there was a good chance he would punch him. Then, there was a good chance Devon would get his ass kicked—a very big chance.

  “I heard you the first five times you said it.”

  Devon knew he sounded like an ass. He didn’t really give a damn. The argument with Ali had left him on edge and out of sorts. It hadn’t even been that much of an argument. But one little disagreement and he’d been on the verge of yelling at her—or taking her to bed.

  He opened the door and strode across the room. He said nothing to his sister as he went through the room making sure they’d gotten all their belongings.

  His sister watched him from her seat in the kitchen and just like him, didn’t say a word.

  “What’s the matter?” Dee said.

  Micah kissed her cheek. “Nothing a little one on one time with Alicia wouldn’t fix.”

  He snarled at Micah and Dee laughed.

  “Where are Bridget and Ali?”

  “I think it’s odd you call her by that name,” Dee said.

  “Who cares?”

  This made Dee laugh even more.

  “They’re in your room, getting ready. Bridget has some jitters about the plane.”

  He said nothing as he turned and headed in that direction. He’d had about three hours of sleep, if that, and he was…out of sorts. That was it. Just out of sorts.

  And really freaking horny.

  Fuck. He leaned against the wall and counted back from ten. Then, he did it again. This wasn’t the time or place. They had too much shit on their plate to deal with. Not to mention, they had an innocent little girl in danger.

  That brought him back to earth. There was a little girl, and she needed both of them to protect her. As if on cue, he heard the two of them talking.

  “I’ve never been on a plane before,” Bridget said, nerves leaving her voice tight with worry.

  “You have but you were a little baby then, so you don’t remember.”

  “Still. And this is a little plane.”

  “We’ll be fine, poppet. These are nice people and guess what?”

  “What?”

  “I heard they have all kinds of little gadgets, including a shower and a bed. Isn’t that exciting?”

  “I suppose.” The girl was definitely not impressed with that.

  Devon moved closer so he could see in the room. Bridget was sitting on the bed and Ali dropped down to squat in front of her.

  “Right now, we can’t go back to the house. I told you it might happen.”

  “But I like our house. And the woods. You said maybe next year we could get a dog.”

  “I know and it might still happen. We just have to deal with this problem, then maybe we can make it back.”

  She sighed. “Hawaii doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  It was easy to hear the pout in Bridget’s voice. It took every bit of his control not to interrupt and tell her he would take her anywhere she wanted to go.

  “I have a feeling a lot of people would disagree with you.”

  “Yeah?” she asked as she sniffled.

  “Yeah. There are beaches we can go to each day. And, I heard a rumor that Devon has a pool.”

  “It’s too cold for swimming.”

  Ali shook her head and smiled. “Not in Hawaii. You can do that year round.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. And Dee said there’s whales there right now. We might get to see some.”

  Her hatred for Hawaii apparently forgotten, Bridget clapped. “I love whales.”

  “I know you do. Now, what did I tell you about us doing things?”

  “We can do it if we do it together,” Bridget said.

  “That’s right,” Ali said. “Now give your mum a hug, and we need to get going.”

  She nodded and did just that. He watched, as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He had missed so much of his daughter’s life and he still blamed Ali for that, but the people behind the attack and her father’s death were the most to blame for it.

  When he got a hold of the bastards, he would make sure to make them pay.

  * * * *

  The former agent looked out the window, watching the rain as it slipped down the glass. This time of year was known for being rainy and cold. It set the perfect mood.

  “And you say that they were nowhere to be found? Did you stake out the house?”

  The younger man shifted his feet. “They weren’t there.”

  “Are you telling me you just left?”

  “It was compromised. She was gone.”

  The agent sighed. All these years and good help was still hard to find. People had no real work ethic anymore. “You’ve fucked this one up.”

  “I—”

  “No. Go back to your post, Williams.”

  He hesitated. The agent knew he wanted to argue, but he finally left.

  “You want him fired?”

  The agent looked at the second in command. “Fired. Yes.”

  “Do you want Smythe to take care of it?”

  Smythe handled their terminations. It wasn’t something they used that often, but this definitely warranted swift and devastating action. They hadn’t been this close to Alicia Hughes in years, and he had fucked it up good. Lying in wait, because Alicia would have returned at some point, should have been the next course of action. Instead, the wanker had fled the States, running back to London with his tail between his legs. And he should pay for that.

  Decision made, the agent nodded. Left alone, the agent sat down in front of the window and plotted.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Within three hours, they were on their way across the Pacific. Devon knew Ali and Bridget were overwhelmed, but they handled it like troopers. Knowing they needed to discuss their next move, the girls had been settled in the bedroom of the plane. The cousins were fast friends and good at entertaining themselves.

  The girls seemed to be dealing with all of this better than he was. In fact, Devon was barely keeping it together. The images of those pillows with the bullet holes kept playing through his mind. He still had to break the news to Ali. He knew she wasn’t going to handle it well, and there was a chance she’d try to run. Putting him or his family in danger was very upsetting to her.

  “My house is secure enough, but when I talked to Conner, he said he’d come by and discuss it tomorrow,” Devon said. He looked at Ali. “He was very impressed with you.”

  “Of course he was. I’ve never spoken to him personally, but I pointed out some holes in his security measures. Maura seemed pretty happy to tell him about them too.” She snorted. “FBI, they spend more time shopping for ray bans and suits.”

  He couldn’t stop his lips from twitching. Her voice was filled with arrogance and, dammit, he found it attractive. He always hated women who played the victim.
Ali was definitely a woman who would always stand and fight. It made her almost irresistible. Her outward confidence had attracted him as much as that tight, athletic body of hers. He remembered the taste of her flesh, the way she moaned his name…

  “Earth to Devon.” Micah said.

  Devon blinked, coming back down to earth. When Devon turned to look at his brother-in-law, he found Micah smiling at him.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Maybe we need to bring the girls out here, and you can go take a nap.”

  He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck trying to ignore the pulse of lust that now beat through his blood. He was still pissed at Ali, but the attraction was as strong as ever. Worse, he kept seeing her steal glances at him, and he was starting to realize the mutual attraction was still there.

  He was insane to be so damned hot for a woman who could kill him.

  “I think the house is fine, but I told him I wanted a review of the security we have on it.” He looked at Ali. The images of the night before came flashing back to him. “I just realized that you were on your way out of the house the other night. How did you know?”

  “I have silent alarms set to go off if someone breaches my land within 100 yards.”

  He looked at her. “That’s kind of fanatical.”

  She shrugged. “If it was just me, I could handle the typical alarm, but Bridget brings other concerns. The silent alarm allowed me to get her out of there without frightening her too much.”

  Of course, Ali had thought of that. Being raised by someone in MI-6, there was a good chance she could run her own security company. Considering the measures she took just to protect her house, Devon was amazed that she’d been found out.

  “I’ll talk to Evan and let him handle most of the Rough ‘n Ready issues right now,” Micah said. “Hopefully, we won’t have to do this for very long.”

  “Evan?” she asked. She looked at Devon. “I don’t want any more people involved.”

  “He’s my business partner and he’s family,” Micah said. “It’s going to be impossible to avoid telling him. Our lives, personal and business, are intertwined. He’ll be good at deflecting questions about my absence at work. It will be noticed.”

  “If it’s noticed that my brother-in-law is missing or taking a long absence after what happened in Seattle, that will get noticed. You and I both know that.”

  She opened her mouth but Dee stopped her. “I know you’ve handled this by yourself for so many years, that it’s hard for you to accept help, but believe me, Evan is trustworthy. And, we won’t tell him anything more than is necessary, for our safety and for his. Evan and his wife are expecting their first child.”

  She studied Dee for a second then nodded.

  “Do you think it will be suspicious that you aren’t around the club?” Devon asked.

  Micah shook his head. “I was supposed to be off until the end of next week anyway. By then we should have a better handle on this. We can always blame it on Dee.”

  “Thanks a lot,” she said with a laugh. Then she sighed. The tired sound reminded Devon that she was pregnant, and she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep.

  “Why don’t you go take a nap?” he asked her.

  “The girls are back there.”

  “Well, go recline somewhere. I don’t think any of us want to relive the horror of your previous bed rest.”

  She frowned at him then looked at Ali. “See what I have to put up with?”

  Ali laughed and the sound danced through his blood. It was so rare to hear that he felt like a junkie waiting for the next hit.

  “Yes, well, be happy with it, and I suggest you take advantage of it too.”

  Dee yawned. “I guess I will. Especially since I have a sexy man to rub my feet.”

  “I love you, but I will not rub your feet,” Devon said.

  Dee smacked him on the arm. Micah just chuckled and helped his wife out of her seat. They moved further back in the plane leaving him and Ali alone.

  “There’s something you’re not telling me,” she said.

  Devon hated that she was so perceptive. It made it hard to keep things he would rather she not know from her.

  “I told you everything.”

  She gave him a look that told him she knew he was lying, but she let it go.

  “When we get there, Evan will be picking us up. I usually hire a driver because the flight is such a bitch, and with Dee and Micah, plus the kid, it’s just easier. But in this situation, I didn’t want to take the chance. We filed a flight plan, but other than that, we didn’t raise any red flags. Also, we are going to go with the idea that Dee needs some more rest or has an appointment. I think Evan will spread the word at the club. It is a microcosm and Oahu is like one big town. Annoying sometimes, but it will work for this. I still highly doubt they’ve made the connection, but I would rather be safe than sorry.”

  She nodded. “And after we land?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Where will we be staying? Do you have a hotel or maybe a rental that you could suggest?”

  “I have a five bedroom house, so that will be where we stay.”

  When she didn’t instantly agree, he narrowed his eyes. “You will be staying with me. It has high security, and it’s better to be on your own home turf if we’re attacked. Plus, I have an out in the back.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My house backs up to Kaneohe Bay. While it leaves us a little exposed, it also gives us another way to get Bridget out of there.”

  She sighed. “I just feel odd.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, depending on someone else, and just going along with what you say.”

  Blunt. And it was one of the things he liked about her.

  “I thought this was the agreement. Why are you freaking out over staying somewhere safe until we get a handle on this?”

  “I just told you. I’ve been making decisions for both of us since she was born.”

  “Well, whose fault is that?” he asked, irritated with her again. Why couldn’t she just give in every now and then?

  “I don’t know. Maybe it was the wanker who left me a note the next day.”

  He opened his mouth to argue, but she shook her head.

  “I can’t do this right now. I’m tired and angry about the situation. We are never going to resolve that argument. We both know it.”

  “Okay. But we will be having a discussion about this later when everything gets settled.”

  She hesitated, then nodded.

  “Get some rest,” he said.

  “I was going to check on Bridget.”

  “I’ll do it. You’re going to need your strength because I have a feeling that little girl is going to need you more than she needs me after we land.”

  She didn’t say anything for a moment, then a small smile curved her lips. “You’re right. Thanks.”

  An emotion he couldn’t define moved through him. She looked so damned thankful for that one small gesture. All of a sudden, he felt awkward. She was smiling at him, and he didn’t know what to say.

  He rose out of his seat and grabbed a blanket.

  “Lay back.”

  For once she did as he told her, and he laid the throw on top of her. He had to fight the urge to rub the backs of his knuckles over her cheek. It was an intimacy he didn’t have a right to, but he wanted it. Yeah, he was still pissed about Bridget and missing out, but there had never been another woman who hit him in the gut like Ali did.

  He just had to protect her and Bridget…then they could figure out where they went from there.

  * * * *

  Alicia stepped off the plane and immediately noted the differences. She had spent the majority of her life hopping from one place to the next, never really staying anywhere for very long. She never had issues acclimating to a new climate or culture. Now though, things were different. She’d grown accustomed to her dark Washington woods and the cool weather.
>
  Here, the air hung heavy with humidity and the scent of exotic flowers. Even on the tarmac, she could smell their fragrance. She pulled out her sunglasses and slid them on. It wasn’t too bright, but the sun still brightened the sky amongst the few stray clouds that lingered in the area. Again, she had become so accustomed to gray skies and cooler air.

  A tall, rangy man with a wealth of golden brown hair came walking across the runway towards them. He was dressed casually, as she assumed most people in Hawaii did. The mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes, but the smile he offered was as warm as the Hawaiian sunshine. He was by himself. Four leis were draped over his forearm.

  “Well, you must be Devon’s,” he said, slipping a lei over her head and kissing both her cheeks.

  “Excuse me?”

  Instead of explaining himself, his smile widened. “I’m Evan Chambers.

  The South colored his voice. She heard a hint of South Carolina and maybe Georgia there, but another aspect caught her attention. It had to be the influence from Hawaii. She had heard it in Micah and Dee’s voices. He pulled off his sunglasses.

  “I’m Alicia Hughes and this is my daughter Bridget.”

  His smile widened and she had to blink. A set of dimples appeared and the man’s eyes fairly twinkled. She was embarrassed to admit she felt downright flustered. In fact, she found it hard to come up with what to say to him.

  He apparently was accustomed to it. He winked at her and looked down at Bridget. “Hello, princess.”

  Her daughter glanced up at the tall man and said nothing for a second. Bridget apparently was stunned by the charm tossed in her direction. Then…she giggled.

  Alicia shook her head in amazement.

  “Don’t worry, all the girls giggle around Evan,” Dee said, walking up beside Alicia.

  “Except for you,” Evan said, leaning forward to put a lei on Dee, and then he gave her a fast, loud kiss on the lips.

  “Oh, please. You couldn’t deal with a woman who could kick your…butt.”

  He chuckled. “And there is the other princess.”

  Alana came running to him and he picked her up. She gave him a large smacking kiss—much like the same one he had shared with Dee. This was a family, she thought. They weren’t all related, but she could see the connections easily. Evan might not be blood, but he was like an uncle.