by Hahn, Joni
He shook his head, his mouth turned down at the corners. “His heart must be too weak to pump his blood. He needs to get the compound in his blood flowing.”
Dar tapped her on the arm. “Piss him off, Sis.” Dar’s voice sounded anxious to her ears.
Mitchell said, “Good idea, Naylor.”
“Aidan.” She added a touch of anger to her tone.
The line remained quiet.
“Aidan. You promised you’d come home.”
“Sorry… baby.” His voice weakened with each word. “No… strength.”
“So, you’re going to leave me here alone, with Mitchell?”
She glanced at Tristan’s father, who gave her a deep scowl.
Sorry, she mouthed.
“What?” Aidan’s voice held a hint of anger.
“He’s been hitting on me since you left. Are you really going to leave me here alone with him and my fantasies of you?”
She felt her face heat. Not even looking up. No way.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Her gaze shot to the window. The sky grew dark, lightning streaking and flashing across the sky.
She grinned at Rachel who hugged her.
“I’ll head out to the roof.” Dar ran from the room, Mitchell and Robinson on his tail.
“Cass…” Static filled the airway before the line went deathly silent.
“Aidan?”
No response.
Her heart stopped in her chest. “Did we lose him?”
Tristan grabbed Rachel’s hand and ushered Cass to the door. “Let’s go find out.”
A bright light flashed in front of them before Aidan dropped to the roof in a lifeless heap. The six of them rushed to his side, Cass kneeling by his head.
“He’s been shot.” Mitchell pointed at the hole in Aidan’s side before he hit the button to retract his helmet.
Aidan rolled to his side and vomited profusely. He groaned in agony.
Cass kissed his forehead. “You made it, baby.”
Robinson and Mitchell started removing the suit from Aidan’s body. Lifting the chest plate with care, Robinson examined his wound.
“We’ll have to get him into surgery right away. He’s lost a lot of blood. This nausea is making things worse.”
“Jacobs…” Aidan’s voice came out as a whisper.
Tristan bent over him, his face a mask of concern. “I’m here.”
“Help me.” Turning his head to the side, he retched again.
Tristan clutched Aidan’s hand in a tight grip. “Help’s on the way, man.”
Swallowing hard, Aidan shook his head. “No. Help me… kill… Mitchell.”
#####
Aidan smelled his mom.
The scent of gardenias brought back memories of her walking into his bedroom two and three times each morning, trying to get him out of bed for school.
Damn, his head hurt.
More times than he could count, he’d gone to school with a massive hangover after drinking with his buddies the night before. If the smell of frying bacon floated in the air, he’d have thought he’d traveled back in time.
He felt her brush back the hair from his brow. He blinked open his eyes.
“Mom. What the hell are you doing?” He looked around the room. “Where’s Cass?”
“The guards down the hall said she went to the chapel with Rachel. I snuck in here while she was gone. How are you feeling?”
Grumbling, he looked away. “Like a truck hit me.”
“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?”
“No. Get away from me.”
Grumbling she said, “Fine.” She headed for the door.
“Mom, what are you doing here? Really?”
Turning around, she faced him. “With Robert, you mean?”
“Yes, with… Robert.” Aidan said the name with a note of sarcasm.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “He wasn’t always a bad person, Aidan. Besides, what would I do back in Creekmore?”
“What about your job? Your friends?”
“I don’t have a job anymore. Jock made sure I got fired from the county offices after Rachel backed out of the wedding. My friends are scared to talk to me because Jock will fire their husbands or children. I certainly can’t wait tables at Brewster’s any longer. What do I have?”
She shook her head. “Rachel hates me, you won’t talk to me. I’m alone, Aidan. Robert is all I have.”
He thought she’d followed Rachel here in the hopes of a reconciliation, that this thing with Naylor was a ruse. However, in truth, the world-renown criminal had become the center of her universe.
She’d been wrong in lying to Rachel about Jim, wrong in trying to marry her off to Cody Brewster. Wrong in growing close to Naylor again.
Life as he knew it had all been a scam.
Growing up, lying had been forbidden in their household. Too bad his parents hadn’t followed their own rules.
“Why don’t you move to Austin with Aunt Tiff?”
“With what, Aidan? I have no money. Thank goodness Tristan paid off your father’s medical bills. I never made enough to pay on them and save.”
He frowned at her. “And, why is that Mom? Dad sold weapons technology across the world. We should’ve been filthy rich.”
Based on her pursed lips and deep frown, he’d hit a nerve. He also noticed the news of his father’s profession had not surprised her.
“You tell me, Aidan. I don’t know what he did with that money. He forced us to live off of the money he made at the store.”
That didn’t make sense. Jim Monroe couldn’t have done it for free. Hell, he’d expected thirty million in gold from Chalmers.
Someone had that money. Jim didn’t take it with him.
“So, you never saw a dime of it?”
She shook her head. “No. We fought about it all the time.”
“So, why did he hide it?”
Looking away, a blush stole up Kate’s neck.
Oh hell. What had she done now? Was there another brother or sister hidden somewhere?
“What Mom? Tell me.”
Resentment reverberated in her voice. “Why don’t you ask Mitchell? I suspect he knows. They talked all the time.”
A half hour later, Cass tiptoed into Aidan’s room and set down a bag of what smelled like a hamburger, on the bedside table.
She was so freaking beautiful. He loved that woman with every electromagnetic spark in his aching body. To know Mitchell had hit on her while he traveled back in time, made his blood boil.
She was his, dammit. Forever.
“Is that for me?”
Cass whipped around, her face breaking into a huge grin. Rushing to his side, she held his face in her hands and just stared at him. The scent of grapefruit hit his nose, her hands soft against his skin. She gave him an easy kiss on the mouth.
His blood boiled now for a totally different reason.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, baby.” With tender movements, he scooted over on the bed and patted the mattress beside him. “Come here.”
Her gorgeous features twisted into a worried frown. “Be careful. Don’t move too much.”
“I’m fine now that you’re here.” He patted the bed again.
Smiling, she climbed up beside him. She kissed his cheek before laying her palm on his chest. Carefully, he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head.
“Home sweet home.” Aidan closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.
“How are you feeling?” Her jeans-clad thigh laid across his leg.
Her sweet voice sounded like music to his ears. It had carried him from that hellish limbo, home.
“I’ve got a headache and I’m starving, but otherwise the drugs are working. I feel good.”
She jumped up from the bed.
“Hey, I was content there.”
“I have food and you need to eat.” Removing the burger and fries from the bag, she spread them on the bedside table
and popped open a can of soda.
“So, you were going to eat all of this while you watched me sleep?”
Giving him a seductive grin, she leaned down and kissed him. “I knew I would need my strength once you were out of this bed.” She straightened away.
Taking in her long blonde waves, her sweet curves encased in snug jeans and a black shirt, and her long, graceful fingers as they squeezed ketchup on his wrapper, Aidan wanted all of that in this bed, now.
Snagging her wrist, he pulled her to him. She squeaked before laughing.
“What’s wrong with this bed?” He kissed her throat.
“We’re in the room.”
Rachel preceded Tristan and Dar into the room. Aidan groaned as he laced his fingers with Cass’s velvety hand.
“Good timing,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “Thanks.”
Hugging him, Rachel laughed as she pulled away. “It’s a standard gene for sisters. You should be used to it by now.”
Tristan shook his hand, while Dar grabbed a fry and popped it into his mouth.
Aidan frowned at Dar. “Cass, remind me to put a lock on the door.”
“Won’t work.” Dar shook his head. “I can pick locks. Not that I’d want to see that shit, mind you.”
Cass smiled at her brother. “Dar’s been by my side since you left, Aidan. We’re going to have to wean him off the bodyguard duty, I think.”
Aidan gave him a short nod. “I owe you. Any problems?”
Dar shook his head. “None. I didn’t hear a peep out of him, which worries me.”
Tristan grabbed a fry, too. “Mitchell said Naylor is getting stronger every day. I told him yesterday wasn’t soon enough to get him out of here. He’s an unnecessary burden.” Grabbing another fry, Tristan dipped it in the ketchup.
Cass stared down at their entwined hands. Aidan knew she still felt torn about her feelings for her father. He understood that considering the situation with his mother.
“Get this.” Aidan looked at Rachel, then Tristan. “Mom was in here earlier. She didn’t act a bit surprised when I brought up Dad’s profession.”
Rachel shook her head. “More lies…”
“As a matter of fact, she told me they used to argue about the money he made designing weapons. She doesn’t know what he did with it. He made us live off of the money he made at the store.”
“That’s strange…” Dar stole another fry.
“If he stashed it,” Tristan said, “That would explain why he had no money to pay medical bills. In his condition, he couldn’t tell anyone where to find it.”
Rachel grabbed two fries and handed one to Tristan. “That explains why Mom had Mr. Hensen do a search for any bank accounts in Jim’s name after he got shot. Mr. Hensen found nothing.”
Dar dipped a fry in the ketchup and ate it. “No word on the gold out at the ranch?”
Tristan shook his head. “Our agents have been out there a week. They’ve emptied hundreds of barrels. No gold yet.”
Cass shook her head. “So, we’ve got millions of dollars in gold and cash missing. How do you lose that kind of money?”
Aidan cocked a shoulder. “Mom said to ask Mitchell.”
Tristan’s gaze shot to Aidan. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Rach, she also said that Jock got her fired from her job after you backed out of the wedding. Her friends won’t talk to her. She feels lost.”
Rachel looked away like she didn’t want to hear it. “She brought it on herself.”
“If my father is all she has, the two of them together are desperation squared,” Dar said. “My gut tells me we’re in for a prequel to the apocalypse.”
Cass squeezed Aidan’s hand. “We need to get you well, fast.”
Aidan did need to get well, quick. They were a team now and he currently resided as the weak link.
“I want to debrief this afternoon,” Aidan said. “We can ask Mitchell then - before I kill him.”
The four of them exchanged wide-eyed glances.
“What?”
Cass laid a hand on his shoulder. “Baby, what I told you about Mitchell?”
Yeah, the asshole that was low enough to take advantage of a woman half his age while her boyfriend traveled back in time for him? “He’s been hitting on you.”
Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “No. He hasn’t.”
“Dammit Cass, quit covering for him.”
Dar broke out into laughter. “Monroe, you are one whipped puppy. She told you that to piss you off enough to get your blood pumping. Otherwise, you would’ve never made it back.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Even Tristan laughed. “Robinson said your heart wasn’t pumping enough to activate the compound. You needed something to get your blood flowing.”
His gaze shot to Cass. She pulled her lips in over her teeth to keep from smiling.
“So, he hasn’t hit on you? Not even once?”
She shook her head.
Shutting his eyes, Aidan let out a breath. “You guys suck.”
#####
Aidan hated his damned hospital gown. It made him feel exposed which, if the conference room air conditioning had its way, he would be. Completely.
He reclined in a padded chair that Tristan had pushed down the hall to one of the Science Division meeting rooms, IV tower in tow. He’d run to get Aidan a blanket so they would all feel more comfortable.
After much debate, he’d teleported Rachel and Cass to Creekmore to clean out Ben’s assisted living room. The home needed the room for a new tenant and had been patient with Rachel, under the circumstances. However, they’d run out of time and needed it cleaned out right away.
Cass hadn’t wanted to leave Aidan so soon, but they all agreed the girls needed to get away. They were probably safer away from Naylor, anyway. Rachel didn’t want to face it alone and Cass agreed. Tristan alerted the agents at the ranch and promised to pick up the girls in a few hours.
Robinson brought up Aidan’s time travel video on the flat screen, poised to start. Mitchell sat at the end of the table, Tristan to his right.
“So, Tompkins and Lisa were poisoned?” Aidan said.
Mitchell nodded. “Toxicology reports showed traces of nicotine poison in their coffee. I normally drink coffee on a flight but I’d had my fill that morning at the hospital.”
Naylor. It had to be.
Did that mean he’d had someone plant the poison on board? Would he risk his children’s lives by taking the pilot’s life?
“Who had access to the airplane before we took off?” Aidan said.
“Outside of Tompkins and Lisa, no one other than the fuel attendant and he’s been a steady employee at the airfield for decades. Whoever it was, they left no fingerprints.”
He shared a glance with Tristan. They both thought the same thing. Mitchell needed to get Naylor out of there ASAP.
“Mitchell, when are you moving Naylor?” Aidan said.
“Any day now. I’m just waiting for DHS to give me the final word.”
Nodding, Aidan turned back to the screen on the wall. “Can’t be too soon.”
“That’s for damned sure.” Hitting the lights, Tristan sat down at Mitchell’s left.
Robinson started the video. Aidan appeared in the forest after he’d puked his guts out.
He signaled to Robinson to pause.
“I laid there for hours, wavering between vomiting and sleeping. If we do this again, we need to address the nausea and vertigo.”
Robinson gave him a thumbs up.
“You look like crap, Monroe,” Tristan said.
“I felt like crap.”
“Well, you were traveling at nearly the speed of light,” Robinson said. “The human body isn’t made to travel that fast. You would’ve vaporized without that suit.”
Aidan grinned. “Thanks for the suit, Robinson.”
“No problem. Next time, I’m collecting a security deposit for damages.” He grumbled into his
soft drink can.
Filling them in on the next few hours of his mission, Aidan stopped when he recounted spotting the blonde.
“Figures you’d follow the woman.” Tristan grinned.
Fast-forwarding to the warehouse, Aidan got to the point when the sailor unlocked the double doors. “Out comes a sleek Pontiac Deluxe 8 Silver Streak and guess who’s driving it?”
Tristan said, “The brunette.”
Aidan nodded.
“And that’s when you followed orders and left, right Monroe?” Mitchell glared at him from the other end of the table.
Swallowing hard, Aidan turned back to the screen. “I’ll, uh, let the video speak for itself.”
Robinson resumed the video. His time in nineteen forty-four played out, the time machine, the chalkboards…
“Is that Albert Einstein?” Robinson blurted, his bug eyes glued to the screen.
Aidan grinned. “Yep. Crazy, huh?”
“Now, I want to go back,” Robinson said.
All of it seemed crazy, traveling back in time amongst people that were most likely dead now. In his mind, the entire scenario seemed illogical, yet it happened. He had video proof.
On the screen, the car honked in the distance. In the background, Einstein looked up, while Chalmers continued to read. The woman said, “Jocelyn’s back with lunch.”
Mitchell’s soft drink fell over on the table, its contents spilling across the surface. Tristan jumped up and grabbed some napkins off a credenza against the wall. Robinson stopped the video.
Sitting up in his chair, Mitchell’s face was a sheet of deathly white, his eyes glued to the screen.
What the hell? Aidan exchanged a glance with Tristan.
“What is it?” Tristan tossed the napkins in the trash can.
“Play the video.” Mitchell spun his hand in a circular
motion.
Looking around at the others, Robinson’s gaze went back to
Mitchell who appeared transfixed.
“I said play the video, dammit.” Mitchell shouted, his hand fisted on the table.
Holy shit. Mitchell never yelled. The video resumed.
The blonde looked around. “Where’s Nichols?”
“Pause it.” Mitchell’s tone brooked no argument.
Three-quarters of the blonde’s face appeared in the foreground, Chalmers’ profile behind her, Einstein in the far distance.