by India Kells
“Not quite … I’m sure you weren’t aware that loving my brother came with a whole new world.”
“Oh yeah. Let’s say that making my decision hadn’t been easy. But even if I lost something, I gained so much more. Although, I’m still trying to find my place.”
“I’m not too worried about you, Jenny. But I have to admit at being surprised of my brother’s choice. I remember my dear brother being hard at women who didn’t fit the family mold.”
Now Jenny put her mug down. “I don’t know much of what happened between your brother and you. And even between your parents and the two of you. From what I could gather, there was quite a lot of misunderstandings. I’m not into the blame game, but you may be mistaken about why your brother shut you down when you left.”
Mac straightened. “Jenny …”
“No, listen to me. I won’t interfere for now. In fact, I leave you until I give birth for you and Matt to reconcile. After that, I’m locking you both in the dungeon and keeping you there until you talk.”
“We don’t have a dungeon.” And involuntarily, images of a very different dungeon came to Mac’s mind.
Jenny angled her head. “I’ll find a way. I’m very good at adapting.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Jenny got to her feet, rubbing her ample belly. “I’ll talk to you later about the Yuletide Ball. Why don’t you grab something to eat? I’ll go to my husband and beg him to massage my back.”
She laughed as Jenny turned to the door. Wesley entered at that moment, throwing her off balance. Mac rushed from her stool, dashing her way to Jenny, but Wesley was quicker. As Jenny fell, he swooped her up in his arms, stopping her from hitting the floor.
Mac’s heartbeat was still in overdrive when she skittered beside them.
“Are you all right?”
Jenny seemed to ponder it for a moment, before she smiled brightly. “All is good. And I think the baby liked the ride!”
Before he put her down, Wesley frowned at her, real concern on his face. “Are you certain you’re okay, ma’am?”
“Oh yes, thank you. It’s Wes, isn’t it? I only slipped. Silly bunny slippers. I must have lost one.”
Wesley looked at her for a long moment, and Mac recognized his habit of scanning for truth, before he gently lowered her on his feet. In a very sweet way, he put her robe back in place and even searched for her missing slipper.
“Ah! You see! Bad bunny!” She wiggled her feet and Mac was amazed as Wesley smiled brightly at her and knelt, sliding the slipper back on her feet.
“Well, how can the day go wrong, when I had a man kneeling at my feet in the morning? Thank you, Wes. Coffee is ready. Go grab one. See you later, Ellie.”
And as Wesley turned to grab a mug, Jenny made a two thumbs up in her direction, before scurrying away.
Mac wondered if she would ever understand her whirlwind sister-in-law. But she was definitely anything but dull.
Wesley finished doctoring his coffee with a surprising amount of sugar and no cream, as she sat back on her stool. Mac realized that more coffee was needed, and Wesley, with a definite telepathic talent, grabbed her mug to fill it up. He went to put the empty pot in the sink and she noticed the deeper lines of concern and fatigue etched on his face, around his eyes. And the obvious lack of limp. He had time to shower and change out of his muddy clothes, replacing them with a black pair of cargo pants and blue sweater.
“How’s your leg?”
Wes, instead of grabbing a stool in front of her, came around the island to sit beside her.
“Of all you want to know, including obviously the result of our morning search, you’re interested about my leg?”
“Indulge me.”
He sighed and answered before taking a sip. “It’s well, I guess.”
“No pain, no sore muscle.”
“Light soreness, but not surprising after last night.”
“Exactly! That’s what I thought. I’m not doctor, and the human body is a wondrous machine, but some things I cannot understand.” Now sarcasm dripped heavily in her voice. And to make matters worse, Wesley seemed more amused than worried.
“A wondrous machine indeed. Care to tell me where you’re going with this?”
“You’re recovering thigh is always in the back of my head, nagging at me. Last night, when you sneaked up on me—”
“Followed you.”
She ignored his interruption. “I didn’t hear a thing. And when we saw the lights at the distance, and I rushed to go down, you started limping.”
“Was I?” Wesley took a sip and she swore she noticed a corner of his mouth lift up behind the cup.
“And then, during the fire fight, nothing, you leapt into battle like a rabbit.”
His eyebrow shot up. “A rabbit? I’m not sure I like the comparison.”
Without breaking stride, she continued. “Replace the rabbit by the wildlife you want. What I wanna know is if you tricked me into thinking you were injured. In pain. To make certain I didn’t wander there alone.”
The smile was definitely gone. The wave of fury that hit her almost made her fall off her seat. With evident control, he set his mug down and grabbed the sides of her stool to bring it forward. Her knees were now between his legs and her nose against his.
“You were about to leap into an unknown situation, without help. Even with my experience, I wouldn’t have gone without serious backup and no more than two handguns and a rifle. Your emotions, your fear for your family blurred your judgment and I wasn’t going to let you go and risk being killed. And if that meant telling you a lie, I was ready to take that step. And even do worse. Do you understand?”
Mac looked at the man before her. And marveled at the fact that she understood why he did it, and it deflated any remnants of resentment against him. She could be a hothead. That was the main reason why she was good behind a visor. She needed the distance, it cooled her down.
“Yes. And thank you for doing it. For blocking me. I see it now.”
The expression on his face was priceless, as if the man was about to throw his body against a locked door to find it opened after all. Stupor changed to suspicion.
“Are you playing with me? You’re saying that me trying to trick you is okay with you? Is it some sort of female trap?”
“No, what I’m saying was that you recognized danger and I was too far gone, worried about my brother and furious of the trespassers, I wouldn’t have listened to logic. You reached me in another way. Don’t you see, Wes? That’s the exact reason I left the British Army. My lack of control. The only place I have any talent is behind a visor, aiming at a threat with my rifle. If I’d be any good at it, my brother’s life wouldn’t be at risk. If I’d be you, Calvi would be dead.”
There, she said it. The words felt like rocks in her stomach. All those years searching for who she was, for whom she could be. All those years, admiring her grandmother and trying to walk in her footsteps, for nothing. She had taken the wrong path, from the beginning.
Wes’ hands came to rest on hers. “You are blind. And I’m glad that Purgatory recognized your true face. Mac is not a mercenary. You are a warrior. I saw you in action, you’re a great strategist, adapting to situations like no other. When none of those close to your heart are threatened, you’re cold as ice. The fact that you care so much isn’t a weakness. It’s what drives you. It’s what I admire in you. Your passion, your dedication, your strength. God, you’re strong, don’t you see?”
“It’s the Scottish blood, we’re a stubborn bunch.” She tried to dismiss what he was saying, but it seemed she wasn’t the only pig-headed soul in the room.
“I didn’t say stubborn. Don’t get me wrong, you’re that, too. I said strong. Not many people would have gone way outside their comfort zone to reach for me, when I was in darkness.”
Mac looked at their joined hands. Part of her wished, another reasoned.
She pushed away from him. “I’m glad I could help you, Wes. I
really am. You have a great family, who loves you. Count on them to steer you in the right direction if you falter.”
Wesley frowned at her sudden change of mood. “Mac?”
Mac shook her head. “We make a good team. I appreciate everything you did and are doing here. You have my eternal gratitude.”
And now, she saw on his face that he understood. She was pushing him away. There was no other solution.
“Mac, what are you saying?”
“Wes, you gave me the answer I was searching for. The reason why I made so many mistakes. Emotions. They were why I left, why I joined the Army and became a sniper. All of these steps make perfect sense. The more I let my feelings guide me, the more I cause pain and suffering around me. Isn’t that clear? The whole mission with Purgatory went south because of my friendship with them. I got close and it made me falter. And now, here with my brother and with you.”
“Me?”
Now, those emotions grew tighter in her throat, but she would get them out. “You, I … I got too personal. You slither under my skin and I can’t let you do that. It’s the same with Purgatory. It has to cease.”
Wesley inched closer, but was cut short when Sullivan poked his head in the kitchen.in “Debriefing now in the drawing room.”
“In a minute.” Wes’ voice was more like a growl.
“Can’t do, pal. Gabrielle told me not to return without both of you.”
Mac was unable to look at Wesley anymore, surprised by the pain of cutting him loose. Was she so attached already?
Her only way out of this was to end Calvi, as when he died, so would the sudden pain tearing at her heart. All would make sense. All would be worth it. She prayed it would be so.
Chapter 27
“Do you own a dress?”
Jenny’s voice slashed through Mac’s fogged mind. Maybe it was for the best, her thoughts rolled on the bleak side. The debriefing didn’t help her mood. Nothing so far. All the research didn’t give a clue on where Calvi went. The ATV tracks led to a nearby gravel road and there was no way to make sure of its direction. And every time Wesley spoke, never to her directly, he grew cooler. She had hurt him by pushing him away, and Mac hoped he would realize that it was for the best. And he couldn’t have deep feelings for her, yet. After all, there was only sex between them, nothing more.
So why did seeing him withdraw like that, reverting to the way he was when she met him cut her so profoundly?
“Ellie?”
Oh yeah, the question … what was it again?
“Oh yeah, no, I don’t have a dress. There is a possibility I can find something in the attic.”
Jenny frowned, concerned. “Don’t you still have clothes in your room? I’m sure we haven’t touched anything.”
“I haven’t had time to check.”
“You mean you haven’t had time to sleep.”
“That too. Can we go back to the planning of the ball? I want be certain everything is covered.”
“Of course. But it would help if you didn’t slip into a comatose state every five minutes.”
Mac groaned. “I’m awake now. Let’s hurry.”
Instead of returning to the guest and vendor lists, Jenny shut down her computer and turned to her, putting a hand on her arm.
“Go lie down. You’re no good at the moment. And to be honest, the ball has been planned for months now. Except for the list of guests, I’ve already sent you for verification, there isn’t much more to do, except checking on the vendors. So why do you need to go over the plan again?”
“Just in case we missed something. Some security details we didn’t think about.”
“Pardon me for telling you the truth, but this is all busy work. It keeps you from talking to Matthew and to Wes, from what I heard.”
Mac rubbed her tired eyes. “Jenny, I’m worried. Scratch that. I’m way past worried. I know what Calvi can do. The last thing I want is to risk your lives.”
Jenny smiled, rubbing her belly in an endless circle. “I guessed as much. But we are protected. The castle now resembles Fort Knox. Most of the personnel is under surveillance, tagged. If I’m not with Matt, I’m surrounded by at least two guards. Not that I can complain, most of the men you brought in are gorgeous and treat me like a queen. A woman in my condition appreciates that. Apart from Gabrielle and all those security experts that have already analyzed every single inch of the castle and overviewed the ball plans over three separate meetings, I don’t see what’s left to do than wait for him to make his move.”
Mac inhaled deeply. “I’m good at waiting, Jenny. But not when people I love are at risk. I don’t think it will ever sit well with me.”
“I know. But you have to trust your team.”
Matthew knocked at the door before entering. When he saw Mac, he hesitated. Jenny beamed. “Honey! You arrived just in time! I needed a hoist to lift me out of this chair.”
Mac marveled at her brother’s stern expression slowly melting into a tender smile. “I’m at your service, love. Shouldn’t you be lying down?”
Jenny huffed as she got to her feet, hanging on to Matthew’s arm. “I don’t have any comfortable positions left. And—”
Her face contorted and she let out a scream. As she crouched holding her belly, Matt supported her up and Mac ran to her side, taking her other hand. If it was a contraction, it was a long one and Mac had her confirmation when all of a sudden, Jenny’s water broke.
“Jenny?”
After a moment, she finally took a deep breath and smiled. “Well, I think that the baby has made its choice. Time for the hospital, honey.”
As Matthew helped his wife change into a loose wool gown and take a seat, Mac called Gabrielle.
“Gab. It’s time, the contractions have begun. Let’s get the plan in action. We’re in Matthew’s room.”
“On my way up with the kit. We are calling the EMTs.”
As Jenny was now comfortable, Matthew turned to his sister. “What plan?”
“The plan is to have an ambulance come here to appear as if they were picking up Jenny. It will bring the fake Jenny to the health center in the village, as planned. In the meantime, we have arranged for a secure transportation for you into town. That way if Calvi is watching, all will go as he expected and you and Jenny will be safe, under escort.”
“My doctor …” Jenny huffed, slowly regaining her breath, but it was clear another contraction was soon under way.
“Your doctor will do a little detour as we will call him from the ambulance. Courtesy of Lance.”
Jenny smiled through the pain. “Glad you thought about everything.”
Matthew held his wife through the next contraction. When it passed, someone knocked at the door. Wesley came in. “The ambulance is five minutes away. As soon as we depart, you will embark in a truck hidden in the garage that will bring you to Everly.”
Wesley made sure to avoid Mac’s gaze as he approached Jenny and looked at Matthew. “I will help you carry her down. With the stairs, it will be safer with the two of us. Jenny? Are you ready?”
She nodded briefly. “Better to do it now, before the next contraction slams right into me.”
Matthew took Jenny in his arms, Wes remaining close. Mac opened the door and made sure the coast was clear as they went down the stairs. At the bottom, Gabrielle was giving the last instructions for the team staying at the castle and the other that would follow Matthew and Jenny to the hospital.
Once in the lobby, Matthew and Wesley helped Jenny sit down again.
Gabrielle came close and smiled. “All is set. You can go into the garage and get ready. We will give you the signal as soon as we are certain the coast is clear. And even if someone is watching, it will resemble a truck leaving, not an official departure to the hospital. Mac, Wes, are you ready?”
Matt glanced up. “Ready for what?”
“Wesley will put your coat and cap and will accompany the ambulance. Mac will go, too.”
“And who will play me?�
� Jenny huffed her question, recovering from the last contraction.
The safety guards all looked away and Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about that. Now, both of you, hurry!”
The men in disguise disappeared as sirens began blaring at a distance. “That’s our cue. Stick to the plan. When the paramedics come in, you sedate them and our guards will take their place. Wes, you play Matthew and Mac, you get in the ambulance with him and the dummy.”
Mac looked around and when she saw the dummy, she didn’t know if she had to laugh or be offended when Sullivan brought an inflatable sex doll.