I kept my face blank as I watched the wheels turning in his head. I wasn’t about to admit what I knew, but Sean was a good detective and I could see him already piecing everything together. He gaze shot up to mine and he narrowed his eyes at me.
“Really?”
I shrugged. “What?”
“Un-fucking-believable.” He shook his head with a humorless laugh and turned away from me again. “I sure as fuck hope that you didn’t send him.”
“Send who?”
He spun around and got in my face. “You know fucking who! I told you he was going to be a problem. A senator? What could Knight possibly have against a fucking senator?”
I stayed quiet. There was no fucking way I was admitting anything to Sean. It would put him in a terrible position.
“Ten days. Just ten more fucking days that you have to stay out of shit. I want a normal Christmas this year. I don’t want to hear one fucking thing about any shit you get yourself into.”
“I would cover your ears then.”
The look on his face was comical. It was that look that George Bailey gave in It’s A Wonderful Life when he realized that he had never been born. He turned and stormed out of the room, flipping me the bird on the way.
“What was that about?” Sinner asked as he walked in after seeing Sean storm out.
“He wants a quiet Christmas this year.”
Sinner laughed. “Okay. Yeah, that sounds like loads of fun.”
“I wouldn’t mind a quiet Christmas. Would it really be that bad?”
Sinner looked at me strangely. “You want a quiet Christmas, with no bombs, explosions, or gunfire. Just you, sitting at home with the kids and all those annoying toys. And Maggie, yelling at you for knocking her up with triplets. Yeah, that sounds fucking fantastic.”
Well, he made a good point.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Knight
I knew before I got off my motorcycle that Kate had locked me out of the house. Luckily for me, the last time she kicked me out had made me realize what an idiot I was for not leaving myself a way in. I slipped around to the back and pulled my phone, hacking into the system to let myself in and securing the house behind me. The house was dark and quiet as I made my way upstairs.
Raven and Griffin were sleeping peacefully, and I stopped to stare at them for a minute. God, they were so fucking beautiful. Never in my life would I have thought that I was lucky enough to have not only a beautiful woman that loved me, but two kids that thought I was the best dad on the planet. I shook my head, not really comprehending how I had gotten here.
Cap was right to be pissed at me. We’d made a deal, but when I heard Senator Brantley’s name, and then found out that he was beating this kid, I just lost it. It was like I was back in that old mindset of killing the men that had hurt so many others. Was I sorry? Not for one fucking minute. Cap might be pissed at me and Kate might want to divorce me, but I’d never let that happen.
I shut the kids’ door behind me and walked down the hall to my bedroom. Silently, I opened the door and slipped into the bedroom, sitting in a chair that Kate kept by the window. I always wondered if she did it because she knew I liked to watch her sleep. I stayed there for half the night, just watching her and praying that she didn’t say that she’d had enough of me. Deep down I knew that it was a very real possibility. Not that I would ever leave her alone.
She sat up suddenly and her eyes found mine immediately. She shoved her hair back and threw off the covers. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
“You left. You just walked away.”
“I was taking care of something.”
She stood suddenly and walked over to me, slapping me hard across the face. “Killing a senator?”
I didn’t say anything, just stared her down.
She scoffed and walked over to the bed, sitting on the end. “You know, when Hunter came and told me that you would be gone for a while, I felt like something was wrong. I mean, you would never just leave me like that.” She looked up and her eyes shimmered with tears. “You did, though. You leaving me and the kids is bad enough, but I’m pregnant. You were going to leave me to do this all alone.”
“I was never leaving you.”
“Really? Hunter couldn’t hide it. It was written all over his face. Whatever you were going to do, he knew that you might not come back. All for a fucking senator.”
I didn’t confirm, but I was curious how she knew that I had gone after him. Was it Cap? Maybe Alec. He was fucking pissed at me.
“Are you going to defend yourself?”
“Why bother?”
“Because I’m your wife!” She exploded off the bed, her anger stronger than I had ever seen before. “Don’t I at least get to know why?”
I thought about it. What did I really have to lose by telling her? Nothing. She would never turn me in. On the other hand, I didn’t want her to have that on her hands. To know that her husband had killed a man in cold blood yet again. So, I remained silent.
“Get out,” she hissed. “Don’t come back.”
I remained where I was seated.
“I’m serious, Hudson. You need to leave. Get out right now and don’t bother coming back. You’ll only disappoint me.”
She turned, headed for the door. I was out of my seat and over to her in an instant, gripping her arm and spinning her around, pulling her into my body.
“You know I won’t be far. You can push me away all you want, but I’ll be here every fucking night with you.”
“How could you do this to me? It’s bad enough that you left me, but now you don’t even have the decency to tell me what happened or why. That’s not the kind of life I want. You promised me. You told me this was over, that you wouldn’t be killing anymore. You swore we would have a normal life together.”
She jerked out of my arms and backed up, shaking her head as tears slipped down her cheeks. I hated that I had done that to her, but I wouldn’t change what I had done. It needed to happen.
“We do. Tell me one time that I’ve made you feel like what we have isn’t normal.”
“Tonight. The past week. You took my trust and you said to hell with it. You knew that I would be pissed about this and you did it anyway. I can’t live like this. I have two kids to think about and another on the way. I can’t be worrying about whether or not you’ll be there tomorrow.”
“So, you’d prefer I just disappear.”
She swiped at her face. It was like she had nothing left to say. She just stood there, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to protect herself from me. Maybe I was being overly confident, but I didn’t think she truly meant it. She was scared for what could have happened and that it would continue to happen. She was scared because I had left without a word, and that was a big reminder of the last time I had disappeared.
I reached out for her, pulling her gently back into me. Brushing my knuckles across her cheek, she finally looked up at me. “I can’t promise that it won’t happen again. This was something I had to do, but I’m not planning on making a career out of it again. I know what I promised when I asked you to marry me. I know that I swore I would always be here. That hasn’t changed. You know what kind of man I am, why I did what I did. I never went out and murdered people without just cause. I know that doesn’t make it better in your eyes, and I’m not asking you to see things my way. But I swear to you, if this ever happens again, I will come home. Just like I did this time. There’s no way that I would ever leave you and the kids alone.” I slid my hand down to her belly, that was just barely a bump. “I swear to you that I will be around to see all of them grow up, and I will be here to spend the rest of our lives together.”
She threw her arms around my neck, squeezing me so tight that I almost choked. I knew she didn’t really want to leave me, but fear was a powerful weapon. One that she didn’t know how to fight against. I kissed her and stripped her nightgown off her. Walking her back to the bed, I
laid her down and shucked my clothes before settling on top of her.
“Promise me,” she whispered. “Say it again.”
“I swear, I’ll always come home to you.”
She wrapped her legs around me as I slammed inside her. She gasped, her nails digging into my shoulders. “Garrick,” she whispered.
God, I loved it when she called me that. It only slipped out every once in a while, but it was a reminder of a turning point in my life. The point where I decided to give it all up for this amazing woman.
I fucked her hard and slow, feeling every sensation of her wrapped around me. It never got old between us, and I would never want anyone else. It was only her for the rest of my life. I came hard inside her, and pulled her against me. I knew deep down that I would never risk my life with her again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Isa
“Are you packed yet?” Gabe asked from the doorway.
“No, I’m still trying to decide what to bring. Plus, I have to pack stuff for the kids. You know, I’m still not happy about the idea of leaving them behind. And I don’t understand why I have to either. It’s a wedding. Since when are kids not allowed. Besides, everyone at Reed Security is a family. I just don’t get how the kids wouldn’t be there.”
“Why don’t you look on the bright side? We’ll have some time to ourselves. When was the last time that happened?”
I narrowed my eyes at him and he immediately backed off.
“And why can’t they stay with their father?” I asked, still not sure why they were being forced to stay in the panic room.
“They’ll be training. Besides, it’s not like we can shove Gray off on your ex. He’s not his kid.”
“About that, why are they training a few days before Christmas?” He looked almost like he was panicked, so I continued on. “Is this a sign of what’s to come? We’re telling our kids that they can’t have a Christmas vacation because they have to brush up on their combat skills? Are their Christmas outfits going to be military uniforms?”
“Look, I want this time with you. Please, let’s just enjoy it. Maybe we can even have a little fun,” he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard. I was so lost in his kiss and the way his hands moved across my body that I almost didn’t hear my phone buzz. I yanked away, reaching for my phone as he nipped at my neck.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s my sister.”
He groaned. “You talk to your sister like five times a day. Can’t it wait?”
“No.”
I moved away from him so I could see what she texted without being groped.
Aurora: Guess what we’re doing today?
Me: Going bobsledding.
Aurora: No.
Me: Um…going to see Santa Clause.
Aurora: Don’t have tickets to the North Pole.
Me: Having a family waxing.
“Babe. I was kind of trying to start something here,” Gabe said, trying to get my attention again.
“Uh-huh,” I said, ignoring him and waiting for my sister to respond.
Aurora: Only you guys do shit like that.
Me: Well, if it’s not that, there’s only one thing left that you could be doing.
Aurora: What’s that?
Me: You’re going to steal Christmas from the Whos.
Aurora: Ha! Nope. But you were close…
Now I was really curious what they were doing. Gabe slid his hands into my pants and was rubbing my clit. I almost dropped my phone because I was so caught up in my desire for him. Then one finger slipped inside me and my knees almost buckled. My phone buzzed again.
Aurora: We’re on our way to come spend Christmas with you!
I shrieked, nailing Gabe in the face as I jumped up. He pulled away from me, pressing his hand against his ear. I must have yelled a little too loud.
“What was that for?”
“My sister and her family are coming here for Christmas!”
He looked at me dumbfounded. “But…we’re going to a wedding.”
“Oh, Chance and Morgan won’t care. Their kids can stay in the panic room and we’ll all have a great time.”
“But…we didn’t reserve a room for them.”
I scoffed. It was like he was just making up reasons that they couldn’t come. “Whatever, there are usually two beds in a room. They can share with us.”
“I am not sharing a room with another dude.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not like you’re sharing a bed. Besides, it’s been forever since I’ve had Christmas with my siblings. Please, please, please!”
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes, but he didn’t look too happy. Which I just couldn’t figure out because he really liked Aurora and her husband.
“Don’t look too happy. Geez.” I ignored him and turned back to my phone.
Aurora: Hello? Are you excited?
Aurora: Oh shit, you already have other plans.
Aurora: Do you want us to turn around? We’re only about three hours from home.
Aurora: Okay, I had Jon pull over until you tell me if we should turn around.
Aurora: Okay, we’ve been stopped for thirty seconds and I’m really freaking out.
Aurora: One minute and counting.
I quickly typed out a response so that she didn’t freak out anymore.
Me: Yes! Come!
Aurora: What took you so long? I was about to send Jon out for snacks.
Me: Gabe had his fingers inside me.
Aurora: Ew! I did not need to know that.
Me: So, you’ll be here in about two hours?
Aurora: Yep.
Me: Okay, we’re leaving for a wedding tomorrow. The kids can stay in the panic room with the rest of the kids, and we’ll make sure that you have a room. Or you can stay with us if they’re booked.
Aurora: Jon said that he’s not rooming with another guy.
Me: Gabe said the same thing. They can suck it up.
Aurora: So, back to this whole panic room thing. Is that really the name of some fancy hotel or is it actually a panic room? And why would the kids stay there?
Me: It’s a very luxurious panic room. It’s just a way to keep all the kids safe and looked after.
Aurora: Right. I’m sure this has something to do with Sam. Speaking of which, it’s time to call him and freak him out. TTYL!
I looked around the house and started to freak out. I hadn’t decorated nearly as much this year. That was no way to have Christmas with family. “Okay, I need you to go to the garage and grab the rest of the Christmas stuff. We have to put out more decorations before everyone gets here.”
“Why? We’re not even going to be here until Christmas Eve, and a tree is really all we need.”
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. “You can also get out the lawn decorations.”
“But we’ll be that’ll take me until tomorrow. We’ll be late leaving,” he groaned.
“Not if you hurry up. Now chop, chop!”
“This Christmas sucks.”
“No, it doesn’t, and when it’s all decorated and beautiful, you’ll be thanking me.”
I gave a big smile and turned to kiss Gabe, but he didn’t look like he was in the mood for a kiss.
“Something you want to say?” I challenged.
“No, but you can bet that I’m going to take this out on your ass later.”
“Oh, I’ll be waiting,” I smirked, right before I walked out of the room, hearing him stomping to the room behind me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Gabe
“We have a problem,” I said, storming into Cazzo’s house. “Where’s Vanessa?”
“She’s out picking up a few things for me. Why? What’s going on?”
“Your sister is coming for Christmas.”
“What?” he blanched. “She didn’t call me. Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I was knuckle deep in pussy when she-”
/> Cazzo’s fist flew out, catching me in the jaw and sending me sprawling to the ground.
“How many fucking times do I have to punch you before you get the hint that you need to keep your fucking mouth shut about my sister?”
I sat up and grumbled to myself about pain-in-the-ass brother-in-law’s. “Anyway, the point is, she’s coming.”
“Tell them to turn around.”
I glared at him. “First, neither of your sisters can be pushed around. Second, they’re already almost here.”
He snatched his phone, sighing when he looked down at it. “Fuck, I had my phone on silent. Well, they can’t come with us, so they’ll have to stay behind with Isa.”
I snorted. “Right, we’ve already been through this. What excuse are you going to give?”
“Shit, I don’t know, but they can’t come along. Jon will want to hang out with the guys, and we’ll be getting everything set.”
“We could say that they need to stay with Vanessa,” I said, snapping my fingers as excitement rushed through me. “Vanessa can’t come because she’s pregnant, and you don’t want to leave her alone.”
“And Jon’s just supposed to hang out here with a bunch of women?”
That deflated me a little. “I guess they have to come then. We’ll just have to make sure that they never find out what’s going on. They don’t really know what our lives are like and they’ll flip the fuck out.”
“But Vanessa can’t know they came early. I don’t even know how I would explain that my family came, but they’re not spending time with her.”
“Well, I guess it could be worse.”
A Mad Reed Security Christmas Page 13