CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Maggie
Ali, Kate, Cara, Lindsey, Vanessa, and I were stuck here while everyone else was gone for the wedding. And it sucked. But even worse, we were the ones that had to decorate the place for Florrie and Alec. They wanted Reid to have the perfect Christmas, and while I agreed with that, I hated that I had to do it because I was left behind.
I looked around the room with a sigh. It looked pretty good. We had brought out every possible Christmas decoration to make this place look like Santa’s village. Even though I was angry, I couldn’t help but smile at how beautiful everything was.
“You know, this really sucks. I can’t believe they made us stay behind. And for what? A little bit of ice?”
“What if we got trapped out there?” Cara asked.
“Then we would be like every other human being that gets trapped in the snow. Only we’d be with men that could build fires and make sure that we were perfectly taken care of.”
I looked to Kate and she smirked, like she knew exactly what was going on.
“See? Even Kate knows that it’s all a ruse. I mean, seriously, how could you guys let them walk all over you like that?”
“Um…you were the first one that was told you couldn’t go,” Vanessa pointed out.
“Well, yeah, but I’m having triplets. Tell me how I was going to overrule Sebastian on that. Ali, I mean, seriously, Chris would never stop you from doing anything. He knows that you dealt with that for too long. Which means that if he’s keeping you back, something else is going on.”
“Yeah, but what?” she asked. “They took out everyone from the sex trafficking ring. It’s not like they’re coming back from the dead to get us.”
“No, you’re right about that. So, it’s gotta be something else. Maybe something that has happened, but they didn’t make a big deal about.”
“Well, John did say that Hunter and Derek were attacked when they headed out of town for Thanksgiving,” Lindsey supplied.
“And I’m just hearing about this now?” I shrieked. “Well, that would make sense. They’ve all been acting weird since around Thanksgiving.”
“Yeah, but who attacked them?” Ali asked.
I paced the floor, trying to figure out who could be behind this when I caught sight of Kayla. And she looked awfully guilty.
“Kayla. What do you know?”
“What?” She flushed bright red and stuffed her face deeper into her magazine. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. You know something and you’re going to tell us what that is.”
Kayla stood and walked away, over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. She was chugging the whole thing to avoid talking to me, but I could stand here all day.
“Look, I don’t know what they’re planning.”
“But you know something.”
The other ladies stood and walked over. All of us surrounded Kayla, needing to know what she knew.
“Look, I may have overheard something-”
“Bullshit,” I spat. “It has to do with your dad, doesn’t it?”
Her face went even redder and Vanessa gasped beside me. “It’s my father, isn’t it? He’s back and he’s coming after everyone.”
“Yes, he’s back, but the guys are prepared this time. They were planning it out ahead of time.”
“That explains so much,” Kate said. “Hudson was gone several times a week since Thanksgiving. He was planning out an attack.”
“Yeah, but how did they know that it would happen at the wedding?” Ali asked.
“Because weddings have an announcement. They were trying to draw Adams out. They wanted to get him someplace isolated. If Derek and Hunter were attacked, then Adams would keep coming for anyone.” I paced back and forth for a few seconds, piecing it together in my head. “Derek and Hunter had nothing to do with Victor Adams, so it’s safe to say that if he went after them, our guys knew that it was only a matter of time before he tried again. So, they’re drawing him out to the lodge so they can attack on their terms.”
“But then they’re all sitting ducks at the lodge. What if something goes wrong?” Lindsey asked. “I mean, it’s happened before. The guys aren’t invincible.”
“They need backup,” I said with a grin.
“No,” Kate said forcefully. “Knight will kill me if we show up there. Not to mention that you’re pregnant with triplets, and that really is a dangerous thing.”
“I feel fine, but I won’t feel fine if Sebastian gets himself blown up and no one knows that they’re in danger out there. Who would help me raise these triplets?” I shot back.
Kate groaned and looked at the other ladies. “Fine. I’m in. But you have to promise me that at the first sign of even a twinge, you’ll tell me and let me get you to the hospital.”
“Fine.” I grinned and turned to the other ladies. “Who else is in?”
“Me,” Vanessa said instantly. “If my father is going after my husband, I’m going to be there. I have a few things I need to say to him anyway.”
“One problem,” Lindsey said. “How are we going to sneak away? Vanessa, Sam’s parents are here. How are you going to slip them?”
I chewed my lip as I thought that one over. I couldn’t just say I was going to bed. It was too early for that to happen. And not everyone would go to bed at the same time. “Raegan’s mom loves to play Mexican Train. We’ll get that out and get them set up with the older kids that can understand the game. Kayla can help.”
“Oh, man,” Kayla groaned. “Why can’t I go along?”
“Because you’re not an adult. And while I may be willing to risk my own life, I won’t put anyone’s child at risk.”
“This sucks,” she said, flopping back on a chair.
“Kayla,” I leaned down in front of her with a grin of mischief. “I need you to be the distraction. If you can’t do that, none of us will get out of here.”
The little dimple that appeared in her cheek gave away her growing grin. “Fine, you owe me big time.”
“You bet.”
She took off to gather the older kids, Sam’s parents, and Raegan’s parents. They had the whole game set up and were completely ignorant of our plan. Kate, Ali, Vanessa, Cara, Lindsey, and I headed off for the escape hatch that would lead us outside. We were all out of breath after running through the tunnels and laughing hard at how perfectly it worked when we stopped short at the sight of a man by our vehicles.
“Sean,” Cara gasped.
“What’s going on?”
“Um…” Cara looked around for help, but there was nothing to say but the truth at this point.
“We’re going to the lodge. The guys are going to be in a battle and they left us behind.”
Sean swore. “Damnit, I said not to ruin my Christmas. It was the one fucking thing I asked of Sebastian. Alright, give me the keys.”
“Sean, we’re going.”
“I know, but I’m going with you.”
“How did you get here?” I asked suspiciously. Anyone that came on Reed Security property needed any number of codes and had to be in the system to get in.
He sighed heavily. “Apparently, your guys figured you might try something, because Sebastian gave me full access to the building and told me to watch everyone. I guess he thought there was a reason to,” he accused.
“But how did you know where we were?”
He grinned. “I got an alert that the escape hatch was opened. I headed for the end of the tunnel and waited for you to walk out.”
“So, why are you helping us?” Cara asked. “Aren’t you worried we’re going to get hurt, or kidnapped, or mess things up?”
He shook his head. “Sinner has informed me many times that when Maggie’s involved, it’s best to just go along with it, like a hurricane.”
I bristled at that, a little annoyed that I was being referred to as an uncontrollable wind.
“Look, are we staying or going? It’s getting
late and I’d like to either get on the road or get home.”
“Late? It’s just after dinner,” Cara teased. “Alright, let’s go, old man.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Chance
I walked Morgan to her room, slipping my arm around her waist to keep her tucked against me. I wasn’t worried about anything happening right now. I just wanted her close. When we got to our room, she rested her hands against my chest and smirked up at me.
“Promise me that you’ll be safe.”
“I’ll do my very best.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Yeah, I know. That’s not something you can promise.”
“Have I let you down yet?”
I said it in a teasing way, but her eyes turned serious. “Never. You’re my hero and the love of my life. I trust you completely.”
“Good,” I said, a bit of me lightening every time she said something like that to me. That was really all a guy needed, was to know that he was trusted to take care of his woman. If he couldn’t do that, how did he call himself a man?
I kissed her, memorizing the feel of her tongue against mine. We would finish this thing with Adams, and then I would make her my wife once and for all.
“Just do me a favor and make sure the ladies all stay here. No wandering around.”
“I can do that. We can have a bachelorette party.”
“Just try to keep it low key.”
“So, I should do what you guys do.”
“What’s that?” I asked in confusion.
“A waxing party.”
I groaned, throwing my head back. “Please don’t do that to me. I’m imagining you all touching each other and doing all sorts of dirty things.”
“Then maybe we should skip the party and have one of our own,” she said suggestively.
“You know I would in a heartbeat, but we have to be prepared.”
Her face fell slightly. “You think it’ll happen tonight?”
“I can’t say for sure, but yeah, I do. They’ll want to attack when we least expect it and since we’re only here until tomorrow night, this is their best opportunity.”
“Wouldn’t their best opportunity be during the wedding? We’d all be distracted.”
“It could be, but it’s better to attack when you think everyone is sleeping.”
She nodded and gave a smile as she stepped back. “Well, we can’t leave all the fun to everyone else. Go, do what you have to.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, and you’d better be wearing that wedding dress.”
“I will.”
I turned and headed for the door, not bothering with another kiss. I would want to stay and I just couldn’t afford the distraction right now. Sure, there were plenty of guys, but we all had our roles to play and every time one of us was absent, it left us vulnerable.
I met up with Jackson and Gabe, who were monitoring the lake side of the property. There were other guys that were already up trees, waiting out the arrival of whoever would come. Every inch of this place was covered.
“Anything yet?” I asked.
“Nope.”
I sighed and leaned back against a tree. “This is not how I thought I would be spending the night before my wedding.”
“You were the one that said this was a great idea,” Jackson reminded me.
“Yeah, and I still agree. It’s the waiting that sucks.”
“Well, let’s just hope this doesn’t bleed over into the wedding night,” Gabe said.
“There’s not a single thing that could keep me from having my woman on the night of our wedding.”
Jackson snorted. “I’d have to agree. The first time I slept with Raegan was in the mud. It didn’t matter that people were after us, trying to kill us. We were there, and it was time.”
“Yeah,” Gabe sighed, “you guys are just lucky that you don’t have siblings around to interfere. Cazzo is still a pain in my ass.”
“Just be grateful that you have him around,” I said. “You have a built in babysitter.”
I watched the different cameras, waiting for anything to appear, but it was dead quiet. This was going to be a long night. “I should be having a beer and relaxing.”
“Chance, I don’t think-” Gabe started, but I cut him off.
“Fuck, can I daydream about a fucking beer? Or is that wrong too? I know I can’t have anything to drink. You don’t have to act like I’m about to go get piss-ass drunk. Besides, I just don’t need it anymore. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t mind relaxing with one.”
“I’m pretty sure Cap would send you back to rehab right away.”
“Why the fuck do you think I don’t have one in my hand?” I rolled my eyes and continued scanning the horizon for any threats.
“So, have you decided yet?” Jackson asked.
“About what?”
“Who your best man is going to be.”
“What?”
“Well,” Gabe shifted uncomfortably. “You only have Payton standing up for Morgan. It makes sense that you would only want one of us.”
That sounded like absolute shit to me, but obviously these guys put a lot of thought into it. “Well, I guess I’d have to think about which of you would be best to stand up with me.”
I grinned to myself when they both seemed to stand a little straighter.
“Just remember,” Gabe spoke up, “I’ve always had your back.”
“Right, but I was the one that had to deal with you being taken. Gabe was flat on his back, pretending to be dead. You owe me.”
“I got shot because he dragged us into the crap with Morgan. If not for him, I wouldn’t have had to make my wife think that I was dead. She was fucking devastated. If anyone owes anyone, he owes me.”
Jackson held up his hands, “Alright, let’s get real, this isn’t really about owing anyone. This is our best friend’s big day and we should be there to support him.”
“That’s exactly what I was saying. Don’t put words in my mouth.” They continued bickering back and forth, neither one of them making any sense. I finally stepped in when I felt like putting a bullet in each of them and calling it a day.
“Alright, here’s the easiest way to figure this out. Whoever stands up for me has to walk a seven year old down the aisle.”
They looked to each other and then back to me.
“He’s really the best man for the job,” Jackson pointed to Gabe.
“Don’t be modest. You deserve this. You really are the best friend a guy could have.”
“Don’t talk about yourself like that. You have so much to offer.”
“But not as much as you,” Gabe said sadly. “You should do this.”
“Hey,” I said, snapping them to attention. “You both suck. Now shut the fuck up and concentrate.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Morgan
“Stop filling my glass,” I scolded Ivy. “I don’t want to be hungover at my own wedding.”
“You won’t be hungover,” she grinned. “Trust me.”
“Yeah, I’m done.”
I set down my glass and stood, stretching out the kinks from sitting too long.
“Show us your dress,” Claire said excitedly.
“Okay,” I grinned, walking over to the closet and pulling it out. I had known instantly that it was the one I wanted. It was a satin mermaid style gown with a boat neck and long sleeves. It was absolutely gorgeous. Of course, I had to have it specially tailored, which cost an arm and a leg.
“Oh my gosh, Morgan. It’s so beautiful!”
I smiled at Emma. She seemed to have the same classic taste that I had, so I knew she’d appreciate it.
“Why does it look so thick?” Lucy asked.
“What are talking about?” I pretended to not know what she meant.
“The bodice. It looks super thick.”
“Huh? Oh, that. It’s nothing.”
“Is that a new design element?” Raegan asked. “I haven’t seen anything like tha
t before.”
“Well, no, I mean, maybe?”
The girls all stood from their examination of the dress, staring me down. What the hell. They would get it. They were married to all these guys.
“It’s…got a built-in bulletproof vest.”
Dead. Silence. I waited for one of them to say something. Anything. But they all just stood there staring at me. Finally, Isa broke the silence.
“I like the neckline. I think it’ll look great on you.”
“Do you have a coat to go over it? It’s going to be freezing tomorrow,” Reese informed me.
“Yes, I have one.” I pulled out that and laid it across the back of the couch. It was a simple coat with a beautiful belt that pulled the coat together.
Claire reached out and felt the coat, giving me a knowing look when she got to the bodice of that. Yes, I had two bulletproof vests for tomorrow.
“Morgan, what are you hiding from us?”
“Hmm?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Claire insisted.
“What’s going on?” Lucy asked.
“Morgan has a bulletproof vest in her dress and also her coat.”
“Yeah,” Isa looked confused. “What’s the big deal? That’s pretty normal for the guys.”
“Right, but at a wedding? When no one is chasing us and there’s no danger? Why would Chance make her wear a bulletproof vest at her own wedding?” Claire asked.
“Wait,” Aurora spoke up. “Am I missing something? I don’t understand what’s going on here.”
I raised my eyebrow in question to Claire. Was she really going to drag Isa’s sister into all of this?
Claire turned to Aurora with a smile. “Our men are just a little overprotective. It can get out of control sometimes.”
“Gabe’s not like that,” Aurora said, looking at us like we were all nuts.
Isa snorted, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Isa, what aren’t you telling me?”
She looked panicked for a minute, and I wanted to help her out, but what would I say?
“Um…Gabe’s not just in security in the sense that he installs systems.”
A Mad Reed Security Christmas Page 18