by Joni Hahn
She trotted toward the barn. Open wide earlier, the doors were firmly shut, a dim glimmer of light illuminating the entrance from the inside. Her gut knotted, her heart racing faster the closer she got to the building.
Hesitating outside, she opted to teleport on the off chance she could appear without alerting anyone inside. When her feet touched ground, green plasma gave way to an image of gruesome madness. Clint’s body was draped over the side of a round, galvanized tank, his wrists in chains anchored in the dirt. A bullet hole ruptured his bare back, beneath his right shoulder blade. Blood flowed from the site in cerise ribbons, to disappear into the waistband of his jeans. The word “NO” was carved into the skin between his shoulder blades, the morbid letters jagged and primitive like those of a preschooler. Water ran from a green hose into the tank, filling it with water. Cyrus stood at the worktable with his back to her, studying an array of blades lying in single file on a black cloth.
“Did that hurt a little, big brother?”
Clint groaned into the tub, blond hair falling over his face in clumped strands.
“You brought this on yourself, Clinton.” Cyrus picked up a hatchet and studied it in the bright light overhead. “You knew she was mine.”
Relief washed through her when Clint’s trembling voice carried over the running water. “She was never yours.”
Cyrus turned to him, eyes lit with manic fury. Rushing to Clint’s side, he knelt beside him and held a hatchet to his throat, drawing blood. “You didn’t grow up with her. You weren’t her first lover. You will never…touch her…again.” He swung back his arm.
“Cyrus,” she cried, running toward him.
“Get back.” Clint’s weak growl stopped her in her tracks.
Cyrus whipped around to look at her. For the first time in her life, his smile wasn’t genuine. It didn’t carry the love and sick devotion that had frightened her for a lifetime.
“Keegan, my love. You’ve come to join me for the grand finale.” He waved her over.
“She isn’t your love,” Clint said, through gritted teeth. “She chose me.” He raised his head in her direction. Sweat and blood glistened on his brow, the hair matted in a sticky mess, covering his face. “She chose me. Not you.”
Incredulity rendered her motionless. Clint was goading him. Egging him on as if he wanted him to kill him.
It was her fault. She’s the one that had doubted him when he’d done everything in his power to stop this and give her peace.
Leaning over him again, Cyrus screamed in Clint’s ear. “She was meant to be mine. Has always been mine, and always…will…be.”
Placing a hand on her gun, she spoke with caution. “Cyrus—”
“Keegan,” Clint cried, in a weak voice. “No.”
“Don’t be stupid, Clint. You’re doing this to yourself.”
His response was immediate—and sure. “Yes.”
A superior grin blossomed on Cyrus’s face, infuriating her. “Makes it so much easier, don’t you think, my love?”
“Why, Clint?” she said, over the cascading water.
His heart-wrenching words barely reached her ears. “We’ll be even.”
Dawning rose inside her, chilling her bones. Despite all that had happened, despite his family’s deception and the truth, he still allowed the guilt to control him.
The slide of the tunnel door drew Cyrus’s attention. Footsteps sounded in the distance, running up the stairs. The D.I.R.E. super agents appeared, armbands glowing and activated. They filed in a line, side by side, staring at Cyrus, the ladies behind them.
Lightning quick, Cyrus held the hatchet at Clint’s neck. “Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh…”
“It’s over, Matheson,” Dylan snarled.
Clint spoke through gritted teeth. “This is my fight, McCall.”
“Then fight, dammit,” Riordan said.
“He’s a coward,” Cyrus announced with nonchalance. “Like his father, Jim. Submissive to women.”
Growling, Clint sat back on his haunches, his head hung. Blood dripped from his forehead into the side of the tub, giving the water a rosy hue.
“Clint—” she said.
“No, dammit…” His voice losing strength and patience.
Cyrus’ gaze scoured his audience. “Soon, he’ll know what it’s like to drown, to cry for help, to feel the water closing in, choking him and filling his lungs. He’ll know firsthand what he did to me, what he put me through.”
Good God, no. “It was an accident, Cyrus,” Keegan cried. “You were both just boys.”
Shaking his head, he turned to her with a rueful grin. “My father always said he was smarter than me.” His eyes turned toxic as he turned back to Clint’s side. “My brother knew what he was doing.”
“Aidan,” Clint said in a breathless voice.
“Yeah, Robinson?” His palm closed over his fist in a wordless threat.
“Keegan has your gloves.”
Frowning, Keegan stared at the amber veins smoldering in her gloves, before sharing a dawning look with Aidan.
“For the record, James, I know what I’m doing this time.” Grabbing Cyrus by the back of the neck, Clint shoved his face into the water. “Light him up.”
Mustering the gold and copper compound in her blood, Keegan’s gloves glowed bright amber as she sent bolts of lightning diving into the tank. Aidan joined in, drawing close, shooting sheets of lightning from the opposite side. Sparks lit the water like millions of fireflies, before erupting in an electrical firestorm, crackling and arcing high over the water. Cyrus’s body convulsed with violent spasms, his legs kicking in sharp, succinct jolts. Clint’s body shook with exaggerated tremors before he fell back to the ground, unconscious.
Dropping her arms, Keegan rushed to Clint’s side as Aidan’s current died. “You were supposed to let go, Clint.” Bending over him, she shook his shoulders, trying to revive him, as blood drained from the exit wound on his chest. Panic flooded her system, her fingers shaking as she checked his pulse.
“I don’t have a pulse,” she said, tears clogging her throat.
“Keegan,” Aidan said, shoving his way to her side. “Like this.”
The experienced agent knelt over his brother, swirling an electrical current into a needle-sharp point. With a steady hand, he held it over Clint’s chest and stabbed it in his heart. Clint’s body arced off the ground and dropped back to the dirt, the skin blackened over his chest.
She checked for a pulse again. Nothing.
“Clint, you promised me peace.” Kneeling on the opposite side, she nodded at Aidan over his body. “This is not freaking peace, Einstein.”
Together, they directed twin bolts to Clint’s chest, watching them intertwine in a spiral, drilling into his heart, the flesh burning as they penetrated his chest with microscopic accuracy. Clint’s body arced again. They leaned back, out of the way, before it dropped again with a lifeless thud.
Aidan checked his pulse and looked at her—before a grin blossomed on his face. “You did it.”
A loud sob escaped her throat before she dropped her head against Clint’s shoulder. She cried, unabashed, as she cradled his head to hers.
* * *
Clint smiled at the scowl on Tristan Jacobs’ face.
How he’d managed to smile when his entire body felt like a cement block had crushed it, he didn’t know. But, watching Rachel talk to her old boyfriend while Tristan looked on made Clint forget his pain—for a moment.
Apparently, Rachel’s neighbor Mark had gone back to Creekmore and brought the sheriff, highway patrol and emergency medical crews back to the farm, one of which happened to be Rachel’s old boyfriend, Zach. If it wasn’t for Mark Robards, the D.I.R.E. agents would’ve never recovered from the gas so quickly and made it back into the yard to eliminate his mother’s hired guns.
Thank God for small towns.
The hallway outside his room looked like a party, with the women still in their wedding attire and the super agents standing around,
talking to Mark’s baseball team. A perk for helping out.
Clint caught himself searching, before sadness washed through him. He still expected Mitchell to walk in and tell them all to get to work. He’d been a mentor, the toughest boss he’d ever had, and a good friend. Never again, would Clint walk around the corner and catch him and Angela in a PDA. Never again, would he have Mitchell to go to for advice, knowing whatever answer he’d receive would be the right one.
Never again, would he get the opportunity to tell him just how much he’d meant to him. So, he’d tell his son instead.
“Jacobs.”
His voice drew the attention of everyone in the hall. In seconds, he was surrounded by smiling faces.
None of them, Keegan.
D.I.R.E.’s top super agent sauntered over to the bed, his dark brows lowered. “Yeah, Robinson?”
“It was an honor to work for your father. He was the best man I know.”
The room fell silent. Clint thought he’d detected tears in Tristan’s eyes before he looked away. Rachel slipped into Tristan’s arms and hugged him tight.
“Thanks,” he said.
Clint said, “I’m sorry about Angela, too. I’ve never seen two people so devoted to each other.”
Rachel gave him a mock frown. “Hey…”
In that moment, it occurred to him that every couple in the room was just as devoted. There wasn’t a thing one wouldn’t do for other without reciprocating. He had no doubt in his mind they would each give their lives for the other.
They’d found true love. Something he’d believed impossible—until he’d found it himself.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t see it before, didn’t believe in it. The scientist in him refused to buy into faith.
He sure did now.
“You’re right,” Cassandra said, squeezing Clint’s hand. “They were more in love than any two people I know.”
“Should I be insulted?” Aidan said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
“No,” she said, with a grin. “Just remember how high they set the bar.”
It was one thing to know he’d give his life for Keegan. It was another to know she’d do the same. He would never ask it of her, would never expect it. Hell, she probably still hated him.
She deserved her freedom, deserved to see and screw whomever she desired, whenever she desired.
He just couldn’t dwell on it.
“Where’s Jim?” Clint said, looking at Aidan.
“He’s right here.” Keegan walked into the room, holding Jim’s elbow. The man glanced around, before stopping at Aidan.
“Dad?” he said, walking up to the man they both called father.
Pulling photos from his shirt pocket, Jim handed one to Aidan. “That’s what they tell me, but I don’t remember.” Aidan took in his father from head to toe, before shaking his hand with a wide grin.
Shuffling through the photos, he pulled out another and handed it to Rachel. Outright crying, she jumped up and down before rushing into his arms. She sobbed against his chest as Jim patted her back tentatively, his uncertain expression going to Tristan. Jacobs just shook his head, a small smile on his lips.
Tristan lost his father, while Aidan found his again. Clint had no doubt Tristan was happy for Rachel and his best friend. However, he had to feel the loss more so, knowing the two men had also been best friends.
“It’s so good to have you back, Dad,” Rachel smiled up at him.
Looking at the last photo in his hand, Jim glanced at Clint. His gut clenched right below the burned area on his chest. The man walked over to the bed and gazed down at him with the same grey blue eyes he saw in the mirror every day.
In that moment, Clint’s voice escaped him. He couldn’t seem to get words past the globe in his throat.
Aidan frowned as he walked to the opposite side of the bed, Rachel beside him.
Keegan sat beside Clint on the bed, surprising him. Her nearness made his recovering heart pound. “Clint is Jim and Carol’s son. We discovered it through the DNA tracker.”
“You’re my brother?” Rachel said, her eyes bright with excitement.
His face pulled tight when he smiled, making him wince. “Looks that way.”
Shaking his head, Aidan grinned at Clint before his gaze went around the room. “Can this get any freakier?”
Keegan squinted her eyes and grimaced. “Mmm, maybe.”
Clint glanced up at her, surprised at her words. “What now?” He didn’t think he could take any more surprises.
She looked at Rachel and Aidan. “Do you mind taking Jim down the hall to see Dr. Brentwood? He wants to run some tests to see if there’s any way to expedite the purge process.”
The room emptied on a chorus of goodbyes. Clint watched Keegan shut the door behind the others, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
The door hadn’t closed completely before she started in on him. “Dr. Robinson, you and I need to get a few things straight.”
She wanted to have a serious talk when all he could think about was the way that Kevlar suit hugged her breasts? He knew they had some talking to do before they went their separate ways. He just wanted to prolong it as long as possible.
Shifting to relieve the pain in his back, Clint winced as he held out his hands to halt her. “Before the games begin, I just wanted to tell you that you were incredible out there. It takes extreme concentration and quick thinking to use those enhancements together.”
Sauntering over to the bed, she said, “Is that so?” before shocking the hell out of him by stretching out beside him, head in her hand.
He stared at her beautiful, smudged face, uncertain just what she was doing…exactly. “Yes. It takes a sharp mind and fluid eye/limb coordination.”
Placing her hand on his thigh, she trailed it up his leg to his crotch, before rubbing it with sure, languid strokes. It swelled shamelessly. “Like this?”
Shutting his eyes, his breath turned shallow as he stiffened beneath her supple palm. “Having the coolest tattoo and all of the D.I.R.E. enhancements aren’t enough power for you?”
Her soft giggle made him try to grin again, eliciting a string of curse words in his throat.
“Well, your mother used a serum to keep your father devoted and attentive. I’m just trying to figure out what I have at my disposal. Besides, I haven’t even seen my tattoo, yet.”
He stilled, unwilling to move, wondering if they’d given him heavy drugs that caused hallucinations. “I thought you hated me?”
Her fingers found his bare manhood beneath the covers and toyed with the tip. “I did—until I understood what you’d done.” Her playful tone segued into blatant pain. “You should’ve told me your plans. It killed me to wake up and find you gone.”
With a healthy moan, he swallowed hard. “I was trying to keep you safe. I thought by giving you the enhancements right before I left, the recovery process would keep you grounded until I could do something to stop James and my mother.” She caressed him, nearly making him explode. He cursed again. “I…should’ve known better.”
“Yes,” she said, stroking him up and down his length. “You should have.”
Straddling him on the bed, she gave him a sly grin as she slid over the cover on her armband and placed her forefinger on the scanner. A bright flash of light appeared. Clint shut his eyes a moment before opening them to find her gone.
He felt her shift on top of him. Oh hell, she was not going to-
Her mouth closed over him, taking him deep in her throat. She pleasured him in ways he shouldn’t be experiencing right now with his body fresh from his injuries. A loud groan escaped as she took him to the brink of orgasm. “Shit, Keegan, someone could come in…”
Her teasing lilt felt warm against his length. “I won’t be embarrassed.”
A string of curse words floated from his mouth, making her laugh. “We’ll have clear communication from now on, right, Doctor?” She ran her tongue over the tip of his manhood.
&n
bsp; “Crystal,” he said, with labored breath.
“And, you still promise me peace?” Her tongue played along his length.
He choked out a laugh. “You’re the first woman to be a D.I.R.E. super agent. There’s no peace in that.”
“Don’t turn chauvinistic on me now, Clint—just when I thought you were perfect.”
Humor shook his chest, shooting fiery pain throughout his body. “No, you’re perfect.”
Her mouth left him then, her voice turning solemn. “I’m not the kind of woman you want. I don’t want to stay at home and raise your children.”
Clint stilled, astonished at her words. He had to see it for himself, had to see the truth in her exotic, green-gold eyes.
Shaking her shoulders, his tone was all business. “Reappear, Keegan.”
With a bright flash, she rematerialized, her long limbs stretched out on his body. Her lips were swollen and red, her eyes downturned. Placing a hand under her chin, he raised her gaze to his.
“What are you saying?”
Her eyes glowed with honesty. “I’m saying that I love you, too.”
There was no way he could keep the grin off his face now, pain or no pain. “Really?”
Her radiant smile made his manhood harden all the more. “Yes, you silly scientist.” She held up her wrist. “Want to check my pulse?”
Clutching her head in both hands, he kissed her hard on the mouth, making his burn.
She said, “And, don’t go telling me it isn’t possible to truly love someone.” Her voice lowered to a soft caress. “Because today, you weren’t the only one that was willing to die. I would’ve gladly sacrificed my life and anything else to save yours.”
“I love you, Keegan,” he said, reaching for the zipper at her throat and tugging it down. “Now, about this crisis you’ve created down south…”
Epilogue
Arms outstretched, Keegan stood on the chapel wall of Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the brisk, April wind whipping at the skirt of her strapless gown. The cliff top fortress sat atop majestic bluffs one hundred and sixty feet above the waters of the North Sea. The deep blue vista stretched as far as the eye could see, blending into a stunning sunrise of amethyst and ginger.