Shattered: (McIntyre Security Bodyguard Series - Book 4)

by April Wilson

  “Don’t let him get too comfortable,” Sam says. “Make sure he knows it’s a temporary assignment. I want my job back, just as soon as I’m physically fit.”

  “I don’t think you need to worry on that score,” I say. And then it occurs to me that Sam doesn’t know our big news. We didn’t want to tell him until after he was out of the woods. I glance back at Shane, who nods. “There is one other thing.”

  Sam glances from me to Shane and back to me. “What?”

  I smile. “I’m pregnant. I just found out in the hospital. I’m about ten weeks along.”

  Sam’s eyes widen, and as he processes the news – and the implication that he saved more than just my life – the blood drains from his face. “Pregnant?”

  I nod, and I can’t help tearing up. He didn’t just save my life. He saved the jelly bean too.

  “Wow,” he says, looking stunned. He glances at Shane, then back to me. “But everything’s okay? With the baby, I mean? God, Beth, I pushed you so hard. I saw you fall.”

  “We’re both fine,” I say, my voice breaking. As my tears start flowing freely, he reaches for my hand and squeezes it. “You saved my baby’s life, Sam.”

  He lies there speechless.

  Shane comes around to the side of the bed and extends his hand to Sam. “I’m in your debt, Sam,” he says as the two men shake hands. “You saved the two most important people in my life. I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”

  Sam wipes a tear from his own cheek and grins at Shane. “Oh, I’m sure we can come up with something.”

  From the foot of the bed, Cooper clears his throat. “While you guys are getting reacquainted, I’ll go start dinner. I promised Sam chicken and dumplings tonight, and his first night home.”

  “And I need to make some calls for work,” Shane says, following Cooper to the door. “You two relax and catch up.”

  After they’re gone, Sam looks at me. “All right now, spill it, princess. What else the hell’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Cooper hasn’t told me a damn thing, but I know for a fact that I had guards on my hospital room door around the clock. Why?”

  “Guards? I didn’t know that, but I’m not surprised.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  I grimace, realizing Sam still doesn’t know the whole picture. Cooper must not have told him that the hit-and-run accident wasn’t really an accident at all.

  “Beth? What the hell’s going on.”

  I swallow hard and take deep breath. “The accident? It wasn’t an accident.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Lia apprehended the driver who hit you. Otherwise, he would have driven off, left the scene.”

  “Yeah? And?”

  “He had a photograph of me in his wallet. It wasn’t an accident, Sam. He was trying to run me over. It was a hired hit.”

  I watch the blood drain from Sam’s face as my words sink in.

  “Shit,” he says. “Do we know who hired him?”

  I shrug. “There’s no proof yet, but Shane’s pretty sure it was Luciana.”

  Sam shakes his head. “Wow, that woman is a nutjob. Who in the hell does she think she is? If I see her again, I’ll run her over.”

  I laugh shakily as I lean over and hug him. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”

  He hugs me back. “Same.” He glances around his new accommodations, nodding in approval. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

  “Cooper brought some of your things over. Your clothes are in the closet, and here’s your tablet on the nightstand.”

  Sam catches sight of his Xbox on the console opposite the bed, right underneath the flatscreen TV hanging on the wall. “He even brought my Xbox. How about a game of Grand Theft Auto while we’re waiting for dinner?”

  I laugh, realizing what a big kid Sam is. “I don’t know how to play.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll teach you.”

  “Teach her what?” says a familiar female voice from the open doorway.

  We both glance up just as Lia walks in, followed by Jonah.

  “Hey, dude,” she says. “There are easier ways to get out of work, you know. Getting run over is a little extreme, don’t you think?”

  Sam laughs. “You’re just jealous because I’m getting all the attention.”

  Jonah steps up to the side of the bed and shakes hands with Sam. “Glad you’re out of the hospital, man.”

  “Yeah, me too. I hate those drafty gowns.”

  Right now Sam’s got on a pair of sweatpants, minus the left leg, which someone cut off, and a Captain America T-shirt. Someone must have helped him spruce up before leaving the hospital, because his undercut is freshly trimmed and he’s freshly shaved. He looks impossibly young for his twenty-eight years.

  Cooper appears in the doorway, drying his hands on a hand towel, which he tosses over his shoulder. His gaze goes first to Sam, giving him a thorough once-over, before he addresses Lia and Jonah. “You guys stayin’ for dinner? There’s plenty.”

  “Hell, yeah” Lia says. “I’m sick of carryout.”

  “I’d better put on more biscuits, then,” he says. “I’ve seen how much you two can eat.”

  Lia grabs the pair of gaming controllers laid out on top of the entertainment console and tosses one to Sam. “Did you say biscuits?”

  Cooper laughs. “Yes. I promised Sam chicken and dumplings with biscuits and apple pie for dinner this evening.”

  “Oh, my God, yeah, we’re staying,” Lia says. “In fact, we may never leave. You guys have room for two more, right?”

  Cooper smiles. “I think there are a few suites still available. Help yourself.”

  I sit back in the bed, leaning against a stack of pillows propped up on the headboard, and watch Sam and Lia play their video game.

  God, it’s so good having Sam here. I’d be happy if he stayed indefinitely. And having Lia and Jonah here is just icing on the cake. Shane has brought so many people into my life, providing me with more family and friends than I ever dreamed possible.

  Sam and Lia trash talk each other as they play their video game. Jonah’s seated in an armchair, watching Lia with a grin on his face, and I realize he’s totally smitten with her. I used to think that Jonah saved Lia from her own self-imposed isolation, but now I wonder if they didn’t save each other.

  About a half hour later, Cooper reappears in the doorway. “All right, folks, dinner’s ready.” He comes into the room and stops beside the bed, eyeing Sam. “You want to eat in here, or try to come to the table?”

  Sam pushes himself up into a sitting position. “I’m coming to the table. I’m tired of lying in bed. Can someone hand me those crutches?” He’s pointing to a pair of crutches propped up against the wall in the corner of his room.

  “Nope,” Cooper says, instead pushing the wheelchair up beside the bed. “You can use the wheelchair, but you’re not ready for crutches yet.”

  “But I want to try the crutches,” Sam says. “I want to get up on my feet. Well, at least one foot.”

  Cooper gives Sam a stern look. “I said no. You’re not ready yet.”

  “Ooo, daddy told you, didn’t he?” Lia says, laughing as she walks out the door.

  “Jonah, you wanna give me a hand here?” Cooper says. “I’d hate to drop him on his ass.”

  Between the two of them, Cooper and Jonah manage to transfer Sam into the wheelchair. The chair has an extension for his leg, to hold it up level with his seat. Cooper pushes him to the great room, where the huge dining room table is already set.

  Shane comes into the room, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. “Do I smell food?”

  “Yes, you do,” Cooper says, pushing Sam up to the table. “Everybody take a seat.”

  Chapter 38

  Lia and Jonah rob the mini-fridge behind the bar and pass out chilled bottles of beer to everyone except me and Sam. Sam has to pass on the alcohol because of his pain meds, and I opt for wat
er because… well, I’m drinking for two now.

  Just as Cooper brings the food to the table, Shane’s phone chimes. He picks it up and glances at the screen. “We’re going to need more place settings,” he says, rising from the table. “We’ve got company on the way up.”

  A few moments later, the elevator doors open, and Shane’s three brothers and Gus the dog stroll in. Jake’s carrying a 12-pack of beer bottles and Jamie’s holding a bouquet of white roses.

  “Where’s the lady of the house?” Jamie says, smiling.

  “Right here,” I say.

  Jamie and Gus walk around the table, heading right for me. When they’re close, I reach out and touch Jamie’s arm. “I’m here.”

  He leans down to kiss my cheek. “For you,” he says, handing me the bouquet.

  “Why doesn’t anyone ever bring me flowers?” Lia says, staring pointedly at Jonah, who’s seated beside her at the long table.

  He leans toward her and pulls her in for a kiss. “I’ll get you some flowers, tiger,” he says.

  Jake takes a seat at the table. “Sophie sends her love,” he tells me. “She’s sorry she couldn’t make it tonight, but she’s got a hot date with some big-shot lawyer.”

  It’s an impromptu reunion with a majority of the McIntyre family. Two of their sisters – Sophie and Hannah – are missing, along with their parents, Calum and Bridget. I lay my hand on my lower belly, where I imagine my uterus is located, and I feel so overwhelmed with good fortune. Our baby is going to be born into a large, loving family, with no shortage of aunts, uncles, and grandparents to dote on him or her.

  I glance up at Shane, who’s seated to my left, at the head of the table. He smiles at me and reaches for my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Everything all right?” he says.

  I nod. My gaze makes a quick sweep of the table. “Let’s tell them,” I whisper.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  He nods and raises his bottle of beer. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a toast to make, actually two, and an announcement.”

  Everyone at the table hushes, looking expectantly at Shane.

  Shane points the neck of his beer bottle toward Sam at the far end of the table. “First of all, I’d like to propose a toast to the man of the hour – Sam Harrison – for the extraordinary job he did Monday. He risked his own life to save the life of my wife-to-be.” Shane raises his bottle, and everyone follows suit.

  Sam’s actually blushing, his fair complexion turning a healthy shade of pink in the face of all the attention. He shrugs it off. “Hey, I was just doing my job.”

  And, of course, everyone chuckles.

  “And my second toast is to my baby sister, Lia, for apprehending the driver of the car, stopping him in the act of running from a crime scene.”

  “Yeah, move on,” Lia says, waving a dismissive hand.

  “And last, but certainly not least, Beth and I have an announcement to make.” Shane reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “We just found out yesterday that Beth is expecting. We’re having a baby.”

  At first, there’s dead silence from the people in the room who didn’t already know. Sam already knew, of course, as did Cooper and Jamie. But no one else.

  “Holy shit,” Lia finally says, breaking the silence as she slams down her beer bottle, setting off more laughter. “I’m going to be a freaking aunt! Are you kidding me?”

  * * *

  It was a fun and boisterous evening. Our delicious meal was followed by lots of talking and laughing. We eventually migrated into the martial arts studio after dinner and some folks played a few games of darts. I sat on the sofa with Sam to keep him company, while Cooper hovered nearby like a grizzly bear guarding his cub. And even though he seemed to never take his eyes off Sam, Cooper for the most part ignored him, which put Sam in an increasingly down mood.

  After the last of our guests had gone, and Cooper wheeled a very exhausted Sam back to his room, Shane headed to his office to check on some messages, while I change into my nightgown and pull on a robe.

  I walk down the dark, deserted central hallway to Sam’s room, just to check on him. It’s his first day out of the hospital, and I’m sure he’s in pain, as well as being exhausted. He looked pretty wiped out toward the end of the evening. Cooper tried several times earlier in the evening to talk him into returning to bed, but Sam wouldn’t hear of it.

  I’m quiet as I near his room, not wanting to disturb him if he’s asleep already. His door is ajar, and the room is dark and quiet, illuminated only by the ambient moonlight coming through the tall windows. I peer through the opening and am stunned to find not only Sam asleep in the big bed, but Cooper as well. Sam’s lying on his back, with his broken leg propped up on pillows. Cooper’s beside him, lying on his side to get as close to Sam as he can. Both of them are bare-chested. Cooper’s arm is wrapped tightly around Sam’s waist, as if he can’t bear to let go, and his face is pressed into the crook of Sam’s neck and shoulder. Sam’s arm is draped along Cooper’s, their fingers intertwined.

  It doesn’t make sense. Cooper clearly has feelings for Sam, but when they’re around other people, Cooper is just so distant. God, I hope they can work things out.

  A pair of warm hands settle on my shoulders, and I look back at Shane, who’s dressed in gray flannel PJ pants and nothing else. He observes the cuddlefest on the bed from over my head and smiles, then draws me back silently from the door, pulling Sam’s bedroom door shut quietly. He sweeps me up into his arms and carries me down the hall toward our suite.

  “They look so cute together,” I whisper.

  Shane smiles. “How about some very careful pregnancy sex?” he murmurs close to my ear. “I was thinking of some careful licking, and perhaps some careful stroking? Maybe some quiet orgasms?”

  “That sounds lovely,” I say, leaning my head on his chest.

  “Nothing too strenuous, mind you. We don’t want to wake up the baby.”

  * * *

  As I’m lying here, reveling in the sweetest post-coital bliss imaginable, Shane peppers my quivering belly with tender kisses. True to his word, he drove me crazy with soft, gentle licks and steady, careful stroking. I had to bite my lip, but I did manage to come quietly, without screaming the walls down, as did Shane. Between all the moaning and groaning and whimpering, there was a also fair amount of quiet laughter. We were like two kids who were trying too hard to be quiet, and of course it’s always impossible to be quiet when you’re trying.

  As he lays his cheek on my belly, relaxed and peaceful, I thread my fingers through his hair. He burrows closer and groans when my nails scrape his scalp. “I think you’re enjoying this,” I murmur.

  He peers up at me, looking very satisfied. “Enjoying what? You playing with my hair? Or having you naked in my bed? Yes, definitely, to both.”

  “No, I mean the pregnancy.”

  He looks surprised. “Of course, I’m enjoying it. It’s not every day a man’s better half carries his child. These are momentous times. I’m going to savor every minute of it.”

  “You’re definitely going to be a great father.”

  “Speaking of fathers, my parents’ flight comes in Wednesday evening. Let’s give them a couple days to settle in and get over their jet lag, and then we’ll have the wedding. How about Saturday?”

  “Saturday sounds fine. We’ll have to coordinate the catering and the photographer.”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. So, we’ll have the wedding Saturday, and everyone will stay overnight so we don’t have to worry about people driving home after possibly drinking too much. Then, on Sunday afternoon, we’ll leave for our honeymoon. Have you decided where you want to go? Anywhere you want, just name it.”

  “There are so many possibilities, it’s hard to choose. I’ve hardly ever been out of Illinois.”

  “Well then, pick somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit.”

  I sigh, overwhelmed by all the options. “I
want to visit a lot of places. England, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii.... It’s a pretty long list. And Paris. Toronto, Vancouver. How can I possibly decide?”

  “Well, what do you want to do on our honeymoon? Go sightseeing? Relax and be waited on hand and foot? What?”

  I close my eyes and imagine a pristine beach with clear, blue-green water. “I want to relax somewhere warm, on a beach, and stare at a beautiful ocean. Then head back to our room for more pregnancy sex.”

  He laughs. “I think we can manage that. Somewhere warm with a beach and an ocean… that sounds like the somewhere in the Caribbean or Hawaii. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect.”

  Chapter 39

  When I head into the kitchen the next morning, I find Cooper at the stove making breakfast. It’s good to have him home again. This place just isn’t the same without him.

  “Hey, kiddo,” he says, giving me a relaxed smile. “Good morning. What’ll you have? And don’t tell me you’re not hungry, because that won’t fly anymore. You’re pregnant – you need to eat.”

  Gee, bossy much? I smile, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. “I’ll have whatever you’re making.”

  “I’m making pancakes and bacon for Sam. That sound good?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  I think back to what I saw last night – Cooper asleep in Sam’s bed, the two of them as closely entwined as Sam’s leg cast would allow. I can’t help wondering if Cooper spent all night with Sam, or if he eventually left him to go to his own bed. “I’m really happy about you and Sam,” I say, hesitant to say anything.

  His shoulders stiffen, but he gives no other indication that he heard me. “You want coffee too?”

  “Decaf. I’ll get it.” I hop down from my seat and head for the coffee maker.

  Cooper reaches into the cupboard for a coffee mug and hands it to me. I switch on the Keurig and select a K-cup of my favorite French vanilla decaf from the carousel.

  “Is Sam still sleeping?” I ask.

  “He’s awake, but I told him to stay in bed. I’ll bring him breakfast in bed. Being out of bed last night during dinner really wore him out. His leg’s aching pretty badly this morning, and he refuses to take any pain medication. The obstinate knucklehead.”