Marc nodded but his eyes cut in doubt toward Kendall. Bart noticed and added, “No worries. The women’ll be there too.”
Doubt was replaced by mirth as he realized that, after watching each Saint fall for a woman and those women becoming family, he was about to bring Kendall into that fold. Knowing what the other women would assume with the introduction to her, he felt panic hit his chest for a second. Is this what I want? Kendall? Then a resounding affirmation hit him and he grinned as he alighted from the vehicle and jogged to her side. Yes, this is exactly what, and who, I want in my life.
As Kendall’s door opened, she watched as Marc’s handsome face slid into a broad smile, sending her pulse into overdrive. She squeaked as he reached in, plucked her from the seat and held her against his chest. Laughing, she protested, “It’s my hand that’s hurt, not my legs.”
“I couldn’t figure out how to assist you out of the car without hurting your wrist more,” he confessed as he bent to kiss the end of her nose. “Welcome to my home,” he said, taking her elbow and escorting her up the front steps to the porch. Looking over his shoulder, he called out, “Tell Jack we’ll be there in about an hour. I’d like to get her settled first.”
Stepping through the front door, Kendall was enchanted. Thick logs lined the walls of the open floor plan. The living room, with it’s red and brown braided rug in front of a stone fireplace, was to the left. To her right was a kitchen and dining area, separated from the living room by an L-shaped counter. The furniture was rustic and masculine. “Oh, my gosh! Your home is charming!” she enthused.
Marc lifted his eyebrow in surprise. “Charming? Never thought of my house as being described as charming.”
Whirling around, she looked up at him, her forehead scrunched. “No? And what do your other lady friends call it?”
Holding her gaze, he admitted, “I’ve never had any women here…other than the Saints’ girlfriends or wives.”
Her mouth opened to respond but then snapped closed just as quickly. Finally, offering a small smile, she said, “So, are you going to show me around?”
Grinning, he waved his arm in an expansive circle and said, “Well, you’ve seen the living room and kitchen.” He watched as she stepped around the counter and viewed his kitchen.
“I’m impressed,” she admitted, her gaze landing on the modern appliances, granite counter tops, and the view out his window of the surrounding woods. Moving back toward him, she followed him down a hall, past a door on the left that opened into a small office filled with books, and two doors on the right, one for a small bathroom and the other for the laundry and mud room. A door leading to the yard on the side of the garage was beyond the washer and dryer.
She noted the room was neat, but not overly so. Muddy boots lay against a wall with a mop and broom hanging from hooks. Some dirty clothes were piled on top of the washing machine and the room had a musty odor.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I haven’t been home since I left to fly to Alaska to meet you.”
Giggling, she replied, “It’s fine. I love your house…it feels like a real home.” Sighing, she added, “I never felt very invested in my apartment in Louisiana, so it has a bit of a sterile appearance.”
Moving back into the hall, he began to ascend the L-shaped staircase to the second floor. Upstairs, two doors led from a small landing. “Here’s the guest room,” he announced throwing open the door to a large room, simply furnished, and through another open door she could see a bathroom. The iron bedframe held a double mattress with a multi-colored, patchwork quilt as the covering. Smiling, she then followed him into the master bedroom, complete with king-sized, log bedframe and another patchwork quilt as it’s cover. Through a doorway, she stepped into a huge master bathroom, with separate shower and deep bathtub. Turning back, she observed Marc leaning against the doorframe, a mixture of pride and uncertainty in his eyes. Rubbing his hand over his head, he shrugged as he said, “It’s not much, but it’s home.”
Rushing to him, almost knocking him over in her enthusiasm as she threw her arms around his neck, she gushed, “I love it! I can’t believe you built this place yourself. Oh, Marc, it’s gorgeous.”
As the uncertainty left his face, leaving pride in its place, he bent, sealing his lips over hers. They stood in the doorway of the master bathroom for several minutes, their kiss speaking volumes.
His lips were strong and soft. Firm and yielding. Powerful. Masterful. As she clung to his shoulders, she knew whatever she needed to do to make this relationship work, she would do it.
He groaned as his tongue swept inside her warmth, tasting her essence, and mint, all at once. He loved this house…loved the Saints…but was falling in love with this woman.
Their lips continued to plunder each other’s mouths as their bodies pressed tightly together. Sighing softly, she lowered her heels and he held her against his pounding heartbeat while she touched her swollen lips. She had felt lost in his kiss…and then found, all at the same time.
Chapter 26
As stunned as Kendall was at the charm of Marc’s log cabin, she was speechless as they drove in Marc’s truck through the security gates of Jack’s house and compound. As they came out of the woods along the driveway, an enormous log home stood against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a long front porch gracing the front. Marc pulled up and parked next to a multitude of other vehicles.
“Who all is here?” she asked, jerking her head from gawking out the window over to Marc.
Reaching across the console to take her fingers in his hand, carefully avoiding the bandage, he assured, “Just the Saints and some of their women. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
This time, stepping inside, Kendall was overwhelmed. The first thing she noticed was the two-story stone fireplace and the wall of windows extending from the floor to the vaulted ceiling with the mountain view. Before she took another step, her gaze landed on a large crowd of men and women sitting around the room.
Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath, attempting to quell her nerves. Warmth invaded her back and she knew Marc had stepped directly behind her even before she felt his hands on her shoulders and his breath wash against her ear in a whisper.
“Breathe, sweet girl. Everyone here is a friend.” A slight nod was her only response. Taking her by the hand, he led her over to where the gathering sat, lounging comfortably.
A pretty blonde, with girl-next-door looks, bounded toward the couple, her hands outstretched. “Welcome to our home, Kendall.” Hugging Marc, she welcomed him home as well, before turning back to Kendall. “I’m Bethany, Jack’s wife.”
Jack slid in behind his wife, his hands placed on her shoulders and nodded toward Kendall. “I’m Jack Bryant. You’re among friends here, Kendall.”
She smiled, saying, “That’s just what Marc said.” His eyes dropped to her wrapped wrist and she noticed they narrowed as his mouth tightened before he met her gaze and gave a short smile.
“Well, it’s true. Let’s introduce you to the rest of the group, then we’ve got some information to go over with you.”
Nodding, she followed the pair toward the others, Marc’s hand on the small of her back. His fingers felt intimate, comforting. Taking in the large gathering of smiling face, she returned their smiles. A stunning woman with light blonde hair, streaked with pink, purple, and teal rose from her seat and approached first.
“Hi! I’m Angel. My husband, Monty, isn’t here. He’s in Alaska, still checking things out there. Hopefully you’ll get to meet him soon.”
Since she had already met Bart, Jude, and Blaise, they introduced their wives and fiancés, Faith, Sabrina, and Grace.
Overwhelmed, she then met Chad and his wife, Dani; Cam and his wife, Miriam; and Patrick and his wife, Evie. Last, she was introduced to Luke and Charlie. It only took her a moment to realize that, not only were they a couple, but they were also both the computer experts for the Saints.
Head spinning, she sat in the chair provided, Ma
rc at her side, and wondered what was next. Bethany and Angel disappeared into the kitchen, plated some desserts for the group and returned to pass them out. Kendall watched, amazed, as the group settled into the camaraderie of old friends. As she quietly observed, she noticed the men were all muscular with a strange combination of don’t-fuck-with-me and adoration for their wife or fiancé. Just like Marc is with me.
As she continued to watch the group, she wondered what it would be like to have these people as friends and not just a company that wanted to protect her. I have friends back home…well, more like acquaintances. But I do have friends in the lab…well, more like friendly co-workers. Blinking rapidly, she realized her life in Louisiana was a bit stale, whereas this gathering was lively. She felt Marc’s hand rest on her shoulder and forced herself to relax.
“Kendall,” Bethany called out. “I know you need to work with the Saints but when you’re finished, please come back here with us for a while. We get so little time to just hang out and we’ve love for you to join us.”
Before she could respond, Miriam said, “We also know that you were rushed here and hadn’t planned on staying long. If there’s anything you need, please let us know. We have lots to share!”
Smiling her acceptance, Kendall started to rise from her seat as the other women did, but Marc’s fingers on her shoulder pushed her down slightly, indicating she should remain. The women left the room, heading toward the back hall, leaving only Kendall and Charlie with the men. Nervously she looked to the side, calming as she saw Marc’s gentle smile.
“Kendall,” Jack stated, “in full disclosure, we have a separate place where we work, but when we have someone we need to talk with, we do it here. My living room is less formal, but secure. No one will know you are here, talking to us. We need to let you know where we are in the investigation and gain information from you that only you might know.”
Nodding her understanding, she rubbed her hands on her slacks before posing her face in what she hoped was not a nervous expression when, in fact, her heart was pounding.
Charlie smiled at Kendall and was the first to speak. “At first, we had no idea if your father or you were the intended victim of the plane sabotage. Either way, it was a carefully planned and executed endeavor. Part of it was to use someone in Louisiana to break into the NCBRT building, just enough to set off alarms but not to do any damage or theft. It was enough to disrupt the travel plans of the head of the NCBRT—your father. And, of course, you as well. It also took someone in Alaska who had the technical know-how to damage a plane in a way that it did not appear damaged at takeoff.”
Kendall listened carefully, nodding occasionally, even though what had been said was information she was already aware of. Uncertain what was expected of her, she tried to focus carefully.
Jack took over, “To be able to do that, someone had to have the ability to get badges that appeared to have the right security, and to also know how to disrupt the hangar cameras. So, while the people in Louisiana did not need any technical skill, the ones in Alaska did.”
Listening intently, Kendall’s hands lay in her lap, fingers twisting, showing that her heart was racing. Marc did not need to look at her face to see her distress. Her muscles, underneath his hand, radiated tension. He gently rubbed his fingers along her neck and shoulder, massaging away the stress in a desire to communicate she was not alone. She spared a small smile toward him and he grinned in return as he felt her relax back against him slightly.
“I understand what you’re explaining, but if you are asking if I know anyone with that…um…expertise, I don’t.”
“What we need from you, Kendall,” Luke began, “is your impressions of the people you work with.”
Squinting, she replied, “But why? Wouldn’t this be done by someone who wants…” Shrugging in frustration, “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe they want the NCBRT’s lab reports.”
“Why?” Bart interjected, leaning forward so that his forearms were resting on his knees.
“I’m sorry? I…I don’t understand?”
“Why would someone want the lab reports?” he asked again. “What do you have that someone would want?”
Sucking in her lips for a moment as she churned the possible reasons over in her mind, she finally replied, “Well, we have a lot of information about biological agents that can be used for terrorism. And we have ways of prevention as well as management. Especially for a large population.”
“Okay, good,” Chad nodded, “but now think of why someone might want that information, or who would be able to use that information.”
Wrapping her mind around the prompt, she said, “While a lot of layman’s information on the subject can be found with any Google search, we have the definitive scientific evidence of what works, what doesn’t work, what to look for, and what to do.” Her gaze jumped up to the group before she twisted her head to look at Marc sitting next to her. “While we aren’t the only ones in the world working on this, we have one of the premier labs. If some of our information was in the wrong hands, it could advance someone’s knowledge of how to release a biological terrorist act. And if they knew the specific antidotes and controlled those, they could keep the affected population from being treated.”
“So, essentially, being in the wrong hands could also allow them to sell this information to others interested,” Jack added.
Swallowing deeply as understanding swept over her, Kendall nodded.
*
An hour later, Kendall’s frustration was at an all time high. “No, no, no,” she repeated. “I work with these people and none of them would sell us out!”
As her gaze landed on the dubious faces of the Saints, she heaved a sigh and repeated, “Maybe it’s some low level person who works there, but Drs. Wallace, Mahdi, and Kowtowski would never do this. I may not always like Estelle Barnaby, but she runs that place with an iron fist when it comes to hiring and security.” Shrugging, she added, “And it’s a good thing, because I know my father is buried in his research and the institution as a whole—not the security or personnel aspects.”
“Anyone talk about family problems, money issues? Buying expensive items…things that you were surprised they could afford on their salary? Affairs or dating a lot? Traveling beyond what they do for work?” Luke prompted.
Rubbing her head, Kendall felt the tension headache pounding. Marc silently stood and walked into Jack’s kitchen. Pulling down a glass, he filled it with water before walking back and kneeling in front of her. Getting close enough so that his face was the only thing in her line of vision, he said, “Here. I’ll get your pills.” Digging through her purse, he pulled out the headache tablets and dumped two into her hand.
“I’m sorry,” Charlie said softly. “We had no idea you were ill.”
Smiling wearily, Kendall explained. “I get headaches from tension, but as long as I take these, it won’t go into a migraine.”
“Do we need to stop?” Jack asked, brows lifted in concern.
“Baby, we can stop anytime,” Marc assured her, his hand cupping the back of her neck.
Drinking more of the water, she shook her head. “No, no. We need to figure this out and I need to be more open to the idea that someone I know may have instigated…or even organized this.” With another deep breath, she plunged ahead, “Cliff Wallace wants to head up the NCBRT and, while I know he wants my father’s job, so far he’s been willing to wait until Dad steps down. I know he thinks I want the job, but that’s ridiculous. All I want is to do the research not run the organization.” Holding up her hand, she quickly added, “And I have made this clear.”
“Estelle Barnaby had to have a security clearance for her position and I doubt she has any skeletons in her closet. Will Kowtowski…” Kendall smiled, causing an unfamiliar flash of jealously to spear Marc.
“He’s so laid back. And I think he and Karen, my research intern, might have a thing going on. But they’re both unmarried, so a little office romance wouldn’t be harmful s
ince they are not in the same lab and he is not her supervisor.” Rubbing her head again, she said, “And Fahdil is such a good man. He’s been in the country for several years. He’s a family man, with a wife and two children.”
Charlie looked up sharply. “Two children?” she questioned.
“Well, yeah…sort of. He has a daughter that is their biological child and his wife’s nephew…or some relative, came over several years ago and Fahdil took him in. He refers to him as his son, so I just think of him that way.”
The Saints all turned their eyes toward Charlie whose lips were tight with irritation. “Damn,” she cursed. “Somehow I missed him!”
“Well, I don’t think that he’d be who you’re looking for,” Kendall stammered, turning to look back toward Marc.
He viewed the worried crease on her brow and said, “We have to look at any possibility.”
Leaning closer, she confessed, “But what if my words cause someone to be looked at erroneously? What if I’m creating havoc with someone’s life for no reason?”
Sliding his hand from her shoulder down her arm and back again, he tried to infuse his warmth into her stiff limbs. As she let out a deep breath and nodded, he squeezed her gently.
Charlie and Luke began typing on their laptops as the others waited. Looking back up, Charlie said, “Does he have a different last name?”
“Yeah, but I’m afraid I don’t know what it is.”
“No worries, it should show up. I’ll keep digging.” A moment later, she looked up again. “Tariq Mustafa. It says he’s twenty years old.”
“Yes, he came here to attend school,” Kendall explained.
“In Louisiana?”
Shaking her head, Kendall said, “He started in Louisiana, before transferring somewhere else, but I have no idea where. I’m sorry,” she said, her hands clasped tightly in her hands. “I just never really paid attention. It never came up in conversation…or if it did, I was probably preoccupied and it went in one ear and out the other.”
Surviving Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Page 21