Her Loving Hero

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  “Enough already,” Wyatt said. “You keep asking questions, but never give him a chance to answer.”

  “Luke, this is Wyatt. Is Kyle okay?”

  “We’re both fine. We just needed to get away from Dad. After finding out what he did to you, I was going to make sure he went down. I wanted his ass in prison, hopefully the same place he used to be a guard. They hate that.” Luke’s laugh was brutal.

  “So, what did you do?” Ben asked.

  “I sent in a second report, only this time to the sheriff’s department instead of the police department. He must not have ever found out about the first one, based on how batshit crazy he went when he found out about this one.”

  “Define batshit crazy,” Wyatt asked calmly.

  “Said the only way this report could die down, was for me to die down. He had an unholy gleam in his eye. I ran out to my car and he followed with a bat and slammed the shit out of my windshield. Ergo, batshit crazy.”

  “And Kyle? How’d you get him out of there?” Wyatt asked.

  “I picked him up from school. I figured now was the time for us to use our escape hatch. Now if you can just wire us some money, they have a Western Union here, we can take a bus to San Diego.”

  “Do you have your I.D.’s to fly?” Wyatt asked.

  He heard some talking. “I do, but Kyle’s is at home.”

  Wyatt turned to Emily who was walking back into the Batcave. “Emily can you check flight times to-”

  “Say the word and I’ll book the flight into South Bend tonight; it will get you there tomorrow morning. My thumb is over the flight.”

  God Bless this woman.

  “Book it.”

  “I’ll also wire you some money so that you can find a place to stay near there. Someplace safe and clean,” Wyatt said.

  “You’ll be arriving at six-thirty in the morning,” she said.

  “Perfect.”

  Wyatt was feeling a whole hell of a lot better walking through the South Bend International Airport than when he had limped through it years ago. This time he would be leaving with his brothers.

  Emily was missing her calling at the bookstore, she was a Wunderkind as a travel agent. She’d gotten the boys into a nice hotel, paid for the Uber from her phone for them, arranged for his car rental, and the three of them were slotted to fly back in three hours.

  Easy.

  Breezy.

  When he got to the lobby of the econo-lodge, he stopped dead in his tracks. Then Kyle shot forward and about knocked him over with a hug.

  “I used to call you Wy Wy.”

  The kid was tall and gangly, but he hugged with the strength of a polar bear. Luke held back and casually sauntered over. Typical teenager. Probably used off-color pick-up lines to woo women too. Then he grinned at Wyatt, and he knew that his kid brother was far cooler than the Brant’s of the world.

  Wyatt held out his remaining arm, and Luke slipped in, and then Wyatt had his boys in his arms. He had to force himself not to cry.

  “Let’s get you out of here,” he finally whispered.

  “We’re going to the house?” Kyle asked nervously.

  “We need to get your photo I.D. for the plane,” Wyatt explained. “But now is the time for you to pack the things that you really want to take with you. Everything else will be new when we get back to California.”

  Kyle looked to Luke for confirmation. He nodded.

  “I have a rental. Let’s go,” Wyatt said. Soon he was parked across the street from the small ranch style house with the red brick façade. The lawn had gone to shit, it was more weeds than grass. The old plantation style green shutters were now mostly gray. It looked seedy. His mom would have hated to have seen this.

  “It’s good, his car isn’t here,” Kyle said. “Let’s go. The backdoor will be unlocked.”

  Kyle darted out of the car before Wyatt had a chance to caution him. The kid ran around to the back side of the house. Even worse, now he couldn’t see him.

  “Luke, stay in the car,” Wyatt commanded. “I want to make sure the coast is clear before you come in.”

  They heard Kyle’s shout, and they both took off at a dead run.

  The door to the back of the house was swinging open in the wind. Wyatt could hear the neighbor’s wind chimes and somebody else’s dog barking. Luke moved forward.

  “I’m going in, not you,” Wyatt said as he held Luke back.

  “He’s mad at me.” Luke whispered. “He hates me. If I go in, he’ll focus on me instead of Kyle. Let me go.”

  “He hates me more. Plus, I’m armed.” Wyatt showed his brother his gun. Checked luggage was the way to go.

  Luke nodded and Wyatt looked in the first window and saw what he needed to. It was the same layout. This window showed the back den, and this piece of scum actually had a gun trained at his own son. Wyatt looked for a shot, but because Kyle was in front of him, and Leonard was half on, half off the couch he just couldn’t risk it.

  “He’s got a gun,” Kyle cried out as Wyatt moved to the door.

  Kyle screamed in pain.

  Wyatt put on speed and burst through the door. Leonard raised his gun toward Wyatt. “You caused this,” he screamed as spittle flew from his mouth. Kyle’s body was half on top of him, and Wyatt could clearly see that somebody had done a number on Leonard. They’d beat the shit out of him. Turning, he could see the old stainless steel and vinyl dinette chair he’d been using as a walker. It was amazing he’d gotten a drop on Kyle.

  “Let Kyle go,” Wyatt said as he kept his gun trained on the man’s right eye.

  “They’re making an example of me. Said I was careless and was endangering the operation. Decided to make me disabled. Can you believe that?”

  “Just let Kyle go, Leonard. Let your son go.”

  “Bullshit, they’re going to put me in prison. It’s your fault. You had to show your face again.” Leonard lifted his gun. Wyatt knew what the asshole was doing. He wanted to kill himself, but didn’t have the balls, so he was trying to get Wyatt to kill him instead.

  Kyle looked up at him, his gaze clear, he gave a tiny nod.

  Sneaky kid.

  Kyle rolled off toward the floor, and Wyatt shot Leonard in the elbow, pinning his gun arm to the sofa. Kyle grabbed the gun.

  Luke came inside, not caring about his father’s shrieks, instead he helped his brother off the floor. “Let’s get packed,” he said to Kyle.

  “What about Dad?” Kyle asked.

  “He’s going to end up in the Indiana State Prison. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?” Luke said.

  Kyle shot Wyatt a nervous glance.

  “Go get packed. I’m calling an ambulance. It’s okay Kyle, your dad will be taken care of.”

  And if there was a God, he would be taken care of by an inmate at the Indiana State Pen.

  Wyatt looked over at his brothers who were looking wasted as they sat sprawled out in the seats at the South Bend International Airport gate waiting for their plane. He needed to get them to San Diego, and he needed to see Emily like he needed his next breath.

  His phone rang. It was Gray.

  “What’s going on?” he demanded.

  “I hear you’re a hero,” Gray said.

  “I should be good to go tomorrow,” Wyatt said as he looked at his brothers out of the corner of his eye.

  “You’re grounded.” Gray said, his voice garbled. “Stay home. Hug your family.” Wyatt pressed the phone up against his ear so that he could better hear what Gray was saying.

  “But-” Wyatt started to protest.

  “Shut up Leeds.” Gray yelled over the sound of the military transport. “I’ve already talked to Liam, you’re not heading over this way. You’re staying in the states.”

  Even through all of the sound, he heard Dex and Kane in the background.

  “Good job.”

  “Atta boy.”

  Wyatt felt his temper rise. “Gray, I was part of this mission at the beginning. I’ll go over Liam’s head to t
he Captain.”

  He could hear Gray’s laughter. “Yeah, that’ll work. There’ll be other missions. You only have one family.”

  Epilogue

  Two months Later…..

  * * *

  Emily looked around her house. It was perfect. It wasn’t a Live Oak tree in the back, instead it was a purple Jacaranda, so it was even better. She rolled her eyes. If she had to hear one more time about the invasive root system, she just might kill Wyatt Leeds. But she couldn’t really, because he and Kyle had brought home all the material yesterday to build a tire swing.

  “Whatchya thinking?” Wyatt asked as he walked in behind her at the kitchen sink and settled his chin on her shoulder so they could both admire the tree.

  “Nothing.” She looked over her shoulder. “Everything.”

  Wyatt chuckled, his breath warm against her ear. “Tell me the everything part,” he prompted.

  “Well the nothing part is how Carly is going to prevent Kristi from buying out the store today,” she laughed. “The everything part is excitement that Carly and I will start classes together at San Diego State University. I’m also scared about Carly wanting to live on campus, but I’m coming to grips with it.”

  “That doesn’t sound like everything.”

  Emily rinsed out the dish cloth and laid it out across the sink so it could dry and sighed. “I’m still worried about my parents and the Lancaster’s in Oman. I know you can’t tell me anything, and I know I shouldn’t know anything, but Carly let it slip that Kane is over there.”

  “Huh?”

  Wyatt turned her around. “How would Carly know something like that?”

  “Chris,” she said succinctly. “I don’t know anything more than that. Is it going to be okay? Please tell me it’s going to be okay.”

  Wyatt pulled her into his arms. “It’s going to be okay. Kane is amazing, and his team are second best.”

  Emily laughed. “Thanks, I needed the laugh, and the assurance.”

  “It’s my job to provide you what you need.”

  “I really want you, Luke and Kyle to move in here, there’s plenty of room for each of the boys, and my sisters to each have their own room. I bought it so all of us could be comfortable,” she said for the umpteenth time.

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “Nope, not going to happen.”

  “But we love each other, I want us to start a life together,” she pleaded.

  His hand fingered the chain she wore around her neck and drew out the engagement ring that she had nestled between her breasts. “So put this on your finger and agree to marry me.”

  Her expression clouded. “Not until I can be sure we can make real love.”

  His head fell back, and he looked at the ceiling. “Sweetheart, every single time we touch, we make love. Now you admitted to me once you always wanted to wear your grandmother’s white wedding gown. I don’t want to deprive you of that, so we’re waiting until our wedding night.”

  Her fingers clawed at his black t-shirt, struggling to find purchase. Words that had been almost a year in the making finally erupted. “But that’s it, I’m not a virgin, not even close. I’m dirty. I can never wear white,” she sobbed. She could barely see him. Barely hear him. Emily swiped at her eyes.

  When would she stop crying about that night? Wait his face was wet too.

  “In my eyes you are a virgin. You’ve never chosen to give yourself to someone, and you’re my virgin.”

  She gave a choked watery, laugh. “You like that word, ‘my’.”

  “Wear my ring Emily.”

  “Make love to me Wyatt.” Came her tired response.

  He licked at the last tear that trickled down her cheek and savored it. “If today, in this beautiful house, I can prove that you can find pleasure as the beautiful, chaste and innocent woman I know you are, will you marry me? Will you let me prove how pure and worthy you are to wear your grandmother’s wedding dress?”

  She stopped breathing. Then she sucked in a deep breath. She stared at him for long minutes and finally gave a tiny nod.

  “What did I say this time? What did I finally say right?” he asked.

  “Not telling,” she smiled.

  He picked her up in his arms and looked down at her. “Can I show you the truth of you?”

  Those words unlocked a very complicated lock on her heart, and she nodded again. Wyatt carried her to her bedroom, and there in the beautiful streaming sunlight, he once again kissed every portion of delicate skin as he slowly undressed her and revealed her skin to his gaze.

  She bucked and sobbed as he touched the pink folds between her thighs. “How does this feel Emily?” he asked.

  Her brain scrambled to find the right word. Finally, he helped her as he touched and parted her flesh and gently praised her. “Does it feel like anything you’ve experienced before?”

  “You know it doesn’t,” she wept.

  “That’s because this is your first time.”

  Wyatt aroused this hidden part of her the same way he had her breasts, softly, again and again touching and introducing a maelstrom of heat. He did as he promised, he kissed her flesh, it was embarrassing, yet profound. He teased her until she was beyond thought, until she went flying. She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by Wyatt, his love and strength. She grinned like a loon as she watched him sheath himself.

  Then he parted her legs a little further and pressed himself gently against her body’s entrance.

  “You are so precious to me,” he whispered as he slowly joined their bodies.

  She sighed with pleasure as he guided her legs around his waist. He taught her a rhythm that had been unimaginable to her before.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, his smile courting wicked fun.

  She held her breath and nodded. Wyatt met his lips to hers, wooing one response, while his body wooed another. She arched and undulated, meeting each tenderly powerful thrust cresting higher and higher.

  “Breathe, Emily,” he whispered.

  “I can’t,” she gasped.

  He thrust deeper and lit the match that caused her to explode.

  “Wyatt,” she cried the name that encompassed everything good in the universe.

  When she could breathe again, Wyatt was holding up the sapphire and diamond engagement ring that was somehow off its chain.

  “Emily?”

  She nodded.

  He threaded the beautiful symbol of their love onto her finger.

  “I can’t wait to see what your grandmother’s wedding gown looks like on you,” he whispered.

  * * *

  Before I say THE END,…Be on the Look Out for Kane McNamara’s Story in the upcoming new Night Storm Series in August 2019. Thanks for taking the time to read my books, I sooo appreciate you. – Caitlyn

  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling Author, Caitlyn O'Leary, adores writing Military Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance. She started publishing books in 2014. Storytelling has been a tradition in her family for years, and she still holds on to the letters she has received from family members since her childhood.

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  Caitlyn lives in California with her husband John of sixteen years who often makes guest appearances in her reader group, Caitlyn's Crew. Getting to know so many people within the reader community is almost as much fun as writing each new novel. So join her reader group so she can get to know you, and see if she and John can make it to year seventeen!

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  You never know what kind of book she'll write next, it all depends on what strikes her fancy. Be sure to keep in touch.

  Keep up with Caitlyn O’Leary:

  Website: www.caitlynoleary.com

  Email: caitlyn@caitlynoleary.com

  Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c5FqPv

  Also by Caitlyn O’Leary

  The Midnight Delta Series

  Her Vigilant Seal (Book #1)

  Her Loyal Seal (Book #2)

  Her Adoring Seal (Book #3
)

  Seal with a Kiss (Book #4)

  Her Daring Seal (Book #5)

  Her Fierce Seal (Book #6)

  A Seals Vigilant Heart (Book #7)

  Her Dominant Seal (Book #8)

  Her Relentless Seal (Book #9)

  Her Treasured Seal (Book #10)

  * * *

  Black Dawn Series

  Her Steadfast Hero (Book #1)

  Her Devoted Hero (Book #2)

  Her Passionate Hero (Book #3)

  Her Wicked Hero (Book #4)

  Her Guarded Hero (Book #5)

  Her Captivated Hero (Book #6)

  Her Honorable Hero (Book #7)

  Her Loving Hero (Book #8)

  * * *

  The Found Series

  Revealed (Book #1)

  Forsaken (Book #2)

  Healed (Book #3)

  * * *

  Shadows Alliance Series

  Declan

  * * *

  Fate Harbor Series

  Trusting Chance (Book #1)

  Protecting Olivia (Book #2)

  Claiming Kara (Book #3)

  Isabella’s Submission (Book #4)

  Cherishing Brianna (Book #5)