by Janie Crouch
All the hours poring over photos and footage Omega Sector had collected over the years was worth it when they had positively identified one of the masked buyers late last week. The arrest of a high-profile business owner in California had been made a few days ago. Hopefully, it was all going to snowball from there. They would sell out each other in order to save themselves.
Aiden wondered if Violet knew about the arrest. Did she know that her courage and pain were counting for something?
Aiden didn’t have to be the one to tell her, he just wanted her to know that what she’d been through hadn’t been for nothing.
Who was he kidding? Aiden would give just about anything to see her with his own eyes and make sure she was doing all right. Being so close to her in Idaho Falls, knowing Collingwood Technology was nearby, was also hard. Every day he’d had to force himself not to just show up there.
But he had to face the facts. He was a part of her life she was desperately hoping to forget. She didn’t hate him, but she didn’t want to call him up and relive the good old days when she’d been kidnapped and assaulted either.
But hell if Aiden could get her out of his mind.
There was a big crowd here today, particularly since Finn and Charlie had announced they were engaged. The woman was out of the hospital but still moving a lot slower than her normal whirlwind speed. She was sitting in the small set of bleachers against the east wall of the barn they’d turned into their huge sparring center. Her friend Jordan Reiss had been sitting next to her for a while, before more people from town came in. When it became obvious that people wanted to congratulate Charlie without talking to Jordan, the younger woman had made an excuse and left. It was a damn shame how some of the townspeople treated Jordan. Oh, there was a lot of past baggage there, obviously stuff a few refused to forgive.
Aiden was helping with the fundamentals of a self-defense crash course they offered for free pretty much anytime anyone asked for it.
The course was for any age, men or women. They taught basic knowledge about how to get out of a bear hug, what to do if you were grabbed from behind, and attackers’ most vulnerable areas and how to take advantage of them. With each move he taught, Aiden wondered if Gabriel or Kendrick or somebody was showing Violet the same.
Was she scared? Did she have nightmares? Did she wake up not knowing where she was and worried that Randy or any of the other people who had molested her were nearby?
Not his business. And that just sucked. Because he very much wanted it to be his business, but that wasn’t his move to make.
Aiden had identified as many of the scumbags attending the auction as he could. Omega Sector felt confident they were closing in on Stellman. No one had found any trace of the shooter who had executed Randy, but Violet had told law enforcement that the man she called Dillon—the silent one Aiden had seen at The Barn—had been at the house just minutes before the team had arrived. He had to have been the one who killed Randy.
If they’d been five minutes earlier, they would’ve gotten him too. They could’ve taken both him and Randy in alive for questioning and been so much closer to knowing who Stellman really was.
But for now, Aiden’s role was over. It was time to get back to his real life. Maybe he would ask Dorian if he could teach the extended wilderness survival class coming up. Dorian was best at it, but being out in the elements would require all Aiden’s focus and concentration. Which was exactly what he needed to forget about Violet Collingwood.
“Last call for any sparring matches,” Zac yelled. “Anybody here want to take on any of the Linear guys?”
“I would,” Gabriel Collingwood said as he walked up to the ring. Aiden hadn’t even realized the other man was here. He couldn’t stop himself from looking around to see if perhaps Violet was with her brother, but he didn’t see her anywhere.
“Collingwood,” Gavin said with a big grin on his face. “We are always happy to kick some Navy SEAL ass. I’ll go a few rounds with you.”
Gabe shook his head. “Nope. I want to fight Teague.” Those green eyes so similar to Violet’s burned with anger. “You in?”
Aiden walked closer to the ring, tone calm. “You sure getting into the ring is a good idea? If you’ve got something to say to me, just say it.”
“I don’t have anything to say. I just have a nice floor to beat you into. Put on your safety gear, Teague.”
“Well, aren’t you a little ray of pitch black today.” Aiden stepped into the ring and fastened on his headgear, then slipped on the padded half gloves used for martial arts fighting. Gabe was already putting his on too. If the man needed to blow off a little steam, Aiden could certainly use the outlet too.
At six feet tall and 170 pounds, Aiden was no lightweight, but Gabe had at least four inches on him and big tree-trunk-sized biceps.
Aiden shook his head. “You know, you don’t look like a computer genius.”
Gabe met him in the middle of the ring, holding out his hands to bump Aiden’s and begin the fight. “I don’t fight like one either.”
As soon as they stepped back from each other, Gabe took his first swing. If Aiden hadn’t been expecting it, it would’ve taken his damn head off. He’d have to stay out of the way of the bigger man’s fists as much as possible to keep himself off the floor.
He got in a couple of quick jabs before stepping to the side, out of the way of an uppercut, but Gabe was more ready this time and spun, bringing his elbow back around into Aiden’s midsection. Aiden jumped back and swung around in a roundhouse kick, which Gabe blocked.
They went on like that in silent battle, neither getting the upper hand—Gabe too strong, Aiden too fast—for a good five minutes. Neither of them said a word besides a random curse here or there when a blow hit its target.
This could last all damn day. Aiden dropped low and swept Gabe’s legs out from under him, dropping him to the mat. Before Aiden could pin him, Gabe rolled and sprang back up.
Aiden shook his head. “So you can move fast when you’re not trying to pound the shit out of me.”
Gabe swung one of his massive arms at Aiden’s chin, a blow he was barely able to block. “Stay the hell away from my sister, Teague. You are not what she needs.”
Aiden flew at Gabe, feigned one way, then slid the other, getting in two solid jabs before the man was able to get his guard up. “I don’t know what your problem is, Collingwood, but I haven’t seen Violet since the night we got her out.”
“Then why the hell has she been in Oak Creek nearly every damn day for the past two weeks?”
Aiden stopped moving to try to process what Gabe was saying—Violet has been here in town for the past two weeks?—and took the blow to the face he’d been trying to avoid this whole fight.
Even through the protective gear, Aiden saw stars and fell to the ground.
It only took a moment to regather his senses while he was there. If this had been a real fight, Aiden would’ve used his foot to take out the side of Gabe’s knee. Even if he hadn’t already known about the other man’s weakness, Gabe had been favoring it just enough to give it away.
But Aiden was reeling more from what Gabe had said than the punch he’d gotten in. “Violet has been here in town?” he said from down on the ground. “Why?”
“She won’t tell me. I thought for sure you were behind it.” He reached down a hand to help Aiden up, but he ignored it. He was better off staying out of reach of those biceps in case Aiden said something else Gabe didn’t like.
“Don’t you have a security detail on her?” God, if not, they were going to be fighting for real. Stellman was a threat.
Gabe grimaced. “I do, but she would only accept it if the team was for security only and didn’t report back to me what she was doing and who she was doing it with. I’ve almost fired Kendrick five times because he refuses to tell me anything.”
“Maybe we’ll have to give that guy a call sign after all.” This time when Gabe held out his hand, Aiden accepted his help. Both of t
hem began pulling off their sparring gear. “Rest assured, she hasn’t been with me. I’ve been in Idaho Falls almost every day, working with Omega Sector to identify those traffickers. You know that.”
Gabe shrugged. “I didn’t know who else she could possibly be seeing in this one-horse town besides you.”
Charlie, with the help of Finn, walked over to the ring and raised one eyebrow. “If I tell you Violet has been hanging out with me, Zac’s girlfriend Anne, and Finn’s sister Wavy, am I going to have to get into the ring and fight you?”
Gabe shook his head. “I don’t understand. How do you even know Violet?”
“Anne reached out to her as a physician and someone who had lived through an attack herself. I was basically along to shake the hand of an amazing woman. And because anyone who is trying to take down Stellman is my new bestie.”
Gabe still looked confused. “Okay, so you all became chummy. Why has she been out here so much?”
Charlie just shrugged. “When Violet wants you to know, she’ll tell you. It’s nothing that’s harming her or bad for her in any way.”
“Oh really, then why has she dropped out of her chemical engineering program?” Gabe’s eyebrow looked like it was finding a new home in his hairline. “You don’t think that’s bad for her? I would understand if she needed time to recover, wanted to take a semester off. But she quit completely.”
Aiden was starting to understand some of Gabe’s concern. Violet making knee-jerk, life-altering choices so soon after her ordeal wasn’t good news.
“I didn’t know that,” he said when Gabe looked at him. “But I promise I haven’t been in touch with her.”
“Really?”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “What do you want, a pinky promise? Yeah, really.” And it was damn well killing him.
Gabe looked sheepish. “Then I guess I should deliver the message Brandon Han asked me to provide. One of the people you ID’d from the auction rolled on Stellman and provided a positive identification. Omega Sector moved in last night and arrested him.”
“What the hell, man? You couldn’t have led with that?”
Gabe just shrugged. “And miss the chance to pound on you? Where’s the fun in that? It’s the whole reason I volunteered to give the message rather than let Han call you.”
Aiden sat down on the edge of the mat. “You’re an asshole, Collingwood.”
Gabe just shrugged again.
Aiden should be pissed. He should take another swing at Gabe, but all he could feel was relief. Stellman’s arrest meant Violet was safe.
“Thank God,” Charlie muttered. Finn came over and put his arm around her. They would all sleep better knowing that bastard was out of their lives.
“After everything,” Finn said, “it almost feels too easy.”
Charlie smacked him on the arm. “It wasn’t fucking easy for me or Violet.”
Finn pulled the tiny blond woman closer and kissed the top of her head. “No, you’re right. Easy is the wrong word. Nothing about any of this has been easy.”
“Convenient,” Gabe said. “That’s the word you’re looking for. It seems too convenient. But Omega Sector is pretty positive that this is Stellman. He was caught red-handed in an arms deal.”
Aiden didn’t care if they had caught the guy jaywalking. He just wanted Stellman off the streets so Violet would be safe.
“Then let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. Contrary to my life story, not everything has to be done the hardest way possible.” Finn walked over and slapped Aiden on the back. “Looks like Shamrock’s string of good luck lives on.”
Aiden would take it.
Chapter 11
Violet stood across the street, staring at Aiden’s house. He was a single man living alone, and he had a house. Granted, it wasn’t very big, probably just two or three bedrooms. But it was a house.
She’d lived in downtown Idaho Falls since she was fifteen, when her parents had died. Gabe had moved the two of them into the condo above the Collingwood Technology—CT—offices so he could be close by even though he had to be at work so much. The living space had been fine—luxurious even—but it had never been a house with a little porch like the one she was looking at now. And she’d never had a yard.
Everybody in the town of Oak Creek had a yard. Maybe that was true for all of Wyoming, or maybe just here, but these people loved their wide-open spaces. Violet was finding that she loved those spaces too.
That definitely didn’t mean she knew what she was doing. Not only with standing in front of Aiden’s house, but also with the choices she’d been making over the past three weeks.
Gabe was worried about her quitting school, spending so much time in a new town. He thought she was being situationally reactive and maybe immature. She couldn’t blame him. Especially since she hadn’t given him any details.
But these decisions weren’t really about being mature. Gabe should know that. Violet was the oldest twenty-two-year-old in the history of the world. She’d never been immature, and she wasn’t starting now. But she wasn’t sure her brother would see it that way.
This wasn’t about hurting him or making poor decisions based on a trauma.
This was about refusing to be passive in her own life any longer.
The past three weeks had been filled with changes and growth. She’d spent hours talking about what had happened to the therapist Gabe had insisted on. It had felt good to express the anger, fear, and helplessness she’d felt.
Talking hadn’t taken away all her anxiety—she still couldn’t sleep without a night-light, and she broke out in a cold sweat at the thought of ever walking to her car alone again. But therapy did help. She felt stronger and more capable. And she wanted to live life on her own terms.
If there was one thing being held captive had taught her, it was that no one was guaranteed a tomorrow.
That knowledge gave her the courage she needed to finally take the steps across the street to his door. He had been on her mind for three weeks. Even though she’d been spending a lot of time in Oak Creek, she hadn’t seen him like she’d hoped.
So now she was taking matters into her own hands. She knocked on the door of the man whose kiss she hadn’t been able to get out of her thoughts.
To her surprise, he opened it immediately.
“I was wondering if you were going to actually come over.” He leaned against the doorway and smiled casually at her. “I was hoping you would.”
She couldn’t stop looking at him. She’d already known he was handsome. But now when she was looking at him with no filter of fear or shame clouding her judgment, he seemed so much more than that.
His face was rugged, stubble covering his square jaw but not hiding the handsome features beneath it. His eyes, a soft brown like melted honey, were flecked with green and gold throughout.
He wasn’t big and muscular like Gabe. His was a lean, concealed strength. Unlike her brother, Aiden would be able to fit in wherever he wanted to and not stand out.
But he was definitely a warrior. The way his eyes took in everything about her, the intelligence and awareness . . . Even if she hadn’t seen him move with lethal grace, she’d know it by looking at him now.
And it was sexy.
Damn her pale skin, there was no hiding the flush that came over her cheeks. She grimaced. “I’m not taking up a job as a stalker, in case you’re worried about that.”
He crossed his arms as he continued to lean against the doorframe. “You aren’t one of the hundreds of women who have applied to stalk me, so I figured it was safe. Want to come inside?”
“How did you know I was out here?”
“Mrs. Mazille down the street. She’s married to the librarian. When you didn’t move along after a minute or two, she performed her neighborly duty and contacted me. Texted me, actually. Happens a lot.”
Violet raised an eyebrow. “Because of all the women skulking around?”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “Mrs. Mazille takes the
concept of a neighborhood watch very seriously. I was in the army for more than ten years and can tell you that she has the concept of covert surveillance down better than anyone in the military. They should recruit her to train troops.”
Aiden’s affection for the older woman was evident. “I guess I better come inside then before she comes down here to rescue you from the clutches of an evil female.”
He gripped her arm lightly and ushered her inside. “You say that in jest, but she just might. Get in here.”
Violet laughed, the sound surprising her a little. It had been a long time since she’d laughed out loud.
He touched her arm, leading her into his kitchen. “That’s a nice sound, you laughing.”
“I was just realizing that I haven’t done it much lately. Since . . .” She shrugged. “Not that things have been bad. I mean, all things considered, I’m in pretty good shape.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been thinking about you. And I hear you’ve been around Oak Creek quite a bit. At least that’s what Gabe told me when he stopped by Linear yesterday.”
Oh crap. “Um, yeah, I haven’t really been talking over my plans with him. He can be overbearing. Sorry if he caused you any trouble.”
“I can handle your brother. But I know he’s concerned about you. He said you dropped out of your engineering program.”
This was not the conversation she wanted to have with Aiden. She didn’t want to explain the changes she’d made in her life or the new direction her career was heading. None of that had to do with why she was here.
She was here because she wanted to have sex. With Aiden.
But evidently, thanks to her brother, she first needed to convince Aiden she wasn’t having some sort of nervous breakdown.
“I brought you something.” She held out the box that contained the glacé petit four pastries. Tiny versions of some of her best concoctions.
He opened the box and literally licked his lips. “Those look amazing. Mind if I eat a few now?”
She smiled. “Be my guest.”