I knelt down next to Dylan, and put a hand around his shoulders. “Dylan, sweetie, why don’t you go with Victor and get something quick to eat.”
“Ooh, yay! Okay. Mister Victor, do you think they have Frosted Flakes?”
“Child, the last thing you need right now is sugar,” Michelle managed to squeak out.
“Let’s see,” Victor said, “my daughter likes Honey Nut Cheerios. Have you ever had those?” He took Dylan’s hand, and I could see the relief in both of his grandparents’ faces. He walked off with the little hand in his.
I sat on the floor in front of them. “Hi. So, let me tell you what really happened here?”
David nodded. “Please. He’s…talking about secret houses and people changing license plates.”
I took a deep breath. “He’s not wrong. But this will make smore sense from an adult.”
Cece, Killian, Gail, Len, and Theo all joined Michelle and David as I went through the past two weeks of our lives. The only thing I left out were our private interludes—but I made no secret that I’d fallen in love with Vaughn just that fast.
And now I was terrified they couldn’t fix him. I was realistic and pragmatic when it came to medicine. The only thing saving me from completely losing my shit was that Bobbi-Jo wasn’t at my skill level. Or Gail’s—or anyone of us. She’d just kind of shot at Vaughn.
Because if any of us had, he’d be dead.
Killian wound up on the floor next to me again, holding me as I shook and shivered.
I looked up at my big brother’s face. “I missed you so much, Kay. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you the whole truth about my life in England.”
He chuckled. “I get it. I would have been a wreck all the time if you had. You’re my sister, and I will always love you and want to keep you safe—but it seems you’re perfectly able to do that yourself.”
“I’ll say.” David chuckled.
“I need a vacation.” I sighed.
“No rest for the weary, Double-O Seven.”
I whipped around to find Nolan standing in the door. I leapt off the floor and launched myself at the massive ex-con standing there. “Q!” I yelled.
He hugged me tight and pushed me into the room a bit to admit someone.
The doctor.
I stared at the woman standing there, her scrubs immaculate. She’d changed, and I didn’t like what that implied. We just all stared at her, until she broke out a grin.
“Vaughn is going to be fine,” she said. “It was a tough one, but at no point was it touch and go, at all. It was, however, very messy and I thought you would appreciate me not showing up in those scrubs.”
“Always,” Michelle said, standing and walking over.
“His lung collapsed, and we’ve got it fixed,” she said. “We did have to crack his chest to repair the heart, because it was not something we could wait for, and that’s why this took so long. He’s got a long road ahead, but he’s going to be fine.”
Killian walked up to us. “I’m Doctor Killian McInnis, Doctor. Can we talk privately in a few. Professional curiosity?”
“Of course.”
“When can we see him?” I asked.
“It’s going to be a few more hours. He’s in post op monitoring,” she said, then looked at Killian. “But, Doctor, as a professional courtesy, if you scrub in I’ll allow you in.”
“Thank you, yes.” He put his hand on my shoulder and followed the doctor out of the room.
“Hey.” The voice was soft in my ear. “Hey, Birdie, wake up.”
I opened my eyes and found myself curled around Dylan, still in the waiting room. Killian was standing over me, pulling off his surgical cap. I woke up, but managed to not to jerk Dylan awake.
“What…”
“It’s fine. They’ve moved him to ICU. I can take you to see him. You and Dylan.”
“Yes, please.” I sat up and woke Dylan carefully. “D-man. Come on. We can go see Daddy.”
“Daddy?”
Killian knelt in front of us. I realized he was in nearly full surgical scrubs and looked so very much in his element. He might be kinky as all fucking get out in the bedroom, but my brother was one of the best surgeons at his hospital. Hell, in Pittsburgh.
“Hey, Dylan. I’m Birdie’s brother, and I’m a doctor too. I’m going to take you two back to see your dad, but you have to know that he’s very sick right now. There are going to be tubes and wires all over him, and I want you to be careful of them. You can totally talk to your dad, touch him, hug him very gently, but those wires are very important. Just be careful, and don’t be scared.”
“Thank you, Mister Doctor.”
He stood and we walked down the hall together, leaving everyone else in the room.
“How is he?”
“Awake. Groggy. On a morphine drip for another day or so. They’ll titrate him down after that. They did crack his chest, but she was very neat about it, and I shouldn’t take overly long for him to heal. I liked everything I heard and saw from the doctor. She’s excellent.”
He pointed to a door and a curtain pulled over it. I stepped into him and hugged him one more time.
“Thank you, Deartháir,”
“You’re welcome, Birdie.” He kissed the top of my head. “Proud of you.”
I walked into the room and pushed the curtain aside for Dylan and stepped beyond.
Killian hadn’t been kidding.
There were wires and tubes and feeds everywhere. Someone had put a blanket over his chest, where I knew there was going to be a nasty ass scar from the operation. I was glad—Dylan didn’t need to see that mess.
I found his eyes, and they were open and I could see a smile in them. “Hey,” he whispered.
“Hi,” I answered. I picked Dylan up and had him kneel on the bed next to Vaughn. “We were worried about you.”
“I was too,” he answered, but the response was light, humorous.
“Are you gonna be okay, Daddy?”
Lifting his hand, he grabbed Dylan’s. “I am, dude. I am. It’s gonna be a while. We have to stay here while I get better.”
“Okay.” He looked around. “Where is Birdie gonna sleep?”
I laughed. “No, no. Daddy has to stay here, D. You and Grandma and Grandpa are going to be staying at a hotel for a few days.”
“What about you?” He looked up at me with biggest puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen on a child.
Swallowing, I looked at their hands. “I…”
“You can’t go, Birdie,” Dylan said.
“Yeah, you can’t go, Birdie.” Vaughn looked crushed and tired.
“I’ll stay,” I said, not thinking very long or hard about it. “It’ll probably be easier for me than Michelle and David, anyway.”
“Yay!” Dylan jumped up to stand on the bed, and I grabbed him before he fell.
“Come on, D-man,” Killian called from the curtain. “Let’s go back to Grandma and Grandpa. I think they’re hungry and I think there might be a tummy that needs filling.”
Putting him on the ground, he went running to where Killian was holding out his hand. “I want Arby’s!”
I choked on my laugh as they disappeared out the door. A moment later, I felt Vaughn’s hand slip into mine, and squeeze my fingers.
His voice was wispy. “You okay?”
“Me?” I coughed. “I’m fine. You’re the one who took the bullet.”
“Remind me not to do that again, m’kay?”
“Noted, Mister Willard.”
His eyes roamed my face. “You’re going to stay, right?”
“I am,” I said. “As long as it takes to get you well enough to travel back home to Pittsburgh.”
“Good.” He closed his eyes and his hand urged me closer to the bed. “I love you. Don’t go.”
I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I love you, too. I won’t go.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Vaughn
…six months later…
I stared at
the computer. I found myself doing that a lot lately. Just staring. Not typing, not thinking, just staring.
My phone beeped and I looked down. It was time for another pain pill. I opened the drawer and pulled out the Percocet and stared at it. All the way down from morphine, and just a few more of these left and I could go to ibuprofen.
Dumping the pill into my hand, I glanced around for a glass of water.
Nothing. I’d forgotten the damn bottle again.
Pressing the speaker for Bridget’s desk, I waited for her to pick up the phone.
“Yes?”
“I forgot my stupid water bottle again,” I said.
She laughed. “Be right there.”
Dropping the pill on my desk blotter, I spun it a few times and waited.
I’d also been doing that a lot. Waiting. And I didn’t even know what I was waiting for. I’d been waiting for something since I got out of the hospital five months before. I’d been waiting for something since I’d gotten home. Just waiting and waiting…
The door cracked open and Bridget walked in.
The breath of fresh air. Her hair was back today, tucked neatly in a French braid, and her suit was impeccable, hugging her form like always. Her green eyes sparkled with mirth and my dick instantly responded to her scent as it wafted through my office.
“Here you go,” she said, putting the bottle on my desk.
I cracked it open and chugged a mouthful after tossing the pill in. Standing and walking around the desk, I leaned against it and just stared at Bridget. She stepped forward and put a few gentle fingers on the center of my chest.
“How is it today?”
“About a one. I know it’s there, but it doesn’t hurt much at all. I’ll be glad to get rid of the percs.”
She grinned. “Good.”
“Do you still feel guilty about this?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in her answer.
I shook my head slowly. “You shouldn’t.”
She bit her lip. There was another apology on the tip of her tongue, but I was tired of hearing it. So, I did what any red-blooded American male would do when faced with fiery redhead with bright blue eyes.
I kissed the shit out of her.
She fell into me like she’d been deprived of water, and I was a waterfall. She breathed me in, and shared her own air. I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck as her fingers found their way into my hair, and we devoured each other.
A moment later, she pulled back. “Vaughn, your—”
“No, no fuck it. Stop treating me like I’m going to break. I’m not. I’m healing ahead of schedule, and I need you. I’m tired of you pulling back and using this—” I tapped my chest, “—as an excuse. I want you, Bridget. Please.”
She hesitated. Her fingers danced on the button of my shirt. “I’m worried you’ll hurt. Your chest…”
I pulled her fingers away and unbuttoned the shirt. I took her hand and ran it down the ugly scar there, and she tried to pull her fingers away. I wouldn’t let her.
“It’s healing. It’s proof that I’m still here. That Bradshaw did not win, that Bobbi-Jo’s greed didn’t take me away.” Pressing her palm against my heart, I stared at her. “Bridget. Please. I’m not going to break. And I already hurt because you just keep pulling back…”
“Shit,” she breathed, her fingers petting my chest just above the offending organ.
There was a heavy pause, and then her mouth was on mine again, greedy and willing and desperate. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Jesus Christ, I promise you won’t. I promise it.”
She clawed at the fasteners on my pants as I desperately sought the edge of her skirt and pulled it up, running my hands up her legs, finding her undoubtedly adorable panties that she loved to wear.
I turned us around as soon as I had the skirt up over her ass and those cute little ice cream panties down. I slipped her leg up and let them drop to her ankle on the other foot.
Leaning in I caught her mouth as she shoved my pants down, removing my wallet first, and grabbed my erection.
“Fuck,” we breathed the swear word at the same time.
I grabbed the wallet and pulled out the condom there. She took it and ripped it open, sliding it down over me.
“You have no idea how much I have wanted to be inside you,” I managed.
“I’m still scared of hurting you.”
“Woman, the only hurting that’s been happening has been in my balls. They’re aching.”
She giggled and slowly stroked my shaft. “I have been so scared. I love you and I’m terrified of losing you. And I’m scared of hurting you.”
Running my hands down the inside of her thighs, I pulled her close to the edge. I found the cradle of her thighs and dipped a finger into her wet and waiting sex. “You aren’t hurting me. I would stop you long before that happened, moi chroi.”
She purred, “Mm, I like the Irish on your lips.”
I kissed her again. “I like tasting Irish on my lips.”
“Hell,” she breathed. “Fuck me, Vaughn. Please.”
I fitted my cock against her and slowly filled her, pressing forward carefully. It had been a long time for both of us.
“Oh, my God,” Bridget hissed. “Oh, I forgot…”
“I feel like I’m going to just blow like a teenager.”
“Not without me, you aren’t,” she managed, grabbing my ass. “Move, Vaughn. Move. I’m already too close…”
I was happy to oblige.
But I wasn’t very good at controlling myself, and in just a minute, I was slamming myself deep inside her. The sound of our flesh slapping against each other was loud in the office. It was lascivious and so sexy at the same time—and I really wasn’t going to last.
My thumb found her clit and I traced circles around her, teasing and touching. Wrapping her ankles around my back, she hitched her hips every time I pushed back into her. She dropped her head to my shoulder and bit lightly on my skin to keep her gasps of delight to herself.
Oh, I’d forgot. She was a screamer.
I leaned to her ear, and whispered, “Go ahead. Anything to not scream. Bite me, baby.”
She came at my words, her teeth digging in and the grunt of her orgasm muffled against the muscles of my arm.
The sharp sting of her teeth sent me right over the edge and I had to bite my own tongue to keep from yelling my pleasure as I sent pulse after pulse of my cum into the barrier between us.
We stood holding each other, just tracing patterns on each other’s skin with fingers and lips. Somewhere along the way, she kissed up the scar on my chest.
“Does it hurt?” Her voice was soft.
“No, Bridget. It doesn’t. And I hope that it doesn’t bother you… It’s proof of life.”
I could feel her smile on my skin.
The door popped open. “Mister Willard!”
We both shot a look over my shoulder, and found Emmy standing there. The grin spread over her face. “I’ll leave a message.”
The door clicked closed and we burst out laughing.
God, it was good to be home.
Bridget
I threaded my fingers through Vaughn’s as we made our way through Maryland.
We’d apparently been so annoying to everyone lately that they all decided we needed a vacation, and sent us to D.C. for the weekend, courtesy of them. Them being Killian, Cece, Victor, Emmy, Michelle, David, and several others. I thought I heard Nolan’s name mentioned as well.
It had been a quiet but not awkward ride, and we were both clearly lost in our thoughts.
“It’s not working, is it Bridget?”
Jerking my head around to look at him, I was confused. “What do you mean?”
“No, not us.” He smiled. “We’re fine. We’re in an amazing place together right now. I mean pretending we’re normal again. That being in the office as a secretary and her boss is good and we’re happy this way.”
I stared ou
t at the hills we were driving through. I was going to laugh the whole thing off, and just shake my head. Lie and say we were fine.
“No,” I said. “It’s not.”
“Have you tried looking for something in security?”
“Yes, and every single place, to the fucking letter, tells me no as soon as they see my boobs.” I glanced over at him. “You’re the only one who says yes to my boobs.”
“I don’t think it’s just yes.” He smirked. “It’s more of a yesmrphslurpnibblenngnyes.”
I laughed. This man could always make me laugh.
“But it’s true, isn’t it? You’re not happy.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m happy. I’m just feeling like…I could be doing more. The twins are away from their awful mother and father. We could be doing that for them. I didn’t hate having to run with you, having to do things to keep you safe. I did that for seven years and I feel like my skills are just…sitting there. And I shouldn’t feel that way. I got blacked by the intelligence community and there is shit I can do about it.”
“You got blacked by one asshole in MI6 who didn’t feel like admitting you could get the job done,” Vaughn said, and dropped a kiss on my knuckles. “Keep looking. I’m sure that you’ll find something somewhere.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you, Vaughn,” I answered, quietly.
“Never said you would.”
We pulled into the Nation’s capital just about seven, in time for the sun to start making the horizon promise an amazing sunset. The building we parked in front of was…not really a hotel.
“What the heck is this?” I asked. “Where did they book us in? The No Name Executive?”
Vaughn looked as lost as me. We climbed out of the car—the Camry, now completely and correctly repaired—and headed for the front door. He had a key code and punched it in to the pad there.
The lobby was impressive, with gray and white marble and a chandelier that looked like it would absolutely stab through a body if it fell. The paper that held the key code also told us to use the fourth elevator on the left.
Plain Sight Page 23