by Morgan James
I finished my juice in silence, then excused myself from the kitchen. I took another long soak in the tub and spent a good portion of the day reading and relaxing, watching a couple of shows on TV. By midafternoon, the throbbing in my arm was back, along with an ache at the base of my skull. I popped a couple more ibuprofen, then curled up to take a nap, wishing not for the first time that Gavin was here beside me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Gavin
Between court and getting caught up on my regular cases, I was late getting home. I entered through the garage, then made my way to the living room. Dad was in my favorite recliner, remote clutched in one hand, sawing logs louder than Sports Center blaring in the background. I hesitated for a moment, just watching him.
Something Kate had said a while back stuck with me. We were all getting older, and despite the fact that Dad and I didn’t always get along, he wouldn’t always be here. Even though he drove me crazy sometimes, he was still my dad, and I still cared about him. We may not be best friends, but I wanted whatever time we had left together, hopefully many years yet, to be better than the ones we’d put behind us.
As if my musing alerted him to my presence, he stirred in the chair. He glanced at me, then at the clock. “Long day.”
“You know how it is,” I responded. If there was one thing my dad understood, it was work. “Did you and Kate get into anything today?” I asked as I settled back on the couch and crossed one ankle over my knee.
He shook his head but remained silent. For several seconds, we both watched the TV, then he spoke up. “She’s a good girl.”
His words didn’t surprise me, except for the fact that he’d never before taken an interest in my love life. “She is,” I admitted.
“Maybe the forever type?” he asked.
“If she wants to be,” I responded softly.
He gave another little nod. “I wouldn’t mind having her in the family.”
I smiled a little. “Yeah. Me, too. Where is she, anyway?”
He used the remote to gesture toward the stairs. “Said she had a headache and wanted to go lie down.”
I braced my hands on my knees and pushed to my feet. “I’m gonna go check on her, then start dinner.”
Dad turned his attention back to TV, and I strode through the house and up the stairs. I paused in the doorway of my room, a soft smile curling my lips at the sight that greeted me. Sure enough, Kate was asleep in the middle of my bed. She lay on her back, her knees tucked up to the side, a pillow clutched to her chest, her injured arm draped over top. I crossed the room, then carefully crawled onto the bed and removed the pillow from her grasp. I lay down next to her and eased closer until she was almost in my embrace. I brushed a kiss over her forehead, and she stirred, then slowly came awake. Pretty blue eyes met mine before she closed them again.
I lifted one hand and brushed my thumb over her cheek. “Feeling better?” I asked softly.
“Mmm.” She nodded slightly and stretched out her legs but didn’t offer anything else.
I grinned. “We’re not even married yet and you’re already getting headaches?”
Her eyes slitted open to glare at me, but I could see the faint flicker of a smile at the corner of her lips. “In your dreams, Price,” she quipped, then closed her eyes again.
“Are you always this cranky when you first wake up?” I teased gently.
Carefully avoiding her damaged shoulder, I trailed my fingers gently down her arm to the dip of her waist and swept my thumb over her stomach. “I wonder what you’ll be like a couple months in.”
Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she blinked at me. “A couple months in what?”
“When you’re expecting our first kid.”
Her eyes widened before she schooled her features into a remote expression, and one eyebrow ratcheted toward her hairline. “Our first?”
“Yep. I’ve got it all planned out.”
She gave a little snort. “Do you now?”
She pressed her lips together to quell the smile threatening to break over them, and I grinned in return. “Sure. Been working on this for a while now. Date a little while longer—”
“We’re not dating now,” she pointed out.
It was my turn to lift an eyebrow. “You’re living with me.”
“Temporarily,” she corrected, “and only out of necessity.”
I waved her defense away. “For now. Anyway, date for a few more months, then convince you to marry me.”
“Sounds like a long shot,” Kate interjected, and I threw a mock glare her way.
“Don’t interrupt. I figure we’ll be married for a year or two before we start trying, so I’m not too old to play with the kids.”
She blinked. “Wow. You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.”
“Are you always this pushy?”
I grinned. “I think you knew the answer to that when you hired me.”
She rolled her eyes playfully but couldn’t contain the tiny smile that flitted over her lips. “This is true.”
“What do you think?” I asked. “Did I miss anything?”
Her eyes held a glimmer of challenge as she looked up at me. “And, what? Am I supposed to put my career on hold to raise these imaginary children of yours and take care of the house like a good little wife?”
My face turned serious. “Not unless you want to. Do you really think I’ll try to make you give that up?”
She studied me for a long moment, then finally shook her head. “No. I don’t think you would do that.”
Her answer filled me with relief, and I brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “Kate?” Her brows lifted slightly in question, and I met her gaze. “I want to kiss you.”
It was both a declaration and a question. I wanted to push her, but never pressure her into something she didn’t want. She hesitated for a long moment, then finally nodded. I slipped my fingers into her hair and cupped the back of her head, then dipped my head and kissed her softly. Just once, just enough to show her how much I cared.
I lightly slapped her hip. “I’m gonna head down and start dinner. Come on down whenever you’re ready.”
I started to roll to my feet, but one hand shot out and fisted in my shirt, halting my progress. She released me as if she’d been scalded, and I took her hand in mine. “You good?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Just... thanks—for everything.”
Not wanting to push her any more at the moment, I gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, then slipped off the bed and left the room. It’d always been my motto to leave them wanting more, and I smiled as I felt her eyes tracking me the entire way out the door and down the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kate
Dinner was an uneventful affair, but both Gavin and Phil seemed more relaxed than I’d ever seen them. We kept up a healthy stream of conversation, everything from TV shows to politics to sports. I found myself glancing between Gavin and his dad, realizing just how similar they were despite their insistence to the contrary.
When we were all finished, I stood and began to gather dishes to take them into the kitchen. I was juggling mine one-handedly when men both waved me back into my seat.
“Sit down, sit down,” Phil blustered. “You’re a guest here. I’ll take care of it.”
“You’re a guest, too,” Gavin pointed out as he stood.
“Yeah, but you cooked dinner,” Phil retorted cantankerously.
I bit my tongue, bemused, and watched the two men face off—one was a younger version of the other, but his glare was no less powerful.
“I’ll just—”
I grabbed my plate, but both men turned to me in unison. “No!”
They turned back to each other, and the glare continued for another few seconds before Gavin finally threw his hands in the air. “Fine. Have at it.”
Phil looked pleased to have won, and I couldn’t help the tiny smil
e that curled the corners of my lips. Gavin shot me a look across the table, and I rolled my lips together to contain the laugh welling up. It really was amazing how stubborn these two were.
When all the dishes had been collected, Phil retired to his room, and Gavin stood, holding out a hand in my direction. “Come sit with me?”
I allowed him to help me up, then followed him into the living room, where he sank down into his recliner. I started to move past toward the couch, but he caught me around the waist and pulled me backward.
“Gavin...” I warned.
Hands framing my hips, he smiled up at me. “You promised to sit with me.”
I rolled my eyes. “That was before I knew what you intended.”
“Too bad,” he said as he pulled me down sideways across his lap. “No reneging on your promises.”
He flipped on the TV, then settled on some show about natural disasters and sat back to watch. After a few minutes, I gradually began to relax and laid my head along his shoulder. I felt his lips brush a kiss over the top of my head, and I smiled at the sensation.
The show went to a commercial a couple minutes later, and Gavin hit the mute button. “How are you feeling?”
I tipped my chin up to look at him. “Still a little sore, but it’s not terrible.”
He studied me. “Do you need your medicine?”
“No, I’m good,” I responded.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Is that Dr. Kate refusing treatment, or is this real Kate?”
I rolled my eyes even as a smile curved my mouth. “I’m pretty sure you knew I was a terrible patient before you dragged me over here.”
“I do. That’s why I’m asking.”
I delivered a little slap to his chest, and he laughed before his eyes turned serious. “I’m not just talking about your arm, you know. How are you really?”
I fiddled with one of the buttons on his shirt. “I’m... okay.”
“Hopefully we’ll have an answer soon.” His breath stirred the hair next to my ear when he spoke. “The police will do whatever they can.”
All the thoughts over the past couple weeks came spilling forth. “What if it wasn’t random?” I asked.
His expression darkened. “If by some chance someone actually meant to do you harm,” he replied, “I’m going to do everything in my power to put them behind bars for a long damn time.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” His fingers trailed up and down my arm, sending ripples of pleasure through my body.
“You introduced me to a man the day I left your office. Who is he?”
“Larry?” I nodded. “He’s my boss, one of the partners. Why?”
I lifted my shoulders in a little shrug. “No reason. I just... He looked familiar.”
Gavin took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and directed my gaze to his. “Did something happen? Did he say something to you?”
“No.” I shook my head, and his hand fell away, settling on my thigh. “Nothing like that. But I think I saw him at the VA one day.”
“Like, as a patient?” Gavin’s brows drew together, and I shook my head.
“No, I... The day your dad was admitted to the hospital, I overheard Dr. Coleman arguing with someone. I think it was him.”
“What were they arguing about?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think they were discussing a patient,” I admitted. “The guy—Larry—sounded like he was accusing Dr. Coleman of not doing his job. Said he couldn’t just apologize and make it all go away.”
Gavin’s expression turned pensive, and I studied him. “Does that make any sense to you?”
“I don’t really know,” he responded slowly. “Maybe it was nothing—just a coincidence, or maybe it wasn’t even him.”
I didn’t like the way it felt, but there was also no evidence of any wrongdoing. Larry hadn’t said a single word to me, hadn’t even really acknowledged me beyond our introduction that day in Gavin’s office. Maybe I was overthinking things. Or maybe I really did have something to worry about. Either way, it was worth looking into. Better safe than sorry.
I smiled at Gavin. “I’m sure you’re right. Like you said—just a coincidence.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gavin
Coincidence, my ass. The fact that she’d run into Larry at her place of work, along with his strange behavior recently, threw up all kinds of red flags. I’d managed to gently coax out of Kate the details of the argument she’d overheard. They’d supposedly mentioned a patient—who the hell could it be? No one in his immediate family had passed away that I was aware of, but I knew better than to dismiss anything. The details were vague, but I trusted Kate, I trusted her instincts, and if she felt that something was wrong, it was.
I filled out the paperwork, then carried it back to the reception desk, where Abby flashed me a grin. “I’ll let him know you’re here. Make yourself comfortable. It should only be a couple minutes.”
I inclined my head at her. “Thanks.”
I took a seat on the sofa along the wall, then crossed one foot over my knee and settled in to wait. The lobby was purely functional, not a single decoration on the walls except for the handful of knickknacks Abby had scattered over her desk. Everything looked completely new though. From what Xander had said, they’d been in the building for a very short period of time and were just getting the business off the ground.
I heard the soft approach of footsteps along the carpeted hallway, then a dark-haired, dark-eyed man stepped into the lobby. He tipped his head at me. “Mr. Price?”
As soon as I saw his face, it clicked. I’d first met Connor Quentin on an extraction we’d worked in Kabul. I rose and crossed the room to take his extended hand. “Gavin Price.”
I was sure he’d already run background on me before conceding to this meeting, so I didn’t bother with more of an introduction. He released my hand and gestured down the hall. “Let’s head into the conference room, and you can tell me what you know.” I preceded him into the room, then took a seat at the small round table and waited until he sank into a chair across from me.
“How have you been?” he asked, acknowledging our prior acquaintance, brief though it was.
“Good.” I gave a tight nod. “I put in my time, then came home to go to school.”
“Lawyer, right?” The faint twist of his lips hinted at a smile, and I took the friendly jab good-naturedly.
“Dad’s footsteps.” I shrugged. “What can you do?”
Con tipped his head like he understood perfectly. “McLean said he was a client of yours.”
“That’s actually how I found out about you. How long have you been in business?”
“Last tour ended about a year ago, so it was kind of a process getting everything all together, finding a place for a home base, all that good stuff.”
He piqued my curiosity. “What do you do? Besides the obvious,” I added.
“Long-term, I’d like to land a government contract. To be honest, though, right now we’ll take anything pretty much just to get our name out there. We’ll be offering some self-defense classes soon, as well as firearms instruction, and we’ve assisted the locals on a couple cases.”
I knew he was referring to both Victoria and Lydia. “Well, those are both commendable endeavors, so I’m sure you have clients lining up.”
He lifted one shoulder humbly. “We’re doing okay so far.”
I took the hint and didn’t pry, but something he said sparked a memory. “Actually, Kate said at one point she’d like to take some self-defense classes.”
Con nodded knowingly. “Any training is better than nothing, especially these days. What happened recently?”
“Someone shot at her a couple days ago outside a coffee shop.”
His brows lifted toward his hairline. “You’re sure it was meant for her?”
“I was only a few feet from her, but it looked pretty damn deliberate to me. The PD seems to think it may have b
een gang related. There was no license plate, and even though we have the model, there’s a good chance that car’s sitting in a chop shop somewhere right now. It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.” He raised a brow, and I shrugged. “The coffee shop released the camera footage, but without evidence...”
“Says the lawyer,” Con shot back.
“You know how it is,” I grumbled. “They don’t have the time or resources to look too deeply into it.” It was a fact of life, and one I fucking hated. Kate could’ve been killed, yet I seriously doubted they’d ever find the person responsible.
“So we’ll just have to find some evidence,” Con supplied, as if it were just that easy. “Anyone suspicious, anyone who might want to hurt Kate? I remember there being an ex-husband.”
“They just divorced,” I confirmed, “but they ruled him out since he was out in public with his new wife.”
The normally unflappable Marine’s eyes widened. “He’s already remarried?”
I couldn’t help the scowl that took up residence on my face. “He’s a piece of shit. But that’s neither here nor there. He’s out of her life, and that’s all that matters.”
“Okay,” Con said slowly. “Anyone else who stands out?”
This was the tricky part. “This is kind of convoluted,” I warned, then told him about the conversation she’d overheard at the VA between Dr. Coleman and Larry Raines. I wasn’t sure what the hell to think, but coupled with his strange behavior recently, I couldn’t discount anything.
“Raines. Any idea who this guy is?”
I blew out a breath. “Yeah. My boss.”
Con absorbed that for a long moment, then— “Fuck.”
“Yeah.” It always sucked when lawyers were implicated, because most of them, myself excluded, were slimy as shit. They would have to be careful to cross every t and dot every i if Larry were responsible in any way.