There was no censure in his voice, just pain and confusion. Janey wanted to ease his pain but didn’t know how.
She lifted her hand and touched what felt like his arms. She felt her way upward until she touched his face. She felt him kiss her palms.
“I wanted a chance to be with you,” she said.
“I don’t understand.”
“The way we were living, not sure where or when the attack would come…that was not living. I didn’t want that half-life with you,” she said, doing her best to explain what was going on in her head at that time.
“But you could have been killed.”
She trailed her hand down till she got to his hand. Then she lifted it and brought his palms to her face, kissing his open palm just as he’d kissed hers a few seconds ago.
“You taught me to be unafraid. To trust myself and take risks.”
“Damn! What was I thinking?”
She heard the humor in his voice and smiled.
“I knew you would come for me,” she said with quiet assurance.
“What if I didn’t wake up on time?”
“I know you, Drew,” she said, repeating the words he’d said to her once upon a time. “You don’t sleep very well if I’m not beside you.”
He had no answer to that because it was true. Even when she went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she would return to find his arm outstretched, searching her side of the bed for her.
She knew that there was no way she would be gone from the bed for a very long time without his waking up to search for her. She had been counting on that.
“You scared the life out of me,” he said in a gruff voice. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“I’m sorry, my love. I’ll try my best not to scare you like that.” She shot him what she knew was an impish grin and was rewarded when she heard him groan.
“I’m going to go gray, married to you.”
She stilled. “Married?”
He snorted, “You think I’m going to let you out of my sight after this? Woman, I’m binding you to me in every way possible.”
Janey felt joy bubble inside her chest. She pouted, “Is that how to propose?”
“Oh, I’m not proposing yet.”
She frowned in confusion. Had she misunderstood?
“I’m announcing my intentions,” he said. “When the time is right, I will propose.”
Janey wished she could roll her eyes at that moment. She felt so lighthearted. She didn’t know she could feel this way.
“You are such a tease, Drew Campbell.”
He leaned forward and kissed her slowly and thoroughly. “You’d better believe it, Janey Moore,” he said against her lips.
“It’s good to see that the patient is finally awake,” a voice said from the door.
Drew pulled back and Janey sighed. Ah well, they could go back to kissing later. She needed to know what was going on with her eyes.
Drew stood up as the doctor approached. He was young looking with a sparkle in his eyes. He’d been the one attending to Janey when they’d brought her in earlier that day.
“How is she doing, Doctor?” he asked.
The doctor smiled. “Give me a minute and then I’ll let you know.”
Drew moved away from the bed as the man examined Janey. Her eyes had been puffed up and swollen, with cuts around that part of her face. So they’d bandaged it up. Her wrists, where the ropes had cut into her skin, were also wrapped in bandages.
“How do you feel, Miss Moore?”
“My head hurts and I’m tired,” Janey replied.
The doctor nodded. “That’s to be expected. We’ll give you something for the headache. You also need to rest a lot.”
“What about my eyes? Are they…damaged?”
“Not at all. They just need some pampering, that’s all. We’ll take off the bandages in a day or two and you should be able to see just fine.”
Drew felt relieved at his words. He’d been worried after seeing how battered her face had been. Whether she had her eyesight or not, was not going to affect the intensity of the love he had for her. He loved that woman so much, it consumed his very being.
But for her sake, he didn’t want her to lose her eyesight. He loved looking into her beautiful eyes and seeing how expressive they were.
The doctor left some more instructions before leaving them alone.
Drew went back to where he was sitting, on the bed beside Janey. “Now, where were we?” he said with a smile.
Janey smiled back, but he noticed that her mood had shifted.
“What’s the matter, baby?”
She sighed. “I’m just thinking…and worried. I don’t know how my parents are doing…”
He ran his hands gently through her hair. “I checked in on them after I brought you in. They are recovering quickly. Your mom is now sitting up. The doctor says they should be home in no time.”
He saw her body sag in relief. “Oh, I was so worried about them. I know what happened to them was my fault…”
Drew placed a finger over her lips, halting her words. “How can you say that, sweetheart? You went in search of your sister. It is not your fault that the man she’d worked for was neck deep in an affair with the mafia.”
“I know what you’re saying, but…” she spoke against his finger.
“I bet Bob and Daphne are glad that you found their daughter. Your mom was on the phone with Diane when I checked in on her.”
At her silence, he went on.
“You did a good thing, my love. You need to stop blaming yourself for someone else’s craziness.”
She nodded slowly. Then kissed the finger that was still on her lips. “Thank you,” she said simply.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do after now?” Drew asked hesitantly, taking his finger off her lips.
He didn’t want to rush her, but he needed to know. If she said she wanted to remain in Broken Arrow, he was ready to move there just to be with her.
“You mean now that I don’t have a home or a business?” she asked with a sigh. “I have thought about this a lot, and I’m not sure I want to live here anymore.”
“Okay. Do you have somewhere in mind?”
She found his hand and entwined her fingers with his. “I really want to be with you…”
Drew’s heart missed a beat. He could hear the hesitation in her voice and he was not ashamed to admit that it scared him.
“But…” he prompted her.
“I don’t think I can live in Chicago. I know Mikey is dead…he is dead, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. Though I don’t understand how that happened.”
“There was a second man there,” Janey said, her voice turning thoughtful. “They talked a bit, then he shot Mikey. Before he left he said something…” She scrunched up her face like she was trying to remember.
Drew frowned in surprise. They hadn’t known this, although it made sense. Mikey Vitale had been shot and with the way Janey was tied up, there was no way she’d been the one to do the shooting.
“Yes, I remember now. He said, ‘Slim sends his regards’.”
Drew laughed in disbelief. “Sonofabitch.” So the wily bastard had come through after all. He must have sent someone after Mikey. “Hmm…Mikey is no longer a threat to you, Janey.”
“Yes, I get that. But Chicago will always remind me of…everything.” She waved one hand in an arch to emphasize her point.
Drew nodded. He got that.
“So where would you like to live then?”
She paused a beat then said, “Florida.”
“Florida?”
She shrugged. “Even though I was on the run, I was happy there. I made friends and I really liked the warm weather.” She ended with a sheepish smile.
Drew laughed. “Alright then. We’re moving to Florida.”
The smile faded from her lips and she clutched his hand. “You…you’ll come with me?” she asked in a small voice.
“I’ve been thinking of retiring from Silver Shield,” he told her. “Not completely, I’ll still be available if they need me. I think Florida is a wonderful place to retire, especially when I have such a gorgeous woman beside me.”
“Oh Drew…I can’t believe this. I’m so happy!” She sounded excited. “But what will you do?”
He smiled as he thought about a long ago forgotten dream that he’d had. Maybe now was the time to put his skills to use and see if he could make something of his dream.
“I was thinking that I could open a restaurant.” He held his breath as he waited for her reaction.
Janey was silent for a few seconds, then her face broke out in a beautiful smile.
“That is perfect. You are such a fantastic chef.”
He laughed ruefully, “I’m not good at running stuff, though, so that would be your department.”
“You want me to run the restaurant with you?”
“I don’t see anyone else here. Besides, you seem to have grown a bit bossy in the last few months. I’m sure that would come in handy.”
Janey laughed then, and it was the purest sound he’d ever heard. Seeing her so happy despite everything she had been through was like a balm to his spirit. He vowed then to always make her happy.
“I love you so much, Janey Moore.”
“I love you too, Drew Campbell. Now come over here and kiss me.”
He smiled as he leaned forward and murmured, “Bossy,” before capturing her mouth in a kiss that said better than words, how he felt.
Epilogue
Six months later
It was the official opening of The Silver Crab Restaurant. The silver was a nod to the Silver Shield security, while the crab depicted one of the owner’s Cajun origins.
Tamika had flown down to Tampa with the rest of the Silver Shield operators. She was in a dress for once, and strangely, was having a good time. Strange, because she was not good in social settings. Not like Sierra over there who was bubbling like a butterfly. Tamika smiled when she saw her friend throw back her head and laugh.
Sierra was a natural in social situations. She and Ace were a couple. She had no idea if they planned to tie the knot soon. She didn’t care. Their love was plain to see and sometimes, marriage just messed things up.
A woman stopped beside Tamika. She recognized her as Janey’s sister, Diane. Their eyes met and they both smiled. Diane hesitantly touched her arm.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
Tamika nodded. Just then, Abe walked up to them and placed a hand on the small of Diane’s back in a gesture that Tamika noted. They smiled at each other and she watched them walk away. She had a feeling he was not going to let that woman out of his sight any time soon.
She swung her gaze to the right and caught sight of Drew and Janey. They were the couple that owned the restaurant. Drew had been a Silver Shield Security operator until recently. She was really going to miss that dude. Chicago was a long way from Tampa.
Just then, Janey caught her gaze and smiled. She excused herself from her partner and walked over to where Tamika was standing.
“Girlfriend, are you going to skulk around in the shadows all day?” Janey asked, one eyebrow raised.
Tamika eyed her. “I’m not in the shadow, girl. And you look gorgeous. Are those real pearls?”
Janey was dressed in a pale yellow shift dress. It had cap sleeves and a cowl neckline, which dipped at her back, almost to her waist. With the highlights and lowlights in her hair, she looked stunning.
A shy smile came upon Janey’s face. “Yes. They were a gift from Jo, Drew’s mom,” she said, briefly touching the double strands around her neck.
“They are lovely.”
“Thanks. Now, stop changing the subject and come let me introduce you around. I noticed that hunk over there has been staring at you.” She used her eyes to gesture in a particular direction.
Tamika didn’t need to look in that direction. She had noticed the heated stare coming from there. What had bothered her more than the stare, though, was her reaction to him. Each time their eyes met, a slow burn began at the base of her stomach, traveling down to her core.
She had never felt such a visceral reaction to anyone. Not even… she shook her head, refusing to go there.
“I’m not interested, Janey. You know that.”
Janey’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Tammy. I’m just so happy and I want nothing better than to see my friends as happy as I am.”
Tamika smiled. It was a brief one, but it reached her eyes. Janey was such a sweetheart. There was something about that woman that made you want to do anything for her. She was kindness personified.
“Don’t feel bad, Janey. Maybe someday…” She let her voice trail off. She didn’t think she could ever open herself up to another human being to love. Not again. But who knew?
Janey reached forward and gave her a quick hug, then stepped back. “Promise me one thing?”
“Janey…”
“Just promise me.”
“Drew is right; you have become bossy.”
Janey laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah. I want you to promise that when the time comes, you will take a risk,” she said, holding Tamika’s gaze, her eyes serious.
Tamika gazed at the other woman and saw nothing but concern and love for her. Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a sigh.
“I promise I’ll take a risk,” she said, knowing that she was going to regret it.
Janey rewarded her with a bright smile. “There. See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
Tamika shook her head, a rueful smile playing about her mouth as she watched Janey walk away.
She shifted her gaze to where the man had been standing, staring at her, and found the space empty. She felt disappointment deep in her belly, then dismissed it. But even as she told herself that she didn’t care, she felt strangely bereft.
“Looking for me, Chiquita?” a deep baritone whispered in her ear.
Tamika felt her heart skip a beat. Even without turning, she knew exactly who it was.
“You’ve been staring at me,” she said calmly.
“Ah, you noticed.” Amusement laced his voice.
“Why?” She could feel the flutters in her belly, and it annoyed her. She should not be reacting this way to this man, a complete stranger.
“Walk with me,” he ordered. She was about to let him have it when she felt the cold steel pressed against her side. “It wasn’t a suggestion.”
She scanned the restaurant, weighing her options. All she needed to do was lock gazes with any one of her friends and they would come running to her aid. But what if the man did something foolish? She did not want to ruin this for Drew and Janey, and beyond that, there were too many civilians present, if anything went wrong.
There was only one choice to make. She nodded at the man.
“I see you made the right choice,” he said.
They walked out of the restaurant together. Anyone looking at them would only have seen a couple who were totally engrossed in each other.
Tamika had no idea who he was or what he wanted with her, but she was determined to get to the bottom of this.
BOOK THREE
Prologue
It was the official opening of The Silver Crab restaurant. The silver was a nod to the Silver Shield security, while the crab depicted one of the owner’s Cajun origins.
Tamika had flown down to Tampa with the rest of the Silver Shield operators. She was in a dress for once and, strangely, was having a good time. Strange, because she was not good in social settings. Not like Sierra over there who was bubbling like a butterfly. Tamika smiled when she saw her friend throw back her head and laugh.
Sierra was a natural in social situations
. She and Ace were a couple. She had no idea if they planned to tie the knot soon. She didn’t care. Their love was plain to see and sometimes, marriage just messed things up.
A woman stopped beside Tamika. She recognized her as Janey’s sister, Diane. Their eyes met and they both smiled. Diane hesitantly touched her arm.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
Tamika nodded. Just then, Abe walked up to them and placed a hand on the small of Diane’s back in a gesture that Tamika noted. They smiled at each other and she watched them walk away. She had a feeling he was not going to let that woman out of his sight any time soon.
She swung her gaze to the right and caught sight of Drew and Janey. They were the couple that owned the restaurant. Drew had been a Silver Shield Security operator until recently. She was really going to miss that dude. Chicago was a long way from Tampa.
Just then, Janey caught her gaze and smiled. She excused herself from her partner and walked over to where Tamika was standing.
“Girlfriend, are you going to skulk around in the shadows all day?” Janey asked, one eyebrow raised.
Tamika eyed her, “I’m not in the shadow, girl. And you look gorgeous. Are those real pearls?”
Janey was dressed in a pale yellow shift dress. It had cap sleeves and a cowl neckline, which dipped at her back, almost to her waist. With the highlights and lowlights in her hair, she looked stunning.
A shy smile came upon Janey’s face. “Yes. They were a gift from Jo, Drew’s mom.” She said briefly, touching the double strands around her neck.
“They are lovely.”
“Thanks. Now, stop changing the subject and come let me introduce you around. I noticed that hunk over there has been staring at you.” She used her eyes to gesture in a particular direction.
Tamika didn’t need to look in that direction. She had noticed the heated stare coming from there. What had bothered her more than the stare, though, was her reaction to him. Each time their eyes met, a slow burn began at the base of her stomach, traveling down to her core.
She had never felt such a visceral reaction to anyone. Not even… she shook her head, refusing to go there.
Silver Shield Security Box Set Page 50