Nerds in Force

by D. R. Grady

  “You didn’t get hit?” He had seen most of the action via that security footage.

  “No. Not even a piece of shrapnel. We were far enough away that it didn’t impact us.”

  “Do you think you shot him?”

  “Verity and I might have been too far away. But who knows? We were lucky that he aimed away from us. The cars that exploded were farther up the block. None on our end did or we would have been impacted.” She didn’t shudder as she said this. Didn’t show signs of shock or adrenaline.

  He leaned back to peer at her face. “This is just an everyday occurrence to you?”

  Harlow grimaced. “Sort of. At least right now. This is the fourth time in eight or nine days of adrenaline-pumping instances that have happened to me. I’m growing numb to them.” She didn’t shrug. And spoke in a matter-of-fact tempo.

  Keith didn’t know whether to admire her or … He blinked instead.

  She tugged his head down, raised up on her tiptoes, and latched her lips to his. Okay, he could do this.

  He enjoyed the kiss and the sweet noises she made in the back of her throat. The way she snuggled against him, clearly enjoying the closeness and him.

  No woman had ever displayed this sort of willingness to be with him.

  If you take the feminine part of her you have to take the warrior as well.

  Only strong women seemed enamored of him. Not that many had flirted with him. Harlow didn’t show an ounce of fear or intimidation of him. She valued his size and admired his brain. The part of him he valued more than his impressive stature.

  They kissed a second time, this one sweeter than the first. “Thank you. I needed to kiss you.” Harlow smiled up at him with an expression he could become addicted to.

  “You’re not experiencing any fallout from the shooting.” He didn’t know whether to be offended or fascinated.

  Her clear green eyes gazed at him. “No. Are you?” She stepped back to take him in. “Oh no. You are. Chad showed you what was going on.” Immediately she surged back into his arms and held him fiercely. Words tumbled from her lips as she comforted him and this all appeased him. And the tremors that continued to quake through him at the danger she’d experienced. That he had to stand and watch and was powerless to protect her.

  Not that she’d welcome his protection.

  And that fact smacked him in the face. She didn’t want or need him to watch out for all the bad guys.

  Harlow Horgate was perfectly capable of looking out for herself. And she was made to look out for others. At least if he read her right.

  So what do I bring to the relationship?

  He shoved that thought away for now because she gazed at him with hearts in her eyes. A man could become addicted to that expression. Especially considering this particular woman didn’t reveal her feelings much.

  “I hated having to watch that. We didn’t know what was happening.” He went with honesty. But skirted the question a little.

  She nodded. “Yes. It would have been much worse to watch. And you couldn’t hear. We were there and reacted.” Her finger traced his jawline. “It wasn’t as bad as what you saw. A shooter opened fire on a group of women but he miscalculated and a metal table took the brunt of the assault. We took him out before he had time to reload. The magazine wasn’t full, thankfully. While people were hurt it sounds like they’ll recover.”

  Her calm reassurance cleared out the adrenaline fueled shakiness and restlessness.

  “I’m glad it wasn’t worse.”

  “Me too. It could have been. A handful of those women will have a long recovery period. However, they’re alive and are thankful for that. The shooter is the only one who is spending time in the morgue tonight.”

  His heart surged into his throat at the very thought of losing this woman.

  And yet it was a possibility. At least until she left her troubleshooting job.

  Keith never lied to himself and he didn’t know if he could bear continuing a relationship with a woman who had no qualms about shooting back. About taking the heat, or a bullet, for someone else.

  Sometimes heroes died.

  Chapter 22

  Harlow studied Keith’s face overtly. It gave nothing away. But she could detect his unsettled feelings.

  “Keith, what’s wrong?” Sometimes the only way to get to the bottom of an issue was to confront it head on. She might not be the most communicative or empathetic person, but she noticed this.

  He took a deep breath and released her. Then the man started pacing. Oh no. Special Ops people did not pace. That drew fire.

  At least she didn’t know any who did. Granted, they stood in a secure room at the top of an impregnable mansion but she’d heard it didn’t bode well to get out of the habit. Then again, Keith no longer went on missions. He’d retired that part of his life. Soon she would as well.

  This thought left a hollowness in the pit of her stomach. She looked forward to her new job. She did. Only she’d been troubleshooting for upwards of ten years. Life had a funny way of throwing a wrench into the spinning wheels of everyday living.

  Keith’s sigh reminded her she had a more pressing concern to contend with.

  “I’m not sure I can handle if anything happens to you, Harlow.” He shoved a hand over his still short hair. His massive shoulders didn’t hunch exactly. He more resembled a man with the weight of a planet on his back.

  “Life happens.” She admitted to not following his train of thought right now.

  “It does.” He wiped the same hand over his face. “I lost my dad and that plunged my world into more grief and sorrow than I’d ever known. It knocked my world askew and I’ve never really recovered from that.”

  Ah, same. “I understand.” Additional words didn’t seem necessary. She had lost her dad at a young age too. “You never fully recover from the death of a loved one.”

  He swung around to face her again. “No,” he said in a tight, controlled voice.

  “Would you have preferred to have never known him?” A heavy weight settled in her stomach and across her own shoulders. A hovering cloud of doom churned with dark waves. As though at any moment it’d produce lightning.

  Everything inside her threatened to shrivel.

  “No.” This emitted with force. He wiped a hand across his nape. “No. I’m glad I at least knew him.” His tone changed. He stopped pacing and stared at the ceiling instead. As though considering all this from a different perspective.

  “I didn’t get my dad for as long as I wanted him. For as long as I needed him. I still need him. Yet I am ever thankful for the years I did have him.” She had come to terms and made peace with the shortened time she’d spent with the man who had influenced her the most. “I was fortunate to have my grandfather and my great-grandfather take on my dad’s role. All the while also mourning the passing of their son and heir.” She reflected on the men who had stepped into her father’s shoes. Who had every right to do so. “I think the only reason why Granddad remained sane after losing my dad was because of me and Chad. He had to help raise us. My mom fell apart. She hadn’t ever been what you’d call reliable but after losing my dad she fled. She drifted until she met her second husband. She’s still searching for whatever she had with my dad.”

  “Her second husband wasn’t it?”

  “No, she’s on husband number five now. He’s a decent man, but I don’t think she found what she wanted. Yet she’s finally somewhat content. He treats her well and truly seems to enjoy us.”

  “Your grandfathers’ stability and love meant a lot to you and Chad.”

  “I’m not sure what would have happened to us. The two of them rallied around us and we became a family unit.”

  “What happened to your grandmothers?”

  “My paternal grandmother died having my dad. A childbirth complication that is treatable now. My great-grandmother died from a heart attack when I was three or four.” Harlow would have appreciated having a solid female influence in her life. But that
had never been her portion. “We’ve never been close to my mother’s parents. They’re flighty like her.”

  “You’ve endured a lot of heartbreak in your life.”

  The way he said that made her pad across the floor to him. “I’ve come to realize I’d rather love and lose than to miss out on a relationship that I value.” She had learned that losing someone was tough, but at least she had the love of those people to keep her through the trying times in life. They had loved her and that meant she was lovable.

  Now she hoped Keith felt the same way.

  She couldn’t read him. Perhaps he couldn’t read his own state of mind. He studied her. “I don’t know, Harlow. It’s such a risk.”

  “Isn’t anything worthwhile a risk?”

  “Maybe.” He cleared his throat.

  “Life doesn’t come with promises that everything will be rosy and right. It doesn’t come with a warranty either. We get sick, we die, we love, we laugh. You take the good times with joy and you endure the hard times. I’ve been thankful through those times for my loved ones.”

  Whether she was getting through or not, she didn’t know. The man had closed off. Harlow couldn’t call him on this. She weighed the pros and cons. This method had likely kept them alive through the years. At least she liked to believe that.

  Keith shook his head. “I don’t know Harlow. I’ve never felt like this about a woman before.”

  “I’ve never felt like this about a man before,” she countered. This seemed like a good indication they had something worth fighting for. But if he disagreed then her heart was about to get broken. She braced to take on this new burden. An additional one she didn’t want.

  “You run into danger.” Tinges of anguish pulsed through his simple, heartfelt statement.

  Harlow swallowed the lump in her throat. “So do you.”

  §

  Keith blinked in the wake of Harlow’s simple rebuttal.

  His very nature might be more cerebral than physical, but his years in the military had shaped him to run into battle rather than hide away. His honor dictated that he stop the action. One didn’t flee from protecting others.

  He saw Harlow in a new light. In the true light. “You have to fight for others.”

  “I have to.” She said it gently but with a lot of heat. “I cannot tolerate injustice. It goes against everything I am. Against everything I believe.”

  Here was not necessarily a boss lady, but a crusader who had been given the skills to fight for those who didn’t enjoy her resources. She looked out for others no matter the price to herself.

  This dawning revelation made him reassess everything about her. Everything about himself.

  “We belong together.”

  “I think we balance each other. You think things through in a logical, concise manner. But you’re not afraid to fight. To lead.” She clenched a fist. “I have to fight injustice. I’ve been named a leader within my company. I am in a position to fight for those who we employ. To see to their welfare and I can do so while still accomplishing company goals. I’ve observed my grandfather long enough to know what is best for the company but I will also make decisions that benefit our most valuable asset. Our employees.”

  And that very moment, Keith fell completely and utterly in love with Harlow Horgate. A heady spiral with no end, no exit, no escape.

  He groaned at the same time as he snapped her back into his arms.

  “I love you.”

  She stilled before leaning back so she could cup both of his cheeks. “Are you sure Keith Monnette? Because you can’t say those words to me and still look for a way out.”

  “I’m sure,” he growled.

  Her solemn face greeted him. But she nodded. “I love you too.”

  He blinked. “Really?”

  “I think I fell in love with you while we dodged bullets. Then you showed up the night my house blew up and burned down. That action probably clinched my love for you.”

  “So I took a little longer. I need to think things through.”

  “I know. It’s how you’re made.” She stroked a finger across his lips. “I love how you’re made, by the way.”

  “Now that I understand you, I love how you’re made too. You’re going to drag me along on your crusades aren’t you?”

  “Of course. You bring the logic.” She ended their conversation by fusing their lips together.

  He didn’t argue but kissed her back with everything good bubbling inside. Everything that love—this romantic type of love he’d never truly experienced—offered.

  Keith wanted to do so much more. From the cute noises escaping her throat, he thought she did as well but she also reigned in their love.

  “I can’t believe it took you so long to figure out you love me.” She teased as her fingers slid across his short hair.

  “I did get there. I usually do. My family find this aspect of me very frustrating.”

  “They’re right.” She leaned forward to kiss him again. It was only then he realized he had lifted her feet off the floor. He enjoyed how her muscles fit his and how she nestled into him with the trust of a puppy or child.

  A benign noise from downstairs separated them. He reluctantly released her. “We should probably join the others and make sure Verity and Vanessa are okay.”

  “They are.” Harlow smiled at him. “They’re professionals. Although Verity muttered something about needing coffee.”

  He nodded. “That probably means she knows she’ll end up with the slumps after the adrenaline wears off.”

  “Probably. It indicated to me that she has her own way of dealing with adrenaline.”

  “I suppose we all do.” He took her hand as they headed for the door on the other side of the room. This room’s slightly darker vibe indicated to him that the twins had likely created this lounge as a place for them to escape. Of course it could have been for Chad as well.

  They didn’t linger on the stairs but neither hurried either. The family room was packed with people. It looked as though everyone in the house other than the bodyguards on duty and the twins had jammed into the space.

  “We were just getting ready to come get you two.” Chad’s weighted blanket covered him.

  “We thought we should come see what’s going on.” Harlow answered as she settled beside her brother on the couch. Chances were good this had been the last seat available. Chad squished against the arm, but Harlow gave him a little room. Keith settled beside her, but he didn’t offer her the same space she’d given Chad.

  “You’re okay?” Savannah checked Harlow out, at least visually.

  “I’m fine. We happened to be in the right place at the right time. That’s always helpful.” Harlow didn’t shrug but the intent was there.

  The non-military occupants of the room gaped at her. With the exception of Chad.

  “You get shot at so often it’s commonplace to you?” Savannah’s mouth hung open for a moment.

  “He wasn’t shooting at us.” Harlow remained patient. “He aimed at a different group altogether.”

  “We just returned fire.” Verity sipped from a mug, probably enjoying that cup of coffee she mentioned.

  “As did the security detail that both the twins and Keith sent to watch over us.” Harlow didn’t accuse. Not even a thread echoed in her matter-of-fact statement. That meant she wouldn’t take him to task for protecting her.

  Good news.

  Harlow turned to Vanessa. “Did you have a weapon?”

  “I did. That I used.”

  “I figured you must have had a weapon but didn’t see you fire.”

  “From the sound of it this guy didn’t stand a chance.” Satisfaction from Hunter.

  “The police officer mentioned that.” Harlow shimmied a little closer to Keith. Not because of fear or regret, but he caught that she simply liked being close to him.

  Keith concurred.

  “Today will show up in a few nightmares and work itself out.” Verity stated this with th
e calm of someone who knew the drill.

  Harlow and Vanessa both nodded. “It’s not easy, but sometimes it’s necessary.”

  He hoped with everything in him that Harlow never had to face a situation like this again.

  That was probably the biggest pipe dream of all not-realistic, fantastical-flights-of-fantasy ever wished for.

  Chapter 23

  Harlow trailed into the kitchen Wednesday morning in search of coffee. The fitness room had been busy this morning. She and Verity shared it with the twins, Cian, Keith, and a couple of Savannah’s bodyguards. With the twins there, it couldn’t have been anything other than lighthearted and fun and she entered the kitchen feeling reassured.

  Keith kissed her good morning. He finished loading the dishwasher. “How were the nightmares?”

  She was glad he waited until they were alone to ask. “Not bad. I’ve had worse nights.”

  “They usually get bad when I’m stressed or tired.” He kissed her again.

  “Same for me. Or if I’ve been thinking about the situation again. Then they show up.”

  The coffee maker offered a siren’s song and she succumbed. The scent alone made her finally understand why people seemed to enjoy food. It had been for nutritional value only.

  Then Keith entered her life. He made her breakfast and she did enjoy every aspect of watching this man cook and serve her.

  “Thank you.” This sprang from the very depths of her being.

  His smile was all for her. “You’re welcome. It’s nice to cook for someone who appreciates it.”

  The connection between them felt right. It expanded her horizons, made her more aware of herself as a person and pushed her to be better. This man incited her to make the best choices.

  “I love you.” She left the stool where she perched to round the island and walked right into his arms. Hers circled his neck as she kissed him again. This one. This man.

  “Ugh, not this early in the morning.” Finn breezed into the kitchen and sent them a look that made her roll her eyes.