Absolution

by Kaylea Cross

  The temperature was cool, but the shops and cafes they passed on the palm tree-lined streets were still busy, and the clubs would be busier yet come nightfall. How surreal to think Luke had spent many months here over the years. He’d told her once how much he hated the place, but that was because of his combat experience here.

  “What do you think, Em?”

  She looked over at Bryn. “It’s beautiful. I wasn’t expecting it to be after what Luke had told me and because of the 2006 war.”

  “That’s because most of the city has been rebuilt since Luke was deployed here,” Rhys said. “And we know which areas to stay away from.”

  “Such as?” If she went out, she didn’t want to go to the wrong area.

  “Like the Palestinian refugee camps,” Ben answered. “And the southern regions, which are mostly Shiite and controlled by Hezbollah. Some areas down there are still covered with land mines.”

  “Those are not fun,” said Rhys.

  Emily’s gaze travelled to the thin tracks of surgical scars on the right side of his head, barely visible now that his thick black hair had grown in. He was lucky to have made it, let alone recover to the extent he had. “I’ll bet not. I can hardly see the scar now, though.”

  “Yeah, Nev and the neurosurgeon did a good job on me.”

  “How is she?” Bryn asked. “Healing up okay?”

  “For the most part. Her thumb still gives her trouble, though. She’s pretty hard on herself. Keeps pushing with the rehab.”

  “Hmm, sounds like someone else I know,” Bryn said, poking him in the ribs.

  Neveah was fortunate to have function in her hand at all considering the knife wounds she’d sustained. Luke’s words about the incident came back to Emily, and that Neveah’s attacker had been a world famous neurosurgeon Tehrazzi had enlisted. Thank God she and her friends had Luke and the twins to protect them while they were here.

  They passed neighborhoods filled with shops and markets, and when they stopped at a military checkpoint, she saw the first indicator of war in the bullet holes and crumbling exteriors on houses and buildings. She hated to think of Luke being here while those bullets and shells flew. That deployment was one of the longest of their marriage, and one of the few when she’d actually known where he was stationed.

  She still remembered with vivid clarity the day she’d found out about the Marine barracks bombing. When she’d flipped on the TV, her knees had given out and she’d collapsed onto the couch. For hours she’d watched the frantic efforts of the men digging wounded and dead out of the rubble, praying Luke wasn’t somehow among them. She hadn’t slept for two days until he’d finally called one night to tell her he was okay.

  Once the soldiers waved them through, the Rover’s powerful engine hummed as Rhys got them to the outskirts of Beirut, into the hills that cradled the city.

  “Home sweet home,” Bryn murmured a few minutes later.

  Emily peered out the windshield as a tall, white wall came into view. Beyond it sat a large Mediterranean-style villa surrounded by manicured lawns and gardens. “Wow.” If she had to be locked up somewhere for the foreseeable future, she couldn’t have chosen a nicer place. “It looks like a country club.”

  “My father would have loved you for saying that,” Bryn said, and Ben reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze, completely comfortable with her and the easy affection between them. That’s partly why Emily liked him so much. He was amazingly warm and caring underneath that prankster image.

  “He’d love that you were staying here again, safe and sound until everything’s taken care of,” he said to Bryn.

  “Yeah, he would.” Bryn swiveled in her seat to smile at her, her long shiny hair gleaming in the weak rays of sunlight streaming through the windows. “You ready for this?”

  “Absolutely.” What other choice did she have? Might as well stay positive and make the best of it for everyone. Now all she had to do was gear up for the possibility of seeing Luke.

  When Rhys pulled up to the house and parked next to a marble fountain, he and Ben popped out to get the luggage. The surprisingly warm, fresh air felt good on her face when she climbed out of the vehicle, and the welcome rush of water from the fountain soothed her because it reminded her of her own back garden.

  The massive front doors opened a moment later, and a beautiful redhead rushed out. “You’re here!” she cried, running over to Bryn and throwing her arms around her. “It’s so good to see you. Nev and I have been dying for some company.”

  “What’s wrong with mine?” Ben demanded, dragging her close when she released Bryn and kissing her full on the mouth.

  She laughed, a full-throated sound of delight. “You know I love you, but sometimes you bug the hell out of me.” Once she’d pulled away, she met Emily’s eyes. “Hi, you must be Emily.” Waves of auburn hair swept around her shoulders in the light breeze as she approached. “I’m Sam.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Emily replied, offering her hand, but Sam ignored it and hugged her instead. They were around the same height, and she smiled at the warmth Sam showed her.

  “Thank God I’m not the only short-ass around here anymore,” Sam whispered, and Emily laughed.

  “Maybe it’s just that everyone else is freakishly tall.”

  “Exactly.” Her soft brown eyes glowed with warmth. “We’ll stick together, you and me.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Come on.” Ben lugged the bags inside behind his brother, who also had his hands full. “Let’s get you guys squared away.”

  Stepping over the threshold onto the mosaic tiled floor of the foyer, Emily gazed around in wonder. The twins headed up the stairs and she followed with Bryn. The upper hallway was a dark, exotic hardwood with an elegant, expensive looking carpet runner in the center. The hall was long, with four carved wooden doors on either side. Ben stopped at the second from the end on the left and opened it.

  “This is your room,” he said to her, stepping back to let her in. “Bryn’s across the hall. Rhys and Nev are to your left, and Luke’s on your right.”

  Trying her best to ignore the pang in her chest at the mention of his name, Emily looked around the exquisitely furnished room. The walls were papered with black fleur-de-lis on an ivory background. The floor was polished mahogany with a cream Aubusson carpet anchoring the ebony king-sized, four poster bed. Black-and-white vertical striped silk drapes framed large picture windows that overlooked the garden, a comfortable-looking window seat perched beneath them. A perfect spot for curling up to read a book when she wanted some privacy.

  “There’s a TV in the armoire over there,” Ben added, pointing to the far wall across from the bed. “And the fireplace is remote controlled.” He picked up a remote from the nightstand and demonstrated how to turn it on. In seconds, a soft whoosh sounded and an instant later orange flames licked at the fiberglass logs behind the glass inset.

  “I could get used to this,” Emily said with a smile.

  “Jamul was big on comfort.”

  She sensed a slight change in Ben, a tightening, as he said the words. She wondered if he still blamed himself for Jamul’s death.

  “Anyway,” he continued. “Go ahead and get settled, then come down and have something to eat if you want.”

  “Thanks.” When he left she checked out the bathroom, also done in a Parisian theme of black and white. Cream marble and crystal, with crisp white tile and ebony accents. A glassed-in shower and Jacuzzi soaker tub finished the room, perfect for easing the aches out of her muscles. Lovely.

  Pulling herself away, she unpacked her things and passed Luke’s room on her way down to the kitchen. It was a huge, sunny room with creamy walls and deep charcoal gray granite countertops, with commercial grade stainless steel appliances. Grand enough for a gourmet chef to work in. Emily looked forward to cooking in here. It had been too long since she’d had anyone to cook for, and besides, it would make her feel useful.

  “Feel like some tea?” Sam asked
, standing by the white apron front sink.

  “That’d be great.”

  “I love your accent, by the way.”

  “Oh, thanks.” But to her ears, Sam was the one with an accent.

  Sam opened a glass-fronted cabinet and pulled out some china cups. “Let’s see, what’ve we got?” Another cupboard was full of stacked tea boxes. “You like chai, right?”

  Startled, Emily blinked. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “Luke told me. He left this for you.” Sam pulled out her favorite brand, and a sharp pain jolted Emily’s heart as she stared at the familiar box. The whole reason she’d started drinking the tea in the first place was because it reminded her of Luke. Years ago she’d read about the Afghan and Pakistani preference for chai tea, and drinking it was a tiny link to Luke because she knew he’d have drank it during his time overseas. Stupid and pathetic, but there it was. And she still drank the stuff.

  When Sam handed her a steaming, spicy cupful, Emily had to swallow the lump in her throat to say thank you. Such a small thing, for him to remember her favorite tea, but it meant a lot to her. The question was, did it mean anything? Or was he just trying to be nice because he felt bad about dragging her here?

  After three sips, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Is Luke here?”

  Sam’s wide brown eyes flashed up. “No, he’s out...working.”

  Ah. “In Beirut?”

  “And elsewhere.”

  Okay. She apparently wasn’t going to learn anything more about Luke’s whereabouts here than she had when they’d been married. Emily was disappointed, but not all that surprised. There was no reason for her to know the details, was there? She had no claim on him, and she wasn’t part of the team. She and Bryn were merely guests during their time here.

  “Listen.” Sam laid a hand over hers and squeezed. “I’m not privy to all the details either, but I can promise you he’s safe.”

  Was he? He hated Beirut, and the whole reason he’d brought the rest of them over here was because of a credible threat against them. Knowing he was out there hunting Tehrazzi and putting himself in danger had her stomach in knots.

  “There she is.”

  Emily turned at the familiar female voice and turned to smile at Neveah. “Hi,” she said, hopping off her stool to hug her. Nev was nearly as tall as Luke, and Emily had to reach up high to put her arms around her neck.

  “How are you?” Nev asked, assessing her with those gorgeous lake blue eyes.

  “Good.” She was getting sick of saying that and “fine” all the time. “How about you?” She glanced pointedly at Nev’s right forearm, and the wicked scar that marred the length of it.

  “Almost healed up.” She rotated her thumb. “This still gives me trouble sometimes, but don’t worry, I can handle IVs well enough that I won’t cause you any damage when we do your next treatment.”

  The mention of it filled her with dread. “Are you really all set up to do this?”

  “Do what?” Bryn asked, wandering back into the kitchen and helping herself to some tea.

  “The chemo,” Emily said.

  “Oh.” Bryn’s gaze sought Neveah’s. “Where are you planning to do it?”

  “Wherever Emily’s most comfortable. In her room, the family room or out by the pool. It’s up to you,” she said to her. “We’ll make it work.”

  “Thanks.” Though all Emily really cared about was doing it someplace private. She didn’t want anyone watching while that poison pumped through her veins for three hours. Nor did she want anyone to see her if the nausea hit her again this time. The first week after the last treatment had been the worst, and the second week she’d been wiped out. Right now she felt almost normal except for some lingering fatigue. Shame she had to repeat that cycle a few more times over the next couple of months.

  “Want the grand tour?” Bryn asked, and Emily knew she’d said it to change the subject.

  “I’d love to see the rest of the place.” She followed her friend while the two cousins trailed behind them. The family room was bright and beautifully furnished with cozy leather couches, and it had a spectacular view of the mountains and manicured grounds through the tall windows. “It really is beautiful.”

  “Yeah, it is,” Bryn agreed. “My father had good taste.” She led the way through the main floor, pointing out all the amenities and finishing with the study. Pausing in the doorway, she was silent as she stared at the large mahogany desk.

  The faint scent of cigars still permeated the air, and from the way Bryn stared at the tufted leather chair behind the paper-strewn desk, Emily knew she was thinking about her father. The room was intensely masculine with its dark leather and woodwork. The bookshelves were full of leather-bound legal volumes, along with several framed pictures of Bryn at various points throughout her life.

  Sam cast an anxious glance at her. “We put Luke in here so he could work in peace. Is that okay?”

  Emily’s stomach tensed at the same time Bryn said, “Sure. My dad would have liked that, I think.”

  She rubbed a comforting hand on Bryn’s back. Jamul had met Luke back during the Lebanese civil war and they’d maintained contact over the years, but it was damned eerie that Luke was occupying his dead friend’s study. She could picture Luke here, bent over the laptop sitting on the desk or talking on his phone in any number of languages he’d mastered during his career.

  “Why don’t we take you downstairs and show you the gym?” Nev offered, obviously trying to give Bryn some time alone.

  “I’ll take her,” Bryn insisted, but her eyes were moist as she turned away from the study.

  Emily followed her down the polished hardwood stairs to the lower floor. The gym was state-of-the-art, boasting all the equipment one would expect at a health club, plus a large area of floor covered with a thin sort of mat.

  “I imagine Ben and I will go a few rounds while I’m here,” Bryn said with a fond grin. “My dad used this for kickboxing, but it works for martial arts, too. It’s been way too long since I worked out like that.”

  “I’m looking forward to watching that by the way,” Sam told her with a conspiratorial smile. “It’s not every day Ben gets his ego knocked down to size, and usually that’s Rhys’s job.”

  “Duty and privilege,” Rhys corrected, emerging from the back room. He came up to wind a long arm around Neveah and pull her tight into his body.

  Her expression tightened. “Going somewhere?”

  He smiled, but the motion of his lips was slight, as though they were unused to it. “Damn, you’re smart.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, tilting her head back to look into his face, which said a lot considering how tall she was. Rhys was a giant of a man. “So? What’s going on?”

  “The mother ship called with my orders.”

  Luke, he meant. The tension in Emily ratcheted up another few notches. Was something dangerous already happening?

  Rhys kissed the top of Nev’s head before releasing her and striding over to a locked cabinet at the end of the gym. “Ben’s going to stay here while I take care of this,” he said, taking out a pistol and what looked like a sniper rifle. Nev’s dark blue eyes fastened on the weapons and she flinched. “Nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “Just some recon.”

  “With loaded weapons.”

  “Unloaded weapons aren’t much good to me, sweetheart. Be back in a while.” He kissed her gently before he left them standing there in the expanding silence. From the back room a radio crackled, but other than that they were quiet, staring at the doorway Rhys had walked out.

  “Well.” Nev folded her arms beneath her breasts as she sighed and changed the subject. “Who’s hungry?”

  Emily stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to do that.” She looked at the others. “None of you do. I know exactly what y’all are going through, so please don’t cover up what you’re feeling for my sake. I’ve been there, trust me. Many times.”

  Nev’s brav
e facade slipped a notch. “God, how did you do it for as many years as you did?”

  Emily swallowed. She owed them the truth so they understood they could come to her for support while she was with them. “Honestly? I’m still doing it. And unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier, which is why it’s a good thing we’ve got each other to get through this.”

  “That’s right,” Bryn agreed, holding out her arms to gather them up into a circle. They looped their arms over each others’ shoulders, four women linked by shared fears for the men they loved and their own traumatic experiences. Survivors, all of them. Kindred spirits, and then some.

  “Oh, Christ.”

  They turned their heads to find Ben standing where his brother had just been.

  He shook his dark head in apparent disgust. “You’re starting with the girl bonding stuff already? Listen, the only time I want to see a circle of women hugging is if they’re naked or I’m in the middle of it,” he said, pushing his way into the center of the knot they’d formed. He raised his brows and stood there looking at them expectantly for a moment, and Emily couldn’t help but laugh. She hugged him and then the others joined in. Like the ham he was, Ben sighed in contentment, clearly eating up their attention. He reminded her of Rayne that way.

  The first to pull away, Sam shook her head at her fiancé, but her eyes were alight with laughter. “You’re hopeless.”

  “I know, but you love me anyway.” His smile said he wasn’t the least bit repentant, and Emily laughed again.

  “How about I wipe that grin off his handsome face for you, Sam?” Bryn offered.

  That devilish smile of his widened, showing straight white teeth. “You and what army, sweets?”