Blurring the Line (The Line Series Book 2)
Page 19
“It wasn’t your fault. I ran away. Hell, I drugged you.”
“Wait, she drugged you?” Mason was doing a pour job at fighting back a laugh.
“Yeah.”
“How’d the hell did you let that happen?” Hunter chuckled out loud.
“She dosed the cupcakes with sleeping pills.” I ground out through clenched teeth, knowing I was going to catch hell for it.
“Oh, well then that’s understandable. I mean who could turn down cupcakes?”
“Hey, how was I supposed to know the little troublemaker was planning on a jailbreak?”
“Troublemaker?” Caroline nudged me with her elbow and looked up at me with that sexy teasing little smile.
I fought back a smile of my own as I tried to maintain a serious facade. “Oh don’t play innocent. You know you’re a troublemaker. It’s one of the reasons I love you—.” I stopped the words from coming out of my mouth seconds too late. This was not how I’d planned to tell her I loved her. Not in an old airplane hangar surrounded by the guys I work with.
That teasing smile slipped from her face into a shocked yet hopeful expression and my chest clenched. “You love me?”
“I— uh. Yeah. I love you.” A smile tug at the corner of my lips and I gave in to the grin that threatened to split my face in half.
“I love you too.”
The guys all began to chatter, making excuses for other places they needed to be and soon the group dispersed, leaving just Caroline and myself in the hanger.
“I’m so sorry I drugged you and ran away. I was just so upset when you started acting so cold and distant from me.”
“Cold and distant? You mean before or after you announced you were going out with Derek to the club?”
“Before. When we were having breakfast with my dad. We had just had amazing sex right before we went to breakfast then suddenly —.”
“I was feeling guilty for hiding our relationship from your dad. While we were waiting for you to come down for breakfast your dad was going on and on about how much he trusted me and how that was why he picked me for this assignment. It was torture looking him in the face knowing I was sleeping with you behind his back. I was trying to think of a plan to come clean and tell him without screwing everything up.”
“Our relationship? So it wasn’t just about the sex for you?”
“Of course not. I mean, sex with you is out of this world but —.”
There was a loud sound of a throat being cleared and we jumped as the Director walked into the hanger looking very serious. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there but judging by the look on his face, it was long enough.
“Director Applegate, sir, I need to explain —.”
He held up his hand to cut me off. This was not how I’d hoped he’d find out about me and his daughter by the cat was out of the bag and there was no putting it back. He turned to Caroline with his back to me and held her by the shoulders at arms length.
“I’m so glad we got you back safe. I can’t even tell you how worried I’ve been. I’m sorry that my overbearing and overprotective ways drove you to feel like you had no other option but to run away. I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too, dad.” Caroline wrapped her arms around him and I stood back, a spectator to their embrace.
The Director released her and turned around to look at me. “And as for you...”
“I know, sir. I broke protocol more than once and on top of that I —.”
“You saved my little girl. If it wasn’t for you, I would have lost her forever. I can never thank you enough for what you did today. And, I cannot think of a better man for my daughter.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No, son. Thank you.”
Chapter 30
“Dad, I’m fine to go out. I’m feeling better.” I stood in the doorway of my dad’s study with my arms crossed, letting him know that I wasn’t backing down.
“You shouldn’t be going out so soon. Why can’t you just stay in for your date? ”
“I have a small fracture in one rib. The doctor already said that I can do light activity and I’m going crazy sitting around the house all the time.”
“I just want you to be safe.”
“Haven’t we learned anything from all this?”
“Yeah, watch out, sir or she might offer you a cupcake.” Chris came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist.
“Shut up, you.” I lightly elbowed him in the stomach and he pretended to be hurt then laughed.
“In all seriousness, sir. I promise you I’ll keep her safe. We’re just going out to dinner and maybe a drink after.”
“I believe you’ll keep her safe but, who’s going to keep you safe?” He raised his brow, trying to keep a straight face.
“Don’t worry, Sir. I’ll call for backup if I need it.” Both men laughed.
I elbowed Chris again. “Well, if you two are finished, I need to go get ready.”
I stepped into my little silver dress and pulled it up my body, looping the spaghetti straps over each shoulder. Chris and I had slept together several times. We’d been through so much but technically this would be our first date and I was unbelievably nervous. No matter how much I tried to remind myself this was the same Chris I’d fought with, laughed with, slept with — I couldn’t calm my nerves.
I checked my lipstick one last time before shoving it into my silver clutch. My ribs ached as I took a deep breath and struggled to calm my racing heart as I walked out of my room. The house was quiet except for the muffled talking from my dad’s study. I walked down the stairs and neared the door, hearing Chris and my dad talking. Curiosity made me pause at the door and listen.
“So she went with him voluntarily.” My dad said with some irritation. It wasn’t so much a question as a realization.
“Yes, sir.”
“I know Caroline is strong willed, but she’s smart. Why would she run away when she knew about the dangers?”
“I’m afraid that was my fault, Sir. Things between us got — complicated. She felt that she needed to get away.”
“I know the second team picked up the Russians at their safe house. But, did you guys ever find Derek?”
“Yes sir. Seems the Russians never planned to pay him for Caroline. My team found him out in the middle of an abandoned campsite with a bullet in his head.”
I threw my hand over my mouth as a gasp escaped while listening to them talk. “They probably figured a bullet would be cheaper.”
There was a long pause and I peeked in to see my dad and Chris looking toward the door.
“Caroline? Come on in.” My dad smiled at me and motioned me inside.
I pushed the door open and timidly stepped inside. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I’m just updating your dad on the case.” Chris pulled me to his side and kissed my cheek before whispering in my ear, “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him before turning back to confront the conversation I’d walked in on. “So, Derek’s dead?” Even though he’d been a horrible person and turned me over to the Russians, a part of me still felt bad that he’d been killed.
“Yeah.” Chris wrapped his arm around my shoulders as always, knowing exactly what I needed in that moment.
“I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused.”
“I’m just happy you’re home safe.” My dad looked at me with tears glistening in his eyes. His face hardened slightly as he turned to face Chris. “And that wouldn’t have happened without you. I owe you my life because if anything had happened to her, it would have killed me. She’s everything I have since her mother died. You be sure to take good care of her.”
“I will, sir. With my life but, Caroline is stronger than you sometimes give her credit for. She can do a lot to take care of herself too.” Chris squeezed my shoulders affectionately and I nuzzled into his side.
“You mean with all those self defense lessons you’ve been
giving her over the passed several weeks?” I tensed, my jaw falling slack. I had no idea my father had known about my lessons.
“Sir?” Chris sounded just as shocked and I took the chance to peek up at him.
“You didn’t think all those lessons went unnoticed did you?” my dad chuckled.
“I — uh. I’m sorry, sir. But I felt very strongly that Caroline should have —.”
“It was my fault. I pushed for the lessons.”
My dad held up his hand to quiet us both. “I’m glad you did. When I saw you two training and how good she was at it...” He turned to look from Chris to me, pride beaming from his expression. “You were so strong, so capable. It made me even more proud of you than I was. And, some of that came in handy. Knowing when to fight and when to feign compliance. That in itself I believe helped keep you from being hurt worse.”
“She’s an extremely strong, amazing woman.” Chris gazed down at me. There was so much pride, love, and admiration in both of their eyes that it overwhelmed me and made my heart swell.
My dad’s voice lightened. “Yes, she is. And strong willed too. Just like her mother. I can guarantee this, you’ll never be bored.”
“I have no doubt about that, sir.” Chris squeezed me again and I grinned at the two of them. I’d never been happier in my whole life than to be surrounded by the two men I loved more than anything and to have that love returned so completely.
I rounded my dad’s desk and hugged him tight around the neck, kissing his cheek. “I love you, dad.”
“I love you too. You two should probably get going before you miss your reservations.”
“Thank you, sir.”
My dad nodded to Chris as I joined him near the door.
“Oh and Chris?” My dad stopped us just before we made it out of his doorway.
“If you need it, don’t hesitate to call for backup.”
Thank you so much for reading Blurring the Line!
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Also by Nikki Rose
The Line Series
Crossing the Line
Blurring the Line
When Dae Breaks
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For as long as she can remember, Nikki Rose has enjoyed writing stories. For years, writing was just a hobby for this South Carolina native. It was a way to let out all the stories floating around in her head. After one of those stories took on a mind of its own, outgrowing even the parameters of a single book, Rose knew she had to pursue her dream.
Married to her high school sweetheart and best friend, Rose feels she is truly living out a romance story of her very own. As a stay at home mom of two, she is blessed with the time needed to work on her writing career full-time while her kids are at school or in the wee hours while normal people sleep. She considers herself a music obsessed chocoholic and hopeless romantic who enjoys weaving romance stories with a healthy dose of mystery and suspense.
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