Fallon's Revenge (Fated Lives Series Book 4)

by Kelly Moore

  I pick out a dress in a soft shade of pink. Never in a million years did I think I’d wear anything this prissy. I’ve found I like how feminine a pretty, simple dress makes me feel. Derrick seemed to enjoy checking out my long, lean legs. He used to tell me they led him to heaven.

  I dress and apply a matching shade of lipstick and sunglasses. I can’t help my excitement as I skip down the motel stairs. Stopping by the bakery he took me to, I grab Danishes and a coffee just the way he likes it.

  Lingering around the corner from his house, I glance over at Lawson’s place, making sure he’s not home. As I get close to Derrick’s front door, his dog starts barking. “Damn it. I’ll have to do something about him. He won’t let me close to my soon-to-be husband, and I can’t have that.” My lip curls.

  Derrick opens the door, and he’s towel drying his hair. I swallow hard at his chest muscles flexing. “Hi,” he says, looking past me toward Lawson’s house.

  I hold the bag of goodies in the air. “I brought you breakfast. Do you think you could put your dog up? I don’t know why he hates me so much.” I scowl at the dog.

  “He doesn’t like anyone but me.” He shuts the door, and I hear him tell the dog to be quiet, and then another door shuts.

  When he opens it again, he has a gray t-shirt on. Too bad, I was rather enjoying the view. “Thank you.” I walk inside and kiss him softly on the lips. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning to you too.” He grins, and it warms my cold heart.

  “You didn’t have to get dressed on my account.” My gaze grazes over his body.

  “We can do breakfast naked if you’d like.” He places his hand on the small of my back as he kisses the soft spot on my neck.

  “Tempting,” I purr. “I have other plans for us first.” I playfully swat him on the cheek and put the coffee and Danishes on the table.

  “What did you have in mind?” He takes down two small plates.

  “I thought maybe we’d stick our feet in the water.”

  “The water’s cold, doll.”

  I used to love when he’d call me that. “You could warm me afterward.” I quirk a dark eyebrow at him.

  “I think I can manage that.” He chuckles.

  My heart skips a beat, knowing there is no way he’s faking enjoying our banter. There’s no telltale sign on his face. It’s relaxed, and he’s sporting a genuine smile.

  “You’re so damn handsome.” I can feel the blast of a blush on my cheeks. This man turns me into a puddle. How did I ever betray him before? Given the chance to do it over, I wouldn’t risk it. I’m losing my edge when it comes to him.

  Our small talk as we eat comes easily. When we’re done, he steps into his room and changes into swim trunks.

  “If we’re going down to the beach, I’m taking my dog.” He grabs a leash and a bright yellow ball from a drawer.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I frown.

  “He’ll do as he’s commanded.” He opens the door, and the dog tries to lunge out. Derrick snags him by the collar. “Heel, boy.”

  The dog does as he's told. He hooks up the leash and walks him toward me. “This is Bullet.” The dog raises a lip but doesn’t growl.

  “I don’t think he’s my biggest fan,” I say, taking a step back.

  “He’s overly protective, that’s all.” Derrick stuffs the ball in the pocket of his board shorts and grabs his cane. “You ready?”

  “Yes.” As we walk out of the house and down the path to the ocean, I can’t help but touch him. He’s so damn gorgeous. It feels natural to place my hand in the crook of his elbow. He doesn’t jerk away.

  The cool wind blowing off the water feels good. The sky is clear, and there aren’t too many people on the beach. Fewer are in the water. We walk further down the sand to a mountainous rock. Derrick lays his cane down and takes the ball out. He unleashes Bullet and tosses the ball into the waves of the water.

  “He won’t drown, will he?”

  “No. He’ll play out there for hours.” He leans down and picks up a piece of driftwood. “You look cold. I’ll build us a fire.”

  My insides explode with a happiness I haven’t felt in a really long time. What a romantic gesture. I walk down the beach, helping him gather driftwood to burn. He stays in one area, keeping an eye on his dog and picking up pieces of wood within his reach.

  I pretend not to be paying any attention to him but watch him from behind my sunglasses. The scar on his leg doesn’t take away from seeing how well-defined his thighs are, matching the rest of his sculpted body. I ache at the scar marring his handsome face, knowing I caused it. He’s perfection. I’ve never needed or wanted someone so badly in my life. I don’t deserve him, and if he had his memory, this wouldn’t be possible.

  He’s everything I want. I will give up all my bad ways for him, to settle down in a life with him. No more illegal businesses. I’ll stay on the up and up. Once Fallon is gone forever, that is.

  I’ve observed him long enough. I have no doubt of his amnesia. All I want is to be in his arms. Rushing back over to him, I throw the driftwood on top of the pile he created and nearly knock him over when I wrap my arms around his neck.

  “Kiss me, Derrick,” I whisper against the stubble on his chin.

  I raise on my tiptoes, and he tilts his head downward and softly kisses me. I want more. I press my lips harder to his, and he opens. He tastes like ocean water, air, and sunshine. His kiss fills me. It’s not at all as I remember. I’ve wanted this for so long. I can’t believe after all these years and the pain we went through to get here, that it still feels so good to be in his arms. When he finally draws back, I’m breathless.

  “How about that fire?” He grins and swats me on the ass.

  I nod.

  When I let go of him, he squats and starts a fire like a real Boy Scout. I should say SEAL. Bullet runs up next to him, drops the ball, and growls at me for a second before he looks back toward Derrick’s house. His tail wags, and he barks a few times then runs off.

  “Should you go after him?” I ask.

  “No, he’ll be okay. He probably just sees someone he knows.”

  I walk up behind him and place my hand around him. “This is nice.”

  “I’m going to go back to the house to get us something to sit on.”

  “I can do it,” I offer.

  “Thanks, but I know right where everything is. I’ll grab us some drinks.”

  He picks up his cane and limps through the hard sand. I love his backside as much as his front. I don’t take my gaze off him until he disappears inside his house.

  Chapter 15

  Fallon

  “It’s loaded, be careful.” Theo hands me a pistol. “I thought you might like these too.” Something is gripped in his hand. When he opens it, a pair of dog tags drop into my hand.

  “Rebel’s,” I say softly. “Thank you.”

  “He doesn’t remember being in the military, so you should have them.”

  I slip the long, silver beaded chain over my head. “Thank you.”

  “There’s extra ammo in this.” He hands me a small black bag.

  “How did you get out of the house so early?” I take it from him.

  “I slipped out before Fiona woke up.” He glances as his watch. “I need to get back before she gets going.”

  “Thanks for arming me.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Stay out of sight, but keep a close eye on Rebel.”

  “Lawson pretty much keeps up with him.”

  “I’m sure he does. He doesn’t see him when he’s at work.”

  “I hope you’re wrong about Nina.”

  “I do too, but my gut tells me I’m not.”

  “Are you going to kill her when you see her?” His gaze bores into me as if he’s trying to figure out if I could do it or not.

  “Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

  “It’s going to hurt like hell when he looks at you and doesn�
��t know you.” He runs his hand down my arm.

  “I’ll deal with that when the time comes.” It will kill me.

  He takes a step back. “You look like a woman ready for battle.”

  “I’ve been preparing for the day I’d fight Nina. I’ve taken self-defense classes and practiced shooting almost every day for the past year. At some point, I knew I wouldn’t play the victim with her anymore.”

  “I don’t want you doing anything dangerous. You have a SEAL team to back you up.”

  “I know I do. I promise not to make any drastic moves until I talk to you. You haven’t told anyone I’m back, right?”

  “Not until you let me know that’s what you want.”

  “Thanks, Theo. You’re a good friend.”

  “Anything for you, Hazel.” He gives me a quick hug then disappears into the cool morning air.

  We met under a bridge a mile or so down from Rebel’s house. I throw my bags into the back of the small car I rented and head back to the motel room. I pull on a jacket and hide my gun in the back of my jeans. Loading my backpack with the extra ammo, binoculars, and a bottle of water, I travel down toward Rebel’s place. I veer off the path to not be seen. Hiding in some trees, I take out the binoculars and scope out Lawson’s house.

  “Honor,” I whisper, seeing her leave the house for a run. I search inside from afar and don’t see any movement. There is only one car at his house, and I assume it’s hers.

  Making my way down to the house, I decide it will be the best place to watch Rebel’s place until I see a fence dividing their yards. I move slowly along the fence line to peek inside a window at Rebel’s. There’s no movement inside.

  Picking the lock to the back door, I enter. His scent permeates the air, taking my breath away. I walk through, looking for any sign that he remembers me. Opening and shutting drawers, I don’t see anything. I lie on his bed and inhale deeply. Tears start to fill my eyes, and I brush them away. “I can’t. I have to stay focused.” Rolling over, I open his bedside table drawer. Nothing. Not the first picture.

  The cabinets in his bathroom are empty as well, except for a prescription bottle of pain pills. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

  In his office, his desk drawers give away nothing. Maybe I’m wrong. He doesn’t remember me. I go out the way I come in and happen to glance down the beach. A gasp escapes when I see him. He’s picking up driftwood and keeping an eye on a dog playing in the ocean. Ducking behind a treed area off the path, I take out my binoculars for a better look.

  He looks good, other than his right leg holds a massive scar. He’s leaner but well-defined. I have to blink the tears back. I want nothing more than to run down there and hold him. Would he know me? I keep watching until I see her. Nina. A cold chill sets in my spine. She’s running toward him. I feel for my gun and stop when she kisses him. “God, no.”

  The dog barks and takes off toward Rebel’s house.

  “It can’t be. How could he kiss her?” Theo is right. He has no memory. I cry as I drop the binoculars to the ground. I jerk my head up when I hear a noise. The dog is sitting in front of me, waggling his tail. He licks me when I reach for the tag on his collar. “Bullet,” I read it before I flip it over. “If found, call 555-2309.” It must be Rebel’s cell phone number. He licks me as I pat his head. “Good boy.”

  He turns to look down the beach, and I see Rebel coming back toward the house. Shooing Bullet away, I go back inside the house through the back door and run into Rebel’s bathroom inside his master suite. I wait and listen. Just when I think he’s not coming inside, I hear the front door open. His cane taps the floor as he walks.

  “Shit!” he grumbles. I stay still until I hear his footsteps come closer. I quietly climb inside the shower and close the curtain. The faucet comes on, and he makes a spitting noise. I have to still myself when he startles me with his fists on the counter. I can’t make out his mumbling over the running water.

  Every ounce of me wants to step out of the shower. Me being a stranger to him, he’d kill me for being an intruder. Instead, I stand stock-still. He rinses his mouth out. A cabinet opens and shuts, then there’s the tapping of the cane on the floor. I wait until I hear the front door close before I move an inch.

  Easing out the back door, I go back to where I laid the binoculars on the ground, but they're gone. I kick around the trees. Bullet must’ve come back and thought they were a toy.

  Once I’m back in the motel, I call Theo. “She’s here. They were on the beach together,” I say before he even answers.

  “What? Are you sure it was her?”

  “Yes. I’m positive.” A sob escapes. “He really doesn’t remember. If he did, he wouldn’t be kissing her.”

  “Where are you?”

  “In my motel room.”

  “I’ll come to you.”

  “No. I’ll go to headquarters.”

  “Are you ready for the men to know?”

  “Yes. I can’t show my face to her. She’ll kill everyone I love.”

  “She can’t do that if she’s dead.”

  “Nina has left instructions to her men that if she dies, they are to kill all of us.”

  “Damn.”

  “I’ll be at headquarters in an hour.” I hang up and proceed straight for my car. I have to convince myself a million times not to turn around. I can’t stand the thought of him touching her. How could his memory be so far gone that he doesn’t recall the woman who betrayed him? The woman who bought and sold innocent people. She sold organs to the highest bidder. My sister. Why does someone like her get to avoid death when my adopted sister, who was sweet and innocent, gets her life cut short. There is no fairness in any of this.

  I’ve ranted to myself enough that it killed the hour drive in no time. I pull up, and I’m flooded with memories of being here with Rebel. The place looks the same. I get out, and Theo meets me at the front door.

  “The men are in the war room. They’re going to be shocked to see you.”

  “You didn’t give them a heads-up?”

  “No. Fiona is waiting too.”

  Mouths fall open as Theo escorts me into the room.

  Fiona grabs me into a hug, bumping me with her baby belly. “You’re home,” she cries.

  One by one, Thorn, Remington, and Tate hug me. “Does Captain Rebel know you’re back?” Tate asks.

  “No.”

  “What about my father?” Fiona sniffs.

  I shake my head. “Right now, I don’t want either one of them to know anything.”

  “Sorry I’m late.” Lauryn’s words trail off as she sees me standing at the front of the room.

  She smiles warmly, hugging me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” No, I’m really not. I can’t fall apart at this point.

  They all sit around the table, and I remain standing. “Nina is with Rebel.”

  “What?” I hear between audible gasps.

  “The day I was to marry Rebel, Nina threatened to kill everyone if I didn’t leave. She told me I could take one person with me. I chose Sean because he was vulnerable at the time. She agreed to stay away from all of you and stop her human trafficking business if I walked away. She taught me how to become a ghost. She’s tracked us for the last two years until about four months ago.”

  “That’s about the time the Rebel got out of rehab.” Thorn frowns.

  “Yes.”

  “She’s been here the entire time?” Remington asks.

  “I believe she’s at least been watching him for that long.”

  “How did you know about any of this?” Thorn leans on the table.

  “I ran into Fallon when Fiona and I were on our honeymoon.” Theo stands.

  Fiona cuts him a look. “That’s why you were acting so weird. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I begged him not to.” I move beside him. “It was too dangerous to risk anyone else finding out where we were.”

  “How is Sean?” Lauryn asks.

  “He’s good. Adjustin
g well.”

  “Wait. If Lawson has been living right beside Rebel, how come he doesn’t know about Nina?” Thorn scowls.

  “Because I’m sure Nina has their patterns down well. She knows when they come and go. Rebel wouldn’t tell him because he doesn’t remember her.”

  Lauryn bites at her bottom lip and lowers her head.

  Thorn stands. “I’ll go over there right now and take her out.”

  “No. She’s given her men instructions that if anything happens to her, they’re to kill all of us.”

  “Then we need to find her men.” Remington is on his feet.

  “I agree. It’s going to take a lot of digging and knowing Nina’s footprints on the computer. She’s systematic in everything she does, so there has to be a trail.”

  “We don’t have her computer to track her,” Theo adds.

  “You don’t need it. When she was teaching me how to disappear and funneling money to us, I memorized every step.”

  “Fuck yeah!” Tate says. “What are we waiting for?” She jumps from her seat and turns on the computer and the large display screen on the wall.

  Thorn takes out a pad of paper and a pen. “I want you to write down every detail. I’ll get our IT team on it.”

  I sit and frantically put it all on paper. Lauryn leans over my shoulder. “It will be alright. I promise.”

  What will be alright? Us getting Nina? Getting Rebel out of this mess? Me? Or something else. “I’m not sure it will ever be okay. He doesn’t know me.”

  She squeezes my shoulder but doesn’t say anything else as she walks out of the war room.

  “I think we should inform Lawson and Honor. He’s there to protect Rebel.”

  “Lawson won’t be able to keep a straight face. He swore he’d take her out after Rebel’s accident.” Theo nearly chokes out his words as if the accident is still a painful subject.

  “He’s right.” Fiona stands by him. “He’ll be angry we didn’t tell him, but I think it’s for the best. He’s not the best actor, and every emotion shows on his face.”