The Return (Butler Ranch Book 6)

by Heather Slade

  “Where you off to?” asked Paps.

  “The beach.”

  5

  This was the life they’d all signed up for, thought Merrigan as she poured herself a shot of the Scotch she’d stopped and picked up at the liquor store on her way back to the beach.

  In the years since she’d accepted her first assignment from MI6, she’d said goodbye to more colleagues who had become dear and trusted friends than she’d like to count. There were very few she’d actually had the chance to say the words to; most had been killed in the line of duty.

  She didn’t know yet whether she’d return to Europe to pay her own respects to Leech. She’d decide in the morning after she’d gotten some sleep.

  The sheets of the bed felt cool when she crawled between them naked. She reached over and took another swig of her Scotch, and turned off the bedside lamp. She’d left the window open so she could hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, hoping it would lull her to sleep. Instead, she stared into the darkness, thinking about Kade.

  Honestly, that he’d walked away without giving her a second thought after announcing he intended to fly to Germany the next day with his ex-wife, had hurt. It hurt her as a woman, but the agent in her knew exactly how he felt, and knew she would’ve done the same thing. They were trained to react in the moment, to make split-second decisions, and then act immediately. It was as much second nature to a man like Kade as it was to her.

  So, lying in bed fretting over his behavior was juvenile. She rolled over and hugged the pillow, wishing she’d thought to grab her bag from Kade’s truck. At least then she’d have her tablet and could read until her eyes closed on their own.

  Merrigan yawned and stretched, hoping the blissful peace of slumber was close. She’d just drifted off when a knock at the door jarred her awake. At first she thought she’d dreamed it, but then it came again. It was more of a rap than a knock, as though someone was using a single knuckle as opposed to an entire fist.

  She remained still, hoping whoever it was had the wrong room, until she heard Kade’s voice.

  “Let me in, Fatale. I’d much rather spend the night in there with you, but if I have to, I’ll sleep on your doorstep.”

  She crawled out of bed, remembering she’d seen a terry robe on the back of the bathroom door when she’d been here earlier. She slipped it on and tiptoed to the door, opening it just a crack.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Let me in.”

  She took a step back and opened the door wider, hit the switch to turn on the light, and waited for him to answer.

  “Why did you leave?”

  “It’s late and I was tired—”

  “You couldn’t have come and told me that?”

  “You were otherwise…engaged.”

  “What does that mean? I went inside to talk to my father, and when I came back, you were gone.”

  She walked over and sat on the end of the bed, pulling the sash of the robe tighter, and crossing her arms. “Really? Is that the way it went?”

  Kade shook his head and looked over at the bottle of Scotch. “May I?”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  He removed the paper cover from a second glass, poured a shot, and then another into the glass she’d left on the bedside table. When he handed it to her, his fingers brushed against hers, sending a chill throughout her body.

  He pulled a chair over and sat in front of her, close enough that their knees touched. He downed the shot, set the glass on the floor beside him, and rested his hands on her knees. He kept his eyes glued to hers as he ran his fingers up the inside of her thighs.

  “Open for me,” he whispered.

  Merrigan took a deep breath, powerless to do anything other than what he told her to do.

  “Take off the robe. Let me see you.”

  She set her glass on the floor, near his, untied the sash, and shrugged the terry cloth off her shoulders.

  “Lie back for me,” he said, and when she did, he stood above her, released the top two buttons of his shirt, and pulled it off over his head. His hands went to the buckle of his belt. He unfastened it, and then lowered the zipper.

  “Look at me,” he said when she closed her eyes.

  She watched as his pants slid to the floor, and he stood before her as naked as she was.

  Merrigan scooted her body up closer to the headboard, as Kade lowered his over hers.

  “I’ve wanted this since the first day I saw you,” he murmured, licking from her belly button over her abdomen, until his lips reached her breasts. His hand closed on one while his mouth suckled the nipple of the other.

  Her body moved against his of its own volition; her sex, drawn to his hardness.

  He ran his tongue up her neck to right below her ear. “I’ve never wanted to be inside a woman more than I want to right now.”

  “Please, Kade. Don’t make me wait any longer.”

  He shrouded himself with a condom, watching her react to him.

  Finally, their bodies joined together. Merrigan didn’t just feel full, she felt complete. As he moved inside of her slowly, each stroke purposeful, his eyes never left hers.

  “Tell me what you’re feeling.”

  “Everything,” she said, moving beneath him when he slowed.

  “Nothing, no one, has ever felt like this, Merrigan. Do you feel it too?”

  As much as she wanted to tell him she knew exactly what he meant, that no one had ever made her feel the way he did, she couldn’t. He was too close. Her emotions sat on the surface, waiting to explode with love for the man who was making her feel like the most cherished woman alive. His lips and hands made love to every part of her body as he thrust into her, again and again.

  “Come with me, baby,” he said against her lips, and she did.

  That had been her first orgasm of many as they explored each other’s bodies until the sun came up. There had been no time to fulfill fantasies when she’d finally been able to execute the extradition plan that had been months in the making. Kade had been on the soonest transport out, and thank God for that. If he hadn’t arrived when he did, Calder may very well have killed both Burns and Quinn. Maybe even Mercer. She shuddered at the thought.

  “That didn’t feel like an aftershock,” he said, looking into her eyes. “What was it?”

  “My mind is racing through the events of the last few days.”

  “I want you to come with us to see Leech.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not? You’ve spent the last few months jeopardizing your own life to save ours. If anyone should see him now, it’s you. Save his life again, Merrigan.”

  “Kade, I…”

  “Go with me.”

  “You need time with your…family.”

  “This is about Leech. I’m not ready to let him go. Are you?”

  “No, of course I’m not.”

  “Then help me convince him that he didn’t fight for the last two years to stay alive only to give up now.”

  Merrigan nodded. “I’ll go, but I want to take a different flight.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I do.”

  “I’ll give on the flight, but I want you to stay with me when we arrive.”

  Merrigan nodded, agreeing for now. When she arrived at Ramstein, she’d see if he still wanted her to.

  —:—

  Kade heard Quinn gasp when she saw her mother walking in their direction. “She looks so different,” she mumbled.

  It had been a long time since he’d seen Lena, but even to him, she looked a decade younger. She wore little or no makeup, and her hair looked more natural, with a mix of gray, blonde, and brown rather than the dyed platinum she’d worn for years. It was more than that, though. The tautness of her always stress-lined face had softened, and for the first time since before Quinn was born, the corners of her mouth turned up instead of down, even though she wasn’t necessarily smiling.

  Lena
hadn’t noticed them yet, and Kade worried what her reaction would be when she saw Quinn. He wished now that he’d sent her a message letting her know they were meeting her.

  He knew Quinn was watching as intently as he was, and if her mother showed any sign that she wasn’t happy to see her, their daughter would be devastated to the point that she might change her mind about traveling to see Leech.

  There wasn’t any reason more powerful for him to fight to stay alive than finally being able to get to know his granddaughter without every day being mired in worry.

  Lena’s eyes met his, at first questioning, and then they rested on the woman standing beside him. He held his breath like he knew Quinn was, until her mother’s eyes filled with tears, and she smiled in a way he didn’t remember ever seeing before.

  For the first time since he left Merrigan at the bed and breakfast this morning, he appreciated her suggestion that she take a different flight. This moment between Quinn, her mother, and him, was sacred. Even Mercer stepped away to allow their family the space they needed to connect in a way that hadn’t been possible since Quinn was seven years old.

  Kade watched as his daughter slowly approached her mother, and the two women embraced like he had when he reunited with his siblings.

  His own eyes filled, and he watched them smile through happy tears. When Lena extended her hand in his direction, he walked forward and joined their embrace.

  “I’m so sorry,” he heard Lena whisper to Quinn.

  “There’s nothing for you to be sorry for,” Kade told her.

  “But all the years—”

  It was Quinn who silenced her mother’s words when she said, “Mom, there is no future in our past. Let’s start over today, right now, and instead of dwelling on things we can’t change, let’s make memories that we’ll cherish forever.”

  As proud as he was of Quinn and the maturity she’d just exhibited in that moment, the question of the identity of her father still lingered over all of them. He couldn’t allow her to continue to put off knowing the truth by avoiding the past.

  “Why are you all here?” Lena asked, noticing Mercer standing off to the side.

  “It’s Leech,” Kade began, but stopped when Lena nodded.

  “Are we leaving now?”

  “Yes. I’ve arranged transport in less than an hour. I’m sorry for making you get off one plane and onto another so soon, but there is a sense of urgency.”

  “I understand,” Lena said. “I’ll just use the facilities and collect my luggage.”

  “I’ll get the luggage,” Mercer offered.

  “Hello, Eighty-eight,” she said to him, smirking.

  “Don’t start,” teased Kade. “I’ve convinced them to stop calling you Barbie.”

  “Them? Surely you don’t include Paps in that group.”

  “He does, Lena,” Paps said, approaching them.

  “Does this mean I have to call you Gunner?”

  “Call me whatever you like, although it doesn’t mean I’ll answer.” He leaned forward. “You look good, by the way.”

  The pretty pink flush that Kade remembered so well spread over Lena’s cheeks as she returned Paps smile. “Thank you,” she murmured.

  Razor had messaged earlier, saying they wanted to go see Leech too. The man was as much a second father to them as he was to Kade.

  “Where’s Merrigan?” asked Razor when Quinn and Lena walked away, presumably to use the restroom.

  “She’s taking a different flight,” Kade told him.

  “You two seem like you’re getting pretty tight.”

  Kade shrugged, not wanting to have this conversation at all, but particularly not in front of Lena.

  —:—

  Somehow Merrigan managed to arrive at the hospital before Kade and whoever else came with him. Leech was in good spirits for someone who had been reported on death’s door.

  “What are you up to?” she asked, seeing him standing near the window.

  “Fatale, it’s good to see you, although it’s somewhat of a surprise.”

  “I’m here because you’ve supposedly taken a turn. I’m to convince you that life is worth living.”

  “Ramstein isn’t such a bad place to visit, is it?”

  “You’re right, but you’ve got a crowd about to descend from America. I suggest you at least feign your turn for the worse.”

  Once he was back in bed, she leaned over and kissed his forehead. “You’re warm,” she mumbled, wondering when was the last time a nurse had checked his vitals. No sooner had she considered going in search of assistance than one came in.

  “If you’ll excuse us,” she said to Merrigan.

  “I was just leaving anyway. I’ll be back later, Leech.” She blew him a kiss.

  “Wait,” she heard him say, but she didn’t turn around and go back into his room. The last thing she wanted was to bump into Kade and whoever was with him, until they’d at least seen Leech and were settled. Even then, she wanted nothing to do with his entourage. If Kade wanted to see her, he knew how to get in touch.

  When the lift pinged and the door opened, Merrigan caught a glimpse of Quinn and ducked around the corner, averting a close call with her mother, who she assumed would be with her. It didn’t matter if they’d been divorced fifteen years, she still had no desire to come face to face with a woman Kade had been married to.

  —:—

  Kade motioned for the rest of the group to go around the corner to where the woman at the information desk said they could find Leech. He stayed back, thankful no one had asked why. If his instincts were right, and they usually were, Merrigan had just been in the small alcove where the elevator bays were located.

  He stood with his back to the wall, arms crossed, and waited.

  “Hello, Fatale,” he said when she came around the corner minutes later. “Hiding from someone?”

  “Hi, um…no.”

  “There isn’t any point in lying to me.”

  “I’m not lying, and I’m not hiding. I came to see Leech because I called and the nurse told me you hadn’t arrived yet, and the flat I’m staying in is right around the corner. I only stayed a minute so I didn’t wear him out. Now, I’ve come from the loo.”

  “That is a very lengthy and detailed explanation,” he said as he walked toward her and grasped her neck with his hand, holding her still to kiss her.

  Damn, he loved the feel of her soft lips against his. For someone who wasn’t big on public displays of affection of any kind, where Merrigan was concerned, Kade didn’t care where they were; he simply couldn’t keep his hands off of her.

  “I missed you,” he murmured.

  She laughed. “It’s been, what, fifteen hours or so?”

  “Fifteen minutes is too long for me to be away from you.”

  Merrigan laughed again. “Who are you?”

  Kade laughed too. “I was just wondering that myself.” He pulled her close enough that his hardness rested against her. “I’m insatiable when it comes to you.”

  “Perhaps you’re just making up for lost time.”

  He’d certainly wondered that, but it didn’t feel that way. Instead, it felt more like he was head over heels in love with her.

  He brought his lips to hers and slid his tongue in when she opened her mouth to him. He reached down and grasped her bottom with both hands, and rubbed against her. “You didn’t happen to pass by any supply closets, did you?”

  “No, but as I said, the flat—”

  “Kade?”

  He pulled away from Merrigan and turned around to see Lena standing with her hands on her hips.

  “Lena, this is Merrigan.” He stepped aside to allow the two women to shake hands, sensing he was about to get an earful from at least one of them.

  “Someone you met in the hallway?” she asked.

  “Actually—” Merrigan began.

  “This is the woman who not only saved my life, but saved your father’s life too.”

  The statement had done what
he’d hoped it would. While Lena still appeared pissed, at least she was no longer on the attack. Or so he hoped.

  “My father is asking for you,” she said to Kade, ignoring Merrigan completely, and wrapping her arm through his to guide him to the room.

  Kade wriggled free from her grasp. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said and motioned for Lena to beat it.

  “I’m sorry about that,” he said.

  “Don’t be.” Merrigan rolled her shoulders and yawned. “I’m exhausted. I’m going to take a nap. You go see Leech, who, by the way, seems to have taken a different turn and appears healthier than I’ve ever seen him. Although that’s not saying much.”

  “I wonder what he’s up to.”

  “That’s the same thing I said to him.”

  “And?”

  Merrigan shrugged. “You judge for yourself.”

  6

  Kade watched as Leech interacted with Lena and Quinn, and agreed with Merrigan that he was up to something.

  “Can I have a minute with my boys?” Leech asked them a few minutes later.

  “Tell me about Calder,” he said once Kade closed the door behind Quinn and her mother.

  “He’s dead.”

  “I should’ve let you kill him twenty years ago,” Leech murmured.

  “As Quinn said to her mother before we got on the plane earlier, there is no future in our past. She also suggested we start over now and build new memories.”

  Leech looked between Paps, Razor, and Laird, and then back at Kade. “Who the hell are you?” he asked.

  They all laughed, him included. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing.”

  “He’s in love,” Razor blurted.

  The expression on Leech’s face changed dramatically. “Who with?”

  “Fatale,” answered Paps.

  “I see,” said Leech, turning to Kade’s father. “What’s your take on this, Burns?”

  “If what you’re asking is whether I approve of my son and the MI6 agent, how can I not?”

  “Meaning?” Leech asked.

  “It isn’t that different than how I met Sorcha.”