The Deadly Series Boxed Set

by Jaycee Clark

A week.

  He sighed. He didn’t know what the hell to do on that front. She was agreeing to pose as his wife.

  Though he only planned to be here a couple of days and then they were getting out of this area. He didn’t want anyone to link him to his family. But he hadn’t lied to Rori before. There was simply no way he could not check on them, and if—God forbid—he ran into them, they had their story straight. Of course, if that happened, then he’d have to explain later how they divorced. Lie here, lie there. Lies were a pain in the ass.

  He was out of this damn job as soon as this was finished. He finished off the cigarette and tossed the butt into the ashtray.

  No fucking more.

  He hated the fact he had to be here so close to his family to begin with, but he had to check on them himself. Pete had told him they were fine, but they weren’t Pete’s family.

  If anything, he needed to warn them. He’d already hired his own men to oversee their protection, and to explain that he’d have to at least meet with Aiden. Some things he could probably get away with, but hiring several bodyguards for his family was not going to be one of the times he could merely shadow their lives unseen.

  The plan was to arrive at the hotel, check it out, meet with Aiden and discreetly make certain the rest of the family was all right. Two days tops. With Aiden’s help, they could create a story, or more accurately, he could create a story Aiden would likely go along with.

  Maybe there had been a threat against the hotel . . .

  Or maybe there was a threat against Jock and Mom. That would work. And so that they wouldn’t worry, everyone else would go along with it. With the wealth that the Kinncaids had, they could be targets for any idiot wanting a buck. He’d probably go with that angle.

  For any that needed to know, Rori was his wife and Darya was their daughter. More than likely he wouldn’t even see anyone other than Aiden.

  “You think they’ll actually go for it?” Roth asked.

  “For?”

  Roth shook his head. “You haven’t changed since the last time I worked a detail directly for you.”

  Ian didn’t answer him.

  “And here I thought I was the only one who was the recipient of his gracious communication skills,” Rori said from the backseat. “He gives just enough information to get you to go along with crap, then has the annoying habit of telling you to be ready to go within the hour.”

  Ian shook his head, taking the exit he needed. “You were ready in ten minutes. You’re just pissed because you didn’t get to sleep late.”

  He noticed how late she slept every day. How the hell she did it, he had no idea.

  “Two words, boyo.”

  He grinned. There were three cars following them down the ramp; one had started to follow them two miles from the airport. The blue Taurus.

  “Roth, have someone tailing us?” he asked.

  Roth didn’t even move. “The blue car?” A smile lifted one edge of his mouth. “Probably. Been with us for ten minutes. Can’t be sure, think it’s G-tags.”

  Ian kept driving, weaving in and out of traffic, the black SUV behind keeping with them.

  The blue car finally turned off two blocks from the hotel. He took a deep breath. Two days. He could handle two days.

  He never knew if he liked being here or not. Normally, it was fine. But now he had that humming itch under his skin.

  “Ready to get to a room?” he asked Darya in Russian.

  As usual she didn’t speak. She only looked at him, but the corners of her eyes softened.

  Slow progress. He wanted to know more about her. What the hell did he actually do with the girl if there was no one for her?

  One of his brothers? They were all married and had families. Aiden or Brayden would probably take her in. Then again, with Ryan’s history of abuse, Gavin and Taylor might understand how to better handle her.

  Rori leaned up in the backseat. “You and I are going to have one long chat when I get you alone.”

  Roth grinned.

  “You promise?” Ian asked her.

  She glared at him. “Why the hotel?” she asked him.

  He sighed and pulled into the line that was driving up under the portico of the hotel. “Because I can check on what I need to without being readily seen. And I like my family’s hotels.”

  “Why aren’t you seeing your family? Why in the hell did I have to learn all their names and occupations if we’re not going to see them?”

  Another point of her aggravation, it seemed. “To avoid complications, which you know.”

  One perfect brow arched at him. The car slowly moved up. He turned in the seat to look at her.

  “I don’t want to draw attention to my family.”

  “In regards to you, yes. I remember saying the same damn thing.” Her eyes narrowed. “Then why the bloody hell did you come here? And as Ian Kinncaid?”

  He stared at her for a moment. Saw the confusion on her face. “As far as Ian Kinncaid? I used it because as far as anyone running a check is concerned, Mr. Ian Kinncaid is a businessman who has played the markets and recently opened a growing security firm. He resides in Scotland and is a rather quiet soul. I know all my other covers were blown. But only one man, well, a few more I trust, know that I am . . . well . . . me. Ian Kinncaid. Technically, for you and Darya, it’s the safest identity I can use. Because that is the one name they may actually not have.” He checked the mirrors. “As for the other part of your question, as to why I had to come, do you have any family?”

  Something shifted in her eyes. “Why?”

  So distrustful. A feeling he was rather familiar with. “You’d understand if you did.”

  She shrugged. “I suppose there is someone I’d risk it all to see safe.”

  Really? He’d love to know who that was. Instead he grinned and said, “Why, thank you, wife. Nice to know you love me that much.”

  Her look could have frozen hell.

  “Won’t someone recognize you?” she asked, her voice irritable as they waited on the line of cars.

  “Maybe.”

  “Well, you’re traveling as Ian Kinncaid, don’t you think someone will alert someone in your family that you’re here? None of this makes any sense.”

  “Probably, then again, the staff is known for its discretion.”

  “Of course they are.” She shifted, her clothing hushing over the leather seats. “Until someone offers them enough money.”

  He ignored her. She was right . . . probably. Except for those that had been there so long they knew what to do and what not to do. Loyalty was of top priority. This allowed him to be close enough to check on his family without lots of undo travel between places that wasted time. He’d stayed here before, and it was time he came out as himself.

  “What I don’t understand,” she said from the backseat, “is why you’d use your own name.”

  He drove up behind another car, only one more left before they could get out. He scanned the crowd, the cars, the motorcycle over to the right.

  “Rori, I’ve been over this. Seeing as how I didn’t know which aliases were blown, I figured why the hell not,” he lied.

  “Of course,” she said.

  Truth was, he wanted to use his real name. For Ian Kinncaid the businessman to be seen as Ian Kinncaid, the businessman with a group of his own security men, would only validate who he claimed to be. Of course, there was the issue of why they were with him. Which he would explain if the need arose.

  “What if your family is here?” Roth asked.

  Hell. “Then I’ll deal with it. They probably won’t recognize me anyway. It’s been years since I’ve been home.”

  “Looking like that? And as Ian Kinncaid? Yeah,” Roth said. “They’d never know who Douglas McGregor was or Marque. But well, you look . . . like you.”

  He only shot Roth a look and pulled the black car up to the curb, noting the young faces of the valets. Two, blond-headed.

  “I want the names of all the valets an
d garage attendants,” he said, getting out.

  The blue-coated valet ran around the edge of the hood. “Welcome to the Highland Hotel.”

  Ian ignored him and waited for Rori and Darya as Roth scanned the traffic and waited for them.

  To the valet he said, “Don’t move the vehicle until I let you know.”

  “But it’s against . . .”

  Ian only looked at him.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. Kid could only be maybe twenty. “Y-ye-yes, sir.”

  Ian picked Darya up, smelling her fruity shampoo when her hair tickled his jaw as she laid her head on his shoulder. He scanned the crowd, and held his hand out to Rori.

  • • •

  Jock Kinncaid looked across the conference table to his sons. Aiden and Quinlan were silent, but then they always were.

  Gavin paced. Brayden lounged back in his chair tapping on one of those hand gadget things everyone seemed to have these days.

  A phone rang and Quinlan pulled it from his breast pocket.

  “Dad, we’ve acquired the castle, there’s nothing left to say about it,” Aiden said calmly.

  “We don’t need another location in Europe.”

  His oldest son didn’t say a thing to him. Damn kids. He was retired, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a blasted opinion on things.

  The women were all in one of the ballrooms at Taylor’s baby shower. She was due any day. Gavin was worse than Aiden had been when Jesslyn was pregnant. One would think their wives were the first women ever pregnant.

  The men read books, for the love of God, on how to raise kids, and how to deal with babies. Had there been any books when he and Kaitie were having their sons? Hell, no. And they’d turned out all right.

  Quinlan told whoever was on the phone to hang on and reached for the landline phone there in the conference room. Well, there was still time for that one.

  At least the others were all settled with their own families.

  He looked away toward the windows that bordered the street and watched the cars pulling into the hotel. Not even eleven in the morning and already they were seeing traffic. Some probably for the luncheon crowd, others as early arrivals, others meetings. Who the hell knew, it was all profit.

  He took a deep breath and looked back at his oldest son. “Why did we purchase it?” He leaned up onto the table. “Just because I’m not in the office doesn’t mean I don’t want to know what the hell is going on with the company, damn it.”

  He might be getting older, but he wasn’t in the grave yet.

  Aiden closed his eyes.

  Gavin turned. “Dad, would you relax. They’ll make a profit. They always do. Even I, who has nothing to do with Kinncaid Enterprises, knows that. That’s why I trust them. And so do you. You’re so worried about the latest purchase, go see the thing. Take Mom on vacation. Just quit griping about it.”

  He sat back. “Excuse me?”

  “You’ll get yourself worked up, then Mom will have our asses.” Gavin frowned.

  Brayden said, “Gav, sit down and quit your pacing. You’re making me twitchy.”

  “Sounds like a medical problem to me,” Gavin answered.

  “Dad, Gavin’s right,” Aiden interjected. “It’s fine. The castle needs very little work, a facelift on the interiors, and we’ve already contacted the contractors for that. We’ll be open in two months and we’re already booked three weeks past opening.”

  Jock sat back. No one had told him that. He humphed. “I should have been told.”

  Aiden gave him a dubious look. “I thought you retired.”

  “I did, doesn’t mean I don’t want to know what the hell you boys are doing.”

  “Afraid we’re going to—” Aiden frowned, looking out the window.

  Jock turned, saw three black SUVs pull up. “Huh. We have any dignitaries staying with us?”

  Gavin turned. “Probably a politician and some friends coming for lunch.”

  “Anything on the books?” Quinlan asked, already dialing his damn phone.

  Brayden shook his head and rose. “It’s a wonder you don’t all have high blood pressure. Who the hell cares who it is. Can we order now? The shower will be over and then the women will want to oooo and ahhh over every little thing. Discuss birthing horrors and what all.”

  Aiden laughed, his attention turned. “Like that would matter to you. Christian pregnant yet?”

  Jock watched Brayden out of the corner of his eyes. The door slammed open and Ryan, ten, and Tori, nine, came hurtling into the room.

  “I still don’t understand why we had to leave,” Tori was saying, her voice reminding Jock of his wife’s. That little girl was going to slay some men when she was older. And if she didn’t, he had the impression that Ryan sure as hell would for her if any of them didn’t treat her right.

  “I said I’d explain later,” Ryan said, a serious expression on his face. The door shut behind them and they hurried over to the built-in television, turning it on, the two of their heads together as they usually were.

  Aiden was still grinning, “I can’t help but notice you didn’t answer, Brayden.”

  No comment from Brayden, who only glanced at Tori.

  “Bray?” Gavin asked

  “Our table’s ready,” Quinlan said, hanging up the phone.

  “You need a woman, son,” he said to Quinlan, still watching Brayden, who hadn’t answered.

  “Don’t have time for one,” Quinlan said.

  Boy would never learn.

  “Bray?” Gavin said.

  Brayden sighed. “She wanted to wait until after the shower to say anything. We didn’t want to take away from your and Taylor’s day. And it’s still early yet—”

  Jock leaned back in his chair laughing.

  “Daddy,” Tori said, turning. “You weren’t supposed to say anything. You promised Mom.”

  Ryan shook his head. “You think he could keep quiet about something like a baby? My dad couldn’t.”

  “True,” she answered, turning back to the television.

  “You kids hungry?” Jock asked. Damn right. What man wouldn’t want to shout to the world when learning he was a father?

  He frowned as a memory, long buried, flinted through his mind.

  Well, most of his family was happy. If he just had the chance to . . .

  No point in that. He was happy with how God had blessed him. Four grandkids and two more on the way.

  He smiled. He and Kaitie had succeeded with their kids.

  All but one.

  He rubbed a hand over his heart, feeling the tightening.

  “Dad?” Aiden asked, concern etched in his face.

  He shook him off and stood. “Let’s go to Heather’s. Quin just said they had our table ready. I hope Andre isn’t cooking today, I really don’t care for some of his dishes.”

  “Yeah!” Tori jumped up. “I want a burger with—” She stopped, watching Ryan.

  Ryan watched someone outside. “He’s here.” He turned and hurried from the room, all but running out the door.

  Tori hurried after him.

  “Now where are they off to?” Gavin said, following. “I swear keeping up with those two is like keeping up with pet monkeys.”

  They all walked out of the conference room and he saw Tori catch up with Ryan at the end of the hallway.

  It never failed. Every time he saw those two together, something around his heart squeezed. They all walked into the lobby and saw Ryan standing by a large potted palm near one of the seating areas. Tori was shaking her head and pulling on his arm.

  Ryan jerked away and Tori turned to look at them, her face pale and worried.

  Brayden hurried over and asked, “Honey, what is it?”

  She only shook her head.

  Ryan was looking toward a group of men at the front desk.

  Jock scanned the crowd. Maybe he’d get the soup and salad. Kaitie would be proud of him and his aging body just didn’t do food as well as it used to. He’d love a file
t mignon and some potatoes, but he could just hear everyone if he ordered that.

  “Ryan?” Gavin asked.

  “It’s him, isn’t it?” Tori asked.

  What were they talking about?

  “I’ll be damned,” Aiden muttered.

  Jock looked up. Ryan was pointing. “Dad,” Ryan said to Gavin, “that’s the man we told you about. The man who got us away from Nina.”

  That caught Jock’s attention.

  “Where?” Jock asked, scanning the crowd, interested in seeing the man who saved his grandkids.

  “There, Pops.”

  All he saw was the back of a man holding a little girl, standing next to an exotically beautiful woman with light green eyes and a Mediterranean complexion.

  “Are you certain?” Gavin asked.

  Ryan nodded. “Yep, that’s him. That’s Rob Roy.”

  The man turned and Jock looked, studied him. Something . . . He turned more so that his profile showed.

  Jock’s pulse slowed, then sped.

  Could it be? No. No, it wasn’t. Or was it?

  But then those eyes slammed into him like fists to his gut and he knew. Jock stumbled back.

  Chapter 13

  Ian turned from the front desk, wishing the older man behind the desk hadn’t recognized him, but that’s what life was about, he supposed. Of all the employees, he had to get the one that still worked here from when he’d been a kid. Fate loved to fuck with her minions. And he had used his name and come to the family hotel. He could have very well stayed at the Four Seasons down the road, but didn’t. He always stayed in Kinncaid hotels if he could.

  It had been so long since it mattered whether or not anyone recognized him, he wasn’t certain what to do about it.

  Ian Kinncaid. What kind of man was he that his own name took him a moment to recognize himself?

  They had two adjoining suites. When the concierge had recognized him, old Thomas had tried to give Ian his penthouse apartment, but Ian declined. It was one thing to be recognized. One thing to stay in the family hotel. Another to walk in and assume you were home.

  He had no home.

  Not anymore. He’d done too many things, been gone too long to ever feel at home anywhere this normal. Place smelled like it always did. Not like many hotels he’d been in—that fake floral scent hiding the smell of bleach and disinfectant.