by Sheila Kell
“Same as always. He asked about you, and I expect you’ll see him while you’re here. Elizabeth too.”
As the men talked about family, Madison leaned back and listened.
“JESSE, I KNOW I’m not wrong,” Brad insisted, frustrated with his eldest brother. They’d been discussing what had happened and the theories behind it. After much thought, Brad came to the conclusion Madison had to be the intended target. After all, there’d be no reason for the Secret Service to try and kill him because he asked about a taboo subject. The idea was ludicrous. They’d been his brethren after all. Besides, they wouldn’t have had time to stage it.
“You need to quit being so damn hardheaded and be open to the possibility at least.” It wasn’t the first time he’d been called that, and it surely wouldn’t be the last.
Could it have happened as Matt and Jesse said? The Secret Service going after him? Anything was fucking possible. It just wasn’t probable. Casden and Rogers were more likely suspects. They’d been slighted when she and Rylee had turned down their offer to purchase the club. Because he didn’t wish to argue anymore with Madison asleep in the next room, he conceded. “Okay, I’ll give you that, but it’s not the least bit likely. It’s got to be those two fuckers. We both knew they wouldn’t take this lying down.” If the club hadn’t been in such a prime location, this wouldn’t be happening. It would give Casden and Rogers a more upscale clientele and give them another outlet to sell drugs.
“True. I just need you to rethink this. If you’re the target, taking on her protection puts her in jeopardy.” He paused, probably for a dramatic effect since that’s what he did. “However, if she’s the target, she needs you. Rylee will be out of the country soon, and Devon has her protected until then.”
“If that’s the case, I really could use some help,” he admitted, almost with his tail between his legs. It shouldn’t be hard to ask, but it automatically said he couldn’t do it by himself. He couldn’t protect her enough.
“Well, you’ve got Matt. I’m staying in town, so you’ve got me when you need me.” He heard the rasping of Jesse’s hand on his scruffy morning beard. He couldn’t expect his brother to be cleanly shaven at three o’clock in the morning. Hell, he’d been lucky his brother wasn’t reaming him out for calling at this hour. But, after the accident… and Madison being hurt… it couldn’t wait.
While Madison slept in Matt’s old room, his brother prowled outside to alert them of any threats. He’d been fuming that they’d agreed it was okay for Brad to take her to the dinner alone since they’d be so much security already in place.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll keep Ken behind. Rob can lead the team. Also Sam wasn’t going anyway, so you’ve got our best sharpshooter should you need it.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “Although, given the location of your house to the park, there’s no good place for her to set up on a regular basis.”
Relief whooshed through Brad at the extra help he needed to keep Madison safe from harm. He’d love an entire team, but he’d take two more hands. “I pray we don’t need her in that capacity, but extra eyes on the neighborhood wouldn’t be unwelcome.”
He only hoped that he was right and Madison was in danger, not that he was bringing danger to her. In no way would he let things go on his investigation. Especially now that he got the pushback from his old boss. Someone who should want the truth to be out there.
Unless it was the truth, crept into his mind, and while he couldn’t completely push away the fear that was true, he banished it so he could think clearly. He didn’t do it.
“Ken will be there tomorrow. Hell, today. Just don’t give him shit. Let him do his job. I recommend you put him and Sam on days and Matt on nights. It could surprise someone to see Matt and think they saw you 24/7.”
Without thinking that Jesse couldn’t see him, he nodded in agreement. The element of surprise was a good weapon. “Okay.” Had it not been Madison he was thinking of, he’d have argued on principle of his brother telling him what to do. He was the one with the best protection background. That had been his job 100 percent of the time, unlike his brother who did it when it was necessary or none at all before they joined HIS.
“Go wake up Madison and see that she’s okay. A concussion is nothing to play with.”
Brad gritted his teeth at Jesse continuing to tell him what to do. What pissed Brad off was that he was right. It was time to wake Madison and check on her.
“It’ll be okay, brother,” Jesse said. “Devon and I will track down Casden and Rogers and see if we can come to an agreement. You just protect Madison, but watch your own back.”
After ending the call, Brad took a moment to himself and his swirling thoughts. Was he responsible for Madison being injured in the accident? His stomach lurched at the thought. A tinge of unease flowed through him at the thought that maybe—just maybe—he should push her off on the few men from HIS and fight his own battle—alone. Just in case he was wrong.
Although he didn’t have a full team, he had two men he’d trust with his life, an unknown woman he had to trust, and Madison. Whether he was the target or not, they’d keep her safe, with their lives if necessary. He hoped it didn’t get to that point, but knowing the devotion the team would have to his case almost overwhelmed him.
The fact that he could’ve lost Madison tonight made his heart ache and his gut revolt. They could’ve both lost their lives. Whoever hit them must’ve hoped for that. They’d waited until the right location and hit the truck at the opportune spot to spin it toward the guardrail. The fear that had filled him when he’d spied Madison unconscious and stuck in her seat belt had him silently praying, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that.
He’d endured the sucker punch to his gut when he’d realized she actually meant something to him.
The truth was that Madison had so many excellent attributes that he couldn’t count them all. All he knew was that everything about her called to him. And their attraction most of all.
The world between them was magnetic, and they’d fought it long enough. Their night together and that kiss told him more than either of them had been willing to admit. He wanted more of his princess. He needed to show her that he cared for her. He didn’t plan to seduce her even though he wanted her back in his bed, but he planned to woo the hell out of her with his kindness—yes, he had some—and his caring. If that wasn’t enough, he might just remind her—with a kiss—how good they were together.
With a shake of his head to ward off the thoughts, he walked into the room where Madison slept. It’d been two hours, so it was time to check her.
Before he could bring himself to wake her, he watched her sleep. The slight rise and fall of her chest reassured him that she was okay. She’d survived.
Lying on her back, her long, dark hair was swept across on the pillows, giving her an angelic glow. Her oval face, pale and free of makeup, added to the effect. Unable to resist, he touched her cheek with the back of his hand. When she didn’t rouse, he had a moment of panic that grabbed hold of him and twisted his insides.
With a driving need to make sure she was all right, he touched her shoulder and called her name until her beautiful dark eyes fluttered open and took a moment to focus.
“Brad, why did you wake me?” Her voice, rough from sleep, touched him deep down to his soul.
“Because the doctor said. What’s your name?”
She sighed and pulled the cover up her chest, covering her luscious breasts encased in an overly large T-shirt that he remembered almost fell to her knees. “Not this again. Madison Maxwell. I’m guessing by now it’s a new day, so it’s March 31st and it’s Saturday.”
He chuckled at her spunk. “Lucky guesses.”
“Not at all. Can I go back to sleep now?” She yawned and closed her eyes.
Satisfied she was fine, he agreed albeit reluctantly. “Sure, princess.” After watching her a moment more, he turned to leave even though everything called to him to crawl up
in bed beside her and hold her until she was well.
“Brad,” she said sleepily.
He stopped and turned back to the bed, hoping his naked desire didn’t show on his face. “Yeah.”
“Would you—would you hold me until I go back to sleep?”
Had she been reading his mind? He had a moment of panic that she’d somehow known what he was thinking. Ridiculous, but it still hit him.
At his stunned expression, she continued, “Just don’t be an ass this time. I need the comfort that I know you can give. It’s holding. Nothing more.”
Shocked beyond belief at her request, he quickly processed all the things that could go wrong with that scenario then tossed them aside and gave his dick a quick, silent lecture. Then he remembered her hitched breath and saw the blush across her cheeks. He’d happily hold her and nothing more. No way would he take advantage of her. “Scoot over.” He moved back to the bed and kicked off his shoes. After sliding under the covers, he turned on his side, maneuvered her so her back was to his front, and wrapped his arm around her. “Sleep, princess.”
Lord help him. His dick hadn’t listened and was already talking to him. He gritted his teeth. Holding her seemed so right, and he wouldn’t deny her anything. Even if it could be the worst decision he ever made.
“I’m not sleepy now,” she told him.
Great. Now she would notice his arousal. He scooted his hips back a smidgeon. “I’m not singing a lullaby.”
She chuckled. “No. I’d rather you didn’t. Tell me a story. I bet you’ve got tons.”
What the hell kind of stories would he have? None that would be exciting to his princess. “What do you want to hear?” he found himself asking.
“How did you break your nose?”
“Which time?” He chuckled.
“Hmm. Let’s go with the first one.”
Remembering back, he chuckled at his own stupidity. “I was sixteen. There was this girl—”
She interrupted. “Maybe I don’t want to hear this.”
“It’s okay. You might find it humorous. Most people do. In fact, I even do now.”
“Okay. Keep going.”
“As I was saying, there was this girl—Rachel Jeffreys—prettiest girl in high school. She had long flowing hair like you,” he added.
“Did she sock you for saying something inappropriate?”
Her dig hurt, but he deserved it. “No, she didn’t hit me at all. She kissed me.”
“Then her boyfriend hit you?”
“Are you going to allow me to tell this story?” he asked jokingly.
“Sorry. Go ahead.”
“Well, she kissed me one night after a football game behind the bleachers. She told me I was the best kisser she’d ever had. Little did I know she’d done the same with my twin earlier in the evening.”
“Uh-oh,” she said softly.
“Uh-oh is right. After she let it be known she’d kissed both of us, we had it out. It never occurred to us, as we sat there each with broken noses trying to explain it to our father, that she’d toyed with us.”
He’d so wanted to pay her back, but his father had made them promise to not retaliate, as a gentleman never does. At sixteen, he hadn’t wanted to be a gentleman; he’d wanted to be a man bent on revenge. But he couldn’t think of a good payback, so he went with his father’s dictate.
“Who did she choose? I’m assuming you made her choose.”
“We didn’t have anything to do with her after that.”
“So,” she said, her fingers mindlessly running across his hand splayed on her belly, “you and your brother broke each other’s noses over a girl that neither of you ended up with?” He could hear the smile in her voice.
“Yeah.” He sighed. He’d been an idiot as a kid, but he guessed most kids were at some point. As for Rachel, eventually someone taught her a lesson on playing with peoples’ feelings. He’d watched her public humiliation and said nothing. He had no idea how she fared now and didn’t care.
“That is a good story. Now tell me about the second time you broke your nose.”
Shit. She didn’t need to hear about violence. It had been a fucked mission of retrieving a little girl. They’d saved the girl, but a couple of the team, including himself, hadn’t fared all that great in the end. “Maybe something else,” he coaxed. “Or maybe you want to go back to sleep.” He didn’t want to stop holding her and knew he would need to after she went to sleep so she didn’t wake up in his arms—which would be fantastic—since she’d only asked for him to hold her until she fell asleep.
Madison yawned. “I might be sleepy now.”
“Go to sleep. I’ve got you.” Watching her even breathing, he considered his next step—bring them together. Not just sex but a relationship that might just last.
BEFORE DAWN, BRAD had slipped from Madison’s bed for a couple of reasons. One, she might have felt differently about him being in her bed when she was wide-awake. And, two, he didn’t want Matt to see him leaving her bed. Sure, his brother knew the two had slept together already, but he didn’t need to think it now. Especially after the shit Brad had given each of his brothers for getting involved with the woman they were protecting. To admit the truth to himself, he’d been a real dick about it.
Now here he was, wanting the woman he was protecting, knowing it would fuck with his concentration, which could be deadly. Yet he wouldn’t step back from it.
True to Jesse’s word, Ken and Sam showed up first thing in the morning. Brad worried a bit that Ken might be upset about missing the Belgium trip, but he seemed focused on Sam, and since she hadn’t been going with the team in the first place, it might’ve worked out for the best. Although Brad had never seen Ken so focused on a teammate and whether he or she could hold their own. Hell, Sam had been SWAT. Of course she could hold her own.
Riding in the back seat of Ken’s SUV, he and Madison were on their way to Devon and Rylee’s for dinner. If it hadn’t been for Devon telling Brad that he and Rylee needed to talk with him, he wouldn’t have been leaving his house. And since he did leave his house, so had Madison, who looked forward to seeing her sister and not hearing him check on her constantly.
Whatever the hell Devon had to share had best be worth putting them at risk by being out and about. If not, he might kill his brother for being so stupid. What could he do with a former CIA agent though? Devon was smarter than the team gave him credit for. He may not like the action—preferring his computer—but he could hold his own, as he’d demonstrated when Rylee had been in danger.
“We’ll stay outside,” Ken told them as they parked in the driveway. “Rylee said she’d pack up the leftovers for us to eat later.”
Good of Rylee to think of that. Shit like that always slipped his mind. He hadn’t prepared to feed three extra people at his house. He’d best remedy that right away. He wondered how Madison would enjoy a grocery-shopping trip with him and a tail.
She’d seemed fine with the extra people around, treating them like she’d known them all her life. Earlier in the day, she’d explained that many times on shoots they might have some security, so it was like a walk in the park for her. Yet, she’d never expected trouble before. Her trembling lip when she’d said that had him almost rushing to her and pulling her tight then kissing that lip until she had her calm back. But, he wouldn’t make it all physical with them.
The front door opened before he could knock, and Rylee engulfed her sister in a hug. “I was so worried about you.”
Without separating them, Madison responded, “I’m fine. Just a small bump on the side of my head where I hit the passenger-side window.”
Thank God for the seat belt and airbag, or it could’ve been the windshield. He shuddered at the image of a severely injured Madison. A stone sank in his stomach at the thought that she could’ve gone through the windshield to the unknown rocks and water below, where his truck had ended up leaning over the edge.
The women broke apart. “Come in. Dinner’s r
eady.”
“What’s on the menu?” Madison asked as she entered the house.
Please don’t let it be lasagna, Brad hoped.
“Chicken enchiladas. I got the recipe from Kate.”
Brad smiled. “Sounds yummy.”
“Don’t worry, I have plenty of salad for you,” Rylee said to her sister.
Rubbing her belly, Madison said, “Believe it or not, I’m more interested in the enchiladas than rabbit food. Besides, I don’t have to starve myself any longer. Moderation. As long as I can still fit in my clothes, I’m good.”
Hallelujah, Brad wanted to shout. She needed to transition into being a regular person and not someone always on display.
Devon walked into the room with Mitch leaned against his shoulder. “We’re going to have an extra for dinner. He’s not the least bit sleepy.” Walking away, Devon stopped at the high chair at the table and strapped in the little boy.
“Sit. I’ll get the food,” Rylee instructed.
Once again, he sat beside Madison but felt a bit awkward this time. She hadn’t said anything about her request the night before, and neither had he. It hung over them like a heavy blanket.
Settled at the table, Devon dished up the food, and Brad took his first bite with trepidation. It wasn’t that Rylee couldn’t cook; she just had a limited recipe book. She’d been expanding out, making him and Devon guinea pigs, for a while. Apparently, Madison had also become a guinea pig.
He swallowed in surprise, which wasn’t fair to his sister-in-law, but it was what it was. “Excellent. Tastes just like Kate’s.”
“This is delicious,” Madison added.
“Where’s Matt?” Rylee asked.
“Probably asleep at his hotel. He’s taking over later. He’s going to be pissed he missed this though.”
Rylee waved her hand as if to wave off the problem. “I’m sending plenty home for him and the others. I didn’t figure you had something ready to feed the extra mouths.”
“You’re right there.” He took a bite, chewed and swallowed. “I was just thinking of that on the way over.”
