by Stark, Cindy
Did she dare to believe Christian might be the one she’d searched for her entire life? It was a crazy thought. One she’d never believed in…until now.
The thought overwhelmed her, and her first instinct was to hide. But if she did, if she refused to open herself up to the possibility, she’d never find what she’d always desperately wanted.
“Ready to go in and meet the family?”
A shiver raced over her. “Yes, I’m ready.” For whatever the future held in store.
Chapter Twenty-One
Christian checked his rearview mirror for the hundredth time before parking his cherished Mustang at the bottom of the block at the very end of a concealed dead-end street. Dusk had arrived, providing him with extra cover as he took off on foot, hiking up the steep street to an obscure house hidden behind a shield of trees. He was certain no one had followed him, but after the disaster with Janie and her near-death, he wouldn’t take any chances.
Georgio Donati and Angel Hardy had a lot at stake, and he wasn’t about to tip their hand and allow them to learn any information about what he and his brothers had planned. Not to mention jeopardize Eliana or any of the other women. His precautions might have been over the top, but he considered them necessary.
Christian crept around the back of the house and unlocked the door into the kitchen and dining area. As he stepped inside, scents of Janie’s delicious cooking assaulted him, along with voices and laughter from all of his friends. A warm glow from the overhead lights added to the ambiance and appeal. He searched for and immediately found Eliana sitting amongst the group. She’d taken a seat at the dining room table, her gaze now flitting from Xander to Nicole to Violet.
From the looks of things, they’d all eaten without him, and everyone in the group was too caught up in one of Sam’s dramatic work stories to have noticed his arrival, so he hung back and appreciated the scene for a moment. Eliana looked right at home with his stronger-than-blood family, and the discovery was a precious tendril that curled deep into his heart like a lazy kitten on a cozy afternoon.
Then suddenly, she focused on him as though she’d sensed him, and he smiled. “Are you going to let anyone walk in the back door?” he challenged the group as he stepped forward.
Immediately, clicking sounds filled the air as five guns pointed in his direction.
Christian lifted his hands, palms forward. “Take it easy. If I’d wanted to kill you, I would have done it already.” He turned a disapproving look in Janie’s direction. “Really, Janie? I expect it from the guys, but you, too?”
She snorted and shrugged, but gave him a heartwarming smile as she set her weapon on the table in front of her and stood. “You won’t find me weak and unprepared any longer. Give me a minute to heat your dinner.”
He nodded in appreciation as she left the room and then he widened his eyes as Eliana laid her 9mm on the table in front of her. “You, too?”
Eliana grinned. “Don’t think I don’t know how to use it, either.”
“Looks like you’ve met your match,” Xander replied with a laugh. He’d loosened the purple tie around his neck, and his dark hair was rumpled as though he’d dragged his fingers through it a few times.
Christian nodded his head at the friendly barb. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Xander agreed as he draped his arm across the back of his wife’s chair, earning a smile from her. “Then you couldn’t give me anymore shit about hooking up with this one.”
“Really, Xander?” Nicole said. “Hooking up?”
“It makes us sound cool,” Xander replied. “Everyone wants to hook up.”
“Are you open for bribes, Eliana?” Ryan asked with a mischievous grin. “I’d pay good money for you to shoot Christian in the foot. I’m still pissed about my Jeep.”
“I am, too,” Violet said as she turned her smile into a scowl. “Ryan could have been killed in that crash.”
Ryan snorted. “I’m tougher than swamp water. My Jeep, not so much.”
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that.” The fact that Christian might have caused serious injuries to two of his brothers sat in his gut like rancid meat. “You got my message about covering the costs?”
“I already covered the repair with funding from our activities,” Hunter said from where he sat apart from the group at a corner desk with headphones over his ears. The glow from his laptop cast a white hue on his face as he studied the screen. “What I need is to find that one small chink in Donati’s armor. We’re close. I can feel it.”
Christian nodded. “I agree. I don’t think we’ve ever been closer.”
“The bugs you planted in the backroom of Gideon’s are proving fruitful, but Hardy’s good.” Hunter clicked his mouse a few times. “He gives bits of information, but most of it in code. If I could just break that.”
“If anyone can, you can,” Xander said.
Christian agreed. Hunter had spent years writing encryption coding programming for computers. He’d protected a multitude of companies, including the United States government. If he had the logical mind to write it, he could break someone else’s, given enough time and energy. With the losses that fueled him, he certainly had the energy.
“Any new info on that sighting?” Christian more or less mouthed to Xander.
“I heard that,” Hunter answered without looking up.
Xander shook his head. At first, Christian had been shocked to see the photo that looked exactly like Hunter’s girlfriend who’d also been murdered. But no one could deny that the mole on her face was in the exact same spot as Danielle’s. Not only that, but what were the odds someone would murder his wife and then his girlfriend?
Hunter believed the seemingly random acts weren’t connected and that he was cursed. Christian held a different point of view altogether.
Others in the room began discussing possibilities and tactics concerning Hardy and Donati, but Christian only had one thing on his mind. The same thing he’d been thinking about all day.
He moved farther into the room and headed directly toward Eliana. She glanced up at him with a smile, and that was all it took. With a swift move, he pinned her in her seat and claimed her mouth. She responded with equal verve, igniting a wicked desire inside him.
Someone cleared his throat, but Christian didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.
“Get a room, dude,” Ryan said, his southern drawl cutting through the haze Eliana’s kiss had erected around them.
Christian pulled back and licked the tantalizing taste of her from his bottom lip before he bestowed Ryan with a smug look. “Don’t worry. I will.”
Everyone chuckled, and he wrapped an arm across the back of Eliana’s chair as he sat next to her.
Janie returned with a hot plate of pork and rice that she placed in front of Christian.
“Damn,” he said as the divine scents reached his nose. “I love your grilled pork chops with that special butter.”
“Grilled porterhouse pork chops with chipotle cilantro butter?” She grinned at him.
He returned the gesture. “Yes, that.”
“I brought cards and poker chips, too,” Janie said. “I know I think better if I’m slightly distracted.”
“Not that kind of distracted,” Xander said to Nicole as though she’d caressed him under the table, and she gasp as though offended.
“You’d better watch it,” she said with a laugh. “Or I’ll let Stormy and Apollo sleep in the bed with me tonight.”
“And you’ll be in the dog house.” Ryan laughed. “Get it?”
Violet rolled her eyes as she laid a hand across her baby bump. “Don’t listen to these guys, Eliana. They’re all crazy.”
Christian laughed and caught the happy smile creeping across Eliana’s lips. “We have to be to put up with each other.” He glanced around the table knowing he couldn’t be more blessed.
Janie sat next to Sam and passed out chips before she began to shuffle the cards. “Hunter? Are you c
oming?”
He mumbled and shook his head.
“Looks like just eight of us then,” Sam said to his wife and then turned to Christian. “While we’re on the subject of people sitting out, what’s your plan for hiding Eliana?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What?” Eliana asked, flicking her gaze between Christian and Sam as defiance roared in her heart. “I’m not going into hiding.”
“Eliana.” Christian gave her shoulders a squeeze. “It’s not going to be for very long. Just until we get Hardy behind bars.”
She shrugged him off. “Oh, no. No, no, no, and no. You’re not sending me away. This is as much my fight as it is yours.” She glanced at all the faces around the table and watched as they deferred to Christian.
He gave her a gentle smile. “I’m not saying it’s not your fight. But I can’t have you in harm’s way. You’ve already been hurt once.”
“By my brother, not Hardy. Besides, you’ve been shot before, too.” She scoffed. “It’s not your choice. My life. I say what I can and can’t do.”
“Good girl. Don’t let him put you down,” Janie said under her breath.
Christian eyed her. “You’re not helping.”
Janie shrugged and smiled. “Been there. Done that. Not letting anyone push me around again, either. You should appreciate her for her strength.”
“I do,” Christian argued. “That doesn’t mean I want her hurt…or worse.”
“That doesn’t mean we want any of you hurt or worse, either,” Nicole added.
Eliana held back her smile as Christian looked between the two women. “Hell, Janie. I took a bullet protecting you. You’re like a sister to me. You, too, Nicole. Plus, I’m your boss. Where’s my love and support?” When neither conceded, he switched his gaze to Sam. “Tell them.”
Sam held up his hands. “I’m not wading anywhere into that shit. I’m expecting some loving tonight, and I’m not about to do anything to fuck that up.”
“Smart guy.” Janie winked at her husband.
Christian slammed his palms on the table and stood, eliciting a startle from Eliana. “What the hell is wrong with you people? We’re talking about the woman I love getting mixed up with deadly criminals. She’s not taking a casual stroll along the beach. I moved in to watch over Janie, and I had Xander’s and Ryan’s backs. You all owe me.”
Love…? Eliana’s brain stuttered over the word. From the open-mouth, wide-eyed stares of everyone around the table, Christian had surprised them as well.
“What?” he asked as he glanced from face to face. Even Hunter had stopped working and stared. Then Christian rolled his eyes and sighed. He must have realized what he’d said. He turned to face her. “Yes, Eliana. I do love you, and I will do anything in my power to protect you.”
Her heart trembled like she’d never known. The expression on his face promised that he meant every word, and she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t think. Wasn’t even sure she could breathe.
He moved closer and took her hand, his features now a mask of concern. “Say something. You look like I just told you that you were going to die.”
She shook her head as tears came to her eyes. He loved her. He really loved her.
She’d been so certain she’d live the remainder of her life without ever truly discovering the most beautiful thing that he laid before her now. Here, in front of everyone who meant so much to him.
“Christian,” she whispered and held out her hand. He pulled her to her feet and crushed her in his embrace.
“Awww…” Violet said. “That’s so tender.”
Christian pulled back and trapped Eliana’s gaze. “Are you okay?”
She nodded quickly, wanting to reassure him that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but instead had done everything so very right. “I love you, too,” she whispered.
He captured her mouth in a bruising kiss that stole what little breath she had.
“Here we go again,” Ryan said. “Someone send them downstairs.”
Christian chuckled and broke away. “Sorry,” he said to his friends. “Unexpected moment.”
Violet stood and walked to them, wrapping her arms around them both. “I’m so glad we were here to witness it. You make a lovely couple. Don’t they, Ryan?”
Ryan lifted his glass. “Yes, ma’am. Here’s to the new couple.”
Eliana laughed through her tears. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so emotional.”
“Look at what you’ve been through recently.” Christian wiped tears from her cheeks, the pads of his thumbs rough against her skin. “This is going to get better. I promise.”
She sniffed and took the tissue Nicole offered her. “I want you to know that just because we love each other doesn’t mean I’m bowing out of this. I’ll see it through to the end, same as you.”
Christian raised his gaze to the ceiling and shook his head. “Dammit.” He focused on her. “What’s it going to take to get you to change your mind?”
“You can’t,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’m deeper in Hardy’s organization than you are, and I’m not backing out. Not until my brother is safely off the streets. I don’t care if he’s in jail or a mental hospital. I need to get him away from Hardy.”
When Christian looked like he was about to interrupt and argue, she held up her hand to stop him. “I’ve made up my mind, Christian. So you’d better figure out a way we can work together or forget everything.”
Xander chuckled. “Better stop fighting with each other because you’re wasting energy. If Eliana’s hell bent on staying involved, we need to decide how we’re going to keep her as safe as possible.”
“Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus.” Christian plowed his hands through his hair. “This is not okay.”
His apprehension on her behalf touched her deeply. She wrapped her hands over his and tucked them against her chest. “It’s okay. I’m going to be fine. We’re going to blow these bastards out of the water so hard they won’t know what hit them.” She nodded when he tried to disagree. “You need me, and I’ll be safer with you all than doing this alone.”
He shook his head, disapproval written across his worried forehead and buried in his beautiful eyes.
“We do need her,” Hunter said from across the room. Eliana shot an I-told-you-so-smile at Christian, but didn’t rub it in too hard.
“The best way to keep her safe is to make sure Hardy believes she’s doing this completely on her own,” Sam said. “No ties to anyone.”
“He did question why I want to be involved,” Eliana admitted, drawing another curse from Christian.
“What did you say?” Ryan asked.
Eliana turned her gaze to the sexy military guy. At first, his demeanor had intimidated her, but she quickly realized he had a very sweet heart. Especially where Violet was concerned. “I told him I had no life. That I was bored and that I liked the thrill of danger.”
“Good,” Hunter said coming over to join them. “But I think you need more. What’s something that she wouldn’t easily admit?”
Janie snorted, holding up the cards in her hands. “What about a gambling debt?”
“I don’t gamble,” Eliana said. “I’ve never played for money.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Hunter replied. “We can fix that.”
“I can kill her credit score,” Xander offered. “Doctor up some fake accounts that make it look like she’s had money in the past, but that her luck is running dry right now.”
“You’re going to kill my credit score?” She frowned. She’d worked damn hard to make that thing sparkle.
“It’s temporary,” Christian said.
Some of the heaviness in her heart lifted. “You’re on board, then?”
He expelled a breath. “Does it look like I have a choice? They’ve teamed up with you instead of supporting their brother.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her. “I love you.” She kissed him softly. “This will be okay.”
&
nbsp; “I know a loan shark I can ask to pay her a visit. He’s well-known and will do anything for money,” Sam added. “We can start with that to give Hardy’s men a heads-up so they’ll know where to dig deeper. As soon as Hardy sees her track record, he’ll understand her motives and exploit them, which also means he’ll trust her more.”
“I don’t like it.” Christian shook his head as he lifted his beer bottle for a drink.
Ryan clapped him on the shoulder. “She never needs to get involved in anything deep or dangerous. Her job will be to be our eyes and ears.”
Christian turned to Ryan. “The last time she was there, Hardy had her deliver heroin to the coast. I don’t see how that’s not dangerous. Just being around those people is bad.”
“It’s okay.” She needed to reassure him whether she truly believed her words or not. Now that she had something precious to lose, she wouldn’t do anything foolish, but she had to know her brother was safe before she’d be free to love Christian or live the rest of her life in peace.
Christian heaved a weighted sigh that tugged on her heart. “Fine. I’ll go along with you. But if I lose her, I’ll never forgive any of you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against him, listening to the strong beat of his heart and reveling in her newfound love. “We’ll make it. We have to.” God wouldn’t have given Christian to her only to rip him away so soon. That would be too cruel.
* * *
“I can’t believe you detonated that bomb in front of all of us,” Xander said in hushed tones as he walked alongside Christian, both of them keeping to the shadows along the waterfront park trail.
“What? Telling Eliana I loved her?” Christian scanned the dark area ahead of them, making sure Lorenzo was a fair distance away.
“Yeah. That was a total surprise.” It wasn’t often that Christian saw his friend out of a shirt and tie, but tonight they’d both dressed in dark t-shirts and jeans, hoping to catch Lorenzo talking to another, unknown entity in the game.
