by Lexi Blake
“I feel fine.” He felt tired, but then he’d been stuck in a bed for three weeks, and perversely that could sap a man of his strength. “Did she say anything?”
“No.” Owen shifted slightly. Having the four of them in that tiny elevator was a lot.
It made him feel like a hulking ogre to Roni’s delicate pixie self. She wasn’t a tiny thing, but he was so tall he felt like she was petite. The elevators at Kronberg had been one of the only places where he could stare at her all he liked, though he had to be careful. There were cameras in there. There were cameras everywhere.
He took a deep breath and let the thought go. If he followed down the path, he would end up sick as a dog and Robert would haul him back to bed. He would miss his chance to see her.
“You okay?” Jax was staring down at him as the doors opened, revealing the familiar hallway that led to the rooms he’d been given when he’d come to live at The Garden.
“You went white,” Robert pointed out.
“I’m hungry. That’s all.” If he admitted what was happening, they would all freak out, and he didn’t want to be the patient again. He’d always been a shitty patient anyway. That’s what his mom had told him. He didn’t like to be in bed. He liked school and didn’t want to miss class. Grades. He needed good grades to get into the best medical school possible.
“Then let’s get you some food.” Robert put a hand on the door to keep it from closing.
“I think we should talk to Rebecca about that. He hasn’t had anything solid in three weeks.” It appeared Owen listened to his girlfriend now. Wife. Rebecca was Owen’s wife.
“I need to take it slow at first.” He stepped out and then stopped because they weren’t alone in the hallway.
“Jax, you meathead. What about go down to the parking garage and help Solo do you not understand?” Big Tag was standing in front of one of the apartments that was normally vacant. He’d propped open the door and appeared to be moving stuff into the room. Brightly colored stuff. Kid’s stuff.
“Sorry, boss,” Jax said, sounding entirely unsorry. “I got sidetracked. Tucker’s up and he needs pants. You know how you always tell us to wear pants.”
“I tell you to wear condoms,” Tag replied with a frown. “But pants are good, too. Tucker, you need to be in bed. Jax, get your ass in gear. They’ll be here any minute and I don’t want to have to explain…”
Whatever Tag said next was lost because the elevator doors opened again and there she was.
Veronica Croft stood in the elevator, her eyes wide as she caught sight of him. She wasn’t alone. Solo was there dressed in what Tucker had long ago decided was her uniform. Chic slacks, an expensive but toned-down blouse, and heels she could run in. The woman next to her was older and looked like she spent a lot of her time working out.
But it was the baby in Roni’s arms that truly caught his attention.
Solo had a hand on the elevator door, keeping it open. “Tucker, you’re up. Ian, I thought we were going to deal with the introductions in the morning.”
She said it with the tight jaw of a woman who’d had her plans upended.
The whole room seemed to stop, everything going quiet and his vision focusing in on that child with her golden-brown curls and big blue eyes. She clung to Roni with one arm around her neck and the other hand waving. He knew there was conversation going on around him. Tag said something but he didn’t quite hear it because the world had focused down to one thing.
“How old is she?”
Solo sighed and stepped out of the elevator.
Veronica followed her and the super-fit woman moved out as well, putting her body between Roni and Tucker.
He had the wildest urge to challenge her. She shouldn’t come between the two of them. She was standing there like she had the right to keep Roni from him, but no one did. Roni was his.
“Jax, is it just me or is that kid the spitting image of Tucker?” Owen asked.
“Thank god I’m here for this,” Jax breathed. “I’ve missed all the soap opera stuff. I thought they were enemies.”
“Yeah, because no enemies ever threw down and made a baby,” Owen replied.
He was usually the one standing in the background making snarky comments. It was obnoxious. He ignored them all, concentrating on Veronica. He apparently needed to ask the question again. “Roni, how old is that child?”
Her arms wrapped around the baby. “She’s yours if that’s what you’re asking.”
Well, at least he’d figured out what his relationship with her was. Tucker took a deep breath and made a big decision.
* * * *
Roni bit back a yawn as the elevator started to go up. It had taken longer than she’d planned to get ready. It was surprising since they hadn’t exactly packed heavy. “You’re sure we didn’t need to bring the crib?”
“Trust me. The way these people breed they have lots of options for you,” Solo assured her. “Violet won’t be the only kiddo living here. The Knights have a son and if Tag stays here for any amount of time, expect his wife and all…I think it’s like four kids now. I could be wrong. I swear Charlotte spits them out faster than I can count.”
Would Vi be an only child? She hadn’t really thought about it. All she’d thought about for the last few years had been surviving, but seeing Steven today had her brain on overdrive.
“I want to meet this Taggart person and make my own judgments,” her mother said. “The Knight fellow, too. I take it this is an all-male group?”
“Not at all.” Solo glanced at the display that showed them moving up the building. “They have several female operatives. This is the London office. Knight’s wife often takes assignments. She’s former MI6 but her specialty is languages. Carmen Vega is a new hire. She’s ex-CIA. Nina Blunt is excellent at following people around. Ariel Adisa is the resident profiler. She got married recently. I don’t remember if she changed her name or not. Probably not since Robert’s last name is made up anyway. Maybe he took her name.”
“Robert is one of the men found with Steven.” It wasn’t a question. She simply needed to remind herself that relationships here would be complex. Solo had told her there were five men still alive who’d been McDonald’s soldiers. Two of them had recently died in the mission that resulted in Steven being in a coma.
Tucker. She had to think of him as Tucker. And she had to think of him as a stranger because no matter what her mother said, she didn’t think he was tricking her. Steven Reasor was dead but his DNA was still walking around. Did she owe him anything at all concerning their daughter?
“Yes. They’re all here,” Solo explained. “Everyone who’s left. Except Theo Taggart. He went back to Dallas after the wedding. We might think about moving you there if you want to go to the States. At least until we’re sure you’re safe.”
“Dallas isn’t our home,” her mother said.
It could be. Any kind of a home would feel good. Any place where she didn’t have to hide who she was. Any place where she could start over and try to build something for her and Violet. She wanted to get back to work, though she had no idea how she would explain the gap in her résumé beyond the fact that she’d had a baby. Explaining why her last employer wouldn’t give her a recommendation would be harder.
The doors came open and she stopped thinking about the future because her past was standing right there. Steven was still wearing a hospital gown, but she would know that naked ass anywhere. Despite the fact that he’d been in a coma, his butt still looked amazing.
He wasn’t alone. Ian Taggart was standing there surrounded by men. She’d met the red-haired Scot, but not the other two. They were both tall and strong-looking men, one with dark hair and the other a golden blond. Taggart seemed to be lecturing them all. “I tell you to wear condoms. But pants are good, too. Tucker, you need to be in bed. Jax, get your ass in gear. They’ll be here any minute and I don’t want to have to explain…”
Solo put a hand on the door. “Tucker, you’re up. Ian
, I thought we were going to deal with the introductions in the morning.”
He sighed as he caught sight of them. “Sorry, Solo. The puppies got distracted.”
Steven…Tucker stared right at her, his blue eyes going wide. “How old is she?”
She’d known he would likely ask about the baby, but he wasn’t merely saying, “Hey, didn’t know you had a kid.” Nope. The question was asked with a suspicious “Hey, is that my kid?” tone. Wasn’t he not supposed to remember anything? She was supposed to have the upper hand. She was supposed to get to spring this on him.
Maybe if she stayed in the lift, Solo would get out and the doors would close and she could go back down. She could walk out and get in a cab and not look back. How had she thought this would be easy? How had she thought she could hold up Vi and say, “Hey, she’s yours but you don’t remember and I understand, so will you help take care of her financially and we can leave it at that? As soon as I get a good paying job and can use my real name again, I won’t need help.”
Did the dude with no memory even have money to help support a daughter he had zero connection to?
This was stupid.
Solo held the door open, blocking option number one. There was nothing for it. She stepped out.
The Scot said something that had the big blond guy grinning as though he’d found a spectacular show to watch. Blond guy said something about a soap, but she didn’t pay attention because her mother was placing herself bodily between her and Tucker.
She watched his jaw tighten and for a second he looked like his counterpart. There was that ruthless will she’d always associated with Reasor. He didn’t like anyone getting in his way, anyone getting between him and what he wanted.
“Roni, how old is that child?”
A simple question and yet there was so much tension in the words. She could lie. She hadn’t even considered it until this moment. He’d been dead so she hadn’t had to consider it.
Her brain whirled in those few seconds. She could lie. No one would believe her since Vi looked so much like her father. Then they would go through a ton of tests and the truth would come out anyway. Or he would accept it and not care. She could tell him the truth and he could still not care. She would be alone, but that was all right because she wasn’t about to trust him again. Even if he’d forgotten everything, the core of a person didn’t change, and he was still lurking in there, the man who’d used and left her.
“She’s yours if that’s what you’re asking.” There, she’d said it.
He stopped for a moment.
“What are you doing, Veronica?” Her mother turned her way.
“I told you I wasn’t going to lie.” There had been far too many lies between them and now he would explain that he didn’t consider Vi his since he was no longer the man who had fathered her.
“See, this is why I tell you all to wear condoms,” Taggart said under his breath. “You never know when that fun night is going to suddenly grow hands and feet and need a diaper change.”
Tucker walked straight up to her and stared at Violet, a look of wonder in his eyes. “She’s beautiful. Can I hold her?”
“Of course you can’t hold her,” her mother snapped.
But Vi was already reaching out to the new guy. Her daughter was leaning toward him like he wasn’t a stranger at all. She grinned, showing off her pearly baby teeth and making grabby hands. She liked it when tall people held her. Yeah, that was it. She couldn’t possibly know this was her dad.
Tucker raised her up and father and daughter considered each other for the first time.
She took a step back because it seemed like such a solemn moment.
“You don’t know this man.” Her mother leaned in, lowering her voice. “We know nothing about him.”
He was Violet’s dad. Wasn’t he? He was acting like it. Her gut was in a knot. What if she was making a horrible mistake? Again.
But she needed him. She needed to figure out what had happened to her sister so they could all move on. Hiding wasn’t working anymore and if Solo could find them, then someone else could, too.
She was out of options.
“Aren’t you supposed to be supporting her head?” The Scot moved in behind Tucker.
“She’s not a baby. She’s a toddler,” Taggart said. “They’re way worse. You missed the screaming, crying part, Tucker, but it looks like you managed to make it for the rough part. She’s mobile enough to do some serious damage.”
But his lips had curled up as though he didn’t mind.
Tucker pulled her in close, his arms supporting her body as she started to pat his face. “What’s her name?”
“Violet.”
“Like the flower. That’s pretty. Hello, Violet. I’m your dad.”
“And I’m her grandmother.” Her mom moved to stand in front of Tucker. “I’m Veronica’s mom. We never met before because you used her and left her behind.”
Tucker’s jaw went tight. “I don’t know about that. I think there’s more to it. I get these flashes…I think I loved her.”
“That’s awfully convenient,” her mom said. “You left her behind and now you need her, you suddenly love her. It must be nice to wipe the slate clean. Where’s my room? Unless you’re planning on moving in with him now that he’s back?”
Taggart pointed to the door behind him. “Right in here. It’s a two bedroom. Why don’t we get you settled in before you start wreaking bloody vengeance on my men? Jax, you want to help me set up this crib?”
“No.” The golden-haired man named Jax shook his head. “I’m waiting to see what happens next.”
“What happens next is I kick your ass if you don’t give them some space,” Taggart practically growled. “Come on, people. Robert, why don’t you go get Tucker some pants?”
Tucker’s gorgeous face turned pink as they were left alone in the middle of a hallway. “I’m sorry about the hospital gown. I woke up and I didn’t want to miss you.”
“Why? According to Solo you don’t really know me. I can take her back if she’s heavy. You just woke up.”
He held her close. “She’s not heavy at all.”
“You haven’t been well.” Something about him holding their daughter made her antsy.
A sad expression crossed his face. “Here. I wouldn’t want to drop her.”
He passed Violet back to her.
She took her daughter in her arms. “She’s not usually up this late.”
“Why did you come back? If you think I did all those things to you…what did I do to you, Roni?” He was so heartbreakingly gorgeous and there was a wealth of worry in his eyes. “Did I physically hurt you?”
He’d broken her heart, but that wasn’t what he was asking. “You never hit me or anything. You didn’t get physical with anyone that I knew. You were gentle around me.”
“We were together.” He said the words like he was tasting them, getting used to the flavor.
Of all the scenarios that had run through her head since the moment Solo had told her Steven Reasor was alive and not at all well, never once had she imagined this one. He looked like he wanted them to have been together. Not like he would accept the simple fact, but like he would be disappointed if they hadn’t had a relationship. She hadn’t lied about Violet. She wasn’t about to start now. “Not really. We knew each other at work, spent some time together outside of it, but I wouldn’t call us friends. We spent one night together and then you left. You didn’t even say good-bye.”
He stepped back. “That doesn’t jibe with what’s in my head. When I think about you, it’s not guilt that I left you. It’s happiness that I got to be with you. I can see you in bed. I was looking down at you and the feeling I got…I wanted to finish what I was doing so I could get back to you. I had to finish something.” His hand went to his head. “It’s right there. It’s clearer than it was before. I think those drugs he gave me are starting to work.”
He’d paled the way he had earlier in the day. When he t
ried to think about the past, it made him ill. Someone had done this to him. A sweat broke out over his forehead.
“Hey, you’re going to scare Violet.” She kept her voice even because she didn’t want to scare her daughter either.
He looked up and though his jaw was tight, he seemed to breathe easier. “I don’t want her to be afraid of me.”
“I know.” Roni rubbed her baby’s back as she settled down, obviously tired from all the late-night activity. “You were always worried about that. You told me I was the only one who wasn’t afraid of you.”
“At Kronberg?”
She nodded. “Yes. You were known for being pretty tough on people. Most of our colleagues were afraid of you because you wielded power pretty freely. I was the only one you were somewhat nice to.”
“We were friends?”
How did she want to explain their relationship? She’d thought about it on the flight from Munich. “Not exactly. I was attracted to you. I was pretty naïve and it was my first time out of the States, my first big job. I wanted to see something in you that might not have been there. I wanted to think I could change you, that you could care about me so much you would change your ways. Beauty and the Beast syndrome. I’m not naïve anymore. I need you to understand that I’m here to see if you can help me, not to restart a relationship.”
“Yes,” he said simply.
She wasn’t sure what he was assenting to. “Yes?”
“Yes, I’ll help you,” he said with a nod. “Of course I’ll help you. What do you need me to do? Have you been hiding from me? Am I why you walked out on your internship? Because I won’t hurt you. I don’t know what I said or did to make you feel that way, but it won’t happen again. Never. I’ll do anything I can to help you and Violet.”
He sounded so fervent she wanted to believe him. But she’d been burned too many times to not be suspicious. “Just like that? Shouldn’t you ask for a DNA test?”
What could he get out of this? He had to be playing some angle.
“I don’t need one,” he replied. “You said she’s mine. She feels like she’s mine. Besides, even if she wasn’t, I would still help you.”
