by KL Donn
“Van Gaines was his handler for years. They weren’t just work colleagues. When they were home, they were also friends. Van was a fixture in our home. It’s why I trusted him in the first place. When I got news that your father had been killed in action, I never received any details. I didn't even know where it happened or why. I just knew he wasn’t coming home, and I had no idea what I was going to do.”
“I’m so sorry, Mom,” I whisper, and a tear slips free. “Did he…did he know about me?” It’s the one thing I’ve been wondering since finding out about Van not being my father.
“He did.” Her smile is as bright as the sun. “He was so excited for you. I was only three months along when we lost him, but he’d already planned out your nursery, your name, everything. Your father loved you, us, so much, Everett.”
“When I saw that birth certificate, and it was missing Van’s name, I didn’t know what to think. I thought maybe I wasn’t wanted.”
“No. Never. You were planned. We tried for over a year, and when the doctor confirmed you were coming, it was the best day of our lives. Nothing could have dulled our excitement. Kevin had planned to retire from the CIA after the last mission he went on because he didn’t want to be taken from us. But everything went wrong. Until a few days ago, I had no idea how wrong.”
“What do you mean?” I only have small bits of information from Van’s ranting.
“On that last mission, Kevin discovered that Van was a traitor. That he was being paid off by cartels, terrorist organizations, any type of evil entity out there. Once he realized Van had discovered what he found out, he gathered all the bribery money and hid it in an account that wouldn’t be released until you graduated college. Because I allowed Van to convince me that there was a possible threat to me and you, we started over. New city, fresh identity, and his surname to keep us safe. I never imagined it was because he suspected what Kevin had done. If I’d known his plan was to kill you to get his hands on that money, I never would have gone along with him.”
“I don’t blame you, Mom. You were young, heartbroken, and alone. I think anyone in that position would have done what they thought was best. But it’s over now. None of it matters, and we can move on with our lives knowing we’re safe and free.” I smile because it’s exactly what I plan to do with Foster.
“I’m so glad you found a man like Foster. He loves you so much. When he found out you had been taken again, he went off the rails, and it was then that I realized he loves you every bit as much Kevin loved me.”
It’s refreshing to hear that, even though their love was lost, we were both wanted so profoundly that my father was going to give up everything to keep us safe and cared for. I love knowing my mom got to experience what it was to really love and be loved by what seems to be an incredible man.
After spending nearly the entire day talking to her about their life before everything changed and learning all I could about my father and his family, by dinnertime, I’m barely able to keep my eyes open, and I'm missing Foster.
“You get some rest, sweetheart; I’ll come by and see you tomorrow, and we’ll figure out how to get your stuff up to Charleston.” I don’t get a chance to ask why she thinks I need it because she kisses me on the cheek and leaves the room.
Maybe it’s obvious that is where Foster and I are heading, but we haven’t spoken about it yet.
My phone dings from its spot on the tray table, and as I reach over to grab it, Foster is limping back into the room.
Matthew: You doing alright?
I smile. It’s sweet he thought to check on me.
Me: Yes, where are you?
I almost miss his grumpy demeanor.
“Who’s got you smiling like that?” Foster teases as he sits on the side of the bed, and I show him. “That asshole,” he mutters.
Matthew: Not for you to worry about. He fucks up, you tell me, and I’ll kick his ass into shape.
Me: He won’t.
Matthew: It’s in his dumbass DNA.
Me: Keep in touch Matthew.
He doesn’t respond, but I can see he’s read the message, and I know he’s probably balking at my demand.
“Fucker,” Foster growls as he lays down beside me after reading the messages. I can tell he’s not bothered, though. It’s just the relationship they have.
Placing the phone back on the table, I lay on his chest and listen to his heart as it pounds. “I love you, Foster Halsey.”
His voice is tired as he murmurs, “I love you back, Everett Halsey.” I can’t help the grin at what he calls me because even though he may not be lucid enough to know what he said, I can only hope that one day, it will happen.
21
Foster
The White House – Three weeks later
“Are you certain that this is over? Van Gaines, Max Drift, and this other man Trevor Blair were the only ones involved?” The President asks Ryder.
“Yes, sir. I combed through their files and activities for the past ten years, and there is no one else I would even consider surveilling.” His no-nonsense answer seems to please the man.
“Miss Gaines, is she recovering? Any lasting effects?” He looks at me this time.
“She’s doing well. The stress has lessened, and her symptoms have dissipated. The doctors are keeping an eye on everything, and she’s moving on with her life. She and her mother are planning the baby’s nursery and making us their slaves.” Everyone chuckles, but the truth of the matter is, I’d do anything she asked of me with or without my team's help.
“Excellent. Has she decided on a charity for the money?” Everett wanted nothing to do with the cash that her father took from Van and begged Nix to find out how she could donate it to someone who needed it far more than her.
“She has.” I grin. “She’s decided on the children’s ward at the hospital at home.” Over five million dollars will be donated to the NICU. Her reasoning was that if she’s going to give birth there, then there’s no reason they shouldn’t have the best equipment needed to care for our baby, she he or she need it. I couldn’t agree more.
“I have to know, Mr. Halsey, is Everett’s condition going to prevent you from being 100% in while on missions with your team, or are you prepared to put her in the back of your mind so you can focus?” His direct question doesn’t surprise me.
“Yes, sir, I am. The great thing about this team is that we aren’t just colleagues, we’re family. Codie and Lola will be there for Evie when we’re gone. Her mother is already in the process of moving to Charleston. No matter what the future holds, we have a support team that is prepared to lend a hand when it’s needed.” He nods his head and grins, approving of my answer.
“Well, gentlemen, as sorry as I am about how things unfolded, I am pleased with the end result. Thank you.” With that, the man is gone again. If not for CIA involvement in Everett’s case, we likely wouldn’t have had so many face-to-face meetings with the President. Typically, everything is channeled to Asher then down to Nix.
Leaving our meeting, Nix informs us we’ve got a month of R&R before we head out for protection detail. I fully intend to capitalize on that by spoiling the hell out of Everett.
Her worry for the baby and bed rest had prevented her from being as excited as she hoped to be, but after speaking to her doctor last week, I’ve scheduled to have a maternal masseuse come in for my Evie.
I know that she doesn’t want to do too much shopping for herself or the baby yet, but I intend to convince her to redecorate the house. When I bought it and moved in, I pretty much just threw whatever furniture I found in there with no real thought to style.
Considering Everett’s love of color, it must be driving her crazy. Aside from our room, she hasn’t placed a personal touch on much else. That’s about to change.
The bit more than an hour flight is quick, and before we know it, we’re deplaning and on our way to the parking garage. “See ya!” I call as I hop into my BMW, immediately calling Everett to see if she needs an
ything on my way home.
“Hello?” She sounds out of breath.
“What were you just doing?” I scowl.
“I just got out of a warm shower, and I had to scramble across that damn football field you call a bed to reach my phone.”
“You shouldn’t be rolling across anything. Let it ring,” I scold her.
I can almost hear the eyeroll as she sighs. “I’m fine, Foster.”
“Won’t stop me from worrying.” Nothing will.
“I know.” She sounds less annoyed now. “How did your meeting go?”
“Fine. The President asked about you.” Even though I have to keep secrets from her about what I do, she does know that my team works directly for the head honcho, and she thought it was pretty cool.
“He did?”
“Well, it was his agency that kind of fucked up your life. He’d be a dick not to.”
“Foster Halsey! You did not just call the President of the United States a dick!”
“Of course not,” I agree.
“Have you landed already?” Her voice is breathless, and I know exactly what she’s doing. Laying back in bed with a mountain of pillows and probably that smoothie thing Lola makes that she loves so much.
“ETA is five minutes unless you need something from the store?” I hear the doorbell ring before she gets to answer me.
She pauses a moment then asks, “Do you think you could stop at that burger place you like so much and get me a double cheeseburger and a vanilla shake?” Her voice begins to fade as she finishes her question.
“Anything you like,” I tell her.
“Lola?”
“What’s going on?” My foot presses a little harder on the gas as I wait for her to answer.
“I’m not sure. Lola’s bickering with someone. Theo isn’t home yet, is he?” The voices are getting louder so she must be moving closer.
“No, he’s going to Ryder’s. Who’s there?” It sounds like another woman.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Evie mutters. “Cheatasaurus Rex! What the hell are you doing here?”
Fucking hell. Ever since the hospital, she’s been persistent in being a pain in my ass. I guess she pulled the same shit with her new husband as she did me, and now, she wants back in my life. Everett has known about this since a couple days after she was discharged and got a kick out of how much Weston fucked with her while we were in the hospital.
Coming to the house, though, is too much. “I’ll be there in sixty seconds.”
“Oh, I got this.”
I have no doubt. I’d just like to prevent her from getting arrested for knocking Tamara’s teeth down her throat.
Everett
I had a plan.
Shower.
Relax.
Eat all the junk Foster brought me home.
The Cheatasaurus has ruined my afternoon. “You need to leave,” I tell her. Two weeks ago, we filed for a restraining order because she’s been nothing but a pain in our sides for almost a month.
At first, I felt bad for her. Foster had said she wasn’t close to her family and had trouble making friends when they were together. But then she went and married another military man, so she makes no sense to me. The only difference is that the new husband was rich and home a lot more.
“Listen to me you little spread-your-legs-for-any-dick gutter slut, fuck off.” Lola is in fighting form today.
“No! Foster is my man, and it’s about time he comes back to me!” the woman yells. Ordinarily, I’d fight with her, but she looks exhausted. Like she’s at her wit's end.
“He’s actually not. If he were yours, he’d have planted his–” I slap a hand over Lola’s mouth. We have avoided telling her about the baby because we weren’t sure how crazy she’d get.
“She doesn’t know,” I mumble in Lola’s ear, who nods and quiets down. “Listen, Tamara, you had your chance with Foster. He was yours for a decade. You’re the one who screwed things up. He has moved on. With me. It does not matter how often you come by, call, or leave notes in the mailbox, I promise you, Foster and I are happy, and nothing is going to ruin that,” I try to explain nicely. I’m not a confrontational person by nature.
“No!” She screeches, stepping forward into my space. “He’s mine, and he’ll realize it soon enough. You’re just some passing slut he’ll drop soon enough.”
I was nice. I really tried to be. “You need to leave my house and my property right now, or I am calling the cops and having you arrested.” My voice is deep and full of promise. I will not hesitate to make good on my threat. Foster and I have had enough drama to last a lifetime. We certainly don’t need or want whatever crap she’s trying to bring our way.
“Tamara!” I hear Foster’s angry voice and gaze up to see him storming along the short walkway to our house.
This woman is either oblivious, delusional, or completely blind because she squeals and runs towards him. “I knew you’d come for me!” She tries to jump into his arms, but he sidesteps her and grips her shoulders, holding her away from his body.
“That woman is bat shit crazy,” Lola mutters beside me. “Now, sit your pregnant ass still.” She grips my hand and yanks me over to the bench on the front porch and drags me down. “I wonder what he’s saying to her,” she whispers.
“Probably threatening to send her to Siberia.” I laugh. “Again.” He told her if she didn’t leave us alone, he would do it. I, for one, believe him.
“Oh, here he comes. See ya later, girl!” Lola jumps up and skips down the steps, smacking Foster on the ass on her way by and making his scowl deepen as she jogs to her Jeep parked on the street.
“Hi there, handsome.” I don’t get to stand up and greet him with a kiss the way I’d like because he’s kneeling in front of me and gripping my cheeks in his strong hands.
I swear his kiss sucks all the breath from my body. He’s barely begun when he pulls back, and I’m nearly out of breath.
“I missed you, too.” I smile. He was only gone overnight, but it felt like forever.
“Marry me,” he demands.
“What?” My breathing stops completely.
“Marry me,” he repeats, and I’m no less stunned. “Be my wife. The mother of every single baby I can plant inside of you. Be my everything, Everett.”
Foster likes to joke. Even when he’s serious, he likes to crack a joke and break up the tension. I’m waiting for that to happen now.
When it doesn’t come, I try to comprehend what he said. “You can’t be serious.”
“Never been more serious in my life. Nothing matters as much as you and little bit. Say yes, Evie.” He sounds desperate but confident. How is that even possible?
“Yes,” my mouth says while my head is still processing.
“I fucking love you.” He grins and lifts me in his arms. In a flash, we’re upstairs, and I feel like I’ve hardly inhaled before we’re both naked and on the bed. “Tell me you love me, Evie.”
“I love you, Foster.” The only man in the world who has ever loved me so completely, and I attempted to push him away. I didn’t see it then, but I sure do now.
One explosive encounter after another led us to this moment, and for the first time in my life, I know this is exactly how it was supposed to happen. All the pain, the suffering, the lies. Nightmares day after day. It has all brought us to this exact second where we both know without a shadow of a doubt that we’re meant for each other for eternity.
“I love you more than life itself, Foster Halsey,” I whisper as he parts my thighs. There’s no foreplay, no slow buildup. This time is all about us cementing our love for each other in the most primal way possible.
“You were made for me,” he whispers in my ear as I feel his dick slide delicately inside my body. My walls tighten and hold him close as he lifts up to watch me. “Perfect,” he groans and rolls over, so I’m on top.
“Don’t move,” he stresses as he reaches over to the nightstand.
“Oh!” I murmur a
s we adjust to his movements, and he pushes a little further inside my depths.
Placing my hands on his chest, I close my eyes and roll my hips. Moving gently, but enough to rev us both up. Push our desires past our boundaries for the moment.
“This,” I hear him say, “has been waiting for you.” I feel him slip something on my finger, and when I gaze down at my hand, I see a rose gold band around my finger. I don’t know anything about jewelry, but I know the large diamond with bursts of smaller ones surrounding it is something to be treasured.
“Foster,” I whisper, completely awed. I’m humbled and speechless. I don’t know what I did to deserve this man, but I know I’ll never give him back. “You’re mine,” I say, not even considering my choice of words.
“And you’re mine. Forever.” His voice is hoarse, out of control, as he tenderly moves my hips how he likes.
Even though we’ve been home for weeks, this is the first time we’ve been able to make love since he brought me to West Virginia. I’d almost forgotten how perfectly we fit together.
“More,” I gasp, and he delivers.
Foster picks me up and walks me over to the large window in our room. Pressing my back to the cool glass, I moan as my overheated flesh touches it. If not for the fact that it faces the large backyard, I’d protest, but he feels too wonderful moving inside me to say anything at all.
“There are so many delicious ways I plan to take you, Everett. And real soon, it’s going to be with that video we made playing in the background.” My eyes pop open. I’d forgotten about that. “Yeah, baby. It’s pure fucking gold.” His grin is devilish.
“You watched it?” I’m half horrified, half intrigued.
“You fucking bet I did.” His thrusting picks up pace, and my body starts to tingle. “This gorgeous blush was slowly creeping up your chest and into your neck as you came for me. Just like it is now.” He leans forward and licks between the valley of my breasts.
