The Viper

by Velvet Vaughn

  “What you don’t eat can be frozen,” Mrs. Hernandez said, reading her thoughts. “I made Mr. Kellan some soups and his favorite macaroni and cheese.”

  Annabelle’s eyes widened. “You know Kellan?”

  “Sí. We met him when he helped with Ms. Cassidy.” She’d forgotten that he’d spent the last few weeks in Los Angeles. “If you need more or have any special requests, please call me.” Mrs. Hernandez scribbled down her phone number. Annabelle couldn’t imagine having to call the woman. Not only was there enough food to feed a ravenous football team, but she planned to be gone soon.

  “Would you like to join us for dinner,” Amelia asked them. “There’s more than enough.”

  “Thank you for the offer, but we have to get home,” Mr. Hernandez said. “You two enjoy.”

  After they escorted the friendly couple to the door, they returned to the kitchen and started lifting the lids off the dishes. There was a wide range of food, from hamburgers that smelled as if they’d been recently grilled to enchiladas, lasagna, salmon and an assortment of soups and side dishes.

  “I’ve no idea where to start,” Amelia said in wonder. “It all looks so delicious.”

  Forgoing the formal dining room, they carried their plates to the breakfast nook, which featured padded bench seats surrounded by windows on three sides. The doctor picked the healthier choice of salmon, wild rice and steamed vegetables, while Annabelle went for the grilled hamburger and Kellan’s favorite mac and cheese. Her eyes closed in ecstasy when she forked the cheesy pasta in her mouth. It was the best she’d ever tasted. Though she wasn’t hungry before, she cleaned every bite off her plate.

  They chatted about different sights and attractions of Los Angeles as they ate. Amelia had been in town for three days, but they’d all been spent in meetings and lectures, many of which she’d given herself. Annabelle wished the circumstances were different. She’d love to show Amelia around her town.

  Together they loaded the dishwasher and found room for the leftovers in the double door Sub-Zero refrigerator already stocked with the groceries. Amelia topped off their glasses with the last of the wine and they retreated to the living room.

  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop earlier, but, wow. I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through.” Amelia dropped down beside Annabelle on the couch.

  “It’s been a hard few weeks.” Understatement. It’d been a hard year, starting with Rob’s call telling her about his diagnosis.

  “Your stepfather loved you very much if he wanted you to inherit his legacy.”

  “Yes.” She gazed out the windows, not even seeing the incredible view and twinkling lights. “But I’m not sure it’s worth it. So many people are dead already. Kellan’s been shot.” She met Amelia’s gaze. “My stepbrother won’t give up. I can’t live with another person’s death.”

  Amelia placed her glass on a table and grabbed Annabelle’s hands. “I overheard you telling Luke and Logan that you mistakenly ran into Kellan, thinking he was someone else.”

  “I was waiting for a man from Cable Security and when I saw the name stitched on Kellan’s shirt, I misread it and assumed he was the one I was supposed to meet.”

  “He was.” Before Annabelle could correct her, Amelia forged on. “I’m a medical doctor, so I believe in science and research, but I also believe in divine intervention. There was a reason your path crossed with Kellan.” At Annabelle’s skeptical look, Amelia continued, “Kellan works for the best security company in the country. I’m not just saying that, either. I truly believe it. What are the odds that he would happen to be at the exact place where you were waiting? Fate.” With a satisfied look, she flopped back and picked up her glass.

  Annabelle wasn’t sure she believed in fate, but Amelia’s words caused her heart to thump faster. “How are you involved with Kellan’s company?” And Kellan, she wanted to tack on but kept her mouth shut.

  “I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was young, working in a hospital to care for the sick and injured. I worked hard to achieve that goal and I thought it was my dream job. Then my college roommate and best friend took a position at a flourishing security company that also employed her two older brothers. She rescued a man who’d been shot and she called me to take care of him.”

  “Your best friend’s a security specialist?”

  Amelia nodded. “She wasn’t at the time, but she is now, as is the man she rescued. Carter. He’s her husband now. I started doctoring other agents when they were injured and Luke and Logan finally convinced me to join them full time.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize you worked for them, too.”

  Amelia smiled. “I don’t yet. I have another couple of months at the hospital and then a stint with Doctors International. When I return, I’ll be working exclusively for COBRA Securities.”

  Annabelle’s brows creased. “This happens often then? Gunshot wounds and such?”

  “Not often, but it does happen, along with breaks and sprains and other assorted injuries. I won’t be bored, that’s for sure.”

  “How long have you known Kellan?” She hadn’t meant to ask the question. It wasn’t any of her business, but the alcohol had loosened her lips.

  “Not long. A few months. He’s one of the newer hires.”

  That still didn’t answer the question of whether they’d dated. “He said he was a cop before he took the job?”

  Amelia nodded. “He was a detective in North Carolina. Hillary Billings, one of the COBRA Security agents, was on vacation when a killer targeted Reed Steele during one of his renovation shows.”

  “Abs of Steele? I remember when that happened.”

  “Kellan worked the case, along with Hillary. He quit the force soon after to join the company.”

  She wanted to know more about him. Everything. But there was no way to ask without sounding stalkerish. Plus, the more she learned, the more she liked him and she couldn’t afford those feelings when he would be gone from her life soon.

  They chatted more and before she realized it, two hours had passed. Amelia was surprisingly easy to talk to and they shared the same sense of humor. She had no doubt they’d be friends under different circumstances.

  Amelia stood and grabbed both empty glasses. “After I put these away, I’m going to check on the patient.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  Kellan was lying in the same position as when they left, but his color looked better. Amelia checked his vitals and the bandages and then changed the almost-empty IV bag. When she finished, she turned to Annabelle. “I’m going to bed now. It was a pleasure getting to know you, Annabelle.”

  “You, too.”

  “I’ll check on Kellan throughout the night.”

  “You don’t need to. I’m going to sleep over there.” She pointed to the comfy-looking chair in the corner of the room.

  “You don’t have to do that. He’s not in any danger and his vitals are good. He’s doing well.”

  “I wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise.”

  Amelia smiled. “I understand. I’ll be in the room across the hall if you need me.”

  “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Chapter Nine

  Kellan felt as if he’d been flattened by a runaway locomotive. His body ached and he was so weak, he didn’t think he’d be able to pry his heavy lids open. He searched his foggy brain, trying to remember how he came to be in this predicament. Random impressions flashed in his head, but nothing coalesced into a clear picture. He knew there was danger. He felt it in his bones. For some reason, flames seemed to be dancing along the fringes and he swore he could smell smoke. Then there was Annabelle, looking radiant and beautiful—Annabelle! He forced his lids open. He was lying on an incredibly soft, comfortable bed in a dim, climate-controlled room. He blinked to allow his eyes to adjust. Images flashed across a huge television mounted on the wall, but there was no sound.

  Pain throbbed in his midsection. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw th
e IV bag dangling close, the line pumping fluid into his veins. Then his gaze moved a few inches to the left and there she was. Annabelle. He released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. She was safe and slumped in a chair nestled close to the bed, sound asleep. He tried to reach for her hand, but the IV stopped him. He wanted to wake her, ask her what had happened, but the overwhelming pull of sleep dragged him under and he was powerless to fight it off.

  The next time he woke, it was to see a beautiful blue-eyed blond standing over him, but it wasn’t Annabelle. It was Dr. Amelia Howell.

  “Amelia?”

  “Hey, Kellan. Welcome back to the land of the living.”

  The last thing he remembered, he’d been in Los Angeles. “Am I back home?”

  “No. You’re still in California, at Logan and Jade’s house. I was here for a conference when I got the call that you’d been shot.”

  “I was shot?” That’d explain the nagging pain.

  “Yes, a through and through on your lower left side. Thankfully, the bullet missed any vital organs. You lost a lot of blood, but you’ll live.”

  “I’ve always been a fast healer. And I’m ready to get out of this bed.” Sadly, he was so weak, he didn’t think he could stand if he had to, but he was going to try. He started to rise but she put a restraining hand on his shoulder, stopping his progress.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” she chastised. “You’ll be flashing your birthday suit for all to see.”

  He felt under the sheet with the arm not tethered to an IV. No clothes. Yep, he was buck-ass naked.

  Then she grinned over her shoulder. “Didn’t I tell you?”

  “Told who what?”

  “Annabelle. I predicted you’d be chomping at the bit to get out of bed—against doctor’s orders, I might add. I was right.”

  “Annabelle?”

  “I’m right here.”

  He craned his neck to see her standing back while Amelia examined him. He reached for her but Amelia clamped down on his arm as she checked his pulse. If the feelings in his chest were any indication, it’d be elevated just looking at Annabelle. She was so beautiful, it took his breath.

  He couldn’t touch her, but he could capture her gaze. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.”

  Relief swamped him. “Thank God.”

  “Open those eyes for me.” He did and Amelia blinded him with a bright light. He slammed his lids shut. “Geez, a little warning next time, Doc.”

  She chuckled and clicked off the light. “Your blood pressure is good, your color is good. You’re on your way to recover—”

  He grabbed the edge of the sheet. “I’m ready to—”

  A strong hand clamped down on his wrist. “Stop.” He’d never seen Amelia angry, but he was getting a look at her now. “Stay right where you are. You need complete bed rest for at least five days to recuperate.”

  “Hoo-kay,” he scoffed but she narrowed her eyes.

  “I’m serious, Kellan. You’ve lost a lot of blood. You’re not comprehending the seriousness of the situation. Your body needs time to recover. Believe it or not, you’re not Superman.”

  “I’m not? Then how did I get the red cape?”

  She ignored him, winding the cords on her stethoscope and stashing them in her bag. “I have to leave, but I’m deputizing Annabelle into being your Nurse Ratched. Today, you’re only to get up for bathroom breaks. Tomorrow, you can take a shower, presuming you keep the stitches dry. Then after two days, you can start taking short walks around the house until you regain your strength.”

  He wanted to laugh at the outrageous suggestion, but she was dead serious. No way in hell. He nodded to placate her, having absolutely no intention of lying on his ass for five days.

  #

  Annabelle cracked eggs in a glass dish and tossed the shells in the trash. Bacon sizzled in a cast iron pan on the stove. Kellan had requested eggs and bacon, both of which Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez had included with the groceries. She found a loaf of bread and removed two pieces to pop in the toaster.

  She wasn’t a great cook, but she could get by. Her mother had loved to cook. Some of her favorite memories were when her mom would give the chef the day off and she and Annabelle would spend the afternoon preparing dishes from recipes passed down through generations. After her mother died, it was too painful to go into the kitchen alone, so she ate whatever Rob’s chef prepared. When she lived on her own, she learned a few basic dishes so she wouldn’t starve, but she wouldn’t be quitting her day job anytime soon—if she had one to quit.

  A noise caught her attention, and she glanced outside to see a large vehicle rolling up to the house. The fork she’d been using to scramble the eggs clattered to the counter and she dashed to the window just as the dark SUV came to a stop. The doors opened and she almost fainted when two gargantuan men wearing shades stepped out and glanced around the area.

  “No, no, no,” she chanted. They’d found her. She wasn’t sure if it was her stepbrother’s men or Bixby’s, but it didn’t matter. How did they get inside the security gate? She darted to the front door, intending to make sure it was locked, but Amelia was already there and—she was opening it!

  “No, Amelia, don’t—"

  But it was too late. One of the men’s meaty paws reached out and grabbed Amelia and he…hugged her? Then the other man did the same. They were all joking and laughing. What the heck was going on?

  Amelia turned and spotted her, waving her over with a huge smile. She trudged forward as if facing the firing squad.

  “Annabelle St. John, these are two of Kellan’s coworkers, Ethan Addison and Wyatt Hollister.”

  Her shoulders sagged in relief. Kellan’s coworkers, not Robbie’s henchmen—wait a minute. “What are you two doing here? I specifically told your bosses they didn’t need to send anyone else.” These men were as ginormous as trees. How was she supposed to escape from three well-trained men? Houdini, she was not.

  “Guess they don’t take orders well,” the one named Ethan drawled. He held out a hand and she shook it. “Nice to meet you, Annabelle. Actually, it’ll just be me.” He slapped the man beside him. “Wyatt here flew us out. He’s taking Amelia back with him.”

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Wyatt said with, if she wasn’t mistaken, an Australian accent. She shook his catcher’s mitt-sized hand. Both guys were at least six four or five, blond, blue-eyed and gorgeous.

  Annabelle returned to the kitchen to flip the bacon, her palms sweating profusely. She wondered if she could sneak a vial of the sedative from Amelia’s bag. Knocking out Ethan might be her only chance of escape. “I was just making breakfast for Kellan. Are you two hungry?”

  “We already ate,” Ethan informed her.

  Wyatt glanced at his watch. “And we need to get going.” He lifted Amelia’s suitcase as if it weighed nothing.

  Amelia hugged her. “It was nice to meet you, Annabelle. If Kellan has any problems, don’t hesitate to call me.” She handed her a business card with her cell number. “And please, keep in touch.”

  “I will.”

  #

  Ethan escorted Amelia and Wyatt outside as Annabelle finished preparing Kellan’s breakfast. She watched out the window as Amelia slid into the passenger seat of the rental car she drove yesterday. She wasn’t sure how Wyatt would fold his substantial frame inside, but he seemed to manage. That meant they were leaving the SUV for Ethan. Good. She wouldn’t have to feel guilty for leaving them stranded. Her gaze strayed to the Greeson Landscaping keychain on the counter. Reaching out, she covered the keys with her hand and slid them into a pocket. She hadn’t planned on leaving this soon, but now that Kellan had someone to look after him, she was free to go. Besides, the longer she stayed, the more she didn’t want to leave. She’d watched him sleep last night, his face relaxed in slumber. Long lashes fanned across his cheeks, but it was his soft lips that mesmerized her. She’d even given in to the urge to brush a tendril of hair from his forehead.

  She
couldn’t allow herself to get closer to him. She was already falling for him and she barely knew him. She wouldn’t put him in danger again, so she needed to make her move, and it needed to be now. The longer she waited, the more opportunity Robbie had to empty her safe-deposit box. He might not have a key, but he had contacts.

  She needed to decide what she would do if she opened the box and it was empty. If Robbie held the items for ransom, would she do what he asked? Though they were sentimental and irreplaceable, they were just things. Were they worth giving in to Robbie’s threats?

  Ethan came back inside and smiled at her. Guilt nagged at her again. She didn’t want him to get into trouble for letting her escape. Once she was safe, she’d make sure his bosses knew there was nothing he could’ve done to stop her.

  “About your earlier offer,” he said, and she searched her brain, trying to remember offering him anything. At her confused look, he explained, “Breakfast. I held out as long as possible, but I’m a growing boy and the bacon smells delish.”

  Chuckling, she picked up two pieces with tongs from the paper towel where she’d placed them to drain and handed them to him.

  He thanked her and inhaled them with a satisfied sigh. “Tastes as good as it smells.”

  “Ethan, do you mind running this up to Kellan?” She slid the buttered toast on the plate and grabbed the glass of chilled orange juice from the fridge.

  “No problem.” He lifted the tray.

  “And don’t steal his bacon.”

  “Aw, man,” he groused jokingly.

  “Also, he probably needs to use the bathroom. Do you mind helping him with that first?”

  “Sure.” With the tray in hand, he took the steps two at a time. She waited until he disappeared out of sight before she slapped the note she’d scribbled last night on the counter, grabbed her backpack, punched the code into the alarm and slipped out the door. She hurried to the truck and tossed the bag inside before vaulting up to the driver’s seat. Wincing at the loud rumble when she turned the key, she shifted into drive and barely slowed as the gate opened automatically when she approached. Once she was on the road, she felt both relief and sorrow. She wished she’d had the chance to say goodbye to Kellan in person. The note explained everything. She would still honor her commitment and pay his company when she had access to the money.