After about five minutes, she gave up and opened her eyes again. When she did, she saw that both Micah and Daniel were awake and lovingly looking at her. Their expressions still pained, but softened as she smiled. She still had several questions that needed answering, but until the doctor removed the breathing tube, she just had to wait.
Turning her head into Micah’s touch, she wanted to tell him that she was going to be all right, but without a voice, she prayed he understood. When he smiled at her, she knew he did.
“I love you, too, honeybee. You just rest. I’ll go get the doc and let her know you’re awake, and maybe she’ll take that tube out, okay?”
Kelly just nodded as he left, leaving her with Daniel, who sat beside her on the bed and leaned over, kissing her forehead. “You scared the living shit out of me, angel. I thought I had lost you. For so long I felt lost, as if I was just wandering around searching for something. However, when I found you, everything changed. I had a purpose again. I felt as if the reason I didn’t die that day back in Afghanistan was because of you, like I was meant to find you.” She listened as he spoke with a far-off look in his eyes. Kelly had known Daniel close to two years, and never once had he opened up to this extent. She was proud of him, and wanted so much to comfort him, but she knew that this was his story, and only he could tell it.
Talking his hand, she gently squeezed as he continued, “I will never forget that day, angel. The smell of death and all the blood. I never understood why I survived while all my friends didn’t, but you know something? I never told anyone this, but that day, with all the chaos and guns, the people screaming and running, I heard something. I heard someone tell me it was going to be okay. Isn’t that funny? Even after I got shot and I lay bleeding on the ground, I heard this voice telling me that I was going to be all right. This soft, angelic, beautiful voice stayed with me through everything, guiding me, giving me the strength to survive. I never understood, until now. I believe that voice was you. I know it sounds weird, but somehow, someway, even then, you knew I needed you and you came to me.”
Kelly felt the tears slowly falling from her eyes. Listening to Daniel, her quiet hero, open up and admit what most veterans had a hard time putting into words, warmed her soul. Nevertheless, it was the admission of the heavenly voice that touched a chord within her. Theoretically, she knew it was just a figment of his imagination, but her faith in God let her believe that he did hear that angel that day. She needed that faith just as much as he did. Daniel may be shy, and on most days, a complete introvert, happiest by himself, but in his time of need, he reached out and his prayers were answered. She prayed he continued to reach for her because she was never going to leave his side.
As he wiped away her tears, Micah returned with a nurse and the doctor in tow. After listening to a bunch of medical crap that she honestly did not care about, her men held her hand as the doctor removed the breathing tube. Coughing hard, she was grateful when Daniel handed her a cup of water. Taking a small sip, she whispered, “Thank you.”
She listened as the doctor told her it would be a couple of more days before she could leave and that she needed to rest after a couple more minutes. The nurse and doctor left, leaving her and her men alone.
“Where’s Molly?” she asked, her voice harsh and scratchy.
“She is with your mother and brother. They are taking good care of her,” Micah said.
“Spoiling her is more like it.” Daniel smiled.
“Did they find the guy who shot me yet?” she asked, looking at Micah and then Daniel. When neither of them spoke up, she asked again, “Did they catch the guy yet?”
“Hey, beautiful, glad to see you awake,” Braxton said cheerfully as he sauntered into her room dressed in his uniform. Micah and Daniel each took their seats right beside her, taking her hand in theirs as Braxton walked over to her and kissed her on her cheek, then took a seat next to her on the bed. “How are you feeling Kelly-belly?”
Smiling, Kelly realized that for the first time since her family came up with that stupid name, she truly didn’t mind the nickname. It was almost endearing. “Not bad for a gal who got shot and lived. How about you? Catch any bad guys that I need to know about?”
“Well, about that. I did manage to nab one the other day. Too bad he won’t be able to stand trial, though. I was really looking forward to testifying against this one, too,” Braxton offered.
“Anyone I know, or some complete stranger?”
“Oh, you know him all right,” Braxton whispered, then looked at Micah and Daniel, who gripped her hands a little tighter, nodding their heads. “It was Glenn, Kelly. He shot you. We found him, just outside Silver Springs, at the Motel 8. He was already dead by the time I got there.”
“Uncle Glenn shot me?” she asked shocked.
“Yeah, he did.”
“Why? He was always sweet to me. That makes no sense.”
“From what the Feds and I can gather, Glenn was hired by someone else to kill you, Emma, Tabitha, and Annie. We found a list with all of y’all’s schedules and such. From what we can figure out, you were the easy target. You stick to your schedule like glue, honey. But as for the others, they fly by the seat of their pants and go where the wind blows them.”
“Are the girls all right? He didn’t hurt them, too, did he?” she asked, concerned for her cousins.
Smiling, Braxton took out his cell phone and handed it to her. Kelly took the phone and grinned. “Emma had her baby.”
“Yeah, she had a little girl. You should see Travis, Tucker, and Tate. They are beside themselves. They named her Tamara Jane.”
“How’s Annie?”
“Oh Gabe and Alex have her tied up, literally. When she found out that you got shot, her men were forced to restrain her, physically, especially when she grabbed a fireplace poker and wanted to roast a cock. Gabe told me they have taken to wearing cups around her lately. Apparently, the first trimester hormones are making her evil. I should know. They got the cup idea from me,” he whispered, looking away at the last part. Kelly tried not to laugh, but knowing how Charlotte could be, she did not fault Jordan or Braxton for taking preventative measures when she was around.
“You never did say why Uncle Glenn shot me,” she said bringing the conversation back to what she wanted to know. Braxton was evading her, but she did not know why.
“He wanted the Romanov money. When word got out about you, your mother and Aunt Sophie brought boxes of information that Margaret had accumulated over the years. It seems that she never trusted Glenn and started investigating him from the moment he married your aunt Isabella. According to her diary, she was going to confront him the night of the fire, when everything went wrong. We now know that it was Stephen Quinn who died in the house, and that Glenn stabbed him with an ice pick right before he set the place on fire. Margaret got Isabella out and told her to leave town with Emma. She lost track of Glenn after that, but she never gave up looking for him. When he resurfaced a couple of years ago, Margaret hired a private investigator to tail him. From what we can piece together, Glenn just happened upon her the night she died and took his chance.”
“So Uncle Glenn shot her, too,” she murmured, looking away. This was all becoming too much. So many lies and deceit, she did not know how much more her family could take. It was one thing for a complete stranger to commit such an act, but for it to be a family member, one that they all knew, it was unthinkable, well, at least it was to her.
Kelly knew her family was not perfect by any means, but they loved each other and were there when needed. For one of them to kill for money, she just could not wrap her head around it.
“Well, I better get out of here. I left Jordan with Charlotte,” Braxton said, kissing her once more on her cheek. “If you need anything, you know where I am at.”
Just nodding, she burrowed into her pillows, wanting nothing more than to block out the thoughts of Glenn, her aunt Margaret, and the pain in her chest. She was too tired to try and compartmentaliz
e everything, let alone try to figure out why. Closing her eyes, she just held on to Micah’s and Daniel’s hands, thankful that they were there with her.
* * * *
It had been a month since the shooting, and Micah and Daniel were worried about Kelly. She was quiet, too quiet, even by her standards. Every little noise seemed to make her jump. She would call several times throughout the day, checking in, letting them know where she was, and even going as far to make sure they were all right. She was even doing this with her own family. At first, her family did not mind, but as the time went by, even they had started asking questions. Micah and Daniel knew what the ramifications of trauma did to the human body, mentally and physically they lived it every day, but they did not let it define who they were or allow it to interfere with their way of life. Of course, they had some limitations, but nothing to the extent that Kelly was exhibiting.
She still suffered from nightmares nightly. Some of them extreme, but Micah and Daniel took it all in stride. They knew eventually she would relax, but until then, they did not know how to help her. She was the one with all the knowledge in this area. She was the one who knew the steps to move past the incident, and yet she refused to talk to anyone about it. However, when they caught her sitting up late last night, with Daniel’s 9mm Berretta, loaded with the safety off, just watching the outside, they agreed enough was enough. It was time to snap her out of it. They wanted their wife back, and they were prepared to use any and all means necessary to get it.
“I’m heading out. Do you need me to get anything before I pick Kelly up?” Daniel asked, grabbing his keys and heading for the door.
“Nope, I have everything set up here. Just make sure Macie knows that Molly can’t have any sweets after six tonight. She will be bouncing off the walls all night if she doesn’t cut her off early,” Micah advised, helping Molly with her backpack.
“But I like candy, Uncle Micah,” she replied sweetly. Kissing her cheek, Micah looked at his niece and grinned. “I know, munchkin, but you turn into the Tasmanian devil when you get too much. We are just gonna have to teach you moderation.”
“What’s that?” she asked curiously.
“What that means is no more candy before bedtime,” Daniel offered with a smile, then said, “Grab your gear, soldier, we have a mission to accomplish.”
Muttering, they both heard Molly reply, “If being a soldier means no candy, I want to negotiate my contract again.”
Laughing boisterously, Daniel looked at Micah. “This is what we get to deal with when she spends time with Matthew, Doc, and Macie. I told you that letting her spend time with a lawyer would come back to bite us in the ass.”
“Um! You said a bad word, Uncle Daniel I’m gonna tell Momma!” Molly said sternly, pointing her finger at him. Both men stopped dead in their tracks and just looked at the little girl before them.
Kneeling before her, Micah pulled her to him and asked, “Molly, you know your momma is in heaven right?”
“I know, but I’m gonna tell my new momma, Kelly. She loves me. She comes and sits with me at night and makes my bad dreams go away. She sings to me till I fall asleep. I like my new momma. She has a real pretty voice. Has she sing’d to you, Uncle Micah? I bet Momma can make your bad dreams go away, too.”
“No, baby, she hasn’t yet,” Micah softly replied.
“I bet if you ask her she will. She is good at making everyone feel better. But…” she trailed off, looking away from him.
“What, baby, what is it?”
“Momma’s been sad lately. Can you make Momma feel better?”
“I’m gonna try my hardest okay.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s go, Marine. We got a mission to accomplish.” Daniel smiled, opening the front door.
“I’m not a marine. I’m a soldier,” Molly said, walking out the door.
“Not in this house you’re not! We are Marines and sailors. We don’t cater to the army around here.”
“But you said I was a soldier.”
Micah laughed as Daniel and Molly fought about the semantics of the branches of military, knowing that no matter what Daniel said, Molly was going to disagree and insist on being whoever she wanted to be. His family was finally coming together, and the little things that made a family were within his grasp. The only factor missing was his wife, and it was now their turn to help and comfort her. He just hoped his idea was going to work. It was a long shot, but he was willing to try anything.
* * * *
He was sitting on the couch when he heard Daniel pull up after picking up Kelly at work. She refused to drive alone anywhere, not wanting to put herself in a position of being without help. She walked in, dropping her bags. She still astounded him with her soft quiet movements and shy smile.
“Hi, Micah.” She grinned.
“Hey, honeybee.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll have dinner ready,” she said as she walked toward the kitchen. Micah stood and stopped her. “Not tonight, baby. Tonight, we are going to take care of you.”
“That’s real sweet, but I don’t mind.”
“I know. That’s why we’re doing this. Come sit down, Kelly. Daniel and I need to talk to you.”
“Is everything okay?”
“It will be.”
Micah waited until Daniel found his seat across from him before he began. When Daniel nodded, Micah started, “Kelly, we love you more than we can ever express. You have shown us both how to live again, to love again, and for that we will be forever grateful. However, honeybee, we are worried about you. You have changed since you came home from the hospital, and we both want you to know that we are here for you. You can talk to us, lean on us, yell at us, and let us help you.”
“I know that,” she whispered.
“Do you really? Since you have been home, you have taken everything unto yourself. You don’t ask for help, but when the lights go out, you sit on this couch, staying awake, protecting all of us. As much as we appreciate it, baby, it’s not just your job. It’s all of ours. We take care of each other, and if you don’t let us help, we feel as if we’re not wanted.”
“Angel, what we’re trying to say is that you gotta start talking. You have to let us in. We want to help you move past this, so you can start living again. We want our wife back.”
* * * *
Kelly sat there and listened to everything they were saying, and it broke her heart to think that she had hurt them. That was never her intention. She only tried to protect them. They had been through so much already. She didn’t want to burden them with her problems. She knew they were right. But how could she talk about her nightmares when both of them lived with their own horrors? Afraid of bringing back theirs, she decided to keep hers quiet, thinking it was best. She never once thought that her actions would cause them pain.
Moreover, just like that she realized she had made another mistake. Instead of trusting in her husbands, she caused more issues that now needed fixing. That was her biggest mistake, thinking she was doing the right thing when in all reality, the simplest solution was the best. She should have just talked to them. If anyone knew what she was going through, it was her men. Instead of using them, she avoided them and her problems, hiding within herself as she always did. “I am so sorry.”
“There is no need to be sorry, angel. We get it. We really do. Just talk to us, okay? Tell us what you are feeling or thinking. If everything gets to be too much, you need to let us know, so we carry the load. You do not have to take it all on your shoulders. Micah and I are pretty big guys. I think we can handle the extra weight.”
She smiled a little, knowing he was right. They both were. She was just scared. That was what it all boiled down to, fear.
“Now, Daniel and I came up with an idea to get you to start talking. It’s not perfect by any means, but it is the best I could come up with on short notice.” Micah smiled. “Besides,” he said softly, scooting closer to her, taking her chin gently in his hand. “We think
you need this.” Kissing her softly on the mouth, she knew he could feel the tremble of her lips. “I think you have been a very good girl who needs to let everything go, and we are going to help you do that, okay?”
“Okay,” she murmured.
“Now, whatever happens, we want you to keep an open mind. If it becomes too much, you are the only one who can stop us, but you will have to say the words. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Daniel go get the camera,” Micah ordered as she watched Daniel get up and leave the room only to come back with a tri-pod and video camera in hand. At the sight of the electronic machine, her nervousness started to rise. She had no idea what they were up to, but she trusted them. She knew they would never hurt her. So going along, she kept quiet as she watched Daniel set up the recorder.
* * * *
Micah was not too sure about this, but after talking with Gabriel and Alexander, they assured him and Daniel that this was a good tool to use when a submissive was holding back. It allowed the sub to find the release needed to come clean and open up. Micah just prayed they were right.
It took Daniel a little while to get the video recorder going, not because Kelly resisted, but because it took a few tries for her to get into character. As the two men watched the final product with satisfaction, not to mention growing erections, they proceeded with the plan. After they removed all her clothes, they had stand in the middle of the living room but tied her hands behind her back. The video showed a close-up of her face as she knelt in front of the couch, her hair cascading over bare shoulders, and her look was convincingly wanton as she begged them to use her, abuse her, and fuck her like a little whore.
Micah knew she could not believe it was her voice because she never ever spoke that way. To him she sounded sexy and alluring. Almost as if he were able to read her mind, Micah said, “It sounds like she means it.” Lifting her gently to her feet, he lowered onto the couch. Kneeling before her, spreading her legs, he said, “I’ve wanted to taste you since you got home, honeybee.” He wasted no time in burying his face into her pussy. She was already shamefully wet as he lapped her juices eagerly.
Kelly's Heroes [The Men of Treasure Cove 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 18
