[4 Seasons 01] Seducing Summer
Page 22
“Is he looking after you?” Phoebe asked the question at lunchtime, not long after they’d arrived at Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. They’d dropped their stuff off at a motel on the outskirts of town, and they were now in the town center catching some lunch before her final appointment at the large lingerie shop just along the street from the café. The town was busy, and felt very subtropical with the palms lining the streets, the bright sunshine, and the extremely humid weather.
Callie had answered her phone and walked a short distance to the nearby fence surrounding the café’s garden, intending to keep the call private. Julia sat at a nearby table, but Gene had followed her, and now leaned on the fence next to her. She flicked her fingers at him, telling him to give her some space. He just raised an eyebrow above his sunglasses. She stuck her tongue out at him. His lips curved up at the corners in a sexy little smile. Her cheeks grew warm as she remembered the pouch with the two lubes and what they’d gotten up to, and his smile turned into a grin.
“Callie?”
She snapped back to the phone call and looked away. “Oh. Sorry. Actually, he’s being a pain in the arse right now. He won’t leave me alone.”
Phoebe laughed. “Good. That’s what I’m paying him for.”
Callie had told her that Gene had confessed who he was. “I have one question,” she asked curiously. “Why did you ask him to be my bodyguard? I mean, why him in particular? He’s the director of the company—surely one of his men would have sufficed?”
To her surprise, her mother fell silent for a long moment. It was rare that Phoebe couldn’t think what to say, and Callie’s brow furrowed. She glanced up at Gene, who was looking away across the street.
“Mum?” she prompted.
“I… I can’t tell you. But… you… you should know.”
“What do you mean? What’s this about?”
“Put me on to Gene.”
Callie hesitated, then passed the phone to the man at her side. He took it and pressed it to his ear.
“Hello?” He watched the shoppers strolling along the pavements as he listened. Callie slid her gaze down him, admiring the way his shirt sleeves clung to his impressive biceps, and the fit of his superbly cut suit. He’d revealed to her that the reason he wore a three-piece was because the waistcoat was a bulletproof one. For some reason that turned her on. She had no idea why.
“Are you sure?” He was frowning now, and he glanced at Callie. Then he said, “Of course. I will. Yes. Speak to you later.” He handed the phone back to her.
“Okay, darling, I’ve got to go,” Phoebe said breezily.
“What’s going on?”
“Gene’s going to tell you, because I can’t. Darling, I’m so very sorry.”
“Mum…”
But Phoebe had hung up.
Callie slid the phone into her pocket and frowned at Gene. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Hold on.” He collected their two mugs of coffee from the table and brought them back to the fence. “Here.” He gave hers to her, and they both leaned on the fence.
“Why won’t Mum tell me what this is about?” she demanded.
“She’s embarrassed and ashamed,” he said. “And it’s hard for her, because she knows you adore your dad.”
“My dad? What’s this got to do with him?”
“It’s about something that happened in the Army, a long time ago. You told me about the time your mum came home early, and she’d had an accident?”
“Yes. That was when she said they were getting a divorce.”
To her surprise, he took off his sunglasses and tucked them in his trouser pocket. His eyes were gentle, concerned. Her heart began to race.
He sipped his coffee. “I was a lieutenant then. I was stationed in the same place as your father. Normally, he would have rented a private place, but he’d only arrived the week before with your mother and they’d been given temporary married quarters on the base. That night, I happened to be walking past the officer’s block when I heard a woman scream. I ran into the block, and found Phoebe… She was lying at the bottom of the stairs. She was conscious, but badly injured. The worst thing, though, was that she told me she’d been arguing with your father. He was drunk, and she’d told him she was leaving him. He’d hit her, and that was what had caused her to fall.”
Callie stared at him. “What?” Her head spun. “Dad hit her?”
“I helped her up and took her to the first-aid tent, and they patched her up, but she refused to go back to your dad, and she left the next day.”
“Oh my God.”
“You should know that I don’t think he meant to push her down the stairs. They were arguing—I think maybe she’d said she was going to leave him and had been making her way from their quarters, and he struck out in a fit of temper, and she lost her footing and fell. She didn’t press charges against him, but she did use it in her divorce application. The thing is, I gave evidence in court to back up her application. We kept in touch, and she knew when I started up my own security company. She trusts me, and that was why she wanted me to protect you.”
Callie felt nauseated. “Jesus. Why didn’t she tell me?” She couldn’t believe her mother had kept it quiet all these years.
“Because she knows you love your father, and she didn’t want to spoil that relationship.”
“For fuck’s sake.” She banged her hand on the fence. “When will she stop making decisions for me?”
Gene looked pained. “I’m sorry. I would have told you, but I didn’t feel it was my secret to tell.”
She wasn’t angry with him—in fact, the thought of him being there for her mother was strangely comforting. It was the whole situation, and the thought of her father doing something so awful.
“I…” The sentence she’d been about to say trailed off. Walking toward her, through the garden of the café, were two men. Normally, she wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but there was something about them that made her catch her breath. Maybe it was the look of determination in their eyes, or the hard, mean look on their faces. Or maybe it was the fact that Ian was running at full pelt along the road toward them.
The next few seconds passed in a blur. Ian yelled, causing Gene’s head to snap around. Julia leapt to her feet. The two men separated, moving fast to either side of her, the one on the left slightly in front.
Gene acted immediately, intercepting him before Callie could blink. She wasn’t sure how he did it—an elbow to the stomach, the heel of his hand to the man’s chin, maybe—but in seconds the guy was on the ground with Julia on top of him, yelling in his ear as she pinned him to the floor.
The other man dodged around some startled customers, and then he came for her. Ian leapt over a table, scattering cups and plates everywhere, but he wasn’t fast enough. Leaving the man on the ground to Julia, Gene spun and turned to step in front of Callie just as she saw the approaching man’s arm come up, something glinting in his hand.
She knew Gene was wearing a bulletproof vest. And she knew he was there to protect her. But all Callie could think was that the man had a gun, and Gene was standing in the way of the bullet.
She shoved him, hard. Taken by surprise, he stumbled, just one step, but it was enough.
There was a flash of light. An incredibly loud noise. Something thumped into her shoulder with enough force to spin her around and send her tumbling to the floor.
Someone screamed. She saw the guy who’d shot her fighting with another man. Hands were on her, pressing something against her shoulder, moving her, talking to her. She heard Gene’s voice, calm, urgent, directing, instructing, and then his face loomed into view.
“Hold on, Callie,” he said. His gray eyes bored into hers, hot and fierce. “You crazy girl. Hold on.”
She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she couldn’t get her mouth to form the words.
Then everything went black.
Chapter Thirty
Callie’s eyes fluttered slowly open.
She felt tired, and her shoulder throbbed with a deep ache so intense it made her feel nauseated. Her throat was dry, and she swallowed with difficulty.
At that moment, one of the nurses looked around and smiled, and they both walked over to her.
“Hello, Callie?” The first nurse bent over her. “How are you feeling?”
“It hurts,” she whispered.
“We’ll give you something for that.” The other nurse was already doing something to the side, and within seconds, Callie felt a rush of something through her veins and everything went hazy. Morphine, she thought.
She licked her lips. “Can I have a drink?”
“Of course. Just a few sips.” The nurse held a straw to her lips and she took a few sucks of icy cool water. It was the most beautiful drink she’d ever had.
She laid her head back on the pillow, conscious that she was moving slowly, as if she were drunk. “What happened?”
“You’ve had an operation,” the nurse said. “To repair your shoulder. You were shot.”
“Shot?”
“Yes. Luckily, the bullet missed anything major. The operation went well and you’re going to be fine.”
She’d been shot. In New Zealand! For some reason, she found that extraordinarily funny, but when she tried to giggle, it came out as a groan.
“Nice and quiet, now.” The nurse checked her drip and adjusted something. “We’ll take you up to the ward in a little while.”
She wanted to ask what had happened at the café, but was aware that the nurses probably wouldn’t know.
“Just rest,” the nurse said, so she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
*
When she woke again, she was somewhere else, in a room on her own. It was dark outside the window, and in the corridor the lights had been dimmed to reflect the late time of day.
“Callie?”
She rolled her head on the pillow to see her mother sitting beside her. Phoebe stood as she saw her daughter was awake and leaned over her.
“Sweetheart.” Phoebe cupped her face, her eyes filled with concern. “How are you?”
“Sore,” Callie whispered. Her shoulder throbbed again, a terrible, dragging pain that made her want to moan.
“Here.” Phoebe pressed something into her hand, a little tube with a button. “Press this and it will give you a shot of morphine.”
Callie did so, and within seconds she felt the now-familiar rush, the lightening of her head, the release of the pain. “Oh. That’s better.”
“Do you want me to fetch a nurse?”
“No, I’m okay.” She gestured to the water on the table, and Phoebe brought her a cup to sip.
“There.” Phoebe replaced the cup and perched on the edge of the bed. “I’m so glad you’re awake. I was terribly worried.”
Callie looked up at the ceiling, trying to get her thoughts in order. She remembered the man striding toward her, Ian yelling, the flash of the gun, the thud in her shoulder. But the rest was a jumble of sights and sounds, the smell of spilled coffee, the taste of something bitter in her mouth. Adrenaline, she thought. “What happened?”
“One of Kirk’s men shot you. You pushed Gene out of the way and took the bullet yourself. He’s furious with you.”
“I bet he is.” Had she really done that? No wonder he was mad. It had been instinct—she’d just wanted to keep him safe. “Did the men get away?”
“No, darling. Gene’s agents took them down. They’re in custody now, telling the STG all about Darren Kirk.”
“Will they catch him?”
“Hopefully very soon, and then we can put this horrid business behind us.”
“Where is he?”
“Kirk?”
“No.” Callie’s brain was muddled. “Mr. Bond.”
“Gene?”
“Is he at the office?”
“No, darling, he’s standing outside, ready to rugby tackle anyone not in a white coat. He hasn’t left your side since you were shot. He feels terribly guilty, I think. Do you want to see him?”
“I don’t know. How do I look?”
Phoebe eyed her shrewdly. “Why should that matter?”
Callie gave a sulky shrug.
Phoebe’s lips curved up. “I see.”
“No you don’t.”
“It’s all right. He’s a great guy, and I think he’s in love with you.”
Callie stared at her, the words sinking into her morphine-addled brain like a stone sinking into treacle. “What?”
“It’s written all over him, darling. He’s out of his mind with worry about you.”
“Oh my God.” How could she face him when she was in this condition?
Phoebe squeezed her hand. “I’ll go and get him.”
“No, wait.” She swallowed painfully. “He told me about you and Dad.”
“Oh.” Regret crossed her mother’s features. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“You should have told me.” For years, Callie had blamed her mother for her parents’ breakup. She felt terrible knowing the real reason for it.
“I didn’t want to come between you and Dad.”
Callie knew there was an awful conversation coming with her father, but she wasn’t going to worry about that now. “I just wanted to say sorry for what you had to go through.”
“Don’t talk about that now. You need to concentrate on getting better. I’ll go and get Gene. I know he’d like to see you.”
“No, I…” But it was too late. Phoebe had opened the door and slipped outside.
Callie attempted to feel if her hair was in order, and gave in when she found it spread all over the pillow. It wouldn’t be so bad if she could get her mouth working in conjunction with her brain.
The door opened again, and Gene came in. He paused, then walked up to the bed, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He obviously hadn’t shaved for a day or two, and stubble darkened his usually clean-shaven jaw, while dark patches lay under his eyes.
“My God,” she said sleepily, “you look awful.”
He gave her an exasperated look. His eyes blazed with anger. “You can talk. Look at you! Getting shot in the shoulder. Seriously. What a stupid thing to do.”
“I saved your life,” she said, a little sulkily.
“Do you expect me to feel pleased that you acted so foolishly?”
“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to laugh.” She stifled a giggle.
He glared at her. “Is that supposed to be funny?”
“Kind of. I’m high as a kite.”
He glared at her. “It’s my job to keep you safe. What on earth made you push me out of the way?”
“I thought the man was going to shoot you.”
“He was!” His voice rose. “I was wearing a bulletproof vest!”
“It might have missed it.” Against her will, her eyes filled with tears. “Don’t yell at me. I just wanted to keep you safe.”
He blew out a breath as she became upset, and he took his hands out of his pockets and came up to the bed to hold her hand. “Callie… I didn’t mean to yell. I am angry that you didn’t let me do my job, but what you did was wonderful and brave, and I’m touched beyond belief that you would risk your life for me. You crazy, crazy girl.”
She sniffed. Her shoulder pounded, and she clicked the morphine button again. Her eyelids drooped. “I’d do anything for you.”
“And I’d do anything for you. You mean more to me than anything else in the whole world.” He leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers.
“I love you,” she said, and fell asleep.
*
“Morning.”
Gene looked up from his iPad to see Callie awake, her head turned on the pillow toward him.
“If it is morning,” she said, looking a
t the window. “I’ve lost all track of time.”
“It’s morning.” He put down the tablet, rose, and went over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Does your shoulder hurt? Do you want the button?” He lifted the device and held it out to her.
She pushed it away. “God, no. Never again. I was all over the place. I can hardly remember last night at all.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face and gave him a wary look. “Did I say anything stupid?”
His lips curved up. “Not at all.”
“Oh.” She sighed. “Good.” She tried to push herself up the bed, and failed. “Can you help me sit up?”
“Of course.” He slipped an arm around her and lifted her carefully, raising the end of the bed to support her. “Is that better?”
“Thank you, yes.” She rearranged the covers and then patted the side to encourage him to sit. “You look better today.”
He sat beside her. “I went back to the hotel room, had a shower and a shave.” Phoebe had also convinced him to catch a few hours’ sleep, and he’d agreed once he’d been able to see for himself that Callie was okay.
“I seem to recall you telling me off last night.” Her face was pale, but her blue eyes weren’t glassy the way they had been the night before, and now they danced with laughter.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m sure that was the last thing you needed.” He hadn’t been able to stop himself. He’d been out of his mind with worry for hours, from the moment he’d realized she’d been shot until they’d told him she’d come around.
“It’s okay. I understand. I didn’t mean to do it. What I mean is, it was instinct. I didn’t think of myself. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”
“You’d make a good protection officer,” he said.