by Apryl Baker
“This is Viktor. He’s…” She pursed her lips, trying to figure out what to say. She hadn’t actually hired him.
“I’m Viktor Kincaid of Kincaid Security and Investigations. I’m her personal security.”
“Fat lot of good that did her.” Carl scratched his nose and turned back to Sara, dismissing Viktor.
Sara saw him flinch. He was going to blame this on himself when it wasn’t his fault. She should have listened to him and stayed put instead of running from her feelings. If she had, none of this would be happening.
“What happened?”
She pulled her attention from Viktor and back to Carl. “I was pulled into the stairwell by a man wearing a ski mask. When I fought him, he hit me in the face. I kicked him so hard in the nuts he should be singing soprano for a month.”
Carl’s lips tilted up. “Smart girl.”
“I tried to push him away, but he caught me as he fell, and we both went down the stairs. Viktor came running when he was dragging me down the stairs. He took off, and Viktor took care of me.”
“You didn’t go after him?” Carl looked over at Viktor, who stood rigid and stone-faced.
“No. Sara’s welfare came first.”
Carl nodded, wrote a few things down. “Did you know him, Sara?”
“Of course, she knew him,” Viktor spat. “It was Roger.”
Carl’s eyes narrowed, his lip curving into a snarl. “Now, what evidence do you have of that?”
“It wasn’t Roger.”
“It was,” Viktor argued, but she shook her head.
“No, it wasn’t. I was married to the man for seven years. I think I’d know his voice.”
“He spoke to you?”
She nodded. “I slammed my head back into his. I’m pretty sure I broke his nose, because he said…” She broke off and gestured toward Delia. “I’d rather not repeat what he said in front of my daughter.”
Carl flipped a page in his notebook and handed it to her. “Write it down.”
She did as he asked and gave it back.
He read it, his eyes going hard. “You don’t have any idea who this was?”
“Oh, I know who’s responsible.” She flexed her shoulder to alleviate some of the soreness. “Roger is responsible for this.”
“Now, Sara Jane, you might want to think before you start accusing. You said yourself you didn’t see the man.”
“Who else would have any reason to hurt her?” Viktor moved from where he’d been leaning against the sink and came to stand by her. He did not like the tone of voice the deputy adopted.
“Why would her husband want to hurt her?”
“Oh, I don’t know…maybe we can ask him why he’s been hurting her for the last seven years?”
The deputy’s lip curled, but Sara put up a hand. “Carl, you can believe me or not, but the truth is the truth. My husband, your friend, beat me for a long time. He’s pissed because I finally left him and pressed charges for his assault on Delia. He’s the only person who has any reason to want to hurt me.”
Pride swelled within Viktor for Sara’s strength. She wasn’t flinching away from the truth or backing down. She was fighting. Only now she didn’t have to fight alone. He would bear the brunt of it if she let him.
He was pissed at himself for letting her out of his sight, knowing Roger was probably wound tight, just waiting to blow. He’d never forgive himself for her getting hurt on his watch.
“I’ll stop by the garage and speak with Roger.”
Deputy Dipshit’s remark pulled him out of his dark thoughts. “Let me guess. There’s really nothing you can do?”
“There are no witnesses, and Sara said herself she didn’t see her attacker, so leads are pretty slim. We’ll check the hospital cameras, but I don’t know what we’ll find. Depends on if there any cameras close to the exit her attacker fled through.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing I called my Uncle Pete in the state police.” Viktor took extreme satisfaction from alarm that crossed Deputy Dipshit’s face. “He’s going to have a few cruisers start swinging by the farm and trolling through town.”
“There’s no need for that…”
“There’s every need for that.” Viktor’s voice went quiet and cold. “If the local police can’t handle a domestic violence suspect, then it’s time for the state police to step in.”
“I’m tired.” Sara leaned against the raised half of the bed. “Do you have any more questions, Carl?”
“Not right now, but I may come out to the farm for some follow-up questions or if we find a suspect.”
Viktor snorted. The man would no more try to find who did this than Viktor would smile and thank Deputy Dipshit for all his hard work.
Sara shot him a warning glare. He glared right back at her. His woman might be in pain, but no way in hell was she going to sway him from protecting her from asshats like the deputy.
The man said his goodbyes and left, leaving the three of them alone. Delia tried to squirm out of his arms, and he tugged her close. “Malyshka, your mama is hurt. If I put you down, you have to promise no climbing on her.”
“I promise.”
He settled her on the foot of the bed, and her lower lip wobbled. It went straight to his heart. He hated there was nothing he could do to make this better. Any other child would be in tears, screaming at the sight of their very battered mother, but not this one. She was so used to seeing Sara in this condition, it didn’t even faze her. It wasn’t right.
“I’m okay, honey. I promise.” Sara smiled, or at least she tried to. It looked more like a grimace to Viktor, but Delia didn’t care. She understood what her mother was trying to do.
“Does it hurt?”
“Just a little bit.”
His phone rang. Kade. He started to let it go to voicemail, but he wasn’t about to have a repeat of the last time he didn’t answer. He needed to know what was going on with Matthew. “Did you get our kid back?”
Kade laughed at his brusque question. “Hello to you too, Viktor, and yes, we brought him home. His name is Mateo.”
Viktor grunted. He knew Kade and Angel named him Matthew, but Mateo was probably the only name the kid knew.
“He’s going to need some therapy, but we’ll get him sorted.”
The things that boy must have witnessed growing up in the cartel chilled Viktor’s blood. He’d need more than “some therapy.” The kid was going to need a lot of intensive therapy.
“How’s the case going?”
Instead of answering his brother, he looked over at Sara. “I’ll be right back. It’s my brother.” Once he was in the hallway, not more than a foot from her room, he put the phone back to his ear. “This shit is going sideways fast.”
“Tell me.”
He told him everything from Sara’s mother to Mason to the attack on Sara. “Uncle Pete’s going to do what he can, but I may need a few more men on this. Local police aren’t worth shit.”
“Fuckin’ locals.” Kade didn’t even try to hide the contempt in his voice. He’d grown up around here too, and they’d had more than a few run-ins with the local police in this and the surrounding counties. If it hadn’t been for Uncle Pete, all of them may have ended up with a record.
“Is Mason going to be okay?”
“Yeah, they said he’d sleep most of the night. I’m going back upstairs as soon as Sara gets released. I don’t think they’ll admit her. She’s banged up, but not serious enough to keep her. I’m going to have Gabe drive out and take her home. I don’t want to leave Mase.”
“I’m surprised you’re letting Gabe drive her.”
“Why’s that?” Viktor wasn’t really paying attention. The doctor had gone back into the room and was talking to Sara. Viktor leaned in, hearing the doctor confirm everything he’d just told his brother. They were going to get her release papers ready. He nodded to the doctor as he left Sara’s room.
She gave him a thumbs up, and he gave her his lazy smile. She’d
taken nearly ten years off his life when he’d seen her lying there in that stairwell. His heart had seized up, and a fear unlike anything he’d ever known gripped him and hadn’t let go until the doctor told her she was all right.
“Because when our women are hurt or in danger, it takes an act of God to pry her away from us.”
“You been talking to Conner?” He strolled back into the room and sat in the chair across from Sara.
“Yeah. Should I say congrats?”
Viktor grinned. “Yeah, you can say that. I just got to convince her. She’s gun shy.”
“Well, that can’t be helped, all things considered.”
“I know, that’s why I’m taking this slower than I normally would.” He raised an eyebrow at Delia, who was inching closer and closer to her mother. She smiled sheepishly and settled back down at the foot of the bed.
“Well, don’t be too slow. If she meets Conner, who is a better-looking fucker than you are, she might decide to toss her chips in with him.”
“Motherfucker, don’t you even joke about that.” He knew it was a jest, but it didn’t sit well with him. He and Conner were identical twins, but there was something about his brother that set him apart. Dark and twisty he may be, but he was a charming bastard who could convince men and women to strip down.
Delia’s lips formed a perfect O, and he groaned. Dammit.
Sara sighed wearily.
Sorry, he mouthed at her.
“Conner is buying knives. He seems to be under the impression guns aren’t good enough to scare the pecker-heads.”
“I agree with him.”
“Angel thinks she’s having a girl.”
Viktor laughed so hard, he bent over, wheezing. Dear God in Heaven. His mother told them all they’d be cursed with girls, and she’d been right. “You are fucked.”
“No more than you, motherfucker.” The snide tone wasn’t lost on Viktor, and he glanced over at Delia.
“Shit.”
Kade burst out laughing. “When do we get to meet them?”
“We have to deal with the ex, and then I have to convince her she’s mine. Then you get to meet her and Delia.”
Sara’s head snapped up at that, and her eyes narrowed. He smiled at her.
“That’s our girl’s name?” Kade muttered something to someone in the background. It was noisy. He was probably at the airport, getting ready to fly home.
“Yeah, she’s pretty as a peach. We’re going to need an arsenal to keep the little fuckers away.”
“Language, Viktor Kincaid!” Sara shot up. “I don’t care how much I hurt, if you don’t stop cussing, I swear to God, I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap.”
“You can try.” He shot her another grin.
“She sounds feisty. I like her already. Put me on speaker.”
“Why?” Viktor asked suspiciously.
“Motherfucker, just put me on speaker.”
Viktor sighed loudly and did as he asked. “My brother wants to say hello.”
“Hello, ladies.”
“He talks funny too!” Delia’s singsong voice was followed by a giggle.
Kade gasped. “I do not. You talk funny!”
Delia laughed. “Who are you?”
“I’m your Uncle Kade, and I can’t wait to meet you. I have a little boy about your age. His name’s Mateo.”
“Uncle?” She cocked her head curiously.
“Mmm hmm. You belong to us now, little one, and no one will ever hurt you again. I promise.”
Viktor ignored the utter shock on Sara’s face and listened to Kade talking to Delia.
“I’ve never had a niece before,” Kade went on, “so if I mess up, you have to promise to forgive me.”
“I will.” Delia turned her attention to Viktor, who reached out and took her hand, a sense of peace settling within him. It was like a missing piece finally clicked into place. A light went on, and he understood in that moment, this kid was his. She belonged to him. Sure, she might not have come from his loins, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t meant to be her father.
Convincing her mother of that was going to take some doing, though.
“I just wanted to tell you both one thing.” Kade cleared his throat. “Dobro pozhalovat' v sem'yu.”
“What does that mean?” Delia frowned.
“It’s Russian. It means welcome to the family.”
The grin that lit up her face brightened the whole room. Viktor took the phone off speaker. “Thanks, brat.”
“They belong to us now, whether they know it or not. You tell me what you need, and you got it. I can send Dylan down, if you want. He can help you dig up dirt and find some evidence.”
“That would be great. I’ll pay his salary myself.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to. Dylan has strong feelings about kids.”
“I know.” Dylan Jenkins was one of his squad members from the Marines. They’d gone through some shit together, and he knew all about how Dylan lost his family to a drunk driver. Even though his wife lived, she couldn’t bear the death of their daughter and had killed herself. “If he can catch the first flight out here, I’d appreciate it. Either myself or Gabe will pick him up at the airport.”
“I’ll have him call you with the details, brat. I have to go. They’re calling for our flight to board.”
“See you soon, brat.” Viktor disconnected the call and avoided looking directly at Sara. He didn’t want to see the anger sparking in her eyes. She had to know what that conversation was about, and he wasn’t up for a fight right now. He just wanted to be thankful she and Mason both were going to be okay.
“Do I belong to you, Viktor?”
Delia’s question caused her mother to gasp.
Viktor hauled the little girl up and pulled her into his lap. “Yes, malyshka. You and your mother both belong to me and to the whole Kincaid clan. We just have to convince your mama of that.”
“But what if Mommy doesn’t want to belong to you?”
“Doesn’t matter, malyshka. She’ll come around.”
“You need to stop this.”
The quiet force in Sara’s voice caused them both to look at her. She was livid. Viktor could deal with her anger more than he could that defeated look in her eyes he’d seen when he’d first found her on the stairwell.
“You can fight me all you want, Sara Jane, but you and Delia are mine. I will give you all the time you need to come to terms with that because you’re still healing from your past. You’re scared. I get that, and I’ll work through it with you, but you’re my forever.”
“The hell I am. I don’t even like you.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “You like me, and you know it. Pretty soon, you’re going to fall so hard for me, you’ll wonder how you managed without me.”
“So, you’re saying you already fell for me?”
“I’m falling, sweetheart. Harder and harder every day.” Once he came to terms with the fact she was his, he stopped fighting. The minute he did that, he understood the truth. He was falling for the woman, and he embraced it. He’d searched his entire life for the kind of love his parents shared, and the woman in front of him was that chance. He’d fight tooth and nail for it, even play dirty if he had to.
And he’d enjoy playing dirty with Sara.
“I…” She cleared her throat and ducked her head. He grinned at the flush that bloomed across her cheeks.
The nurse came in to wrap her sprained wrist and saved her from having to answer. Viktor let her have her peace. There would be more than enough time to convince her of the truth.
But before he could start his assault on her heart, he had to deal with her bastard ex.
And that was something he was going to enjoy.
Delia refused to leave until Mason woke up. Considering how much she’d cried, Sara gave in. Her body ached for a hot bath and her bed, but there was no saying no to the wobbly lip.
And so she sat in Mason’s room, trying her damnede
st not to sneak a peek at the shirtless man her daughter was latched on to. Nurses had never found that shirt they’d promised to look for. Every time one peeked at his muscles, she got grouchier and grouchier.
How was she supposed to ignore everything he said? One minute she’d convinced herself to stop getting in her own way, and the next she was terrified he’d break her heart if she let him in. He was right. She did like him. Too much.
And he kept telling her she belonged to him. Red flags all over that statement. They barely knew each other, yet he’d gone and decided she was his. He was insane. His entire family was insane. They’d just accepted her and Delia because he’d gone and declared his intention.
If she were honest with herself, she liked the way he made her feel with all his possessiveness. And that scared her because she was coming out of a relationship with a man who thought he owned her. Sara kept questioning if she was falling for the same situation all over again.
She was more confused than ever.
“Hey.” Viktor slipped his fingers into hers. “You okay? Need any pain meds?”
His fingers felt right nestled within hers. She had to fight the urge to yank away from him because of that.
“No, I’m good.”
“Do you want to go home? Mason may not wake up tonight. You need a hot bath and your bed.”
That was what she’d just been thinking. A soft smile graced her lips. Roger never thought about her needs, but from the moment she’d met Viktor, that was all he’d done.
“Do you really want to try to make her leave before she sees Mason is okay?” She nodded to her sleeping daughter. They really shouldn’t let her nap so much. She’d be up all night.
Viktor chuckled. “It’s the wobbly lip. Who can say no when she does that?”
“She knows it too.” Her daughter, for all her shyness, knew how to get what she wanted.
He scooted his chair closer to hers. “You need ice for your face. It’ll help with the swelling. Same for your wrist.”
“I will when I get home.” The heat from his body seeped into her. He was always warm. Their twined hands caught Sara’s attention. Her fingers looked delicate wrapped around his, and that was strange. Sara had short, almost fat fingers, inherited from her grandmother. It was something she’d always lamented. She wanted those long, graceful fingers so many other women had. But in Viktor’s hand, they looked as delicate and graceful as anyone’s.
