Once they were all there and settled in, they pulled up the text they all got on the wall of screens so all could see.
“Just a heads up, this is graphic. Turn away if you don’t want to see it.”
Liam paused to see if anyone needed a minute to prepare or turn away, but no one did. Gasps followed when the screen lit up. It was a picture of Carter Landry. A badly beaten Carter Landry, tied to a chair, head sagging, in what looked like an old, dirty brick building.
Colleen nearly choked on the sob that preceded her words. “Go get him. Go get him and bring him home to me. He needs us.”
“We don’t know where he is. This was sent from his phone,” Luke informed, the anger in his voice evident. “There was a cryptic message. Pull it up, Liam.”
Reveal yourself and bring the girl if you want to see him alive.
Daisy let out a breathy huff of a sound before leaving the room and getting sick herself. When she returned, embarrassed all eyes were on her, she said, “Must be something about those tacos and murderers.”
Colleen grabbed one of Daisy’s hands while Magnus held the other.
“They want me.” Daisy’s voice cracked. “They know now. Just like you said. They figured it all out.”
“They don’t get you,” Luke seethed. “Over my cold, dead body.”
“Carter dies if they don’t get me,” she tried to reason.
“Daisy, you die if they get you. It’s not a trade. They’ll kill you both.” Luke’s tone was harsh, and he could tell it frightened her, which was what he’d intended, but she was stubborn.
“I can’t put my life above his, Luke. He’s done nothing but help me. You all have, and I can’t put you in anymore danger than you’re in. I saw them kill the senator without hesitation. I will never forget that sight, or their voices as they left the room like they’d just played a game of cards. They are the epitome of cold blooded, and they have Carter. My guess is you’re all next.”
“You’re right, they have Carter and know he is connected to you. They won’t kill him if they think he’s the only way to get to you. He’s their only bargaining chip,” Wylie stepped in, trying to add reason to relieve the tension.
“They may already be here. Carter may be here. How do you know that isn’t a building here in Portland, that they weren’t at the taco stand just now watching you get the text they sent?”
“Because they have no idea who we are, that there are several of us, or who you are,” Liam answered as he paced the floor. The pieces could be seen falling into place for him.
“You don’t know that, Liam,” she said.
“I do…actually.” And here it came, Liam and his brilliant mind. “Reveal yourself. That indicates a single person. They have no idea how many of us there are. They didn’t use a name, rather said reveal…they want to know who we are. What they’re up against. That’s why they used his phone. We’re probably his only contacts in that phone, and they’re coded – no names or numbers like the rest of us.”
Picking up where Liam left off, Dace took the baton as it all became clear. “The girl. If they knew who you were, they would have said to bring you specifically. All they know is you’re female. How, I don’t know, but we’re still ahead of them on this. We still hold all the cards.”
“How do we locate his whereabouts, Liam?” Declan inquired. “Did they give you anything?”
From behind his keyboard, Liam went to work. “I’m running a search now, but it looks like they bounced their cell signal. I can narrow it down, search for patterns, but this…this is good work. They were smart to use his phone. I have all our phones set up to be nearly untraceable, including Carters. I mean, I can trace them, but I’m sort of…the exception. It’s going to take me time. City, I need your help with this. The coding will take all night – maybe by the time you land—”
“Wait, you’re not still going, are you?”
“Daisy—”
“Look at him!” She stood and moved to the screen, pointing to the image of Carter. “Look at his face…that’s what you’re walking into.”
Luke stood in front of her, placing his hands on each of her arms. “This is what we do…what I do.”
“Daisy, darlin’, my boys are the best at what they do.” Colleen moved beside her, laying an arm around her. “Even the White House, with all its resources and power, comes to my boys. They’re that good. They always come home, love.”
Something shifted in Luke. A hard edge rested in his expression as he crossed his arms. This was exactly why he wasn’t cut out for this. He couldn’t care about someone at home waiting for him anymore than he wanted someone worrying about him. It was a distraction, and in the end, he would only be a disappointment.
“I’m going to use the new program in the background. What better way to test it than on a government job. I’ll triangulate the signal and run the photo through the system – it’s like facial recognition but picks up locations using satellite imagery and so on. The two combined should give us some kind of starting point. I’ll send you updates as I have them.”
Declan stepped in the doorway from the hallway where he’d made a call. Slipping his phone back in his pocket, he said, “Grab your war paint and kiss your women. Jet’s fueled. Wheels up in one hour.”
“Ma, Da…you can stay here while we’re gone. This is too close to home this time,” Luke warned.
“But the pub…” Magnus argued. “I won’t close my doors because of a few thugs, boyo.”
“Da…”
Declan stepped in, relieving Luke of the confrontation about to ensue. “We can put a team on them while you’re at the pub. But when you aren’t there, you’re here. No Sunday dinner this week.”
“I’ll not cancel my Sunday dinner. That’s family time,” Colleen disputed.
Dace’s jaw dropped as he looked to his brothers in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? These are mercenaries, Ma. You know, real bad guys. They aren’t afraid to take down a senator, and now a US Attorney. They won’t hesitate to deal with a stubborn old Irish redhead.”
Colleen turned her nose up and paused for dramatic effect. “Fine. No dinner at the pub.”
“Jesus, thank—” Dace began to say, but was quickly let in on Colleen’s revised plan.
“We’ll have it here, and it will suit you boys to get our Carter back in one piece – all in time for Sunday dinner. Now, that’s all I’ll hear about that.”
She turned and looked at the security detail Declan called up staged at the door. “Let’s go, boys. Looks like you’re stuck with me for a day or three. Magnus and I will feed you when we get to the pub. An Irish whiskey awaits you. Two, if you’re good!”
Dace palmed his face. “Ah, Jesus.”
“They’ll be fine – they know better. It isn’t the first time they’ve been stuck with Collie for a few days,” Declan assured, shaking his head in amusement.
Dace agreed. “Maybe we should just get her on payroll and send Ma in, Jesus.”
Declan laughed at the idea. She was certainly a force. “All right, team break. Meet in the garage in thirty.”
Luke and Daisy gathered her things from the vault and moved them to Luke’s apartment. He didn’t want her alone while he was gone. More importantly, he didn’t want her trapped and unable to get out if something happened.
“This should be better.” Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
“I’ll be okay, Luke. Don’t worry about me.”
“The building is secure, impossible to breach, and—”
“And Liam is here, your parents will be here, City and Lydia…we’ll be okay.”
He cupped her face and searched her eyes. “Promise me, if anything happens, don’t hesitate, you get on that elevator and hit the button. You go back to the vault and wait for me.”
“Luke—”
He shook his head. “Promise me, Daisy. I need to know you know what to do if anything happens.”
“I promise I will go to the.
..vault. Don’t worry about us – we are safer here than you will be. Now, you promise me you’ll be safe. That you won’t make any knee-jerk decisions, lose focus, or...get hurt.”
He laughed and kissed her. “I’m always safe, darlin’. It’s the bad guys who need to worry.” Leaning his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh. “It’s never this hard to leave.”
She reached around and smacked his perfectly round, deliciously hard ass. “Get the hell outta here, jackass. Did that help?”
“No, not at all,” he laughed.
Stretching on her toes, she reached up and kissed him. “How about that?”
“Better.”
“Remember what I was wearing under that dress?”
“Shit…”
“Yeah…remember that. Come home and I’ll show you, okay?” She gave him a teasing wink.
After one final kiss, he knelt to pat Gibson’s head. “Take care of your mama.” The dog whimpered and laid her head down at his feet.
Luke turned to leave, but stopped at the door and swung his head around to face her. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. Instead, he dropped his head, tossed his bag over his shoulder, and left.
Daisy stood there with her arms wrapped around herself, a single tear running down her cheek, and whispered, “I love you too.”
Daisy thought being locked in her proverbial tower was bad, but having the freedom to wander the building and wonder was worse. It seemed food poisoning from the tacos had caught up with City and Daisy both, so the wandering quickly turned to staying on the couch with a cozy blanket in close proximity to the bathroom.
Colleen O’Reilly took it upon herself to play nurse for the women and checked in often throughout the day, making sure they were eating her homemade chicken noodle soup and staying hydrated. Daisy enjoyed being doted on – mostly because it was new to her. She liked Colleen’s motherly attention. She felt like she belonged.
Lydia checked in and kept Daisy company, watching old romcoms with her until they started to make her cry. She missed Luke and was worried sick – literally. Rather than stay in the room she had when she’d first arrived, she took a page from Gibson’s book and slept in Luke’s bed at night, and in one of his shirts to feel close to him. Who knew that man, gritty, emotionless, and hard as he was, could find the fast track to her heart.
It came as a shock when Luke Facetimed her one evening a few days in. Apparently, Liam talked him through how to do it earlier in the day, and he was surprised to learn it was only a matter of pushing a single button. Who knew? he’d said.
He looked tired, stressed.
“Everything okay?”
“It is now,” he said with a weak smile, happy to see her face. “It was a rough day. I just needed to hear your voice. We didn’t find Carter, but we’re closer. Brought down a crime cell connected to all of it.” But that’s all he could say.
She knew that meant something. That taking down meant bloodshed. It was evident; she could see it in his eyes – that was why he needed her.
“Liam said you were sick. Are you okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry about me. Just food poisoning. Colleen is taking care of me. Said to call her Ma, because I’m one of hers now,” Daisy giggled.
Luke laughed. He could imagine just how his mother had said it – not a request, but more of a subtle demand. He liked that his family was caring for her in his absence. It was apparent she liked it too.
“How’s Gibby?”
“Oh, she misses you, I think. She’s moping around, laying on your bed. The guys working for Liam take her out for walks with Dick, but she goes to the park next door, does her business, and comes back in. She doesn’t want to run with them. Even Dick seems worried about her. He’s been here with us, go figure.”
Luke rolled his head in a dramatic fashion. “On our bed?”
Daisy smiled at our. “Yes, of course. For being the size of a small horse, he’s actually not much of a bed hog. He’s quite courteous.”
“I’ll give her a good run when I get back. Might as well take him too. He could use some discipline and manners.” His smile faded. “Liam is closing in. The new software is helping. Without it, a mission like this would have been impossible.”
“He seems stressed too. I’ve never seen him like this, so I’ve been giving him space,” she laughed. “Poor City isn’t feeling well either, and he’s driving her nuts.”
“He’s frustrated. He’s one of the best at what he does, and he’s found a challenge. That doesn’t happen often,” Luke laughed, picturing his brother having one of his smart guy tantrums. “He’ll figure it out – always does.”
“I hope you find Carter soon.” Though she meant what she said, there was more to it than that. She hoped they found him soon – so they could come home soon – so Luke could come home soon.
“I know, baby. We will. We’ll be home soon. You sure you’re okay?”
“I will be.”
He wasn’t sure whether that was a reference to feeling better, or that she’ll be okay when he’s home. Either way, he couldn’t have agreed more.
“I better go. Work to be done and the boys are ready. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay. I’m glad you called.”
He wiped his hand over his face as if emotions were biting at him. “Me too. Bye, baby.”
“Luke!” She caught him before he hung up, but wasn’t sure what was left to say. “Be safe.”
He smiled with a sigh and nodded. They both sat staring in silence for a moment, then she hit the red button and disconnected.
When the line was dead and she could no longer hear, he whispered, “I miss you too.” If anything on this trip had become abundantly clear, it was that.
13
Daisy hadn’t heard from Luke after their one and only call. It had been two days since they spoke when Liam and City mentioned they had zeroed in on where Carter was, and that his rescue was underway. Liam assured her they were the best at what they did, and he’d be watching virtually, offering whatever support they needed. When she’d asked if she could be in the lair when the rescue went down, he’d told her it wasn’t a good idea.
She knew why. This was danger of epic proportions. Who knew what they were walking into? Despite the best intel and being who they were, there were always risks. She witnessed first-hand the quality of people involved and knew if they could so blatantly kill a man in the middle of a high society party full of the most powerful people in the country without a blink of an eye, they wouldn’t hesitate to take a shot at an O’Reilly.
She went to bed, feeling especially ill, maybe from worry, or maybe because the food poisoning had taken its toll. She had fallen asleep in Luke’s bed, in his shirt, holding his pillow tight as she had each night since he’d left. She found comfort in his surroundings, the scent of him everywhere, and said a little prayer before drifting off, hopeful there would be good news in the morning.
Sometime, later in the night, long after she’d given in to sleep, the bed dipped behind her. She stirred from her from sleep as a familiar strong, warm frame cradled her, with his arm wrapping around her, holding her tight.
“Luke…”
“Shhh…” He kissed her head, not once, but twice, so damn glad be home. “Go back to sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost sunrise. Go back to sleep, baby.” And he kissed her again, unable to get enough of her despite his all-consuming embrace.
A tear escaped, and there was emotion in her whisper. “I’m so glad you’re home. I was so worried. Is Carter…?”
“He’s in bad shape, but he’s going to be okay. We can talk about it tomorrow. Right now, I just need to hold you.” His hand drifted from her hip to her ribs, then back again. “You feeling any better? You’ve lost weight.”
“I’ll be fine. How about you?” She looked over her shoulder, his face hard to read in the shadows cast by the moonlight creeping in.
&n
bsp; “I’ll be fine after some sleep. You do the same.” He pulled her even closer, as if there had been space between them. “This makes it all better.”
Daisy relaxed into her pillow and nestled her back to his front, allowing his warm embrace to comfort her while she drifted back to sleep. It was a little easier now that he was home.
Luke took Gibson for a run the following morning, allowing Daisy a little more rest. She needed it after the ferocious bout of food poisoning. That combined with the stress she’d been under, she was exhausted. He needed a good run, and Gibby ran hard right along with him.
It was good to be back, sleeping with her in his arms. He slept good for the first time in nearly a week. He needed her. He didn’t like that he did, but what could he do now? When all they were dealing with was over, things would get complicated. Luke tried to avoid feeling anything for Daisy, even tried to convince her he was no good, but somehow, they’d ended up here – complicated.
Having a life with anyone was never in the cards for him. He couldn’t, not with the life he led and things he had done. People like him did life alone, and he had been content with being alone – until now. The odd part was, he no longer saw himself as a one-night stand kind of guy. Daisy ruined him – for better and for worse. Who the hell knew what was next?
They had time, though. Brother’s Keeper wasn’t done yet. It wasn’t clear if they had all the players in the senator’s death or Carter’s disappearance. As a US Attorney, there would be hell to pay for what they did to him. Playing with reason, Luke pondered what it would mean if they did have all of the suspects and a slam dunk case. It would still take months, even years, before it went to trial. He didn’t have to make any decisions now – and he wouldn’t until he had to. He’d do his best to keep from falling deeper, but how?
He ran harder, faster, punishing himself for wanting to keep her. After what he had done over the years – hell, what he had done in the last few days – he didn’t deserve her. He didn’t deserve someone to come home to, to keep his bed warm and heart full.
Brother's Keeper V: Wylie (the complete series BOX SET): NEW RELEASE + Series Box SET included! Page 79
