Seeking Vengeance: Callaghan Brothers, Book 4

by Abbie Zanders

  Sean grinned. “Not even Taryn knows about this yet, Mags. “

  “Ooooo,” said Maggie excitedly, her eyes sparkling. “An exclusive. I’m honored.”

  “You should be. But... I’m not even sure there’s really that much to tell.”

  “Start with the basics. What’s her name?” Maggie rubbed her belly, both hands making large circles, her breaths deep and even.

  “Nicki.”

  “Hmmm, pretty. Is that short for Nicole? Nicolette?”

  Sean frowned. “Not sure.”

  Maggie waved it off. “Doesn’t matter. Where did you meet her?”

  “The garage, actually.”

  “Car trouble? That’s what brought Taryn into town, right?” Maggie sharply sucked in a breath. “Another kick,” she explained when Sean looked at her suspiciously.

  “Yes to Taryn, but no to Nicki. She’s visiting her brother, Nick. He works for me.”

  “Nick and Nicki?”

  “Yeah,” Sean smiled. “Twins.”

  “You’ve got something in common with her already, then, huh.” She shifted on her seat. “So, I’m guessing she’s gorgeous. Probably a perfect size six.” She looked down ruefully at her big belly.

  “She is beautiful, Mags. Sexy as hell, too. Full of fire.” He paused, a frown tugging his lips downward. “She’s working up at Angels while she’s in town.”

  “No wonder she caught your eye. I hear Callaghan men really go for exotic dancers,” she joked, reminding Sean of how she and Michael had met when she danced at Ian’s bachelor party as a favor to a friend.

  “She’s something else. I’ve never met anyone like her. I want to throttle her and kiss her at the same time. And when the other guys were watching her dance? I wanted to kill every one of them. That’s not like me, Mags.”

  Maggie looked at him thoughtfully. “Michael told me once that something just clicked inside him when we met. That everything changed. Maybe that’s what’s happening to you, too.”

  “Maybe, I don’t know. I can’t explain it, Mags. One second, everything was fine, life as usual. The next – hell, it was like a grenade went off. No, make that three grenades. One in my head, one in my chest, and one in my pants.”

  “And what about her? Does she feel the same way about you, do you think?”

  That’s what he loved about Maggie. No smart-assed comments, no words of doom or salvation. Just acceptance and genuine interest. He couldn’t conceive of talking to anyone else about this. His brother, Michael, was a smart – and very fortunate – man to have her.

  He thought about it as he chewed a few more cookies, washing them down with a healthy swig of milk. Ah, whole milk. He knew she kept it around just for him and his brothers; she only drank soy herself. Maggie was the best.

  He filled her in on the little bit he knew, leaving out the explicit details, but it was enough that she got the idea. Maggie blew out a breath and seemed to relax a little, looking at her watch. “Sounds like the real thing to me, Sean,” she said, sounding slightly winded again. “You owe it to yourself to at least find out.”

  He nodded. “Except I think she despises me.” He probably shouldn’t have grinned when he said it, but damn, he liked the fire in her eyes and the way she challenged him. Nicki Milligan was definitely a woman who would keep him on his toes.

  “There is a very fine line between love and hate, Sean. If I had to guess I’d say she’s probably scared stiff.”

  “Yeah?” Fear was definitely not the first thing that jumped into his mind. Lust, maybe. Anger, probably. Defiance, absolutely.

  “Yeah. I felt exactly like that around Michael when I first met him. Still do sometimes. When it hits you, it hits hard, and ... ” she paused briefly “... you just don’t even know if you can handle it.” She clenched her teeth and sucked in a breath.

  “Mags?”

  Sean reached out to her and she latched on to his hand as if it was a lifeline. His eyes widened as the realization hit him. “Oh, fuck, you’re in labor, aren’t you?”

  She nodded, breathing through the pain.

  “Maggie, we gotta call Mick.”

  She shook her head vehemently. “First one... takes... forever. Rather be... here ... as long as... I can. Hate... hospitals...”

  “Sorry, Mags. I love you, but...” Sean whipped out his mobile and hit the speed dial. “Mick, yeah, Sean. Listen... Yeah, I think so... Hang on...” He looked at Maggie. “Did your water break?” She nodded. “Yeah.” “When?” Maggie looked at the clock. “T-T-Ten... “

  “Ten minutes ago?” She shook her head.

  “Ten of eight...” she blew out.

  The clock read nine-fifteen. “Holy shit, Mags! Mick, she says her water broke over an hour ago.” Sean was forced to hold the phone away from his ear; even Maggie could hear her husband cursing a blue streak. “Yeah... About two to three minutes, I think,” Sean said, his eyes sharp and accusing. “Uh-huh... got it.”

  Sean pocketed the cell. “Oh, Mags, he is so going to paddle your ass for this one.”

  She nearly collapsed in relief as the pain ebbed away and smiled weakly. “That’s what got me into this mess in the first place.”

  Despite himself and the worry he felt for her, he smiled. “Come on, Mick’s waiting for us at the hospital.”

  “I thought you were the nice one,” she complained in a breathless whoosh as he helped her to her feet. “I gave you cookies.”

  Maggie struggled to walk on her own, but the next pain had her nearly doubled over. Sean slung her bag over his shoulder and scooped her up easily into his arms. “Sorry, babe. Common mistake – Shane’s the nice one, and I’m under strict orders here. Hey, you’ve got one hell of a grip, you know that?”

  He got her settled into the car as quickly as possible, then took off like a bat out of hell.

  “Have you thought about asking her to work at the garage?” Maggie said in between dog-like panting breaths as Sean drove expertly down the mountain roads at speeds that probably shouldn’t be attempted below ten thousand feet. He glanced over to see her gripping the dash with one hand and the door with the other.

  It took him a while to realize what she was talking about. “Nicki? Yeah, I was thinking about it, even brought it up as a possibility to Nick, see what he’d think. If she’s really as good as Nick says, I’d be stupid not to. But I don’t know, there’s a lot of testosterone in the garage. I might have to kill one or more of my guys. And I really don’t know if it’s a good idea to work with someone I’d like to get involved with.”

  “Yeah.... Could be a problem. Sean?”

  “Yeah, Mags?”

  “Hurry.”

  He pressed the gas pedal to the floor and engaged all twelve cylinders of the sleek black Jag. Sean whipped up to the Emergency Room entrance in a perfect horizontal slide to where Michael was waiting with his preferred team. The door was opening before he even came to a complete stop.

  “How are we doing, sweetheart?” Michael asked, his calm, soothing voice at odds with the quick, efficient way he moved. Incapable of answering, she looked at him with wide eyes, her knuckles white from where they gripped the seat.

  “There’s hardly any time between them now,” Sean said, his voice also holding the unshakable calm of his brother’s, though his body was tense, coiled. “She didn’t tell me she was in labor, Mick,” he added on.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Michael muttered. As Maggie gasped for breath, he placed his hands gently along her belly. “That’s a big one,” he said as another intense contraction ripped through her. With his big body blocking her from view, he slipped his hand beneath the cotton dress she wore and gave a tight smile. “You do like to test me, don’t you, baby?”

  She clenched her teeth, stubbornly refusing to cry out against the pain that was ripping her apart from the inside. “Wasn’t ... bad... till... now.... Had... time.”

  “Well, sweetheart, we’re out of time. This baby is coming now, and I mean right now. Look at me, Ma
ggie, look at me. Breathe. Don’t push yet, no matter what, got it?”

  She nodded, her face growing paler by the second as she fought against her body’s natural need to push. Michael looked over his shoulder at the staff awaiting his orders. “After this one, we get her into the first open room in the ER, got it? We’re not going to make it up to OB....”

  Sean paced the waiting room with the others, who’d been arriving non-stop as the news spread. They’d already received word that Maggie delivered within minutes of arriving, a ten pound, six ounce strapping baby boy, and were anxiously awaiting further information. They had yet to speak with Michael; he insisted that both Maggie and the baby undergo thorough examinations afterward under his watchful eye, and was unwilling to compromise in the slightest.

  A somewhat harried looking nurse came in finally and told them that Maggie and the baby were relocated to the sixth floor maternity ward and would be able to have visitors shortly. The relief on the nurse’s face was apparent.

  Within the hour they were fighting back their grins as they neared the room en masse. Maggie’s voice was clearly audible in the hallway.

  “But why not?” Maggie was saying, exhaustion coloring her voice. “I’m fine, the baby’s fine.”

  “Maggie,” Michael said patiently, “it’s just one night, just as a precaution.”

  “It’s ridiculous, that’s what it is,” she answered.

  “This from the woman who almost gave birth in a car because she was too damn stubborn to get to the hospital like a reasonable woman.”

  “It’s a natural process, Michael. Women were giving birth for thousands of years before modern medical centers. It wasn’t uncommon for women to give birth in the fields and get right back to work.”

  “You don’t work in the fields, Maggie. And this is not the Middle Ages.”

  “We’ve been here nearly three hours already. Please, Michael, take us home.”

  Maggie’s total and complete dislike of hospitals and the medical community in general – her husband excluded – was well-known, so it surprised no one. Several of them chuckled silently, though all were wise enough to wipe the grins off their faces the moment they caught a glimpse of Michael warning them to not, under any circumstances, encourage her.

  Michael smiled proudly as they entered, effectively silencing any more pleas from Maggie, at least for a little while. “Come, and see our son.”

  One by one they took turns admiring the latest family addition. With a shock of black hair and intense blue eyes barely visible thru his half-open lids there was no doubt as to which side of the family he took after.

  “Jesus, Mick, he looks just like you.”

  “He’s a Callaghan, no doubt,” said Taryn, with a mischievous glint in her eye. “But really, if you’re going by looks alone, it could be any one of you.”

  That drew a chorus of laughs. Taryn knew every bit as much as she did that the bond between a Callaghan and his croie was unbreakable. “It must be Michael’s,” Maggie teased, “because he’s definitely taking after his father. All the nurses are already falling all over him. They just can’t seem to keep their hands off him.” Her eyes twinkled fiercely. “I just might need to take someone out soon if it continues.”

  “I’ve got your back, sister,” Taryn winked. Michael shot her a look, but nothing could diminish the look of pure joy on his face.

  Chapter Six

  A good hour later, Sean made his way down to the lobby, the grin still on his face. Maggie had let each of them hold the baby; he still couldn’t get over how small the boy had been in his large hands, even though everyone insisted that a ten-and-a-half pound baby was considered large. Michael had boasted proudly that his son dwarfed the other newborns for the entire five minutes he was in the nursery before Maggie insisted he be returned to her side.

  Sean chuckled again. Maggie was quite possibly the sweetest, most open-hearted woman he knew, but she was ferocity personified when it came to protecting her family. A slight twinge had him absently rubbing his chest. Michael was a lucky son-of-a-bitch.

  A casual glance toward the coffee shop had him doing a double take. Nicki sat in a booth at the far end, head down, looking as if she was about to do a header into the cup of coffee that sat in front of her. At least he thought it was Nicki.

  Sean’s steps slowed. He instinctively kept out of her direct line of sight, but she never once looked over his way. Yes, that was definitely Nicki. He would recognize that delicate, feminine profile anywhere. Every curve, every line was already etched in his memory. His hands twitched and flexed, doing a little remembering of their own.

  There was something decidedly different about her today, and it was more than just a lack of makeup and a sexy get-up. She seemed more natural, more real. Looking at her now, it was hard to envision the seductress that damn near brought him to his knees the night before. It both confused and intrigued him.

  Sean didn’t realize she wasn’t alone until he saw her head bob as if in agreement, saw her lips move in response to whomever sat across from her. Why was she here? Who was with her? And why did she look so damn sad?

  He should probably just keep walking, but something wouldn’t let him. Not allowing himself to think too much about what he was doing, he followed his instincts and slipped into the gift shop, angling himself slightly behind the large display of magazines and paperbacks available for purchase. From this vantage point, he could catch occasional glimpses of Nicki, but she would be hard pressed to spot him.

  It only took a moment or so for Sean to recognize Nick’s voice as well. Hushed and low, it carried easily once he zeroed in and concentrated on them and them alone. It was a skill that had served him well in the field.

  Sean felt only a momentary flash of conscience for eavesdropping, but the strong warning in his gut overrode it. There was something going on with those two, and Sean had a lot more questions than answers. He silently justified his actions by reasoning that if he didn’t know what the problem was, he couldn’t help fix it. Nick was his top mechanic, and Nicki was – well, he didn’t really know what she was yet – but he figured that if he could help, he would.

  * * *

  “You’re too fucking soft,” Nick said harshly. “That’s why you always get hurt.”

  Nicki hung her head. What could she say to that? Nick was right.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” he continued. “Why do you even care?”

  Nicki ripped pieces from the paper napkin, rolling them into little balls with her fingers and letting them drop onto the table. A cinnamon roll sat untouched off to the side. Nick pointed to it. Nicki nodded and pushed it toward him. Seeing her mother unconscious and hooked up to all of those tubes and machines eliminated any appetite she might have had.

  “The same reason you do,” she answered. "Because she’s our mother.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, Nicki,” Nick said coldly. “That woman could go straight to Hell for all I care and I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep over it. She was never a mother to me. To either of us. But especially not to you.”

  He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair. Hanging loose, it was almost as long as hers. “Christ, Nicki, how can you even look at her after what she did?”

  “Shove it up your ass, Nick. You’re the one that fucking texted me, remember?”

  “Yeah, because I thought you should know. Because I knew you’d be pissed if you found out I knew and didn’t tell you. Not because I wanted you to do anything about it. She doesn’t deserve it.”

  “You want me to go? Fine. I’m outta here.” She’d had just about enough of people trying to push her into the shadows, tell her what she could and could not do. Nicki grabbed her bag and made to get out of the booth, but Nick’s arm reached out and grabbed her.

  “You know I didn’t mean that. Christ, you make me fucking nuts!” He blew out a heavy breath. “I’m not ready for you to leave yet, Nicki. Please.”

  Nicki slid back into place, her head
lowered as she took another sip of her coffee. Silence stretched between them for one minute, then two.

  “Did she even recognize you?” Nick said softly. “Does she even know who you are?”

  “Does it matter?” she asked quietly.

  “What matters to me is you, Nicki. Goddammit, I can’t stand to see your heart ripped out every time that woman fucks up and you think you can save her. When are you going to realize she doesn’t want to be saved? Maybe she wants to die. God knows she’s been trying hard enough to make it happen.”

  How many times had she been through this? How many times had Charlene sworn she was going to clean herself up and do better? Nicki hadn’t seen her in years, but she’d made sure that Charlene had a decent place to live, that her bills were paid off when Charlene didn’t have enough.

  Nick didn’t know that, though. Neither did Charlene. No one did, nor could they.

  Despite her best efforts, a single tear fell onto the table, absorbed by the little paper spheres.

  “Ah, fuck, Nicki. Don’t do this.”

  “I’m sorry, Nick,” she said, wiping at her eyes but not looking up. “I just have to. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I just want her to know she’s not alone.”

  Nick sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know. Do what you gotta do.” Nick slid out of the booth and gave his sister a quick kiss on the top of the head. “Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid like blow town again without saying goodbye, yeah?”

  She nodded wearily, but her eyes didn’t meet his.

  “Alright. I’ve got a few things to finish up at the garage. Why don’t you head back and crash for a bit? Christ, you look beat.”

  “You’re working today? It’s Saturday.”

  “I know, but I promised Sean I’d have this Escalade done for pickup first thing Monday. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours. I’ll be home well before your shift. Hey, we’ll get a pizza tonight, yeah? Anything you want on it.”