by Vaughn, Ann
Colt's phone rang, drawing Mike's attention when he heard the big man greet his wife. He watched as Colt's expression changed from hard to tender upon answering, to concern once he heard what she was telling him. She'd been really sick with this pregnancy for weeks now and it sounded like things had taken a bad turn, based on the way Colt's end of the conversation was going.
"OK, baby, just...God...OK, I'll be there as soon as I can...there is nothing more important than you."
Mike met Riley's gaze as they listened to Colt console his wife. Mike pulled up a text to his uncle and arranged for a plane to be ready to fly Colt back to Wyoming.
"I've got to get back to Sarah," Colt said as soon as he ended his call.
"My uncle's jet is waiting for you at the airport," Mike told him.
"Thanks. I hate to leave you but...she started vomiting blood and...God," he said, wiping a weary hand over his face. "She's just really scared."
"Oh, man," Riley said, placing a hand on Colt's shoulder, "I hope everything will be all right."
"I've got to get back."
"I'll take you to the airport," Riley told him. "Mike, you good?"
"Yeah, I've got this. Hang in there, Colt," Mike told him, giving him a quick one-armed hug. "Keep us updated."
"I'll leave my stuff running here," Colt said, gathering up the rest of his things.
"Don't worry about this, we've got it covered. Go take care of your family."
Colt nodded, "Thanks. I just can't -" he started but his voice choked up.
"Come on, man, let's get you to Sarah," Riley said.
Colt nodded and blindly followed Riley out the door. Mike hoped that everything would be all right with Colt's wife. In all the years he'd served with Colt, he'd never once seen fear in his eyes. The big man looked terrified now, though. Mike glanced up at the loft area and his bedroom door. That's what women did to a man. He barely knew Lainey, but the thought of something happening to her brought real fear to his heart.
He worked on the schematics for security for the Adtkisson's estate for the Founder's Day Ball in between the checks he was running on Charles Conroy. The fact that Lainey knew him helped, but at the same time, he was afraid her feelings for the man Conroy had been would cloud her perception of the level of danger she was in. She viewed him as someone to be pitied and, as such, she may not be quite as cautious as she should be regarding him.
His phone rang and he saw it was Gib.
"Casiano," he answered.
"Conroy's house is empty. Neighbors say he hasn't been home in a while. Mail is piled up, looks like going back about a month. Got the standard, 'he's quiet, keeps to himself' lines from all we spoke to. No one knows who he works for. We do know that he drives a tan Chevy Silverado pickup. I don't think that was listed on the records Colt pulled this morning."
Mike scanned the reports Colt printed. "Registered vehicle is a red Dodge Ram."
"The neighbor across the street thinks she may have some pictures with his truck in the background that may show us the plate. She's looking through her files now; said she'd text us if she found anything."
"Excellent. Listen, Colt had to get back home, his wife is in the hospital with pregnancy complications."
"We'll keep them in our thoughts and pray everything will be all right. We're heading up to the hospital now to check on Tessa."
"Send her my best. Let me know how she is."
"Will do."
Mike glanced at the clock and realized he hadn't fed Lainey breakfast. Getting up, he went into the kitchen to see what his housekeeper had stocked the fridge with and found grapes. He put some on a tray with a glass of juice and went upstairs. In his room, he could hear the jets from the tub going and had to fight down an overwhelming wave of desire at the thought of her in his tub.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
"Yes?"
"Can I come in?" he asked. There was a brief pause and then she replied.
"Yes."
He opened the door and found her neck deep in the water and thankfully covered with frothy bubbles.
"Thought you might be hungry," he said, placing the tray on the side of the tub. He made a point of keeping his eyes on her face, resisting the urge to let them sweep the length of the tub, looking for weak spots in the bubbles.
"Thanks," she replied softly.
"Riley took Colt to the airport; there is an emergency with his wife and he had to get back home," he told her.
"Oh, no!" Lainey exclaimed after he explained what happened. "That's awful. Oh, I hope everything will be all right."
"Me, too," he said, eyes searching her face. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, taking a sip of the juice he'd brought.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking...now that I know it is Charles, maybe the next time he calls, I can talk to him, get him to realize what he's doing is wrong."
"Perhaps," he said, turning toward the door to leave.
"Mike?"
"Yeah," he replied, his back still to her.
"Is something wrong?"
He turned his head slightly so she could just see his profile over his shoulder.
"I'm not made of steel, cara, and the bubbles are thinning. See you downstairs."
She smiled broadly as he left, feeling as high as a kite. She loved the way things were developing between them and couldn't wait for things to move to the next level...and they would; she had no doubt about that. Mike Casiano was finally in her sights and interested in her; nothing was going to stop her now.
Chapter Ten
Lainey was glad she'd packed a couple of her nicer dresses and shoes. She hadn't anticipated being invited to a formal dinner with Mike's family, but she was glad her mother had anticipated that she may need something nice and had packed a few dresses. She chose a simple little black dress that was elegant but conservative and paired it with her three-inch Louboutin heels, which were her
current favorites. She kept her make-up light and after a debate, decided to leave her curls rather than straighten them, because Mike seemed to like them. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Mike was just emerging from his closet. He wore black slacks, black jacket and a white shirt, open at the collar, though he was carrying two ties in his hand. She felt her heart flutter at the sight of him.
"Skip the tie," she said, when he held them up for her to see.
"Yeah?"
"You look nice, and it's just a family dinner, right?"
"Yeah. Just a family dinner," he said, and the way he said it made her think he was dreading going. She watched him walk back into his closet to put the ties up.
His eyes found hers when he emerged. The intensity of his gaze never ceased to amaze her. He took her breath away. She didn't know how she was going to make it through this whole ordeal, being with him pretty much twenty-four, seven. It had only been a few days but she was already well attached to him.
He crossed over to where she sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the shoe she'd sat on the bed. She watched him turn it over in his scarred hands, studying it before handing it back to her.
"How in the world can you walk in that?"
She slipped it on and stood, seeing that the three inches really didn't make that much difference; she was still nearly a foot shorter than him.
"Lots of practice."
"Ready to go?"
"Yes," she replied, picking up her purse.
He offered her his arm as they walked down the stairs to the elevator. She noticed that he'd grown quiet and his mood was dark as they made their way to his Escalade.
"Have you heard from Colt?"
"His wife is in the hospital, they're monitoring her closely. Not sure what has caused the vomiting or the bleeding. Everything with the ultrasounds seem fine for now."
"They must be so scared."
"I've never seen Colt more terrified than he was when he left."
The rest of the drive to his family's home passed in silence. Lainey had nev
er actually been to Jeannette's house but she was well aware of where it was; she had to pass it every time she went to Kacee's house. He pulled up to the gate and used his remote to access it, then drove up the long drive to the circular driveway up front...where a valet was waiting to take his keys.
"Welcome home, sir," the valet said when he opened Mike's door. Another valet came around and opened Lainey's door and helped her out. She walked around to Mike, who placed his hand on her back to lead her to the steps, then took her elbow to help her up.
"Thank you," she said softly as they approached the door.
He turned his head to look down at her, just as the front door opened. Lainey tore her gaze from Mike's icy eyes, and then froze when she saw the man at the door. She looked from him, to Mike, to the man and back to Mike.
"I take it you didn't tell her you were a twin," the other man said.
"Never came up," Mike replied. "Lainey, Nick. Nick, Lainey."
Her eyes widened and her head snapped around to regard Nick, who smirked.
"Ah, but you did tell her about me, I see."
"Are you going to let us in or just stand there and gloat?" Mike snapped.
Nick stepped aside, making a grand sweeping gesture for them to enter.
"By all means."
Mike led her inside and then kept them walking, ignoring Nick altogether. Lainey glanced over her shoulder to see that Nick had walked off in the other direction, so she stopped Mike in the grand foyer.
"If you want to leave..." she began but he shook his head.
"I'd never hear the end of it. Just ignore him."
"But, he's your twin!"
"Yes, he is," he said, looking up when he heard his mother approaching.
Lainey noted that his head came up well before she heard Jeannette's heels clicking in the hall. Riley and Trevor did that a lot, too. It was spooky.
"Lainey! I'm so happy you could come," Jeannette said, holding her hands out to Lainey and leaning in to air kiss each cheek.
"Thank you for inviting me."
"Michael," Jeannette said, and Lainey saw how she had to fold her hands together to keep from reaching out to touch him, "how are you?"
"Fine," he replied.
Mike's father walked in, looking very much like an older version of Mike...and Nick, she supposed. He held out his hand to shake Mike's but that was the only contact they made.
"Who have you brought us, son? She looks familiar."
"Dad, this is Lainey Riley, Chief Riley's daughter. Lainey, my father, Lorenzo Casiano."
Lorenzo took her hand and raised it to his lips, "Welcome to our home, Lainey. Your father and I have a tee time next weekend, I believe."
"Oh, Lorenzo, you always have a tee time," Jeannette said, linking arms with Lainey. "Michael, go with your father, I'm going to take Lainey to meet the girls."
Lainey looked at Mike over her shoulder as Jeannette led her away. He had his hands shoved in his pockets and looked like he was standing there watching paint dry; there was absolutely no animation in his face at all. His eyes were dull, and cold as ice.
"Jeannette, give me just a moment, please," she said, pulling her hand away. She turned and walked back to Mike, seeing him raise a brow at her as she approached.
"Excuse us for one moment, please, Lorenzo?" she said, sliding her hand along Mike's forearm to link her arm with his.
"Certainly," he replied, and Lainey walked Mike a few steps away from him.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked.
She faced him, looking up at him. "Are you all right?"
He frowned. "I'm fine."
"We don't have to stay here," she told him again.
"It's only a few hours. I'll survive."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
She stood on her toes and reached up to pull him down so she could kiss his cheek.
"OK, see you in a while, then," she said, giving him a wink and a saucy smile.
She started to walk off but his hand tightened on her elbow. Surprised, she looked up at him, unsure of what she was seeing in his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Think you missed a spot," he said, his voice soft and smooth as silk.
"Oh yeah?" she asked, smiling at him. "Where would that be?"
"Here," he said, touching his other cheek.
Lainey laughed. She couldn't help it. He was teasing her and she loved it. Standing on her toes again, she again kissed his other cheek.
"Better?"
"Much," he replied, raising her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "Have fun."
She laughed and went back to Jeannette, who was watching her with a huge smile on her face and tears shimmering in her eyes. Jeannette quickly embraced her then took her down the hall to where Mike's sister, Gia, sat with two other women.
"Lainey!" Gia said, getting up to greet her. "Are you OK? How are you? Kacee told me all that was going on with you."
Lainey embraced Gia, smiling at her. Gia had long dark hair and blue eyes, but her eyes were a few shades darker than Mike's.
"I'm good, how are you?"
"Good. Kacee said one of Mike's friends was hurt at your offices?"
"Across the street from our offices. She's going to be fine, though."
"She??" the woman to Lainey's left said.
Lainey looked over at her to see a beautiful woman, tall, with long blonde hair and amber colored eyes.
"This is Carolina, my brother Nick's wife," Gia told her.
Lainey regarded the woman who left Mike for his twin and had to fight to control her temper at seeing her.
"Carolina. Yes, Mike mentioned you," Lainey said and couldn't keep the frost out of her voice.
"I'm Brooke," the other, younger woman said, "I'm Andre's wife." Brooke had brunette hair and bright hazel eyes. Lainey decided she liked Brooke, but the jury was still out on Carolina.
"You mean, Mike actually talks to you?" Carolina asked. "I swear that man hasn't spoken more than ten words since he came back to town."
Lainey looked from Carolina to Gia. "He stays quiet when he's around?"
Gia glanced around to her mother, then back to Lainey. "He's very...stoic most of the time."
Jeannette was studying Lainey as she listened to all the girls speak about Michael. Lainey wasn't liking anything she was hearing and it was obvious Michael had told her about Carolina because Lainey wasn't very receptive to Nick's wife at all. She'd been overjoyed at seeing Lainey touch Michael and kiss his cheeks. Lainey Riley was proving to be the answer to Jeannette's prayers.
Mike leaned against the far end of the bar in his father's "lounge", holding a glass of whatever it was his father had poured for him, listening to his brothers argue about a case they were working on. Some things never changed, he thought.
"Like old times?" his father asked.
"Yeah, sure," Mike replied, staring down into his drink.
"I walked past the living room on my way here. Your Lainey looked ready to eat Carolina for lunch."
That brought a smirk from Mike as he thought about it. "I'd pay real money to see that...but she isn't my Lainey."
Lorenzo laughed, "Sure she isn't."
"She's my client."
"Oh, is that what she is?"
Mike sighed. "Don't start, Dad."
"I didn't say a word," Lorenzo said, walking away.
Mike shook his head, downing the rest of his drink.
"Drinking now, soldato?" his younger brother, Andre asked.
"Looks like," Mike replied, refilling his glass.
Nick came up, slapping Andre on the back. "He's out of the service now, so I guess that means he's loosened up enough to partake."
Their mother walked in before Mike could reply.
"Leave your brother alone," she admonished Nick. "Dinner is ready," she told them. Mike downed the drink he'd just poured and walked out without a word to the rest of them. Lainey was standing with Gia just outside of the dining room. When she saw him, she s
miled and crossed over to him.
"Hey," she greeted him, "you OK?"
"Fine," he replied.
"There you are," Carolina said, coming up to Mike. Lainey noticed she stopped short of touching him. "Relax, Mike, your aura is pulsing like a neon sign."
"It usually is though, isn't it, soldato?" Andre asked.
Mike nodded to Andre. "Andre, Lainey. Lainey, my younger brother, Andre."
Andre shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Lainey."
"You do realize that you are insulting your brother when you refer to him as soldato, don't you?" Lainey said as she shook his hand.
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, clearly looking confused.
"Your brother was in the Navy, therefore he was a sailor, not a soldier."
"Lainey," Mike cautioned, his voice low.
She glanced up at him and smiled, then looked back over to Andre.
"That is, unless, of course, you were meaning to insult him. In which case, that makes you a truly, horrid person and a sorry excuse for a brother," she said sweetly, then walked away leaving the guys standing there in open-mouthed astonishment, Mike included.
"Damn," Andre said, "don't tell Brooke...but that was freaking hot!"
Mike shook his head. "Damn Irish," he said, going to Lainey's side, "You are really something, Ms. Riley," he said into her ear.
She smiled up at him and reached up to place her hand on his cheek. Behind them, a few gasps sounded from Gia and Carolina. Lainey didn't care. She loved the look she saw on his face just then. Jeannette came and asked everyone into the dining room. Lainey withdrew her hand from his cheek and placed it on his arm and allowed him to escort her inside.
She glanced around at the table once dinner got underway, watching how conversation flowed. Across from them, Nick was glaring at Mike. She glanced up at Mike only to see he had his eyes on his plate. She sighed. There was such a chasm between Mike and his family. She could tell that he perpetuated it by not interacting; and his family was so used to his withdrawal that they didn't even bother to include him in their conversations. Her blood pressure was beginning to rise. These people were his family, yet they seemed to have no clue what he'd been through, what he'd sacrificed to keep them all safe so they could all sit there and ignore him. And he allowed it! That's what upset her the most: that this man who had led some of this country's most elite fighters into hell and brought them safely back out again was just sitting back and letting this happen.
