Tough as Nails (COBRA Securities Book 10)

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Frankfurters,” Kai sniggered. “Is that like Frankenstein’s hot dog?”

  Wyatt made a lighthearted grab for Kai but he danced out of reach.

  “It was Connie’s doing. She wanted to thank you for helping and since you refused payment, she arranged this.”

  “Is that a portable beer tap I see being wheeled in?” Sawyer asked hopefully.

  “Open bar,” Reed confirmed.

  “Yeah.” Sawyer and Wyatt high fived.

  “Hey, do we have time to run to a souvenir store before we eat?” Kai asked. “I want to pick something up for my parents and my little sister.”

  “Sure.” Reed checked his watch. “They won’t be set up for another hour or so.”

  “I didn’t bring a change of clothes, so I need to purchase another shirt.” Sawyer tugged his sweaty tee away from his torso.

  “Me, too,” Wyatt chipped in.

  “If you guys want to stay here, Kayla and I will take Kai and we can pick up a change of clothes for you. You can shower when we get back.”

  “Why don’t we go see if we can snag a couple of cold beverages while we wait,” Reed suggested.

  “Right on,” Wyatt said.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice,” Sawyer chimed in.

  Reed led the men outside while she and Kayla returned to the cottage to pick up their purses and the keys to the car. She found a large souvenir shop and pulled into the parking lot. Kai scrambled out, mesmerized by the kites flying high in the air with large streamers trailing behind in a colorful display.

  “I want that one…no, that one.”

  She and Kayla shared a smile as they led him inside. They let him pick out shirts for the guys and he predictably selected loud Hawaiian prints for them and one for himself. He also wanted to get one for Reed. The guys got solid color board shorts that matched their shirts and cheap flip flops. Kayla and Hillary picked out Hawaiian print sundresses and matching sandals. Hillary didn’t need the dress since her clothes were here, but that didn’t stop her from purchasing it anyway. Kai loaded down a cart with souvenirs for practically everyone who worked in the office and their families. He had such a big heart, he didn’t want anyone to feel left out. They were small things, but it was the thought that counted. Most would be getting seashell windchimes.

  When they returned to the house, laughter could be heard coming from the beach. She placed the shopping bags on the kitchen bar and padded to the sliding glass doors. Reed, Wyatt and Sawyer were reclining on plastic Adirondack chairs, drinking and laughing. Reed was absently stroking Kota, who was relaxing on a towel on the sand beside his chair. Her heart squeezed. Reed had even placed a bowl of water for him. He’d taken care of her dog. If she wasn’t careful, she could fall hard for this man. He fit in with her coworkers perfectly. When she’d introduced him to the gang, there had been no awkwardness or sizing each other up, as guys were prone to do sometimes. They just clicked.

  The caterers had the tent all set up and adorned with festive lights. Tiki torches were anchored in the sand and the grills were fired up and ready to go. It looked like a veritable feast, judging from the plethora of covered platters resting on a long table covered with a white cloth. There was even a portable bar with an assortment of bottles lined up and waiting to pour.

  “Coming through.”

  She barely stepped out of the way before Kai flew out the door and raced down the steps.

  “Apparently, he’s had his fill of estrogen,” Kayla quipped.

  They laughed as Kai launched himself at Sawyer’s back. Sawyer managed to pass his beer to Wyatt before he tumbled to the sand. Kai’s laughter floated in the breeze. Reed glanced over his shoulder, his smiling eyes finding hers. She couldn’t look away.

  “Damn, you’ve got it bad, girl,” Kayla murmured.

  She would’ve protested if she could speak. Even with the distance separating them, Reed’s gaze felt like a physical touch. She’d never had this kind of connection with another person before.

  “Kai, come wash up,” Kayla called out. “The rest of you can shower when we’re done.”

  Hillary forced herself to turn away. Her heart raced and her skin felt warm. If he managed that with a look, she couldn’t imagine what would happen if they actually got naked together.

  She led Kai to the bathroom down the hall and made sure he had fresh towels. Since the house was used as a rental, it was equipped with travel sized assortments of shampoo and toothpaste, along with toothbrushes wrapped in plastic. Kayla retreated to the bathroom attached to Reed’s room and she headed to hers. Once she finished, she slathered on body lotion scented with coconut and vanilla…a very beachy smell. She donned her new sundress and instead of her usual ponytail, she pulled her hair back with a seashell hair band. After sliding on her sandals, she stepped into the hall. Freshly showered, Kayla motioned for Hillary. She pointed to the closed door where Kai was still showering, his off-key voice belting out one of Layla Brooks’ hit songs.

  She and Kayla shared a smile as the water shut off. They were removing tags from the clothes they purchased for the men when he came out, all clean and adorable. His hair was slicked back from his face. He looked like a miniature version of his dad, who was drop-dead gorgeous. Kai was a heartbreaker in the making.

  “I’ll go get the guys.” He raced for the door.

  “Don’t get all sandy,” Kayla yelled at his quickly-disappearing form and then sighed. “Like that will stop him.”

  Hillary laughed as she cleared the wet towels from the bathroom Kai used and replaced them with dry ones. Footsteps sounded on the deck and then the house was filled with testosterone.

  “Here are your clothes, gentlemen. Kai picked them out for you.” Kayla handed each man a stack of shirt, shorts and flip flops.

  Reed tried to refuse. “I have clothes.”

  “Kai wanted you to have these.”

  Reed smiled at Kai and ruffled his hair. “Thanks, bud.”

  Kai beamed.

  Kayla handed Wyatt his stack. His mouth dropped open.

  “Pink? You got me a pink Hawaiian shirt? And matching boardies? Tell me this is a joke, mate.”

  Kai danced out of his reach, laughing hysterically.

  “Neon yellow?” Sawyer griped. “What, you want me to glow in the dark? Be visible from outer space?” He shook his head at Kai. “What’d you get, Steele? Fluorescent green?”

  “No, I got an awesome navy blue.”

  “What?” Wyatt and Sawyer asked incredulously. “No fair,” Sawyer fake protested. “You’ve known him like an hour. You’re asking for it, kid.”

  Kai wiggled his fingers in a “come and get me” move, dancing from one foot to the other.

  That’s when Hillary realized Kai’s shirt was an exact match to the one he picked for Reed. A little hero worship going on there.

  #

  Rocky gawked at Calvin’s house as he slowly drove by on his way to the motel. A huge dumpster was parked outside and it looked like it was loaded. “Shit, shit, shit,” he chanted. This wasn’t supposed to happen until next week.

  Plan A was to search the house before renovations started. If he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he needed to get a job with the local construction company the network hired to work on the house. Plan B. Bob had come through and scored him an interview with Tony Tindale of TT’s Beach Builds. He hoped with his stolen background, Bob’s recommendation and the fact that he knew the former homeowners, Tindale would hire him on the spot. It was a longshot, but it was his only backup plan.

  Before he’d been sent to the big house, Rocky and Calvin had made a deal sealed with blood. Rocky’s contribution had been complete silence. He’d held up his end of the bargain. Now it was time for Calvin’s part of the deal and all Rocky had to do was find it. Calvin had visited him exactly once in prison, a year after he’d been incarcerated. He swore it was safe but he didn’t get a chance to tell him where he’d hidden it before the guards came in and sent him on his way
. Calvin hadn’t visited again. Now he was dead.

  What if the people clearing out the house found it first? His heartbeat thundered in his ears. He had to get inside, the sooner the better. He hadn’t had a chance to thoroughly search. He’d been interrupted every single time. Tonight was the night. He’d wait until the people were through and then he’d explore. Hopefully a replacement hadn’t been hired for the man who’d tumbled down the stairs. If so, he’d just have to deal with him, too.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Reed hadn’t had this much fun in a long time…since his days in the majors. He and his teammates would often get together for barbeques and beer. This relaxed atmosphere had the same feeling. Friends gathering for food and beverages and laughter. Hillary’s coworkers were awesome. The big blond Aussie they called Holly was hilarious. Sawyer, a former FBI agent, was like a brother from another mother. Kai was a bundle of energy. When Hillary and her roommate Kayla were together, they were breathtaking. Both tall and athletic, with long hair and blue eyes, but where Kayla’s were a light, almost ice blue, Hillary’s were a royal color that he could get lost in for days.

  Detective Kellan Polizzi stopped by to apologize for not being able to get away earlier to help clear the house. Reed invited him to stay and eat. He truly liked the cop, even if he did resent his relationship with Hillary. Polizzi fit in easily with the group and Kai was excited to have new ears to listen to his jokes.

  Connie and her family arrived as well. Connie’s husband Ed was a former collegiate basketball player. He’d suffered a career-ending injury, just as Reed had, and he’d focused on studies. He was now one of the top cardiologists in California. Connie’s twins, Samuel and Simone, had chased after Kai most of the evening, their chortles mingling with the cries of seagulls. Kota was taking it all in with a doggy grin.

  The caterers had set up torches and built a roaring bonfire. The kids were roasting marshmallows for s’mores, their faces smeared with melted chocolate. Soft music drifted from speakers placed on either side of the tent. Several people passed by as they walked along the beach, casting longing glances at the buffet of food and open bar.

  Reed couldn’t take his eyes off Hillary. It was the first time he’d seen her relaxed. Happy. Usually she was all business. Competent and focused. But around her friends, she’d let her guard down. And her hair. It was long and radiant, pulled back from her face by a band so that it tumbled over her shoulders like a golden curtain. He wanted to sift his fingers through the silky locks. He wanted to lower his head and feast on her lips, as he had during that all-too-brief kiss in the kitchen.

  He didn’t know if she realized it or not, but the scar on her chest was visible with the dress she wore. She wasn’t self-conscious about the mark around her friends. It was killing him not knowing what had caused the injury. It had to have been painful. He’d noticed her reluctance to accept the contract when Connie first offered it to her. Did something happen to her on a job? He hadn’t realized before that the round hole in her arm had a matching one on the outside. The perfect size for a bullet. Damn, he hated like hell that she’d been hurt. Her work was dangerous and as much as he respected her, he wanted to keep her safe, too.

  It was late when Connie and Ed bid their goodbyes, each picking up an exhausted twin. Kai drug a chair over and scooted between him and Sawyer. There was barely enough room, but he managed to squeeze in. He really liked the kid. He was fun to be around. Too bad they had to leave in the morning.

  “I wish your arm wasn’t all busted up and we could play catch. I could brag to my friends that I played ball with Reed Steele.”

  “You kidding? I could brag to my friends that I played ball with Kai Costa.”

  Kai rolled his eyes as only a ten-year-old could. “Like they would care. You’re the superstar.” Before he could respond, Kai jumped up. “I almost forgot.” Then he raced away. Reed watched him go and lifted an amused brow at Sawyer. “Did I miss something?”

  “You never know with that kid. He only has one speed: turbo.”

  In seconds, Kai returned with a backpack, plopping down in his chair. It almost tipped backwards but Sawyer was there to right him before he hit the sand.

  “Thanks,” he said absently, unzipping the bag and rooting around inside. Suddenly the song, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” from Mulan rang out. Kai quickly opened the front pocket and whipped out a phone.

  “Hey Dad, guess what? I’m sitting right next to the Reed Steele! He’s so awesome.” There were several “uh huhs” and “yeahs” and then Kai glanced over at him before lowering his head to whisper, “No, Dad, you’re still my favorite. Uh, huh. Yeah.” Louder now, he said, “I don’t know, he’s pretty big. I don’t know if you could take him or not.” Then he wrapped his hand around his mouth to whisper, “Just kidding. You could easily take him but I didn’t want to make him feel bad.”

  Reed burst out laughing. Over Kai’s head, Sawyer shook his head. “Sorry, man, no disrespect, but the kid’s right. You couldn’t take his dad. Hell, you, me and Holly together probably couldn’t. Guy’s a former Navy SEAL.”

  “I was just getting ready to ask him,” Kai replied in response to something his dad said. “Yeah. K. Love you, too. Bye,” was said “loveyoutoobye”. He shoved his phone back into a pocket, dug around inside the bag and whipped out a baseball mitt with a flourish. He stuck his hand back inside and came away with a black Sharpie. “Would you sign my mitt? I can’t wait to brag to my friends that I met you.” Kai started to hand him the items then pulled them back. “Can you write with your cast?”

  “I’m right-handed so no problem. Where do you want me to sign?”

  Kai studied his glove, looking for the best spot. “I would say inside because there’s more room and it’s smooth, but it’ll wear off. How about here?” He indicated space on one of the fingers. Reed took it from his hand. Man, it was a Rawlings, like he used to wear. Sometimes he missed baseball so much, it was a physical ache. The sounds, the smells, the fans. He signed his name and handed it back to Kai, who gingerly accepted it like it was a prized possession. He remembered the first time he’d gotten an autograph by a baseball player. He’d been a few years younger than Kai. His dad took him to a game and they arrived early so he could stand down by the dugout while the athletes warmed up. He waved his program and when his favorite player jogged over and signed it, Reed had been on cloud nine. He’d framed it, and it hung on his bedroom wall in his parents’ house to this day.

  Baseball had been his life, his entire focus from the time he could walk until the day they wheeled him off the field on a stretcher. He’d never wanted to do anything else. He lived and breathed the sport. As much as he loved what he was doing now, nothing could ever take the place of his first love. Maybe he’d look into coaching Little League when he returned to California.

  Trying to distract himself from the maudlin thoughts, he asked Kai, “Do you know what the mitt said to the baseball?”

  Kai’s eyes lit in excitement. His teeth bit into his bottom lip and he gave the question serious thought. His eyes widened and he lifted a finger in the air. “Hit me with your best shot?”

  Reed chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, but that’s a good one.”

  Kai thought for a minute longer and then shook his head. “I give.”

  “Catch you later.”

  Kai slapped his knee and fell out of his chair laughing.

  Reed glanced up to see Sawyer, Wyatt, Kellan and Kayla all watching Kai and laughing. He moved his gaze to Hillary and she was laughing, but she was looking directly at him. He smiled back, the chemistry between them strong. He’d never had this kind of connection with another woman, including Daniella.

  Kai pushed to his feet and brushed sand from his clothes. He stopped and slapped his head. “I almost forgot.” He reached back inside his backpack and whipped out another glove, this one smaller, and it was pink and purple. “It’s not mine,” he was quick to point out. “For my little sister.” He smiled sheepis
hly. Reed signed in the same spot and watched as Kai carefully placed it back inside his bag.

  The caterers started to break down the tent. Reed glanced at his watch. It was almost midnight. The hours had flown by. They all stood and offered to help the crew pack up but they politely refused. Kellan said his goodbyes and headed for his car. Reed grabbed Kota’s leash, not that he needed it, the dog was so well trained, and waited while he sniffed at some beach grass and then relieved himself. They made their way back inside the house. He had a happy buzz going on, from the friendship and the free beer.

  “Dibs on the couch,” Wyatt called out.

  “Kayla can stay in my room. Sawyer, do you mind sharing the other room with Kai?”

  Sawyer feigned outrage. “The kid snores like a freight train.”

  “I do not,” Kai insisted, unoffended. “I call the top bunk.”

  “Bunk beds.” Sawyer shook his head sadly and trailed after Kai.

  Reed wanted to walk up to Hillary, pull her into his arms and kiss her goodnight. Better yet, tug her into his room, peel the dress down her arms and slide his tongue down her soft skin. His body reacted to the carnal images, so he quickly said his goodnights before he embarrassed himself.

  Something woke Reed and he was instantly awake. He glanced at the clock. It was almost two. He’d been asleep for a little over an hour. He tossed back the sheet and grabbed the board shorts he wore earlier, pulling them over his boxer briefs. He opened the door to see Hillary and Kayla rushing from their room, fully dressed. Sawyer and Wyatt were in the living room slipping on their shoes.

  “What’s happening?”

  “The silent alarm went off in the house.”

  “Let me grab my sneakers.” He turned for his room but Hillary gripped his arm, stopping him.

  “Please stay here, Reed. Kai’s asleep. We can’t leave him alone.”

  He wanted to argue. The house was his responsibility. He might not be a security specialist, but he could handle himself. But she was right. Someone needed to stay with Kai. They were trained for this. He wasn’t. “I’ll stay.”