by Maddie Wade
~~~
Dane put a hand to the small of her back as he guided her back towards her home.
She was pissed with him, and he felt bad about how he’d handled things. He never would have treated Lucy like this, so he shouldn’t treat Lauren like it either. He didn’t know what made him act so out of character around her, he just had the overwhelming need to protect her. He would have to go about things better or he would ruin this before it got started.
He could tell by her reaction that she needed to be treated as an equal and that’s what he would try to do, but she also needed to stop being stubborn and realise that he was in charge when it came to her protection. Dane sighed. He had a feeling this might be a bit of a sticking point. Oh well, good things were never easy and he had a feeling this thing between him and Lauren could be a very good thing.
~~~
“Listen. I know you know what you’re doing and you’re good at it. However, I’m used to making my own choices, not having them made without my knowledge. I understand you’re the expert in security and the like and if you’re willing to help me then I’m grateful. But, please talk to me first. Tell me what’s going on. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” Lauren was calming down as they walked towards home and she let her anger go. It was wrong to be angry with him. He didn’t know that he’d hit a trigger for her insecurities and he was just doing what he thought best. Although he could have behaved a bit, less like a douchebag in her opinion. She did not intend to tell him that though.
“No you’re right, and I promise to try and make sure you’re involved from now on.”
They both turned when they heard her name called. Nate stood beside the Fortis truck that was parked outside Lauren’s place. He had a man with his arms zip-tied behind his back, on his knees if front of him.
“Lauren, I don’t want to hurt you. Please listen to me.”
She watched as Nate pulled the man up to his feet and frog-marched him towards her. Stopping ten feet in front of them, Nate shook the lad.
“Shut up before I gag you.”
“Is this the guy from last night?” he asked, and Nate nodded. “Yes.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Lauren,” the lad implored and strangely, she believed him. “I don’t want you hurt like the Thompson woman was.” Her blood ran cold at his statement and for the first time in her, life she knew what the statement ‘seeing red’ meant.
Without any thought for herself, she launched herself at him. Grabbing his T-shirt, she shrieked, “What do you know about Claire?”
For the second time that day, she was seized around the arms as Dane hauled her backwards.
“What the fuck, Lauren? Stay back, he could be a killer, and you put yourself right in front of him.” She wriggled until he let her go and then whirled on him.
“I thought you said you could protect me,” she snarled, feeling more than slightly feral. She could see him grind his teeth and clench his fists, trying to stay calm.
“I can, but not if you’re going to throw yourself at danger,” he barked angrily.
“Oh so it’s okay for me to be in danger as long as you’ve made the decision. Is that right?”
She didn’t know why she was bating, him, it wasn’t like her. He ignored that, put his arm around her waist and pulled her back into his front then turned to Nate. Well two could play that game. She ignored the arm around her and stubbornly concentrated on the man in front of her.
~~~
“Get him to Fortis, we’ll follow you.”
Dane could feel the animosity coming of Nate in waves; Nate had known Claire nearly his whole life and was pissed to be standing next to the man that may have killed her
Lauren was studying the man from the protection of his arms. He could feel her trying to control her fear and anger in front of this man. She had one heck of a temper and for some reason that made him smile. He was proud of her for not wanting to show weakness to anyone. She was strong and he realised it was a complete turn on. He was even happy when he realised that she’d stood up to him. Not many people did that and he liked that she did. Even if it did tick him off, to have his ability questioned by this tiny woman. She was a little firecracker.
“What’s your name?” She asked, her voice strong and steady despite the fear she was feeling.
“Drew, my name is Drew Preedy, and I’m your brother.”
Lauren staggered in Dane’s arms. “What…how? I don’t have a brother!” she exclaimed.
“We have the same father, Marcus Preedy,” he said looking defeated.
Dane watched as the blood drained from Lauren’s face. She looked terrified. It was too much for her to take in. He needed to get some answers and get her somewhere safe.
“Come on,” he said, “let’s take this to the Fortis office. I don’t want to stand on the street with targets on our backs and we’re starting to draw attention, Dane said looking at the interested faces of people passing by.”
~~~
Dane drove Lauren, while Nate took Drew with him in the van. Despite the lad’s size, he knew Nate could handle the kid.
“Are you okay?” he asked her gently. She nodded.
“Yes, I’m just trying to get my head around everything that’s happened. I had no idea I a brother. I mean, I’ve thought about it over the years, but never thought it would happen and never in these circumstances.” She went quiet suddenly. “Sorry I’m babbling, and I’m sorry for being such a crazy bitch back there. I’m just…I’m all over the place.”
He laughed then.
“No problem. I kinda like your crazy. It’s hot.” He winked and reached over to give her hand a squeeze of reassurance.
It also served to relieve the tension and bring a small smile to her face.
Her heart picked up speed at that small gesture. God, her poor heart wasn’t going to survive. She turned to look out at the scenery going past her. It was a beautiful day.
“He didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt me,” she said quietly, almost to herself, “but my mum was terrified of my father right up until the day she died. She was always scared he would find us one day.”
“I didn’t know that you had lost your mum,” he replied, steering the conversation away from her father and her alleged half-brother.
“It was five years ago. She had very aggressive ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed, and three weeks later, she was gone. I still miss her every day. We were so close. It was only the two of us,” she paused. “How about you?” she asked, as she turned to look at him. “Are you close to the rest of your family? Obviously, I’ve seen that you’re close to Lucy.”
Dane smiled then, and she could see the love he felt for them in his eyes.
“Yes, I am! My older sister, Lizzie, lives in York with her husband, and they have a son Mateo, who is four. You’re right about Lucy and me, we are close. Although, of course, we still bicker like kids. It drives my dad mad. But there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for any of them. My dad still lives in the family home, in a little village called Weobley. We are very close. I couldn’t ask for better. He broke his back raising my sisters and me. He was both mum and dad to us, especially Lucy. I try and see him as much as possible.”
“And your mum?” She queried, noticing he didn’t mention her. She watched his face as pain crossed it fleetingly.
“She died when I was ten, she was an alcoholic and decided to get in her car one night after one brandy too many, and drove herself into a tree. Luckily nobody else was hurt, but she was killed instantly.” He said it so bluntly as if it talking about someone else’s mum and yet she could see it hurt him.
“I’m, sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to drag up painful memories.”
“It’s okay, it was a long time ago,” he said shrugging. “It tore my dad up pretty badly. She was the love of his life and he blamed himself for a long time. We were a normal middle-class family and she was a wonderful mum, until the day my baby sister was taken from us.” He looked over at La
uren, who was just looking at him with sympathy in her expressive blue eyes.
She saw his fingers tighten on the steering wheel as he relived that horrible time; it obviously still had the power to hurt him. He deliberately relaxed his hands and continued. “She was stolen from the Maternity Ward when she was One day old. My mum had been showering and she had been put in the nursery. When she went to get her, she was gone.
There was a massive police hunt, but they never found her. She just never got over it and I guess the drink helped.”
She rested her hand on his arm in comfort. She could see this brought him a lot of pain, even after all these years. Her heart ached for him. She couldn’t imagine the pain that they had suffered. Some wounds were just too deep to ever heal properly. His eyes looked so bitter and the set of his jaw was slightly stiff, as if trying to contain his emotions.
“That must have been awful for you all. God, I’m so sorry.” Lauren had forgotten her earlier anger with him now.
“Don’t be, it wasn’t your fault.” Dane turned back to the road then. He hated talking about any of this and couldn’t understand what had made him spill his guts like that. They drove the rest of the way in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Chapter Nine
Coming up to the renovated concrete and metal warehouse on the edge of town, Dane pulled into the parking lot at the front. There were a few vehicles already there. One being Lucy’s flashy, yellow Mazda convertible. Zack was constantly on at her about the car. He said it screamed hairdresser, not badass security firm, but she loved it and refused to get rid of it. As her brother, he was silently proud of her for standing her ground with their boss, who could intimidate most grown men. But he could also see his point. It didn’t give the right image for the company.
Zack had been very careful to maintain a public presence for Fortis as corporate and private security specialists. But the private government work was the main focus for them and they had received a very good reputation for both in the two years that they had been operating. Maybe he would talk to Lucy about parking her car round the back from now on.
Lauren stepped out of the Ford Explorer as he opened the door for her. She followed him, Nate, and a sombre and scared-looking Drew into the building.
“Take him into the conference room, Nate,” Dane instructed.
~~~
Walking into the interior, Lauren took in her surroundings absent-mindedly. She was expecting a large cold space, but the small reception room she stepped into, with an oak desk and muted sage green walls with pot plants on the table, was lovely.
There was a little sectional couch and a coffee table with magazines and leaflets in the middle and a coffee station in the corner. The beautiful paintings in the background added a splash of brightness to the room, giving it a nice vibe. She was impressed.
Lauren noticed all of the details with half a mind as her focus was on Drew. She couldn’t get the revelation that he was her brother out of her mind, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he knew about Claire’s death, which made her feel nauseous just thinking about it.
Following through a secure door to the back, she noted that there were four of what looked like offices on the left, and a big glass conference room at the back. Seeing another door on the right with a retina scan ID, she asked, “What’s through there?” She felt interested in what Fortis actually did for the first time.
“Our weapons and training facility, and the tech room,” Dane explained.
“Oh,” she replied, because really-what could you say to that, she didn’t really understand the whole set up. Lauren knew they were a private security company, but she still wasn’t sure of the exact details and she wondered to herself if there was more to it than that. Daniel had often disappeared on work trips that were hush-hush. She had never thought to ask Claire before and now she would never get the chance.
Swallowing back tears and stiffening her spine, she was determined to get some answers out of Drew Preedy. She wasn’t ready to think about him as her brother yet. She would ask about Fortis later, perhaps.
Pushing the door to the conference room open, they stepped in. Dane took the seat at the head of the long, polished oak table and indicated Lauren take the seat beside him. Nate was leaning against the wall behind him, his arms crossed over his muscled chest.
“Right, start talking and don’t leave anything out,” Dane directed at Drew. Lauren sat watching them. She felt a little sorry for Drew. He looked dejected, but he didn’t look guilty. Not that she would know-her record for reading people and situations was appalling.
No. She had made one mistake in judgment with Jeff, that was all, and that was because she hadn’t trusted her instincts. She had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t a failure just because of one bad call. Yes, it had been a doozy of a mistake, but everyone made mistakes. They didn’t have to define a person. She repeated the mantra over in her head.
Lauren knew that she was only having a confidence wobble, because of everything that happened the last few weeks, but was determined not to let it derail the progress she had made. She felt better after her inner pep talk.
Recognising that she would need to keep some distance from Drew until he proved himself, she hardened her heart towards him. He knew what had happened to Claire, and she wanted answers. It didn’t come naturally for her to be hard, but she was determined.
She tried to look at him with objective eyes. He was handsome with the same honey blonde hair as hers, but his eyes were green and hers were blue.
“Does he have to be cuffed?” she inquired, indicating the zip-ties.
Drew offered her a small smile of thanks and she faithfully did not to respond to it.
“Yes, he does,” Dane stated patiently, “he’s been stalking you for days and either killed Claire or knows who did. So, yes, he will remain cuffed until I decide he is not a threat to any of us.”
“You’re right. Sorry, this isn’t exactly my comfort zone.”
Dane’s face softened momentarily as his eyes met hers.
“I know, honey, that’s why we are here,” He said, motioning to him and Nate. He turned back to Drew and all trace of the gentleness was gone, in its place was a cold hard operator.
“Start talking.” he said in a deadly calm voice that caused her to shiver. She tried hard to concentrate on Drew, but was also dealing with the way her heart had flipped when, he called her ‘Honey’.
“Okay, so as I said, I’m Drew and I’m Lauren’s half-brother. I have lived with our father, Marcus Preedy, since my mum died in a car accident when I was 14-years-old. My mum’s name was Larissa. She knew your mum, Martha.” He added, looking at Lauren.
“Yes, I remember my mother talking about her, she helped my mother escape! How did she end up with my father?”
Drew shook his head “I don’t know we weren’t exactly a close family. I’m sorry.” He said looking contrite before he turned back to Dane and continued.
“I’m 21 -years-old, and I always knew about your existence,” he said, again turning to her. “Father talked about you all the time. He has been looking for you for 26 years.”
Lauren shuddered, God all this time he had been looking. It was amazing he had never caught up with them; she leaned her body towards Dane automatically seeking his comfort.
“Our father is not a nice man, he is cruel and twisted and thinks everything and everyone is expendable. I didn’t realise quite how far he would go to get what he believes is his Divine right, until he had one of his henchmen kill Claire Thompson.
I don’t know if you know, but Claire Thompson had special abilities. He was trying to get one of his associates in the hospital to manipulate her into using her special abilities, and join the Divine Watchers. He believed that her abilities would give the Watchers an advantage over other mere mortals. But she flat-out refused to have anything to do with them and threatened to report them.”
Nate looked quizzically at Dane, who shook his head, i
ndicating now was not the time.
“You have them too, don’t you Lauren?” Drew stated. “Father always knew you were special, what is it? Your ability?” he asked softly, looking at her.
She couldn’t detect any malice or jealousy from him just interest. Everyone seemed to turn towards her. Shit! Now what was she supposed to do? It seemed that she was going to have to trust Fortis to keep her secret. Stopping to take a calming breath, she decided she had to tell them so she could help get justice for Claire.
“I can heal physical wounds,” she said, and turned to see Dane’s reaction, but there wasn’t one-he just nodded. That was strange; usually people reacted in some way it made her wonder if he had already known, that would certainly make things easier for her.
“Wow, very cool,” said Nate, with a massive smile, “but I can see why you keep it quiet; you would be inundated with people wanting you to heal them if you didn’t.”
Lauren nodded her agreement.
“I do volunteer at the hospital once a week in the paediatrics department as a play specialist. If I can help some of the children heal faster with my gift then I do, but obviously, nobody knows this. I can’t tell people about this or I might attract the wrong kind of attention. But when you have this ability you can’t just not use it, it’s part of who you are, and it would be wrong somehow. So that’s how I do it, without putting myself in danger of people finding out.”
Nate slowly nodded, and she could see him processing this revelation.
“Doesn’t the staff find it funny that every time you come in the kids improve?” Dane asked.
“No, because I don’t heal them completely, I just speed up the process and the medical profession puts a lot of it down to the children’s resilience.”
He nodded as if agreeing with her. They turned back to Drew.
“Continue,” Dane, stated coldly.
