“Britney.”
Sam frowned. “Rich bitch Brit?”
Pepper nodded.
“You can’t stand her. She’s vapid and spoiled and only has horses because her parents buy her whatever the heck she wants.”
“I know that, Sam,” she snapped. “Just drop it.”
The server returned with their beers and Sam smiled her thanks. Focusing back on Pepper, she asked, “Honey, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry.” Pepper sat back. “How do you know someone, Sam?”
“What do you mean?”
“How do you know if someone’s telling you the truth?”
Sam shrugged. “I guess it’s a gut feeling. I know when people are lying to me because I never lie to myself. I don’t try to explain away the flags… be they green, yellow, or red.”
Pepper sipped her beer. “I know. I just wish I knew how to do that.”
“Pepper, what is going on?”
“Nothing, Sam. It’s nothing.”
Sam grasped Pepper’s arm. “You’re lying to me. Now, tell me what the hell is wrong.”
“You have enough on your plate right now.”
“Samantha, your order’s ready,” a voice crackled over the loudspeaker.
“This isn’t done, Pep,” Sam warned. “You and I are going to sit down and have a serious conversation tonight. Got it?”
“I have to work.”
“Then after work.”
Pepper shrugged. “Let’s get dinner back to the masses. I’m sure they’re hungry.”
Sam let the matter drop, but when they arrived home, she pulled her brother aside, grateful Kade helped her mother with serving everyone.
“Do you know what’s going on with Pepper?”
Dalton glanced at her and then back at Sam. “What do you mean?”
“Seriously? Sometimes I wonder how many times you were dropped on your head as a baby.”
Dalton gave her a moronic chuckle. “You’re so funny, sis.”
“Something’s wrong with her, Dalt. She’s exhausted, she’s jumpy, and she’s not eating. She sold her horse—”
“She sold Jonesy?” he asked in shock.
“Yes,” Sam said. “Remember when I asked you to look out for her?”
“I checked on her at home. She seemed fine.”
“Kids?” her mother called. “We’re ready.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Sam scowled at her brother in frustration. “We’ll talk later.”
“Can’t wait,” he droned.
* * *
Dinner wrapped up and the group seemed to scatter. Pepper had to go to work and Dalton insisted he head home.
“Wait, Dalt. Kade and I need to talk to you about something before you go,” Sam said. “Dad, can we borrow your office, please?”
“Sure, honey.”
“Everything okay?” her mom asked.
“Car advice, mom. No biggie.” Sam led Kade and Dalton to the back of the house and pushed open the door. Stepping inside, she closed and locked the door.
“Are you planning on torturing me?” Dalton quipped.
“He won’t let me,” Sam grumbled.
Kade smiled. “We have much to discuss, Agent Dalton.”
Dalton groaned. “Figured. Damn it!”
Kade gestured to the chair facing the desk. “Have a seat.”
Dalton sat down and settled his ankle over his knee. “When did you find out?”
Kade sat in the chair facing him. “Not long ago. Your partner confirmed it.”
“Did you really send my résumé to the company?” Sam asked.
Dalton at least had the sense to grimace. “Yeah, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because we needed to get inside. You had the skill set they were looking for and you needed to get out of this dead-end town anyway.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make,” Sam snapped.
“You put your sister into a potentially dangerous situation, without thought to her safety,” Kade said quietly.
Sam knew he was holding back, keeping himself from beating her brother to near death.
“Not really,” Dalton argued. “We knew where she was at all times, we had her cell phone tracked, and Cole was keeping an eye on her.”
“So, he was a plant on the plane, too?” she asked.
“Yes,” Dalton confirmed. “The fact you were flying first class was a hiccup, though. We had to fight with our superiors to get Cole next to you, but we pointed out that if Cole was going to earn your trust, he had to be with you on the plane.”
“So you used my fear to get what you wanted.”
Dalton lowered his head. “Sorry.”
“No you’re not!” Sam bellowed. “You haven’t changed. It’s always “all about Dalton.” You barrel over people without any thought to their feelings. Just so long as you get what you want out of the deal, you don’t care who you leave lying in the dust behind you.”
Kade grasped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I had a job to do, Sam. Someone is gaining access to Gunnach Pharmaceutical and we believe it’s in order to put together a terrorist attack. I’m trying to save Scotland from a potentially deadly threat.”
“You know what, Dalton? I no longer give a rat’s ass what you’re trying to do. You should’ve talked to me.”
“Wow, you’re mad.” He smiled at Kade and then chuckled. “She only swears when she’s pissed.”
Sam saw red. She curled up her fist and clocked her brother just under his right eye.
“Whoa, Sam! What the hell?”
“I hate you!” Screeching like a banshee, she jumped on him, unsettling the chair as she tried to get another hit in.
“Sam. He’s got an injury and it’d be a good idea not to kill him,” Kade said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off her brother.
She fought against Kade, but failed miserably and was forced to jab her finger at her brother. “Everything to you is a joke. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You didn’t even do what I asked you to do with Pepper.”
He shrugged. “She didn’t want my help.”
“So? She’s family and she’s in trouble!” Sam squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I’m done, Dalton. Done! You’re dead to me.”
“Okay, love.” Kade continued to hold her firmly. “Maybe you should take a minute, eh?”
Dalton stood and righted the chair, laying a hand over his bruised eye. “Sam, come on. I had a job to do.”
She sneered at him as she raised her hand in dismissal.
“Oh, great. The silent treatment,” Dalton said. “Fine, Sam, have it your way!”
Sam pushed away from Kade and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
* * *
Kade sat back in his chair and indicated Dalton should do the same. Dalton sat down and slumped against the back of his seat.
“That was quite the performance,” Kade said.
Dalton stared at him.
“You already know that Cole’s filled us in on what the FBI’s looking for.”
“I do,” Dalton said.
“What about Pepper?” Kade asked. “What have you found out?”
“I told you, she didn’t want my help.”
“And I know that this”—Kade waved his hand toward Dalton—“is simply a façade. You care entirely too much for your family, including Pepper, to be put off. Whether or not you want to share that with your sister is up to you, but it won’t work with me.”
Dalton sighed and sat up. “I haven’t been able to find out much at this point. I’m pretty sure Pepper’s dealing with threats, but I can’t determine if it’s a stalker issue or an ex-boyfriend. She’s not one to have enemies.”
“Your injuries? Not because of a robbery?”
Dalton shook his head. “No, it was the guy after Pepper. Still don’t know who he is, though.”
“But you’re going to find out.”
“Good. Any updates on my situation?”
Dalton hesitated, but Kade didn’t back down. “Only what Cole’s told you, but we’re close to finding them.”
“And if you do?”
“We’ll deal with it.”
Kade shook his head. “No. I’d like to take care of it.”
Dalton snorted. “That’s not gonna happen.”
“It will if we find the person first.”
“Don’t get in our way, Kade. It’s not a good idea.”
Kade raised an eyebrow. “You may want to heed your own advice. We are not people who back down.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen Braveheart.”
Before Kade could respond, Dalton’s cell phone pealed. “I have to get this, Kade. Moore here. Okay, I’ll be right there.” Dalton stood and hung up. “Something’s up with Pepper,” he said, and left the room.
KADE WENT LOOKING for Sam. He found her pulling on her running shoes, her face red with irritation. “Samantha?”
“I need to run.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
She shrugged. “Whatever. I just need to do something or I’ll kill him.”
“Give me a minute.”
Kade changed quickly and met her at the front door. She was outside and down the street before he’d even passed the mailbox at the end of the driveway. He followed her for a little over a mile before pacing her.
“You know, I know my brother’s a narcissistic jackass most of the time, and we have to work within the limitations of his dumbassery—”
“Dumbassery?” he asked.
“Don’t interrupt.”
Kade chuckled. “Sorry.”
“But this… this just goes beyond selfishness. If he’s this big time FBI agent, he has resources available to him to at least find out if Pepper’s in trouble. He’s not even willing to do that.” Sam stopped running and paced in a circle. “Seriously, Kade. I want to tear him limb from limb right now!”
Kade grasped her arms and smiled. “Your brother is looking into Pepper’s trouble.”
“What?”
“He’s watching her. He has been since you asked him to, which is why he got shot.”
“So it wasn’t a robbery?”
“No.”
“Then why didn’t he just tell me that?” Sam snapped.
“Because no one’s supposed to know he’s working for the FBI.”
“But I’m his sister!”
“I know, love,” Kade said. “You also failed to notice his ear was red.”
“I was too mad to notice much of anything, to be honest.” Sam sighed and dropped her head onto his chest. Kade pulled her close and held her until her emotions calmed. She looked up at him and grimaced. “I told him I hated him.”
“He knows you don’t.”
Sam groaned. “Now I have to apologize. I hate apologizing to my idiot brother.”
Kade took her hand and started back toward the house. “I have a feeling he knows that.”
“Which means he’s going to make my life miserable.”
“If you were Fiona, I’d do the same thing.”
Sam smacked his arm. “You know, you should really be more protective of your mate.”
He lifted her hand to his lips. “I’ll work on that.”
She frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not hot. Or sweating.”
Kade nodded. “We don’t unless the temperature’s high.”
She widened her eyes. “Ever?”
“Never.”
“But we’re supposed to get a good sweat going… you know, for heart health and all that mumbo jumbo. Are you telling me we don’t have to exercise anymore?”
Kade chuckled. “No, it’s still good to exercise. Our bodies just don’t react the way humans do.”
“So we only have an issue if it’s hot outside? Our bodies won’t overheat?”
“No. Our bodies self-regulate, unless they’re compromised by the external temperature.”
She grinned. “That’s so cool.”
He laughed. “I guess it is.”
* * *
Two days later, Kade had managed a quick shower before a knock at his door brought Sam with extra towels. “Good morning, beautiful.” He leaned down to kiss her. “Och, I’ve missed you.”
“Me too. I feel like I haven’t seen you for days,” she complained as she set the towels on his bed.
He grinned and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s because you were asleep when I finished my call with Con.”
“You were supposed to wake me.”
“You needed to sleep. I made a judgment call.”
She ran her hands up his chest. “Next time, make a different call.”
“And have your mother catch me sneaking into your room?”
She wrinkled her nose. “You could just go through the bathroom.”
“You sound like you’ve done that before.”
“What? No. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she retorted.
“We could tell her the cat’s already out of the bag, so to speak.”
“She’d still make us sleep in separate beds because we are not “legally” wed and then she’d look at me differently.” Sam sighed. “I hate lying to her, but it’s not like I can tell her you and I are joined forever because you’re an immortal Viking and we did this ceremony and stuff. Besides, she’d be devastated to know we got married without her. I’d rather keep her in the dark.” She wrinkled her nose. “You know what I mean?”
Kade laughed. “I think I need to record these conversations for our kids.”
“I’m glad I’m entertaining.” She smirked. “I’m doing a load of laundry. Where’s your stuff?”
He pointed to the hamper in the corner of the room.
“Thanks.”
“Hey,” he said and took her arm. “We will have a wedding, love. We could even have it here...now. Or at the very least, soon.”
“It’s something to think about, I guess.” She smiled. “I don’t need anything big.”
“I know. Whatever you want.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He kissed her nose and grinned. “Now, about my delicates.”
She patted his chest. “I’ll be sure to put them on the heaviest wash cycle for you.”
“I’m enjoying your service, love.”
“Oh, don’t get used to it. I’m doing this to kill some time. Mom and Dad are going out for lunch, so we’ll have the house to ourselves for a few hours before my night out with Pepper.” She slipped her hands inside his shirt and ran her fingers over his chest. “I plan to take full advantage.”
Kade settled his mouth over hers, his already crumbling composure slipping further into the abyss that was his desire for his mate. The shrillness of his cell phone shattered the moment and he broke the kiss with a groan. “Sorry, love.”
He sat at the small desk in Dalton’s old bedroom while Samantha gathered his laundry and left the room. She returned just as he hung up with Connall.
Her face fell. “You have to leave.”
“Aye.” He sighed. “Tomorrow.”
“When will you come back?”
“My plan is no more than a week. I don’t think I could live without you for very long.”
She bit her lip. “Me neither. If Pepper wasn’t acting so out of character, I’d be tempted to blow off our girls’ night. But this really hot guy managed to get us front row tickets to The Citizens…”
“What’s the appeal with that band, hmm?”
“Oh, it’s the lead guitarist. He’s gorgeous and has an angelic voice…” She sighed. “I plan to get dolled up, just in case he notices me. Maybe he’ll pull me up on stage.”
Kade shook his head. “Isn’t he engaged?
I believe I saw the notice in all the magazines.”
“Engaged. Which means, not married. Still hope for me.”
Kade growled as he threw her on the bed and tickled her. Sam squealed in surprise.
“I think I should lock you in a gilded cage until we’re married.”
“Hey! You promised it would be a tower.” She giggled. “And, we’re already married, aren’t we?”
Kade paused. “There is that, yes.”
“But I suppose, not legally, right? So, there’s still that small chance.”
He tickled her again.
“Kade,” she squealed.
“What was that about this guitarist character?”
“Um… he’s talented. I understand he plays multiple instruments.”
Kade’s hands hovered over her stomach. “Anything else?”
“Nope, nothing else.” She raised an eyebrow. “Did I mention he was cute?”
He tickled her again, then kissed her into submission. He broke the kiss and grinned. “How cute?”
“Nowhere near as gorgeous as you.”
“Good answer,” he said.
She stroked his cheek. “I wish you were coming tonight.”
“You need to spend time with Pepper.”
“I know.”
He gave her his secret smile. “Let’s have lunch at the hotel.”
“In bed?”
“Of course in bed. What kind of a mate do you think I am?”
She jumped off the bed and clapped her hands. “I’m in.”
* * *
The next morning, Sam woke with a heavy heart. She sighed as she felt Kade tighten his hold, and turned to face him. “Hi.”
“Good morning, love. How was last night?”
“Amazing. The band was better than ever.” She rolled to face him. “I just wish it wasn’t morning.”
“Don’t be sad,” he said as he slipped her hair away from her face. “My business isn’t going to take long. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I just feel like everything’s so jumbled right now.”
“You don’t do well when things aren’t resolved, do you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not so much, no.”
He kissed her and pulled her close. “This too shall pass, Sam. I’ll get everything settled in Iceland and then we can go home and make babies.”
“I know. I’m just worried about Pepper.”
“Why doesn’t she come home with us?”
Bound by Blood (Cauld Ane Series Book 1) Page 27
