by Roxie Rivera
The doorbell chime surprised him. With Winn and Sully down in the JBJ TechWorks offices, he was all alone up here and not expecting any company. At the door, he glanced at the monitor attached to the wall. The sight of Ty Weston was a further surprise.
"May I come in, Kelly?" Ty asked after he'd opened the door. Looking uncomfortable, he nervously explained, "It's about Jeb."
The mention of his best friend's name caused his chest to constrict. Stepping aside, he gestured to the living area. "Come in, Ty."
The reformed gossip blogger turned public relations expert found a spot on one end of the white sectional. Kelly sat across from him and watched as Ty placed his leather satchel on the coffee table. He unbuckled the latches and retrieved a couple of worn diaries and stacks of letters that he slid across the glass surface.
Putting a cleanly manicured hand to his perfectly styled hair, Ty said, "I can only imagine what sort of things Trevor showed you but you need to know that was simply one very small side of Jeb." He placed his hands on the small books with reverent affection. "This was the heart of Jeb. This was everything wonderful and sweet and tender about him. This was the boy you called your best friend and the man who died in your arms over there."
Kelly's throat clogged with the heavy emotions that Jeb's memory always spurred. Voice husky, he asked, "Were you his lover?"
Ty's eyes were suspiciously watery. "I'm not sure lover is the right word for what we shared. We were both so young and innocent. All of this was so new to us. I don't think we ever understood where that summer of experimentation was going to lead us."
"How long…I mean…when did Jeb realize he was gay?"
"I think he always knew."
Kelly cringed as he considered all the times he had teased Jeb or pushed women toward his shy friend. Why hadn't Jeb said something? Why hadn't he been honest? "I can't believe I didn't know."
"Jeb was very skilled at hiding it. He'd always wanted to be a Marine. He knew what that entailed. When you two signed up after 9-11, Jeb shoved that part of him into a box and locked it away somewhere deep inside him."
Thinking of the photos Trevor had shown him, he hesitantly asked, "What about the S&M? The women's clothing?"
Ty didn't answer immediately. "That came after me, Kelly. I don't know if he always had those desires or if they were borne of his experiences at war."
"I went to war and I didn't come back wanting to wear panties or a dog collar."
Ty's eyes narrowed to slits. "You shouldn't judge the things you don't understand. It's not my cup of tea either but I know many people who find a great deal of freedom in submission and embracing their kinks."
Duly chastised, Kelly said, "You're probably right."
"There's no probably to it." His voice took on a faraway quality as he recalled, "I ran into Jeb again after that second deployment, the one that took you both to Fallujah. I was way, way too young to be in the leather club where he found me. Jeb took care of me and got me into a safe spot. That was the first time I had ever seen him like that. He seemed so at peace and so…free."
Smiling, Ty continued, "I understood then that I never could have made him happy. What we shared when we were teenagers was beautiful and sweet but it wasn't what he needed. At the same time, Jeb could never have been the man I needed either."
Kelly thought of the Russian bodyguard Ty had been seeing for some time now. "And Vasya? Is he the man for you?"
Ty's mouth curved into a loving, happy smile. "He's the closest damn thing I've ever found to perfection."
"I'm glad. You two seem good together."
"And what about you and Bee? Are you two still good together?"
"Sure."
Ty's eyebrow arched. "She didn't look so good when I saw her earlier this morning in her office."
Guilt speared his heart at the thought of her waiting for him at the police station and then going in to work so early. "I'll make sure she gets some rest today."
"Maybe rest isn't what she needs, Kelly." Holding up his hands to show that he didn't want argue, Ty offered a little advice. "If there's one thing I know better than anyone on this earth, Kelly, it's that secrets kill beautiful things. Don't let secrets kill the thing you two are trying to build before it's even had a chance to draw a full breath."
Taking Ty's advice to heart, Kelly walked the other man out of the penthouse before returning to the couch. He stared at the piles of letters and diaries a long time before finally working up the courage to pick them up and sort through them. An anxious sensation settled over him as he trespassed across Jeb's secret life.
He was still trying to mesh together the younger man who had written these things with the battle-hardened warrior he'd known when the front door opened and Bee entered the penthouse alone. Instantly alert, he tossed aside the letters and asked, "Where are Sully and Winn?"
"They're out in the hall. I wanted some time alone with you." She dropped her backpack on the nearest chair and came to sit next to him. Her gaze moved over the letters and diaries. "I see Ty has been here."
"Yeah." Though it felt awkward to ask, he couldn't help it. "Did you know that he and Jeb were together?"
"Yes, but not when it happened. I mean, I was only, like, eleven when Ty and Jeb were secretly dating."
Kelly did the mental calculations. "So Jeb was a senior in high school?"
She nodded. "Ty was a freshman. That was the summer Jeb worked at the country club Ty's parents frequented. I don't know the specifics of how they got together but I do know it was…um…a summer of firsts, if you will."
"I see." Kelly couldn't help but picture a teenaged Jeb kissing a teenaged Ty. The image didn't bother him in the least, of course. "Did Jeb think that I was homophobic?"
"No!" Bee took his hand in her two smaller ones and interlaced their fingers. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "He never once thought that you would stop loving him as a friend if he told you the truth. No, Kelly, he kept this a secret because he wanted to protect you."
"Protect me?"
"He knew that you would try to shield him from the hazing and bullying—or worse—that he might endure if people knew he was gay. Once you two decided that you were going to skip college and go straight into the Marines, Jeb understood what that meant. He was practical about it, Kelly. A gay Marine?" She shook her head. "He never wanted you to be drawn into that battle. He feared what it would mean for your safety."
Deflated with shock, Kelly sat back against the cushion and simply stared at the stacks of letters and books. He started to insist that no single man in their unit ever would have treated Jeb differently if they had known he was gay but stopped himself because it wasn’t true. As much as he would have liked to paint all his brothers in arms as loving and accepting of all orientations, it wasn't reality.
"You know," he said with a sigh, "during that last deployment, I thought he was pulling away from me because he had seen the way I was falling for you or because he was so torn up over your mom's cancer. Every time I tried to reach him, he pushed me away even harder."
"He was in a rough place emotionally, Kelly. Mom was dying. I was over here alone, trying to hold it all together. He was so in love with Peter but Peter wasn't willing to end his sham marriage to keep Jeb in his life."
Kelly's gaze snapped to her face. "Peter? Major Peter Carillo?"
She reluctantly nodded. "Yes."
"How the hell…? When did that happen?"
"Jeb had been in the Marines maybe a year when he went to a private club in San Diego. Apparently Peter took him under his wing that night." She fidgeted and wouldn't meet his gaze. "Peter started, you know, training him or whatever, and soon they were a couple."
"A couple?"
Bee finally met his searching gaze. "Look, I don't really understand why Jeb needed those things but I do accept that he needed them. Jeb loved Peter, and I know, without a doubt, that Peter loved Jeb."
"But not enough to leave his wife," Kelly grumbled.
"It was com
plicated. There was an arrangement in place. The scandal would have hurt Peter and Jeb both." Sadness tugged the corners of her mouth down into a frown. "I don't think that Jeb and Peter had a real future together. Jeb wanted a man who could stand by his side and build something real. Peter wanted a man who was content to stay in the shadows."
"Maybe Jeb was finally tired of hiding," Kelly commented quietly.
"Maybe." Bee picked up some of the teenage love letters Ty and her brother had shared. "Have you finished reading all these?"
"No, and I'm not going to," he decided.
"No?"
"Jeb was my best friend. We were attached at the hip for nearly twenty-one years. This?" He gestured to the letters and diaries. "It doesn't change anything. I wish he had told me who he was." Kelly reached out and brushed his fingertips along her jaw. "I wish we could have been honest about the people we loved."
She clasped his hand and brought it to her mouth where she proceeded to kiss his bruised knuckles. "I think he would have been very happy about us."
Kelly laughed sharply. "After he planted his boot in my ass!"
She grinned. "Probably."
He leaned forward to claim her lips. After their tender kiss ended, he asked, "How did it go?"
"It's finished. Trevor will get his money after he signs a non-disclosure agreement. He's agreed not to press charges against you, and my lawyer thinks the DA won't come after you. If he does, they'll find a way to plea you down to probation." She pressed her lips to his cheek. "He can't hurt us anymore. That's all that matters."
It wasn't all that mattered but he sensed she didn't want to dig into the details right now. Later, he would coax them from her.
Combing his fingers through the silky waves of her hair, he murmured, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
"And I'm sorry that I got you embroiled in this mess," she whispered. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. "I never meant for you to get arrested or hurt or lose your job."
"Bee." He touched their foreheads together. "I've been arrested before and I've lost jobs. Whatever happens with this mess, I'll come out all right on the other end."
"I hope so, Kelly."
"Well, if Dimitri cans me, maybe your friend Ron will hire me at his coffee shop. I'll finally learn how to pour those milk foam hearts," Kelly joked.
"Or," she said while playfully walking her fingers up his arm, "maybe I could hire you to be my full-time bodyguard."
"Hmmm," he hummed uncertainly. "What are the working conditions?"
"They're very, very hands-on," she said, taking his hand and sliding it under her shirt.
Gliding his palm along her soft belly, he asked, "What about your benefits package?"
Taking his hand, she rose to her feet and tugged him to his feet. "Why don't you follow me into the bedroom? We'll take a peek at the full package..."
Chapter Fourteen
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sully's displeasure with my plan came through loud and clear. We sat in an idling SUV parked outside the art studio of Vivian Valero Kalasnikov but neither Sully nor Winn would let me get out of the backseat just yet.
"Yes, I'm sure. You can take me inside or sit out here. Either way, I'm doing this."
From the seat next to me, Winn sighed heavily. "I'll take her inside. You watch the front."
Sully grumbled before exiting the SUV. With Winn guarding me, I made my way to the front entrance of the studio. We were greeted by a tall, dark-haired man with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. "Can I help you?"
Judging by his thick Russian accent, I assumed he was one of Nikolai Kalasnikov's men. It made sense that his wife would be guarded around-the-clock, especially if the rumors about him were true.
"Hi." I extended my hand but the man didn't shake it. "My name is Bee Langston, and I'm here to see Vivian."
"Is she expecting you?"
"No."
"Well—"
"We have a friend in common. His name is Kelly Connolly."
The guard's eyes glinted with recognition. "Let me see if she's taking visitors today. When she paints, she prefers not to be disturbed. In your case, she might make an exception."
I waited patiently as the guard made a phone call and traded a few short Russian phrases with someone else. The only words I understood were Kelly's name.
"She'll see you. Take the stairs."
Winn followed me up to the second floor where yet another guard awaited us. This one took my freaking breath away. I had never seen a man that big in my entire life. Leaning back, I craned my neck to take in what had to be seven feet of this giant. "Um…hi?"
The giant didn't say a word. He simply opened the door behind him and stepped aside to let me enter. When Winn tried to follow, the giant held out his hand and shook his head. "Only the girl."
Winn didn't like it. "I go where she goes."
"You don't go in there."
"Look, I understand that you're trying to do your job. Let me do mine. After I clear the space and ensure there is no danger to Miss Langston, I'll happily wait out here."
The giant considered it and finally nodded. "Okay."
Certain Winn was overreacting, I nonetheless appreciated his concern. We entered the spacious studio to the sounds of electronic music that I instantly recognized as one of Coby's latest remixes. Floor to ceiling windows on the left permitted natural light to bathe the space. My gaze traveled across the selection of paintings propped up on easels along the right wall.
"They're part of my upcoming show." Wiping her hands on a towel, Vivian strode toward me. Bare legs and feet peeked out from behind the paint-splattered apron that protected her flirty sundress. "It's nice to finally meet you, Beatrice."
"Bee," I corrected gently and held out my hand.
"Everyone calls me Vivi," she said as we shook. A playful smile lit up her face. "Well—everyone except for my husband." She glanced at Winn. "And this is?"
"Michael Winchester, ma'am. I'm a private security specialist with the Lone Star Group."
"Oh. You're one of Dimitri's men. I'll be sure to let him know how incredibly thorough you were."
"Thank you, ma'am." Touching my arm, he said, "I'll be outside when you're ready."
When we were alone, Vivian gestured to the long work table littered with art supplies. "So what I can I do for you? Danny said you were here about Kelly. Is this about the upcoming fight tournament?"
"In a roundabout way, yes." I picked up a tube of paint and played with it. "If I had my way, Kelly wouldn't fight at all. I would settle the debts and wipe the slate clean but he refuses to let me help him."
Vivian rolled her eyes. "Men! If the tables were turned, and you were the one who needed money, he would be tripping over himself to save you."
"Right? At this point, I've accepted that he's going to fight. It's about honor to him now." I hesitated. "I need to make sure that his family is protected if he loses."
"Some people might accuse you of being unsupportive for planning ahead for a loss."
"Are you one of those people?"
"No. I think it's smart of you to be practical at a time like this." She pointed to the door with a paintbrush. "Did you see that man guarding the door?"
"Sure."
"His name is Sergei. He's Nikolai's champion for a reason. As much as I like and care about Kelly, I'm realistic. He can't beat Sergei."
Glancing back at the closed door, I thought of the man-beast standing out there. Though Kelly was big and sexy and so strong, he was no match for the freaking grizzly bear standing out there.
"What can I do to help you?"
"Do you know the men who hold the loans against Kelly's dad and the gym?"
"I don't know them personally. I know of them. Why?"
"I want to meet them."
Vivian fiddled with the clean, damp brushes she was letting air dry on a towel. "You really don't want to tangle with Besian and his crew, Bee. You don't approach men like that with an open purse. Nikolai wou
ld blow a pupil if I took you to that social club."
Trusting Vivian's judgment, I dropped the possibility of meeting with the Albanian mobsters. "What about the other guy?"
"John Hagen? He's got a certain reputation but he's a stand-up guy as far as I know. He would probably negotiate with you." Vivian started untying her apron. "I'll take you to see him."
My eyes widened. "You?"
She nodded. "No one will dare hassle you if I'm there. Who knows? Maybe Hagen will cut you a better deal."
If anyone had a shot at helping me, I figured it was Vivian. "Thank you. I really appreciate this."
"It's no problem." She walked me to the door and rolled her eyes. "Just a quick heads-up. My shadow is going to hate this plan of ours."
Sure enough, Sergei argued with her. I couldn't understand a word they said as they snapped back and forth in Russian. Vivian won the battle but Sergei's clenched jaw made it clear he wasn't pleased with this development. Considering Vivian's husband had probably entrusted her safety to Sergei, I didn't blame the man. That must have been a hell of a weight to carry on those broad shoulders. I sure wouldn’t want a man like Nikolai pissed off at me.
Back in our SUV, Sully and Winn exchanged looks as I asked them to follow Vivian's vehicle. They didn't fight my request to visit the loan shark but they didn't hide their displeasure with it either. When we reached the seedy bar a short time later, Winn made an annoyed, growling sound. He made sure to sigh loudly as he escorted me into the bar behind Vivian and Sergei.
As we waited for Hagen to receive us, Vivian leaned over and asked, "How long have you had the bodyguards?"
"About a week," I said. "I'm still not used to it."
"It can be difficult to adjust," she agreed. "Sergei and Danny are normally very good about giving me space. They've become a bit more protective now that…" Her voice drifted off as her hand brushed against her flat belly.
Was she pregnant? Before I could ask whether congratulations were in order, a broad-shouldered man tall enough to look Sergei in the eye stepped out of an office and into the hallway. There was no mistaking the surprise on his face. "Mrs. Kalasnikov, to what do I owe this honor?"
