It was something they had discussed repeatedly over the last few days. Now that it was over, now that Ian had worked tirelessly to prove that Gavin had been the last of those involved in the heinous executions all those years ago, would Taryn want to resume her identity as Kiara Fitzpatrick?
She was the sole heir to the Fitzpatrick millions; a girl for whom an entire nation had once briefly prayed, hoping that she would be found alive and unharmed. Exposing her now would throw her back into the public eye. She would be hounded day and night. The Secret Service, the FBI, the CIA, NSA and other unspoken agencies would want to sequester her, interrogate her.
Jake was fairly certain she wouldn’t want that, any of it. And it wasn’t just the knowledge that bringing her out into the open would take her away from him. Unfortunately he knew, like the rest of them, that there was only one person who could make that decision, and she was currently in what amounted to a medically-induced coma.
“The worst is over,” Michael said, as if guessing his thoughts. “I can start weaning her off the meds. She should be fully conscious by this time tomorrow.”
Jake looked again the small figure lying so still beneath the sheets. Taryn could decide whether she wanted her secrets revealed. But there would be no such choice for Howard.
* * *
Jake stared unseeingly through the wide hospital room window across the scenic valley that had been his home since boyhood. Though it was barely five o’clock, night was falling fast. Darkness came so early this time of year.
The lights in the room were dimmed. Jake had turned off all the harsh fluorescents, wanting Taryn’s awakening to be a gentle one. A tiny fiber optic tree winked in varied colors beside Taryn’s bed, the only reminder that it was Christmas Eve. The nurse, an older woman who was one of the few cleared to care for Taryn and trusted by the Callaghans, had kindly brought it in.
It had been a long time since Jake had celebrated Christmas. Oh, they’d string a few lights in the bar each year. Closed early on Christmas Eve. But then he and his father and his brothers – those that were around – would inevitably gather in the living room as if it was any other night. They might drink a toast to those who were no longer with them. Share remembrances and honor those for whom - in service to their God and their country - there would be no more Christmases, no more chances for miracles. But celebrate? No, not really. No tree. No carols. No exchanging of gifts. They’d long grown past all that.
Except that this year, Jake wasn’t quite so above it all. And for the first time since his mother died, Jake Callaghan eased himself out of the chair and got down on his knees and prayed. He prayed for strength. For courage. For the woman lying in front of him, looking like a frail, fallen angel. His heart. His croie.
He prayed for their lost child, now an angel himself.
Taryn moaned softly. She’d been doing that for the last hour or so now. Michael said it was a sign that she was coming back to them. Some tiny, long-forgotten part of Jake – the part that believed in faith and miracles - hoped it was a different sort of sign.
“Taryn,” Jake called softly. He rose and placed his large, warm hand over her small, cool one in the hopes that she wouldn’t wake up afraid. “It’s okay, baby, you’re safe.”
“Jake?”
His name, barely a sleepy whisper on her lips, was quite possibly the sweetest sound he had ever heard. “Yes, baby, I’m here.”
Her lashes, thick and dark, fluttered several times before they managed to open. She sought him out immediately, violet eyes to blue. The ghost of a smile appeared on her too-pale face. “I missed you.”
Jake blinked away the sudden moisture building up in his eyes. Of all the things she could have said, of all the questions she could have asked, she chose to say the very same words he’d been thinking. “I missed you, too.”
He leaned down and brushed a kiss against her cheek.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” she whispered, her pupils overly-large and dilated from the meds still coursing through her system.
“I’m not that easy to get rid of,” he said with a slight curve to his lips.
“But I shot you.”
He almost chuckled, refraining from telling her that it wasn’t the first time he’d taken a bullet, and probably wouldn’t be the last. It had been a clean shot, meant only to buy her enough time to escape. He remembered the look on her face that night – like a terrified, wounded animal backed into a corner. She hadn’t wanted to do it, but she’d felt it was her only choice. Michael had said repeatedly that it was expertly-placed and damn near as perfect to a non-harmful shot as humanly possible.
As a matter of fact, all of his brothers seemed just a little too impressed with Taryn’s means of slowing him down. She was somewhat of a heroine in their eyes. If she’d killed him – or tried to – they would have been pissed (probably). But a clean shot to buy her a few steps and do no real damage? They thought that was priceless.
And the flesh wound she’d inflicted was nothing compared to the pain and anguish of why she’d done it. “You thought I betrayed you.” That thought hurt him more deeply than any bullet could have.
She didn’t deny it, but there was no indication that she still felt that way. When she looked at him now, it wasn’t with rage or fear, but confusion and acceptance. He could only hope that over the past several weeks, she had figured out that everything they had done had been to keep her out of sight and under their protection.
“But you didn’t,” she whispered. “Did you?”
“No.” Jake could never hurt her. Not ever. Taryn had become his heart, his soul. Maybe she was beginning to understand that.
“What about Kane? Is he alright? He must hate me.”
“Kane’s fine. I think he fell in love with you the moment you shot him,” he chuckled. “But I’m afraid I beat him to it.”
He heard the sharp intake of her breath clearly against the quiet hum of machines. “You did?”
“Mm-hmm.” He ran his thumb over her hand, his gaze never wavering. It was imperative that she understand this, if nothing else.
A few moments passed in silence. Jake was patient, letting her work things out. He wasn’t disappointed when she didn’t parrot the sentiments right away. She cared for him, he felt that with every fiber of his being. It was in the way she looked at him with those big violet eyes, the way her body leaned slightly toward his, even now. And she wasn’t pulling away, or telling him to leave. It was enough. For now. The rest would come with time and patience, and Jake had lots of both.
“You know,” she said flatly.
“Yes.” He did. All of it. Sean had flown out to Oregon, raided Howard’s property. They’d found all of the evidence – recordings, videos, notes, names. The house was now razed; the evidence destroyed forever. It had been worse than they’d ever imagined.
“Does it matter to you?” she asked. The slight tremor in her voice conveyed the very core of her fears. How could she even ask him that? Did she believe that now that he knew who she was, what had happened, that it would change the way he thought of her? The way he felt about her?
“Not in the least.” There was only sincerity in his eyes, in his voice, in the way he looked at her. He loved her, and nothing would change that. In Taryn he had found his croie – his heart. The other half of his soul. It took almost losing her for him to realize that, and now that he did, he would never let her go.
“Jake, I –“
“Enough,” he said gently, pressing his finger to her lips. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Tonight, I just want to hold you.”
When she didn’t protest, Jake breathed a sigh of relief and eased himself up onto the hospital bed beside her. Instinctively she turned toward him, letting his warmth and strength fill her. Jake closed his eyes, and offered one more prayer. One of profound thanks.
* * *
Christmas morning dawned cold and bright. The streets and buildings surrounding the hospital were covered in a fresh blanket of p
ristine white snow, with more expected later on. Jake pulled the blanket up farther on Taryn’s back. She was snuggled against him, her breathing easy and even. It had been a long time since he’d awoken with such a feeling of gratitude and contentment in his heart. He didn’t know what the day would bring, but at that moment, he could honestly say he was a truly happy man.
“Merry Christmas,” Jack Callaghan said as he entered. Jake held a finger to his lips as Taryn nuzzled against him.
“How’s our girl?” Jack asked, his voice taking on a much softer tone, his sharp blue eyes – so like his sons’ – softening as well. Funny, how they had all taken to her so quickly. Whether she knew it or not, Taryn had been claimed not just by him, but by the Callaghan clan as a whole. His father already looked at her like a daughter; his brothers, like the sister they could drive insane but would protect fiercely. Even Kane – who didn’t like anyone – liked her. When Jake gazed down at her lovely face, so relaxed and peaceful in her slumber, he saw nothing less than his entire future.
“She’s good,” Jake answered, stroking her hair lightly. No, he thought, that wasn’t quite accurate. She was much more than that.
The door opened again, and Ian and Kieran came in, followed closely by Shane and Sean. Michael was the last one in. Kane was noticeably absent. He’d taken the news almost as hard as Jake. It was he who had made it his personal mission to destroy every last inch of the house where she had been held against her will. His brothers hadn’t been able to hold him back. Jake wondered if they even really tried.
That was how Taryn awoke: in the arms of the man who loved her, in a hospital room filled with large, lethal men so still and silent it was eerie.
“I killed him.” Almost as one, they turned their gazes to Jake, who nodded, answering their unspoken question. There would be no more secrets.
“Yes,” Ian said, finally, his penetrating stare leveled on her. There was no remorse there, no sympathy, only a strong, steady calm. Each of them wore that same expression on their faces when she met their eyes, one by one. A tangible energy filled the small room. The bond between them was powerful, unbreakable. Gavin hadn’t stood a chance. If she hadn’t pulled the trigger, one of them would have. Maybe all of them.
They waited for her reaction. Not because they felt in the least bit sorry about Gavin’s death, but because they were worried about how she would bear it. Taking the life of another was never easy, under any circumstances. They knew this, because each of them had been in the same situation. In their eyes, she was one of them now.
“I had to do it,” she said quietly. A few seconds passed in silence before the silent tears began to stream down her face. Without bothering to wipe them away, she looked at each one of them in turn. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Taryn stopped just over the threshold, remembering the first time she had seen the man-cave. She had been broke then, with no identity, no job, no place to stay, and Jake had made her an offer she hadn’t been able to refuse.
Not much had changed in the past few months.
Well, some things had changed. She didn’t have to worry about Gavin Howard finding her any more. And last time, there hadn’t been a whole room full of men greeting her like she was family. The simple kindness and the sincerity behind it was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Again.
“They missed you,” Jake said, sounding both resigned and annoyed.
Feeling just a little awkward, Taryn smiled and said hello to them all, then took a step toward the room she had used over Homecoming.
“Don’t even think about it,” Jake warned quietly. Even as he spoke, Kieran emerged from that room, looking freshly showered and shirtless, shooting her a somewhat apologetic grin. Of course. With all of them here, there were no spare rooms.
“I can take the couch,” she said automatically, only fully realizing the ridiculousness of such a statement after the words left her mouth.
Jake made a sound – something like a cross between a grunt and a snort – and walked directly to his bedroom with her pack. Taryn thinned her lips, fully aware that the others were watching her closely to see what she would do. For a brief moment, she thought about turning around and walking out, just as she had when Jake tried to pull this stunt before. Surrounded as she was by what she now knew were all “former” special-ops men, she probably wouldn’t make it to the first step, but it might be worth it for the sheer message it would convey.
As if he knew exactly what she was thinking, Ian pinned her with his icy blue eyes – now twinkling. The corners of his lips twitched and he shook his head ever so slightly in warning.
With a sigh, she followed in Jake’s path, closing the door behind her. It probably wouldn’t keep them from hearing, but at least it gave her some semblance of privacy.
“Don’t even start with me, Taryn,” Jake said before she had even opened her mouth. “You are staying here, with me. Your clothes will hang in my closet. Your toothbrush will sit on my sink. And you will sleep in my bed.”
She gave him a patient smile. “And where will you be sleeping?”
He growled then, that same sound of masculine arrogance that both raised her hackles and melted her bones. Except at that moment, her hackles were a bit slow on the uptake, and her bones all too likely to liquify. She shrugged, unable to summon the energy to challenge him.
Especially since his bed was the only place she wanted to be.
He narrowed his eyes, obviously suspicious of her easy capitulation. “Come here.”
The corners of her lips quirked a little, but she didn’t move. She didn’t have to make it too easy for him.
His eyes narrowed further. “I said, come here.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” she replied, right before she padded over and stood before him, close enough to feel the heat rolling off his body and smell that clean, spicy scent to which she seemed to have become so addicted.
She tilted her head up and looked pointedly at the underside of his chin. If she looked him in the eye, he would read the truth far too easily. Besides, Jake hadn’t taken the time to shave before they’d left the hospital. As fine as he was, he looked even better with that dark shadow gracing his jawline. It was a subtle reminder that he was all man, and she... wasn’t.
She shifted her weight slightly, but it did little to quell the familiar ache deep inside of her. God help her, she loved this man. It was a constant struggle not to give herself over to him when he looked at her like that.
Like she was his.
“Just so we’re clear,” she told him, “I came over to you because I wanted to, not because you told me to.”
“Even better.” Jake pulled down one side of the covers, then rooted around in his drawer for one of his shirts, holding it out to her. “Come on, now. Mick says you need to take it easy for a few days.”
She took the shirt from him and nodded. Just the trip from the hospital had worn her out, and she hadn’t even done anything.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you... will you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?”
His eyes softened even as he toed off his boots. “Like I’d be anywhere else.”
* * *
Taryn’s movements were slow and stiff, so Jake helped her change into his XXL, gray US Navy T. She hadn’t fussed at the hospital when he’d helped her earlier, and she didn’t fuss now. He wasn’t sure what that meant, exactly, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to overanalyze it.
After ensuring that everything she might need or want – water, juice, pills, tissues, crackers – were within arm’s reach, he climbed into bed beside her, sighing in contentment when she snuggled against him. She fit so perfectly there, tucked beneath this arm, tight against his body. Like she had been made for it.
He expected her to fall asleep right away, but she didn’t. “Jake, about what happened...”
He pulled her a little tighter against him, kissing the top of her h
ead. “We don’t need to talk about that, Taryn.”
“Yeah, we do.”
“Later.”
“No, now.”
He sighed. He should have known this was too easy. Nothing with this woman ever was. Except, maybe, loving her so much he couldn’t envision his life without her in it.
“Alright.” He felt her smile a little against his chest. He would let her have this little victory. She was cuddled up beside him, which he counted as a bigger W in his column.
“You know everything now. Who I am – or was, rather. What I saw. What I endured. Why I had to run.”
What was he supposed to say to that? Yeah, he knew. Most of it, anyway. He had a horrible suspicion that there was more that they hadn’t been able to glean from the evidence, things that the sadistic bastard had taken to his grave and that Taryn would probably never share. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure he could handle knowing any more. Just thinking about what he did know was enough to send him into a killing rage.
“That’s all over now, Taryn,” he said carefully, as much for his own benefit as hers. Gavin Howard was dead, and no one would ever find what was left of him, not that anyone was looking. His father, the Senator, had written him off years ago.
According to Ian, Gavin had disappeared off the grid shortly after Taryn had escaped. No one thought much of it at the time, assuming that Gavin had gone off the deep end after failing in his duties and witnessing the horrible slayings of the Fitzpatrick family. No one minded when he faded quietly into the background, never to be seen or heard from again - especially not his politically-motivated and highly-visible father. And no one ever associated him with the string of seemingly natural deaths over the next few years of those that had been part of the original assassination team.
They had explained this to Taryn in the hospital, the gist of if anyway. They didn’t get into all of the details, and thankfully, she hadn’t asked.
Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 Page 22
