by Avery Gale
Lara was rebuilding her relationship with her grandparents and personally, he was thrilled she was finally finding the balance she’d needed for so long. He and his brothers had a close relationship with their grandparents, so they understood the value of her relationship with John and Elizabeth Hunt.
Peter thought back on the times he’d bounced ideas off his grandparents and how often he’d found it easier to talk to them than his own parents. When he’d made that observation one afternoon while walking along the beach with his grandfather, the old man had laughed and assured him that grandparenting was a far better “gig” than parenting.
Their sweet woman had been spending quite a lot of time at their estate and Peter enjoyed watching her blossom as her self-confidence grew. John Hunt’s staff had assessed the contents of the safe deposit box and the estimates had been staggering. Lara had been unimpressed and she was working with her grandmother to set up a foundation to benefit several local charities.
Peter knew Lara wasn’t interested in the actual size of the trust fund her grandparents set up for her, and anytime someone mentioned it, she simply waved them off. Hell, if he hadn’t already been in love with her, Lara’s complete disregard for personal wealth would have drawn him to her like a magnet. The rare times she’d seemed to care about money were those when she was giving it away. He chuckled to himself when he thought about her phone call to CeCe Barnes, the two of them had brainstormed ways the money could be used to benefit crippled children in Cecelia’s U.S. and Caribbean clinics. Lara was excited about finding ways to use the money—their little sub had the soul as pure as any he’d ever known.
After half-ass listening to Agent Roberts while thinking about Lara, Peter finally zeroed in on the man’s words, “We have witnesses that are sure they saw the Emmons boarding a small fishing boat in Arica Chile three months ago.” Three months ago? If that was true, they’d had plenty of time to contact Lara. “We’ve also heard some chatter coming out of several of the countries the Emmons were working in—seems we aren’t the only ones looking for them.”
Kyle leaned forward to look over the papers Roberts slid over, “Looks to me like they better hope your team finds them first. Christ, they’ve managed to paint some pretty big targets on themselves.”
“And their daughter,” Peter practically growled as he skimmed the documents Kyle had slid down to him.
Roberts took a deep breath and looked over at Peter, “Look, let’s just clear the air here, okay? I know you don’t like me and quite frankly I don’t blame you. Hell, when it comes to Lara Emmons, I don’t even like myself.” Peter respected the fact Roberts was being up front with him but didn’t respond because it was obvious the man had more to say. “I know I don’t have a prayer of rekindling what Lara and I had, but I really did like her, and I’d like to be her friend. One of the things I’ve learned over the years in this business is that you can’t ever have too many friends.” Sighing deeply, Roberts seemed to take a several seconds to consider his next words, “Listen, I know the diamonds and bonds we’ve been looking for were stashed in a safe deposit box, I know where, and I know who cleaned the box out.” Smiling, Roberts let his gaze drift over to the West brothers. “Tell Tobi the disguise was great, but her perfume gave her away. I don’t know what that stuff costs you, but it’s worth every cent.”
Peter and the others laughed as Kent and Kyle both cursed under their breath. “The point is, I haven’t shared that information and I’m not planning to. Hell, the plans Lara and Cecelia have for that money far exceeds anything our government would do with it. Anyway, I don’t want either of your women in trouble. We’ve have a good working relationship and I don’t want to fuck it up. I have put the word out that the Emmons stiffed their daughter and that she’s as pissed as anyone about their duplicity.” Roberts sat in the large leather chair at the end of the table and looked directly at Peter, “The bottom line is, I’m doing what I can from a distance to make up for hurting her, and I’d really appreciate it if you and your brother would ease up a little and at least let me apologize to Lara. She deserves that much from me, and for what’s it is worth, you’re a couple of lucky bastards.”
The rest of the meeting was productive as they shared the intelligence they’d gathered and Peter wasn’t surprised to learn Micah Drake had discovered various homes the Emmons had purchased around the world. So far they hadn’t been spotted at any of those properties, but no one was betting against it since there were renovations being done to two of the more remote locations. The contractors insisted the changes had been slated and paid for well in advance so the only thing they could do now was sit back and wait.
Lara loved the feel of the wind blowing through her hair as her mare ran the track in front of her grandparents’ home. She’d forgotten how much she’d relished the freedom of horseback riding and hated the fact she’d let her mom and dad color her opinion of the two people who had never been anything but loving and supportive. She’d lost too many years with her grandparents and she was determined to spend as much time with them now as she could. Despite the fact she’d been young when the split had occurred, she still should have known better than to not at least listen to both sides.
Neither her grandmother, nor her grandfather expressed any bitterness, and that only made her love them more. She and her grandfather had brushed their mounts, laughing when she’d slipped and fallen directly under the beautiful mare she was planning to ride. The gentle horse had given her a look she could have sworn was just shy of an eye roll.
Lara hadn’t been paying attention to where her grandfather was on the track as they’d exercised their horses, because they had deliberately spaced themselves apart to keep the horses from giving in to their natural inclination to race. When she suddenly noticed her grandfather standing alongside the large gelding he’d been riding at the gate she was approaching, she quickly pulled up on the reins. Lara had heard people who’d experienced traumatic events say they felt as if the world had both slowed down and sped up at the same time, but she’d never understood what they meant until that moment. She heard what sounded like firecrackers going off a split second before her horse reared up as chunks of turf popped up from the track just a few feet in front of her, reminding her of corn popping in a hot skillet.
In the next beat of her heart, she realized she was sailing through the air and to her horror, she watched helplessly as her grandfather grabbed his thigh and slid to the ground, blood seeping through his fingers. She’d been so focused on her grandfather, Lara hadn’t prepared herself for the jolt of hitting the ground. The jarring impact of landing flat on her back knocked the air from her lungs and she lay there gasping for breath. Shouts filled the air around her and all she could think about was getting to her grandfather, and wondering if anyone else had noticed how pretty the sky was. Why can’t I breathe? Those white clouds look just like cotton on blue silk. I have to get to Gramps, he was bleeding. Why did someone set off firecrackers around the horses? Don’t they know how dangerous that it? I must have fallen asleep. It’s getting dark out here. I’ll just rest for a minute and then check on him. Who am I supposed to check on?
Fischer had been sitting on what Elizabeth Hunt referred to as the front veranda sipping sweet tea with his vivacious hostess when he heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Without even thinking he opened the mind link he shared with his brothers and let everything he was seeing and hearing flow out freely. Distance was ordinarily a huge hindrance when they wanted to communicate telepathically, but he was hoping the surge of emotion would be enough to overcome the problem. He’d never felt more helpless in his entire life than he did as he closed the distance between himself and the track. Watching John Hunt sink out of sight and Lara fly off the back of the horse she’d been riding turned his blood to ice.
Seeing a horse stand on its hind legs, front legs pumping in the air had always seemed like poetry in motion—until it was the horse the woman he loved had been riding. As she disappeared
behind the tall rail fence, Fischer noticed her gaze was fixed on her grandfather and she didn’t seem to be making any attempt to cushion her own fall. The moment his hands connected with the top wooden rail of the fence, he heard two more shots from the trees along the drive leading to the house, but the second set of gunfire hadn’t sounded the same. He could only hope that didn’t mean there were two shooters.
Fischer was sure he’d never forget the sound of Lara’s body hitting the ground and the whoosh of air leaving her lungs. Leaning over her as she gasped for breath, he remembered the terror he’d felt the first time he’d had the wind knocked out of him. There was a part of Fischer’s mind that registered both Peter’s and Adam’s alarm just as his phone vibrated in his front chest pocket. Knowing it would be Adam, he pulled it out hitting the speaker button and simply shouted his location and hung up. Fischer knew his oldest brother would alert the authorities if they hadn’t already been called—Peter knew where he was and wouldn’t have needed to call and ask.
Lara’s eyes were unfocused and the minute he touched her, Fischer felt her slipping into the dark void of unconsciousness. The relaxation the darkness would bring would help her breath easier, but since he hadn’t seen her land, he worried about the implications if she had a concussion. It quickly became apparent he wasn’t the only one there watching Lara, but he was grateful the two men who were obviously agents didn’t hesitate to step in and help. They’d stopped the bleeding in John Hunt’s upper leg before Fischer heard the wail of sirens quickly closing in. Keeping his attention on Lara, he felt her begin to stir and he placed his hand on her shoulder when she tried to sit up.
“Stay where you are, baby, let’s be sure you don’t have any back or neck injuries before you begin moving around.” Seeing her eyes fill with tears she tried to blink back squeezed his heart. “I know you are worried about your grandfather, but I assure you he is fine. We obviously had more company than we knew about and they’ve been taking very good care of him. The paramedics are here now and they’ll get you both loaded up in just a few minutes.” Fischer leaned over her and kissed away the tears that ran from the corners of her bright blue eyes, “Don’t cry, cupcake. He’s fine and we’ll figure this all out. The horses are being taken care of and you can bet your sweet ass my brother is tearing up everything in his path trying to get to you.”
John Hunt’s heart rate had spiked so the EMTs wanted him transported quickly even though it had returned to normal after he’d been told Lara had regained consciousness. The second ambulance arrived just as Fischer heard the distinctive thump, thump of a helicopter. Before the paramedics made their way to Lara, Peter was sprinting the distance between where Lara lay on the soft turf of the track and the grassy center of the large oval where the FBI’s helicopter had landed. ‘Glad you were meeting in a place with blades, bro.’
‘This tells you how eager they were to get rid of us. How is she?’
Fischer didn’t get a chance to answer before his phone vibrated for the second time and he knew better than to ignore Adam again. Stepping away to take the call, Fischer let Peter take over while he filled their older brother in on what had happened. Adam was well connected and would be able to ensure they had the full cooperation of local law enforcement and he promised to send a couple of his own security to the hospital to help keep Lara and her grandfather safe until they could figure out who had been responsible for their injuries. Smiling to himself as he hung up the phone, Fischer wondered if he’d ever outgrow the comfort he found in talking to his brothers. Knowing he and Peter had their family’s support and blessing in making Lara their own was just another assurance they’d made the right decision.
An hour later they were still standing alongside Lara’s bed waiting for the doctor to see her when Peter’s thoughts filled his mind, ‘I’m fucking fed up with this. I’ll be right back, I’m going to make a couple of calls and see if we can’t light a fire under somebody’s ass.’ Fischer nodded and held Lara’s hand as Peter explained that he’d be right back and stepped quietly from the small room. She turned to him and grinned, “He’s calling somebody to hurry this place up, isn’t he?” He would have laughed if he hadn’t been so surprised. “You aren’t the only one who pays attention you know? I watch you both too, and I can tell when you have reached the end of your patience. It saves my ass—literally, being able to know when I’m getting close to that line and these folks raced by that point about forty-five minutes ago.”
Fischer didn’t even try to hold back his laugh, “Cupcake, you are amazing and you are also right. I’d expect to see a doctor in just a few minutes, and knowing my family I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Chief of Staff walk through the door.” He could see the skepticism in her eyes and worked hard to hold back his grin when the door opened moments later and a man introducing himself as the hospital’s chief neurologist walked in. Peter followed with a self-satisfied expression that was easy to read.
Two hours later, after Lara had spoken with her grandfather, they were on their way back to the penthouse. John Hunt had assured his granddaughter that he planned to milk the fourteen stitches he’d gotten for all they were worth and would have her grandmother waiting on him hand and foot in no time at all. They could all hear Elizabeth’s protests in the background and Fischer was thrilled the elderly man had managed to make his granddaughter laugh despite how stressful their day had been. Once she’d disconnected her call, Lara leaned against him and within seconds he heard her breathing even out and knew she was sound asleep.
‘We’ll get an update from Kyle and Kent as soon as we get her settled, but it doesn’t sound like the kid they caught knows much.’
Chapter Nineteen
Kyle West was straight up pissed. Eric Roberts had his nose so far up the ass of Lara Emmons’ case Kyle knew the man had to be skating on thin ice professionally since the man was seriously stretching the bounds of his jurisdiction. The interrogation of the young man they’d detained in the trees had been short and sweet since he didn’t know jack shit. He was a financially strapped college student working at a local gun range who’d been promised an absurd amount of money to fire two shots into the dirt causing a distraction. The kid didn’t know the identity of the woman who’d hired him and all of their communication had been done over the phone. And the kid seemed to be truly mortified that two people had been hurt as a result of his greed and carelessness.
Looking at his laptop screen, Kyle shook his head when Peter had asked what charges the shooter was facing. When his friend’s jaw dropped, Kent spoke up, “Listen up, this was John Hunt’s call. And, well—frankly, I hope like hell I’m as wise as he is someday.”
Kyle shook his head, “Not in this lifetime and probably not the next.” Then turning his attention to Peter and Fischer, he continued, “Something about the kid’s interview impressed John Hunt’s attorney, who then talked to Hunt. The young man has been offered the opportunity to have all traces of this incident expunged from his record in exchange for his compliance with a rather rigid list of requirements, including public service hours, completing college with a GPA above a 3.0, and he’ll be living in the Hunt’s guest house, working his ass off for the next two years.”
“Christ, is he planning to adopt the damned kid, too?” Kyle could tell Peter wasn’t entirely thrilled with what he was hearing, but Kyle was equally sure Lara was going to be thrilled when she heard what her grandfather had done.
“Can’t say as it would surprise me much.” Kyle laughed and shook his head, “Elizabeth grilled her husband for almost an hour before signing off on the plan. Hell, the kid wants to be a SEAL someday and I suspect BUDs is going to seem like a cakewalk after she gets done with him.”
Kent leaned into the frame of their call and added, “I can tell you two aren’t thrilled with this plan, but I want you to know everybody who has talked to this kid agrees this is a great idea. He’s really bright, but dirt ass poor—and if he isn’t set on the right path now, we’ll be dealing with
his brilliance later after the wrong side of the law has a chance to fully train him, and quite frankly we’ve already got enough of those folks out there.”
Peter finally let out a breath, he’d never had trouble trusting his former teammates but when they were talking about the woman he loved—well, he was finding it a much harder sell. Fischer didn’t appear to be any more pleased than he was, but he appeared to be resigned to accepting what had obviously already been set into play.
Kyle leaned forward and the move got both Peter and Fischer’s attention, “Here’s the kicker. The distraction worked—someone entered the horse barn during the chaos in front of the house. The board that had recently been replaced was removed and the fake key we left there was taken.” This was the shit Kyle West lived for and the smile on the man’s face reflected just how much he was enjoying the way things were working out. Hell, Peter wouldn’t be surprised if Kyle didn’t start rubbing his hands together in glee doing his best Snidely Whiplash imitation. “We have people in place waiting for them to show up at the bank. But let’s face it, Lawrence and Rita Emmons have been spooks for a long time, so I’d be awfully surprised if they boldly walked into our set up.”
“There isn’t much we can do aside from watch, because they haven’t broken any laws as far as anyone knows.” Kent shrugged and then added, “I’m sure their employers are interested in how they’ve managed to accumulate such an impressive portfolio of assets, but I don’t think they’ve got anything to pin on them.”
