DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 1

by james

  worried eyes.

  She smiled, her cheeks dimpling, and patted his hand. She held up her teddy bear

  to him.

  He sniffed, leaned up and patted his lap. “You want to sit here with me, Princess?’

  Her head cocked to the side, then she climbed up into his lap. She was so small,

  so little.

  He took another deep breath and laid his head atop her black curls. He glanced up

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 222

  at the movement in the doorway and saw Rori. The look of relief on her face when she

  saw Darya told him she’d been looking for her. Without another word, she turned and

  walked back down the hall.

  Darya, snuggled up to him, holding the bear tight between both of them. The tick

  of the clock echoed in the still room.

  He kissed the top of her head.

  “Papa,” she whispered.

  He rocked her. “Yes, your papa is something else.”

  Darya closed her eyes as the big man rocked her. He smelled like candies and

  spices. She turned her head and breathed deep.

  She realized he was like her new papa. This man often seemed mean, but he really

  was a helper. She wondered if he ever rescued little girls like her new papa. Had this man

  been nice to someone he hadn’t needed to be nice to?

  She frowned and stuck her thumb into her mouth. She wanted her papa. She

  hadn’t seen her new papa since all the ambulance people came and took him away. But

  he’d had blood on his back and she didn’t want him to die.

  They told her he was fine.

  So why couldn’t she see him?

  What if he went away too? What if the monsters took him away like they did Zoy?

  She knew, even as her heart beat fluttered in her chest, that she’d never see Zoy again.

  “Papa,” she whispered, leaning back and looking at this big man who held her,

  another who would keep her safe.

  He smiled down at her, reached over and picked up a book.

  The pictures in this one weren’t nearly as pretty as the one he read her at home,

  but it was still nice to listen to him talk, even if she couldn’t understand him. The deep

  rumble from his chest, lulled her to peace.

  Please let her Papa be all right, she prayed.

  She wanted her papa. She wanted to go swimming again with him.

  Darya tried not to think of papa or that he was behind that one big door where

  Rori kept going in and out of.

  Instead she focused on the big man’s voice, listened to the calming rumble and

  wondered what he was saying. When he sniffed again, she pulled back.

  Tears glistened on his old weathered cheeks.

  She frowned, reached up and wiped them off. Maybe even big people got scared

  too.

  * * * *

  The shrill notes of his cell phone woke him up. He blinked and smelled the

  stringent smells of the hospital. He looked to his right to see Rori and Pete.

  He blinked, looked around, looked to the side of the bed and lifted his hand. God,

  how long had he been out?

  “’Bout time you woke up.”

  He tried to lift his other hand and realized it was taped to his chest. A crackle

  against his chest, between his fingers made him look down. A crinkled photograph lay

  there. He smiled.

  “She left it,” Rori said. “You want a drink?”

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 223

  He licked his lips. God he hated anesthesia. She held a cup and straw to his lips,

  her long fingers wrapped around it, the light glinting off her wedding ring. He closed his

  eyes.

  Ian swallowed, shook his head, then settled back into the pillow. He looked at

  Pete. “What are you doing here?”

  Pete glanced to Rori who patted him, said something to Pete and walked out of

  the room. Pete stood by the bedside shaking his head. “Hell, I let you quit and still you

  cause trouble.”

  Ian waited, then remembered. “Quinlan?”

  Pete frowned. “Holding his own. She’d O.D.ed him. He was crashing by the time

  we got him in, his brain so hot.…” he shook his head. “Coded in the ER here. But they

  got him back. Still unconscious, but your mother and brother seemed confident.”

  Fuck. “He’s okay though?”

  “Far as anyone can tell. They won’t know the extent of any damage until he wakes

  up.”

  He looked around. “Where are we?”

  “Naval hospital. Seemed the best way to keep it quiet.”

  Ian snorted. “Is Darya all right?” Images flashed in his brain. The shot, the pain,

  his father’s eyes. “My father?”

  Pete nodded. “Yeah. Both fine. Tired. Everyone seems worried about your mom

  Had some dizzy spells and the doctors told her to lie down or they’d admit her. She didn’t

  listen, they learned her blood pressure was up, so Gavin bribed one of the docs here to

  give her a sedative and they poured her into one of the empty beds. She’s still pissed. But

  she’s better, pressure’s down. Your dad is fine.”

  Ian took a deep breath and winced, the oxygen dry in his nose. He still hadn’t

  asked about Roth. “Roth?”

  “Roth is still in surgery. Took a bullet to the lung. Gar was unconscious at the

  penthouse, but the sedative she injected in him has worn off. He’s outside still

  apologizing to your parents.”

  Ian closed his eyes. Damn. Thoughts and images, disjointed, jagged, sharp and

  blurred danced endlessly through his brain.

  Pete cleared his throat. “Thought you might be interested to know that all loose

  ends are now tied, knotted and snipped.”

  “When?” he asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

  “I have no idea. But, considering Brasher’s history, for him to call and tell me it

  was done was enough.”

  Ian felt Pete thump the railing on the bed. “Get better fast. The longer you’re in

  here, the harder it is to keep things quiet.”

  He didn’t open his eyes, as he heard Pete leave, heard the door shut The squeaks

  and rolling of a car out in the hall carried into the room. God, he’d failed them. The entire

  situation….

  He heard the door open, heard the whisper of voices and then felt the bed give.

  The small hand on his face had him opening his eyes. Rori held Darya on the edge

  of the bed. “Hey, pumpkin,” he said in Russian.

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 224

  He looked at Rori, noted the exhaustion in her eyes, the taut pull of her face. She

  was worried and he didn’t like it. Smiling at her, he reached his good hand up and laid it

  on top of hers. “You make a damn good Kinncaid.”

  She smiled. “Your father said the same thing, then quoted some family motto or

  something.” She shook her head, and tried to pull her hand free.

  He didn’t want to let her go. “No stay. Both of you.” He was tired. So tired.

  “I want to take a trip,” he said.

  Her chuckle warmed him. “Another one?”

  He opened his eyes and looked at her. “I was thinking something more family

  oriented. Like the theme parks in Orlando, Florida.”

  Her grin grew. “Really? I’ve never been there.”

  He nodded and hoped. Hoped she wouldn’t walk out of his life one day as

  unexpectedly as she’d strolled into it. “We could all practice being a family.�
��

  Darya leaned over, kissed his cheek then squirmed off the bed and ran to the

  doorway. Jock stood on the other side staring in. He nodded to Ian and took Darya’s hand,

  pulling the door closed again. Ian relaxed in the quiet, closed his eyes and just held Rori’s

  hand.

  Neither spoke for a while. The occasional beep of the IV machine pierced the

  quiet.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  He sighed, felt his heart relax, and grinned. “I love you too.”

  “There’s just one thing we need to discuss,” she said, her voice edged on a tease.

  “What?”

  “You ordering me about.”

  Still he didn’t open her eyes. “Well, before we talk about it, I should go ahead and

  give you this one last order. Then we’ll talk about it.”

  She sniffed.

  “I think you make a great mom and you have to keep doing it.” He opened his

  eyes. “I won’t let you leave. You’re mine. A Kinncaid and by all that I hold dear, I’ll keep

  you in my life. Period. You’re my other half, the balance I’ve looked for and I’ll be

  damned if I have to live without that.”

  She didn’t say anything for a long time, just stared at him. Finally, she scoffed.

  “Well, I think there are some unsettled issues there, at least with Darya. We need to close

  her past so we can all move forward.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “So you’re staying with us?”

  Her eyes narrowed back. “She’s my bloody daughter as well, and why the bloody

  hell would I just tell you I loved you, to turn around and walk away?” She took a deep

  breath as if getting ready to battle. Then she exhaled, the breath hot in his face and faintly

  minty. “I’m going to write this off as your brain’s still fogged from your injuries, boyo.”

  She sniffed. “Now, as I was saying, before I was interrupted. We need to close Darya’s

  past.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her again and tightened his hold on her hand. “You’re not

  going after them. They’re mine.”

  She jutted her chin up. “She’s mine as well, so I’ll do as I please.”

  “No you won’t.” He closed his eyes.

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 225

  “You can’t stop me if you’re in bed, here in the hospital.”

  He shook his head. “Rori, wait until they release me, then we’ll argue over which

  of us will or won’t kill the bastards.”

  * * * *

  December 1; 3:45 p.m.

  Ian sat beside his brother’s hospital bed. He’d been here for two hours. Everyone

  else had something to do today, but he knew they’d all be by later.

  Roth was released last week and had to go through rehab. The chest wound had

  not been nearly as severe as it could have been, thank goodness. He was on the mend and

  on paid leave, which the stubborn ass had argued about.

  Ian leaned up and grabbed his brother’s hand.

  Quinlan had awakened from his semi coma state earlier this week. But he still had

  long episodes of sleep, with only brief spurts of alertness.

  Why, Ian didn’t understand. Since she’d used a new combination of chemicals, no

  one really knew what the outcome would be.

  But Quin, when awake, knew them all and spoke a bit. So that was a good sign.

  He knew his brother wasn’t awake now, but still he talked. He had to. The guilt

  was eating him up inside. No one blamed him.

  But he did.

  “Hey buddy. You really should wake up. Your schedules and time sheets and what

  all nots are going all to hell.” He waited, but Quin didn’t wake up. “And I went by your

  office. Place is a wreck. With you gone this long, the whole place is just going to hell.”

  One corner of Quin’s mouth kicked up under the oxygen hose still in his nose.

  “Your secretary quit,” Ian said.

  Quin opened his eyes. Licking his lips, he said, “She did not. She came by before

  you did.”

  Ian stared at his brother, bit down until pain shot up his jaw and began to hum at

  the base of his skull.

  “You just like laying there?” he asked.

  Quinlan snorted. “Real fun.” He tried to shift.

  “How you feeling?”

  Quinlan closed his eyes. “Ever been run over?”

  “No.”

  “I think this is what it might feel like.”

  Silence settled between them. Quin’s hand tightened his head before his voice

  whispered, “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

  Ian shook his head. “No. I should have watched closer.”

  “As Mom had been preaching, if I’d come around more, I’d have known what was

  going on.”

  And if Ian had paid closer attention, things would have turned out differently.

  “I’m sorry,” Quin said.

  “Don’t.”

  He opened his eyes. “I will.” He blinked slowly. “I let the viper into our family.”

  “No you didn’t. I did.”

  “You always had to have your way. I remember that now.”

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 226

  Ian smiled. “Yeah, well.”

  “What happened that night? No one will tell me.” Quin’s hand tightened even

  more on his and his eyes, so like their mother’s bore into him.

  Ian took a deep breath. “You sure you want to know? I’m not going to tell you if

  you’re only going to lay here, beat yourself up and feel sorry for yourself.”

  “Cold bastard.”

  Ian nodded. “I am that.”

  “Tell me.”

  “She drugged you, almost killed you, strapped a bomb to your chest, got you into

  the house under the guise you were sick. Shot Roth, and then held everyone hostage…”

  He trailed off, the anger still fresh and hot.

  “And?” Quinlan asked.

  “Yes, well, then my wife showed up and decided to take matters into her own

  hands.” He was still pissed at her for that stupid stunt.

  Quinlan took a deep breath, shook his head, and gave Ian a small smile. “You two

  are perfect for each other.

  Ian grunted.

  They lapsed back into silence.

  Ian rubbed his forehead. “You need anything?”

  Quinlan’s eyes were closed again. “Yeah.”

  “What?”

  Those eyes opened and were clearer than he’d seen them since Quin had first

  awakened. “Tell me where the bitch is.”

  Well, then. “Dead.”

  “Dead?”

  “You want details? I don’t have them, but I’m sure I can get them.”

  Quin shook his head. “Christ. I don’t want to know, no. Just … just.…” His hand

  fisted. “Damn it. I slept with the woman.”

  “Yeah, so did I.”

  Quin frowned. “Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”

  Ian chuckled. “If it’s any consolation, I think she liked you better. She said you

  were marvelous.”

  Quin closed his eyes and waved towards Ian. “Go away.”

  Ian waited a minute, then rose from the uncomfortable chair. “I am sorry, Quinlan.

  Sorrier than I can ever say and just can’t figure out a way to make it right.”

  “And people say I worry too damn much.” He opened his eyes and still the clear

  brilliance shone through them, the sharp intelligence.

  Just as Ian suspected. Quinlan was hiding.

  “I don’t blame you, Ian. And like a coward, I did try. I was pissed
.” He shook his

  head. “But I’m more pissed at myself. I’m so fucking mad I can’t think straight. I just

  don’t know how to get around that.”

  Ian studied him a moment. “Quit feeling sorry for yourself for one. I’m an ass, I

  know that. But, I won’t let her win you over in any damn way, shape, or form. And if you

  blame yourself, feel sorry for yourself, hide behind a fake front, you let her win.”

  For a long moment, Quin’s angry green eyes pierced him. Then he said, “When

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 227

  you can follow that advice you just gave me, let me know.” He leaned back against the

  pillow and sighed.

  Probably enough for one day. And damn it, if the kid wasn’t right on that lost

  shot.

  Ian smiled as he left his brother’s room. Quinlan would be all right.

  And Ian wasn’t going to let the darkness win any part of them. Some jobs were

  simply never done.

  DEADLY GAMES Jaycee Clark 228

  EPILOGUE

  Christmas Eve

  Ian, Rori and Darya had returned the day before from an extended trip in Florida

  and the Caribbean.

  They were home with Jock and Kaitlyn for the holidays and probably a while

  after--if Ian could find a way to live with that--until he and Rori found their own place.

  He’d decided that D.C. would be the best place for their American office of K.B.

  Securites.

  His parents were in town picking up Quinlan and driving him out here. He knew

  what his brother must think of that.

  As the quiet of the day settled around him, he wondered what Rori would think of

  her present. He’d debated over jewelry, even went so far as to buy and wrap a pair of ruby

  earrings. But then, he decided it just wasn’t her. So he bought her a SIG P222. Of course,

  she’d have to then regale him with the fact it would never equal her Walther, but that

  made things interesting. He’d bought Darya anything that caught his eye from clothing, to

  toys, to ride-on outdoor equipment. He’d learned her real name was Ayrena Vacladova.

  Parents died in a plane accident. He was still trying to find the aunt who was guardian of

  little Ayrena, who is five, and her older sister Zoy, fourteen. As yet, there was no sign of

  the aunt or her rumored boyfriend.

  Just the thought brought the anger back, but he ignored it and sipped his coffee.