by Bella Andre
But Jorge clung to her, his voice rumbly with tears. And he had never been a clingy child. “Why do you have to go? Why can’t I come with you?”
“I won’t be long, I promise.” She stood, smoothing her hands through his dark, curly hair.
But Jorge’s tears didn’t stop. He held on tight, his arms around her legs. And Rosie realized it was all too much for him. He was an intuitive child, and he felt all the undertones roiling in the room, sensed her fear, her agitation. He knew something was wrong, and in his little-boy world, he was terrified. She stroked his hair, murmured soothing, comforting sounds, but his body still shook.
She couldn’t leave him like this. She just couldn’t. As much as she needed to conquer Archie, her little boy’s needs in this moment were more important.
She looked at Gideon, putting everything she felt into her gaze. “I need to stay.”
“I’ll go,” he said, understanding perfectly. “You don’t need to worry. Take care of Jorge. He needs you right now.”
She wanted to throw her arms around Gideon, but all she could do was mouth, Thank you.
Then Gideon did the most wonderful thing. He wrapped his arm around Rosie’s neck, hauled her in, his hand on Jorge’s head. “I will fix this,” he whispered into her hair. “I promise.”
She had no doubt that he would. She’d never had any doubts about Gideon. He was strong, he was loyal, he was caring.
And he would protect Jorge the way her son’s own biological father had never cared enough to do.
Chapter Nineteen
The meeting was held at Will’s compound in the downstairs game room. His housekeeper, Mrs. Taylor, provided drinks, while outside, Harper and Jeremy attempted to train the two puppies, Flash and Duke. Jeremy had chosen the name Duke because he wanted a regal and powerful name for his puppy, while Noah had named Flash after his favorite superhero.
The room was a powerhouse of Maverick muscle—Daniel Spencer, Sebastian Montgomery, Evan Collins, and Will Franconi. The only one missing was Matt. None of them wanted to disturb his and Ari’s honeymoon.
“Tell us what the guy said, Gideon.” Daniel sat with legs spread, elbows on his knees.
“He knew Jorge’s name and hinted that he also knew where Jorge went to school. And he has both Rosie’s home and cell numbers.”
“He’s obviously been researching her,” Will said.
“That’s not the worst part,” Gideon told them. “He very casually wondered what she’d do if she lost her job, her home, and her credit rating.” His blood felt like it would boil over at any moment as he thought about the smarmy bastard.
“The creep is playing games,” Evan noted. “Implied threats. Telling her what might happen. He must think he’s so smooth.”
“He didn’t come right out and say he wanted to take Jorge away from her, did he?” Sebastian wanted to confirm.
“Nope. He simply implied that Jorge could have so many more advantages if his birth father got involved in his life. From what I could tell, he’s feeling her out right now. He wants to know if it’ll be easy, if there might be something she wants, or if she thinks Jorge is a burden and he can just flash a little money and she’ll fold.”
“Fat chance,” Daniel said, the words almost a growl. “Rosie is like a mama bear with Jorge. She’ll tear her ex to pieces before she’ll let him near her son.”
“I agree,” Will said. “Jorge is everything to her. There’s no way she’d fold. The guy obviously doesn’t know her at all.”
But, clearly, the Mavericks did know Rosie. Her devotion, her loyalty, her spirit, her strength. And how amazingly huge her heart was.
“If anything happens to Rosie or Jorge…” Gideon couldn’t finish the thought, not when even the remotest possibility of their coming to harm destroyed him. “Thank you for coming together today, to brainstorm how we can permanently neutralize Findley. I’ll find a way to repay you guys,” he vowed.
“Family doesn’t repay family,” Evan said, “because family doesn’t owe family.”
“There’s no debt here,” Sebastian agreed, his features gravely serious, so unlike his usual gregarious demeanor.
“You’re one of us now, Gideon,” Daniel said.
Will grinned. “You and Rosie and Jorge—you’re all Mavericks now, whether you like it or not.”
“All for one and one for all,” they said in unison.
Something unfurled deep inside Gideon. A kernel opening, starting to sprout. A seed growing.
He thought of Noah—how blood didn’t matter, how Noah was his no matter what. Blood was irrelevant. What mattered was loyalty and love. That was the bond.
And now, the Mavericks had offered him that bond.
He bowed his head, fighting his innate sense of unworthiness, a sense that had been magnified by his screwup with Ari and then with his team. Ari, his men, Karmen—they were all he’d ever had.
Until now. Until Ari had come back into his life, and now the Mavericks. If he let the seed flower…could there one day also be Jorge and Rosie? Not just for two weeks, but forever?
When he raised his gaze again, he was no longer completely hollow inside. At long last, the dark, empty spaces inside him—gaping holes that had been carved out of his heart in Iraq—had begun to fill up with friendship. With loyalty. With trust. With gratitude. With love.
“Thanks.” It was only six letters. Yet he didn’t need to say anything more. Not when something told him that the Mavericks, who had each come through their own personal hell, understood.
The four other Mavericks grinned at him…and then they got to work fleshing out their plan.
Gideon started them off by running through his research. “When I went online to see what I could find about her ex, I found a couple of huge sales for artists neither Rosie nor I had ever heard of, and for whom we couldn’t find another mention on the Internet. No other sales, no other art.”
“Art is one of the most common ways people launder money,” Evan said. “Her ex could be involved with some shady characters.”
Will made a note on his phone. “Let’s have Rafe dig into whether Findley could be laundering money.” Gideon knew Rafe Sullivan worked as the Mavericks’ investigator. “I’m guessing it has to do with why he shut down in San Francisco and opened in Las Vegas. There are probably much bigger clients to roll with in Las Vegas. Like, say, the mob.”
“Having Rafe dig will be great,” Gideon said. His fears were still churning on the surface, however. “We need to figure out a way to protect Rosie and Jorge now.”
“That’s easy,” Daniel said. “They have to move in with you.”
“Right,” Sebastian agreed. “As soon as you get back to Evan’s, you can’t let Rosie or Jorge out of your sight.”
“You’ve already got Noah with you,” Evan added. “The boys will be ecstatic. It’s perfect.”
Gideon’s heart felt almost too big for his chest at the thought of Rosie in his home for more than just a night. Waking up every morning to see her. Sitting next to her on the couch while they played games with the boys. Her lips pressing against his again, her curves in his arms.
Deliberately pulling himself out of his fantasies, he nodded. “Rosie and Jorge definitely need to stay with me.”
But would she agree?
* * *
Rosie flew down Evan and Paige’s front steps as soon as she heard the car outside. Jorge had finally settled down and was playing happily with Noah. While Gideon was gone, she’d gotten down on the floor with the kids, pulled a blanket over, cuddled up with them, and they’d all closed their eyes for a bit. It had been a long, emotional day for everyone and though the boys both denied they’d ever sleep, she’d heard their rhythmic breathing.
But Rosie definitely hadn’t settled. And she hadn’t slept. In fact, at this very moment her heart was beating so wildly she thought it might beat itself right out of her chest.
As Evan walked up to the front door where Paige waited for him, Rosie threw h
erself into Gideon’s arms. He held her tightly to him, as though she wasn’t the only one who desperately needed a hug. She wanted to hold on forever. Just close her eyes against his broad chest and pretend that everything was absolutely fine.
Finally, though, she let go and stepped back so he could tell her about his meeting with the Mavericks.
But instead of giving her an update on the plan, he asked, “How is Jorge?”
“Better.” She smiled at Gideon’s concern. Did he have any idea how like a parent he sounded? He would make a great dad. “I think he was just overtired. I got them both to lie down for a bit.”
“Kid are perceptive,” Gideon noted, echoing her earlier thoughts. “He probably picked up on some of our stress, even though he doesn’t know what we’re stressed about. Fortunately,” he added, “kids are also incredibly resilient, as you well know.”
“I do,” she said, beyond warmed at how much Gideon cared for Jorge. “Now tell me what happened at the meeting.”
“Rafe Sullivan, the Mavericks’ investigator, is plowing straight through Archie’s life as we speak. If your ex is dirty dealing, we’ll find something to make him back off.”
“The Mavericks’ investigator?” She felt a weight drag her stomach down to the path they stood on. “That’s going to cost a lot of money.”
“He’s on retainer. They pay him whether he does anything or not, so he might as well do this.”
She wondered if he was just trying to make her feel better. But he reached out, cupped her cheek, and all she wanted to do was savor the warmth of his hand.
“You’re a Maverick now, Rosie. Jorge is too. And this is what Mavericks do for each other.”
Evan had said she was one of them. But despite her appreciation for his help, despite feeling like her family had grown since she’d met the Mavericks, she hadn’t realized quite what that meant. She wasn’t only Ari’s sister of the heart, she was also a Maverick. And God, she was grateful. She wanted to turn her face into Gideon’s palm and press a kiss to it.
Instead, she asked, “How long do you think it will take for Rafe to comb through Archie’s past and his business affairs?”
“We’re not sure. That’s why we have a plan for the meantime.” Even in the darkness, she felt him tense up.
There was always another shoe to drop, always one more thing to drag her down. But only if she let it. And she never had before. “What’s the plan?”
“You and Jorge need to move in with me until this is all taken care of.”
“Move in with you?” Her heart was doing leapfrogs in her chest at the thought of it. “I have work and Jorge has school. There’s got to be another plan.” One that didn’t involve Gideon sleeping mere feet away every single night.
She’d been able to hold back last night, but she wouldn’t bet her savings on being able to hold out after everything he’d done for her tonight.
“I know it’s not completely convenient,” he agreed. “But we need to do this for Jorge.”
She knew Archie had devious intentions. Just as she knew Gideon would do whatever it took, sacrifice anything and everything, to keep Jorge safe.
Still, she had to suggest, “What if we stayed at my cottage, at least?”
“I totally get why that would be easier when all your things are there,” he said, “but my complex has interior hallways and fewer points of entry than your cottage.” He sounded like he was securing a captured military target.
Gideon, the man of few words, was using a lot of words to convince her. And not, maybe, just to watch over their safety.
And if she were totally honest? She wanted it too, despite the feeling that her life was spinning way out of control. She had to agree with the plan. It would be stupid not to—and she would never be stupid about Jorge’s safety.
“We should check with Ari and Matt, though. After all, you’ve got Noah staying with you too.”
“You’re right. We need to make sure they’re okay with this.” Gideon glanced at his watch. “What time is it over there?”
“Six in the morning. But Ari said something about getting up early for a long day hike they were planning.”
The FaceTime call was short, but Ari and Matt understood the situation and were totally on board. They knew the Mavericks could handle anything and that Gideon would never allow harm to come to either of the boys or to Rosie.
The only problem now was that Rosie wasn’t sure how she could be around Gideon night after night without doing something totally crazy.
Like begging him to take her to bed.
* * *
Gideon hadn’t admitted how badly he’d wanted Rosie to throw herself into his arms until she did it. Just as he hadn’t admitted how badly he wanted Rosie and Jorge to stay in his home until she’d started arguing with him.
Noah would be thrilled, of course. The only downside?
Keeping his hands—and his mouth—to himself day and night around Rosie was going to be the hardest thing Gideon had ever done.
After they let the boys know the new perpetual sleepover plan, Jorge looked like his old self again as he crowed, “Yay, sleepover!” then jumped up and down with Noah.
“Thank you for everything.” Rosie hugged Evan, then Paige.
“Any time you need to drop off the boys with us, just let us know,” Paige said. “I love having them.”
“Plus, it’s an excuse to make more cookies,” Evan added, patting his flat stomach.
The boys barreled down the front walk toward the SUV, Rosie following, telling them to slow down. But they would never slow down. Gideon loved that about them.
He shook Evan’s hand. “Thanks.”
“No problem. We’re here for you guys. And I’ll have the auction house keep working on the painting too.”
“I appreciate that,” Gideon said, “but keeping Rosie and Jorge safe is my priority. All that matters is making sure that bastard can’t get to Jorge.”
Evan’s expression turned hard. “He won’t. Archibald Findley is going down.”
They fist-bumped.
His new sense of kinship, of being a Maverick, meant more than Gideon could ever express. For the first time since he’d lost his team in Ramadi, he belonged to a brotherhood.
He wouldn’t let any of them down.
By the time he got to the SUV, Rosie was already in the front seat, the boys in back. Just like they were a family. After a quick stop at her place to collect a bag for her and Jorge, they headed into his apartment complex. Gideon scanned the area, and when he didn’t see anything unusual, he used the keycard to take them inside.
In the elevator, he found himself thinking that maybe an apartment wasn’t enough anymore. He needed a house with more space, a backyard, a pool for the kids to play in, where even Noah’s puppy could be included.
His stomach clenched as he realized hope was no longer just a kernel inside him.
No, he was full-on dreaming now.
“Have you eaten?” Rosie asked. “The three of us ate while you were meeting with the Mavericks, but I can make you a grilled cheese if you’re hungry. Just ask Jorge—I make a fabulous grilled cheese.”
“Yeah,” Jorge said. “It’s super yummy.”
“Grilled cheese sounds great,” he said as he ruffled each of the kids’ heads.
He longed to touch Rosie again too. It was an ache in his bones, his skin, his heart.
While Rosie went to the kitchen, he carried Jorge’s bag into Noah’s room and Rosie’s into his. Her flowery aroma lingered from the morning, but it was more than just her scent that made it different. Somehow his whole place felt changed. Especially when he thought about her sleeping in his bed.
And imagined lying right beside her.
Gideon could only pray they neutralized Findley soon. Because he didn’t know how he’d keep his hands to himself if this went on too long. Rosie would use his shower, she would use his bed, she would be everywhere.
And he would go completely nuts.
<
br /> By the time he headed back out to the kitchen, she’d finished making the grilled cheese. Just as she and Jorge had promised, it was delicious. He licked his fingers. He wanted to lick her.
“Fifteen minutes of Monopoly,” Rosie offered when the boys asked to play a game, “then it’s bedtime.”
Despite having had a lie-down at Paige’s—and falling asleep, Rosie assured him—Noah and Jorge were tired enough that they didn’t complain when time was up, even though they hadn’t finished the game. There was teeth-brushing, a short reading from their Magic Tree House story, kisses and hugs, and then it was lights out, door closed.
Then it was just Rosie and Gideon.
“We should turn in.” He couldn’t trust himself to be alone with her tonight. Not when unquenched desire was pushing him to the breaking point. Before she could offer to take the couch the way she had last night, he said, “I already put your bag in the bedroom. The bean bags were just fine for me last night.”
But she shook her head. “You should sleep in the bed tonight.” She stepped closer. “I need you to be well rested so you can be at your best as our bodyguard.”
He couldn’t breathe with her so close. Couldn’t think straight. “I’ve slept in foxholes, on the ground, in the rain. It’s no big deal.”
“Maybe not.” She stared into his eyes, mesmerizing him. He was watching her so closely that he could practically see her mind working, which was how he knew when she came to a decision. “But your bed is big enough for two.”
Then she went up on her toes and pulled his head down, put her mouth on his. And as she tasted him, his entire body caught fire.
She was so sweet, so soft, so warm. He lost himself in her scent, in the delicacy of her lips, her mouth, and her body pressed to his. She felt so small in his arms. So fragile. And yet so strong. The strongest woman he’d ever known.
Then she tipped back her head and met his gaze, her eyes a rich, dark, swirling cocoa. “Come to bed with me, Gideon.”
And in that moment, he knew he would follow her anywhere, anytime, for as long as she wanted.
