Loving Vin (Barretti Security Series, #1)

by Sloane Kennedy

  Loving Vin

  Sloane Kennedy

  Loving Vin is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2015 by Sloane Kennedy

  Published in the United States by Sloane Kennedy

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Image: © Artem Furman | Shutterstock.com

  Cover Design: Cover to Cover Designs

  Acknowledgements

  A big thank you to Rita for your incredible editing skills and support!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Vincenzo Barretti eased his finger off the trigger when he noticed two things about the woman standing in front of him. One – the guard dogs he had himself carefully picked out as youngsters and trained were flanking her protectively, indication that even though she stood in his house uninvited, she’d been there long enough to gain the dogs’ loyalties. And two – she didn’t seem scared to be looking down the barrel of his gun. No, she looked...accepting. Like facing death was nothing new for her and showing fear was as useless as histrionics or pleading.

  He’d known something was off when he pulled his car into the secluded, well-fortified property north of Seattle that he called home when he wasn’t off trudging through the endless deserts and ruined cities of the Middle East. The dogs typically prowled the grounds when he wasn’t home and on the off chance they had gone into the house using the doggy door that was operated by specialized remote triggers on their collars, they would have come running out at the first hint of any car or person entering the compound. So before he had even walked through the front door, he’d had his gun drawn. Briego, the slightly smaller Belgian Malinois, had appeared within seconds of his entry into the house, but had indicated no anxiety or distress that something was amiss. The dog’s brother, Bane, was a no-show though and that had made Vin nervous because even though the dogs were there to do a job, they were also his family.

  A quick search of the lower floor had yielded no clue as to what was going on but Briego had disappeared up the stairs, his nails clicking along the wooden floor until they came to a halt at the end of the hall opposite Vin’s bedroom. Instead of searching the entire upper floor room by room as would have been his first instinct, he tracked Briego’s movements, then raised his gun at the sight of the woman standing in the doorway of the guest bedroom. The majority of her body was hidden in shadows since he hadn’t turned any lights on to give away his presence, but the automatic track lighting he’d had installed along the base of the floor for the purpose of allowing him to move and see quickly and easily enough without letting any potential intruders know his exact location gave him enough of an outline to discern a few things.

  Although her shape was a mystery, he could see she was wearing what looked to be a loose fitting pair of shorts – pajama bottoms, he suspected, as well as a plain, white T-shirt that was several sizes too big for her - he had the sneaking suspicion it was one of his. Long hair covered much of her face and hung nearly to her waist, though he couldn’t tell the color. What he could see was Bane sitting on one side of her, Briego on the other. Her arms hung loosely at her sides, the fingers of one hand touching Bane’s head. The fact that neither dog had torn her apart whenever she had first entered his house meant that someone had let her in and the list of who might have done so was pretty short. Both Santo, the guy who took care of his yard and fed the dogs and Kayla, the woman who had bred and raised Bane and Briego and stopped by to work with the dogs several days a week when he was out of town, had the security codes to get into the house, but he doubted they would have the audacity to stash a woman there for any reason. That left his brother Dom as the likely culprit, though that made little sense to him either.

  The woman still hadn’t made a sound or move so Vin said, “Take one step forward. Slowly.”

  She did as he asked without hesitation, but the second the light from the floor illuminated her frame, she raised her left arm and covered her throat with her hand. The move had been quick, likely more instinctive and ingrained than anything else, but if he’d been the typical, trigger happy homeowner who’d just found a stranger inside his multi-million dollar home, the move could have cost her her life. He kept the gun trained on her as he studied what the light had revealed – she was taller than the average woman - 5’8 he guessed, which would put her at shoulder level with him. Something he didn’t see often since at 6’3 he tended to tower over the few women in his life and many of the men as well.

  What stood out more than anything was how young she looked – early twenties at best. She was thin, but not the kind of thin that many women intentionally worked at to be. No, she looked malnourished and her pale skin suggested she didn’t see much of the sun...not that early springtime in Seattle had much of that to offer. Her hair turned out to be brown – at least mostly anyway. About halfway down, the color of her hair changed suddenly from brown to black. A twinge went through him as something about that flashed in his memory somewhere but then was gone.

  “Drop the hand,” he ordered as his eyes quickly flashed to his peripheral to make sure she was alone. The situation was off and even though the dogs weren’t signaling on any other presence in the house, he couldn’t quite get a read on what was going on and that had him on edge. “Do it now,” he ordered firmly when she didn’t respond and kept her hand clutched to her throat instead.

  It was the first sign of any kind of emotion from her and he was satisfied to know that at least she understood him, because her fingers fluttered, then clenched into a fist before she finally dropped her arm back to her side. One look at her neck had it all coming back to him in a rush.

  “Mia,” he breathed and he saw her inhale sharply at the use of her name. It didn’t surprise him that she probably didn’t recognize him. After all, the last and only time she’d laid eyes on him was when he and Dom and Dom’s partner, Logan had found her in the process of beating her own father to death with a metal pipe. Of course, Vin wasn’t sure the murdering son of a bitch had actually turned out to be her father since he’d left the country before the details of that day had been brought to life. All he did know was that he and Dom and Logan had gone into that shed to save their friends from Sam Reynolds, a rapist and murderer, and had found Mia instead as she took out the man who had been on the verge of killing those same friends.

  Riley Sinclair and Eli Galvez had been innocent pawns that Sam had used to further torment Logan and his sister, Savannah. If Mia hadn’t been there to stop him, they’d both be gone. Vin had been the first to reach the shed and knew even as he had thrown open the door that there was no way he could have gotten there in time to keep Sam from shooting the young woman and fifteen year old boy who had been handcuffed to a pole in the small, windowless room. He’d had every expectation of seeing their lifeless bodies lying on that cement floor and having to face Dom and Logan and tell them they were too late. But instead, he’d walked in on a scene that would live with him forever.

  Sam’s body had
been sprawled in a pool of blood on the floor, his face nearly gone, crushed under the heavy, even blows from the pipe that Mia had wielded without hesitation. Blood and brain matter were everywhere, including all over her, but she’d kept hitting him. She’d even fought Vin for the briefest of moments when he took the pipe from her. A quick look at Sam’s dead body had her passing out in his arms. He’d seen her in the hospital afterwards, though she’d been out pretty much the whole time. That day had been a blur for all of them, but what he would never forget and what had it all coming back to him now was her neck and the long, ragged scar that went all the way around it. And the fucking burns – two small, perfect circles that he could still see plain as day where the shock collar that son of a bitch had put on her had dug into her soft skin.

  She still hadn’t responded to him in any way and he suddenly found himself eager to hear her voice, though he wasn’t sure why. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  No answer. Both dogs continued to crowd her as they eyed him and Briego whined nervously. He was always the more highly-strung of the two dogs and had an eager to please attitude that had him willing to try any training move that was asked of him.

  “Platz,” he ordered, and Briego ran to his side without hesitation and dropped to the ground. His eyes were on Bane though, who hadn’t moved an inch, his dark gaze still on Vin. The animal didn’t show any sign of aggression or anxiety, but Vin could see with a subtle shift that the dog had made his choice to stay where he was. Mia’s fingers reflexively stroked the dog and he wondered if she was able to pick up something in the dog’s body that he couldn’t see or if she just sensed that Bane was struggling between his need to be obedient and his instinct to protect the person he knew was the weaker one in that instant.

  Vin sighed and began to lower the gun, then stilled as Mia whispered, “Don’t” before stepping in front of the dog. Did she actually think he was going to shoot his own dog for disobeying his order? She answered the question for him when Bane tried to move around her so he could be at her side once more. Grabbing his neck that no longer sported the leather collar with the doggy door remote on it, she kept her body between his and Bane’s, apparently unconcerned that the gun was now pointed directly at her chest.

  Vin carefully lowered the gun and held it as his side as he studied her. Whatever was going on here was beyond fucked up and he needed some answers. But instead of striding up to her and grabbing her like he wanted to and forcing her to tell him what the hell she was doing in his house, he heard himself saying, “I’m not going to hurt him, Mia. He’s doing what he was trained to do.” She didn’t respond to him and he was growing frustrated with her silence. “What are you doing here?” he asked once again.

  No response. Nothing at all. She didn’t even release the dog’s neck and that pissed him off. Not only had she invaded his home, she didn’t trust his word either. Tucking the gun back into the holster at his waist, he made a motion to Briego who was watching him eagerly and the dog jumped up at his release signal and trotted back to Mia’s side.

  “You know what, I’m too fucking tired for this,” Vin muttered. He’d been up for nearly forty-eight hours straight and his body was nearing its breaking point. “Go back to bed. We’ll talk in the morning,” he said as he turned away from her and walked down the hallway back to his own room. Briego appeared at his side and followed him into his room and he felt marginally better that at least one of his dogs hadn’t abandoned him. Not that he could blame either dog since he’d been gone this past year more than he’d been home. His hopes had been high with this last trip that the outcome would be different, but every new lead had led to more disappointment.

  Vin toed his shoes off and dropped down onto the bed, ignoring the dirt and grime that clung to him. The adrenaline spike that had shot through him upon realizing there was an intruder in his home had waned and he was crashing quickly. He felt Briego jump up onto the bed beside him and curl into a ball against his side. For once, he didn’t give a shit that the behavior went against the dog’s training and he sighed as the dog’s warm body settled next to his. It felt so good just to not be alone anymore.

  ***

  Vin grabbed the cordless phone from the charger next to his bed as he left his room, the early morning sun drifting in through the tall windows. The sight of the dark blue waters of Puget Sound nestled at the foot of the Olympic mountain range never failed to humble him and remind him how good it was to be home. But a darkness would always hang over him because for every day he got to see the amazing view, his brother Ren did not.

  Ren had been just eighteen when he joined the military and his drive and focus had made him one of the youngest soldiers to ever join the Special Forces unit. He’d spent years protecting his country from the shadows and now he’d been lost to them. Ren’s team had been ambushed more than a year ago, but the bodies of Ren and three of his teammates had yet to be found. Vin had been on a mission ever since to find his younger brother, but the leads were drying up and he was no closer to finding Ren then the first time he’d made the trip to the Middle East.

  Vin left his bedroom and walked down the hall to Mia’s room – no, not Mia’s room. His room. They were all his rooms, he reminded himself. At some point Briego had ditched him but since he’d closed the door to his bedroom, he knew the dog had had help. He wasn’t sure if it bothered him more that Mia had felt comfortable enough in his home to open the door to his private sanctuary or that he hadn’t even fucking heard the door open or felt his dog leave his side. As a former SEAL, his life had depended on his ability to respond instantly to any danger and sheer exhaustion wasn’t an excuse to ignore that training, especially when there was a virtual stranger living in his house.

  The bedroom Mia was using was empty when he entered. The first thing he noticed was there was no door. He’d been all prepared to play the polite – albeit temporary – host and knock before entering, but not only was the door open, it was completely gone. Removed from the hinges. The door that led to the private bathroom was also gone, as was the one for the walk-in closet. He stepped into the bathroom and studied the dual mirrors over the his and her sinks. Both were covered with large towels. Confused, he left the bathroom, intent on finding his unwelcome guest and calling Dom.

  “Asshole!”

  Vin nearly jumped at the high pitched shriek coming from the other side of the room. His eyes widened at what he saw – a huge white bird with dark, beady eyes watching him from a perch in the corner of the room.

  “Asshole!” it screeched at him again as it shifted anxiously from one foot to another.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Vin whispered as he approached the bird. It stilled as he neared it, then flapped its wings and said “Asshole,” again, more quietly this time. Vin could tell there was something wrong with one of its wings because it didn’t open as far as the other when the bird stretched them. A bird cage sat in the other corner of the room.

  The bird fell silent and watched him warily. Vin shook his head and then turned his attention to the phone in his hand. He hit the speed dial and moved to the window overlooking the backyard.

  “Hello?” he heard a sleepy voice say and Vin recognized it as Logan, Dom’s lover.

  “Put my asshole brother on the phone!” Vin said.

  “Asshole!” the bird shouted again.

  “Vin?” Logan asked and then he heard shuffling, presumably as Logan tried to wake Dom up.

  “Yeah, it’s me,” he said tiredly. He heard Logan say Dom’s name, but before he could say anything he felt sharp claws dig into his calf.

  “What the-” he shouted as he looked down and saw a kitten clinging to his lower leg.

  “Vin?” he heard Dom say into his ear.

  The kitten started crawling up his leg, its sharp claws digging into his skin. Two more kittens were playing with the frayed fabric on the hem of his pants leg. Vin grabbed the kitten hanging onto his thigh and carefully pulled it free and cradled it against hi
s chest.

  “Vin? Are you there?”

  “Get your fucking ass over here right now!” Vin yelled into Dom’s ear as the kitten dug its claws into his chest.

  “Asshole!” the bird shouted.

  “Shit,” Dom said. “Are you home?” he asked warily.

  “Yes! Now climb off your boyfriend and get your ass over here!”

  “Vin, I texted you to call me before you went home,” Dom began lamely.

  Another kitten began climbing his leg and Vin winced. “Sorry Dom, as soon as I get the cat that’s climbing me like a tree off, I’ll call up the phone guys and tell them to make a phone that will survive a fall down the side of a mountain as terrorists are firing their AK-47s at my ass!”

  The second kitten made it to his thigh and he tucked the phone against his shoulder so he could grab it too and hold it next to its brother or sister against his chest.

  “A lot’s happened, Vin,” Dom began.

  Vin stared in stunned silence at the sight just outside the window. He ignored the third kitten that was precariously close to his groin and snapped into the phone, “You’ve got a whole lot to explain Dom, and it better start with why there’s a fucking pig running around my backyard!”

  Chapter 2

  Mia Hamilton took in a long, deep breath as the smell of damp earth and wet grass greeted her as she stretched her body out and stared at the clouds above her. She felt Bane drop his head against her abdomen and she automatically reached out to stroke him. Briego was following Georgie around the yard, but she knew the dog wouldn’t hurt the little pot-bellied pig. The dog seemed to have taken it upon himself to act as bodyguard for the black and white pig and rarely let the animal out of his sight as Georgie explored the expansive backyard. She often wondered if whatever breed of dog Briego and Bane were included some type of herding gene because Briego always hustled Georgie back if he strayed too far.

  She sighed as Bane shifted against her and lifted his head for a moment before dropping it back down on her stomach. She knew she would miss the animals most when it was time for her to leave and after the chilly reception she’d received last night, she had no doubt that time would be here soon. Not that it would have mattered – there was no way she could stay in this house any longer now that its owner was back. It was a shame too, because for the first time in a long time she finally felt safe.