by Victoria Sue
Rawlings glanced at Gray. “Let me show you what we’ve got so far.” Gray shot a questioning look at Seb, obviously unsure of whether Seb would be comfortable with Pink on his own or not. Seb smiled, more in surprise that for the first time in a lot of years, meeting new people wasn’t freaking him out. He knew Danny. Gray was here, and Pink—she looped an arm in his and turned him toward the stairs—seemed kind of nice.
He took the short flight slowly and rather than shun the body contact, let Pink lean on him. “Diesel would put me in a cage if he could,” she said as they got to the top and huffed a breath. “And I don’t mean that in a kinky way, more a ‘you mustn’t lift that really heavy teaspoon’ kind of way.” He grinned at the accompanying roll of her eyes and let her steer him to the first door on the left. She turned the handle, and Seb followed her into a huge bedroom. The outside of the house was old, but the bedroom was sleek and modern, with a king-size bed that dominated one wall and a stylish sofa and coffee table tucked along one side. A dark wood dresser and matching side tables completed the room along with pale cream drapes that suddenly reminded him of how his dad’s room used to be. He’d forgotten that. He hadn’t been in his dad’s room in years but knew he’d decorated at least once since his mom had died. Pink walked to the two doors on the left to reveal a dressing room and an en-suite bathroom. “…not surprising, as protective as they all are, of course,” she said as she turned, and then at his confused look obviously realized at the same time as he did she had started speaking before she turned to look at him.
Her hand fluttered near her mouth in a distressed sort of way before she dropped it. “I’m sorry, that was so rude of me.”
Seb shook his head, as touched by her consideration as he was determined not to upset her, and stepped closer. The thought of what any of the men would likely do to him if she so much as chipped a nail while in his presence should have made him nervous, but somehow he seemed to have developed a protective instinct he’d never felt before. Maybe it was because she was Gray’s sister. Or because she was pregnant, or just maybe it was because she seemed so nice. “Please, it’s fine. It’s very kind of you to let me stay. I’m sure you weren’t expecting a target for kidnappers to spoil your holiday.” To Seb’s horror, her eyes filled, and without thinking, he put his arm around her and steered her to the small sofa. He grabbed some tissues from a box on the coffee table in front of it.
She took the tissues gratefully and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. Hormones,” she added ruefully and stroked her belly. “This is going to sound incredibly mean, and I’m sorry you were scared and that someone is trying to hurt you, but—”
“But you’re glad because it means Gray is here,” Seb finished her sentence. Pink nodded silently, her rueful smile tinged with embarrassment.
“Do you know…?” Her voice trailed off.
Seb squeezed her hand, which seemed to be holding his own. He didn’t know much but wanted Gray to share the rest of whatever it was with him. He glanced down at her stomach, wondering what was polite to ask.
“I’m due in two months,” she answered. “Believe it or not, I am going to get bigger.” She grinned, correctly guessing, and stood up, accepting the change of topic as she nodded to the bathroom. “I was going to say that the door over there connects to the room Gray will be in. In case that made you feel better he’s close.” She finished with an assessing gleam in her eyes that Seb couldn’t meet and dropped his gaze. The same slight touch to his arm that her brother did had him raising them. “I’ll leave you to it and wait downstairs.”
“No.” Seb suddenly had an image of her tripping on the stairs. “I’ll be real quick.” Pink beamed and sank back down gratefully.
Seb rushed to the bathroom, emptied his bladder gratefully, and then unwrapped one of the spare brushes he found already laid out and brushed his teeth. He was back in the bedroom in barely any time at all. He didn’t mind when Pink took his arm again and they went back to the stairs. He’d even stayed close to her in case she needed it, knowing he would rather fall down the entire flight himself than have her stumble over one single stair. The double doors at the bottom were open, and they headed for them.
He froze for a few seconds. It was another large room complete with dining table groaning under more food than he’d ever seen in his life. Probably more people than he wished to see either, all sat or stood around it. He swallowed nervously and sought out Gray, who immediately pulled out two chairs.
Rawlings walked over from the huge bay window at the other end of the table and gently steered his wife to a seat. Seb’s gaze fell on an adorable little girl, who was trying to feed Sadie turkey from her small plate, and Danny was trying to stop her. He recognized Ringo and Mac, even though he’d seen them only briefly, and they both tipped their heads to him in greeting. An older couple, who both smiled, passed dishes around to everyone. To Seb’s complete astonishment, he recognized Paula, who sat at the other side of the table and smiled shyly, and he assumed the older man next to her, who didn’t raise his head, was her father.
Seb waited for the nerves to roll over him but found instead he was blinking furiously as his eyes stung. He ducked his head and tried to disappear into the seat he slunk into, praying no one noticed. After a few seconds, he felt Gray touch his arm, and he looked up cautiously at the full glass of water he was holding. The knowledge that Gray was still continuing with his mission to try to drown Seb with the amount of water he was pushing on him made Seb smile in spite of himself. And even more, despite what must be an incredibly hard time for him, Gray was still looking out for Seb, which warmed him through at a ridiculous speed. He swallowed the water and washed away the lump in his throat.
The older woman he sat next to lightly tapped his arm and he turned to look at her. She was holding a platter of potatoes—roasted, brown, and faintly crumbly. They looked and smelled delicious. Seb felt his stomach rumbling and pressed his hand to it in panic in case it was audible.
By the lady’s wink and smile, he guessed it had been. “I’m Maisie, Diesel’s mom, and that’s Tom, his dad.” She looked to the older man who was chatting with Mac. “Pleased to meet you,” she said and patted his hand.
“Seb,” Seb supplied and helped himself to potatoes. In what seemed like no time, his plate held more food than he was sure he had ever eaten in his life in one sitting before, but no one seemed to make a fuss of him or stare or ask awkward questions, so he was content to just sit and eat the wonderful food. He glanced surreptitiously a few times at people’s lips but none of the conversation seemed to concern him, so little by little he relaxed. He felt Gray nudge his arm after a while. “You were hungry, huh?”
Seb stared down at his nearly empty plate in astonishment and wondered where all the food had gone. He glanced up, and both Pink and Maisie were watching him with indulgent smiles. Suddenly it wasn’t embarrassing. It was confusing, yes. He always shunned this much contact, and when he was younger and his dad forced him to eat with their extended family—which only amounted to an uncle who lived in Alaska and his stern wife and three children, or his grandad when he had been alive—Seb had simply played with his food, convinced eating a lot would make him sick, and then escaped the audience as soon as he could. Once his mark appeared, his dad never asked him to eat with guests ever again. He’d been too relieved at the time to be offended, but faced here with what family should look like, it shone a light on all the dark corners of his own.
No one except his dad and Mrs. P and Gray had ever been this considerate about waiting until he was watching to speak to him, or not assuming his deafness meant stupidity. Not his extended family, and certainly not strangers. All these people were confusing the hell out of him, because no one seemed to care he was enhanced either, and he sat feeling completely stuffed and watching the antics of Gray’s niece as she tried to convince her father that each vegetable she ate meant she had earned some promised chocolate ice cream. She seemed unfazed by the strangers sitting around her as she ate, and he guessed
she took her security from her dad, who towered in the seat next to her, or her mom, who was leaning back and lightly pressing her hands to her sides.
“Are you okay?” Seb asked worriedly.
Pink’s smile widened as nearly every head around the table snapped up at the question, as if the answer was a matter of life and death. “I’m fine.” She glanced over fondly at her daughter. “If you would excuse us both, I think a nap might be in order.” It was Seb’s turn to smile as both Gray and Rawlings jumped up. Maisie chuckled and turned her attention on Gray.
“Would you help me get the coffee?”
Paula stood and helped her father stand. “Does a nap sound good, Dad?” She started to follow Gray and Maisie from the room. The silent older man seemed very frail, and Seb watched, feeling the same guilt that he hadn’t known her dad was sick until Carter had mentioned it. Shocked, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder as they passed, and glanced up at Paula. “Thank you,” she mouthed, and Seb smiled back, pleased he had been able to help. She hesitated, obviously wanting to say something else.
“Please, it’s fine,” Seb assured her, and she threw him another grateful smile and helped her dad out.
He stood when the others did. Danny nodded to the door at the other side of the room, and Seb followed everyone else through into a comfy lounge with large overstuffed armchairs and eclectic unmatched sofas. He sat on the edge of the nearest sofa, and Danny joined him. Sadie curled up on the floor next to them, and Seb idly stroked her head.
“Have you ever thought about getting a dog?” Danny asked, watching him.
Seb turned to gaze at Sadie in longing, surprised the idea had never occurred to him. Although if he had, he knew he would have dismissed the thought of being able to care for anything else when he didn’t seem to be able to care for himself. “What does it involve?” he asked.
Danny grinned and found a website on his phone. Seb—not surprisingly—wanted every puppy he saw.
Chapter Sixteen
GRAY HEARD footsteps behind him and knew by the softly closed door, Rawlings wanted to talk business. He turned as Danny, Ringo, and Rawlings all found seats around the deserted kitchen table. Maisie and Tom had left after helping Pink get Tabitha to bed. Apparently Paula and her father were staying in the village, and Paula was checking out some local nursing home facilities while they were here, which on her new salary she could more easily afford.
Seb was asleep. Gray knew their adjoining rooms was entirely deliberate. Rawlings would expect Gray to be near his charge, and Gray knew full well it was only because of Rawlings’s faith in his own men patrolling the grounds that he had assumed Gray wouldn’t sleep on the sofa in Seb’s suite. Gray hadn’t decided yet but had a feeling it might not be for the reasons Rawlings thought. Judging from the measured looks aimed at him and Seb from Pink, it might be the reason his sister suspected.
That conversation was obviously going to happen tomorrow, and his stomach coiled with the thought of whatever else his sister might say.
“Did CCTV pick up anything?” Ringo asked, breaking into Gray’s thoughts.
“No,” Danny sighed. “The area isn’t covered. We have two possible sightings en route to the house, one partial plate we think is false anyway, and the police have no descriptions of the men other than that they wore ski masks. The cameras we installed gave us no further information. We have body types, height, skin coloring of one because his wrists showed, but nothing else.”
“Carter is threatening to arrest you,” Rawlings told Gray, half-amused. “It’s only our previous reputation and the fact I can offer better protection than they can that’s keeping him quiet for now, but he’s insisting on interviewing Seb tomorrow.”
“His father has been informed and is flying back,” Ringo added. Gray sighed and eyed the man, wondering what he thought. Drake Starr—hence the Ringo nickname—had served with the UN and met Rawlings when they had been involved in trying to enforce the ceasefire between Ethiopia and Eritrea more than fifteen years ago. Ringo was nearly ten years older than both of them, never spoke about anything other than whatever mission they were on, and of everyone who sat eating Thanksgiving dinner, he had been the least expected.
Maybe he had also fallen under Pink’s nurturing spell.
“I’m assuming Carter has established Derwent’s whereabouts?” Gray hadn’t seen him at the house, but after the grenade, he hadn’t seen much of anything.
“He was at a bar in town. The owner can vouch for him getting royally fucked,” Danny drawled.
“And the housekeeper has been contacted and asked to stay with her sister until Saturday,” Rawlings confirmed. “Both the housekeeper and Seb’s father have protection they are unaware of, as you requested.”
“Any luck with the hate mail?”
Rawlings shook his head. “Nothing, so I understand, but Carter is being a bit tight-lipped. I think that’s merely more because he’s annoyed than he’s keeping anything back.”
Gray leaned forward and told his attentive audience about the hearing tests, Dr. McKay, and the bat detector. Ringo’s lips twitched a little at the name.
“How far did you get with the financials?” Rawlings asked Danny, and Danny huffed.
“Not finished, or even far enough. All I’ve managed to find out is that the business is spread pretty thin, and there is some sort of announcement due in a few weeks. Lot of speculation as to whether the company will be floated or sold. I’m still digging. Seb is going to be a rich boy.” Danny smirked. “And the porn was sent remotely rerouted a lot of times. It’s unclear yet whether Arron sent it to his own computer or someone else did. I’m still checking.”
Gray didn’t bother rising to the “rich boy” comment. A few minutes later, Danny left to walk Sadie, and Ringo excused himself. He lived—Gray knew—in a small complex of apartments that Rawlings had built less than a mile away for any of his men to use.
“What’s your gut telling you?” Diesel asked when they had gone.
Gray huffed out a frustrated breath. “Not enough.”
“But you doubt his enhanced status has any bearing on this?”
Gray hesitated, and from the arch of Diesel’s eyebrows, Gray knew Diesel had picked up on it. “There’s one last thing,” Gray admitted and told him what had happened when Seb had been able to hear Danny on the phone.
Rawlings whistled appreciatively. “And no one else knows?”
Gray shook his head. He felt bad waiting until after Danny left, but the fewer people who knew, the better.
“You’re sure Arron Smith didn’t know?”
“No. It’s too much of a jump to go from vibrations and echolocation to full hearing.” Gray remembered the research he’d done and the theories that sounds were as much vibrations as anything else. “I think it’s too much of a leap.”
“But not for this Dr. McKay.”
“No, but a hearing specialist would understand all that. I’ve done as much research on the enhanced abilities as I could in the last few days, and the general theory is that most of them are just natural human evolution speeded up a few thousand years.”
“The motive here, then, being as simple as the almighty buck. Do you think the father is front and center?”
“I don’t see how he couldn’t be, even if his motivations were originally something else.” Gray huffed. “You should have seen the state Seb was in after the testing. I can’t believe anyone who purports to love Seb would put him through that.”
“He trusts you,” Rawlings said.
Gray looked at him suspiciously, not completely sure whether it was a compliment, a criticism, or just an observation. With Rawlings it could go either way.
Rawlings fell quiet. Gray squirmed a little after a while because the silence seemed a space full of his sister, and when it was eventually filled, he wasn’t surprised. “You’ve made her day, you know.”
Gray gazed at the pattern on the floor tiles.
“Look, I never interfered, and I’m
not going to now. But just respect me enough to hear me out?”
Gray looked up, startled at the emotion that seemed to ripple through Rawlings. Was he angry? Shouldn’t he have brought Seb here?
“I should have led the mission.” He put up his hand to forestall Gray as he opened his mouth. “I was playing football with the local kids, and I sprained my fucking ankle.”
Gray remained silent, watching the anger and frustration roll through his boss like a wrecking ball.
“It was shit, and because you were a man down, we rushed at it thinking it was a stupid-ass escort job and due diligence wasn’t done properly. That was my fucking fault, not yours.”
“Sarge—”
“No.” Rawlings slammed the flat of his palm on the table. “You don’t get to take this from me. It was guilt that took me to Pink because Aubrey’s death was one hundred percent on me. You stepped up at the last minute, and guess what? I’ve let you walk around with all this shit for way too long because I fell in love and I didn’t want her to blame me for murdering her fucking husband.”
The gasp from the silently opened door had them both turning their heads. Pink stood there, mouth slightly open, eyes flashing.
“Babes.” Rawlings started pushing to his feet. “I’m sorry—”
Pink held a hand up in exactly the same way Rawlings had done a few seconds ago and walked slowly to the chair that Danny had vacated. She stretched an arm out and clasped Rawlings’s and then with the other one did exactly the same to Gray. He hesitated for a second and then squeezed hers but immediately tried to let go. Pink stubbornly held on and took a breath.
“Aubrey was my first love, but four years ago I didn’t just lose him; I lost my brother.” Gray wished he could disappear into the floor, but she continued to stare at him. “You blamed yourself for being away and missing Mom’s funeral, but that’s bullshit,” she swore defiantly. “Aubrey told me far more than he should have. I imagine he spared me quite a few of the harrowing details, but he told me one time you saved their lives. There was a boy.”
