by Dakota Black
“But Papa, we have company,” Tiger whined.
Snake leaned down, kissing the top of Tiger’s head. “Nice try, fella.”
“Okay.”
Shaking his head, Snake led her into the kitchen. “I’m sure you have questions.”
“Only if you want to talk.”
Logan nodded toward the counter, his grin infectious. “I have wine, beer, bourbon and tequila. I figured this might be a long night.”
“You two are a lot alike.” Katherine grabbed a glass of wine.
“He’s a pain in my ass,” Snake snarked before smiling. “He’s the best brother anyone could ever ask for.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Katherine. I’ve heard a lot about you and what you’re doing is wonderful. I’ll get Tiger ready for bed and give you two sometime alone.” Logan patted Snake on the arm before walking out of the room.
“Let’s go out on the back deck. It’s nice this evening.” Grabbing a beer, Snake led her outside and leaned against the railing. “I guess you must have figured out about Tyler.”
“I had a suspicion, but I knew you’d tell me when and if you were ready.” She studied the incredible sky, the strings of colors as the sun began to dip all the way below the horizon.
“Kaylee took him away and when she was killed, he was in the car with her. Thank God, he wasn’t hurt. I realized that very day my son would remain a target, so I begged Logan to take him, raise him as his son. When Logan fell on hard times and when I couldn’t stand life any longer, they moved in here. By then, I couldn’t tell Tyler that Logan wasn’t his daddy.”
“But you did tell him. Why?”
Snake shrugged and took a gulp of his beer. “Logan convinced me. He said that I would never be able to live a full life if I didn’t come clean.” Laughing, he shook his head. “So, now, the fabulous little boy thinks he has two daddies. Logan and I decided to leave it this way for a couple of years.”
“That sounds wonderful. He’s amazing. Just like you.” They both remained quiet. “Do you know who killed your wife?”
“Not the person responsible. No. But the horrific crime was used to keep anyone who wanted to leave the mafia from doing so. At least that’s what I heard. At this point, I’m not certain it matters. The fuckers are all dead or behind bars.”
“You’re sure of that?” She hated to ask the question.
“Yeah, I’ve come to realize over the last three weeks that if there’d been someone waiting to kill me or my family, they would have done so. What continues to stick in my craw is that I have no idea who left the package for me with Pepe.
“Pictures. They were from the month or so before she was killed. Maybe someone found them and wanted to give them back to the rightful owner. I don’t know and I’m going to try not to care any longer. Tyler deserves a normal life. I won’t stop looking over my shoulder for a hell of a long time, but this is my home.” His hand was shaking as he brushed his fingers through his hair.
Katherine swallowed before tugging the single black and white photograph from her pocket. “Pictures like this?”
He narrowed his eyes before grabbing the picture. “Where did you find this?”
“On the floor of the jeep the day I called the airlines.” She anticipated fury, rage.
Tipping his head, he let out a long, slow breath. “You knew all this time and you still believed in me. You surprise me, Katherine Wallace.”
“I surprise myself.” Chuckling, she took a sip of wine. “By the way, I’m staying in Dallas permanently.”
“I know. I’ve been paying attention.”
“Oh, you have, huh?” she purred. “I thought maybe we could see each other.”
“Lady, I want you here every day. I need you in my life.”
She closed the distance. “Are you certain you can handle me?”
His look turning primal, he growled. “The question is. Will you obey me?”
“Always, sir.”
Cupping the side of her face, he pulled her close until only their lips were touching. “Will you stay here tonight?”
“Do you think that’s okay?”
“Very much so. I need you.”
Her heart swelling, she knew this was the beginning of a new and incredible life, one in which she’d gained an amazing family.
Snake had never felt such happiness in his entire life. Unable to sleep, he remained on his side, watching Katherine in the darkness. The time spent together had been so real, enjoying laughter and conversation. His thoughts had drifted to marriage, but one step at a time. And Tyler genuinely seemed to adore her.
Shifting, she moaned, her hand moving on top of his chest.
He toyed with her arm, running his fingers up and down, almost wanting her to awaken. Making love had been soft, gentle and very quiet. He chuckled at the concept. Logan was in the next room, Tyler just beyond that. Not that Logan hadn’t heard him before. Still, slow and easy until they were certain this was right.
Closing his eyes, he snuggled against her, wrapping his arm around her waist. They simply fit together. As he settled in, he smiled.
Creak!
The single noise and his head shot up. Blinking, he focused as he listened for any additional sounds. The house was old and there were always creaks from the wood moving. At some point, he was going to have to stop being terrified of every sound. When he heard nothing else, he eased his head back on the pillow.
Cre-eeeak!
This time, he slid off the bed, every muscle tense and alert. Creeping around the end of the bed, he took silent steps to the door, opening it without making a sound. Peering out into the hallway, he could see nothing. There were no lights, no warm glow coming from downstairs.
Logan always left a light on. Always.
Very slowly he padded toward his dresser drawer, opening and removing the gun. He had to search for the clip and when he slipped it into the chamber, the click was just loud enough that he hissed under his breath. Katherine remained asleep and at this point, there was no sense waking her. He crept out into the hallway and toward the top of the stairs, hearing nothing new. But his gut told him that someone was in the house.
Taking each step with extreme caution, he held the gun in both hands as he walked down the stairs. When he was on the landing, he peeked into the dining room. There was no one that he could see but he moved in the direction, crouching low as he advanced through the room, checking under the table then moving to the kitchen. The refrigerator was humming, water dripping in the sink. There was also nowhere for anyone to hide.
Snake headed into the living room, stopping just outside the doorway. As he moved inside, he scanned the perimeter then checked every inch, turning on a single light. There was no one. He searched the rest of the house and couldn’t find anything amiss. Breathing a sigh of relief, he checked the back door. It remained locked. After checking the front door, he peered outside. There were no unusual cars or anything moving that he could see.
He waited another few minutes before heading back up the stairs. Dear God, if every night went this way, he was going to lose his mind. When he was on the third step, hair stood up on the back of his neck. Swinging around, everything was in slow motion as the figure appeared out of nowhere. Caught off guard, he started to lift his gun just as he heard a noise from the top of the stairs. “No!”
Bam!
“Take that, you motherfucker. No one is going to fuck with my family,” Katherine stated, holding the gun in both hands.
“You’re sure about this?” Snake laughed as he helped Katherine off the helicopter and studied the bright, sunny sky.
She brushed the hair out of her eyes and cringed as she looked up at the top of the rig. “You promised me a week on an offshore rig.”
He marveled at the fact she’d had no remorse about killing the intruder. Her aim had been spot on. The tall blond was no doubt the man who’d left the pictures with Pepe. He fit the description and was a known associate of certain members of the Mexica
n mafia. “I did. I’m just not certain if you can handle the heat.”
Giving him a hard look, she grabbed her bag. “If I can handle you, dear, sweet sir, I can handle anything. Let’s go.”
As she walked away, turning only once to give him a beckoning smile, he smoothed his hand over his jeans pocket. Well, perhaps spending a week on an oil rig wasn’t the most romantic option, but given all they’d been through, perhaps it was the perfect place for a proposal.
Now, to teach her about obedience…
The End
Dakota Black
Dakota fashions herself to be a jack of all trades, a master of none. She’s been a student at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, studying Avionics and owned a catering and entertainment company. However, her one true love is writing, something she’s been doing since a teenager. Her books are romantic, campy, fun and laced with more than a dose of hearty discipline. If you don’t find her writing, you’ll catch her tending to her garden, finding a new bottle of merlot or playing with her dogs in a state filled with sweet breezes and gorgeous forests.
Don’t miss these exciting titles by Dakota Black and Blushing Books!
Lucifer’s Lair Series
The Scheme, Book 1
Texas Oil Series
A Shadow of Doubt, Book 1
A Soul Redeemed, Book 2
A Captured Spirit, Book 3
A Death Wish, Book 4
A Solemn Creed, Book 5 (Available April 2018)
Dakota’s stories are also available on Bethany’s Woodshed www.herwoodshed.com
Connect with Dakota Black:
[email protected]
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