by Maya Banks
“Yeah, really.”
Her eyes sparked and danced with merriment. “Man, wait until I tell Sean this. The biggest badass on the planet thinks I’d make a good law enforcement officer.”
Steele sighed.
“What?” Rusty asked innocently. “If you think I’d make a good cop, then who else do I need to convince? You’d be the hardest sell.”
He shook his head. “I almost feel sorry for the citizens you’ll be sworn to protect.”
Sean walked up then, a frown wrinkling his forehead. “Rusty, you still talking about a career in law enforcement?”
Rusty clammed up, her eyes went flat and her posture immediately stiffened. She went from relaxed to on the defensive in a split second.
“Steele thinks I’d be good at it,” she said quietly.
Sean’s mouth tightened. “It’s too damn dangerous for you. Choose a safer profession. Preferably one that makes better money.”
She rolled her eyes. “KGI makes good money. I don’t see any of them starving.”
“They aren’t your average police officer,” Sean said patiently. “And no way in hell you need to even contemplate a career with KGI. Sam would shit a brick and so would Marlene.”
“You don’t think I can hack it,” Rusty said coolly.
“I’m not picking a fight with you, Rusty. So chill. I just think you’re making a mistake. If I’d given you my stamp of approval, you would have chosen something else. From now on I’ll support all your bad ideas just so you’ll ditch them out of spite.”
Hurt flickered in Rusty’s eyes and she glanced downward to hide her reaction. Steele hadn’t missed it, but he didn’t imagine anyone else saw it or was paying as close attention as he’d been.
“Everything isn’t about you, Sean,” she said in a low voice. “What I do with my life has nothing to do with you. I don’t make choices based on what I think you’ll like or not like. You give yourself way too much credit. I’m going to choose what makes me happy and I’m going to choose a job that I can be proud of. I’m going to make Marlene and Frank proud. The rest of you would have written me off long ago, but they didn’t. They’re the only people I give a damn about. Theirs is the only opinion that matters to me.”
She turned swiftly and walked away. At the doorway, she smiled unconvincingly at Marlene and told her she was taking a bathroom break.
“Well, hell,” Sean muttered.
“Lay off her,” Steele said bluntly. “She’s a good kid. Has her head on straight.”
Anger glinted in Sean’s eyes. “I know that. But come on. A police officer? Would you want your wife or sister or female cousin working in law enforcement? Especially someone as emotionally fragile as Rusty is?”
“You don’t give her enough credit,” Steele said. “She may very well surprise you if you give her half a chance.”
Sean’s lips tightened and he glanced in the direction Rusty had gone. “She thinks I’m on her case. And maybe in the beginning I was. But I’m not and I haven’t been. She only sees the way things were when she first came into Frank and Marlene’s life. You say I don’t give her enough credit, but she doesn’t give me that same credit. She’s too busy wrestling with that chip on her shoulder to see that there are people who genuinely care about her and don’t want to see her hurt or killed in her choice of professions.”
Steele nodded. “That may be so. But if that’s what she really wants to do . . .”
“Maybe she’ll change her mind,” Sean murmured.
“Is it because she’s a woman?” Steele asked curiously. “I imagine P.J. and Skylar would have a few choice words for you if that’s the case.”
Sean frowned. “It has nothing to do with her sex. It has to do with her. She’s had a tough time. She had a hard life before Marlene and Frank entered the picture. I don’t see her thriving in a job that will only remind her on a daily basis where she came from.”
Steele didn’t let his surprise show, but he was beginning to get a clearer picture of the situation. Sean cared about her and he wanted to protect her. Wrap her up in a bubble and shield her from everyday life. If it were only that easy.
The entire room went silent when Ethan burst through the door, a cheek-splitting grin plastered all over his face.
“Boys! Healthy twin boys!”
The room erupted in whistles, cheers, laughter and a few sobs.
“Grandsons,” Frank said in wonder as he hugged Marlene to him. “I’ll be damned. Twins. Just like Nathan and Joe.”
Joe grinned across the room. “Hope they’re prettier than me and Nathan!”
“On their worst day they’d have that covered,” Garrett muttered.
Nathan flipped Garrett the bird, which elicited a reprimand from Mama Kelly.
“You guys have to come see!” Ethan exclaimed. “They’re cleaning them up in the nursery now.”
The waiting room emptied as they all clambered down the hall to the nursery. Steele was swept along with the others amid a chorus of excited chatter, backslaps and hugs. It was a regular gush fest. He’d never seen so much smiling and happiness in one place. Not since . . .
He slammed the door shut on old memories, forced his mind to go blank and the icy shield to descend. When he felt better in control, he drew in a breath and allowed himself to be propelled toward the nursery window.
“Oh my gosh, look how beautiful they are!” Shea exclaimed.
“So cute!” Sarah gushed.
“I wanna see,” Charlotte said plaintively from her position on the floor, her head barely scraping the bottom of her father’s knee.
Sam reached down and boosted her up into his arms. She clung to his neck and then squealed in excitement when she laid eyes on the two bundles the smiling nurses were holding up for everyone to see.
“I want babies,” Charlotte announced, clapping her hands together.
Sam chuckled. “Better talk to your mama about that, little one. I’m thinking you could use a little sister to boss around.”
“Oh Sam, really?” Sophie said in exasperation. “She’ll never leave me alone now!”
Sam grinned and leaned down to kiss his wife. “Then I guess you better give us what we both want. Another baby!”
“We should leave now, Nathan,” Shea muttered. “It’s contagious!”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“You can all come into Rachel’s room as soon as she’s out of recovery,” Ethan announced. “They’ll bring the babies in as soon as they finish cleaning them up.”
Steele opened his mouth to give his excuses and get the hell out of there but the roar of conversation, excited exclamations over the babies and congratulations and backslaps drowned out anything he would have said.
Two hours later, he found himself stuffed into Rachel’s room with the rest of KGI and assorted team members, and he realized he hadn’t even eaten. He was starved, he was deafened by all the chatter and his head was about to explode.
Rachel was glowing with happiness, her eyes alight with joy, her cheeks flushed and rosy. Not bad for a woman who’d just had her belly cut open and her insides pulled out and put back in.
He went into panic mode—and he did not panic, ever!—when one of the babies was suddenly shoved into his arms. He went rigid, terrified that if he so much as breathed, he’d break it. Or drop it. Or get peed or pooped on . . .
He’d rather handle a live grenade than have this squirming, warm . . . really cute little person . . .
He studied the tiny features and watched in fascination as the baby blinked and stared up at him, almost as if he were perfectly aware of his surroundings.
“Holy shit, who has a camera? Get the damn phone out. We can’t miss this. This is the money shot, folks!” Dolphin hooted. “Boss man with a baby. I’m so making this my screen saver.”
Steele was nearly blinded as a multitude of flashes went off in the room.
“Way to make me drop the kid,” he muttered.
“You look good with a
baby in your arms,” P.J. said mischievously.
“Yeah, you’re a natural,” Cole chimed in.
He sent them all dark, quelling looks. When he glanced up to where Sam, Garrett and Donovan stood by Rachel’s bed, they were all fighting grins and stifling laughter. Bastards. All of them.
“How the hell did I end up with the kid anyway?” Steele demanded. “He’s being passed around like a damn party favor. Don’t you have to worry about germs or infections?”
Ethan grinned and deftly retrieved the bundle from Steele’s arms. They felt oddly empty, bereft of the warm, cuddly infant. He stared down at his empty hands for a long moment and then glanced back up to where Ethan was gently handing Rachel both of the babies.
He was struck by the picture she presented. Never had he seen a happier woman. And this was a woman who deserved happiness above all others. She’d been to hell and back, and she’d not only survived it but she’d kicked the devil’s ass in the process.
“You did good, sweetheart,” Steele said to Rachel.
He was treated to several surprised expressions. One, he never used endearments. He just wasn’t a warm, affectionate guy. Two, he didn’t typically offer unsolicited conversation. But he’d never forget Rachel the way she’d looked, gaunt, scared out of her mind. Dirty, tattered clothing, pointing a gun at him and then Sam because she had no idea who the fuck they were. And he’d never forget the assurances he’d given her then and there that he’d never allow those bastards to take her back and that he’d make damn sure she and Ethan got back home where they belonged. It was a promise he’d kept.
Rachel’s smile lit up the entire room as she beamed at Steele.
“Thank you, Steele,” she said sweetly.
He took a step forward and people moved left and right to clear a path toward her bed. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and then gently touched each of the blankets surrounding the babies’ heads.
“Cute kids,” he said.
Ethan and Rachel both smiled.
“I’m going to get on out of here and leave you to rest. You’ve had a hard day, little mama. Better catch some Zs now because when you go home there’s no sending them back to the nursery.”
Rachel laughed. “Don’t remind me! And thank you, Steele. I’m glad you were here.”
“I’m glad I was too,” he said softly.
And he was. Today had been special in the Kelly family. Not just the immediate family but also the extended family that included all the KGI members.
They’d all had a hand in the mission that brought Rachel back home where she belonged. It was only fitting that they all be present when Rachel stepped out of the shadows and fully into the sun. The entire family was gathered, happy and rejoicing over the addition of two new Kellys into the pack.
Yeah, it was a good day. The perfect end to—and in many ways the beginning of—a chapter in Ethan’s and Rachel’s life.
He stepped back, making a sudden decision, one that had been nagging him for days. He’d sworn that he’d have that one night with Maren and never look back. But he wanted to see her again. She was becoming an obsession and he didn’t do obsession. The only thing he’d ever been obsessed with was his job.
But now he was overwhelmed with the urge to see her again. He wanted to touch her, feel her against his skin, inhale her scent and lose himself in her arms for another night.
As he walked past Sam, he motioned for him to follow him into the hall. Sam walked out, his brow furrowed.
“What’s up?” Sam asked.
“I’m bugging out. Know I said I’d be available for training, but that’s going to have to wait. If you need me, buzz me. I won’t be home.”
Sam sent him a curious look but didn’t pry. Not that Steele would have offered up any further information.
“Things are quiet, but then we rarely have much advance notice. I’ll be in touch if I need you. You going to let your team know you’ll be out of pocket or should I?”
Steele shook his head. “I’ll let them know. Catch you later.”
“Want to use the Kelly jet?” Sam offered.
Steele didn’t rise to the bait. Sam had guessed he was traveling off, but he wasn’t about to use the KGI jet and have it logged that he was flying to Costa Rica. He’d catch his own damn flight.
CHAPTER 9
MAREN applied a tourniquet to her own arm and made a fist as she lined up the butterfly needle to insert in her vein. It was hard to focus on drawing her own blood when the reason for doing it weighed so heavily on her mind.
She was probably being silly. They had used condoms after all. But her period was regular to the day. Never early. Never late. And she was three days late.
Not to mention her queasiness in the mornings, and her breasts were tender to the touch. It was probably all in her head. A part of her wondered if subconsciously she wanted to be pregnant and her body was just playing along with that hope. Mind over matter.
But a pregnancy would be a complication she was ill equipped for. Not to mention she doubted Steele would take the news well that he might be up for impending fatherhood. No way in hell she was breathing a word to him until she knew for certain one way or another. The last thing she wanted was to get him worked up over a possibility and then have it all be a false alarm. He’d never come near her again, and who could blame him? Nothing like a pregnancy scare to prevent any future intimacy.
Not that she imagined he would be lining up for a repeat of that first night. He’d made himself abundantly clear that it was a onetime deal and that he wanted her out of his system. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But it was doubtful she’d see any more of him. Though he’d said it would be business as usual, and it wasn’t as if they were chatty all the other times they came into contact, but there was no way she’d be able to look him in the eye and pretend she didn’t know what he looked like naked. Nor did she want to forget what he looked like naked. That was a memory she’d take to her grave.
With a sigh she packaged the blood sample, affixed the fictitious patient name, though it was silly since she and whatever lab rat did the testing would be the only people to see the name, and put it in the bag with the other blood samples from her patients she’d gathered.
She’d send off her blood sample with the rest of the labs she’d collected for her own peace of mind. Once the thought of pregnancy had entered her mind, it had ruled her entire existence and she’d been unable to think of anything else.
She pushed away from her desk and then looked out her window to see the courier who picked up her labs drive up to the clinic. Perfect timing. No time to chicken out and remove her specimen. She snagged the insulated bag, zipped it up and hurried toward the entrance.
The driver met her at the door with a friendly smile. He collected the bag from Maren and then hurried back to his van with a wave. Her pulse raced and she had to quell the urge to yell for him to come back. She bit her lips and forced herself to remain still until the vehicle was out of sight.
With a sigh she turned back and walked inside the clinic to lock up for the night. Her patient load had been light today and her last patient had left the clinic an hour before, leaving Maren to finish up the labs and draw her own blood.
After turning off all the lights, she let herself out the front and locked the door. She walked slower to her cottage, the afternoon sun warm on her skin. She palmed her belly, wondering if even now there was a tiny life forming inside her. Then she castigated herself for dwelling on it so much.
If it turned out she wasn’t pregnant, would she be relieved or disappointed?
It wasn’t a question she had the answer to. There was a small part of her that welcomed the idea of a baby, no matter how ill prepared she was for having a child. And a much larger part of her that panicked at the mere thought.
But there was absolutely nothing she could do about it now except wait for the results of the blood test. And it did her no good to play the what-if game. It would only make
her crazy.
It was warm in her cottage, so she opened the windows to allow the breeze in and circulate more air. She had no desire to cook and so she rummaged through her cabinets for something quick and easy.
She put a kettle of water to boil for her routine cup of tea after a day of work, selecting a tea bag and placing it in her favorite mug that one of the locals had gifted her with. It was handpainted, a beautiful array of colors, vivid, in russet earth tones. It soothed and comforted her, and she definitely needed calming today.
Deciding on a sandwich with locally made cheese and a homemade herb spread she’d picked up from a local street vendor, she sat at her tiny table and stared through the picture window, enjoying the breeze on her face.
She savored every sip of the tea and decided that she’d have another and maybe get in some reading as a reward for a shorter day. It wasn’t often she finished with her patients before nightfall. And even when she’d closed down and gone home, she was often visited at her cottage after hours by people in need of medical attention.
She preferred not to make house calls, because she liked to be certain what she was getting into, but she’d delivered two babies in their homes when labor had progressed too quickly for the women to make it to a hospital.
After finishing the first cup of tea, she set the kettle off the stove and turned it off, deciding to shower and change into more comfortable clothing before indulging in her second cup and a good book.
Twenty minutes later she returned to the kitchen, her still-damp hair combed out and hanging down her shoulders. She was pouring the boiling water into her mug when a knock sounded at her door.
She sighed because she knew she’d jinxed herself by thinking how nice it was to have had an early day. Nothing like inviting a house call by making plans for a quiet, relaxing evening.
Setting her cup aside, she went to her door and cracked it an inch. Dusk had fallen, but she had no problem making out the man standing in her doorway, his expression indecipherable. Her eyes widened as she continued to stare dumbly at him.
