Kiley made a sound between a laugh and a cry.
“Besides,” he purred. “You still owe me a sober strip tease.”
This time Kiley giggled and the sound couldn’t have been more beautiful to Scott’s ears.
“There’s that beautiful smile,” he whispered. “I love you, Kiley.”
“Uh, Scott,” John said in his ear piece. “We can hear everything you say, man.”
Scott’s eyes widened at the sound of John’s voice. Crap, the mic. “Ah, shit.”
“What?” Kiley asked.
He quickly pulled away from Kiley and turned to stare down the hall. Keith stood just a few feet away, shooting daggers at both of them.
“Keith,” Kiley said as she started toward him.
Keith shook his head and turned to walk away. Kiley stopped, staring in shock at her brother.
Scott pulled the mic off and sighed. “He heard everything I said, Kiley.”
Kiley closed her eyes and sighed, “Oh, God.”
Chapter Thirty
Keith stepped up to the plane and tossed his bag into the lower luggage bin beneath the main cabin. Behind him, the other car pulled up carrying Scott and Kiley, but he ignored it and jogged up the steps into the plane.
He wanted to see Paula and get his mind off what he heard Scott telling his sister.
“Keith,” Paula exclaimed with a smile as she rushed over to him.
He opened his arms and engulfed her into a tight hug. Sighing, he tightened his arms around her enjoying the feel of her body against his. God, she felt so right in his arms.
“Is something wrong?” she asked as she tried to pull away.
Keith wouldn’t let go. He held tight, holding her close. “No,” he finally said, then loosened his hold. “Just glad to be back.”
John stepped onboard the plane and shot Keith a nasty scowl. “How long are you going to ignore your sister? I think she’s jumping between wanting to cry and wanting to slug your ass.”
“What happened?” Paula asked like a teacher scolding a child.
“Keith found out that apparently Scott and Kiley are a couple now and he’s not too happy about it.”
Paula’s mouth dropped open. “Why are you so pissed about this?” she snapped.
“I’m not pissed,” he replied, giving her a pointed look.
Paula crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. Keith liked this side of her—this feisty, stand up for the friend she loved, kick his ass side. He grinned slightly, and she tilted her head, watching him warily.
Kiley angrily stepped onto the plane and glared at Keith before turning to help Scott the final steps.
“Looks like she’s thinking about slugging you again,” John mumbled before moving to help Scott.
“Are you ready to go to the hospital now, you stubborn prick?” John said as he helped Scott out of his shirt.
“I hurt too much right now to argue, man. Just knock me the hell out.”
John snickered and headed to the galley where they kept more of the pain killers.
Scott looked pale and tired. Kiley looked ready to kill him. Paula too for that matter.
“Are we ready to go?” Keith asked Mike, who stood back watching them all with interest.
“Yeah, I just need a co-pilot.”
“I’m coming,” Keith replied.
“No, you’re not,” John said as he prepared the syringe.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re going to stay out here and talk to your sister.”
Keith let out a tired sigh and walked over to John. Taking the needle from John’s hand, he nodded to the cockpit. “Go fly the damn plane.”
John gave him a look of warning, but turned to lead Mike into the cockpit. Keith spun back to Scott and frowned. He wasn’t mad…well, maybe not much. Despite the fact he’d made Scott promise to keep his hands off Kiley, he’d also seen the way Scott was looking at his sister. He loved her. And she loved him.
Scott shook his head. “Just hit me, Keith, and get it the fuck over with.”
“Shut up. When?” Keith asked. “When did you get with my sister?”
“Scott--” Kiley said.
Keith held up his hand. “Not now, Kiley.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. Paula came up and put her hands on her shoulders, adding her glare as well. They could glare all they wanted. He was going to make Scott sweat for a while.
Scott rotated his shoulder slightly, then winced. “Can we talk about this another time?”
“Nope, we’re gonna talk about it now. When?”
“When you were in London.”
Keith pursed his lips. “I see.”
“No,” Scott said, shaking his head. “I don’t think—“
“Shut up.”
Scott eyes narrowed with murderous intent. “I swear, Keith, if you tell me to shut up one more time…”
“Guys—“
“Not now, Kiley,” both Scott and Keith snapped in unison.
Kiley rolled her eyes.
Keith bent forward and put his hand on the back of the seat. Bringing his face close to Scott’s, he positioned the needle on the side of Scott’s thigh. Scott watched him warily as he pressed the needle against his skin through the material of his pants.
“If you hurt her,” Keith growled. “I’ll cut your heart out. Clear?”
Scott’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. Clear.”
Keith pushed the needle into Scott’s leg, making him wince.
“Good,” Keith said as he pulled the needle out.
Scott took a slow, deep breath as the medicine began to work its way through his body. “You’re gonna pay for that,” he mumbled.
Keith smiled slightly then turned to look at Kiley. She still shot daggers at him. He shook his head and glanced toward the ceiling. The roar of the engines filled the cabin, letting them know they would be taking off soon.
Wasn’t soon enough for Keith. He wanted to go home. He walked over and put his finger under Kiley’s chin, holding her gaze steady with his. “Are you happy?” he asked.
“Not with you at the moment.”
“I kinda guessed that,” he said with a grin. “But that’s not what I meant. Does he make you happy?”
Kiley softened her frown. “Yes. Very much. I love him.”
Keith sighed. “You’ve always loved him.” Tilting his head toward the seat, he grinned. “Sit with him and buckle his seatbelt.”
“Do you forgive him?” she asked. “It would kill him if he thought you hated him over this.”
“I forgave him the second I saw the way he looked at you back at the cartel’s compound. I’m not stupid, Kiley. I know he loves you.”
Kiley frowned and pulled her chin from his grasp. “Then why the harsh injection of the meds?”
“It was either that or hit him.” Keith shrugged. “Just call it a guy thing.”
Kiley twisted her lips and slapped at his shoulder with the back of her hand. Keith chuckled as he watched her drop into the seat next to Scott.
“Everybody take your seats. We’re next in line for take-off,” John said over the speakers.
Keith motioned for Paula to take a seat on the small sofa toward the back. She sat down, and Keith sat next to her.
“Are you still mad at me also?” he asked with amusement as he watched her fasten the seatbelt around her hips.
She looked over at him and smiled slightly. “No,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I’m just glad you made it out okay.”
“Me too,” he whispered.
He lifted his hand and brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek. “I’m glad you were here, but you’ll never come on another one.”
Paula laughed. “I don’t want to. I think I’ll leave the mercenary stuff to you and your team.”
Her smile faded somewhat, and she turned serious. “I am glad I was here to see them get what they deserve, although not first hand, it still felt good to be a
part of it. Thank you.”
He dropped his hand and smiled. “You’re welcome.”
She sighed and stared briefly out the window as the nose of the plane lifted off the ground. “I guess it’s time to go home and resume life as it was.”
“Who says life has to be as it was?” he murmured.
Paula turned to look at him with a questioning expression.
“I would like to keep seeing you,” he said.
Her eyes widened slightly. “I, uh…Really?”
“We’re good together, I think.”
She nodded, but still looked a bit shell shocked.
He grinned just a little. “You seem a little surprised.”
“No, it’s…” She smiled and cupped his cheeks in her trembling hands.
He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on her palm before lowering their hands to his lap.
“I want to take things slow,” she whispered.
“We’ll go as slow as you want.”
She smiled and wrapped her arm around his ribs. She leaned over and cuddled next to him with her head on his chest. Keith slid his arm across her shoulders, and held her close. He could get used to this.
“Does this going slow include sleepovers?” she asked softly.
Keith chuckled. “Hell yeah it does.”
Epilogue
Keith stood to the side with Paula watching his sister take Scott’s hand. The Caribbean sunset the backdrop for his sister’s wedding to his best friend. Her smile beamed, her skin glowed. She truly looked stunning as she stood next to Scott, promising to love him forever.
He’d never seen his friend happier. Or his sister, for that matter. They really did belong together, and he was sorry he’d kept them apart as long as he had. To make it up to them, he’d not only paid for the wedding, but the honeymoon as well.
He looked over at Paula and smiled. The last eight months with her had been the best of his life.
He reached down and took her hand in his. As she watched Kiley, he slipped a ring onto her third finger, stopping at the first knuckle.
His heart raced as he waited for her to look down, to see what he offered. When she did, she glanced back up at him, her wide eyes brimming with unshed tears. Smiling, she nodded, and he slipped the ring the rest of the way onto her finger, then brought it to his mouth. He placed a kiss against where the ring touched her skin, sealing the promise they would soon make to one another. Just like his sister and Scott.
“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the pastor said just before Scott leaned down to kiss Kiley.
He, Paula, Miranda, and the rest of the members of the team that had flown down to see the wedding clapped and cheered loudly. Scott and Kiley broke apart, laughing. They were a loud and rowdy crew. Scott had no doubt the wedding reception would be a party to end all parties, especially with John there.
“Okay, okay,” Keith said, getting everyone’s attention. “We need to head over to the beach for cake, but before we do…”
He held up Paula’s hand, showing off the ring. Paula smiled, Kiley squealed and embraced Paula in a hug, and the guys descended on Keith with pats of congratulations and digs of “Well, it’s about damn time.”
These guys were his family. He couldn’t ask for better friends.
“John’s next,” Scott said.
John shook his head firmly. “Oh, hell no. No way.”
He continued to argue against marriage the entire way to the beach. Kiley stayed back, and as Keith passed, she wrapped her arm around his elbow and continued to walk with him.
“I’m so glad you and Paula got together,” she said.
He smiled. “Me too. Are you happy, sis?”
She returned his smile and nodded. “You?”
“Happier than I deserve.”
“You’ve always deserved to be happy. I think Paula has been good for you.”
“I agree. And as much as I hate to admit it…I think you’ve been good for Scott.”
Her lips twitched. “It’s the other way around.”
Keith kissed her forehead. “Come on. Let’s join the others before there’s no cake left.”
“We better hurry. If there’s one thing those guys can devour faster than alcohol, its cake.”
“No, shit,” Keith said with a laugh as they headed toward the reception.
The End
SocialPreyAllRomance Page 18
