by Hahn, Joni
All vying for a spot in her bed.
None of them had succeeded, not even the one man she wanted there. Her father had seen to that.
“A lot happened yesterday, Cass.” Dar stared at the French fries lying in the red, plastic basket on the interrogation room table. “Our lives will never be the same again.” His gaze shot to hers.
She hated the hurt in his aqua eyes. Hated that he felt he couldn’t just tell her. Why? She was his twin sister, for goodness sake.
Reaching across the table, she took his cuffed hand in hers. “Just tell me, Dar.”
Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. “I shot Father.”
Her heart stopped. Shock and disbelief conflicted with the hurt she saw in d’Artagnan’s eyes.
Sitting up in her chair, Cassandra slid her hand from his grasp. Dar winced.
“I don’t believe you.”
Words tumbled from his mouth in a rush. “It was an accident. I shot at Kate and Father dove in front of her.”
“Kate? Who in the world is Kate?”
Dar straightened in his chair. “Kate is Aidan Monroe’s mother, Jim Monroe’s wife.”
Aidan’s mother? “What?” She shook her head, confused. “Why?”
“Apparently, Father and Kate were together before she married Jim Monroe.”
Cassandra slumped against the chair, her head in a whirl. “So, father was in love with Kate Monroe? What happened?”
“She married Jim while Father was gone on a mission. We have a half-sister, Cass.”
She stilled. “Wait a minute. You’re telling me Father and Kate had a daughter he never told us about?”
Dar shook his head. “Father just found out yesterday. She’s Rachel Monroe, the woman we captured yesterday to get to Tristan Jacobs.”
Elbow on the table, Cassandra pressed her fingers to her forehead. She couldn’t believe it. Her father had a daughter he didn’t know about, with a woman that left him for another man.
He had risked his own life for someone he hadn’t seen in over twenty-five years.
Robert Naylor still loved Kate Monroe.
“How do we know she’s his daughter?”
Dar gave a bitter laugh. “She looks just like him - and me. There’s no doubt.”
Anger slowly filtered into Cassandra’s veins. “So, we nearly lost our father for a woman that had been unfaithful to him and kept a daughter hidden his entire life?”
Now, she understood why Dar had been so cooperative. He felt guilty about shooting their father and didn’t want to risk her life, too.
“I’m sorry, Cass. This is all my fault. I should’ve just let them be, but she changed everything just by walking in the room. She has a power over him I’ve never seen before. I don’t trust her.”
Cassandra took his hand in hers again. “Dar, I know you didn’t mean to shoot him. Father is a survivor. He’ll get through this. We just need him well enough to get out of here.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” He held up his cuffed hands.
“I left Jaydan Polk with strict orders to bring it if he didn’t hear from me in forty-eight hours.” She squeezed his hand. “Don’t give up yet. We’ve still got a chance.”
Chapter 4
Aidan and Tristan prepared to teleport from the makeshift D.I.R.E. office to the electronics store. The forecast called for a clear, hot evening with virtually no breeze.
So, why did thunder rumble in the distance?
Tristan checked the chamber of his Beretta 9mm before shoving it in the back waistband of his jeans. “At least we won’t have to contend with Naylor’s agents.”
Aidan nodded as he zipped up the backpack that contained the laptop. “If these are the sons of bitches that killed my father, I’m going to light ‘em up.”
Mitchell said, “Monroe, it’s imperative the buyers do not get away with the computer.” He shook his head. “I still don’t understand why they want the files on a laptop and not a flash drive. Nevertheless, Monroe, I want you to show them the file, close the computer, and ask for the gold. Once the exchange has been made, Tristan will meet them at the door, cloaked.”
Mitchell glanced back and forth between them. “Short and sweet. I want them alive.”
Aidan gritted his teeth. That’s easy to ask from someone that hadn’t had his father killed by these bastards. After all he had put Jim through since high school, Aidan felt he owed this to his father.
Tristan went to stand in the middle of the room. “You ready, Monroe?”
Nodding, Aidan approached his best friend, his movements slowing with each step. “There’s no freaking way I’m hugging you, Jacobs.”
Grinning, Tristan turned his back to him. “Better suck it in, then. We’re traveling back to back.”
“Wait. I thought you could only teleport by wrapping your arms around the other person.”
Tristan shook his head. “I never said that.”
“Wait. You teleported Rachel…”
“You’re the one that shoved her into my arms at the church.”
“You sonovabitch.” Aidan cursed under his breath as he pressed his back against Tristan. They locked forearms.
Tristan laughed. “It wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun teleporting her this way.”
Aidan grumbled. “You suck, Jacobs.”
Tristan scanned his forefinger over the screen on his armband. “Let’s go kick some ass, Monroe. For your father.”
Memories bombarded Aidan as soon as they landed inside the store. The once immaculate, minimalistic store sat littered with dust and spider webs, empty display cases and racks scattered throughout in haphazard fashion. By the looks of things, the place had been given more than one onceover by the authorities. The sight pissed off Aidan royally.
He’d spent many days cleaning the store after school and working the register during summer breaks. His father had run a neat and tidy ship.
Jim Monroe would have a fit if he saw it now.
Aidan wished he could. Just once.
Lightning lit up the windows before thunder rattled the panes. Drawing their guns, they made their way into the back storeroom. Turning on the white light on his armband, Aidan looked around the messy space cluttered with cardboard boxes and wooden crates.
Lightning struck outside the store. The scent of burning wood clogged the air.
“What the hell?...”
Rushing to the back loading area, he and Tristan looked out a tiny window in the side door. A tree had caught fire in the field behind the store. A second later, rain fell in droves, quickly dousing it.
“Where did this come from?” Aidan said.
Lightning hit again in the same spot. Its tail punctured the ground over and over, like a sewing-machine needle. Deafening thunder roared without ceasing, rattling the metal doors and building.
“Holy shit, Jacobs…”
A bright light lit up the stormy sky. Aidan squinted against its dazzling radiance. A gray, bell-shaped craft flashed into the alley. Standing ten feet high or so, it had no windows, no doors, no identifying marks, only thousands of tiny lights illuminating the rim.
Aidan’s heart pounded like someone banged a fist against his chest from the inside. “Are you seeing this, Jacobs?”
“Yes.”
Rain dripped off the edge of the store’s roof. A low whir sounded in the now silent night. A door slowly opened, raising from the bottom of the craft and hinging at the crown.
What was inside? Little green men? Images of movie aliens flew through Aidan’s brain like a slideshow. What the hell were they up against?
A set of metal stairs lowered to the ground. A pair of women’s black, patent-leather shoes appeared first, followed by a set of great legs encased in pantyhose. A hot babe wearing a black suit and bright red lipstick emerged, two men in retro Navy uniforms on her tail.
What the hell?
Tristan spoke in a low voice. “I don’t see any gold, do you, Monroe?”
“G
old? What about the freaking fact that three people just landed in some kind of space craft right before our eyes?”
“They’re coming this way. I’m cloaking.” Tristan disappeared.
“Dammit.” Aidan ran back into the warehouse and turned on one of the lights. Pulling out the laptop, he set it on a dusty, wooden crate and powered it up.
The side door opened. One of the men appeared first, followed by the woman, and the other man behind her. Both men wore full, Navy dress uniforms that had to be at least seventy years old, revolvers at their waists. They stood at ease several feet away from Aidan, the woman between them.
If he thought their uniforms a distraction, they had nothing on her. The woman was freaking stunning. She had coal black hair that fell in thick waves to her shoulders, dark, nearly black eyes, and full lips that would call attention to her in the middle of a circus.
She had nothing on Cassandra Naylor but she was a close second.
“Where is Robert Naylor?” she said.
How did she know he wasn’t Robert Naylor?
Standing between the crate and the wall, Aidan crossed his arms over his chest. “In the hospital. I’m here as his representative.”
Her eyes studied his face before giving him a quick onceover.
“I assume that’s for me?” She nodded at the computer, her voice filled with authority.
“If you brought thirty million in gold, yes.”
“Show me the files.”
Opening one of the fake gun files, Aidan maximized the window. “Are you in the Navy, too?”
She stared at him without a response. He swiveled the laptop to face her. Glancing at it a second, she gave him a brief nod.
Wasn’t she going to verify the files were all there?
“Place it inside the satchel and leave it on top of the crate.”
Powering it down, Aidan placed it inside the backpack, along with the power cord. He zipped it up and patted it.
“You’re good to go.”
“Now, please step away.”
“As soon as I get my gold, sweetheart.”
Her brows furrowed. “Well, handsome, I’m afraid the gold is already here. You’re going to have to get it yourself.”
Aidan stilled. “Well, I’m afraid you’re going to have to enlighten me. Where, exactly, did you place the gold?”
“About ten feet from where you’re standing – six months ago.”
The two men whipped out their guns and fired. Aidan dove behind the crate. Bullets rang over his head, brass casings littering the floor around him. Crawling to the edge of the crate, he fell to his back and drew his gun. Peeking around the corner, he saw one of the men fire at the crate, the other held a gun - to the woman’s head.
She clutched the backpack to her chest, her face pale, her body deathly still. “What are you doing?”
Aidan fired at the sailor holding her, hitting him in the hand just inches from her head. Crying aloud, he dropped the gun and fell away. The woman ran for the side door. The other man shot at her once before he dropped from a bullet to the chest.
Tristan.
Scrambling to his feet, Aidan picked up the gun and ran to the alley. A gunshot rang outside. He hit the door running just in time to see the door of the craft close, the woman’s feet visible from inside.
Shoving the guns into his waistband, he planted both gloved hands on the side of the craft and shouted into the air as he unleashed all of his energy on the craft. Electricity sparked and crackled like fireworks, lighting up the alley. The craft powered up, its engine revving higher and higher the longer he held. Streaks of lightning arced as the craft accelerated, its engine roaring to deafening heights, shaking the ground beneath it.
With a bright flash of light, it vanished.
Aidan fell forward into empty space.
“I hit the computer. It’ll be useless to her,” Tristan said.
Breathing heavy, Aidan ran into the warehouse knowing Tristan followed behind, still cloaked. The dead man laid in the middle of the floor, his comrade nowhere to be seen.
Looking around, he saw a trail of blood leading into the store. Running to the door, he shoved it flat against the wall. A metal rod swung in his face. He caught it in his fist and squeezed. The man convulsed wildly.
“Don’t kill him,” Tristan said. “We need answers.”
Anger fueled him on. All Aidan could think about was his father going through this same scenario alone. Three against one man that held no super powers, a man twice Aidan’s age. He had been shot and left to die, only to live the remaining months of his life paralyzed.
“Aidan. Let him go.”
The man dropped to the floor in an unconscious heap.
Aidan stared down at him, breathing hard. “Dammit, Jacobs…”
Appearing beside him, Tristan clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s call Mitchell. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get answers for you and Rachel.”
#####
“Kate, you’re still here?”
Mitchell showed Cassandra into her father’s dark hospital room. Lightning flashed behind the covered window, thunder rumbling in its wake. Cassandra felt the shadow of death hovering over the ominous space, bringing gooseflesh to her arms.
What was Kate doing here?
The woman stood up from the chair on the opposite side of Robert’s bed. Her copper hair looked mussed from running her fingers through it, her green eyes tired with dark circles beneath them.
Kate Monroe was a beautiful woman. Cassandra could see why her father was attracted to her. Aidan looked a lot like her.
Cass stood just inside the door, the new, electromagnetic tracking anklet tight against her skin. She rubbed her ankle with the opposite foot.
Eyes wide, Kate came around the bed. Her gaze shot to Mitchell a second, before she looked back at Cass.
“You are the splitting image of your mother, Cassandra. I’m Kate Monroe.”
Cassandra held her cuffed hands in front of her. If Dar didn’t trust her, Cassandra didn’t, either. Her father lay at death’s door because of Kate. She’d broken his heart and in reality, had unknowingly played a major part in Cassandra’s entire upbringing.
“I know who you are, Kate.”
Mitchell pulled his phone from its holster and looked at the screen. “Have you gotten any sleep, Kate?”
She shrugged. “I’ve slept in the chair some. I did go home to shower and change earlier.”
Nodding, he placed the phone back in the holster at his waist. “I agreed to escort Cassandra down here to see Robert, but I’ve got to take care of something. Will the two of you be okay in here alone?”
He’s going to leave her here unsupervised? Then again, where would she go wearing this tracking anklet? With these super-powered agents, she’d never make it out of town.
Kate gave a half smile. “Of course. I can update Cassandra on his condition.”
Rain pounded the roof like machine gun fire. Lightning flashed behind the curtains. The room went black.
Cassandra gasped. Mitchell grabbed her upper arm.
The lights came back on a second later.
“This storm is crazy.” Kate crossed her arms around her waist.
“I’ll be right back.” Mitchell left the room.
Cassandra glared at the woman her father loved. “Until yesterday, I had never heard of you, Kate.”
Swallowing hard, Kate pulled over a chair for Cassandra to sit. She dragged hers close. “I’m sure Robert, uh, your father, preferred to keep me in the past.”
Going to her father’s lifeless form, Cass stood by the bed. The storm quieted.
“So much so, that he took a bullet for you yesterday.”
Kate sat up straight and stared at Cassandra dead on. Her green irises gleamed with daring.
“It shocked me as much as anyone, Cassandra. I would do anything to trade places with him.”
Cass cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Somehow I find that hard to beli
eve, considering you left him for another man when you were pregnant with his child.”
Kate looked away. “Believe what you will. It’s the truth.”
Why was Kate Monroe there - really? Did she consider herself part of the family now because her father knew about Rachel? Would they have to tolerate this woman from here on out? Cassandra sighed.
Kate said, “He’s been moaning in his sleep. That’s a good sign.”
Cass glanced over at Kate who gave her an encouraging smile.
“I’ve been talking to him about a trip we took to Grand Lake shortly after we met.”
Cass whipped around. “Grand Lake? We live at Grand Lake.”
Kate gazed at her with raised brows. “Really? I’m not surprised. Robert loved it up there.”
So, his memories of Kate had even determined where they lived and set up Naylor Interests headquarters?
Her father bordered on obsessed.
The lights flickered once before the room fell into total darkness. Robert’s monitor and ventilator powered down, leaving the room in utter silence.
Cassandra’s heart pounded in her chest. “Did the machines just turn off?”
“The backup generator will kick in anytime now…” Kate jumped up and looked out into the hallway. It sat in complete obscurity.
The D.I.R.E. agent at the door turned on a flashlight on his phone. “The entire hospital is out, Mrs. Monroe.”
Long beeps emanated from the machines. The high-pitched tone sounded eerie in the hollow blackness.
She worked to free her hands from the cuffs.
Kate came back into the room. “Where is the backup generator?” Grabbing her purse from the cabinet, she pulled out a small flashlight.
With her hands free, Cassandra looked at the machines beside her father’s bed, Kate at her side with the light. If Kate noticed the handcuff dangling from her wrist, she didn’t say anything.
Cass studied the ventilator display. “Is there a battery backup switch or something?”
Kate shrugged. “I thought it would come on automatically.”
The beeping continued.
After several seconds, a dim light came on above the bed. The machines slowly powered up.
