“Dr. Patel, my husband has decided he’d like to go home. Can you arrange for his discharge and home health care as soon as possible, please?” Sara asked, rushing her words before she lost the courage to speak them.
Dr. Patel’s kind eyes softened as the meaning behind her words took hold. “Yes, Mrs. Steele, I’ll be glad to do it right away.” Calling a nurse over, Dr. Patel gave her instructions on Steve’s discharge and had her call social services to begin the paperwork for his home health care. Turning back to Sara, Dr. Patel tried to reassure her. “This is very difficult, but you’ll have a lot of help and support through it. I’m very sorry I didn’t have better news to deliver.”
Unable to stop the tears flowing from her eyes, Sara quickly whisked each one away, only to have it replaced by another. “It’s not your fault, Dr. Patel. We both know you’ve done everything you can do. We’ll just have to keep trying and pray for a miracle. Thank you for your help.”
Turning to walk back to Steve’s room, Sara thought the corridor had never seemed so long before. Each step was harder for her to take than the last. Each breath became harder to breathe as she felt she might hyperventilate at any moment. The makings of a full-blown panic attack were threatening to take over and put her in a fetal position, crying and rocking in the corner.
One thought kept swirling through Sara’s mind as she moved slowly down the hall.
“How can I do this?”
Hours later, the family had moved Steve from the hospital back to his home just south of Miami. The beachfront estate had every amenity a first-class businessman could hope to surround himself with. Steve Steele had made his name and fortune as the CEO of a major insurance company.
His shrewdness in running large, complex organizations had turned him into a highly sought-after commodity. Since his official retirement, he’d realized the important things he’d missed out on in life. Instead of focusing so much on making a name for himself in the marketplace, he realized he should’ve focused on making a better impression with his children. He’d decided the most important project he could work on was repairing his family bonds.
Then one night he landed in the hospital with unusual stomach pains and a stomach so upset he couldn’t bear another second of it, and everything changed. That was the night of his emergency surgery. The night the surgeon broke the news that he had cancer and it was already advanced. He watched his plans evaporate before his eyes. No way to reconcile with his children. No time to repair what he’d so thoroughly destroyed.
Then Noah and Chaise appeared in his hospital room. At first, he thought it was a reaction to his pain medications. A hallucination conjured by his mind there to taunt him. But then he realized his visions were real as he watched Sara hug them through her tears. His children had returned—two of them anyway. There was still one son unaccounted for, but he at least felt he had a chance now.
As he lay in his own bed, Steve reflected solemnly on Dr. Patel’s words. “I’ve worked all my life, only to retire and learn I have cancer. Terminal cancer, for all intents and purposes,” he whispered to himself. “How did this happen?”
Hearing voices approach, he cut his eyes to the door and waited for Sara and the home health nurse to appear.
“Is there anything I can get you, honey?” Sara asked sweetly as she walked in.
“Just you.” He smiled.
“You have me. You’ve always had me,” she assured him as she took her spot on the bed beside him.
“I’m a lucky man,” he said as he kissed her head.
“Hello, Mr. Steele. I’m Hope, and I’ll be one of your nurses.” The nurse extended her hand and smiled.
“Hope,” Steve said thoughtfully. “I need hope, too.”
She nodded, understanding his meaning. “I need to get your vitals and do your initial medical assessment. It won’t take long.”
“I don’t seem to have any other plans right now.” Steve smiled. “Let’s get it done.”
Noah paced back and forth in the great room of the house he’d grown up in. “There has to be something else we can do.”
“We’ll figure something out, babe. We’re not giving up yet,” Brianna assured him.
Sara walked into the room and all eyes snapped to her. “Hope is going over his medical information and getting his vitals. I thought I’d come check on you while they’re busy.”
“Mom, we’re fine,” Noah assured her. “You need to rest. This is taking a lot out of you.”
“I’m just trying to stay busy,” she admitted. “It’s easier than sitting and thinking about everything.”
“What can we do to help?” Brianna asked Sara. “Just say the word and we’ll do it.”
“We’re all doing everything we can right now,” Sara replied, taking Brianna’s hand. “Don’t feel obligated to stay here. He’s not dying today. It just wasn’t the news we had hoped to hear.”
Noah, Brianna, Chaise, and Bull stayed with Sara as Hope worked with Steve. A couple hours later, Hope joined the family in the great room. “Mrs. Steele, I’ve finished with my assessment. Mr. Steele is sleeping now. That’s completely normal, so don’t worry. All the moving, transferring, and people poking at him just made him more tired than usual.”
“Thank you, Hope. Please call us Steve and Sara,” she replied with a tired smile.
“I’ll be back tomorrow with more help and we’ll set up our schedules. Here’s my contact information,” she said, handing Sara her card. “If you need anything, call me at any time.”
After Sara walked Hope out, she returned to her family. “It’s so good to see you all here. You’re welcome to stay, but you really don’t have to. He’ll sleep the rest of the night, and we’ll start chemotherapy and radiation again tomorrow.”
“We’ll go and let you get some rest then, Mom,” Noah replied as he kissed her cheek. “Call if you need anything.”
Chaise stood and hugged Sara. “I love you, Mom. Do you want me to stay with you?”
“No, baby,” she replied. “Go home with Colton and rest. I love you all. More than you’ll ever know.”
After they said their goodbyes, Sara climbed into bed with Steve and snuggled up next to him. Her hot tears slid slowly out of her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The mood in the Steele Security office was still somber a week after Steve’s home health care started. His treatments had resumed and, with the help of medications and hydration treatment, he began to tolerate the side effects better than before. Concern for his health and future weighed heavily on the entire extended family.
“You know,” Brianna began. “Your mom reminds me so much of my neighbor in Colorado. I didn’t realize how much I’d depended on her to keep me sane while I was away from you. I miss her.”
“I’d like to meet her,” Noah replied earnestly. “With everything that’s happened in the last few months, we’ve barely had time to slow down. We should take a week or two and go see her. You can show me around and tell me all about your life in Boulder.”
“Really?” Brianna perked up. “Do you think your parents would be okay with us leaving?”
“Yeah, I talked to Mom this morning and she said we need to stop acting like Dad is dying tomorrow,” Noah chuckled. “She’s right, though. Everyone has called at least once a day to ask how he is feeling. If we need to come back early, we’ll have the jet so we can leave at any time.”
“Let’s go,” Brianna agreed. “I want to surprise Mrs. Stanton, and I guess I have a lot of explaining to do to her, too.”
“We’re going, too,” Bull chimed in.
Noah’s eyebrows rose in question.
“Don’t look at me like that, Reaper. Brianna is my little sister, and I missed three years with her, too. If you two are going on a stroll down memory lane, I’m strolling with you,” Bull demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Using that logic, Shadow and I are going, too,” Rebel spoke up.
“Hell, ye
ah,” Shadow added. “We’re not sitting this one out.”
“I’m with the guys on this one, Noah,” Chaise added and winked at Brianna.
“Looks like you’re outnumbered, big guy.” Brianna smiled. “We’re taking the whole family to Colorado.”
Noah glanced around the room at the family that had been at his side for nearly every major event in his life. “Fair enough. I’ll have them get the jet ready to leave first thing in the morning. We’ll have to brief Roman tonight and let him know he’s in charge while we’re away. This should be an interesting trip.”
“Of course it will be. Look who’s going with you,” Shadow quipped.
Noah groaned and the room erupted in laughter. “I’m taking my woman home now. Meet us at the airstrip at eight tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll call Roman on my way home and give him the rundown, Reap,” Rebel offered as he walked to the door. “See you bright and early in the morning.”
“I’m right behind you, man,” Shadow replied. “Have a good night, everyone.”
“Let’s go, Chaise. You have womanly duties to perform,” Bull commanded.
“Bull. Seriously.” Noah gave him a disgusted look.
“What?”
“She’s my sister,” Noah complained emphatically.
“Yeah, I know,” Bull spoke slowly. “It’s her turn to make dinner tonight, and I need her to help me pack my suitcase. What did you think I meant?”
“Nothing. I don’t want to think about it,” Noah amended quickly.
“Oh, wait. You thought I meant…” Bull smiled broadly. “Good idea. She definitely has those womanly duties to perform tonight.”
“Get out,” Noah ordered. “Get out of here right now.”
“Come on, Colton,” Chaise laughed. “You have some manly duties to perform for me, too.”
“I can’t hear you,” Noah replied as his hands covered his ears. “Can’t hear a word. Get out.”
Chaise and Bull walked out the door laughing together and left Noah and Brianna alone. Brianna walked over to Noah, straddled his lap as she faced him, and kissed his lips. When he opened his eyes, she pulled his hands down from his ears. “They’re gone now. You’re safe.”
“Thank God. I’ll never get used to hearing that,” Noah admitted.
“She’s grown and he loves her, Noah. You have to accept that.” Brianna smiled. “Where is your brother? Have you heard anything yet?”
“Not a word. He’s deep undercover and hasn’t checked in with his handler in a while now. Shadow said that’s completely normal, especially if he’s gathering a lot of intel and can’t risk blowing his cover,” Noah sighed. “I just hope that’s the case, and it’s not because something bad has happened to him.”
“You’ve had a long enough day,” Brianna decided. “It’s time for you to take me home and perform some husbandly duties for me.”
“It sounds so much better when you say it, wife.” Noah’s eyes darkened. “It’s all my pleasure to perform my husbandly duties for you.”
“Not all your pleasure,” Brianna quipped. “I happen to get a lot of pleasure from it, too.”
“Time to go,” Noah replied as he shut his laptop. “Now I can’t wait to get you home.”
He stood, taking Brianna with him as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her baby bump at sixteen weeks was just big enough to be noticeable but not enough to get in the way. Noah held her close to him, and she took the opportunity to kiss and lick his neck as he carried her out to the car.
“You’re killing me, woman,” he growled.
“Maybe I’ll give you a special treat while you’re driving,” she purred in his ear.
“Shit, you want me to wreck,” he chuckled. “Not that I’ll try to stop you or anything.”
“It’s a good thing our SUV is nice and roomy,” she replied. “I have better access to you.”
“That does it. We’re not going anywhere until I’m done with you. We’ll just have to be like horny teenagers in the backseat.”
“If you insist,” she agreed.
“Damn, I love your pregnancy hormones,” Noah said as he opened the back door of the SUV. After he carefully placed Brianna inside, his take-charge personality emerged again. “Strip. We’re taking advantage of these new black-out windows.”
Brianna slid across the seat, giving Noah room to get in. She pulled her shirt over her head, revealing her fuller breasts that spilled over the top of her lacy bra. She then adjusted her body and slid her shorts down her legs. “All yours, big guy. Show me what you got for me.”
Noah climbed in, started the car to blast the air conditioner, and joined Brianna in the backseat. His eyes first went to the swell of her breasts and his fingers followed. After he pulled the lace down in the front, his mouth and hand covered them as he pulled her to lie down on the seat. The other hand slid down to her matching panties. His finger traced the edge of her panties until he reached her sensitive flesh. He moved them to one side and slid his finger across her entrance, felt the wetness, and then plunged deep inside her.
She cried out in pleasure as his finger pushed inside, then retreated as he used her juices to coat her clit and circled to start all over again. He increased his speed and pressure as her pleasure built. Her inner muscles tightened around his finger as he added a second. Her body shook and trembled when his thumb pressed against her clit, rubbing and bringing her to orgasm with finesse and ease.
“Damn, I’ll never get tired of watching you come,” he murmured as he moved to cover her.
Brianna’s hands unzipped his pants and grasped him, pulling his cock free. She guided him to her entrance and purred up to him. “Now, Noah. I want you now.”
His hips surged forward as he drove inside her. Her hips rose in automatic response to the fullness and stretching of his intrusion. “Fuck, you feel so good, baby,” Noah said as he arched forward and pulled back repeatedly.
Sitting back, he put his hands on the back of her thighs and pushed forward. As he deepened his angle, her pleasure increased and she screamed his name. The sensation of her soft, inner walls clamping down around his cock was more than Noah could withstand. He let go of his control and continued to surge into her until her body had pulled every last drop from his.
“Holy shit, that was hot,” Brianna panted. “We need to do this more often.”
“Only if you insist.” Noah smiled smugly and leaned over to kiss her softly.
“I love you, Noah,” she said as she stroked his face.
“I love you, Brianna. More than life itself.”
3
CHAPTER THREE
“Colton, are you ready, baby?” Chaise asked.
“That depends,” he replied as he leaned against the doorframe. “Ready for what?”
“I know that smirk,” Chaise laughed. “The answer is no. It’s not happening, so don’t even think about it. We don’t have time for another round.”
“Chaise.” He grinned mischievously as he stepped toward her. “We both know I can change your mind. Don’t make me prove it.”
He reached his hand out and ran his finger down her arm, barely making contact but leaving chill bumps in his wake regardless. Her eyes lit with desire as his smile covered his face. “And you’re mine now.”
“Get out of here!” She swatted his hand away playfully.
Bull chuckled and picked up their suitcase. “Don’t feel bad, baby. You can change my mind just as easily.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she promised. “Let’s go or we’ll be late and Noah will be mad at us both.”
When they reached the private airstrip, the jet was ready and waiting as Noah promised. They rushed to the stairs and entered the plane, hoping they weren’t the last, just as Shadow and Rebel took their seats.
“Nice of you two to join us this morning,” Shadow quipped. “What took you so long?”
Chaise blushed pink as she tilted her face downward, letting her long hair partially hide her face
.
“We’re right on time,” Bull retorted as he and Chaise took their seats.
The flight attendant closed the cabin door and strolled through the cabin to ensure all seat belts were fastened for takeoff.
“We’ll be there in about four hours,” Noah announced. “The hotel rooms are taken care of, so we’ll each have some privacy while we’re there.”
Rebel and Shadow laughed openly. Brianna also laughed before quickly coughing to cover her outburst. Taking Noah’s hand in hers, she squeezed it as she beamed up at him. “Still can’t get used to the fact that your sister is all grown up now, can you?”
“I realize she’s grown. I just don’t want to be in the same house with them while they’re…” He paused, his face struck with disgust. “You know what.”
“Suits me just fine, Noah. This way we can have privacy, too.” Brianna grinned as she lightly stroked his arm.
“Thanks for that visual. I needed it.” He leaned over to kiss her.
“I know you did,” she laughed as she leaned toward him.
Four hours of razzing, threats, and mocking laughter later, the group of friends and family had deplaned, hauled their luggage into the waiting rental cars, and checked in to their hotel rooms. When they met in the lobby after getting settled in, Shadow started with the most important question.
“When do we eat?”
Brianna laughed. “I thought that was my line,” she replied as she rubbed her pregnant belly.
“You’re too slow. I’m hungry now,” he laughingly replied.
“Let’s go by my old place. I can introduce everyone to my neighbor and maybe we can talk her into going out to eat with us,” Brianna offered.
“Sounds good to me. Lead the way, little sister,” Bull chimed in.
Wicked Nights Page 2
