by L. P. Dover
“Stupid cunt,” Warren hissed, tackling me to the floor. He landed on my back and grabbed my wrist. Slamming my hand into the ground, he made me drop the knife. I tried to grab it again, but it slid across the floor. Plus, I was sure I’d broken a few of my fingers.
Since Trinity’s ankles weren’t bound, she scooted her chair across the floor toward the knife. Dane saw her and jumped into action.
“Trinity!” I shouted. She kicked the knife even further across the room, giving me an extra few seconds.
Fisting my hair in his hands, Warren jerked my head back. “You must have a death wish.”
“What does it matter? You’re going to kill me anyway.”
He slammed my face into the floor. Stars broke out across my vision, and warm trickles of blood streamed down my face. “Oh, I plan on it, but not this way. You’re not going to have a quick death.” His warm breath brushed across my ear. “I want it to be degrading,” he thrust his dick against my ass, “slow, and painful.”
Closing my eyes, I envisioned him behind me. The second he let go of my hair, I headbutted him in the face, his nose cracking on impact. His hands went to his face and I rolled out from under him, grabbing his gun in the process. Finger on the trigger, I stepped back, putting distance between us. The barrel pointed straight at his head.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Dane warned. Trinity whimpered and sucked in a breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him standing behind her with the knife at her throat. A small rivulet of blood already running down the front of her shirt.
Seething, Warren glared at me from the floor, blood dripping out of his nose. If he got a hold of me, there was no doubt he’d kill me. I could see it in his eyes. Wade was somewhere close, but I was running out of time. I had no choice but to do something. Gun poised, I kept my focus on Warren.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins and I’d never felt stronger. “There’s something you and Dane should know.” I wanted to see both of their faces when I told him the truth, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Warren. Judging by how he’d propped himself up, he was about to charge after me.
“What?” Dane snapped, jerking Trinity’s head back. She hissed in pain, the knife marring her skin further.
“My brother didn’t have Keith killed.”
Warren scoffed. “Liar.”
“I’m not lying. Want to know how I know?” I didn’t even wait for a response. Remembering how good it felt to kill Keith, I let those feelings course through my body; allowing an evil leer to show through. The look of shock on Warren’s face made it grow wider. “It’s because I’m the one who killed him.”
The room fell silent and I used that split second of hesitance to turn the gun on Dane. Warren sprang into action, but not before I made the shot. Trinity screamed as Dane fell, lifeless to the floor, a bullet in his head. I turned the gun on Warren, but I wasn’t fast enough. We fell to the floor and my head hit the bottom stair so hard, I blacked out for a split second. The pain shot through my body and Warren’s weight made it hard to breathe.
“Brina!”
The sound of Wade’s voice snapped me back. Warren reached for the gun, but Wade charged down the stairs and tore him off me. They rolled across the floor and I crawled over to Trinity.
“Hold on,” I said, freeing her from the chains. She put her arms around me and I dragged her over to the stairs.
Another man hurried down the stairs, dressed all in black with a badge on his belt. I recognized him, but I couldn’t place his face. He gently cupped Trinity’s elbow. “Come with me. You don’t need to see this.” Wade was on top of Warren, his fists raining down on him with a force I’d never witnessed. It was all a blur.
I pushed Trinity toward the man. “Go.”
He pulled her into his arms and carried her up the stairs. I stayed behind and watched. There was no fight left in Warren. Blood pooled on the floor and his face was unrecognizable. Chest heaving, Wade stood and turned to me. In that moment, he was a different man. His stormy blue eyes were dark and dangerous. It was the other side of him I had yet to see. But I wasn’t afraid.
I started toward him, and he closed the distance. His arms snaked around me and I fell into him, holding him as tight as I could. Tears ran hot down my cheeks. “You found me.”
Lifting me in his arms, he carried me up the stairs. “I will always find you, Brina.”
“When do you think she’ll wake up?” It was Trinity.
I felt a warm hand squeeze mine, then Wade’s voice. “Hopefully, soon.”
“I’m awake,” I answered groggily. My eyes were heavy, but with some work I got them open.
Trinity gasped and hovered over me. There was a bandage on her neck from the knife wound. By the looks of her, she was freshly showered with clean clothes. “Oh my God, B. I was so worried.”
Even Wade had changed out of his all black attire and into fresh clothes. I looked down and his hands weren’t covered in Warren’s blood anymore. “How long was I out?”
He moved closer and kissed my hand. “Several hours. You’re a little banged up, have a couple of broken fingers, and a mild concussion. The doctors say you’ll be out of here tonight.”
Swallowing hard, I turned to Trinity. “What about you?”
Lifting her hand, she gently grazed her fingers over the bandage at her neck. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”
“And Josh?” I wasn’t prepared for bad news. My chest hurt too much to think about him being gone.
Trinity brushed the hair from my face and smiled. “He’s going to be okay. He’s resting right now. I know he wants to see you.”
Relief flooded through me and I closed my eyes against the burn building behind my eyelids. “I was so worried about him.” I opened my eyes and Wade wiped my tears away.
“Your family’s on a plane now, and they’re headed this way. The media’s going crazy.”
“Saying what?” I asked, worried the world knew my secret.
“That Wade was the one who saved us,” Trinity cut in. “Other than that, the details are pretty hush-hush right now.”
I glanced at them both. “No one knows I killed Dane?”
Trinity shook her head. “Or Keith Sanders. The FBI have the tape now. Your secret is safe. Although, I wish you would’ve told me about you.”
Sighing, I held her hand. “It wasn’t something I wanted you to know.”
Lips trembling, she hugged me gently. “Thank you for everything. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
She wiped her eyes with her T-shirt and smiled. “I’m gonna let you two have some privacy. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Once she was gone, I laid my head back. It throbbed and I felt nauseated as hell. Wade leaned over me, his crystal blue eyes staring into mine as he placed a hand on my head, rubbing smooth circles with his thumb.
“How did you find us?” I asked, moaning with his magical touch. “I thought the watches weren’t equipped with tracking.”
“They weren’t. I had Yuli working overtime to get them updated. We had to find other ways to locate you.” He averted his gaze. “If we were five minutes later, I fear we wouldn’t be talking right now.”
“But you weren’t,” I said, caressing his stubbly cheek. “I’m safe. A little battered, but okay.” My face hurt from where Warren slammed it into the ground. I could only imagine how bad I looked. “So, what’s the status on Warren? Is he dead?”
Clenching his jaw, he nodded and lifted his fiery gaze. “I couldn’t stop, Brina. After I saw what he did to you, I had to kill him. It felt good to hit him over and over, hearing his bones break after every strike.” He closed his eyes and breathed in a slow breath. “I’ve never killed anyone like that before.”
“What happens now?” I asked. “What is the media saying about you?”
He chuckled lightly. “That I’m part of the FBI.”
“I’m so sorry, Wade. I didn’t mean for you to blow your cove
r.”
“I don’t care,” he murmured, placing a finger over my lips. “I’m done killing, Brina. That part of my life is over. It’s time to focus on my company.”
I knew exactly how he felt. Endless Summer needed me now more than anything. “I think it’s time I do the same. The question is, what are we—”
I was cut off by a knock on the door. It opened to reveal a middle-aged woman wearing a set of blue scrubs. “Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Miller.” She walked over and shook my hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Ms. Carmichael.”
“Likewise. Is everything okay?”
She cleared her throat. “Of course. I just wanted to go over everything with you before you’re discharged. Do you mind if we speak in private?” Her gaze caught Wade’s and he nodded.
Reluctantly, he let my hand go and disappeared into the hallway.
Dr. Miller opened my file and cleared her throat again. “I don’t know if Mr. Chandler told you, but you have a mild concussion.”
“He told me,” I said.
She nodded. “Other than that, we’ve immobilized your right hand, as you broke your three middle fingers. And you were dehydrated, so we’re pumping you with fluids. Your body’s going to be sore for a while since you took quite a beating. I recommend lots of rest.”
“Will do. Am I free to go?”
“There is one more thing.” Reaching into the folder, she pulled out a small piece of paper. When she flipped it over to show me what was on the other side, I froze. “Were you aware you’re pregnant, Ms. Carmichael?”
Brina
Shocked couldn’t begin to describe the way I felt. I hadn’t felt any different the past two months, and had no clue I was carrying a child. Luckily after the kidnapping ordeal, everything was fine. The baby was okay. I just had to figure out a way to tell Wade.
“You know, I can walk.” I laughed as Wade wheeled me down the hallway in a wheelchair. The staff all watched us as we walked by, a look of fascination on their faces.
“Doctors orders, sunshine. Can’t have you falling and hitting your head again.”
My head throbbed, so I couldn’t argue with him there. My mother and brother had just arrived at the hospital and were on their way up, but I couldn’t wait another minute to see Josh.
“Here we are,” Wade said, knocking on the door.
With a wide grin, Trinity opened the door and waved us in. “He’s awake. Come on in.”
Wade pushed me straight up to Josh’s bed.
“Hey,” I murmured.
Josh got a good look at my battered face and his eyes blazed. “I am so sorry I let my guard down. This never should’ve happened.”
Shaking my head, I grabbed his hand. “It’s not your fault. And we all survived. That’s what matters. Now, all you have to do is get better so you can go to college with Trinity.”
His brows furrowed.
“She doesn’t know yet,” Trinity cut in.
I glanced back and forth between them. “Doesn’t know what?”
Trinity sighed. “I’m taking the fall semester off. That way Josh has more time to heal before the spring.” She smiled down at him. “Besides, he has to help me move to Charleston.”
“Have you told your dad?”
She nodded happily. “He’s fine with it, especially since he knows I’ll be near you.”
I snuck a glance at Wade, hoping to see a reaction from him, but his face remained neutral. We still hadn’t discussed our future and what we were going to do about it. “I look forward to it,” I said. “It’ll give me a chance to help you learn to fight. We can train a few days a week.”
Her eyes lit up. “That would be amazing.” She smiled at both Wade and Josh. “You guys should’ve seen the way she kicked ass. Of course, I was terrified at the time, but she was a real-life Xena, minus the sword.” She shivered. “Although, it would’ve been nice to see her hack through them.”
I shook my head, forcing out a laugh. Even though it would’ve been pretty epic to kill them Xena style. “That would’ve been messy.”
The door opened and I glanced over my shoulder to see my mother, Noah, and Renee rushing through. My mother ran straight to me, folding me in her arms. “Oh, honey. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I’m fine, Mom. I promise.” She squeezed me tight and let go. I nodded toward Wade and smiled. “You remember Wade, right?”
He held out his hand, but instead of taking it, she flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you so much for everything. I don’t know what I would’ve done if anything had happened to my baby.” She pulled back with tears in her eyes, and brought her hands up to his cheeks. “I can’t believe how much you look like your father.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “I hear that a lot. And, you’re welcome. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for your daughter.”
My mother finally let him go and joined Trinity, after Noah and Renee decided to let her go.
Noah walked over and I could see the turmoil on his face. He knelt in front of me and I opened my arms. “We need to talk,” he said softly, his voice serious.
I nodded. “Okay.”
He let me go and stood. “Mom, Renee, do you mind taking Trinity to the cafeteria to get some coffee, please? Emmitt will go with you.”
They agreed, putting arms around Trinity’s shoulders. My mom spoke as they headed out. “All you had to do was tell us to wait outside, dear. I was married to your father, you know.” After a beat of silence, we all broke into laughter.
Once they were gone, Wade joined me, while Noah stood on the opposite side of Josh’s bed. The room fell silent as he stared at us. “I’m disbanding the group. You two are discharged permanently.”
I wasn’t about to argue, considering my delicate state. Josh, on the other hand, fumed. “So, what exactly are you saying? Are you taking me off all security detail?”
Noah chuckled. “No, I’m not taking you away from Trinity. She’s made her choice and I’m going to respect that. Now that we’re in the clear, I don’t think I’ll need you guys anymore.”
Brows furrowed, I shook my head. “That’s not true. Warren said there’s a whole group of people like him who want to hurt our family.”
Noah’s grin widened. “There was. Thanks to Wade and his people, we located them all. No one’s going to be hurting our family ever again.”
Brina
(One Week Later)
The dark gray clouds rolled across the horizon, revealing the clear blue color just above them. The smell of rain grew thick. “Looks like we’re going to get a storm,” Wade murmured, his fingers trailing up and down my back.
Finishing the last touch on one of my designs, I closed my sketchpad and laid down on the grass with him, resting my head on his bare chest. I loved watching him work in his yard, wearing only a pair of shorts, with sweat running down his body. Nobody got to see him like that, except me.
His heart thumped against my ear and I sighed. I was going to miss him when I left in the morning. “Maybe we should stay in tonight then. We could order takeout and watch a movie?”
At least with ordering in, I could pick at my food. I’d never felt so nauseated in my life. There were many times I’d wanted to tell him about the baby, but in the end, I wasn’t ready. I had no clue what our future held, and I wasn’t about to secure it with the news of a baby.
He tilted my chin up and kissed me. “Sounds good, sunshine. I didn’t want to share you with anyone tonight anyway.”
It’d been a week, and the media still talked about the abduction. We’d go to a restaurant and couldn’t even eat dinner because people would constantly come up to us. And forget about turning on the news. It was all anyone could talk about. Noah had even held a press conference, and I made an official statement, so I wouldn’t have to explain what happened everywhere I went. One time was enough.
It was best to lay low for a while, but unfortunately, we couldn’t do that. Wade had to get back to work and so did I.
<
br /> “How are your designs coming along?” he asked.
Excitement bubbled in my veins. I sat up and flipped through my sketchpad so he could see all the new designs. “I have so many ideas, it’s insane. I can’t wait to get back to the store and show Lexi. This is just what we need, especially now that Jamie Slater is going to be our main spokesmodel.” She was flying into Charleston next week for a photo shoot. “We’re actually going to surf together when she flies in next week.”
A small smile spread across his face. “I’m glad you’re happy, sunshine. I know you’re dying to get back to the shop.”
“I am. I miss it.”
A look passed across his face I couldn’t decipher. “If you want, I can come down next weekend to visit. I know you’re going to be busy when you get back.”
If seeing him on weekends was our only option, I’d take it. I couldn’t expect him to give up his multi-billion-dollar company to follow me around. “I’ll never be too busy for you, Wade. I’d love for you to come down.”
He kissed me and stood. “Then it’s set. I’m going to go inside and make a couple of calls. Do you know what you want for dinner?”
I craved a big bowl of spaghetti. “Italian would be great.”
He chuckled. “Spaghetti it is then. I’ll get it ordered up.”
I watched him walk away, wishing like hell our relationship could be easier. We were a perfect match, but our lives pulled us in different directions. Eyes burning, I picked up my phone and called Lexi.
“Hey girl,” she answered.
“How’s it going out there?”
“Busy as hell. Now that your mother went back to Wyoming, I’m on my own. Our revenue has tripled this month already, and we’re only halfway into it.”
“Wow,” I gasped, completely shocked. “I can’t believe it’s all happening so fast. We need to hire more people.”
“Damn right we do. We have a lot of work to do when you get in tomorrow. Feels like forever since I’ve seen you.”
I laughed. “That’s because it has been forever. I can’t wait to show you what I’ve designed. You’re going to love this new collection.”
