Guardian Angel: Callaghan Brothers, Book 5

by Abbie Zanders

  Here, he could step into his shower, knowing that when he did, the hot water would inevitably hit the bar of Dove soap she’d forgotten in her haste, filling the bathroom with that soft, clean scent that clung to her. It would mix with the smell of his Irish Spring, reminding him of how the inside of his truck smelled after they had gone somewhere together. His scent, clean and spicy; hers, soft and fresh.

  At night he could sleep in his king-sized bed, burying his head in the same pillow Rebecca had used, the one that still held traces of her scent. If he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could almost imagine her warmth seeping into him. Feel her body snuggling up to his. Hear her soft, contented sighs when he finally surrendered, closing his arms around her and holding her close.

  He could do all these things without being under someone’s watchful eye. He could wallow in his misery, grieve in private for what he had lost.

  No, not lost. Thrown away.

  He was better off alone, at least until he could accept what he’d done without feeling like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Until he was able to hear his family speak Rebecca’s name in passing without feeling great stabs of pain in his gut. Until he knew he would be capable of crossing paths with Rebecca – which was inevitable at some point, because Pine Ridge just wasn’t that big – without throwing her over his shoulder and running away with her.

  The emails and voicemails had begun in earnest the day after he’d taken Rebecca back. He’d expected no less. Surely there would be questions and accusations, and despite how things had ended between them, he felt fairly certain Rebecca would give nothing away. Even now, she would try to protect him from those who would think poorly of him because of his actions.

  He ignored them all, deleting them without bothering to open or listen to them. Nearly two weeks passed, and Kane was no closer to responding than he had been. He needed this time alone. No one seemed to understand that. There was no one he wished to speak to. No one except Rebecca. And the one thing he knew above all else was that Rebecca would never try to contact him. He’d seen to that, shutting her out so thoroughly and completely that she would never consider it.

  Kane really shouldn’t have been surprised when Jake appeared on his doorstep. No matter how often he tried to prove to them that he was an island, someone always ended rowing up to his beach anyway.

  * * *

  “What do you want?” Kane snapped when he opened the door a few inches. It was a warmer greeting than Jake had been expecting. At least Kane hadn’t tried to shoot him, so he figured things were off to a good start.

  He thrust the bottle of Irish whiskey into Kane’s hand, and used the opportunity to push his way in, ignoring Kane’s warning growl as he took off his coat and sank down onto the sofa.

  The two of them were more alike than any of the others, sharing similar views on the world and their places in it, as well as overly dominant, highly aggressive personalities. Over the years it had led to some pretty nasty conflicts. Jake, however, had since been tempered by the love of his wife and daughter. He wouldn’t have Taryn now if Kane hadn’t been there for him. He’d be damned if he wouldn’t do the same for Kane.

  “Fuck.” Kane exhaled when he saw Jake plant himself comfortably beside the fire.

  Jake grinned. “Good to see you, too, bro.”

  Kane dropped into the seat opposite Jake, and extended his long legs, propping them on the coffee table with a resounding thud. Glaring at his brother, he twisted the sealed cap and lifted the bottle to his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed with each of the three deep swallows.

  Jake met his gaze with calm resolve. As expected, Kane looked like a man who’d spent the last couple of weeks in the wilderness, shunning all human contact. His whiskers were full and thick; his hair unkempt and shaggy. His clothes – faded flannel and worn jeans – were rumpled but relatively clean. The faint scent of Irish Spring hung in the air; at least he appeared to be showering every day. Jake took that as a good sign.

  Kane rested the bottle on his knee, his eyes never wavering from Jake’s. It was a challenge, one that Jake had prepared for and met with equal resolve. Kane didn’t offer the bottle to him, but that was okay; he had prepared for that, too. Jake pulled an identical bottle from his coat, offered it in the air as a mock toast, then took a drink himself. He wasn’t planning on heading back to town tonight anyway.

  Kane sighed. It was as close to surrender as Jake would get.

  When dealing with Kane there was a certain protocol to be observed, one of the most important things being that you didn’t speak until Kane was ready to hear what you had to say. Otherwise, it was like trying to talk to a very grumpy – and lethal - bear. Jake knew this; he understood the rituals required better than anyone. It was why he had volunteered to make the trip north.

  That, and the fact that he was probably the most likely to survive if things did not go well.

  Step One was complete. Jake had gained entry, offered up a gift of Kane’s favorite whiskey, and probably most important of all, joined Kane in silent and mutual acknowledgement that the world just sucked ass sometimes, plain and simple.

  The process took time. Kane could not be pushed or prodded. If it wasn’t important enough to take that time, to observe the unwritten rules of engagement, then it wasn’t important enough, period. Jake made sure Taryn and the others knew not to expect him back until the next day at least.

  Step Two involved the offering of food, to be attempted only after at least an hour had passed and their bellies were deep in the slow burn of the whiskey. Kane’s eyes followed Jake as he rose from the sofa, went out to his truck, and returned with an insulated box the size of a small refrigerator. He set it between them, and opened the lid. Inside were no less than 24 large containers, each one containing a full meal.

  There was quite a variety – several different kinds of chicken, steaks, ribs, chops – and all the sides – stuffing, four different kinds of potatoes, pasta, breads and lots of freshly whipped butter. Kane took it all in.

  “Lex?” he asked, his voice rough from not being used for a while.

  Jake nodded. Kane grunted his approval. No matter what, Lexi was one hell of a cook. Unless Jake was mistaken, Kane probably hadn’t had much of an appetite or a desire to prepare a meal for himself lately.

  Step Two was complete when they had each eaten their fill, and went hand-in-hand with Rule #2: never speak of anything of importance on an empty stomach.

  Jake had seen to Steps One and Two. The third and final step was up to Kane. Either he would talk to his brother or he wouldn’t.

  Jake settled back, switching from whiskey to beer. He was prepared to go the distance, but as it turned out, he didn’t have to wait as long as he’d thought.

  “Satisfied?” Kane asked finally.

  Jake turned a questioning glance his way, his identical blue eyes locking in. Looked like Step Three had been initiated after all.

  “Obviously I haven’t taken a gun to my own head,” Kane said dryly. He gestured around the room. “Nor have I lured unsuspecting victims to my lair.” He pinned Jake with his laser glare. “So what the fuck do you want?”

  Jake was unfazed. He’d been on the receiving end of Kane’s death stares more times than he could count. He’d perfected the art himself. He shrugged. There was no way he was opening with the heavy stuff. They’d work up to that.

  “Just checking in.”

  * * *

  Kane snorted. Jake could have checked in any of a hundred different ways, none of which involved a personal trek up the mountain and leaving his wife and daughter back in Pine Ridge. Jake didn’t leave his family often. They must be really concerned.

  It was a waste of time, though. Kane could have saved him the trip and told him to stay the fuck home. Hell, if he’d known Jake was going to show he would have gone hunting for the day.

  Which is probably exactly why there had been no prior notice of his pending arrival. Shit. He could sense an ambush well enough. />
  “Kier says you haven’t been to the gym. How’s the hip?”

  It ached like a bitch, especially first thing in the morning. Too bad he hadn’t had the motivation to install that hot tub Rebecca had suggested. Instead he just spent hours in his regular tub after his routine trek around the perimeter, just so he could keep moving, and made good use of the steam sauna, willing the heat into his joints. It sucked.

  “As good as it’s going to get.”

  “Mick says to stop by next time you’re down, he’ll check you out for clearance.”

  Kane nodded, but he already knew there would be no more missions for him. He might not be a doctor, but he sure as hell knew his own body, and he’d be worthless in the field without a total replacement. He might have considered it a few months ago, but not anymore. He’d shut himself down so completely he just really couldn’t bring himself to give a shit about anything.

  “Maggie wanted me to invite you for Thanksgiving. We’re all gathering at Mick’s this year.”

  Another nod. Not likely.

  “Taryn and I are expecting again.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Yeah,” Jake grinned. “Riley’s going to have a little brother to pound on.”

  Deep down, Kane was happy for his brother. It wasn’t all that long ago that Taryn lost their first child – a boy - at the hands of the psycho that stalked her for ten years. Jake had been devastated.

  “That’s great, man. Give Taryn my best.” He wished he could summon more feeling into his words, but except for the pain, Kane felt dead inside.

  “I will. Lexi’s due around Christmas. Ian’s driving her crazy. Won’t give her a moment’s peace the way he hovers.”

  Kane’s lips actually twitched a little. Yes, Ian could be a tremendous pain in the ass when he wanted to be. But there was also nothing he would not do for his wife. He loved her more than life itself. Kane understood that more now, better than he’d ever wanted to.

  “Sean and Nicki officially purchased the shelter,” Jake said casually, taking a long pull from the bottle. “Shane got them some federal grants, even enough to hire a regular staff. Johnny’s helping them turn it into a state-of-the-art- place for teens.” Johnny Connelly was their cousin; he ran a highly successful construction business. If Johnny was in charge of the reno, it would be top-rate.

  * * *

  That got Kane’s attention, as Jake knew it would. Jake avoided looking directly into his eyes, taking a long pull from his beer instead. This was a game, a sport. Like fishing. Sometimes you had to ensure the fish took the bait fully before giving that first tug.

  “Rebecca’s not there anymore?”

  “No.” Tug. Wait.

  “Moving on, is she?”

  Jake shrugged. “I guess. Don’t see her much anymore. She moved out of Aidan’s. Got some place in town that she’s renting on a month-by-month basis.” Jake paused, letting that sink in. “Lex says things have been difficult for her since the break-in at the shelter and all...”

  Every muscle in Kane’s body tensed. “Break-in?”

  “Yeah. Burglary. Emptied the petty cash safe, got away with about eight hundred, give or take.”

  The temperature in the cabin dropped. Kane’s entire body hardened; he pinned Jake with eyes of pure ice. Jake fought the shiver trying to take hold at the base of his spine.

  “Rebecca was there?”

  Gotcha. Time to start reeling in. Jake’s reply was to meet Kane’s eyes directly, telling him exactly what he didn’t want to hear.

  “Jesus. It she okay?”

  Jake broke eye contact, scraping the label from the bottle of beer with his thumbnail. It was, like his pause, a deliberately calculated move. “Says she is. Like I said, no one sees her much anymore.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  Jake shrugged.

  “Jake,” Kane growled in warning.

  Jake took his time, sitting back and taking another drink from his bottle. “You sure you want to know?” It was a gamble, a calculated risk. He was playing a dangerous game here and he knew it, but there was only one way to play it when so much was on the line. Kane and Rebecca were meant for each other, as perfect a match as him and Taryn. Everyone saw that. Everyone except Kane. And he apparently had been able to convince Rebecca that she was wrong, too.

  “Tell me what the fuck happened.” Kane’s eyes flashed a final warning.

  Jake blew out a breath. “It happened late at night. Rebecca was alone in the shelter, says she must have fallen asleep –“

  “What the hell was she doing by herself in the shelter at night?” Kane interrupted.

  Cool blue eyes met Kane’s. “From what I understand, she came home a day earlier than expected and walked in on Aidan and one of his female friends doing the nasty.” Kane’s left eye twitched. “She took off in the Benz. When she didn’t come back after a couple of hours he Lo-Jacked it to the shelter and found her unconscious.”

  Kane’s icy eyes glowed. He shot to his feet and started pacing, running his hand through his hair. It was a trait all the Callaghan men shared when they were riled, but Jake had never seen Kane do it. As a matter of fact, he didn’t think he’d ever seen Kane let his impeccable control slip like that. Not even when Taryn shot him in the ass.

  “Fuck.” Jake’s eyes followed Kane back and forth across the room until Kane stopped and pinned him with a stare. “But she’s alright?”

  Jake wasn’t quite sure how to answer that. Physically, she seemed to be holding her own. But emotionally, she was a wreck, cutting herself off from everyone.

  “Aidan called the cops when he found her. One of those guys called Nicki; she was the only one Rebecca would let near her.”

  The implication was clear. “She was raped?” The words were barely more than whispers, but it had taken everything he had to get the words past his lips.

  “Nicki says she doesn’t think so,” Jake said slowly. “But they tried.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” Kane exploded. “What did the doctors say? They check for that kind of shit, don’t they?”

  “Rebecca refused medical care. Nicki said she’d been roughed up pretty good, though. Aidan took her over to Mick’s. She wouldn’t let him check her out but she did allow Maggie to tend to her.”

  “And what did Maggie say?” Kane said through clenched teeth. Jake sensed he had pushed Kane about as far as he could. The look in his older brother’s eyes told him that Kane was ready to reach his fist down his throat and extract the information himself if he wasn’t more forthcoming.

  “She said it looked like a couple of hits to the face, consistent with pistol whipping. Bruises and swelling along the ribs and ankles as if she’d been kicked repeatedly.”

  “Jesus. Do they know who did it?”

  Jake frowned. “I think Rebecca knows, but she’s not saying. Refuses to press charges, so we figure it’s got to involve one or more of the kids that she’s been working with. Nicki’s been trying to talk some sense into her, but so far, no luck.”

  And then came the million dollar question: “Why didn’t anyone fucking tell me this?”

  Jake let the hardness take over his features. “Rebecca forbid it.”

  “So?!?”

  “So nothing. Taryn must have called you a dozen times. Ian fired off an email every hour for three days. God knows how many times the others tried. Ever think of checking your messages?”

  He gave that some time to sink in, ignoring Kane’s growl before speaking again. “At least she’s got Angus now.”

  “Angus?”

  Jake nodded. “Yeah. The motherfucker’s huge. And totally devoted to her. Doesn’t leave her side for a moment.”

  If Kane’s jaw clenched any harder he ran the danger of snapping a few molars. As it was, the glass bottle in his hand was probably perilously close to shattering beneath the pressure of his grip, given the whiteness of his knuckles.

  “And where did this Angus come from?”r />
  “The SPCA.”

  Kane blinked, clearly not expecting that. “Angus is a dog?”

  “Yep. Some kind of mongrel. Newfie and mastiff and Great Dane or something like that. He’s a monster, two hundred pounds at least. All shaggy black hair and sharp white teeth. Don’t know why she picked him.” Jake paused, letting a smirk grace his lips for a few seconds.

  The next morning, Kane walked Jake out to his truck. Once again, the lack of firearms involved proved that it had been a successful visit.

  “You know they’re going to ask me when you’re coming down,” Jake said, stowing away the now-empty cooler in the back.

  “Don’t know. May be awhile.”

  Jake nodded, pretending to buy it. He knew that if he pulled off the road fifty miles down he’d see Kane flying by. Taryn had been right. Kane was so far gone over Rebecca he couldn’t see straight. Kane hadn’t actually admitted anything, but some things, a brother knew. Especially a brother who’d been through it himself.

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Jake added as he slid behind the wheel, putting the safety of the steel-cage door between the two of them. He was brave; he wasn’t stupid. “Maggie said to be sure to tell you that she’s invited Rebecca for Thanksgiving, too.”

  “You’re a rotten prick, you know that?” Kane muttered.

  “Yeah,” Jake replied, starting the truck and shifting into reverse. “That makes two of us.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  A brief stop at Sean’s garage didn’t provide much information, but it did reinforce Kane’s belief that the break-in was executed by some of the punks who’d spent time at the shelter. According to what Nicki had been able to get from the cops assigned to the case, the perps knew their way around, including the location of the hidden safe with the petty cash. Unfortunately, there were no fingerprints or other helpful clues left behind, and the fact that Rebecca refused to cooperate left things at a standstill. Unless Rebecca had a change of heart, or one of the thieves turned himself in and confessed, there wasn’t much they could do.