Claim (Talon Security Book 2)

by Megan O'Brien

There was something about the security cameras, about being able to see for myself there was no imminent danger, that gave me a small sense of control.

  I pulled his massive desk chair in front of the monitors and curled up, my eyes intent on the screens. It was almost hypnotic watching the black-and-white screens displaying various parts of the exterior of the house.

  “What are you doing?” Travis’s voice was a soft murmur, but it still sent my heart catapulting out of my chest.

  “You scared me,” I gasped, holding a hand over my chest.

  “Sorry, I thought you heard me.” He moved to stand beside me, dropping a hand to my head. “What are you doing?” he asked again, his eyes darting from me to the security screens.

  I shrugged, feeling mildly embarrassed. It must have seemed so bizarre. “I couldn’t sleep, and my feet just sort of brought me in here. I think— It’s just sort of reassuring to see there’s no one out there,” I admitted.

  He dropped to a crouch beside me, his gaze soft and concerned. “Oh, babe.” He sighed. “No one’s getting in here—whether you watch the screens or not. You know that, right?”

  I bit my lip nodding.

  “But I get it,” he continued gently. “You don’t have to be rational. You don’t have be logical. Just tell me what you need to feel safe, and we’ll make it happen.”

  “I don’t know what that is,” I whispered hoarsely.

  He nodded, seeming to accept that. He stood up and pulled me into his arms, claiming my seat and pulling me into his lap. “We’ll just watch the screens a little while longer then,” he murmured, dropping a kiss to my ear.

  I leaned back into his warm strength, my eyes on the screen. Despite the state I was in, I knew with certainty that if I had a man who’d sit with me, so patiently watching empty screens, if I had a love like that... well, then fear had nothing on me.

  ****

  “I want to try something,” I announced, sitting up from where I’d been lying on top of Travis while we watched TV for much of the morning. We’d both dozed for a little while, and I was feeling a bit more like myself after a hearty breakfast and so much snuggle time with my man.

  “Oh?” he prompted as he lazily stroked my hair.

  “I want to take a bath. With you,” I added, in case that hadn’t been clear. I looked at his chest, tracing the Navy SEAL emblem on his shirt. “Not feeling safe right now—I feel like I need to take something back that’s just for me.” I tried to explain how I was feeling, but worried that it came across muddled.

  “You don’t have to convince me,” he cut in, saving me from further blathering. “Come on, you can help me break it in,” he prompted, standing up and pulling me up with him.

  “You’ve never used your tub?” I demanded incredulously. “That’s like… some sort of crime!”

  He chuckled as we hit the stairs. “Baby, serious? Can you picture me taking a soak in there by myself?”

  “Maybe not alone, no,” I grumbled, wondering why I was voluntarily putting that visual in my brain.

  He stopped me, turning to look down at me from the step above mine. “No other woman has been under this roof aside from you, my sister, and our friends,” he said, his eyes glittering with sincerity.

  Wow, that was really something to take in.

  “Not only are you here,” he continued, “but I want you to stay. I want you to put your mark on it—to help me make it a home. So again, babe, no, I’ve never used the bathtub.”

  “Okay,” I replied breathlessly as he turned to continue up the stairs, pulling me with him.

  Watching him pull his T-shirt off as I got the water temperature right was one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. It was still surreal that I got frequent access to such a gorgeous body.

  He offered me an easy grin as I unabashedly ogled him. “We taking a bath or getting into bed?” he asked with a lifted brow.

  “Um….” I trailed off, not at all sure what my answer was anymore.

  He stepped into my space, taking the hem of my T-shirt and lifting it over my head. “Let’s take a bath first,” he murmured, making it clear bed would come later.

  I managed a nod as he leisurely slid my leggings down my thighs.

  When I followed him into the warm water, leaning my back against his chest, I truly relaxed for the first time in days.

  I toyed with his hands, dancing my fingertips along his knuckles and up the length of his fingers. “Even your hands look so strong,” I murmured.

  He merely grunted.

  We lay in silence for several moments, the only sound the soft lapping of the water around our bodies.

  “I felt so helpless,” I lamented finally.

  “Em, you took your first chance to escape. You scaled that tree like a goddamned monkey, which was the smartest thing you could have ever done. I’m so proud of you, baby.”

  “How did you find me?” I asked, for the first time able to ask the question that had plagued me since I’d woken up in the hospital.

  “I took a shot and called Harris in on it. Figured we’d had the wrong guy, and I was right. Harris had had his eye on Morales for a while—the whole department did. They’d gone so far as to put a tracker on his car stating they had enough probable cause.”

  “Wow,” I marveled. “I totally had Harris pegged all wrong.”

  He squeezed me. “We all did. I mean, the guy didn’t really give off a vibe that put anyone at ease,” he added dryly. “Anyway, they patched the information from the tracker over to headquarters—all that took way longer than I wanted it to.” He growled. “Damn red tape. Harris had to fight to get me access to the information. He really went to bat for us.”

  “So, Morales was working with Roy?”

  “Looks that way. From what we’ve uncovered Morales was working with Roy back when he was investment banker, helped him cover up some illegal business practices. Covered his tracks pretty well, but he’d gotten sloppy lately, especially since any money Roy had been bringing in dried up. Desperation makes people fuck up.”

  “Why would Morales have taken me if he wasn’t getting paid?” I asked, confused.

  He shrugged. “We’re not sure. He could have been promised a big pay out. Likely Roy would have just taken him out.”

  “Jesus.” I muttered. “What a mess.”

  “There is some good news in all of this,” he replied, stroking his fingers over my shoulder. “We got a solid shot at Morales. Brought him to headquarters. We know where he was meeting Roy. Theo and Sid are headed up that way now.”

  “That is good news,” I agreed, more than ready for this ordeal to be over with.

  “The other good news,” he continued, and I could hear the grin in his voice, “is that I have the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen, warm and wet and pressed against me. I think this whole bath thing has grown on me.”

  I grinned from ear to ear.

  “But”—his voice was a low rasp— “I’m working toward what happens after the bath.” He pressed himself into my backside, making his intentions clear.

  And with that, the bath was over. But our afternoon was just beginning.

  ****

  It was early evening when Travis’s phone rang. We were lounging in bed, too sated to move after hours of nothing but making love. It had been the most perfect day despite the circumstances that had kept us indoors.

  “Yeah?” Travis answered as I lay against his chest, his fingers weaving through my curls. He listened intently, his fingers pausing as he tensed slightly. “Well, shit. Can’t say I’m surprised. Let me talk to Em, and I’ll get back with you. Give me five. Yep.” He ended the call with a deep sigh, tipping his chin down toward me. “How much luck have you had over the years reasoning with Mabel?”

  I snorted. “Reason and May don’t go together. Why?”

  He groaned. “I thought as much. She just arrived back at her place. Sid was there—we’ve had a man posted there every day, since we weren’t sure exactly when she’d be bac
k. She’s refusing to leave. I believe the words she used were, ‘no one can tell me I can’t sleep under my own roof, even a hot as hell muscle head.’”

  “Muscle head?” I stifled an incredulous laugh.

  “Hot as hell muscle head,” he amended dryly. “She doesn’t know the details, just that her place was broken into. I think we should head over there and talk to her.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, sitting up and stretching stiff muscles. “We can do our best, but I’m not guaranteeing anything.”

  His hand stroked my naked back reverently. “Damn, I wish we could stay in bed.”

  I turned to offer a contented smile. “Me too. It’s been a great day.”

  “The very best,” he agreed as we both rose from bed and headed for the shower.

  “We should stop and pick up her favorite Chinese on the way,” I suggested with a sigh. “I have a feeling this isn’t going to be easy.”

  If I’d known how right I was, I would have made Trav stop for something with a bit more firepower than Chinese.

  Like whiskey.

  Chapter 17

  Mabel eyed the bag of Chinese takeout Travis held warily as she opened the door for us an hour later. “Came to butter me up, did ya?” she assessed correctly.

  “Hi, May,” I greeted, stepping over the threshold to wrap her in a hug. Despite why we were there, I was happy to see my friend.

  “Love looks good on you, girly.” She winked when I stepped away. “Now what’s this about me not being able to stay in my own home?” she said snippily.

  “Let’s go inside and talk,” Travis suggested evenly.

  “You’re lucky you’re handsome,” she grumbled, ushering us inside.

  Travis chuckled as we headed for the kitchen, where I started to unpack the food.

  “As we explained while you were away, your house was broken into,” Travis began as May watched him, her thin arms crossed over her chest. “What we weren’t at liberty to share then was that it was Roy, your son, who broke in and assaulted Em in the process.”

  Her eyes popped wide with shock, and I noticed Travis drew subtly closer in case she needed physical support. “Roy? My Roy?” she murmured.

  “I’m sorry, May,” I put in quietly.

  She looked to me with horrified eyes. “You’re sorry? I’m sorry! I asked you to watch the house. I never imagined you’d get hurt by anyone, much less by my own son! How could he have done this? Why?”

  “We think he was after your late husband’s client list. He’s broke.” Travis explained, his tone gentle despite the news being delivered bluntly.

  She sat down heavily in the nearest chair, appearing to grapple with the news. “Broke. Well that’s no excuse, now is it?”

  “No, ma’am,” Travis agreed, shooting a quick glance at me.

  I breathed a small sigh of relief when he didn’t expand on that. I didn’t think May could handle the news that Roy had tried to kidnap me. Not with how pale she’d become.

  I put a full plate in front of her, knowing she likely wouldn’t touch it.

  “This is why we’d prefer you stay elsewhere,” Travis explained.

  She waved a hand dismissively. “I’m not letting that boy drive me from my own home. Plus, I imagine he waited to break in here until he knew I wasn’t here. He has his flaws, and apparently those flaws are larger than I realized, but I’m still his mother. He won’t hurt me.”

  I wished I could believe that. I shot a look at Travis and knew he was thinking the same thing.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and I knew he was realizing she wouldn’t be budging. “If you won’t leave, then I’ll keep a man on the house.”

  She scoffed. “I’m fine. You don’t need to waste any of your people on me.”

  “I won’t accept anything less,” he argued.

  She looked at me. “He’s as stubborn as you are,” she accused. “And how on earth did you two not bring any alcohol?” she groused.

  I muffled a laugh, knowing the standoff was over, for now. “I don’t know what we were thinking,” I replied with as straight a face as I could manage.

  Travis and I joined her at the table, diving into our food. “How was your trip?” I asked, figuring she was ready for a subject change. I could tell she was still processing it all.

  “Oh, fine.” She shrugged. “Charlie bent over backwards. The man is going to break something, I swear.”

  Travis shot me a grin before masking it with a mouthful of food.

  “Still not sold on Charlie then?” I hedged.

  She scoffed. “Honey, I’m eighty-one, I don’t ever have to settle.”

  I grinned, loving her perspective.

  “But,” she continued, pointing a finger at Travis and me. “When you meet the right one, it’s never settling.”

  Travis winked at me. “Yes, ma’am. I agree.”

  After we ate, Travis and I cleared up while May went upstairs for a moment. “I think I’m going to stay with her tonight,” I told him quietly. “She looks like she’s handling this, but I know better.”

  Travis looked at me, concern warming his brown eyes. “Then I’ll stay, too.”

  “Honey, you don’t have to do that.” I shook my head. “You’ll be more comfortable in your own bed.”

  “Not without you, I won’t,” he argued. “And anyway, it stopped being my bed the moment you slept in it—it became ours.”

  My eyes popped wide. “But my bed is out there,” I protested, pointing toward where my cottage lay somewhere beyond May’s house.

  He stepped closer. “I’m hoping you’ll change your mind on that.”

  “You’re asking me to move in?” I gulped.

  He watched me intently, nodding once. “I love you, Em. I want to share my home with you, my life with you. Please?”

  I stared at him wide-eyed, completely floored by the turn in our conversation. Just as I was about to speak, May walked back into the room with a bottle of brandy in hand.

  “I knew I had this stashed somewhere,” she muttered to herself, pulling some glasses down from the cabinet. She looked at me expectantly. “Nightcap? Or do you need to get going?”

  “We’ll stay,” I replied. “Let’s pop in a movie.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “As long as you want to stay and don’t feel like you have to babysit me.”

  I threw up my hands. “Hey now, none of that. I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

  Her shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being a crotchety old lady, aren’t I?”

  “Yes,” I answered without delay, eliciting a shocked chortle from Travis.

  “At least you’re honest.” She grinned, raising her glass in salute.

  We got settled on the couch. After arguing that Steel Magnolias was probably about the most depressing movie she could want to watch, we settled on Bonnie and Clyde, the classic version with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

  I glanced at May inconspicuously a few times and could tell she wasn’t watching the movie. Her gaze was far off in the distance, and my heart ached for her. I couldn’t imagine what might be going through her mind.

  Travis squeezed my hand, observing my concern, and I settled further into his side, needing his quiet strength.

  “The movie’s over, May,” I murmured, not for the first time after she’d continued to stare blankly at the credits.

  She seemed to shake herself before nodding and pulling herself up. “I’ll just head up to bed then. You’re staying?” she verified.

  “We both are.” I nodded.

  “All right, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I knew she really wasn’t herself because she didn’t argue with me about babysitting her.

  “Shit.” Travis sighed after she’d headed upstairs. He knew May well enough now to come to the same conclusion.

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “I’ll check on her later. Let’s head to bed. We’re in the guestroom down here.”

  He stood up, reaching a hand out for me and pulling me u
p. “Theo got Able out?” I asked as we turned off lights and placed our glasses in the sink.

  “Yeah. He went over an hour ago.”

  I continued to be pleasantly surprised at how much Travis’s friends operated like a family, or what I’d always imagined a family would be like.

  I led him toward the large guest room at the end of the hall.

  “This place is huge,” he commented as we shut the door behind us. “I’m surprised she likes living here alone.”

  I shrugged. “It’s been her home for fifty years. It’s what she knows. But the upkeep gets harder and harder as she gets older. I always wished I was more handy to be able to help her fix things.”

  “I can help,” he offered without hesitation as he pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground.

  Would I ever not lose my breath at the sight of his gorgeous body on display? Something told me not.

  “That’s nice of you.” I smiled. “But you know how she is, she’d probably fight you on it tooth and nail.”

  “She’s a stubborn one,” he agreed, pulling me into his arms as we got under the covers. “You didn’t answer my question earlier,” he murmured, his lips against my temple.

  I swallowed hard, and despite knowing exactly what he was talking about, issued a quiet, “hmmm?” in response.

  “Yeah, baby.” He chuckled in exasperation. “About moving in?”

  “Don’t you think it’s too soon?” I hedged with concern. “You’ve barely hit the tip of the iceberg with my messiness, and that includes nearly breaking your neck the other night.”

  He’d tripped over my boots in the middle of the night. Had it not been for his downright superhuman reflexes, he would have landed on his ass.

  “Keeps me on my toes.” He chuckled easily. “And no, I don’t think it’s too soon. Any other excuses?”

  I bit my lip trying to come up with something, and he threw his head back and laughed quietly. He climbed up over my body, peering down at me with happiness shining in his dark eyes. “Babe, I know we haven’t known each other as long as some, but I’m pretty sure I know what I’m getting into.” He winked before his gaze turned serious. “I want it all. I want your things mixed with mine, even if that means they’re on the floor. I want to pick your pepperoni off your pizza and watch you eat pudding with the back of a spoon. I want to have a dog constantly underfoot and a cat that pretends he hates me most of the time, but in reality, I know I’m winning him over.”