Defiance (The Protectors, Book 9)

by Sloane Kennedy

  For those few moments, everything was right in my world.

  Until he said the words that I’d never expected to hear again in my lifetime.

  “I love you, Vincent.”

  I love you, Vincent.

  The words had been playing on an endless loop in my head all morning, and I’d only managed to escape them once Nathan had taken the stage to give his speech. At that point, I’d been all business as I’d worked the crowd and coordinated with Ronan’s men and the plain-clothed Secret Service agents to identify anything unusual. I’d barely listened to Nathan as he’d spoken, but I hadn’t missed how charged the crowd was when he took the stage. Or that he was a natural in the way he spoke to them. I almost wished I could have just stopped and listened to him speak, because he was mesmerizing.

  His speech lasted a mere twenty minutes. I returned to his side when he was departing the stage and kept my eyes on all the men and women who pressed forward to give him their well-wishes. He worked the crowd like he’d been doing it his entire life. I supposed, in a way, he had been. The close proximity gave me a chance to study his reactions as he spoke to his constituents.

  And there was most certainly something off.

  I doubted the average person would notice, but I wasn’t just some person.

  I was the man Nathan was in love with.

  Jesus, how the hell had this happened?

  I hadn’t responded when he’d said those words to me. I hadn’t had any clue how to respond. What did you say when someone literally changed your entire world with three little words?

  I’d merely hung onto him, and then I’d led him into the shower where we’d lovingly cleaned each other off. He’d fallen asleep quickly once we’d gotten into bed, but I’d spent most of the night awake, wondering how I’d let all of this happen.

  And not just the part about him loving me.

  He may have been the only one brave enough to admit his feelings, but he wasn’t the only one feeling them.

  I forced myself to focus on the crowd as we worked our way back to my SUV. One of Ronan’s men had stayed with the car to make sure it hadn’t been tampered with. He opened the door for us when we got to the vehicle. A couple of pushy reporters kept yelling questions at Nathan, including ones about whether or not there was a heightened security presence at today’s rally and why, but he steadfastly ignored them. I climbed into the car after him and shut the door. We were moving within a couple of minutes. I pressed the communication device in my ear.

  “Anything?” I asked.

  One by one, the men reported in that no one was following the SUV.

  I was both relieved and disappointed.

  So far, Nathan’s assailant hadn’t taken the bait.

  When I glanced at Nathan, he looked at me questioningly. I shook my head. He nodded and his eyes fell. I reached over to link my fingers with his.

  “We’ll get him,” I murmured.

  Nathan squeezed my fingers. “I know.”

  I leaned back against the seat and wasn’t surprised when Nathan pressed into my side. I loved how tactile of a person he was. I wondered if it was just because he was with me, or if it was something he was feeling the need for after a lifetime with parents who likely hadn’t shown him and his brother any kind of affection.

  Since we had a thirty-minute drive back to Nathan’s house, I began gently massaging the back of his neck in the hopes he’d fall asleep. Despite the fact that he’d been eating well and sleeping through the night while he’d been staying with me, he still seemed overly tired. It probably hadn’t helped that I’d woken him up in the middle of the night to make love to him again.

  After just a few minutes, I felt Nathan’s body relax against mine, but it didn’t last because my phone rang. Nathan sat up so I could reach for the phone. I removed the com from my ear when I saw who the caller was.

  “Hey, Ronan,” I said as I answered. “We’re all good here,” I said, assuming he’d called me to see how the rally went.

  “Are you with Nathan?” Ronan asked.

  I stiffened when I heard the tension in his voice.

  “Yes,” I said. “What’s wrong?”

  At that, Nathan’s hand came to rest on my arm. “What is it?” he asked, his eyes going from relaxed to full-on worried just like that.

  “Something’s happened…to Brody,” Ronan said.

  I glanced at Nathan, and he must have seen something in my eyes because he began shaking his head. “No,” he whispered.

  I grabbed his hand and put the phone on speaker. “Ronan, you’re on speaker. Nathan’s here.”

  “Is it Brody?” Nathan asked, his voice thick with emotion.

  “He’s alive, Nathan,” was the first thing Ronan said. Nathan’s fingers squeezed mine so hard I was sure they’d break.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “There was a fire at the house Brody, Quinn, and Beck are renting. Beck and Quinn had already left for work. The guy I had watching Brody got Brody out, but the house exploded when the fire reached the propane tank.”

  “Was Brody hurt?” I asked.

  “His injuries from the explosion are minor. But as soon as he and my guy got out of the house, they came under fire.”

  “Under…under fire…what does that mean?” Nathan asked.

  “Someone started shooting at them,” Ronan said. “Brody was hit while he was helping my guy get to cover.”

  “Where was he shot?” I asked.

  “Shoulder,” Ronan said. “Nathan, he’s okay, I promise you. The injury isn’t life-threatening.”

  Nathan nodded, but that was all he could manage.

  “What happened with the shooter?” I asked.

  “My guy managed to hold him off until backup arrived. The shooter got away…my guys are looking for him now.”

  “I need to be there,” Nathan said to me.

  “I’m sending a plane for you. Vincent, I’ll have the pilot call you when he’s ready to submit his flight plan so you’ll need to be able to tell him where you want him to land.”

  “Got it,” I answered.

  “With the shooter still on the loose, I’m sending Brody, Quinn, and Beck to Seattle.”

  “Is Brody okay to travel?” Nathan asked.

  “He is. But Vincent…”

  “Yeah?”

  “The guy who was protecting Brody…it was Reese.”

  I sucked in a breath at that, and Nathan’s fingers clenched mine.

  “Is he hurt?” I asked.

  “Yeah…it’s not good. Some debris from the explosion hit him, and he took a couple of shots, too. Brody treated him on the scene until they could get him to the hospital. I’m on my way there now. My plane should be landing within the hour.”

  “Have you called Everett?” I asked.

  “I just got off the phone with him. He’ll be flying up there with you guys. The plane will drop him off in Missoula, and then you and Nathan will fly to Seattle.”

  “Okay, thanks, Ronan.”

  “Yeah,” was all Ronan said. “I’ll call you as soon as I hear something.”

  I hung up the phone. Nathan had released my hand at some point. He had his face buried in his hands and his elbows were resting on his knees.

  “It’s not your fault,” I said.

  “It’s most certainly my fault,” he whispered.

  When I tried to reach for him, he pulled away from me. “Don’t,” he said softly. “Please, just don’t.”

  “Fuck that,” I bit out, and pulled him against my chest. He let out a harsh sob and struggled against me, but when I refused to release him, he quickly gave up and his fingers curled into my shirt. He began to cry, so I settled my lips against his ear. “He’s okay, Nathan. They’re all okay and I’m going to find this guy and I’m going to end him. Do you hear me?” My voice was harsh – too harsh, probably, but I didn’t care. I’d meant what I’d said.

  I’d find the fucker and I’d tear him limb from limb before he got another ch
ance to take anything from my man.

  My Nate.

  Chapter 25

  Nathan

  It was just starting to get dark by the time the plane landed at a small airstrip in the San Juan Islands. I’d only half-listened as Vincent had explained to me that we were going to Dominic Barretti’s vacation home where Brody, Beck, and Quinn were staying, along with a couple of Ronan’s men.

  My fear for my brother had pretty much kept me paralyzed for the entire trip, despite the constant reassurances from Vincent that Brody was okay. Add on the unbearable guilt of knowing the man who’d tried to kill me had nearly succeeded in taking the life of Everett’s son, and I was barely able to function. We’d at least gotten some good news when we’d landed in Missoula. Reese had gotten out of surgery and was expected to make a complete recovery, though he’d been badly burned in the attack. Everett had been a mess on the flight to Montana, but once he’d gotten the news that Reese was alive and doing well, he’d told Vincent and me to continue onto Seattle instead of escorting him to the hospital like we’d wanted to. It was only after Vincent had gotten Everett to promise that he’d send updates every hour that we’d finally agreed.

  As with much of the trip, as soon as we were in the SUV that was waiting for us when we got off the plane, Vincent pulled me against his side and I happily went. As raw as I felt, he’d become my balm, and that made it possible for me to put one foot in front of the other.

  The drive took about fifteen minutes, and then we were pulling into the expansive driveway of a huge estate on the water’s edge. I’d never been to Seattle and if the circumstances had been different, I would have taken the time to admire the beauty of the mountains and water. But I just didn’t have it in me.

  My legs felt shaky as I climbed out of the SUV. Vincent’s hand was at my back as we began the short walk to the front door. We both came to a stop when it opened and my brother stepped through it. Something inside of me ripped wide open at the sight of my twin. It felt like every terrible thing I’d said and done to him came crashing down on me in that moment, and I wasn’t sure I had the strength to stay upright. I couldn’t move forward as sob after sob tore through my body, and soon the tears blurred my vision to the point I couldn’t even make out my brother anymore.

  But I knew it was his arm that went around me a moment later and it was his voice that whispered in my ear, “I’m okay.”

  I nodded against his neck. “Sorry!” I cried out, since I couldn’t manage any words besides the one I’d wanted to say to him for so long.

  “It’s okay, Nathan,” Brody said softly as he held onto me. I was dimly aware of his left arm in a sling so I was careful not to cling to him like I wanted to. But his hold on me, even with the one arm, was firm and unrelenting.

  He held me for as long as it took for me to settle, and then he was pressing his forehead against mine. “Missed you so much, Nathan.”

  I nodded. “Love you,” was all I was able to get out.

  “Love you too, big brother.”

  The endearment threatened to send me to my knees again, but Vincent’s hand on my back steadied me in a way nothing else probably could have. We hadn’t talked about how I would introduce him to Brody, but in that moment, I knew what needed to happen. Maybe it was because I’d already felt stripped so raw that it wouldn’t matter, or maybe I just wanted to get everything out in the open so my brother could turn his back on me now before I had the chance to really sit down and talk to him.

  I wasn’t sure.

  But life had just sent me a stark, brutal wake-up call that I refused to ignore.

  I pulled back from Brody. “Um, Brody, this is Vincent,” I began. I threaded my fingers through Vincent’s and was glad when he didn’t hesitate to hold my hand. “My boyfriend.” I knew I was reaching with the title, but I was going for all or nothing with Brody. I just hoped like hell it didn’t bother Vincent, because if Brody did let loose on me like I deserved, I’d need Vincent more than ever.

  Brody’s eyes widened slightly, but he recovered quickly and then he was reaching out his hand to Vincent. “Nice to meet you. I’m Brody Wilder.”

  I was holding Vincent’s left hand, so he was able to reach out his right to shake Brody’s hand while still holding onto mine.

  “Wish the circumstances could have been better,” Vincent murmured.

  “Yeah, me too,” Brody said.

  “You’re okay?” I asked Brody as I looked at his arm. He was wearing a regular T-shirt but I could see the outline of a bandage beneath the fabric just above his left pectoral muscle.

  “I’m good,” he said. “Come on inside. I’ve been holding off on taking my pain meds until you got here, but I wait too much longer and Quinn and Beck are going to use their powers of persuasion on me,” he added with a smile.

  It wasn’t until Brody motioned over his shoulder that I realized we were no longer alone. I remembered both Beck and Quinn from when I’d met them the previous month when I’d gone to see Brody in Dare. Quinn had his arm around Beck, but the second Brody turned to head towards the doors, Beck hurried down to him and put his arm around him. I saw Beck say something to Brody, who nodded and then kissed his forehead.

  Vincent didn’t release my hand until we were in the house. A couple more men were waiting inside, along with a small brown dog that I remembered seeing with Beck, Brody, and Quinn in Dare.

  “Vincent,” one of the men said as he smiled and stepped forward. I bit back the tendrils of jealousy that flared to life when Vincent released my hand so he could hug the other man.

  “Ethan,” Vincent said with a nod. Then he extended his hand to a large blond man standing just behind the man he’d called Ethan. “Cain,” he said as they shook hands. “Surprised to see you here.”

  “Ronan asked us to help keep an eye on things,” Cain said.

  “Nathan, this is Dr. Ethan Rhodes,” Vincent said as he introduced me. I liked that he put his hand on my back again. “Ethan, this is Nathan Wilder.”

  “Nice to meet you,”’ Ethan said. “This is my fiancé, Cain,” he added as he motioned to the blond. I extended my greetings to both men.

  “Ronan thought it might be a good idea to have a doctor around to keep an eye on Brody’s injury,” Quinn said to me. “Since he wanted to be with Reese.”

  “Is…is there anything to worry about?” I asked Ethan.

  He shook his head. “No. The shot was a through and through, and only damaged tissue and muscle. It didn’t hit the bones and there’s no sign of nerve damage. I’m just here to keep an eye out for any signs of infection, which is a very minor possibility.”

  I nodded as I took in a deep breath. My body ached from the stress of it all, but it was nothing compared to what Brody and Reese had been through.

  “Nathan, you remember Beck and Quinn,” Brody said.

  I nodded and shook both their hands. When Vincent introduced himself, I saw Beck automatically take a step back. My brother put an arm around his lover and murmured something in his ear that had Beck relaxing. Vincent, for his part, sensed the younger man’s tension and bypassed him to shake Quinn’s hand and then stepped back.

  A couple more men entered the room, and I felt Vincent stiffen next to me.

  “Major St. James,” I heard the dark-haired man say as a huge grin spread across his handsome features. I guessed him to be a little younger than Vincent.

  “It’s just Vincent these days, Gamble,” Vincent said with a smile as he stepped forward to embrace the other man.

  “Better not let my husband hear you calling me that. I’m a Barretti through and through now,” the man said as he slapped Vincent on the back.

  “Fair enough,” Vincent said with a chuckle and then he was hugging the other man. “Dom,” he murmured.

  “Glad you guys made it,” the bald guy said as he returned the embrace.

  “Nathan, this is Cade Barretti, Beck’s father,” Vincent said as he motioned to the dark-haired man. “And this is Dom Barret
ti, Beck’s uncle.”

  I recognized Dom’s name immediately. I shook both their hands. “Thank you…for helping me.”

  Dom nodded and then slapped Cade on the shoulder. “Thank this one here. He was the one who got Ronan and Memphis involved.”

  Cade glanced at his son and then reached out to pat his shoulder. “We do what we need to do for family,” he said softly. Beck smiled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he stepped into his father’s side. “Isn’t that right, Nathan?” Cade asked as he glanced at me.

  His sharp eyes seemed to be looking straight through me…like he knew more than he was saying. I merely nodded, because I was feeling completely overwhelmed.

  “Baby,” Quinn said as he stroked his fingers over Brody’s cheek. “You need to take your pills.”

  Brody nodded, and I finally noticed how pinched his expression had become.

  “I’ll get them,” Ethan offered. “Maybe you want to go lie down?” he asked Brody.

  Brody nodded.

  “I’ll get you something to eat, okay?” Beck said as he returned to my brother’s side. Brody kissed his forehead.

  “Thanks.” My brother’s eyes landed on me. “Would you come sit with me for a bit?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said, thankful that I got to spend some more time with him. Even if now wasn’t the time to say everything I needed to say to him, the fact that he wanted me around was a good sign that maybe I’d get the chance to make amends.

  As Beck, his father, and his uncle went with Cain and Ethan towards what I assumed was the kitchen, the little dog trailing in their wake, Quinn and Brody headed for the stairs. I turned to look at Vincent. For some reason, I was unreasonably afraid he wouldn’t be here when I came back down. In theory, I didn’t need his protection anymore since I was surrounded by men who were clearly in the same line of work.