Scarred Sunrise: A Fortis Security Novel Book 10 (Fortis Security Series)

by Maddie Wade

  Her voice was husky when she spoke. “Lose the jeans, Ty.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” He stood and slowly undid his belt, seeing her move restlessly on the bed as she enjoyed the visual. He knew his body was muscular and lean with several tattoos and many more scars, but he didn’t feel self-conscious as she licked her lips. “God dammit, Liz. If you keep looking at me like that, I’m not gonna get inside you.”

  “Then hurry up.”

  Smithy needed no further encouragement, grabbing a condom from his wallet as he let his trousers fall to the ground. He tore the wrapper with his teeth and quickly covered himself before settling back between her legs. He could feel the silky wetness of her desire against his cock but needed to make sure he wouldn’t hurt her. She was the most precious person in his life, and he’d never forgive himself if he did anything else to cause her pain.

  He toyed with her sweet pussy lips, wanting to taste her sweetness but knowing he wouldn’t last. He rubbed the wetness over the tight bud of her clit with his thumb, feeling the pulse of her desire as he pushed two fingers inside her heat. She arched against him, her legs shaking, her hands clawing at him as he watched her climax take her over the edge, the beauty of it raw and untamed. He pulled his hand from her as he positioned his cock at her entrance and slowly slid inside her.

  The tight channel gripped him, sucking him in as the last ripples of her climax fluttered along his cock. He propped his arm beside her head, taking her other in his, and linking their fingers together above her head. The angle caused her tits to press up, and he took advantage, sucking a nipple into his mouth as he began to fuck her.

  The pleasure was beyond anything he could remember, even being with Liz when they were younger didn’t compare to the beauty of what they were sharing now. His eyes flashed as she began to moan and a growl of satisfaction fell from his lips as her orgasm barrelled through her, dragging him with her as his balls tightened and his climax spilt from him.

  Smithy swore he saw stars, the pleasure so intense he couldn’t catch his breath as little aftershocks made his body jerk before he collapsed on to her, careful to keep his weight from her. He kissed her shoulder as he turned her to face him, needing to see it had meant the same to her and half terrified it hadn’t. He relaxed when he saw the replete look on her face. “That was incredible.”

  “Mind-blowing.”

  Her lips moved to his in a soft kiss that was as intimate as what they’d just shared and she settled over him in a blanket of oneness. She was his forever. He just had to fight for her, and nothing had ever been more worth it than this woman.

  Later, he lay with her in his arms, their legs tangled, both content to rest in silence in each other’s arms and he wondered what the future held, and for the first time in his life, he couldn’t wait to find out.

  Chapter 15

  The piercing ring of her mobile phone had Lizzie sitting up in bed disorientated, her heart smashing against her chest like a slug as nausea flipped her belly. Beside her, Smithy sat up, the ridges of muscles distracting her for a split second before the shrill sound in the dead of the silent night brought her back to what had woken her.

  Snatching her phone, she saw it was Jace and her body tensed as she slid her thumb across the screen to answer the call. “Hello.”

  “It’s happening, and she wants you here.” The shake in her brother-in-law’s voice was something Liz had never heard before and showed the reality of the situation.

  Scrambling out of bed, she almost tripped over the sheet in her haste to find her clothes. “I’m on my way. How close are the contractions?” Her eyes moved to Ty, who was watching her intently as he silently got dressed. She was surprised at the calmness in her voice when she felt so many tumbling emotions going through her body: hope, fear, excitement, all of them coalescing in one big jumbling knot in her belly.

  “About five minutes and lasting around ninety seconds or so.” Jace sounded more in control now which she was relieved about. He’d never wanted a home birth, wanting his wife and child in a hospital close to medical care if it was needed. He’d only conceded because Lauren would be there.

  “Are Meg and Lauren there yet?

  “No, Luce told me to call you first.”

  A rush of sisterly protectiveness hit her then, and her voice went soft. “Tell her I’m on my way. I’ll call the others. You just hold her hand and make sure she’s comfortable until we get there.”

  “Okay.”

  His passive tone showed how rattled he truly was, and she smiled as she hung up and looked at Ty. “Lucy is having her baby.”

  His lip quirked as he moved to her his hands moving to her hips, a shiver forcing its way down her spine at the simple touch that meant so much. “What do you need from me?”

  A sense of rightness trickled through her at his words. He didn’t demand or bully, he asked what she needed, and it gave her the courage to ask for what she really wanted from him.

  “Will you stay with me in case things get hairy?”

  “Of course, Liz. Whatever you need. Maybe I can keep Jace calm too.”

  He kissed her lips lightly as they grabbed their coats and headed to the car. Lucy and Jace only lived ten minutes from Ty. With the roads clear at night it took less than five to get to them. It was enough time for Liz to ring Meg and Dane. Dane would call their dad to stay with all the kids while he brought Lauren over.

  After the near-miss of them almost losing their precious baby, Lucy and Jace had decided they wanted Lauren at the birth as she’d been the one to save her life. Lucy wanted a home birth, and Meg and Lizzie to be with her, as well as Jace.

  She had been worried Jace might feel pushed out or that they were intruding on an immensely private moment but he’d reassured her that he wanted it too, because it would keep Luce calm. The love between those two still made her heart flip over when she thought about them together. They were partners in every sense of the word. Casting a glance at Ty as they walked to the front door she wondered if she’d get that.

  Her thought dispersed as the door opened and Jace, with hair sticking up and scruff on his chin, ushered them inside. His eyes were bright with both terror and excitement, and she forced a smile away. “Where is she?”

  “Living room.”

  “Hey, Jace,” Ty shoved out his hand, and Jace shook it, “hope I’m not intruding.”

  Jace shook his head with a wry grin. “No, you can make coffee and make sure we all stay awake.”

  Ty nodded and returned his smile as he winked at Lizzie, took her coat, and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

  Lizzie gave herself a second to process the butterflies looping in her tummy and then moved to the living room. Lucy was pacing the space between the fifty-two-inch flat screen and the coffee table. A shadow of relief crossed her features when she saw her and Lizzie moved straight to her, placing her hand on the small of her back.

  “You’re having a baby.” Lizzie beamed up at her sister as Jace began to move the furniture out of the way so they would have more room.

  “It’s happening.” Lucy looked slightly stunned, her eyes wide, face red and sweaty, one of Jace’s old shirts falling to her thighs but she looked radiant.

  “It is.” Liz tried to keep the emotion at bay as she rested her forehead against Lucy’s, but it was difficult to hide all the things she was feeling from someone who knew her so well.

  Lucy looked beyond her, eyebrows quirking. “Hope I didn’t disturb the most long-awaited make-up sex in the history of the world.”

  Lizzie felt a blush stain her cheeks as Ty’s warm chuckle wrapped around her body. Her retort didn’t get a chance to leave her mouth as Lucy groaned and paced away, bracing against the wall as another contraction hit her. Jace was beside her in a second, his arm holding her steady as his hand rubbed her lower back.

  Liz kept a little distance as she saw Ty escape with a slightly awed look on his face. Lucy was tough, even amongst the men she was a legend, so seeing her in pain
was hard for anyone, especially overprotective alphas.

  “Breathe through it, Luce.”

  Lucy panted and shot her quelling look that did nothing for her. “Motherfucker that hurt,” Lucy bit out as the pain eased, but Lizzie had timed it, and it had lasted longer than Jace had said.

  Jace pushed a piece of hair from her face with tenderness and worry etched in his face. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?”

  Lucy cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly. “No, but if things get too bad, I will. I promise. I won’t do anything to put me or our baby in danger.”

  The next few hours became intense as Lauren and Meg arrived and Dane and Daniel went into the kitchen to stay out of the blast zone as Daniel put it. She was glad they were there to keep Ty company, and she was even more grateful he was here for her.

  Lucy was now sitting on the floor with a quilt underneath her, with Jace behind her supporting her back, his legs either side of hers. Lauren and Meg were either side of her, and Lizzie was about to deliver her niece.

  “Come on, Luce, one more push on this next contraction.”

  Liz, Meg, and Lauren had been googling every single thing they could about delivering a baby, and Doc Turner was now in attendance in case he was needed. He was sitting in the corner of the room in an armchair, reading a book ostensibly but Liz knew he was watching every move in case he needed to step in. It had been Lucy’s only concession to keep Jace happy, and Liz was relieved the man was there as support.

  A groan ripped the air as Lucy bore down, her skin soaked with sweat, hair plastered to her face. Liz was in awe as she saw the baby’s head deliver and glanced at Lauren, who was monitoring the energy of the baby through Lucy. Her quick nod reassured Liz that all was well as Lucy sank back against Jace, exhaustion wretched on her face.

  “One more, Lucy, and she will be here, the head is out.”

  Lizzie saw determination cross her sister’s features as she laced Jace’s hands with hers. The next contraction hit hard as she pushed her baby daughter into the world. The most beautiful, hair raising sound hit everyone’s ears—a new baby’s cry as she took her first breath and made her displeasure with the world known. Lizzie caught her niece, pushing her onto Lucy’s chest, quickly wiping her over and then removing her hands so her sister could cradle her child to her breast.

  Tears were streaming down both her’s and Jace’s cheeks, looks of pure unbridled joy on their faces as they met their daughter for the first time. Unending love radiated from the new parents as Liz stepped back to let Doc Turner deal with the cord.

  “You did well, Lizzie. You would’ve been a good midwife.”

  Lizzie offered the man a shaky smile. “Not sure about that, but it was something I’ll never forget.”

  Meg and Lauren, who were wrestling tears of joy, moved out of the room to let the parents have some time alone as a new family. Her legs felt weak and unstable—not from pain but from witnessing and being part of such a profound miracle. The air tinged with positive energy that seemed to flow through her and over her skin in an almost playful whisper. The power in it was even more noticeable than ever before.

  “Liz!”

  Liz looked down at Lucy, who looked beautiful. “Yes?”

  “Thank you.”

  Tears shone in Lucy’s eyes and Liz bit her lip, rolling it inwards so her voice didn’t crack with the force of emotion she felt. “It was my honour. Thank you for letting me be part of this.”

  She walked out of the room, closing the door quietly and moved to the sound of voices in the kitchen. Her eyes shifted around the room looking for Ty, wanting to share this with him, and having the profound desire to have him hold her as a melancholy swamped her at the thought her mother would never see this or be a part of it.

  His eyes locked on hers from across the room, and he was moving towards her as if he sensed she needed him. “You okay? Is the baby okay?”

  Her head hit his chest, and his arms came around her holding her tight to his body, and the pent up joy and fear bled out of her. His scent, the familiar feel of him, grounded her as nothing else could.

  Her head tipped back to look at him, his smile lighting his face. “Everyone is perfect.”

  “I hear you were quite the superstar in there.”

  “No.” Liz shook her head. “Lucy did all the work. I just caught the baby.”

  His lips pressed to her head as he kept her in the cradle of his arms, yet a feeling of foreboding swam through her that what they had was temporary. It made her feel grief when she should only be feeling joy.

  “You sure you’re okay?” His worried eyes were on her as she looked up at him.

  “Yeah, just being emotional and silly.” His hand cupped her face, moving a tendril of hair from her face. “I must look a state.”

  He shook his head. “The most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Her heart gave a thump as it turned over and she wondered if it was big enough to hold this amount of love, then she remembered feeling the same when Mateo was born and realised her love was infinite.

  “Is this real?”

  He got her meaning, and his face sobered. “It’s real, Liz. It’s real and perfect.”

  Lizzie nodded and smiled as the door behind her opened. Jace, looking shell shocked, stood behind them with his daughter wrapped in a blanket that had been crocheted by her own mother for Lucy. “I’d like you all to meet Harlow Lydia Ward.”

  Ty’s arms tightened on her, and she knew that no matter what happened, she’d remember this night for the rest of her life.

  Chapter 16

  Stepping out into the fresh, fragrant autumn air everything seemed more vibrant, more vital in some way, and Smithy knew that was in part because of Lizzie. Sharing the experience of her niece being born more than a week ago now had opened up a vault inside him, allowing him to start letting go of his preconceptions and fears.

  Working with Doc Lawson was really helping too, and he could finally see glimpses of the man he was before war and killing had warped him into a simile of who he wanted to be.

  His phone rang as he was going to the car and he answered, noting it was Zack. “Hey, Zack.”

  “You need to get to Fortis. We found the lab and are putting a plan together to go in tonight.”

  Every muscle and sinew in his body tightened at the words as he felt apprehension like the warning of a storm prickle up his neck. “I’m on my way.”

  Smithy hung up and took a second to try and grasp the free feeling he’d had just moments ago, but it was just outside his grasp. Dialling his phone, he held it to his ear, the tension settling the second he heard her sexy, lyrical voice in his ear.

  “I was just thinking about you.”

  He closed his eyes to take in the words and the intense joy that rippled through him at the sound. “Yeah, what were you thinking about? Was it how many times I made you come on my tongue last night?”

  He heard the slight hitch in her breathing and had to clench the steering wheel as desire punched him in the balls as he remembered her moans and her sweet taste.

  “Well no, I wasn’t thinking of that, but I am now, so thanks for that.”

  He let a chuckle free. “So why was I on your mind?”

  “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come for dinner tonight and spend some time with me and Mateo?”

  Warmth suffused him as she gave him more and more, first trusting him again after all the times he’d fucked up and now risking the most precious person in her life and trusting him to do the right thing. “I’d love that, but I just got a call from Zack. They found the lab.”

  “Oh wow, that’s big news.”

  “Yeah it is, and he wants to hit it tonight.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “You should probably go stay at the Estate with Meg but let me speak with Zack and see what they plan for your sisters.”

  “Okay.”

  It was one word, but it held a wealth of meaning to h
im, trust, calm, courage. She was letting him keep her safe. “I should go.”

  “Stay safe, Ty.”

  “I will.”

  He wanted to say more, to tell her he loved her, but the words still sat there like lead in his throat, as if an invisible hand was choking them back.

  He looked at the phone one more time before he drove towards Fortis. When he arrived, he saw Zin’s bike, Daniel’s and Dane’s cars, and Zack’s Range Rover. He tipped his head in greeting as he passed Celeste and moved straight for the conference room. He saw Kanan and Nate were also there, but there was no sign of Will or Drew, or Jack’s team.

  “Hey, what do we know?” Smithy spun a chair, straddling, and draping his arms over the back, feeling too amped up to just sit like an average person. Zack flicked the remote and the screen filled with aerial shots of a small village. “This is the Isle of Cosa, a tiny isle off the coast of Cornwall. It was abandoned in the late 1830s by the last thirty-five residents.”

  Smithy glanced at Zack then back to the screen where he could see a small village of stone-built homes that were well preserved considering they were abandoned.

  “Last night Ava had a breakthrough with the Thracian text and Cosa is named as the beginning of the Divine Watchers. I know we thought the Watchers were much newer than that, but it seems that the cornerstone of their beliefs began here on Cosa by a man named Rev Edmund John Smythe who lived on Cosa during the 1300s.”

  Smithy felt the silence weigh heavy on the room as they all tried to process the news.

  “Is that where she is?” Smithy asked, heat burning through his veins as the thrill of the hunt surged through him.

  “We believe she is, and that it’s the most likely place for the lab too. Will has a drone up now using the equipment at Eidolon. He’s going to contact us as soon as he has a visual.”

  “So, let’s assume she has the lab there. What’s the plan?”

  Smithy looked at Daniel, whose face was drawn in a hard line; his arms crossed with determination. He knew that feeling because it lived in his soul. The need to destroy the threat to those he loved. Except now he understood it better than he ever thought possible because he didn’t need her eliminated for himself, he needed Lizzie and her son safe. He wanted her to live free from the threat, and he wanted a future with her that didn’t include looking over their shoulders at every turn.