Fate Heals (Twist of Fate Book 2)

by Tina Saxon

  Security is there almost instantly. Of course people are nosy, so the noise level has dropped to almost a whisper. Lots of them are wondering what’s going on. Aiden and Damon take out their badges, and Max takes out a piece of paper. They’re escorted to the side so the employees can continue pushing us through like herds of cattle.

  “That’s a bunch of bullshit,” Damon snaps as we walk into the park. Lexi clears her throat, holding out her hand. He doesn’t even question it, he just pulls out his wallet and hands her a ten-dollar bill. “Just call that my deposit for the day, Lulu.”

  “Thanks, Peter Pan,” she says, shoving the money in her pocket.

  The guys had to put their firearms in a lockbox, so we have three grumpy guys.

  “Do you know the last time I went without my gun?” Aiden whines, threading his fingers through mine. I shake my head wondering if I’ve ever seen him without it. “I can’t either! I feel naked.”

  Lexi goes to his other side, grabbing his hand. “Don’t be sad, Aiden. You got the bad guy,” she says, looking up at him with big eyes.

  He nods his head as he looks down at her. He pockets his feelings and flashes a big smile. “You’re right, Tater Tot. We don’t have anything to worry about here.”

  All three guys paint on smiles for Lexi and take off running around. She’s passed from guy to guy, and they spoil her rotten all day. Lexi just mentions she wants something and it magically appears. She really thinks Disney is magical.

  “He’s so good with Lexi,” Katie says as we walk around. “He’s going to be a great dad someday.”

  I smile wide, watching them ahead of us as they stand in line to meet Tigger. Lexi’s bouncing up and down, calling Tigger’s name over and over to get his attention. I laugh, seeing four huge men stand in line with a little girl.

  When she can’t get Tigger’s attention, Aiden yells loudly, “Hey, Tigger.” He looks over quickly at the deep voice, and Max points to a jumping Lexi, waving her hand. He must decide it’s probably best to wave to Lexi when he sees the guys taking up half the line. She squeals excitedly.

  “He’s going to be amazing. He is amazing,” I say, wrapping my arm through hers. “I’m so happy you’re here. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I’ve been so busy.”

  “Addison, don’t apologize. I understand,” she says softly. “I’m just glad you and my brother found your way back to each other.”

  Me, too.

  “So what’s this I hear about you and Jaxon?”

  She sighs heavily. “It’ll never happen. Jaxon is too loyal to Aiden, and Aiden won’t allow it.”

  “I think I can make him change his mind,” I say. At least I have goods to barter.

  Sydney comes skipping over from the bathroom. Our feet are killing us already, so we sit down on a bench. I can’t believe this is just day one. How did we do it when we were little?

  The next two days are rinse and repeat, just at different parks. I am exhausted. So exhausted, that last night I fell asleep on the bottom bunk in Lexi’s room. You’d think I was out of shape, because today I feel like my body is protesting from doing anything. I think it perks up a bit when I tell myself we’re going home today. The best thing about this vacation? Lexi hated It’s a Small World.

  As I pile everything into our rental car and all the other rental cars, too, I laugh at how much stuff the guys got Lexi. And Aiden thought I went overboard with her room. Holy shit, how are we going to get this all on the plane?

  “Addie, are you coming home soon?” Lexi asks me on the phone. I’m at work, but I’m taking the afternoon off to register her for school. Aiden took it off, too. He wants to check out the school. Make sure its security is up to par.

  We’ve been home a week and the transition has gone smoothly. Lexi loves her room. So much so, that she doesn’t have any problems sleeping in her own bed now. Except, it doesn’t resemble the Pottery Barn, picture-perfect bedroom anymore. It’s more like Disney threw up all over that picture. But she’s ecstatic about it, so that is all that matters to me.

  Syd is helping me learn how to cook simple things like spaghetti, and chicken without it being dry. We’re learning as we go. And like Aiden said, she doesn’t care what I cook. Thankfully, Aiden is a better cook than I am, so when he has come over this week we have had fantastic dinners.

  I put up pictures of Lexi and her family on one wall in her room. I want her to remember them, to know where she came from. It’s important to me, knowing how fast the memories will fade. She cried when she saw them, and I started to doubt if it was the right thing to do. Now, it’s her favorite place to sit and read. She talks to them frequently. Every night I have Lexi tell me something about her parents or her brother.

  “Sweet girl, I’m leaving here in just a few minutes. Are you all dressed and ready to go?”

  “Yes, I’m ready,” she says excitedly. “Just don’t forget to wash off the DNA from work, I don’t want to touch it.”

  I laugh into the phone. “Okay, I’ll wash my hands.” It’s funny the things kids remember.

  When we got back from Disney, Syd talked about getting a summer job since living in New York was so expensive. I asked her if she’d watch Lexi for me and I’d pay her. She didn’t want to at first, but I talked her into it. Actually, it didn’t take much convincing; she loves hanging out with Lexi. It’s a win-win for everyone.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” I hear and look up from my computer to find Aiden leaning against my doorframe with his arms crossed. God, I love having a boyfriend. A very sexy boyfriend, with beautiful muscular arms. He flexes causing me to blush. He obviously caught me gawking at his arms.

  I push my chair back and stand, grabbing my purse from my desk drawer. “Is there a reason you’re wearing your FBI shirt?” I chuckle as I push him out of my doorway so I can close it.

  “I came from work,” he says, shrugging.

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  He shrugs. “You should wear your CSI vest,” he suggests as he grabs my hand.

  I snicker, shaking my head. “And why would I do that? They are already going to know that I work for NYPD.”

  “It’s about appearances. I want to make sure they know not to mess with our Lexi,” he explains. Even though I think he’s being ridiculous, my heart skips a beat when I hear our Lexi.

  “She’s in kindergarten, Aiden. You think because you look like a big badass in your FBI shirt, a boy isn’t going to throw dirt at her,” I say, rolling my eyes.

  “That’s what I’m hoping for,” he says confidently.

  “This is where her parents wanted her to go, and Syd tells me getting into these schools is as easy as climbing Mt. Everest. So keep that macho attitude of yours in check. We need to make a good first impression,” I say, squeezing his hand. I’m scared as hell.

  I’ve never felt so insecure as a person as I feel right now. What if they don’t like me? What if they use my past as a reason to not let her go there? What if being a single, foster parent reflects badly? So many what ifs flow through my mind in the cab.

  “Addison.”

  “What?” I look up at his soft eyes.

  “Stop worrying. She’s already been accepted. We’re just going to meet the principal.”

  I nod. He’s right. They won’t un-accept her because of me. Right? I stand up straighter. Well, they better not.

  “I can’t believe you,” I say to Aiden after we lie Lexi down for a nap.

  “What?” he says innocently. I stare at him.

  “Really?” He shrugs as he sits on a barstool. “You basically threatened the principal.”

  “I did no such thing,” he says with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

  “There,” I say, pointing to his mouth. “You know you did.”

  “Well, that guy was a total douchebag. I mean for him to even mention that Lexi still might be in danger and he’s worried for the staff all because he’s an idiot who doesn’t already know we took care of that situation.”

  My eyebr
ow shoots up. “We?”

  “Don’t remind me,” he says, pulling me at the waist and settling me in between his legs.

  “Still, you didn’t need to tell him that you knew about his cross-dressing habits.”

  “What? I found that interesting tidbit when I was looking into him.” He flashes a mischievous smile. “I’m pretty sure Lexi will never be in trouble.” He winks at me before slamming his mouth to mine.

  “You know she’s going to kill you when she finds out, right?” Syd says on the other end of the line.

  I laugh. Because I’m almost certain she will.

  “Does that mean you’re out?” I prod her, knowing she won’t be able to resist.

  “Absolutely not,” she huffs. Even though we’re on the phone, I can see her hand on her hip as she puffs out her chest.

  Damon walks into my office and sits down. I hold up my index finger. He nods, waiting for me to finish.

  “You better not tell her, Syd.” Damon’s eyebrows go up when he hears her name.

  I shake my head, covering the mouthpiece. I whisper to him, “That ship has sailed.” He flips me off. I still don’t know why he acted like he was dating someone when he wasn’t. It’s not like him to try and make a woman jealous.

  “I promise, I won’t. You don’t know how many times I’ve tried to surprise her, so I’m invested as much as you are,” she says. “But you know Addie, she’s like a freaking bloodhound. She knows when things are amiss.”

  “I’d say more like a German shepherd,” I chuckle, thinking about my gorgeous girlfriend. “She can kick some ass.”

  We end our call after we go over a few more details. The place and date are set. Now all we need to do is keep it under wraps. Damon is sitting back with his foot over his other leg, his fingers tented against his lips.

  “What’s up?” I ask him.

  He takes a few moments before he answers. I narrow my eyes, surprised by his serious expression. He’s probably wondering the same thing as Syd. Can I actually get away with this? Fuck yes, I can. My job is lying, and I’m damn good at it. This is officially my next assignment.

  But when he starts talking, I’m taken by surprise. “Do you really think that ship has sailed?”

  I don’t even know how to answer that. He knows about Max so the fact that he’s asking this floors me.

  “What?” I say, looking at him with utter shock.

  “I was stupid for saying I was dating someone.” He sighs. “I thought she’d be jealous or something like that. I never would’ve thought she would have hooked up with Max.”

  “But she did.”

  “I don’t need the reminder, asshole.”

  I sit back in my chair, crossing my arms. I look around the room because fuck, I’m at a loss for words. I don’t want to be part of this situation. They’re big boys. They can deal with it between themselves. I just hate that a girl is getting in between a friendship. In all the years we’ve been friends, we have never gone down this road.

  “They both say it was a drunken night. It meant nothing,” he says, trying to justify the need to further pursue her.

  It might have meant nothing to Syd, which I find hard to believe in the first place, but I know it meant more to Max. Unfortunately, he won’t act on it, especially knowing that Damon still likes her. And Syd made it pretty clear that it was just sex.

  I run my hand through my hair. If Syd wasn’t Addison’s best friend …

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Damon grunts, pulling me from my murderous thoughts.

  No, buddy, I don’t think you do.

  Don’t get me wrong, I love Syd like an annoying little sister. She definitely gives Katie a run for her money in that department. But she’s coming between two of my brothers. Which is why I have always had the rule: never date my fucking sister.

  “I just can’t get her out of my mind. Every time I see her, there’s this connection.”

  I get it. I know what that slap in the face—like your life is saying wake the fuck up and look at what’s in front you—feels like. I just don’t understand how he thinks Syd feels that connection, too, when she slept with one of his best friends.

  I sigh. “Damon, I want to say she’s not worth it, but Addison would probably rip my nuts off if she heard me say that.” He chuckles and nods, automatically covering his groin with his hand. Yeah, I know firsthand how it feels to have your balls in a vise grip, literally. No, thanks. “I can’t tell you what to do. I don’t even know what you should do. I’ve had one relationship my entire life. And we’ve seen how smoothly that’s gone.”

  He laughs out loud. “Smooth as a fucking roller coaster.”

  “Exactly.” I smile, thinking about Addison. “But it’s about to be smooth sailing.”

  “Aiden, for all that you’ve both been through, I wish nothing more than that to be true,” he says. My smile widens just thinking about our future. Together. It’s my job to make that happen.

  “So what do you need me to do for the party?” he questions.

  “Just make sure everyone gets there by seven o’clock. I’ll need you to do airport shuttles for everyone coming in,” I say, mentally checking off lists.

  “Done.”

  “Thanks,” I say, standing up. “Now get the hell out of here so I can go have lunch with my girlfriend.”

  “Hey, Harper,” I say, walking off the elevator on Addison’s floor. Harper stops from getting on the elevator when she sees me. She looks around quickly and pulls me back on, hitting the lobby floor level button.

  Guess I’m taking another elevator ride.

  As soon as the doors shut she starts talking in a hushed voice. “Okay, so I have everything taken care of with the office people.”

  I lean my head against the elevator wall. Thank God the party is just a week away. I don’t know how everyone is going to be able to keep this from Addison.

  “Don’t worry, no one will say anything. I’ve threatened them.” I glance at her with a pointed look. Harper is attractive, smart, and fun. Lethal? Scary? Not by a long shot.

  She giggles. “Obviously I didn’t threaten them that I would do something.” With a slight tilt to my head, I have a feeling this has something to do with me. “I told them that you’d sick Max Shaw on them,” she says proudly. “They won’t say a word. They’re scared of that man.”

  I chuckle. “Don’t tell him that. His head is big enough.”

  She bites her lip as her face flushes red. “Oh, fucking come on. I don’t want to know,” I say, pushing her out of the elevator as soon as the doors open. If another woman in Addison’s circle of friends starts fucking one of my best friends, I’m going to lose it.

  I slam my finger down on the third level button, letting out a grunt. The man who got on as I was pushing Harper out looks at me through the corner of his eyes. He glances down to my gun and back up. His back straightens. I want to laugh at the suit-wearing stiff. I look to see what floor he pressed, seventh. Accounting. No surprise there. But he shouldn’t be surprised by my gun. That’s the norm around here.

  Smiling, I bite my lip, looking straight ahead. I could easily mess with this guy. I glance down at my watch and notice I’m already five minutes late. I guess not today. The elevator dings and doors open to the most magnificent sight ever. My smile is huge as Addison steps onto the elevator.

  “Agent Roberts,” she addresses me formally, standing at my side but looking forward. She reaches out and presses the lobby button. I inhale her scent as she reaches in front of me. It’s always cherry with a touch of vanilla. It has to be her pheromones because I have smelled every lotion, hair product, and perfume in her entire bathroom so I could steal some to have at my place. Unfortunately, nothing smells as good as her.

  “Oh. I thought this was going down.” She glances at the guy standing in the opposite corner as me. He smiles at her and then quickly looks forward when our eyes meet.

  “Hey, beautiful,” I say into her hair, kissing the top of her hea
d. I notice suit-boy stiffen again. His lips purse together.

  What the hell? Not into public affection? Well, keep watching then, asshole. I slide my hand down her arm. She shivers as I slip my hand in hers. I see her back rise, her breath catch from just my touch. My fucking touch.

  I lean down and dig my face into her neck. “I’ve missed you,” I whisper. Her other hand grabs my thigh and squeezes. I flex my thigh and her head shakes. I chuckle into her neck. She’s trying to act unaffected, but she’s failing. I stand taller and suit-boy is staring at us. With disgust on his face.

  I jerk back a little, confused by his expression. He seems to really not like me. I search my memories trying to place him. Nope, not a clue.

  When the elevator doors open to his floor, he pushes off the wall. He leans in Addison’s direction when he passes her and says in a tight voice, “He’s not worth it.” Excuse me?

  Addison puts her arm out in front of me, stopping me from moving forward. She turns to me when the doors close. “What in the world?”

  “Who the fuck was that guy?” I ask, fuming, seeing myself in the reflection of the closed doors. I’m not worth it? Who says that to someone they don’t even know?

  “I don’t know him personally, but he works with Bryn, the accountant assigned to our department,” she says, looking up at me. “I’m guessing you don’t know him?”

  I finally look away from the closed doors down to her face. “No, I don’t know him.”

  “He must be jealous,” she says, running her hand up my chest and into my hair, obviously trying to distract me. I moan a little as her fingers comb through my hair. “Because you are definitely worth it.”

  She lifts up on her toes and her lips brush mine before she presses into me. I lean against the wall, pulling her with me. I savor her taste with my tongue, taking it slow as I explore her mouth. The ding of the elevator makes Addison jump.