Calling Kupid (Kupid's Cove Book 1) (17 page)

“I’m afraid to ask…” I admitted and he pulled me down, into his arms.

“The gift of trust, Katie. You weren’t afraid to trust me in that moment. That meant more to me than any words could ever convey.”

He pulled the comforter over us and snuggled me in against him. He rested his arm around my waist and held my hand, an action that felt familiar, like it was something we did every night. The day had caught up to me and my eyes were drifting shut the longer we lay in silence.

His lips were kissing my cheek and my neck every so often. I think he wanted to believe those acts alone would put me to sleep. I was dangerously close and he started rubbing my arm in a rhythm of peace that relaxed me even further. His lips were on my ear and he whispered into the darkness. “I love you, Katie Penelope Kupid.”

I couldn’t form the words; my eyes and lips were too heavy to speak, so I squeezed his hand in a way I hoped said, I love you, too.

Gideon

I sat on the bed still rubbing sleep from my eyes. Last night had been the most wonderful, yet most torturous, night of my life. Katie had lain with me all night, soft and warm, wrapped in my arms almost purring with contentment. I know this because I didn’t sleep for most of it. I was awake praying, and listening to the sweet sounds of the woman I love.

I replayed the moment I said the three words that scared her more than they should have. Maybe I should have said them after a romantic dinner, or with flowers in hand, but our situation wasn’t allowing for that right now. I said them at a time I felt was very important. After being with each other in that way, I wanted her to know that it wasn’t only about what her body could offer mine.

I ran my hands through my hair and slid my glasses on. Time to face this day. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but all I could do was pray it led us to this guy, so we could free. Katie had disappeared into the bathroom quite a while ago so I knocked on the door to check on her.

“Are you okay?” I called and waited for an answer. When she didn’t answer, I listened closer and heard her coughing again the same way she has been the last few days. “Katie?” I counted to ten and when she still didn’t respond, I turned the handle. She was on the floor, her head between her knees, coughing.

I knelt by her and for an unknown reason my hand went to the pulse at her neck. It only took me ten seconds to know her heart was beating way too fast. She looked up at me with scared eyes. Her face was the color of ash and there was a sheen of sweat covering her brow. I knew she was trying very hard not to be sick. I grabbed a washcloth and wet it, rubbing it across her face then scooped her up and carried her to the bed. I settled her against the pillows and handed her the washrag.

“Have you taken your pills today?” I asked and she shook her head. She sounded like she was struggling to breathe, which made me scared beyond measure that I was going to lose her.

I searched through her bag for the pills and grabbed the Ziplock bag. “I don’t know what ones you need, sweetheart. Can you help me?”

She nodded her head. “I’ll be okay,” she said, her words breathy. She rummaged through the bag and found a bottle, dumping two into her hand and setting them under her tongue. She leaned back against the headboard and tried to relax, but her chest was rising and falling quickly.

I felt helpless to do anything, but sit there and rub her leg, trying to soothe her the only way I knew how.

Lord, why does she have to go through this all the time? Can’t you fix her heart?

I told you, Gideon. That’s your job.

I’m not talking about emotionally. I mean physically. Isn’t there someone who can fix this for her?

Are you questioning the reason Katie was born the way she was?

I’m asking why she had to be born this way. Why does she have to suffer?

I don’t make mistakes, Gideon. It’s up to you to figure out why she was born this way, but let me give you something to think about while you help her stay calm. How different would Katie be if she had been born with a normal heart?

I opened my eyes and locked with hers. She reached out and took my hand, running her thumb across the top.

“You were praying,” she said, her voice stronger than it was a few minutes ago.

I smiled. “I was. Actually, I was yelling at Him to fix your heart.”

She giggled a little and I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “It must have worked, because I’m back in normal rhythm again. I just need a minute to get my strength back. I feel like a wet rag for a little while after a bad episode.”

I brushed the hair out of her face. “We have nowhere to be until Sebastian gets here. You didn’t swallow those pills, did you?”

She shook her head. “They’re sublingual like nitroglycerin for when people have chest pain, only these are a quick dose of the same drug I take in pill form. In theory they work faster than swallowing the other pills and relieve the rhythm before it can take hold.”

“They worked; that’s good. You should keep those pills in your pocket all the time from now on.”

She chuckled and sat up, trying to get more comfortable.

“What’s so funny?”

“What I just did is called ‘pill in the pocket’. It’s a term they use for many different heart conditions.

“Only they weren’t in your pocket,” I scolded.

“No, but I’ve never had to use them before. Besides, there’s no pocket in this nightgown.” She winked and I felt myself flush at the mention of her clothing.

I took her hand and kissed it. “When we get home I’m going to sew a pocket into every piece of clothing you have.”

“Home?” she asked. “Where is home, Gideon? Chicago? Snowberry? I want to go home, my home, and just pretend this isn’t happening.”

I pulled her up into my arms and held her, resting my lips near her ear. “For me, home is wherever you are. I know things are scary and up in the air right now, but I promise you once all of this gets straightened out, I’m going to be your home.”

“I wish I could believe that, Gideon,” she whispered. “I want to believe it, but I’m a realist. I know no matter how much you love me or I love you, we come from different places.”

I leaned back and held her out by her shoulders. “You love me?”

“I didn’t say that. What I said was, no matter if I do love you, you’ll never be happy with my small town life.”

“Could you ever be happy living in a place like Chicago?”

“I’ve never lived anywhere but Snowberry, so I can’t answer that question.”

“You went to college, right? Brigham Young is a long way from Snowberry.”

“You know I went to Brigham Young?” she asked suspiciously.

“It’s not hard to read the diplomas on your office wall.”

She snickered. “Oh, right, sorry. College was a different time. I knew I was going back to Snowberry.”

“You didn’t think about moving away and living somewhere new?” I asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She shook her head no and the piece flipped down again in defiance. “Why not?”

“Freddie.”

“You moved back to Snowberry for Winifred?”

She rubbed her forehead and nodded. “She needed me. I’m not just saying that to feel needed. I was afraid that if I wasn’t there she would never find her way back to a good life.”

I caressed her face and smiled at her. “It looks to me like you did a really good job of helping her find her way back to a good life.” She shrugged a little and I held her chin. “Now, it’s your turn.”

“Gideon, I….”

There was a knock on the door. I turned, waiting for the safe phrase. “The wolves are hunting tonight.”

I opened the door and Marcus stood in his tactical black, a shoulder harness sporting a large handgun.

“There’s been a development,” he said, coming in the door and closing it behind him. He had a heavy-duty laptop in his hands and motioned me over to the table.

“I just got word from Sebastian that your office was broken into last night. No one was hurt, but Sebastian wants to talk to you face-to-face.”

I felt Katie come to my side and I took her hand, squeezing it to reassure her.

“Is this safe?” I asked, motioning towards the computer with my chin.

“Safer than an NSA computer.” He punched a few buttons on the keyboard. “It might take a little longer since we are using a secure signal.”

He went around me and took Katie’s arm gently. “Sweetheart, I’m going to need you to get ready to go. Once Gideon is done talking to Sebastian we have to move.”

“Are we going to Chicago?” she asked as he handed over her backpack and led her to the bathroom.

“I’m waiting on word from Sebastian. Once he and Gideon talk we can decide where to go.” He cocked his head at her. “Are you feeling all right? You look a little worn out.”

She put on a bright smile. “I’m fine, just a little tired from worrying about all of this. You know.”

She closed the door in his face and Marcus came back over to me. “Is she sick?”

I was about to answer when the ringing stopped and Sebastian appeared on the screen. He and Marcus could be twins in their matching black clothing and shoulder harnesses.

“Sebastian, what’s going on? Marcus said someone broke into the office?”

Sebastian looked grim when he nodded. “Someone broke in, and never tripped the alarm. It wasn’t until it was engulfed in flames that the alarm signaled for help.”

“Flames? They burned it down?” I asked completely shocked.

“No, but they did a hell of a lot of damage.” He held up some pictures on an iPad. My office was in charred, wet shambles.

“Holy hell, Sebastian, this is a whole new level of disturbed. Graham! Graham was there when I talked to him last night.”

Sebastian held up his hand. “He’s fine. He went home like you told him to, hours before the break-in. Thankfully, he took home the files of information you requested, so we still have something to work with.”

I put my hand to my chest. “Thank the good lord for that. I can rebuild the office, but losing Graham would be like cutting off my right hand.”

“Listen, Gideon. It’s no longer safe to come back here. I had to bring the cops in on this.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath.

“I didn’t have a choice. The fire brought them in and it didn’t take the firemen ten seconds to see it was arson.”

I rested my head in my hand. “So what are they doing? Ruining our investigation?”

He barked with laughter as a response. “Actually, they’re cooperating. Once we get you out of the country, we’re going to work together to catch the guy.”

“I’m not leaving the country,” I insisted.

He gave me the weighted hands. “Technically, you aren’t, but listen we don’t have a lot of time. I need to lay out the plan as it stands.”

I looked up at Marcus and he was already tapping on a tablet, waiting for me to get onboard with the ‘plan.’

Kate

I pressed my ear to the door trying to hear anything that was going on in the other room. Unfortunately, Marcus must have used super spy doors, because all I could hear was murmuring.

I shed my nightgown and stood at the sink to wash. I traced the pink scar on my chest and the image of him doing the same thing last night left me breathless. He was, for all intents and purposes, perfect. He wasn’t the guy who insulted me and forgot about me as I had believed for the last year. He was the guy who did what he had to do and then yearned for me. He loves me.

I took a deep shuddering breath and leaned on the sink.

You love him too, Katie
.

I jerked my head up to look around the room.

Look up
.
I’m still taking care of you, even when you can’t see me.

I squatted down and took a bra and shirt from my bag.
“I wasn’t even praying,”
I murmured softly
.

You don’t always have to have your hands folded and your eyes closed for me to hear you. Sometimes your heart reaches out to me without you even knowing it.

You say that I love him, so if that’s true how come I can’t say it?