Hidden Away (41 page)

“Yeah, yeah,” Resnick grumbled. “I’ll tell her all that mushy shit. Jesus, man. You and your brothers are driving me insane with the women.”

Garrett wanted to tell Resnick to tell her he loved her, but he figured he’d save that one for the next time he saw her. Hopefully by then some of the shock of today would have worn off and she could view the events more objectively. If not, he was going to have a long, hard fight ahead of him. Giving her up wasn’t an option. She belonged with him, in his arms, in his bed. He wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“We need to get the fuck out of here,” Resnick said. “You and your men should clear out too. The government here is only going to be so understanding. Lattimer and his men have already done millions of dollars’ worth of damage by setting the damn world on fire. It’ll take them days to get this under control.”

“I need to stay and help Rio. He could lose everything.”

Resnick nodded and started toward the truck where Sarah sat, two of his men on his heels. Garrett watched, his fists clenched tight at his sides while Resnick spoke in soft tones to Sarah. A moment later, he guided Sarah from the truck and down to one of the waiting boats.

Sarah walked stiffly, like an old woman without any fight left. Her gaze was fixed on the ground and never once did she look back at Garrett.

More of Resnick’s men led the sniper away, hands cuffed behind his back. The rest of Resnick’s team quickly and efficiently cleaned up the scene, carried Marcus’s body away. Five minutes later, only Garrett and his men remained.

Rio turned in toward the smoke and then back in the direction of his house.

“Think it’ll take your house?” Garrett asked quietly.

Rio shrugged. “If it does, it does. Not much I can do. I can always rebuild.”

“We need to move out,” Steele said crisply. “I don’t want to be here when the locals show up.”

“You go,” Rio said. “My men and I will stay and take any heat. I have contacts here. We’ll be fine.” He looked up at Garrett. “You go with Steele and his team. Get the fuck out of the country. The boat will take you downriver to a waiting chopper.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Rio said.

Garrett gestured for Steele and his team to follow him to the dock. They hurried down and got into the last remaining boat. Rio rattled off a terse stream of Kriole to the young man operating the boat and then waved to Garrett as the boat pushed away from the dock.

“You just going to let her go like that?” P.J. demanded.

Startled, Garrett turned on P.J., his lips curled into a snarl. “What the fuck do you mean?”

“I saw the way you looked at her, and yet you let that asshole Resnick walk away with her.”

“Back off, Rutherford. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“Men are such dickheads,” she muttered. “She just watched her brother die. Of course she’s upset. But she needs you with her, not hundreds of miles away while Resnick drills on her.”

“I have a few things I need to do before I go after Sarah,” Garrett said tersely.

P.J. snorted and turned her back. To Garrett’s surprise, Steele eyed him with a grimace as well.

“Not you too,” Garrett muttered. “You’re supposed to be a fucking machine. The last thing I need is you nagging my ass too.”

A glimmer of amusement flickered across Steele’s face, but he remained silent and turned his attention to the shoreline as he watched for any threat.

They traveled a mile upriver and veered off into one of the fingers that drifted farther inland. The water shallowed to a couple of feet as they slogged closer to a sharp bend in the offshoot. A helicopter came into view as they hung a sharp left and drifted into the cove.

Garrett scrambled off the boat with Steele and his team and they piled into the helicopter. As it rose and hovered close to the ground, Garrett stared out the window and wondered how Sarah was doing. Resnick had sworn he’d take good care of her, and Garrett knew he would. He wasn’t quite the asshole he and his brothers liked to label him.

He may have taken the coward’s way out but there was a lot he had to sort out before he could face Sarah again. He couldn’t afford to fuck things up with her. First he had to remove any and all threats to her. Only then could he go to her and plead his case.

Maybe by then her grief wouldn’t be so raw, her pain not so sharp. Maybe by then she’d have a better perspective.

One thing he knew for sure, and he’d known it the moment that Sarah had looked at him with such pain and betrayal in her eyes. He loved her and he’d settle for nothing less than having her in his life. Until the day he died. He simply wouldn’t consider any alternative. If it took him the rest of his life to convince her, then that’s what he’d do.

RUSTY
trudged from the school building toward the student parking lot. Today was just another shitty day in what was shaping up to be a shitty year. Her senior year. So much was made of a person’s senior year. Magical. Time-of-your-life sort of thing. She barely held back a snort. The only good thing was that so far, Matt Winfree hadn’t opened his mouth. Whatever Sean had said to him seemed to have worked. At least for now.

Instead he and his group avoided her like the plague.

At least she’d gotten her car back. Almost like new. She’d been afraid that Marlene and Frank wouldn’t let her have it back after what had happened. But they hadn’t said a word. Just handed her the keys and said that no one was allowed to drive it but her. Fine by her. She wouldn’t make such a stupid mistake again.

She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn’t see the men standing at the front edge of the parking lot until she heard the murmur of voices around her. When she did look up, her mouth fell open and her first thought was oh shit. What had she done now?

The Kelly brothers—well, almost all of them—stood in a formidable line. Even Garrett was there, and he was supposedly off on some supersecret mission after everyone had worried he was up shit creek.

Sam stood the far left. Ethan was next to him and Donovan and Garrett stood together. They were wearing army-looking fatigues with boots and shit. Damn, they looked like they were ready to kick some serious ass. She sighed. Probably hers.

“Winfree, just the guy we’re looking for,” Garrett called.

Oh shit. This was even worse. Rusty squeezed her eyes shut as the brothers looked beyond her. Then she slowly peeked around to see Matt standing several yards away, looking for the world like he was about to wet his pants. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Come over here, boy,” Sam said in a terse voice that you simply didn’t ignore.

“Yes, sir?” Matt asked as he approached warily.

“Heard you’ve been messing with our sister,” Ethan said with a growl.

Unexpected tears burned Rusty’s eyes as she stared agape at the scowling brothers.

Donovan curled his lip back and took a step forward. Matt shrunk about three inches and went even paler. “Do you know what we do with punks like you?” Donovan asked.

“N-no sir.”

“I have no respect for little pricks who beat up on women,” Garrett snarled. “Especially a woman who happens to be a part of my family. Let me give you a little advice, Winfree. Stay away from Rusty. Far, far away. If I ever catch you near her, if you ever even say her name to anyone, I’ll find a dark hole for your body and trust me, no one will ever find you. You got me?”

Matt’s head bobbed up and down, his eyes so wide that he looked like a deer in the headlights. Rusty wiped at her eyes, determined she wouldn’t cry. But damn if her chest wasn’t about to burst open. Their sister. They’d called her their
sister
. A part of their family. They were sticking up for her. Hell, they’d just threatened to kill a guy if he ever messed with her again.

She stared at them in wonder as Matt all but ran to his car. A moment later, in a squall of tires, he roared out of the parking lot.

“I can’t believe you did that,” she whispered. “For me.”

Sam grimaced and his expression softened as he took a step toward her. “We meant every word. You’re our sister. Mom’s taken you under her wing, and her chick you’re going to stay. No one fucks with the Kellys, and I mean no one. You’ve been around us long enough to know that by heart. Well, you’re a Kelly now and no one’s going to mess with you.”

Without pondering the rightness or whether he’d be appalled, Rusty launched herself into Sam’s arms, nearly toppling them both over. She squeezed him so tight that it was a wonder he could breathe, and she’d never felt anything better in her life.

Brothers. Protective older brothers. The mind boggled. That they gave a shit about her stunned her. And it felt better than she could have ever imagined.

“Thank you,” she said as she gripped him harder. “No one’s ever done anything like that for me.”

When she finally drew away, she was embarrassed by the tears streaking down both cheeks. Her nose was all snotty and she probably looked ridiculous.

“Got a hug for your other brothers?” Garrett drawled.

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment. He was nice enough to Rachel, and Rusty saw him be affectionate and lovey with both Rachel and Sophie, but the truth was, he scared the shit out of her. But when he opened his arms, she forgot all about her fear and launched herself into his embrace.

One by one they all hugged her until she was a weepy, snotty mess. She cried all over them and they sighed indulgently, just like big brothers should. It was the best day of her entire life.

“SO
what are you going to do now?” Donovan asked quietly when he and Garrett were finally alone.

Garrett dropped onto the couch in the war room and stared tiredly at his younger brother. “I’m going to Boston to kick the shit out of Stanley Cross and make sure the little bastard never tries anything with Sarah again.”

“I’m going,” Donovan said tightly.

Garrett nodded. “Rio called a while ago. He wants in too. I’m going to make that little son of a bitch pay.”

“We could always make him disappear,” Donovan said with a shrug. “There are places where his body would never be found.”

“Don’t tempt me. I’ve never contemplated cold-blooded murder in my life, but I’d do it now and suffer no regrets.”

“And afterward? What then?”

Garrett knew what Donovan was asking. “Then I’m going after Sarah. I’m bringing her home with me. I’m not coming back without her.”

“I figured.”

“Yeah, I know you did,” Garrett muttered. “I’m head over ass for her. I can’t imagine my life without her. She may not forgive me. I don’t know what the hell I’ll do then.”

“You’ve never been the type to give up,” Donovan said dryly. “You’re a stubborn bastard.”

The security doors opened, admitting Sam.

“Thought you were on kid duty,” Garrett said.

Sam wore a frown and Donovan and Garrett exchanged uneasy glances.

“Joe’s been hurt. Busted his leg. He’s being flown to Fort Campbell.”

“Shit,” Donovan swore. “What about Nathan?”

“No word on Nathan. Ma got the call a while ago. All they told her was that Joe was hurt in combat. They patched him up and were flying him to the base. He’ll be there tomorrow.”

“That’s it, though? How did he break it? Bullet or what?”

“They didn’t tell her shit,” Sam said in frustration. “She’s pissed and ready to go kick some army ass. I’m going over with her tomorrow to keep her in line or she’ll end up behind bars.”

Donovan chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation. Then he glanced at Garrett. “Should we wait to see Joe before we head to Boston, or you want to go now?”

“What the fuck are you going to Boston for?” Sam demanded.

“A little unfinished business,” Garrett said quietly.

“Shit. Don’t call me to bail your asses out of jail.”

“I won’t let him kill him,” Donovan promised. “Rio and I will be there to witness what goes down. I guarantee you that Cross will fall down a few flights of stairs. Maybe more than once.”

Sam chuckled and shook his head. “I can’t even bring myself to call you down. I’d like a piece of the bastard myself for what he did.”

“We’ll wait for Joe to get in. I want to make sure he’s all right,” Garrett said. “Van, get the Kelly jet fueled and ready to go. I’ll let Rio know what’s going on so he can meet us there.”

 

 

THE
whole Kelly family descended on the base the next day. Even Rusty came along and Marlene evidently had been made aware of the fact that her boys had showed up at Rusty’s school because she beamed at them nonstop the entire afternoon.

At least she hadn’t kissed them and pinched their cheeks in front of the military personnel on the base.

Sophie had little Charlotte bundled up, and Garrett had to admit the kid looked cute as a button in all that pink. She was a beautiful girl, just like her mama. Garrett gave Sam shit about how glad he was she hadn’t taken after her daddy. Sam just grinned and agreed wholeheartedly.

Rachel had hugged Garrett so tight that he’d felt immediate guilt for not going over to see her the minute he got back. He’d been too preoccupied with thoughts of Sarah and calling Resnick every five minutes to get a status report.

“Hey, sweet pea,” he murmured into Rachel’s ear as she hugged him. “You doing okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s you I’ve been worried about.”

She drew away and he could see the concern darken her already dark brown eyes. It gratified him to see that she’d filled out more and the shadows she wore under her eyes like permanent bruises had lightened. She looked ... happy. Content.

“You look terrific,” he said. “Ethan’s been taking good care of you, I see.”

She smiled, her entire face lighting up. Rachel was a beautiful woman, but when she smiled, it seemed the sun shone just a little brighter. Ethan and Sam had chosen well with Rachel and Sophie. Now Garrett couldn’t wait to bring Sarah home to meet his family. They’d love her. He just knew it. And she’d love them too.