The Pregnancy Plot (Brothers In Arms: Retribution Book 2) (6 page)

She snagged a taxi and bypassed Newport’s tourist shops on the way to the working area of the city.

The driver eyed her in the rearview mirror. “On a supply run from one of the islands to get ready for the storm?”

“Break.”

“That’s a pretty one. My mother likes that bird sanctuary.”

“Are you a local?”

“Naw. Came out here from Portland to get away from it all. You know?”

“I do know.” As the big-box store came into view, she pulled some cash from her purse. “Your mom’s here, too?”

“She just visits once in a while, but Break Island’s her favorite because of that sanctuary.”

She wished the entire island was a sanctuary. “You can just drop me in front.”

“I’d offer to wait, but you’re probably going to need one of the vans to get all your stuff back to the ferry.”

“Yeah, I’ll call in when I’m done shopping.” She paid the driver and whipped out her membership card for the store as she marched up to the entrance. She grabbed a cart and maneuvered up and down the aisles, with a mind toward feeding a guest.

If Jase planned on doing physical labor all day and mental labor all night, he needed more than a vegetarian omelet for breakfast.

She’d gotten over her morning sickness and queasiness pretty quickly and could stomach just about anything now—except peanut butter. One sandwich early on in her pregnancy that hadn’t gone down well had turned her off peanut butter for good.

She parked her cart in the meat aisle and hunched over the refrigerated display, evaluating the different cuts of meat. Jase looked like someone who might be picky just because of that patrician air he wore around him. His actual actions couldn’t be further from a high-maintenance guy’s, but he just seemed so darned perfect.

A flash of red hair caught her attention, and she jerked her head around. Two little dark-haired kids jostled for position in front of a free-sample table—no redheads in sight.

She patted her belly. Would this little one have red hair? She couldn’t imagine anything cuter.

She continued to load her cart and changed lines twice to find the shortest one. Resigning herself to the wait, she hung on her cart and watched the stream of people in and out of the store.

Her heart jumped when her eyes locked on to a tall, broad man with red hair leaving the store.

She climbed on the edge of the cart and craned her neck for a better look. She shouted, “Simon.”

A few people threw curious glances her way, and her cheeks warmed under their scrutiny. Calling out to him didn’t make any sense, since her voice couldn’t carry that far, especially with the noise level in the big warehouse.

If that were Simon, would he even turn around if he heard her? In all the weeks she’d suspected him of stalking her in LA, he’d never once attempted to make contact with her.

That’s what frightened her. Why play games? Their breakup hadn’t been that acrimonious, not at the end anyway. What led up to it, however...

She shivered and hugged herself.

“Miss?”

She glanced over her shoulder at the anxious face of a grandmotherly type. “Yes?”

“You can move ahead now.”

She rolled her cart into the gap between her and the next cart with her heart thumping in her chest. First Lou and now Simon. Who
wouldn’t
show up here in Washington?

She shook her head. There were tall men in the world with red hair, even here in Washington.

She transferred several items from her cart to the conveyor belt and left the big stuff in the basket. Once she’d checked out, she rushed to the exit and scanned the crowds of people eating in the outdoor food court area. No redheads.

She blew out a breath and shoved her cart in front of her. She’d been like this in LA, too—seeing red-haired men all over the place.

She ordered a taxi van to the dock and waited for it at the edge of the parking lot. When the yellow van arrived, the driver helped her load her supplies in the back.

“Which island are you from?”

“Break.”

“Haven’t been out to that one so much.”

“It’s quiet.”

“Aren’t they all?”

“Some more than others.”

He hit the main drag, lined with T-shirt and trinket shops, and traffic slowed to a crawl. “Everyone over from the islands trying to stock up before the big storm hits.”

“Uh-huh.” Nina pressed her nose against the window, her gaze tracking back and forth along the sidewalks.

“Looking for someone?”

She peeled herself off the glass and slumped back in her seat. “No.”

The driver rolled up behind a line of taxis in front of the harbor. “You need a pallet cart for this stuff?”

“Yeah, I do.” She slid open the door. “Wait here and I’ll grab one.”

She weaved through knots of people on the wharf to claim a cart. As she dug into her pocket for the five-dollar bill that would rent the cart, someone grabbed her arm.

She spun around, her jaw clenched and her hands balled up into fists.

“Whoa!” Jase held out his hands. “I wasn’t going to steal your cart.”

“Jase.” She swallowed. “You scared me.”

“Obviously.” He studied her face with his eyebrows meeting over his nose.

“What are you doing here?”

“I borrowed the Kleinschmidts’ boat.”

“Again? They’re going to have you arrested.”

“I asked them this time, and they said we could use it until yours is repaired. I figured I’d save you the hassle of lugging this stuff on a cart onto the ferry and then loading up the truck on the other side. The boat will take you practically to your doorstep.”

“Great, thanks.” She stuffed a still-trembling hand into her pocket. “The stuff’s in the taxi.”

“We’ll get the cart anyway to transport it from the taxi to the boat, since I can’t get the boat any closer to the ferry terminal.”

She let him deal with the cart and led the way to the waiting taxi.

Jase and the driver loaded up the supplies, and after paying the driver, she helped Jase steer the cart toward the slip where he’d docked the Kleinschmidts’ boat.

As she lifted a bag of fertilizer, Jase stopped her. “I’ll get that.”

“What
won’t
you get?” He’d grabbed every item heavier than a feather out of her arms.

“Nothing.” He flicked his fingers at her. “Go get the boat ready for departure and make sure this stuff is secure enough on the deck.”

She saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

While she was mumbling about bossy men, she lifted her head to brush the hair from her face and saw the weak sun glinting off a redhead in line for the ferry.

A surge of anger thumped through her veins, and she jumped from the boat.

“Nina?” Jase called after her, but her single-mindedness drove her feet in the direction of the ferry.

Reaching the end of the line for the boat, she began pushing her way through, ignoring the comments and protests.

“Hey! Hey, you! Simon!”

As she reached the redhead and grabbed handfuls of his jacket, he jerked around.

Nina met a pair of cornflower blue eyes and stumbled back.

The man grabbed her arm. “You must be Nina Moore.”

Chapter Seven

Jase reached Nina just in time to pull her away from the redheaded stranger’s grasp. She collapsed against him, her face pale and her lips trembling.

The man’s eyes darted to Jase’s face, and he spread his hands in front of him. “Just catching her fall.”

“Who is this, Nina?” Jase wrapped his arm around Nina’s waist, curling it around her front.

“I...I don’t know. I thought he was...someone else, but he knows my name.”

The man’s face turned almost the same shade as his hair as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Can we talk about this somewhere else?”

“Spill it now. You’re going to miss your ferry.” Jase nodded toward the front of the line shuffling toward the gangplank.

“Doesn’t matter. This ferry is going to Break Island. I was on my way to see Nina anyway.”

Nina’s body froze and she clawed at Jase’s wrist. “Why? Who are you? What do you want?”

“He’s right, Nina. Let’s continue this conversation out of this line. We’re going to start holding people up.”

They jostled their way out of the line, and Jase pointed toward the Kleinschmidts’ boat. “We have a boat over here.”

The stranger followed them, as Nina shrank against Jase’s side. Why was she so afraid of him? Just because he knew her name?

When they got to the boat, Jase balanced one foot on the pallet while still holding onto Nina. “So, who are you and what do you want with Nina?”

“Nina.” The man turned to face her. “I’m Simon Skinner’s brother.”

Jase worked hard to keep his face impassive, clenching his teeth in the process. Now he could see it. The picture Jack had shown him of Tempest Agent Simon Skinner revealed a man with reddish hair, but in full living color, Simon’s hair must be a match for this man’s. “Nina?”

She huffed out a breath, as if she’d been holding it from the moment she’d confronted this man.

“Th-that’s not possible. Simon had no siblings.”

One corner of the man’s mouth lifted. “That he knew of. Simon told you he’d been adopted, didn’t he?”

“Yes.” Nina had loosened her grip on Jase’s wrist, although the imprint from her fingernails remained.

“That’s why I’m a Kitchens, not a Skinner.” He held out his hand. “Chris Kitchens.”

When nobody moved to shake his hand, Kitchens dropped it. “Our mother gave us up for adoption when I was three and Simon was just a baby. Of course, he’d have no conscious memory of me, but I remembered a baby brother and when I got my stuff together I decided to find him.”

Nina clasped her hands in front of her and faced Jase. “Simon Skinner was my ex-fiancé.”

Jase nodded. She could interpret that any way she wanted.

Chris continued. “So, you can imagine my disappointment when I went through all the time and trouble to locate my brother only to...not locate him. I found his life to an extent, and I found you, but not much more.”

“H-how did you find me?”

“I was able to track down Simon’s last known address, which was an apartment in your name. A little more digging by a PI friend of mine led me to Break Island.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t help you, Chris. Simon and I split up months ago, and I haven’t seen him since.”

“Yeah, I gathered that from some of your neighbors in LA.”

Jase ground his back teeth even more. If Chris and his PI friend had tracked down Nina that easily, what chance did she have against Tempest if that agency wanted to find her?

“And yet you still followed me out to Washington?” Her eyes narrowed and her spine stiffened. “Why?”

Chris shrugged his big shoulders. “I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d heard from him. Maybe I just wanted to find out about my baby brother from someone who knew him well. Y-you did know Simon well, didn’t you? I mean, you two were engaged.”

Nina smiled a tight smile while tucking her hair behind her ear. “Of course.”

Jase swallowed. You had to feel for the guy. He’d searched high and low for a brother he remembered before adoption split them apart, and now that brother was dead. And Jace couldn’t even tell him. Couldn’t tell Nina—not yet anyway.

“Why don’t you come back with us?” He pointed to the ferry to Break Island chugging away from the dock. “I think you missed that boat.”

“Sure, if—” he glanced at Nina “—if it’s okay. I won’t stay too long, Nina. Who knows? Maybe after talking to you, I’ll be able to find Simon myself.”

“Maybe.” Nina’s flat voice didn’t offer much encouragement for that endeavor. “I’m sorry. Chris, this is Jase Buckley.”

Jase shook the other man’s hand. “I’m staying at the B and B and helping Nina fix up the place.”

“I’d offer you a room, but I’m not ready to take on guests yet.”

“No problem. I already booked a room at a motel in town.” He tapped the cart. “Do you want me to return this for you?”

“Sure.” Jase shoved it in his direction. “We’ll get the boat ready for takeoff.”

When Chris took off with the cart, Nina turned to him. “Sorry about the craziness. He looks a lot like his brother, my ex-fiancé, and I thought...”

“You thought your ex had come back for you?”

“Something like that.”

“Is that something you want? I mean, do you want to get back together with Simon?”

She snapped, “No!”

He took her by the shoulders. “Did your ex hurt you, Nina? You were so freaked out about this guy, Chris.”

“Simon never physically harmed me, but he could’ve been heading that way. I have to believe it was PTSD, but he wouldn’t get help.”

Chris came back into view and Nina grabbed Jase’s arm and put her finger to her lips. “Chris doesn’t need to know anything like that about his brother, okay? I plan to tell him only the good stuff.”

“I think that’s a good idea. He’s gonna be heartbroken enough as it is.”

Nina tilted her head and wrinkled her nose. “What do you mean?”

Jase sealed his lips and busied himself with the motor.

“Why’s Chris going to be heartbroken?”

He glanced up at the big redhead barreling toward the dock. “Just that after thinking he’d found his brother, he’s gone.”

“Yeah, maybe he will have some luck tracking him down.” She turned and waved to Chris. “Hop on board.”

Jase maneuvered the boat across the water, passing the ferry at the midpoint of the trip. The brisk wind and the rumbling motor on the boat kept conversation to a minimum. All passengers seemed lost in their own thoughts anyway.

He had sized up Chris and felt comfortable enough to invite him back to Break Island with them. He was headed that way anyway, whether or not they’d extended the invitation. This way, Jase could keep an eye on him.

Nina seemed to think Chris resembled Simon enough to believe he was her ex-fiancé, so the story about him and Simon as brothers separated by adoption rang true.

Tempest wouldn’t go through the trouble of finding someone who resembled Simon and then sending him out here with that story—would they?

Jase didn’t know too much about Tempest. Like his agency, Prospero, Tempest was deep undercover, beneath the umbrella of the CIA but involved in missions completely off the radar.

Even Jack Coburn had only a foggy notion of Tempest’s assignments. Jase hadn’t given the other agency much thought at all until one of its agents, Max Duvall, had come in with wild stories about superagents and drugs and world chaos.

He gazed at the approaching shoreline of the peaceful island and snorted. Break Island was about as far removed from that world as it could be.

Missing siblings turning up unexpectedly? That, it had in spades.

As the boat eased up to the Kleinschmidts’ dock, Chris jumped from the deck and started pulling the craft in.

“You know your way around a boat?” Jase tossed him the anchor rope.

“I should hope so. I spent five years in the navy.”

Nina drew in a breath. “Simon was in the navy, too.”

“I know that.” He looped the end of the rope around the post. “That’s how I was able to get some info on him.”

With his back to the bay, Chris surveyed the island. “This sure is pretty. Simon spend much time here?”

“None at all. We had a busy life in LA. When he managed to get time off, we’d spend it in Hawaii, mostly.”

“One of my favorite places, too.” He snapped his fingers. “It’s sort of like twins separated at birth, except Simon and I were two years apart.”

They got the boat docked, and Chris helped him carry the supplies and groceries to Moonstones. Jase watched Nina closely, wondering if and when she planned to tell Chris he was going to be an uncle.

But so far, her lips were sealed.

Maybe Jack and Prospero had been wrong for once. He didn’t doubt that his agency had discovered Nina’s pregnancy, but maybe she’d lost the baby.

A knife twisted in his gut and he almost doubled over. He wiped a sudden bead of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He had to stop taking this whole assignment so personally. From accessing her medical records, Prospero had no indication that she’d lost the baby.

“You okay?” Chris slapped him on the back after dropping off another load of soil next to the porch.

“Low blood sugar. I haven’t eaten in a while.”

Nina stood on the porch, hooking her thumbs in the pockets of her jeans. “I think we all need something to eat.”

“Is there someplace we can meet for dinner?” Chris pointed to the bend in the road. “I think I’m headed that way into town. I’ll check into my motel and we can meet up later.”

“Mandy’s. It’s on the main street. You can’t miss it, or ask a local. Six okay?”

“Fine with me. Thanks, Nina, for humoring me.”

“I understand completely. I’m sure it’s what Simon would want.”

“So, where do you think he is?”

She shrugged. “He had a job with the government. They sent him places, sometimes for a long time.”

“Six months?”

“I can’t help you with that part of it, Chris.”

“I understand. Dinner is enough. I just want to find out everything about my brother, or as much as you can tell me.”

Nina joined Jase at the fence to watch Chris follow the road to town.

She murmured under her breath, “No, you don’t.”

“A few little white lies won’t hurt. Then if he ever does find Simon, he can make his own judgments.” He smacked the top of the post. “Let’s put this stuff away. You can do the groceries, and I’ll take care of the yard supplies. Still don’t trust a store where you can buy fertilizer along with five-gallon jugs of milk.”

Nina disappeared inside the house, and Jase hoisted a bag of soil onto his shoulder and walked to the back of the B and B.

He lifted his work cell phone from the inside zippered pocket of his jacket and placed a call to his boss.

“What do you have to report, Jase?”

Jack knew agents didn’t use these phones for social calls.

“A twist.”

“Is the subject okay?”

“The subject.”

“Ah, Nina Moore.”

“The subject’s fine, but her ex-fiancé’s long-lost brother showed up on her doorstep.”

“Simon Skinner doesn’t have a brother. He has no family. That’s the way Tempest prefers its agents—rootless, alone.”

“Skinner was adopted, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he had a brother who was adopted out, too. The brother is older and remembered having a younger sibling.”

Jack’s voice sharpened. “You’re sure? Could be a Tempest ploy.”

“Don’t think so. Apparently, the guy’s the spitting image of Simon Skinner.”

“Name?”

“Chris Kitchens.”

“We’ll look into him.”

“Nina’s flaky sister made an appearance on the island, too.”

“This is getting more complicated than we’d bargained for. Keep the players straight and keep the subject safe.”

“I’m on it.”

“You still think this is an unnecessary babysitting job?”

“I haven’t seen any evidence of Tempest’s interest in Nina yet.”

“I had a gut feeling Tempest wasn’t going to ignore Skinner’s fiancée, ex or otherwise.”

“I know all about your gut feelings, Jack. That’s what I’m doing out here.”

“It’s more than a gut feeling now, Bennett.”

Jase’s pulse ticked up a notch. “Why is that?”

“Simon Skinner finally turned up—dead.”