Deception, page 19
“Need help to get inside?”
I scoffed. “I think I can get into one measly mansion.”
“They hired Gunner to beef up their security.”
I shot my best friend a look, and he chuckled. We both knew that wouldn’t even make us have to try very hard. Of course, I could have knocked on the front door. But I didn’t want to wake everyone up. And getting past security undetected had the added benefit of pissing Gunner off.
Gunner was the best, but we were better. That wasn’t arrogance, but years of cruel training that had forced us to become the best or risk losing a finger. Or worse, a whole limb. Maurizio didn’t tolerate insubordination.
The mansion was lit up when we pulled up. No dark corners to hide in. Smart. I also noticed additional cameras, and the fence had been raised.
Santino stopped in an unlit part of the street. “Sure you don’t want me to help?”
“I’m good. Worst-case, they catch me and wake everyone up.”
He drove off, and I walked the perimeter, checking for weak points. There were none, so over the wall I went. There were a few dead spots the cameras couldn’t cover, and I made it to the patio door without raising the alarm, silently slipping inside.
I’d been here a few times and knew where the guest room was that Everleigh would be in.
The door opened without a sound, and I walked into the dark room. Sofie was snoring softly, lying on the bed like a starfish. Everleigh was curled up close to the edge, her face relaxed in sleep.
I pulled Sofie over to the side, kissing the side of her head and pulling the covers back over her. Then I undressed down to my boxers and T-shirt and lifted Everleigh up, putting her in the middle of the bed.
She curled into me as soon as I lay down. Despite the thoughts churning in my head, I fell asleep almost instantly.
“People need to stop breaking into my house.”
I woke with a start, blinking at Thea standing in the door, hands on her hips, glaring at me.
“Sorry, Thea.”
Everleigh stirred and looked at me with a sleepy smile. “What are you doing here?”
I kissed her nose, relishing the length of her body pressed to mine. “I didn’t want to spend the night without you.”
Thea made a gagging sound. “You guys are disgusting.” She waved at Sofie who’d woken up as well. “Come on, monkey. You can help me make breakfast.” She turned back to us. “You have thirty minutes. And we wait for no one.”
Sofie climbed over Everleigh, a blinding smile on her face. “Daddy, you’re back.”
She collapsed on top of me, giggling when I rained kisses on her head. “Missed you, preciosa.”
As soon as I released her, she jumped off the bed, racing over to Thea and taking her hand. “Can we make pancakes? And waffles? With bacon?”
Thea tugged on her hand, smiling. “Of course we can.” They left, closing the door behind them, their happy chatter fading in the distance.
As soon as we couldn’t hear them anymore, I pulled the sheet over my head, placing kisses and playful nips on Everleigh’s stomach where her shirt had ridden up. “Thirty minutes is plenty of time for what I have in mind for you.”
She laughed, squirming underneath me. “If we’re not down there for breakfast in twenty-eight, she’s going to come back.”
“I’ll lock the door.”
We hadn’t had much privacy lately, and I was desperate for a taste of Everleigh. At first, my ribs wouldn’t allow for much movement, and then Sofie kept having nightmares, climbing into our bed most nights.
“How can I say no to such a gracious offer?” Her eyes shone with happiness, and my chest nearly puffed out at the thought that I could put that look on her face.
I crawled up her body and took her mouth in a kiss, trying to convey all my feelings through it. She wound her arms around my neck, then her legs around my middle, squirming to get closer.
I broke our kiss, the urge to tell her how I felt overwhelming me. Even though our stolen moment wasn’t how I imagined telling her for the first time, I couldn’t hold the words back anymore. “I love you.”
She melted into the mattress, her eyes shining with warmth and happiness. “I love you too.” She strained to capture my lips with hers again. “Now lock the door. The next twenty minutes belong to us.”
I jumped up to the sound of her musical laughter and did as instructed. When I returned to the bed a few seconds later, she was lying on her back in nothing but her underwear, her arms over her head.
Unable to do anything else but stare at her, I drank in all the perfect curves and dips of her body. “How did I ever get so lucky?”
“I’m the lucky one.” Her voice was a tremulous whisper, her eyes heating as she watched me take off my clothes, the longing in them matching mine. My movements were jerky and efficient, yet she looked at me as if I were putting on a show.
I joined her on the bed, pulling the sheet over us, shutting out the outside world. In this moment, there were no responsibilities or shadows hanging over us. It was just the two of us. I exhaled a satisfied sigh, a smile stealing over my face before our mouths met and our bodies melded.
Our movements were rushed, knowing there was a limit to our time together. But it didn’t matter to me. Any time spent with Everleigh was precious, and I’d make the twenty minutes we had left count as much as I would if we had hours.
When I broke our kiss to pay attention to her gorgeous full breasts, my second favorite of her assets—the first being her mouth—she moaned before pulling me back up. “No time. I want to feel you. Please.”
There was no way I’d ever refuse her anything. Especially not when it was whispered in a breathy moan.
I lined up, teasing her until she mindlessly rocked against me, her body flushed.
Entering her with deliberate slowness so I could savor every inch, I strained against the need to plunge deep.
My hand went under one of her thighs, and I lifted her leg, sliding in a little deeper. The softness of her breasts against me, combined with the love I felt for her, magnified every touch, every kiss.
We’d had a rocky path to get here, but I’d never let her go. She was my perfect match, the one person in the world who seemed to have been made just for me.
My lips and hands continued their hungry search of her body, my movements growing less refined with every stroke and caress.
When Everleigh shattered, the force of her release carried me to the highest high.
Our bodies wound around each other, staying connected in as many places as possible while we caught our breath.
“Let’s save water and shower together,” I suggested, burying my head in her neck.
She held me to her, running her hands through my hair. “Thea is going to be so mad at us.”
We both knew it would take a lot longer if we showered together. And we’d probably use a lot more water too. But my need for her hadn’t lessened. Quite the opposite.
After a long and thorough shower, we finally joined Thea and Sofie in the kitchen.
“Daddy,” Sofie squealed and jumped into my arms. This would never get old, and I hoped she’d do it for many years to come. “You slept forever. Thea made me pancakes for breakfast. With ice cream.”
Thea playfully swatted her with a dish towel. “That was supposed to be our secret.”
Everleigh laughed, snatching a pancake off the plate on the counter. “There is no such thing as a secret with a seven-year-old.”
Thea narrowed her eyes at me. “If William finds out how easy it was for you to break in, he’s going to tighten security. Again. At the rate I’m going, I’ll have an escort to the bathroom soon.”
Everleigh finished the last bite of her pancake, holding out the plate to me. “Why is he so worried? Is there something going on that you’re not telling me?”
I took a pancake and ate it without utensils or maple syrup. They were delicious, and I was starving.
Thea pushed a plate my way. “Caveman,” she mumbled. “And we may have had a few incidents that may have been dangerous. But it’s all under control.”
“What incidents?” Everleigh’s voice was low, and we all knew she was about to yell.
Thea waved her off, looking sheepish. “Just a teeny-tiny explosion on one of his yachts. And someone shot at me a few weeks ago.”
“And I’m only hearing about this now?” Everleigh shrieked.
“As I said, it’s all under control. Nobody can get past our security system thanks to Locked Security. Well, except your boyfriend and his friend.” She tilted her head at Everleigh. “Which reminds me, what are you going to do about Archer? Are you going to tell them about the call?”
Clearly having missed something, I looked at Everleigh with raised brows. She held up her hands, face flushed. “I would have told you, but there hasn’t been time yet. Archer called last night. He’s in trouble. But he wouldn’t tell me where he was or who he was running from.”
I closed the two steps separating us and pulled her to my chest with one arm, the other still holding Sofie, who surprisingly hadn’t gotten bored yet.
She rested her head on my shoulder. “He sounded like he wanted to do this on his own. But I need to help him.”
Not only would we get Gunner involved, but I’d reach out to some of my contacts and do a little digging.
I nodded against her hair. “I’ll talk to Gunner. We’ll find your brother.”
She looked up, all her attention focused on me. “I know you will.”
Her unwavering trust in me made warmth unfurl in my chest and I was wondering how I got so lucky.
Taking a deep breath, she changed the topic. “Now tell me about your trip. Did you find out where the money went?
I kissed her lips. “I found out I have an aunt and cousin in Oregon. And Mariana is my mother’s cousin.”
Everleigh’s face lit up. “That’s amazing. Are you going to visit them again?”
“I am. I was thinking you and Sofie could come with me.”
“We’d love to.”
We spent the rest of the day hanging out with Thea and making plans about how to help Archer. I called Carter, who promised to make it a priority, and reached out to some of my contacts.
And when we returned home, exhausted from swimming in Thea’s Olympic-sized pool and being in the sun all day, I couldn’t wait for more days like today.
Epilogue
Lucius
One year later
“Do you have clients today?”
Everleigh stretched her delectable body against mine, the sheet sliding down, revealing more of her creamy skin. Her tank top had ridden up, as it seemed to do every night, and I drank in the sight.
I pulled her on top of me, and she buried her head in my neck. I traced lazy circles on her back. “Not today. But I was thinking we could take the boat out, just the three of us.”
Who would have thought I’d own a charter fishing company one day? And that my one employee would be Santino? But we’d both taken to it quickly, already familiar around boats and loving being outside.
The last year had been an adjustment for all of us, but my girls had taken it in stride. Sofie loved her new school and had already made friends. And Everleigh had started back at her old job. They’d have been stupid not to let her—but I was slightly biased, of course.
She was also doing consulting work on the side and was doing my company’s books.
“That sounds wonderful. I have nothing planned for today.”
It was Sunday, and usually our weekends were packed full of soccer practices and catching up with friends. Thea was a regular visitor to our house, but I hadn’t seen her in over a week.
“No plans to catch up with Thea later?”
“Nope. She went with William on some business trip. Which is odd because she hates them.”
Her nose was still buried in my neck, and her lips brushed my skin with every word, making me shiver.
“How’s Archer doing?”
Everleigh tensed, and I regretted asking. Gunner found her brother six months ago but wouldn’t tell us any details. Locked Security’s resources combined with my contacts eventually dug up a trail. And somehow Archer ended up working for him. Everleigh had only seen him twice since he came back. I knew the distance he put between them weighed on her, but she was also trying to give him space.
“He seemed okay when I talked to him last week. Said Gunner is sending him on his first mission.”
I rolled over, bracketing Everleigh between my arms. Time to erase that forlorn look on her face. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“Breakfast burrito,” she murmured and nipped my ear, her body going soft again.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and with a groan, I slid off her, adjusting myself. Everleigh pulled down her top, shooting me a grin. Two seconds later, the door sprang open, and the other love of my life appeared, hair standing up in a wild rat’s nest, her pajama pants twisted.
I opened my arms, and she climbed over me, settling between Everleigh and me. Everleigh turned on her side and put her arm over my daughter. I didn’t think I’d ever have so many perfect mornings. But every day was a gift, and I intended to appreciate each moment.
Which was why I’d take my girls out on the boat today and finally ask Everleigh to become my wife.
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Charge - Prologue
Thea
Then
“There’s nowhere for you to hide,” my mom’s screech sounded through the thin walls of the trailer we shared.
Something shattered, and I winced, hoping it wasn’t another plate. We were down to three.
“I knew I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance.”
Her words slammed against the iron-clad wall I’d built around myself. She could no longer penetrate it. Her barbs no longer hurt. My flimsy door, on the other hand, wouldn’t hold up to the assault she’d wage against it soon.
Pushing my small window open, I slipped outside, landing hands first in the overgrown grass. The trailer park I’d lived in my whole life backed onto parkland, the perfect place to disappear.
Evading my mom had become a skill I’d excelled at from an early age. It was a necessity for survival.
I’d been using the window as soon as I’d realized nothing I did or said could stop her raging anger.
And like every time things at home became too much to bear, I made my way to my best friend’s house. Everleigh’s parents were barely ever home, and her housekeeper didn’t mind the extra mouth to feed.
At least the days I stayed with her I didn’t have to go to bed hungry. I worked at a small diner in town, but the money didn’t stretch far. Not after paying for rent and utilities.
The smart thing would be to leave my family far behind. But instead, I scrambled to hold on to the pathetic life I had. But what else was there? I had no money of my own and no way to get out of Falina. The small town was the only place I knew.
Not looking behind me—because that would take time I didn’t have—I sprinted for the line of trees.
“Get back here, you ungrateful little shit. You owe me.” I could hear her yelling across the trailer park, but nobody would care. They’d gotten blind and deaf to what was going on over the years.
I made my way through the thick underbrush, scraping my arms and legs.
When the first property with perfectly cut green grass came into view, I sighed in relief. The new housing development was beautiful, and I’d always dreamed of living in such a nice place. There were no potholes in the road, and none of the houses had broken windows. I could walk down the road without getting hassled.
Maybe in another life this is where I’d end up instead of the moldy trailer I call home.
When I saw Everleigh’s house, I sped up. It had become my sanctuary. I didn’t know what I would have done without her all these years.
I walked around the house to the gate leading into the backyard. Everleigh had claimed the basement, and I had a key to the door that would get me straight there.
The loud noise of the TV greeted me as soon as I pushed the door open. Once I made it down the stairs, a familiar sight greeted me: my best friend and her little brother hanging out on her couch, watching cartoons.
Archer had only just turned ten but had been part of our trio since I could remember. We’d all been inseparable since meeting six years ago. Archer was just four back then, but we’d dragged him along with us wherever we went.
It was either that or he’d have to stay with the housekeeper. Everleigh had been more of a mom to him than his own ever had, making sure he went to school, put bandages on his many scrapes and made sure he had clothes that fit him.
He was a carefree kid, always smiling and moving around. But he was also incredibly smart, having skipped a grade and on his way to skip another.
Archer spotted me first and jumped up from where he perched on the backrest of the couch. “Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to get here for hours.”
I greeted him with a high five. “What’s up, little dude?”
He ran up to the coffee table and picked up a case, waving it over his head. “I got a new video game.”
“Is it Guitar Hero?” I asked the same question every time he bought a new game. It was the only one I knew how to play. But he usually convinced me to play with him anyway, only to beat me within the first five minutes.
I didn’t mind because it was entertaining to watch his excitement and enthusiasm when he played.
“Of course not. Will you play with me later?”
