chapter 34
Audrey’s bare toes squished in the mud. Rain splattered her gown to her body, and she shivered. Thunder bellowed high above, and for a moment, silence ruled.
Then all hell broke loose.
The Dean brothers moved as one: Matt went left, Shane turned right, and Nathan blazed forward. Hard and fast, they punched and kicked, often simultaneously.
A shot fired.
“Alive,” one of the men in black yelled. “Unconscious is okay.”
Audrey backed away until her butt hit the rough bark of a tree. So the commander wanted them alive. But even so, with the ferocity of the punches being thrown, somebody could be critically hurt.
And Nate was already injured. He had at least two broken ribs and might still be bleeding internally.
Two soldiers took him down, and he grunted as he impacted the ground. Pain filled the noise.
Audrey started forward only to have Matt yell at her to get back. She hesitated, her body trembling, her stomach still cramping. Nate twisted one guy’s neck and rolled the other one over to punch him in the face. Hard. The soldier’s head clonked a rock and he didn’t move. Nate leaped to his feet and one-arm tackled one of several soldiers punching Shane on the ground.
The smell of blood filtered through the falling rain.
A soldier appeared to Audrey’s right with a stun gun already crackling, and she screamed.
Faster than humanly possible, Nate lunged for her, curled around her, and rolled her to the ground. Somehow, he kept her from hitting any rocks or shrubs. He tensed and then convulsed. The scent of burned cotton and flesh clogged her nose.
With a growl, Nate released her and charged the soldier, taking him down.
How could Nate even move? Audrey gulped and scrambled to her feet. She needed a weapon.
Suddenly, two headlights swung wildly around as an SUV jumped a curb and skidded across the wet grass, taking out several of the commander’s soldiers. Bodies flew in every direction, hitting the building, trees, and shrubbery. The vehicle spun sideways. “Get in,” the senator yelled.
Nate kicked his opponent in the head, staggered to his feet, and reached for Audrey.
She tried to fend him off and walk herself, but he lifted her and ran for the SUV, sliding in the back. Matt jumped into the front, and Shane leaped next to Nate.
“Go, go, go,” Matt said, pounding the dash.
The senator punched it, and the SUV rammed over several shrubs, barely skirted a tree, and screeched onto the street. The bumps and jumps made the vehicle land hard, but Nate held Audrey tight.
He leaned over and brushed leaves off her face. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She patted his wet face. “Are you? How much voltage did you take?”
“Not enough.” He grinned, his bottom lip bleeding again. “We’ve trained to take shocks and keep going. Chalk one up for the commander.”
“Screw him.” Audrey settled back down, shivering. “You okay up there, Senator?”
“Yeehaw!” The senator cut off a Mercedes that honked angrily. “Call me Jim. Grandpop Jim. And just hold on.”
Grandpop Jim? Audrey shook her head, trying to relax. The man was having the time of his life.
Matt glanced warily at the senator. “Take back roads to the next grocery store you see, and we’ll need to change cars.”
“No problem.” The senator flipped off a honking trucker.
Shane reached over and plucked a stick from Audrey’s hair. “We’re gonna have to change cars a few times. You okay, Aud?”
“I’m fine.” Her body rioted, but she took several deep breaths.
Nate gave a short nod. “Audrey, lay down the best you can.”
She nodded, her body going lax, her head against Nate’s chest and her feet on Shane’s legs. Touching them both and trusting them to take care of her. Nate and his family would keep watch. Her family, too. Finally. She belonged. Plus, she’d joined the family with a grandpa. Grandpop Jim. They’d all come for her, and they’d protect her. The baby would always need protection, and her new family would provide that.
If they destroyed the chips, the baby would never be alone. The kill chips hung over her head, but for now, she’d rest for the baby.
Nate was a deadly man, but she loved him. All of him. The good and the dangerous… he was all hers and she’d accept him as such. They’d find a way to have peace and safety for their child.
With a soft sigh, she smiled and finally relaxed into the sense of home.
* * *
After days of traveling, Audrey finally stretched her legs as she stepped out of the most current SUV. She wore new yoga clothes they’d picked up on the way. It was freaking amazing she hadn’t killed one or all of her new family the last day as they’d switched back and driven the wrong way many a time to make sure they weren’t followed. Not one of the Dean brothers would let her do a thing or lift a finger, and they were way too worried about making sure she ate.
The senator was even worse—and he’d no longer answer anyone unless they addressed him as Grandpop Jim.
But as she stood in the chilly Montana morning and eyed the great house surrounded by excellent security, she finally relaxed. “Beautiful,” she murmured.
The front door burst open, and a tiny blonde barreled out and straight for Shane. He caught her easily, kissing her on the nose. “Hi, angel,” he murmured softly. She hugged him tight, burrowing into his chest as if she belonged right here.
At a slower pace, but her smile no less radiant, a tall brunette reached Matt to wipe a finger over a bruise above his eye. “Mattie.”
“Laney.” He tucked her close, dropping his face onto her shoulder.
Audrey just stared. She’d never seen Matt so, well, at peace.
Nate slipped his hand into hers. “Come inside, sweetheart. You need breakfast.”
She’d kill for coffee.
The blonde disengaged herself from Shane and hugged Nate before holding out a hand. “I’m Josie.” Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and a smile lit up a very pretty face.
Audrey took the hand. “Audrey.”
The senator cleared his throat.
Audrey glanced at him. “And this is Sen—I mean, Grandpop Jim.”
Josie’s face lit up even more, and she lunged for the senator to hug him tight. “Grandpop Jim. Awesome. We’ve never had a grandpop around.”
The senator started and then gingerly hugged the petite woman. His eyes filled. “Glad to be here.”
Matt led Laney over to introduce them. Gentle intelligence filled the woman’s brown eyes. “How are you feeling, Audrey?”
“Tired of being in a car.” Audrey smiled and glanced around. “But very happy to be home.” Yeah. This definitely felt like home.
“Good.” Laney slipped her hand into Matt’s and turned. “We have breakfast ready for everybody, and I wouldn’t mind taking your vitals.”
Now that sounded like fun.
They all trooped into the sprawling ranch house and into a kitchen with a table big enough to fit everybody and then some. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and bagels were immediately passed around.
Josie took a sip of orange juice. “We’ve been working on plans to subdivide and build us each houses. I mean, once we take care of the chips.” Clouds covered her face.
Shane slipped an arm around her shoulder. “We have the computer program, and I can duplicate it. Then we’ll figure out the codes.”
Laney cleared her throat. “Is Jory really alive?”
“Yes.” Raw emotion darkened Matt’s eyes. “He’s alive, and we have to find him. We’re going to go through every ounce of data we have to find that other location. Jory has to be there. He just has to be. I’ll show you the video later.”
Laney rubbed Matt’s arm on the table. “We’ll get him back, Mattie.”
“I know.” Matt seemed to force a smile. “In the meantime, Sins Security personnel, ones I trust, confirm a body has been found outside of DC, and the DNA will match one Senator Nash.”
The senator grinned and reached for another pancake. “Perfect.”
Nate sighed, his fingers tangling through Audrey’s as if he couldn’t stop touching her. “You understand that it’ll be isolated out here? We can get you a new ID, but you can’t go gallivanting around town making friends.”
The senator eyed the group at the table. “I have everything I need right here. After Ellen passed on, I didn’t think I’d find a reason to keep going. Now I have one.” He patted Josie’s hand. “Pass the syrup, would you?”
Audrey blinked several times and put down her napkin. Man, she was tired.
Nate stood and helped her up. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you settled in.”
She nodded and followed him through a massive living room and down a hallway lined with gorgeous oil paintings to a bedroom that smelled like Nathan—wild and free. He lifted her as they crossed the doorway to lay her gently on the bed. “The bath is through there, and we have a huge closet.”
“That’s nice.” Not that she’d brought any clothes. “I like it here.”
“Me too.” He leaned over her, his mouth wandering along her jawline. “I’ve been dying to touch you the last two days stuck in that car.”
Warmth washed over her. “Me too.”
He kissed her, slow and deep.
Her entire body dissolved into softness and need.
He lifted his head. “As soon as Laney checks you out, maybe we can continue this.”
Audrey tangled both hands in his hair and held tight. “I’m fine. No bleeding for two days, and my ribs feel better. Nobody but you needs to check me out right now.” To emphasize her point, she clasped her feet at the small of his back.
Emotion filled his eyes. “I’ve loved you since the first second you smiled at me on that dismal training field so long ago.”
Her heart swelled, and tears pricked her eyes. “I’ve loved you since the same day—when you took my hand, so careful not to hurt me.” She’d been thinking all morning, and now the words deserted her.
“What’s spinning through that brilliant head?” he murmured, his eyes darkening.
Brilliant? Yeah, she was smart, and she should use that intelligence for good. “I’m not sure what I can do here.” Her gaze dropped to his chin.
One knuckle gently lifted her face back up. “What do you want to do here? Anything you want, I’ll make it happen.”
She swallowed, forging ahead with plans as if the kill chips didn’t exist. It hurt too badly to think about those right now, and she needed to give hope. “I know everyone works hard here. You guys run Sin Security and will do so after we deactivate the chips. Laney patches you guys up after missions, and Josie does all the books for the security company.”
Nate frowned, thoughtfulness quirking his lip. “You can do any part you want. Or if you don’t want to help here, I’ll try to figure out a way for you to do what you want.”
“That’s just it.” She was making a mess out of this explanation. “I don’t want to go and do anything.”
He tilted his head. “Okay?”
She shook hers. “No. I mean, I want to have this baby and just love him. Play with him and keep him safe. For a while. I mean, I can get a job—”
“You don’t ever have to get a job if you don’t want. Honey, we’re loaded.” Nate grinned.
“But I should. I mean, I should be more than just a mom—”
“Wait a minute.” He cupped her face in his big hands. “Just a mom? You’re kidding, right?”
“Um, no?”
He kissed her gently on the nose. “You’re talking to a guy who would’ve done anything to have a mom. We all would have. One who wanted to have us in the first place and who wanted to play with us. Protect us. Do the Band-Aid thing. You know, like on television when the kid falls down and the mom cares. There’s no just there. It’s the most important thing—ever.”
She nodded, a tear spilling over. “I might want to work someday.”
“Whatever you want, you get.” He slid his lips over hers, emotion and love in every movement.
“I want you safe with me forever.” God, she needed him.
“Then I’ll make it happen.”
Nate didn’t break promises. For the first time, Audrey relaxed. “We’re going to fight our hardest to find Jory and deactivate the kill chips. We just have to.”
“We are.” He kissed her nose, one hand sweeping down her rib cage. “This little guy will be fine, and we’ll get his uncle Jory back. I’ll find the code for the chips if it’s my last act on earth. We have hope and determination. Then, Audrey, I guarantee you everything you will ever want or need.”
“Everything?” A little sister for the boy growing in her would be nice.
“I promise.” Nate lowered his mouth to hers. “Forever.”
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner—only to culminate it all in stories about alpha males and the women who claim them. She is a member of RWA who has won awards for her works throughout the industry, and she has a journalism degree with a poli-sci emphasis from Pepperdine University as well as a juris doctor from the University of Idaho.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild North with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.
Learn more at:
RebeccaZanetti.com
Twitter, @RebeccaZanetti
Facebook.com
Turn the page for a preview of the next book in Rebecca Zanetti’s romantic suspense series
Total Surrender
Available in March 2015
Prologue
Southern Tennessee Hills
Twenty Years Ago
Jory set down the screwdriver and shoved the computer guts off his legs. The feel of the wires against his small hands sparked all sorts of creativity, and he knew he could make the processor run faster. Way faster. “I don’t want to train. Can’t I finish putting this back together?”
“No.” Nate, his older brother, crossed skinny arms at the door. Well, skinny for now. At about eleven years old, Nate was starting to get bigger, like their oldest brother, Matt, and would soon be all muscley, too.
Jory sighed and pushed to stand. Wires and electrical components dropped all around him. He’d never be big like his brothers. Even now, at seven years old or so, he was the shortest kid in the compound. “Training is a waste of time for me.”
Nate’s eyes blazed all sorts of gray fire in a bruised face. “Bullshit. You’re going to train like a demon until you finally grow and we don’t have to worry about the commander sending you away.”
Jory swallowed. What if he didn’t ever grow? Fear shook through his hands, so he slid them into his back pockets. He had to be tough like his older brothers. “I think he’s gonna send me away.”
“Matt won’t let him,” Nate said, scratching a scab on his elbow.
The door pushed open, and Shane clomped his combat boots inside. Although Shane was probably only a year older than Jory, he stood almost as tall as Nate, with identical gray eyes. All four brothers had the same gray eyes, so maybe they’d all somehow grow big. Hopefully.
Nate glanced down at Shane’s hands before hustling across the barracks to nab a towel. “You’re bleeding.”
Shane swallowed and held out his bloody hands for the worn cotton that might’ve been white at some time. “I can’t practice knife fighting any more today with all the skin wearing off my palms.”
“Too bad.” Mattie stalked into the room, bruises on his face, a Glock in one big hand. He’d probably been at the shooting range. His black hair had been buzzed short, showing bruises down his neck from hand-to-hand yesterday. “You’re going back out to practice for at least another hour. Tonight, when you’re least expecting it, I’m coming at you. You had better defend yourself.”
Jory swallowed and leaned back against the concrete-block wall. His hands shook harder in his pockets. Matt was his big brother, and he loved him, but sometimes Matt got scary. When he got all determined to train them.
Shane winced. “I don’t think so—”
“Shane.” Matt didn’t raise his voice or move from his spot in the doorway. “Train.”
Shane scuffed his boots and eyed Nate, his shoulders straightening when Nate nodded. “Yes, sir,” Shane said quietly.
Jory gave him a sympathetic smile. Nate always backed up Matt, but Mattie seemed to need that, so it was okay.
Tension spiraled through the room. Jory cleared his throat. It was his job to get rid of the hard looks on his brothers’ faces. “Tomorrow is my birthday.”
Shane grinned, while Matt and Nate exchanged glances.
Nate tilted his head. “We don’t know when we were born, Jory.”
“I know.” Jory pointed to the computer he’d torn apart. “But I did some research earlier, and I figured out when we probably were born.”
Matt frowned. “You found records?”
“No. Astrology,” Jory said, facing his brothers.
A grin split Nate’s face, and Shane snorted.
Oh, yeah. He got them to smile. Jory rocked back on his heels. “Mattie is a Scorpio, Nate a Capricorn, and Shane an Aquarius.” Sure, he was probably wrong, but this was fun. Plus, he really had done some research, and the signs fit his brothers.
“And you?” Matt asked softly.
“A Leo born on August eighth. Eight-eight.” Jory smiled. “I’m a Leo.”
Shane coughed. “Why do you get to be the lion?”
Jory sobered. “Because even the smallest lion can have a big roar.”
Understanding filled Matt’s eyes as his chin dropped. “You’re going to grow, little brother. Your feet are huge.”
Yeah, and he usually tripped over them. “Maybe. But until then, I want to have a birthday party.”
Nate blanched. “We have training all day tomorrow.”
Yep, they sure did. Jory had memorized the schedule weeks ago, which was easy because his brain took pictures of everything he saw. But he forced a frown. “Shoot. Well, you could just give me a present.”
Shane bit back a smile. “Nice. What do you want?”
Heat slid down Jory’s throat to land in his stomach. So far, he hadn’t been able to get his brothers to agree to what he wanted. “Since it’s my eight-eight birthday, it’s important. Reaaally important.”
Nate sighed and eyed the clock ticking on the wall. “What do you want, Jory?”
“A last name,” he whispered.
Matt blew out air. “I told you we’d pick a name when we got out of here.”
“Come on, Mattie.” Jory yanked his hands from his pockets. “You’re probably twelve or so… Don’t you want a last name we all can share?” He looked down at his feet, and his eyes stung. His brothers never cried, and neither would he. “Just in case the commander sends me away, I want to have the same name. Just so I know what it is.” His hands shook again, but this time he didn’t care. If he died, he wanted the right name on the grave cross.
“Jesus,” Matt muttered. “Listen to me, damn it. The commander is not going to send you anywhere. I promise.”
Jory looked up, and Matt’s face wavered through tears he wasn’t strong enough to get rid of. Matt was the strongest boy Jory had ever met, Nate was the best fighter, and Shane was brilliant. But they were just kids, and the commander was a grown-up. “I know, Mattie. But I really want a last name.”
Shane bit his lip. “I do, too.”
Silence ticked around the room.
Nate lifted his shooting shoulder. “Um, I kinda do, too.”
Matt looked at each one of them in turn, his eyes darkening. Finally, his shoulders relaxed, which usually meant he’d made a decision. “Fine. Does anybody have an idea for a last name?”
“Asskickers?” Shane asked, hope in his voice.
Nate laughed. “We need something untraceable once we escape. Something that’s us but is a lot of other people, too.”
Jory nodded. “I got an idea last week when we snuck and watched those old movies.”
Matt rolled his eyes, a real smile finally lifting his lips. “I’m not going to be Mathew Casablanca. Period.”
Nate grinned, his body visually relaxing as Matt joked with them again. “Um, no.”
“I meant that movie, Rebel without a Cause,” Jory said, holding his breath.
“Rebel?” Nate asked.
“Stark—after Jim Stark?” Matt rubbed his chin. “I think that might be too rare.”
Jory shook his head. “Dean. After James Dean. He was kinda lost like us, and I think he would’ve liked to be in our family. The Dean family.” Jory held still, trying not to hope too hard.
His brothers all remained quiet for several heartbeats.
Finally, Nate nodded. “I like it.”
“Shane Dean,” Shane murmured. “Yeah. It’s good.”
Jory sucked in air and focused on his oldest brother.
Matt studied him for a moment and then slowly smiled. “The Dean family it is.”