Dangerous Protector (Aegis Group Book 5) (8 page)

“Are you sure me coming is a good idea? They’re expecting Danny…”

“We all know Danny is…Danny. No sense in making you pay for him being a dumb fuck.”

“I just…don’t want to make things awkward.”

“You won’t. Come on.” He led her up the porch and opened the door, and a chorus of voices greeted them.

Fiona stepped inside the door and hovered there for a moment before a big, beefy man swept her into a hug.

“Dad, Dad, Dad!” Marco pried the man’s arms from around her. “Don’t scare her. Shit.”

Marco’s father engulfed him in a hug as well. Fiona covered her mouth, chuckling as she glanced between the two. Talk about night and day.

“Come in, have a seat. Is Danny with you?” An elegant woman took Fiona by the hand and led her away from the door.

“Um.” Fiona glanced behind her at Marco with his father and two other men. They all had a beer in hand and the hugs were done. No one was smiling. “No, I’m afraid he’s not with us.”

“Oh? Maybe he’ll be by later. Sue? Sue? Your son brought a
friend
home.”

A woman turned from the stove, her bright, glittering eyes honing in on Fiona in a way that was unmistakably Marco.

“Hi.” Fiona clasped her hands.

“Hello, hello, my dear!” Sue crossed to Fiona, squeezing her in a fashion after her husband.

How had two gregarious, happy people produced Marco? The king of all things stern?

“I didn’t catch your name,” the first woman said.

“Oh, I’m Fiona.” She offered her hand first to one woman, then the other.

“I’m Jennifer, Marco’s aunt,” the elegant woman said.

“I’m Marco’s mother.” Sue didn’t offer a name, but she didn’t have to. Fiona could imagine her insisting everyone just call her
Ma
. “Over there’s my daughters, Michelle and Mindy. Those are their babies. And, let’s see, my other boys are around here somewhere. I’m sure you’ll meet everyone before too much longer. I have to stir the beans before they boil over.”

The next fifteen minutes were a whirlwind of meeting Marco’s sisters, their adorable babies, and the rest of his family. After five or six relatives, she stopped trying to remember them all and instead focused on figuring out which people belonged to what family branch. She didn’t even see Marco until the plates were handed around and he magically appeared at her side, helping himself to the plate in her hand. She frowned and took the next one for herself.

“You could have warned me your family is huge.” She shot him a dirty glance, but she didn’t really mean it. She’d never had or known of more than a few family members beyond her mother and father. This was…an experience in being overwhelmed.

“This isn’t everyone. This is just Saturday dinner.” He shrugged.

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yup.”

Fiona glanced around. There were at least twenty people, and that wasn’t including the smallest children. And they were missing people? Danny, obviously, but there were more on top of him that weren’t there?

“How many of you are there?” She spooned food onto her plate, not always sure what she was getting.

“Oh, during the spring and summer when the whole family is here, maybe fifty people?”

“Fifty? Where are they now?”

“Some work weekends. Others spend the fall and winter in other places. Most come back for the tourist season.”

“What are they doing now?” The trees would begin turning colors soon, and in another week or two the tank tops would go to the back of her closet until next year.

“Most head down to New Mexico and work at ski resorts. Trade one tourist spot for another.”

“Oh.”

“There’s an open bench at the table. Get it before anyone else does. I’ll get drinks.” Marco shoved his plate into her free hand and bumped her hip with his.

She edged forward, sliding onto a bench seat at the main dining table with Marco’s parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings. A few cast smiles her way, but most ate, hunched over their plates as if they were afraid someone might steal their food.

Fiona watched one sibling filch from another’s plate, still yet another fend off one thief while getting picked on from the other side. She couldn’t help but laugh and watch.

Marco’s mother leaned over and stabbed at a bit of food on her son’s plate, winking at Fiona.

It was some sort of family…thing.

And Fiona loved it. The sense of family, community, it was…she wanted this. To be part of something this big and loving.

“Hey, Ma, really?” Marco sat down, sliding a beer Fiona’s way, and nudged his mother’s shoulder.

“I just wanted to make sure it was good enough for my boy.”

“Yeah, right, Ma.” Marco speared a steamed carrot off her plate and bit it in half. “That’s disgusting, Ma, you should give that to me.” He tugged on her plate.

Sue Benally swatted at her son, defending her plate with a bunched up dish towel.

Fiona did more laughing than eating in the first few minutes sitting there. This was…a trip. She’d never experienced a family meal like this. There was so much…laughter. And smiling. A few people glanced at her and Marco, but the curious gazes passed and no one asked any questions. At least not yet.

“Hey!” She smacked Marco’s shoulder as he dove into her mashed potatoes.

“What? You weren’t eating them.”

Fiona grinned, not the least bit upset that he’d stolen her food. It was…a mark of acceptance?

She shifted a bit, protecting her food in a similar manner to the other people at the table. The food was amazing. Simple, but she could almost taste the love and laughter in every bite. She just wanted to soak this all up.

“You sure you’re going to eat that?” Marco reached over her shoulder, but Fiona swatted his half-hearted attempt at thievery away.

“Fiona, how long are you visiting for?” That was one of Marco’s sisters. Fiona couldn’t tell them apart.

“A few days,” Fiona said. She glanced at Marco, unsure what to say. He’d called her a friend. Did that mean she should take the guest room?

“Any plans?”

“Mindy, leave her alone.” Marco sipped from his beer and relaxed, one arm stretched along the back of the bench. It was a possessive move. So…the master bedroom then?

“What? I’m just making conversation.” Mindy rolled her eyes.

If Fiona had to guess, Marco was the ultra-serious, oldest child of the group. The shoe fit him so well, she was surprised she hadn’t guessed it already.

“Are you from around here, or did you two meet while Marco was working?” Sue’s gaze was warm, friendly, and a little bit hopeful.

“I’m from Denver.” Fiona glanced at Marco, clueless as to how to explain the rest.

“I’m helping Fiona out with some things, so while that gets handled, she’ll be here for a bit.” Marco’s explanation was…not an explanation at all, but it seemed to satisfy the question.

“What do you do in Denver? That’s got to be a fun place to live.” Mindy had abandoned her plate of food. Ah, the inquisitive younger sister. Did Fiona detect a bit of protectiveness?

“I work for NueEnergy. It’s a green energy company. It’s not all that exciting, really.” In fact, Fiona’s life felt decidedly dull and empty in comparison to their world here, so full of adventure and travel.

“NueEnergy?” Mindy’s eyes widened and she stared at her brother, some hidden meaning in their depths.

“Leave it, Mindy,” Marco said with an edge in his voice.

Mindy made a disgusted sound and sipped from her cup, turning toward the other end of the table. Was it Fiona’s imagination, or was the tone of the evening…quieter now?

“How’d it go with Danny?” Jennifer asked.

If Fiona thought the tone had died down, it went silent at that question.

All eyes turned toward Marco and Fiona swore she could hear his teeth grind.

“Not so well.” Marco leaned forward, elbows on the table, and sipped his beer.

“Is he coming home?” Jennifer asked.

“Not this weekend, Aunt Jenn.” Marco’s voice was…kind.

“I see.” Jennifer moved some food around on her plate and slowly the conversation picked up around them.

People finished eating. Desert was brought out—brownies and ice cream. More food theft transpired, and a few people wound up wearing their food. There was always plenty of laughter. By the time the meal was done, Fiona was stuffed and drowsy. Sue gave her a blanket, and Marco’s sisters swept her off to the back porch, where they sat in a screened off section, the Moab desert all around them. For the most part, the women chatted, not quite ignoring her, but Fiona had nothing to add to the discussion about who was dating who.

Mindy went in and out a few times with her baby, always casting a glance Fiona’s way. It wasn’t quite friendly, and honestly Fiona didn’t know what to make of it. But she wasn’t surprised when Mindy sat next to her on the bench, her baby wrapped up in her arms.

“How’d you meet my brother?” Mindy asked.

“At a bar.”

“Was Danny there?”

“As I understand it, I had just missed Danny.”

“He’s not coming home, is he?”

“I…it’s hard to say.”

“You work for NueEnergy, huh?” Ah, there it was. For some reason her employer was an issue. One Fiona knew nothing about.

“Yes, I’m just an admin though. Glorified secretary.”

“I see.”

Mindy wasn’t saying much, and that left questions. As far as she knew, NueEnergy was all about protecting the environment. Leaving as little of a footprint as possible. Why would Marco’s family not be on board with that?

8.

Scott made another
drive
past the house.

He’d gone by once every hour for the last five hours, and still, he didn’t see any movement within the condo.

Either Fiona and the Hulk were fucking, or they’d split.

The only way Scott could find out was to go looking for himself.

Time to see if he’d successfully hacked her house.

He parked his car around the corner and down almost a block, far enough away it wasn’t noticeable, but still close enough he could make it there in a sprint. He could only hope that the Hulk wasn’t much of a runner.

The street was quiet, no other pedestrians around, so Scott kept his head down until he could cut through the alley behind the condos. He leaned up against the privacy fence and pulled out his phone.

Fiona had taken his key back and changed the security system code. But he’d expected that. Which was why he’d had a copy of the key made and programmed a back door into the security system. That was the thing about the so-called Smart Home. They were hackable. And if they were hackable, Scott was getting in. It had been a little exciting to gain access to her home that way. It was his first Smart Home job, and firsts were always memorable. His first computer, his first hack, his first kill, his first new identity…

He disabled the security system and waited for a count of ten. Usually it sent an alert to Fiona that the home had been accessed, but he’d messed with the settings, disabling the majority of the bells and whistles.

Scott jimmied the seldom-used driveway gate open enough to squeeze in, and let himself in through the utility room door. He paused inside, listening, but silence was the only thing he heard.

Fiona wasn’t home.

He didn’t know where she was, which was not ideal, but at least he could get the surveillance equipment packed up and out of here before the bitch at Good Global chewed his ass out again.

Scott grabbed two stools and climbed up on top of them, one foot on each, balancing precariously under the vent above the sofa. He had to work a little to get the vent off, but eventually the screws gave way. He reached in, groping for the camera and mic.

Where the hell was it?

Scott stuck most of his arm back in the vent, dread eating away at him.

The camera was gone.

What the fuck?

He hopped down and went into the bedroom, ignoring his protesting muscles. Between this morning and all the crap he was doing tonight, he was feeling the toll on his body.

Scott pulled the armchair over, under the other vent, and went through the same routine. The screws were too tight. The equipment was gone. Vanished.

In the living room.

The bedroom.

The kitchen.

And the fucking office.

The office was worse, because not only were the camera and microphone gone, but so was the transmitter.

What the hell had happened?

He pulled out his phone and hit the icon for his contact at Good Global.

The line never even rang.

“The number you have dialed has been disconnected—”

Marco had a good
buzz going, in part because drinking had given him something to do besides talk about Danny. But also because of Fiona. Watching her face light up, her happy glow, how his mother looked from Fiona to him with that expectant, motherly stare.

Yeah, this was one fuckup of a weekend.

Ghost wasn’t answering, and until the shadow soldier decided to pick up his damn phone, Marco was in the dark. In the dark with a beautiful, curvy woman his mother appeared to like.

Fuck.

“It’s really cold out here.” Fiona drew in a breath and he was pretty sure he could hear her teeth chattering.

“Almost there.” He reached back and took her hand.

He could walk this path piss drunk carrying his brother, and had a time or two.

Her small, soft hand fit into his, so very trusting.

He wanted to take her upstairs, strip her down…but that was the booze talking. Overriding his better sense, and the load of guilt.

They stepped off the path and onto the gravel drive. Hand in hand, they walked across the open distance to his porch.

“Your family’s really great.”

“Troublemakers, are what they are.”

“I see where you get it from.” Fiona laughed, the sound of her voice so damn pretty.

Maybe he was a touch more than buzzed.

“Is that—do you have a hot tub?” Fiona ducked around the porch.

“Yup.”

“Shut up. Now I wish I brought a bathing suit.”

“Who needs a bathing suit?” The porchlight cast enough illumination for him to admire the curve of her ass and the long line of her leg as she bent to dip her fingers in the hot tub.

“You don’t really…” Fiona glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide. “Your parents are right there!”

“And they know better than to come over unannounced. It’s why we put the speaker system in.” He reached around her for the knob to turn the temperature up.

“No!” Fiona covered his hand with hers. “Are you crazy?”

“Nope.” He twisted, but she pushed it right back. “Fine, spoilsport.”

“I am not, but your family is right there.” She turned toward him, her eyes so wide he could lose himself in them for a time.

“Don’t like a bit of danger?” He leaned into her, gripping the edge of the above ground tub.

“I don’t want to get caught.”

“You were a rule-following kid, weren’t you?”

“What? No.” She straightened her spine.

“Yeah, you were. You never wanted to get caught doing something wrong, so you followed all the rules, didn’t you?” He could imagine her, quiet, bookish, doing exactly what she was told.

“I was not.”

Marco grinned. The more she protested, the more he figured he was right.

Fiona crossed her arms between them and shivered.

Right, she was cold. He wrapped an arm around her, ushering her toward the door.

“Fine, you little rebel, get inside.” He followed her into the house and flipped the lights on. He was pretty sure he knew a few ways to warm her up.

“What’s your family got against NueEnergy?” Fiona’s question stopped Marco in his tracks.

Of course she’d pick up on that.

Fucking Mindy.

Marco scrubbed a hand over his face and turned toward the kitchen. He shouldn’t drink another beer, but he had to do something. Some water was probably in order.

“Marco?” Fiona followed him. She was too smart to not see the signs, the way his family reacted to that name.

“NueEnergy isn’t well-liked around here.” He twisted off the top to a bottle of sports drink and downed a bit of it.

“Why?”

“Because they needed some land, land my grandparents and their parents before them owned, and the government sided with them. We were forced off the property our family called home for generations.”

“W-what?” Fiona blinked and her lips parted.

“It was six, seven years ago. NueEnergy needed some of the land that bordered theirs, and we wouldn’t sell. So we were forced out with the help of the government.”

“I…I had no idea.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, but…I wish you would have told me.”

“Mindy shouldn’t stick her nose in other people’s business.”

“She’s your sister. She has the right to ask questions.”

“The day Mindy doesn’t mind me asking her a few hardball questions is the day she’s free to stick her nose in my business.” Like who the hell was the father of her kids? He’d like to know what bastard to punch.

“I…don’t understand…”

“Family drama.” He held out his hand. “Come here.”

Fiona didn’t question the request. She stepped closer, until he could curl his arm around her waist and bring her to stand between his legs. Her arms were still cool to the touch.

Marco wasn’t in the habit of considering whether bedding a woman was a good idea or not. If they were willing, and he was interested, that was all there was to it. But Fiona was different. Not only was she under his protection, so to speak, but where she was concerned, his judgment was clouded. And then there was her confession about being in love with being in love, or whatever she’d said.

“Made up your mind about where you’re sleeping tonight?” He ran his hands up and down her arms. “If you come upstairs, I can’t promise there’ll be a lot of sleeping.”

Fiona stared up at him, her glossy lips still parted, eyes wide. She looked oh so innocent. Nothing like the sexy woman he’d peeled off that bar last night. He could push her to make the right choice, which was coming to his bed, but it was still hers to make.

She slid one arm up around his neck, and he felt the press of her breasts against his chest.

What was the little rebel up to?

“Marco, what do you want?” she asked.

He’d said those same five damn words to her before throwing her on the back of his Harley and blazing across town to her condo. The rest was a great memory.

“Oh, sweetheart, you sure you want to know?” He gripped her hips, pulling her up against him, close enough he could feel her intake of breath and the clench of her stomach.

Marco bent his head, sealing his lips over hers. He stroked his tongue into her mouth, and fuck, when she sucked he nearly lost his mind.

Fiona planted her hand against his chest. She pushed, only a little, but he wasn’t about forcing a woman, so he let her go.

She took a few steps back, her chin lowering. The way she stared at him was a clear come-fuck-me look, but she’d pushed him away. He gripped the edge of the counter and watched her pull the elastic band out of her hair. She shook her head, the strands falling below her shoulders, and then, with almost artful precision, she smiled at him and slid her fingers around the tab of her jeans. He was pretty sure he heard the button pop free.

“Come and get me.” Her voice was playful, sensual. The woman from last night.

Those four words had his world narrowing to the curve of her hip, the swell of her breast and those lips. He took a step and she started. Probably because the need for her was sudden, insistent and very much real.

He took another step and she skittered backward.

Was the little rebel having second guesses?

He could play this cat and mouse game, but not for long.

Fiona bumped up against the center support column, a big, thick log that quartered the open concept space.

“Sweetheart, you can’t tease a man like that.” He tried for playful, teasing, but all he heard in his voice was need. “You know you want me to catch you.”

“When you look at me like that, I think you’re going to eat me.”

“If I remember right, you liked the way I ate you.”

Her cheeks went a sudden, brilliant shade of red.

Marco grinned and lunged. Either she really did want him to catch her or she’d misjudged the length of his reach. He wrapped his arm around her soft body and reeled her in. Now he wanted to know how far that blush went, where it stopped, if she’d scream as prettily as she had last night.

He hoisted her up and turned, pinning her against the center support with his hips and ran his hand over her body. She gripped his shoulders, a nervous chuckle shaking her.

“You shouldn’t tease me, sweetheart.” He leaned in and nipped at her lower lip.

Her nails dug into his shoulders.

Marco suckled the lip, rubbing his tongue over the hurt. Her hands fisted his shirt, her knees gripped his waist, and her heels drove into the backs of his thighs.

The little rebel wanted to be chased. She wanted to be caught. And she wanted this. With him. Now. That alone, knowing she wanted him, was the biggest turn on.

He pushed his hands up under her shirt, stroking the soft skin at her sides and stomach, up to her ribs and the band of her bra.

That would have to go.

She arched her back, her arms around his neck, and kissed him back. He managed to get his fingers around the catch of her bra and twisted, releasing it. He tore his mouth from hers and shoved the shirt and bra up over her head.

Fiona jerked her arms down, out of the fabric and covered herself. She stared over his shoulder.

“What? Who’s there?”

“Your family—”

“Is there someone there watching me do this?” He ducked his head, pulled her hand away and licked her breast.

Fiona groaned and the tension in her body slowly released.

“N-no. Oh!” She thrust her chest forward.

“My family knows better than to come knocking when I bring a woman home. Don’t worry about them. Unless…did you want an audience?”

“What? No.” Her eyes were wide, her expression a ten on the horrified scale.

“Just checking.” He cupped her breasts, stroking her nipples with his thumbs, marveling at the feel of them tightening under his touch. In a matter of moments, Fiona had forgotten the imaginary audience, her eyes closed, hands in his hair.