In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4) (11 page)

I
had no doubt she’d snag the role of sugar plum fairy in the auditions by the
time she finished dancing. She had an unbelievable amount of poise and grace for
a soon-to-be seven year old. We applauded her performance until our hands hurt.

My
hands weren’t the only part of my body that hurt when Rafael and I walked away
from Siobhan’s house. My heart hurt too. Siobhan had grown so much in my
absence. The carefree child I’d moved away from a little over two years ago
didn’t exist anymore. At the tender age of seven, she was worried about her
upcoming dance auditions, and she was being bullied for her ambitions at
school. I felt the passage of time in a way I’d never felt before, and I was
keenly aware of the miles that rendered me powerless to help in any meaningful
way.

*
* * * *

I
took a deep breath when we pulled up to Dan and Kimme’s house. Ever since
Rafael had announced we were flying to Montana, I’d been worried about how Dan
would react to Rafael. He and Kadyn had grown to be close friends over the past
two years. Dan had been deeply opposed to my relationship with Michael, and I
had no reason to believe he felt any different about Rafael. Dan had told me
repeatedly that he wanted me to work things out with Kadyn.

The
fact that Dan was now sitting on his front steps polishing his rifle in
anticipation of our arrival did not bode well for Rafael. Still, this prompted
Rafael to laugh. “I can see Dan still takes his role as your protector very
seriously.”

I
just shook my head. “I’m sorry. He is very protective of me.”

Seemingly
unfazed, Rafael stepped out of the jeep, walked around the front of the
vehicle, and reached for my hand as he opened the passenger door. “I certainly
can’t fault him for that.”

We
left the luggage in the vehicle just in case. “Hey, Dan,” I called as we walked
hand-in-hand up the sidewalk.

“Hi,
Darlin’,” he replied with a lazy smile. “I was beginning to think you two
weren’t going to make it over here.”

I
laughed. “Siobhan is a little difficult to walk away from.”

He
set the gun aside, stood, and gave me a hug. “Thanks for coming, Krissy. We’ve
been worried about you.”

I
smiled through the tears that had pooled in my eyes. “I should have come
sooner.” I stepped back and pulled Rafael a little closer. He had released my
hand when Dan rose to give me a hug. “Dan, this is Rafael.”

Dan
nodded politely, but he made no move to shake Rafael’s hand. “Michael’s
brother,” he noted flatly.

Rafael
nodded. “Kristine speaks very highly of you, Dan. It would appear I’m in your
debt, with all you’ve done to keep her safe and to rescue her from Justin in
Trout Lake. Thank you.” He held out his hand.

My
breath caught as I awaited Dan’s response.

Dan
sized Rafael up for a couple of heartbeats, then slowly reached for his hand.
“Kadyn speaks highly of you, Rafael. He told me about the sacrifice you were
planning to make if those negotiations with the SVR fell through.”

My
breath rushed out all at once as the two men shook hands. “Sacrifice?” I asked.

“It
was nothing,” Rafael responded dismissively.

“Nothing,”
Dan snorted. “Wait. Krissy doesn’t know?”

“Know
what?” I demanded. My voice rose more than just a little.

Dan
eyed Rafael curiously. “Rafael was going to sacrifice himself in a hostage
exchange… surrender himself to the SVR in exchange for your release.”

“What?”
I gasped. I gaped at Rafael. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Rafael
sighed. “I thought it was a moot point.”

“I’m
very sorry about your loss,” Dan continued. “I didn’t care for your brother, stalking
Kri and forcing her into that relationship, but what he did in Ukraine…” His
voice trailed off. Dan shook his head. He was clearly battling some strong
emotions. “Damn communists… always torturing people, swindling them out of
their money, and shooting them in the back.”

Tears
welled in my eyes. “Dan,” I whispered pleadingly. “Please. I can’t…”

Rafael
was speechless. He looked stricken by the images Dan’s sentiments had conjured
up.

Kimme
chose that moment to crack open the screen door and join us on the porch. “Oh,
I didn’t hear you guys pull up.” Her eyes flitted questioningly between the
three of us. “Oh, God. What did you say?” she asked Dan.

Dan
looked down at his combat boots repentantly. “I may have said something about
the commie’s torturing Krissy and shooting Michael in the back.”

Kimme
gasped, then groaned. “Oh, Dan. We talked about this.” Squeezing his hand
gently, she turned toward Rafael. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure Dan was just trying
to extend his sympathies. It’s just… with everything he went through in
Vietnam, I think what happened to Krissy and Michael in Ukraine has reignited
some old hostilities. The PTSD makes it difficult for him to cope with things
like this.”

Rafael
nodded in understanding. “I’ve worked alongside men with PTSD. I know how
difficult it can be.”

Dan
suddenly perked up. “I didn’t know you served in the military.”

“I
served in the Portuguese Police Special Operations Group in the
counter-terrorism unit and then in VIP protection,” Rafael explained. He
wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me a little closer.

I
offered Rafael a tremulous smile. I was still riding the edge of an emotional
breakdown after Dan’s remarks. I leaned into Rafael’s chest, savoring his
warmth and the comforting weight of his arm.

Kimme
frowned at Dan. “Why is that gun sitting on the porch?”

Dan
chuckled softly, seemingly privy to some inside joke. “I was just polishing
it.”

Kimme
planted her hands on her hips. “Dan! What am I going to do with you?”

Dan
laughed, loudly this time. “I can think of a few things you could do with me,”
he teased with a mischievous smile.

Kimme
rolled her eyes before enveloping me in a hug. She offered Rafael a reassuring
pat on the back. “I’m glad you guys are here. Let’s crack open a bottle of wine.”
She turned toward the door, then stopped and pointed at Dan. “You. Put your
toys away, grab some wood, and meet us out back.”

Kimme
popped a cork out of a bottle of cabernet. She handed Rafael and me a glass,
poured a glass for herself, grabbed a beer for Dan, and led us out into the backyard.

Dan
was stacking wood inside the fire pit. Kimme set Dan’s beer on an outdoor table
and sank into one of the patio chairs. Rafael and I settled onto the couch.

I
took a sip of the deep crimson wine and sighed appreciatively when it left
blackberry, cherry, and chocolate notes behind. “I don’t want to talk about
Michael or Ukraine,” I warned my friends. I knew those events were weighing
heavily on their minds, but I wasn’t about to waste what little time we had
together reliving that nightmare. “I just want to hear what you two have been
up to. Catch me up to speed with everything that I’ve been missing here.”

“Dan’s
building a weapons arsenal. He’s worried about all those changes they’re
contemplating in the gun laws,” Kimme grumbled.

Dan
crammed some newspaper between the logs and tossed a match on top. “The gun you
saw on the porch was my latest acquisition. I had to drive all the way to
Anaconda to get her. I just brought her home today.”

“Was
that a Remington Bolt Action Model 700?” Rafael inquired.

Dan
nodded. “I bought it off a retired police sniper. With that scope, it’ll take a
half dollar out of your hand at 400 yards.”

“Have
you ever fired a Heckler and Koch MSG-90?” Rafael asked. “That’s the preferred
sniper rifle for the Portuguese Army.”

Dan
laughed. “Last time I checked, those guns were banned in the United States.”

Rafael
shook his head. “The U.S. issued an import ban, but there’s still about four hundred
of those guns floating around the United States.”

Dan
stilled. “Do you know anyone who’s got one?”

Rafael
nodded. A secretive smile played upon his face.

Dan
swore under his breath. “You’ve got one, don’t you?”

Rafael
grinned. “Next time you’re in Virginia, you can take her out for a test drive.”

Dan
was practically drooling. “I don’t suppose you’ve got one of those ‘smart
rifles’ everyone’s talking about?”

“The
TrackingPoint rifle hasn’t been released yet,” Rafael replied. He seemed
surprised that Dan even knew about it. “I shot a few rounds with the prototype,
but I didn’t care for it.”

“Why
not? I heard that thing will drill a hole through a penny from five hundred
yards away!” Dan exclaimed.

“Oh,
it does,” Rafael confirmed, “but that gun sucks all the fun out of shooting.
You can pull the trigger, but the gun decides when to shoot. It only fires when
the weapon is aimed in exactly the right place. Between the built-in laser and
the ballistics computer, there’s no skill required. What’s the fun in that?”

Dan’s
eyebrows furrowed. “I can see what you mean. You might as well just hire
someone to shoot for you.”

“How
much longer are you two going to talk guns? No offense, but Kri’s practically
asleep,” Kimme complained.

I
wasn’t really asleep. I was just enjoying the smell of the camp fire, the cool
night air, and the carefree banter that had already developed between Rafael
and Dan.

“What
do you two have planned for tomorrow?” Dan asked, seemingly switching gears.

I
snuggled closer to Rafael while Kimme refilled my wine. “I want to take Rafael
hiking along the Mount Helena ridgeline, but we’re going to need someone to
move the jeep for us.”

“Dan
and I can do that over my lunch hour,” Kimme assured me. “Leave the spare key
with me, and we’ll make sure your jeep is waiting for you at the end of the
trail. I think Charlie’s going to be sorely disappointed if he doesn’t get to
see you. Any chance you can squeeze that in before you head down to Hamilton?”

I
nodded. “I’d like to visit the office first thing in the morning, before we go hiking.”

Dan
perked up again. “You’re not dragging Rafael to the office, are you?”

I
shot Dan a scathing look. “You’re not hauling him out to the mountains like you
did Kadyn.”

“No…”
Dan conceded grudgingly. “I’ll make sure he stays a little closer to town so
you two can go on your little nature walk.”

My
eyes narrowed. “This little activity you’re planning for Rafael wouldn’t happen
to involve guns would it?”

Dan
laughed, but he didn’t respond.

“Why?”
I demanded. “Do you know how unnerving that is? Every time I bring someone home
to meet you, you gotta drag the guns out. Why don’t you two just have a pissing
match on the fire pit and get this all out of your system now?”

Rafael
burst out laughing. “I think I’d prefer to hit the shooting range.”

Kimme
giggled. “I’d rather see you two pee on the fire.”

I
just shook my head. It felt really good to be home again.

*
* * * *

“Hey,
Charlie.” I shifted the large paper bag full of bagels into my left arm as I
nudged his office door open.

Charlie’s
entire face lit up. “Kri! I was hoping you’d stop by.” He walked around his
desk and gave me a hug. “It’s good to see you, kiddo. I see you stopped by The
Bagel Company.” There was no identifying information on the bag. The smell of
warm jalapeno cheese bagels had given me away.

I
chuckled softly. “You can’t find bagels like this on the east coast. Would you
like one?”

“Sure.”
Charlie grabbed his coffee cup and followed me down to the break room.

I
grabbed one of the jalapeno cheese bagels before setting the bag in the center
of the table. “Where is everybody?”

Charlie
handed me a cup of coffee before filling his own. “Half of our staff is out on
vacation this week. Seems the only time we can take personal leave these days
is when the legislature’s not in session.” He rummaged through the paper bag, in
search of a blueberry bagel.

“Do
you need any cream cheese?” Kimme asked, breezing into the break room. She
deposited three containers of cream cheese on the table along with a second bag
of bagels.

Charlie
and I shook our heads. We waited for Kimme to grab a cup of coffee and a bagel
before walking back to Charlie’s office. “Is everything okay with your dad?” I
asked. She had gotten waylaid in the parking lot when her mom called.

“Mom’s
pretty worried about him,” Kimme confessed. She sank into a chair next to
Charlie’s desk. “I need to request some time off, Charlie, so I can go see
him.” Kimme’s father lived in Minnesota. He had been struggling with heart
problems for years.

Charlie
pulled the door closed before taking a seat behind his desk. “Take all the time
you need.” He took a sip of coffee while silently studying me. “I heard what
happened in Ukraine,” he finally admitted.