JARED (Lane Brothers Book 4) (15 page)

I don’t want to be a widow before I wake from this.

Jared

The rage I feel at just the thought of some animal that close to my baby while she slept has me vibrating before I hit the panel leading back into the cottage.

Now that Paulie is safe and I know my brothers are on the way, I feel that cool, emotionless haze settle over me. I’m in combat mode right now and I almost pity the idiots foolish enough to dare try this move when I slide back into the darkened cottage and hit the kitchen silently, sliding a long knife from the butcher’s block before melting into the shadows.

The sound that woke me was a footstep, and it pisses me off that I could have missed it if not for the gravel that Miah had delivered just yesterday to complete the renovations.

Whoever this is is a pro, I can tell because I haven’t heard another scrape or sound since pushing myself into the corner to wait for their entry.

If they were already inside, I think I’d know it. I’d feel it on the air and just have a feeling if someone else were invading my territory. It sounds strange but SEALs are like animals. We can smell and sense our enemies the same way a lion or wolf scents their prey.

I know the exact moment the fool slides the door open without so much as a squeak, and I almost laugh thinking that that’s why he’s taking so long.

He oiled the door first to make as little noise as possible.

I know what he’ll see when he gets to the bed, since I took a few seconds while Paulie threw my shirt on to arrange the pillows and sheets just to fool him.

It’s almost laughable when I see the shadow slide into the room on near silent feet and aim his gun straight at the pillow that would have been cradling my wife’s head.

He pulls the trigger without a blink before repeating the process on the other side. The silencer is nothing but a hiss in the still air, and I take those precious few seconds to throttle down the rage his actions have wrought and stalk him slowly.

I was just going to hurt him a little before calling the cops and giving them one of their own back, but after knowing that he came here specifically for Cupcake, all bets are off.

When he moves over to the bed and lifts the sheet back I make my move, grabbing him in a choke hold as my knife slides against his carotid artery.

“Who sent you to kill my wife?”

He jerks and tries to break free, his movements quick and more experienced than one would expect form such a heavy-footed asshole, but I know what I’m doing and it would take a fucking miracle for this piece of shit to break free of me.

“Fuck you.”

The pressure I put on his windpipe has him strangling and choking for air and I hold it a few seconds longer than I should, tempted to just end him and start going after the others I know are lurking outside.

“I said, who sent you?”

This voice, this icy shadow, is the persona I have to adopt when on a mission. I’m grateful for it because I’m so angry right now that without it I could get myself killed.

“Fu—”

“I’d answer him if I were you, fuck stick. He’s a straight-up killer, and if you don’t tell him, he’ll just off you now and go ask someone else,” I hear Jace snarl as my brothers come out of the tunnel and stand at my back.

The asshole struggles some more before finally stilling and slumping in defeat.

“She did.”

I know before I ask the next question who she is, but I want him to say it.

“Who?”

“Cleo.”

What I do to him is a mercy and I drop his corpse to the floor with no regret whatsoever.

“Ronny.”

“I know, bro. Bronx has her and Case is on his way. Let’s go hunting, shall we?” Miah growls and I smile rabidly, almost relieved that it wasn’t Lynn this time.

Paulie is going to have a fit when she hears about this, and I’m pretty damn sure that Cleo will be lucky to have me holding Paulie back when my baby’s temper explodes.

We all split off and melt out of the cottage and into the shadows, Miah and Wyatt breaking off together, while I feel Jace at my back, as always, my partner in crime.

The first shots echo through the night just before I hear the first screams, and I share a look with Jace before we both break into a dead run.

“No way, man. Miah and Wyatt are not winning this one.”

“Truer words, brother. Let’s catch up.”

It takes no less than twenty minutes or so to disarm and, in some instances, kill some of the scum lurking on the estate. By the time the security has done its last checks, I’m so pumped up and running on adrenaline that I hesitate to go anywhere near the house and my woman.

“Yo, come take a look at this piece of shit,” Miah growls and I walk over to see a dark-haired kid in his early twenties crying like a baby as Miah stands over him.

“Don’t kill me, mister, I’m begging you. My pa made me do this. I don’t even know how to shoot a gun,” he cries, shaking so violently that Miah snarls and puts a hand to his shoulder to keep him from sagging to the ground.

The kid is full of shit, I can see it from a mile away, and I shake my head when Wyatt joins us and groans at the poor performance.

“Give it up, you idiot. We can smell your lies. What the hell was your mission?”

He keeps going for the Oscar when Miah loses his patience and hits him upside the head with enough force to send him sprawling to the dirt.

“We said cut the fucking shit, kid.”

That mask drops and I feel my blood turn to ice when a look of pure hatred covers the kid’s face.

This is why we do this job, I think, looking into the kid’s hate-filled eyes and knowing that if he’d managed to get to the house, he wouldn’t have hesitated in his mission.

“You idiots think this will end everything?” he sneers and I see Miah stiffen. “This is just the beginning. We’re going to wipe your family and her off the grid, and then we’re going to take over the world. It’s time for a new order and—”

“Oh shut the hell up, you little pissant. We don’t give a shit about your rah-rah speech or how you feel. I asked you a question, kid, and if you’re man enough to try and come into the home where my family sleeps, you can answer the Goddamned question. Now. Who. Sent. You,” Wyatt grits through his teeth, looking so menacing that even I pitty the kid when he rears back and starts shaking for real this time.

“Cleo. Cleo.”

“Good. Now what was your mission?”

“Please don’t hurt me.”

“Answer the question,” he snaps and I’m pretty sure the kid just pissed his pants when the ammonia stench of urine fills the air.

“The chick and the baby. We were supposed to off Hayes’s daughter and snatch the baby,” he sobs and I see Wyatt go stone cold before Miah steps between them and pushes Wyatt back.

“Go to your family, Wyatt. We got this.”

I see the struggle in him and I can’t say I blame him. I’m pissed about Paulie being a target, but I can’t imagine Wyatt’s rage right now at the idea of one of these animals putting hands on his kid.

Wyatt gives the kid a last, lethal look before turning and jogging to the house.

“Christ. This is such fucking bullshit,” Jace snarls and I second that with a nod when Case runs up, followed by Bronx and an openly crying Ronny.

“Please tell me this big idiot isn’t telling the truth,” she pleads as Bronx pulls her into his chest and tries to soothe her.

“It’s true, Ron. Cleo’s back and with Lynn on the lamb…”

Her shoulders sag and I wince when she practically crawls up Bronx as if she’s trying to get all the way inside the man.

“Shh, love, you know your man won’t let nobody touch you. We’re all gonna stay right here for the meanwhile and hunker down while we figure out a plan. Ain’t we?” he snarls, giving me a deadly glare.

“Sure, ah, we should go inside and get her to Paulie.”

Huh. For all Ronny’s bravado and snide comments, I really pity the woman because she’s not just terrified of Cleo, she’s hysterical with fear.

Whatever they’ve done to this woman, whatever she’s suffered, I make myself the promise that I’ll welcome her into the family and at least try to help her live a life free of the fear I can smell coming off her.

Bronx, the big ape, just croons softly to her and starts walking to the house as I leave Case, Miah, and Jace to clean up what’s left.

I need to see my baby now that I’m calmer, and I need to tell her how proud I am of her that she didn’t let the fear overtake her this time. She really came through in the end. I couldn’t ask for a better mate than Paulie Lane.

***

Paulette

The first thing I register when I open my eyes is an insistent pounding in my head that’s making me nauseous and dizzy, it’s so intense. And then I feel the cool drag of a washcloth over my forehead and the feather-light caress of Jared’s finger over my cheek.

“Hey, Cupcake,” he croons softly, smiling at me so sweetly, I almost feel better, or at least well enough to lift my lips for a kiss.

I try anyway and fall back down with a groan when my cranium explodes and little black dots swim in front of my eyes again.

“Whoa there, baby, just take it easy. You took a header, Ma says. Let me check you out. Do you feel like you have a concussion?”

His concern is sweet and all, but it’s rankling my nerves because I want to be the one offering comfort after what he’s been through, not the recipient because my stupid brain blinked off again and I face-planted in the carpet.

“No. I’m okay. It’s just a residual headache is all. I’m used to them. I just need some Tylenol and I’ll be good to go,” I mumble morosely, managing a smile when I swipe at my head and come away with something that…my giggle hurts when I see a Sponge Bob band aid dangling off my finger.

God I love that kid.

“Cupcake-”

“I’m okay Sugar.”

His finger pulls my chin up and I’m forced to meet his soft eyes when he looks at me askance.

“Cupcake?”

I look away, but he pulls my head back around and forces me to meet his eyes.

“What the hell is wrong, Paulette?” he asks and I know he’s getting annoyed because he only ever calls me that when he’s angry with me.

“Just one time I want to be the strong one, you know. I mean what is this shit! I’m always going all—”

“Hush, Paulette. I do not want to hear you put yourself down. Not ever, baby. You got a huge scare when I woke you the way I did, and I am so sorry for that. I was just so afraid you’d alert them that we were awake if I did it any other way. As for the rest…you realize I made you run through a pitch-black, spider-infested tunnel for almost a mile? And then you still had to deal with Miah’s ornery ass. I think you held up much better than you give yourself credit for. And besides, Ma says you only passed out when you heard the gunshots and that you moaned my name the whole time. Josh swears you looked just like Sleeping Beauty, and you know that if he says it, it must be true.”

Aaaw.

“I was so scared I was going to wake up and you’d be gone. Who were…no, that’s a stupid question,” I say, pulling myself up with a wince that has Jared growling in distress. “What did they want?”

I know part of it is about me, because, to be honest, I was sort of expecting something like this, just not this soon.

Jerry seems to have grown a nice pair of balls, and the thought makes me want to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Baby, I want you to take a deep breath and take your pills before we talk about this,” he says quietly and I throw him a dirty look to let him know how little I appreciate his coddling right now.

I take the pills with a sigh and realize belatedly that I’m in my bed and we’re alone.

“Where is everyone?”

“They all went to bed again. Ronny’s here, incidentally, along with Bronx.”

I giggle at his grimace and want to clap in glee. I send up a prayer right then and there that Ronny and the big, mean-looking soldier end up together because he seems gaga for her and Lord knows the girl needs more than her fair share of love after the life she’s had.

“Jared.”

He scowls and runs a hand through his hair before sighing and just spilling it all.

“They came for you, Cupcake. The guy I caught in the cottage shot for your side of the bed first and then mine. His mission was you and you, alone, and I…I took care of him for that,” he admits gruffly, turning his face away as if ashamed.

I pull him back and stroke his cheeks with all the love I feel, smiling at him through the shock that’s hitting me.

“You did what you had to do and don’t ever think I could turn away from you for protecting me, Sugar. I’m just glad to have you back instead of a body.”

That declaration gets me a kiss and he pulls away moments later and takes my hands in his.

“It was her.”

“What? You mean Lynn? Nuh-uh, baby, Lynn may be kooky beans, but the woman has no gripe with me,” I assure him, shaking my head in disagreement.

He clears his throat and looks back with a sigh.

“Not Lynn. We have her covered, remember? It was Cleo.”