Vortex (SAI Book 1) (28 page)

The way he held himself so still was slightly unnerving. His expression was neutral, and his breathing was even. With all those obvious signs, why did it feel like he was about to pounce? Clearly, her chatter wasn’t going to work, and he was just waiting for her to run out of steam.

Debating with herself, she tried to decide which approach might work best. When his big hand covered hers, she knew she was cooked. Like a goose.

“Viv, I’m not going to bring anything up in the restaurant, so don’t worry. There is no need to tire yourself out with all the chatter. This is just a lunch date and nothing more. We are going to have thousands of these. It’s no big deal.” Leaning back in his chair, he smiled over her shoulder at someone. “Here comes your pie. And, you’re right, it does look delicious.”

The waiter placed the huge slab of perfection between them and asked if there was anything else they would like. “We’ll have one coffee and one milk, please.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she shot a death glare at him. “How do you know that I want a glass of milk?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I figure it can’t hurt. Don’t fuss at me for something that doesn’t really bother you.” Lifting his fork, he scooped up a big bite and held it up for her. “Go on and try some.”

Leaning forward, she opened her mouth and took the bite. He was right. She was letting the small stuff irritate her, because the big thing was
too
big to talk about. “Would you like to go for a walk after lunch? We could go over to Lafayette Park.”

“Sure, Viv. That sounds great.”

She lifted her own fork and took a bite of the pie. When the waiter delivered their drinks, she realized that the milk was a good idea. Lifting the glass, she held it up in a toast. “To lunch dates.”

They clinked glasses, and he grinned at her like she had just given him a million dollars. She winked at him and drank down half the glass. Goodness, she was in a heap of trouble.

***

They sat together on the steps with the statue of Henry Clay behind them. Holding hands, they said little, and Vivi waited for Joel’s opening shot. There was no way he was going to remain silent for long.

Twenty minutes later, he still hadn’t said anything, and she was about to jump out of her skin. “Fine.”

“What, honey?”

“I said… Fine. I’ll start, since you’re doing that super-still Buddha thing. Clearly it’s going to be up to me to get the ball rolling.”

“We don’t have to let any balls roll. We can just enjoy one another’s company.”

“We made a baby against all the odds and we are virtual strangers to one another, so I feel like we should talk about a few things before we talk to other people.”

“Okay. I’m all in, Viv. I’ll do whatever you want, but I’m all in and want to marry you. We are going to be a family, and I think we should get started on making that a formal arrangement.”

Scooting away, she rolled her shoulders. “Three weeks ago, you told me that you don’t have relationships. Now you want to get married? Are you worried that I’ll keep the baby from you?”

“No!”

“Then why would you want to marry me? Do you even like me?”

“I do, Viv. I’ve always liked you. That was the problem…you scared me, so I tried to stay away from you.” Running his hand across her shoulders, he smiled. “I thought you were the prettiest woman I’d ever seen. Then I found out you were smart, funny, and kind, and I knew there would be no way that you would be interested in me. So I did what any guy does and I gave you a hard time.”

“You are a decorated war hero. How many medals have you been awarded? How many times have you faced the unimaginable? Countless times. I don’t know how a girl from the South would ever intimidate you. It seems impossible.”

Leaning over, he whispered in her ear, “That’s the secret we like to keep. Big bad spec ops guy would rather face a hundred tangos than face a woman who could destroy them. We are men who are in control of the world around us until it comes to love. Then we’re like every other guy out there. At the mercy of the woman who holds our heart. So, me liking you was never the issue.”

“How do two strangers figure something like this out? I have no idea where to begin.”

“I think we do what we did today. We go have something to eat, take a walk, have a chat. We keep doing that until we don’t know how to do anything else. We have dinner together, watch shows, maybe take a swim, or go to a movie. I should take you dancing, since you love to dance. Though that might work against us, since I’m not good at it. And every night we lie together and let our bodies get to know each another. We seem to be really working in that area, so we should do it as often as we can.” Rubbing his finger over her hands, he shrugged. “That’s where I think we should begin.”

“It seems almost too simple.”

“Sometimes that’s how it is. I have a make-it-work attitude. I do the right thing, and I just keep doing it, and I don’t stop, no matter what. I have a feeling that you’re the same way. Everything about what you’ve done shows me that it’s true. Let’s make it work, Viv.” Resting his hand on her stomach, he grinned. “We have an especially good reason to succeed.”

Covering his hand with her own, she nodded in agreement. “I will date you, Joel. Let’s see what we can make.”

His bark of laughter startled some birds that were searching for food on the lawn. “I never had to knock a girl up to get her to agree to date me.”

Smoothing down her shirt, she picked at a loose thread. “That’s how things work down here. Sometimes it takes extreme measures to make sure you have the chance you want.”

“I’m starting to understand that now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Joel started down the back stairs toward the kitchen as Vivi got dressed. It was time to feed his woman and their child. Laughing to himself, he realized how much his life had changed in three weeks. He’d come down here as a man who had no interest in a relationship, to protect a woman who made him crazy. Now, he was more than a little in love and had a baby on the way. The more he admitted it to himself, the better he felt. The strain of ignoring his feelings wasn’t something that he needed to carry around anymore. Something his partner Max had told him a year ago stuck in his head. He explained that falling in love with his wife was the easiest thing he’d ever done because he accepted his feelings immediately. It might be time to take a page from that book and do the same thing. Every time he quit resisting what was happening, the pain in his heart eased. Rubbing his chest, he realized how relaxed he felt. Loving Vivi wasn’t going to be difficult. Resisting the forces that were pulling them together would be, and he had no interest in that.

Stepping into the kitchen, he heard a screech of tires on the street. That didn’t make sense, because this was a quiet residential street and it was seven in the morning. Just as he was about to investigate, the alarm went off and the front windows exploded.

Skidding to the ground, he pulled his weapon out and tried to see through the smoke and haze. He saw a bottle fly through the smoke and knew instantly they were being assaulted by Molotov cocktails. Amateurs. Years and years of combat experience kicked in as he moved back around the wall. He slid his phone out and speed-dialed Ben.

Waiting for him to answer, he saw the front curtains go up in flames.
Shit.
Ben answered, and Joel spoke into the phone. “Hostiles at Vivi’s, two Molotovs through front window, fire, unknown number and location.”

“Clear to Buck’s, calling backup, fifteen minutes out,” Ben replied.

Shoving his phone into his pocket, he was about to step around the wall, when bullets started flying through the open window. Dropping to the ground again, he moved back toward the stairs. This was serous shit, and he needed to evacuate Vivi immediately. The sound of automatic rifles releasing their bullets echoed against the walls. The sharp sound and roar that followed told him that someone had gotten hold of a converted TEC-9. He knew those were capable of shooting a thousand rounds per minute if someone converted them properly. It sounded like there were two tangos firing into the house. “What the fuck is going on?”

He spun and ran toward the back stairs and saw Vivi standing there in shock. Her eyes were enormous, and she stood motionless. “Honey, we’re going over to Buck’s. Backup is on the way.” Nothing about her expression changed. “Shit.”

The sound of rounds exploding against the interior of the house filled the air. It reminded him of being in the sandbox, and it was as familiar to him as the sound of a car engine. But it wasn’t something that a normal human being could process. Especially in their home on a Saturday morning. Vivi’s reaction was extremely typical.

Grabbing her hand, he tugged her toward him. Stiffly, she remained in place. “Viv, I need you to move your feet. Nod if you can hear me.”

Nothing. “Viv, I’m going to pick you up.” Leaning into her, he lifted her over his left shoulder. “Here we go.” Turning, he moved down the stairs. The sound of bullets continued to assault their senses.

Before he made it to the back door, the bullets stopped flying. The sudden absence of sound was deafening. Joel heard the screech of car tires and figured the men had finally attracted enough attention. There had to be neighbors out by now. The smell of burning fabric and paint became overwhelming as Joel stepped out the back door. They were on the patio, near the pool, when he felt Vivi move against his back. He stopped.

“Let me down, Joel,” she croaked.

He let her slide down his front and held her. “We’re going to Buck’s.”

“Grab my purse and shoes by the back door.”

Taking a step toward the door, he grabbed both and slipped her shoes on her feet. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, she followed him. “Stay close, we’re going down the alley. I say drop, you drop.”

“Okay,” she quietly replied.

They moved along the back alley as Joel kept her against his left side. All his senses were sharp as he listened closely for the sound of footsteps. When they had come to town three weeks ago, they had set up an escape route for just this contingency. He knew it took four minutes to get to Buck’s, and it could be accomplished by two routes. He could see Buck’s back gate and knew they would arrive in another minute.

The only priority he had was keeping Vivi safe. And until she was inside, that couldn’t be accomplished. The gate creaked open, and he saw Buck’s butler, Fred, standing there. Ben must’ve called and warned them. As they got closer, Fred opened the gate and let them in. “Thanks, Fred.”

“We are all ready for you, Vivi. You come on into the house, and we’ll take care of you.”

Joel wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she felt as cold as ice. “I think she needs a big blanket and a cup of tea. She’s fighting off the shock and could use a little help.”

“We can slip a bit of bourbon into the tea, and that will work right away.”

“No,” they said simultaneously.

Fred spun around and stared at them as they stood on the back porch.

Placing her hand gently on his arm, she patted him. “I’m pregnant, Fred.”

“Saints be praised, Vivi. I knew those babies were coming your way.”

Several tears slipped down her face, and Fred took her into his big arms and gently hugged her. “You’re safe, baby girl. Nothin’ is going to happen to you or those precious children.” He led her inside and turned to Joel. “I’ve got it from here. I will set all those fancy alarms that you installed, and we’ll stay here just as snug as a bug until we hear from you.”

The sound of sirens broke the peace of the morning quiet. “All right, Fred. I’m counting on you.” Kissing Vivi’s head, he smiled into her eyes. “You are safe and so is the baby. We are flying to Florida tonight, and nothing bad will happen to you.” When she nodded slightly, he kissed her again.

“I’ll be at the house. Call me if you need me.”

Fred saluted him and turned Vivi toward the house. “What a way to start a weekend,” Vivi muttered.

***

Joel jogged back to the house and remained alert. What just happened, was never going to again. If he had to take Vivi out of the country to keep her safe, then he would.

His phone buzzed, and he answered it. “Out front,” Ben barked.

“One minute out,” he replied. He jogged down the alley and came toward the house from the corner. The street was filled with emergency vehicles. Two firetrucks were parked directly in front of the house with an ambulance not far away. Several patrol cars blocked either end of the street, and Ben stood to the side, talking to Gideon.

“Is she okay?” Gideon asked as a greeting.

“She is fighting off shock. Fred is taking care of her, and she’s secured inside Buck’s house.” Seeing the front of Vivi’s house in flames pissed him off. How had they not seen this coming? Shoving his hands into his pockets, he started to analyze the information that had been coming in. There had to have been a clue in there somewhere. And he’d missed it.

“No way to predict this,” Ben stated. “I know you’re going over the information in your mind, and the possibility of this was never evident.”

“Kyle and Harris have pulled the images from the cameras that we mounted on the door and front gate. They are running it now through the programs. We are probably going to have answers before we land tonight.”

“Are you taking her to Florida?” Gideon asked.

“Absolutely. My house is completely secure, as is the office and her sister’s home. I can keep her safe there until we eliminate this threat. Once and for all.”

“This does not appear to be something the local guys are capable of,” Ben replied, as the last of the flames were doused.

“I agree,” Gideon commented. One of the patrolmen came up, and they stepped away.

Rocking back on his heels, Joel studied the front of the house. “It sounded like two tangos with TEC-9s that had been converted.”

“That’s serious firepower. Local guys don’t have the kind of cash to get ahold of those,” Ben replied. “Feels like the Latin Kings.”