Embattled Home (6 page)

Her throat tightened with emotion and she had to look away. Very few people had ever stood up for her and it was shocking to hear those words uttered out loud. She dragged in a deep breath. “Well,” she whispered, “if you ever do let me know so I can be there to help.”

The man across from her laughed out loud, nodding. “Agreed.”

A curl of amusement swirled through her, taking her by surprise. It had been so very long since she’d felt any kind of light-heartedness. Even when she played with Mercy, she had to stay on guard. Because she was the only one
to
stay on guard.

Maybe having the guys around would let her relax just a bit.

“So, how will this work when I have to go back to work? I called off today, by the way. Obviously.”

She made a motion with her hand then turned her face away from his scrutiny.

“Well,” he drawled, “we’ll have to stay somewhere in the vicinity of both of you, so another guard will have to be brought in. If we’re moving a lot, I may just make it an even four, what we call a fire-team.”

Lora cringed at the thought of other men being around. “Mercy is the priority. I want her to be protected at all costs.”

Chad blinked at her. “And you don’t need protection?”

She shook her head. “I would take this and more every day as long as she’s safe. I don’t want the family anywhere near her.”

He tilted his head, as if trying to figure her out. Lora let him see the determination in her face.

“Well, if we have anything to do about it they won’t touch either one of you. How ‘bout that?”

He grinned at her and Lora felt her own tight mouth ease. The man had serious charm.

The humor in her died away and she shoved away from the table. “I’m going to go take a shower before Mercy wakes up.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, she left the kitchen. It wouldn’t do for her to be friendly with them.

Chad watched Lora leave the kitchen, her narrow back straight as an arrow. He thought they’d kind of been connecting, but apparently not. It was always best to have some cooperation from the party you were protecting. Having a group of men basically overrun your life probably didn’t make a person particularly friendly, though.

Something occurred to him and he pulled his phone from his pocket, swiping the code in then pressing a speed dial button.

Palmer answered on the second ring.

“This better be a fucking emergency,” he growled.

Chad glanced at the digital readout at the corner of the screen and cringed, but it was too late to hang up. “Morning, Gunny. I didn’t wake you, did I? It’s after six thirty.”

“I’m awake now. What do you want, Lowell?”

Chad choked on a laugh as he heard Shannon grumble in the background.

“I was wondering how far along you were in the hiring process for the woman pilot. Did she pass her background?”

Palmer sighed on the other end of the line. “With flying colors.”

Chad laughed at the pun. “You’re awful sharp for this early in the morning.”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Because I think it would be a good idea to have a female involved with this case. I haven’t sat in on any of her interviews. How does she strike you?”

“No nonsense, sharp, built like a brick shithouse. Probably won’t take any of your crap. Diagnosed PTSD years ago, but she got counseling early and has done well, according to her files. Her bird was shot down in oh-seven in Anbar Province. Busted her up pretty good. She’s got rods in her back but it doesn’t seem to be slowing her down.”

“Huh. And…”

“And her file is on Duncan’s desk, waiting for approval.”

“So she’s ready to go, then? Okay, I’ll call Duncan.”

“Hold on, Lowell. He’s not around right now and it’s not a good time to bother him.”

“Why?”

“Somebody in Kansas City found that homeless dude he’s been looking for. I thought for sure he’d done himself in, but apparently not.”

Chad sat back in his chair, shocked. “Damn, I didn’t think he’d still be kickin’ either. How the hell did he get to KC?”

Palmer snorted. “A trucker found him in the back of his rig about froze. Dropped him off at an urgent care.”

Shit. He hoped the guy was okay. Damn. Duncan had final approval on all hires. “I’ll at least send him a text message to let him know what’s going on and see if we can bring her in temporarily.”

“She’s not a usual MP, Chad. She’ll have to be given a crash course in everything.”

“So what’s with the puns today? Seriously?”

Palmer barked out a rough laugh. “Didn’t mean to that time.”

“If she’s half as good as you say, I need her here. Lora cringes every time we’re around her. She freaked when she saw Zeke in the kitchen. I think having a woman here with her will make things easier.”

Palmer hmm’d on the other end of the line. “If you say so. Contact Duncan. If he says she’s a go we’ll get her moving.”

“Okay, Gunny. Thank you. Tell Shannon I’m sorry I woke you up.”

His partner snorted and hung up on him without another word.

Chad typed off a text to Duncan and shoved his phone in his pocket. When he looked up, Lora’s little girl stood at the kitchen doorjamb. She was about the cutest thing he’d ever seen with her messy blond hair and rumpled PJs.

He grinned at her, trying to remember if he’d cussed while talking to Palmer. “Good morning, sunshine. Your mom’s in the shower.”

She blinked at him, clutching that multi-colored stuffed animal to her chest. “I know. I heard her.” Watching him from the corner of her eye, the girl padded to the opposite side of the table where Lora had just left and climbed onto the chair. “We’re late for school.”

Glancing at the clock on the wall, he realized they probably were. “I think your mom decided to stay home today. Is that okay? An extra day to watch cartoons?”

She glanced at the living room, then back and shrugged.

“Are you hungry? Maybe I can make you something to eat.”

Her lips moved back and forth. Maybe she was hungry and just didn’t want to say.

“If I scramble some eggs will you eat them?”

She nodded.

Chad prayed there were eggs in the fridge to cook.

As he stood from the chair he did a visual down the long hallway to the door and out the back window to the yard. Everything seemed in order. A typical cold, frosty Colorado morning.

Digging a pan from the lower cupboard, he set it on the smooth-top stove and turned for the fridge. Eggs were front and center, along with some ham and cheese. He held the items up for the girl’s inspection and she nodded, looking more excited.

Chad wondered if Lora would eat a couple of eggs. He hadn’t seen her eat anything yesterday. When he asked Mercy, she nodded her head. Cracking a couple more into the bowl to beat, he hoped she would at least eat a bit.

“So, what do you like to be called, little miss? Mercy or Mercedes?”

“Mercy.”

He nodded to the crumpled animal clutched in her arms. “And his name?”

“’Ansom.”

“Handsome. That’s right. For some reason I thought it was Bill.”

The little girl’s eyes went wide and she shook her head. Chad turned back to stir the eggs, wondering if a six year old was too young to charm. Opening cupboard doors, he drew two small plates from the shelf and piled some eggs onto one. He crossed the kitchen and placed it in front of the child. “Miss Mercy, your eggs, madam.” He bowed from the waist, and when he looked up, her little pink lips were fighting a smile.

When he set the plate in front of her, she poked at the eggs experimentally before taking a bite. Once she knew they were good she started eating. Chad set a glass of juice in front of her and was just dishing out the second plate of eggs when Lora walked into the kitchen. Her pretty green eyes flashed with anger as she took in her daughter eating and him standing at the stove, spatula in hand.

“Just make yourself at home,” she snapped. “I’ll feed my daughter, thank you very much.”

Tipping his head, Chad handed her the plate of eggs. He brushed his hands on his jeans and turned the heat off, moving the pan away from the burner. “No problem. I apologize.”

Giving Mercy a wink, he walked out of the kitchen.

Mercy blinked up at her.

“He made you breakfast and it’s good.”

Lora looked down at the plate in her hand with a sinking stomach. “He made it for me?”

She nodded her head. “And he didn’t put nonions in it.”

Lora smiled at the common complaint. “No onions, huh?”

She looked down at the plate of food and her stomach rumbled. It had been a while since she’d eaten. And he knew that. She forked a pile of eggs into her mouth. They were as good as they looked, and within just a couple of minutes, they were completely gone. Then the guilt really moved in.

It had been petty of her to yell at him; he’d only been kind to the two of them, in spite of her prickliness. Common decency forced her to leave the kitchen to find Chad and make it right.

Lora searched the front of the house but didn’t find him. She peeked out the windows out of habit as she walked deeper into the house. In Mercy’s room, she finally found him. He was pressing on the frame of the window above her bed. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you. Thank you for making her breakfast. You didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Had to do something. She was wasting away in front of me. I thought she was gonna eat that nasty dog she carries around.”

Lora snorted, amused in spite of herself. “That nasty dog is actually a nasty bear.”

He turned and gave her a weird cringe. “Really?”

She nodded.

Chad shook his head sadly.

“And thank you for my breakfast, too. It was very good.”

He widened his eyes at her. “You ate my eggs? I just wanted you to hold the plate for me.”

Lora’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, and she started to sputter out an apology, until he held up a hand, grinning. “I’m kidding. I made those eggs for you.” His eyes drifted down her body. “You need some meat on your bones.”

Lora flushed as his eyes traveled over every inch of her in a too-thorough scan, sending goose bumps racing across her shoulders and down her chest. She shuddered at the feel of her body responding with awareness.

Chad was watching her closely. “Are you okay?”

She nodded her head automatically and backed out of the room. “Thank you for the breakfast. I’m going to…go straighten the…the mess in my room.”

Trying not to run, she escaped, retreating to her bedroom. She circled to the opposite side of the rumpled bed and sank down onto the mattress, breathing heavily. She looked down at the front of her t-shirt and the unmistakable evidence that her body had recognized his interest. Her nipples pressed against the soft fabric.

It scared her to death.

Why had she reacted like that? It had been years since she’d wanted any kind of physical relationship with anybody. Derek had ruined that for her.

At first, their relationship had been sublime. They’d met at a party almost seven years ago. She’d been going to college for an English degree, working her way through school on her own dime. It had been an unexpected free weekend not waiting tables when she’d accepted the invitation to a party.

As soon as she’d walked into the crowded room, Derek’s gaze had connected with hers. Within just a few minutes he’d approached her, charming her with sweet compliments. Lora had relished the attention from such a handsome guy. Derek had been a total gentleman, getting her drinks and dancing with her. Against her better judgment, she’d let him drive her back to the dorm that night, but he’d left her at the front door with a chaste kiss on the cheek.

The next morning he’d call to invite her on a date and she’d accepted. The attention he’d lavished on her had been like rain falling in Death Valley. Lora’s mother had died the year before and the loneliness and depression had almost swallowed her under.

Hindsight was twenty-twenty though. With her emotions out of balance she’d been easy pickings for his manipulative nature. He’d walked in and made her life better, made her swallow the dream.

Derek’s mother had been just as devious and it was obvious where he’d learned the skill. She’d been the motherly figure Lora had craved. When the subject of marriage had been brought up, she fallen for it completely, and them. She and Derek had married in a quiet ceremony on the family’s estate in New York.

It wasn’t until she discovered she was pregnant two weeks after they married that things started to turn sour.

Lora returned home early from the doctor’s office, ecstatic about her news, and headed upstairs. She wanted to be ready when Derek came home. But Derek was already home. She found him in a clinch with one of the house maids. In their bed, no less. The young girl had run from the room crying. Lora had laid into Derek, calling him names. When she told him only small men cheated, he went off on her. He dazed her with a punch to the jaw and immediately slammed her to the bed facedown. He’d bound her hands with his silk tie and looped it around the bedpost. That had been the first time he’d raped her.

When she’d reported the incident to the police, she’d been given the brush off. Only years later did she realize how deep the corruption went around her. The Malone family owned their quiet New York town, and they used the influence any way they wanted.

Lora looked down at her lap, her surroundings fading away. The past rushed up to snatch her into its depths.

Her heart was trying to race out of her chest. The throbbing in her head twisted her stomach with nausea. Holy hell, what happened last night? She raised her hand to her face, and the swelling under her fingers told her exactly what had happened. He’d laid into her again.

She sighed into the darkness, then caught her breath, rolling her head to the right. Good, he was gone. She didn’t have to worry about waking him when she moaned as she rolled out of bed.

As her feet dropped to the cold marble floor of their bedroom, she paused, caught by how many times she’d done this before. When had it become an accepted routine that he would beat the shit out of her, fuck her till he fell asleep, then go drink himself into oblivion, leaving her to clean up?