Finally Home (Home Series) (5 page)

"You aren't helping."

"How does it feel to be up close and personal with your teenage crush?"

"Oh, my gosh, I'm sorry I called you."

Kacee laughed even harder.  "It'll be all right.  Will he be coming to work with you, too?"

"His whole team minus Riley will be.  They're upgrading the security system at the offices."

"That will make my dad happy."

"Mine, too."

"Look...I know I haven't really talked much about Mike over the years...but you know I grew up around him and his brothers and sister.  Mike is...a really, really good guy, Lain.  And he's been through a lot."

She sighed.  "I know.  Riley told me some of what happened to them.  I know that Mike allowed himself to be captured in order to save Riley's life and for the team to recover Zig's body.  I know that
Mike was tortured for nearly twelve hours before Riley and the team were able to rescue him...and I know that Mike technically died twice, once en route to the hospital and once on the OR table."

"So
then you know to be nice to him."

"I'm nice to everyone," Lainey huffed.

"Yes, but Mike is special."

"Good grief, Kace, do I need to have a talk with Connor about your feelings toward Mike Casiano?"

Kacee laughed.  "Ha ha ha.  Just remember what I said when he pushes you to want to strangle him, because I know you, chickie. You'll get to that point."

"Yeah, well, you're forgetting one thing."

"What's that?"

"He's been Riley's best friend for years, and Riley never really introduced him to me.  Must have had a reason for that.  I gotta go before my mother launches a search party."

Ending the call, she got up to change into leggings and a sweater and boots, then went downstairs, placing her bag by the front door.  Mike's eyes locked on her the moment she walked into the family room.  She met his gaze briefly, gave him a soft smile, then went into the kitchen where their mothers were chatting while fixing food.

"How are you, Lainey?" Jeannette asked her.  "I haven't seen you in a while.
"

"I'm good, considering."

"My Michael will get everything sorted out for you."

"I certainly hope so.  I can't stand the thought of some creep out there stalking my girl," Lisa said.

Mike walked in and Jeannette reached for his hand.  "I can't stop touching him," she told them, smiling up at her son.  "It's been so long since he's been home for longer than just a weekend here and there."

"I don't blame you," Lisa said.

Lainey met Mike's gaze and they shared an indulgent smile behind their mothers' heads.  Dinner passed fairly quickly, then Mike asked her if she was ready to head home.

"Absolutely."

"Why don't you leave your car here and ride with Mike," Lisa suggested.  "We can bring your car to you later.  I would just feel better if you were riding with Mike," Lisa said.

"Oh, no, I can..."

"I think your mother's right," Gavin spoke up.  "I'd feel better with you in with Mike."

Mike could tell Lainey wanted to protest
but she stayed quiet.  He could see the embers of that Irish fire burning behind those big green eyes and was surprised that she was able to keep it banked.  He was beginning to see, though, that she did a lot of holding back. 

He helped her into his Escalade and started down the road toward her house.  She was gazing out the window, head turned away from him, but he could feel the anger pouring off of her in waves.

"You aren't the docile little thing your family thinks you to be, are you?"

Lainey looked over at him.  "What makes you say that?"

"Because from the minute I walked into your offices, you looked ready to strangle someone, and you wanted to take your own car but decided it wasn't worth the war you'd get from your parents to fight it."

"My family tends to forget that I'm not a child anymore."

"So, you're a family counselor, who gets walked on by her own family," he observed.

"Ironic, isn't it?  That's why it's so important for me to get back to my own house before my dad decides he can get away with forcing me to move back in with him and mom until I'm old and grey."

Mike actually chuckled.  "That would never happen."

"What?  My dad succeeding in moving me back in with them?"

"Until you're old and grey.  That part would never happen."

"And why do you say that?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Because you're too beautiful for that," he answered.

"Well, now, Miss Lainey, what have you done?" he said, watching the dark haired man with the strange eyes on his computer monitor. He'd seen the big black Escalade pull into her garage; saw Lainey get out with the big dark haired man and decided to go back through the video he'd collected from her house and office earlier. The new man was there with her police chief daddy, but this guy was no cop.  This guy was military; he could tell by his posture, his movements.  But he wasn't just a rank and file soldier.  No, sir.  Not this guy.  Those eyes were pure ice.  "Where did you serve, Ice Man?"

He watched Ice Man move around the room, removing the bugs and cameras he'd so successfully planted around Miss Lainey's house.  Knew what he was doing, this one.  He listened to Ice Man speak low in another language, cursing he was sure, when he'd found all the cameras and mics he'd hidden in her bedroom and bathroom.

Losing all that equipment would hurt, but he'd get them replaced as soon as he could.  It was a little more irritating when he began removing the ones that were in her offices.  Those were a bit more challenging to place.  But he'd get them. 

He'd have to be car
eful around the Ice Man.  It wouldn't be as easy for him to keep an eye on Miss Lainey with him in the picture now.  So long as he stayed a body guard and didn't think to have any claim to his Lainey, everything would be all right.  He'd just have to bide his time a little while longer.  She said she didn't know who he was, but she'd remember.  He couldn't wait until she did.  He couldn't wait to hear her sweet voice say his name, to have her smile at him like she did before.  It wouldn't be long.  He'd just have to be patient for a bit...

Chapter Three

Lainey couldn't believe how nervous she felt, bringing Mike into her house.  She knew he'd already been all through it, but it was different bringing him in herself, just the two of them.  She'd had her cousins here in her house several times over the years, but Mike being in here made it feel suddenly small.  He overwhelmed every space he was in.

She stopped in the kitchen, nervously glancing around.  Mike noticed and looked down at her, brow raised in question.

"What is it?"

"How do we know he hasn't been back in here?" she asked, her voice soft.

"I'll g
o back through with the scanner," he told her, placing his bag on the counter and pulling the scanner out again.

"Thank you."

He went back through the house and thankfully came back to her empty-handed.

"All's clear."

"Thank God," she said on a sigh.

"We need to talk about the next few days," he said, sitting at her breakfast table.

"Now?"

"Either now or early in the morning," he said, causing her to sit across from him.

"Fine.  What about the next few days?"

He studied her for a moment then spoke.

"I have Colt coming to oversee installation of the two security systems.  I'll have to help in order to ensure we get them done fast.  Tessa will be shadowing you while I'm working with Colt.  After we get the systems installed, we're going to do a thorough sweep of the woods behind the house."

"OK," she said, not really sure why he was telling her all of this.

"I get that you like your privacy.  What I'm trying to tell you is that until we figure out who this guy is and we can go after him, you won't be having much privacy."

She sighed.  "Fine."

"Fine?" he asked, skeptical of her easy acquiescence. 

"It is what it is.
I just want this guy found."

"I understand.  I want you to really think about who this guy could be.  Go back through your files when you can tomorrow.  Think about the conversations you had with him on your phone.  Concentrate on what his voice sounded like."

She shuddered.  "I'd rather not think about him at all, but I get what you're saying.  His voice was gravelly.  He sounded older, if that makes sense.  Older than me, anyway.  And...my guess is he is uneducated.  Certainly didn't go to college; may even have dropped out of high school."

Mike nodded.  "This is good.  Do you remember hearing any background noise during his calls?"

She closed her eyes and thought back to the calls for a moment.  Was there anything in the background?  It was hard for her to say.  She'd been so alarmed by his words and the fact that he could see her.

"I don't know," she told him, "I was so upset...I just don't remember."

"Where did you go dancing with Kacee?  Maybe they have surveillance footage we can look at."

"My dad already pulled all of it, so just get with him."

"OK...it's been a really long day for you, why don't you go get some sleep?  I've got some work to do on my computer so I'll be up for a while."

She stood.  "You can set up in my office.  The guest room is the first door on the left at the top of the stairs."

"Thank you. I'll be in the office most of the night."

She looked up at him when he stood, remembering that Riley had told her that Mike was having difficulty sleeping. 
His eyes held a haunted look to them that called out to the counselor in her.  She wanted to help him learn to let go of what had happened before it ate him up inside the way she could see it was beginning to.

"You should get some rest, too, Mike."

"I'm used to surviving on very little sleep.  I'm fine," he said automatically.

She reached out to place her hand on his bicep, feeling him slightly tense under her hand.  What was it Riley had said?  That Mike didn't like to be touched?

"A lot of the healing process takes place when we sleep.  Your eyes are haunted by things you can't change.  You need to learn how to let that all go and allow your mind to rest so it can heal."

He stepped back from her, a cold mask sliding down over his features, in effect, shutting her out.

"I'm fine.  Good night, Miss Riley."

"Lainey," she corrected.

He inclined his head to her.  "Lainey.  I'm fine."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" she said, then walked out of the kitchen, leaving him staring after her.

In her room, she stood just inside the doorway for a moment, glancing around, making sure everything was as she'd left it.  Mike said that the house was clean; no more bugs or cameras anywhere, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.  As quickly as she could, she traded her sweater for one of the oversized Navy T-Shirts her cousins had given her and then settled on her bed with her laptop to go over her schedule for tomorrow.  She had a full day of appointments, ending with Riley's step-son, Cam Blackwell.  She normally saw him at his house, but since Riley and Jenna were still honeymooning, Cam's grandmother was bringing him in for their session.  She was glad she was wrapping up her day with him.  Things were looking better for him than they had been a month ago, so his was an upbeat session to end her day on. 

Her thoughts went back to the phone calls from her "admirer" as he called himself.  He said she'd told him he had a nice smile.  That was something specific...why couldn't she remember him?  That didn't seem like something she would have written in a thank you note; but he'd said she'd written it in her letter.  Had he been mistaken?  Maybe she wasn't the person who wrote the letter and he just thought she was.  She sighed.  But then why would he be stalking her? 

She'd told Mike that she felt he was uneducated, and she stood by that; however, he was smart enough to know how to use high tech surveillance equipment, so maybe she needed to re-think that evaluation.  Maybe he just sounded uneducated because that was the image he wanted to portray for whatever reason.

Her phone buzzed, indicating a new text message.  She picked it up and saw that it was from Riley.

Hey, how's it going?  Uncle Gavin said Mike found more bugs in your house and also in your office.  How are you holding up?

She smiled, touched that he would contact her on his honeymoon to check on her.

I'm OK.  Mike is here.  He's in the office working on his computer.  He told me he doesn't sleep much.  His eyes are haunted.  Maybe while he's here, I can help him to relax enough to be able to sleep without the demons coming after him.

Riley's response was immediate. 
If you could help him, that would be huge.  He was having trouble sleeping before that last mission.  Since then, he hardly sleeps at all.  I've seen him withdrawing into himself and I don't like it.  Mike has always been stoic, but he had a charismatic personality.  He's built up so many walls around himself now that he's losing sight of who he is.  So, please, if you can figure out a way to help him, I would be really grateful.  He's my best friend and he saved my life more times than I can count.