Nauti Intentions (26 page)

of her bastard, incestuous lover.

God, this was insane. He stared at the picture. It had been taken from the second floor of the building across the street from the restaurant. The window

there looked directly into Janey’s window. Through the sheer curtains Natches could see the two forms. Alex and Janey. Alex was too damned big.

Too fucking old for her.

He wiped his hand over his face and turned away. It looked as though Alex were forcing an embrace on her. Natches finished the beer and only barely

managed to keep from throwing it at the wal .

“Natches.â€

He turned, watching as Chaya moved into the room from the back bedroom. She swayed with maternal, sensual grace. The hard mound of her bel y

poked out ahead of her, and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his damned life.

His Chay. She moved into his arms, and he held her and their child against him, closing his eyes, praying to God he could protect them better than he

was protecting his sister.

“Have you cal ed Alex yet?â€

She knew about the picture. She had been there when the plain manila envelope had been delivered by Ray after he found it on the front seat of his

pickup that evening as he was leaving for home.

Natches’s name was printed on it in large letters, obviously computer-generated. She had been there when he pul ed the picture free.

“He wouldn’t hurt her,†he said heavily. “Tel me again it’s not what it looks like.â€

“Natches.†Her hands rubbed against his back as her head lifted from his chest. “You know Alex. You said that yourself.â€

“A lot of years,†he admitted, moving away from her. “He’s a good man. A good soldier.â€

But was he a tender lover? The kind of lover his sister needed? It was bad enough the son of a bitch was fourteen years older than she was.

“You need to cal him,†she told him again.

Natches nodded. He knew he did. Alex had been sloppy closing only the sheers like that with a stalker obviously watching Janey. If this had happened

after they learned about the stalker.

Alex had come to him with the information. Zeke had told Alex. Zeke would have had a reason for doing that. He would have had to have seen

something, known something. And Janey had been wary, but it had been her idea for Alex to stay.

Or had it?

Alex was more than just a fucking soldier; he worked with the Department of Homeland Security and was one of the most manipulative special agents

employed there.

Shit. He couldn’t think like this.

“Natches, if Janey were being forced into anything, she would tel you,†Chaya told him again.

Natches shrugged, appearing to agree with her. He tried to tel himself. Hel , she had snapped his and Alex’s head off that evening. She

wouldn’t have done that if she was scared.

“I’l go talk to them in the morning,†he said.

“You’re worried about more than just this.†She moved to him again. “What’s wrong, Natches?â€

She saw so much of him. Sometimes it amazed him, humbled him. She was his second breath. Hel no, she was his first breath. He couldn’t live

without her.

“I hurt her tonight,†he final y admitted, before explaining what happened. “She wouldn’t speak to me before I left.â€

“Oh, Natches,†Chaya groaned. “You can’t play games with her. She’s too smart for that and you keep forgetting it for some

reason.â€

He frowned at her chiding voice. “She’s my sister, Chaya. My baby sister. I have to watch out for her.â€

“She’s an adult, Natches.†It was the same argument they had visited for the past six months. “Let her decide on her own.â€

“Hel , Chay, she’s talking about leaving.†He pushed his fingers through his hair roughly. “I’m just getting to know her. I don’t want

her to leave.â€

Chaya sighed. “Natches, you have to let go eventual y. What are you going to do if we eventual y have a daughter?â€

Chaya was left speechless, lips parted, as Natches swung around and capped his hand over her mouth. He was pale, honest to God white, around the

eyes, with a sick look on his face.

“Don’t say it,†he hissed fiercely, his green eyes bright, terrified. “Don’t say the D word, Chay. You gotta promise me. Promise me.

We’re only going to have boys. Swear it, Chay.â€

She blinked back at him as he lifted his hand just enough for her to speak. “Swear it. Right now.â€

She chided him gently. “Natches, I can’t do that.â€

“Don’t tempt fate by talking about it, then,†he growled. “I mean it, Chay. We’re having boys. Just boys. I understand boys.â€

He didn’t feel nearly as vulnerable at the thought of a boy for a child, she knew. The thought of a daughter stil had the power to send Natches into a

panic.

Chaya sighed. Maybe tonight real y wasn’t the night to tel her husband that the tests the doctor had done were definitely showing a girl.

She looked at his face again. No, it wasn’t the time.

“I’l meet Alex in the morning when he goes to his house,†he said and nodded, turning away from her. “Not tonight.†He shook his head

and groaned. “Hel no, not tonight. Swear to God, if I have to look at that hickey on his neck one more time, I’m going to kil him, Chay.â€

“I understand, Natches.†She kept her expression serious, somber, as he swung around her. “Real y, honey, I understand.†She held her

hand out to him. “Wil you come to bed now? I’m lonely.â€

His gaze flared; his body tightened instantly.

“I thought you were tired.â€

“Natches.†She grinned. “I’m never that tired.â€

He took her hand and let her lead him back to their bed. He made love to her. Slow, easy love. And later, when she was drifting off to sleep, he held her

in his arms, stared up at the ceiling, and that picture flashed before his eyes again.

God, there were some things an older brother just didn’t need to know.

FIFTEEN

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Alex stared at the picture and the note that Natches slapped on his kitchen table the next morning.

“Why the hel aren’t you at the apartment?†Natches bit out. “Whoever’s watching her is close, Alex.â€

“She threw me out,†Alex murmured, staring at the image someone’s camera had captured. Janey, locked against him, his hold dominant,

appearing forceful. It looked bad. It had been hot as hel when it happened.

“And you’re not covering her ass? You didn’t cal any of us?†Natches stomped around the kitchen. “How do you know she’s

safe?â€

“I cal ed in backup and told Faisal to keep an eye on her. That boy is hel in a fight, you know.†He stared at the letter, a frown brewing on his brow.

“What the fuck is this?†He slapped the paper to the table. “They think she’s somehow corrupting
me
?â€

“Yeah, go figure,†Natches sneered as he threw him a hostile look.

“And this was waiting in Ray’s truck last night after hours?â€

“That’s what I said.†Natches was livid. A livid Natches was not a comfortable sight. “Who’s watching Janey?â€

“Tyrel Grayson and Mark Lessing. And as I said, Faisal is inside.†Alex stared at the picture again. “This was taken from across the street,

wasn’t it?â€

“Good guess, Sherlock,†Natches grunted.

Alex’s lips thinned. “Natches, work with me here.â€

“I worked with you when I mistakenly thought you were looking out for Janey, rather than looking for a way into her bed,†he snarled. “Hel , Alex.

How would you feel if those were pictures of Crista? What would you have done if you had had photos of the night she spent with Dawg when she was

eighteen? Would you have been a happy little camper?â€

Alex clenched his jaw. Hel no. He hadn’t had pictures and he hadn’t been a happy camper.

“Some things a brother doesn’t need to know, or see. Hickeys on her lover’s neck, a man too old for her to begin with. And pictures of him

manhandling her.â€

“Fuck you,†Alex growled.

“Not in this lifetime, hotshot,†Natches snapped back.

Alex ran his hand over his head. Natches had to be one of the most stubborn, difficult bastards he had ever run across.

Natches was an aggravation. This picture was dangerous.

“I’ve had Tyrel and Mark watching the apartment when I’m gone since the night we found the note in her kitchen. So far, nothing’s

happened. No one’s been overly curious, and no one’s been fol owing her.â€

“Where is she now?†Natches glared back at him.

“I talked to her just before you arrived. Cal ed her cel phone. She was getting ready to go to the office to get some work done.â€

“Your men check the office and restaurant?†Natches’s voice was hard, cold.

Alex nodded at that. “They have a key to the office as wel as the apartment. They finished checking it out just before I left. They have surveil ance

set up on the three entrances and are watching Janey specifical y.â€

“You brought in two of your men,†Natches growled. “Your gut’s crawling, aint it?â€

Yes, it was. It had been for days.

“I’m moving in with her tonight for good,†he told Natches. “There wil be no more leaving in the morning. I’l set up there, keep a better

eye on her.â€

“Shit.†Natches braced his hands on the counter and stared out the kitchen window. “Hel , Alex. She was supposed to be safe now.â€

“She wil be.†Alex wouldn’t have it any other way. “She is safe, Natches. And she’s damned careful. Janey’s no one’s fool.

Pay attention to something more than your pride sometime and you’l see that.â€

Tyrel and Mark had noticed it. Staying out of sight, Mark had reported, was becoming increasingly hard. Janey was sharp, and she watched people,

cars. She wasn’t the least bit casual about her own protection.

It was something Alex had noticed as wel . That picture was an anomaly. Normal y, Janey was very careful about pul ing her curtains closed once they

entered the apartment. He’d distracted her that night.

“This is bad,†Natches final y said, his voice weary, worried. “This is bad, Alex. Whoever’s doing this is serious.â€

“We already assumed that. That’s why we’re seriously watching her, Natches.†He turned to the other man, seeing the tense set of his

shoulders. “But if you don’t get off her ass and let her live her own life, when it’s over, she’s going to walk away.â€

Natches knew that. Alex knew he knew it. But it bore affirming.

Natches final y shrugged. “You’re stil alive.â€

“Barely,†Alex grunted as he col ected the picture and shoved it into the envelope Natches had handed him. “I’m going to keep this.

Check a few things.â€

Natches shrugged and turned back to him as Alex picked up the extra bag he had packed that morning. Clothes, a few extra weapons. He was

prepared to move into the apartment that night, despite Janey’s objections.

“You going to show her that picture?†Natches asked, nodding to the envelope.

“Why wouldn’t I?â€

Janey deserved to know. It was her life, her protection. She had to know to be on guard.

“You going to tel her where you got it from?†Natches asked.

Alex flipped the envelope around to show his name on the front. “What do you think?â€

“Bastard!†he snorted.

“Why didn’t you bring this to Janey?†Alex leaned against the table, curious. Natches was fierce in his protection of his sister, but Alex

hadn’t seen a lot of interaction between them.

Natches shrugged. “Look, Hickey Man, keeping her ass safe is your job.†He glowered at Alex’s neck.

“No, it’s her job as wel ,†Alex pointed out. “She can’t be on guard if she doesn’t know what the hel is going on. If she knows,

then she knows to help me protect her.â€

“No shit,†Natches muttered.

Damn Mackays. There wasn’t a one of them that was easy to deal with.

“What do you want from me, Natches?†he asked. “You want me to walk away? Leave her unprotected?â€

“What I want isn’t the question.†Natches shook his head. “Time for me to go.â€

“Why don’t you try talking to your sister, Natches?†Alex asked as he headed for the door. “Is it that hard?â€

Natches paused at the door, staring out the window, tense. Angry.

“She doesn’t talk to me,†he final y said. “I get yes. No. Okay. Whatever. I get polite smiles and noncommittal answers.†He turned back

slowly. “Does she talk to you?â€

Alex felt it then. The thing he couldn’t put his finger on since staying with her, since touching her.

“She talks to her cat,†he final y admitted. “She doesn’t talk to me.â€

He could hear her mumbling every morning to that damned cat, behind the closed bedroom door after he left her. She snuggled it in the evening, fed the

little bastard ground steak, and pampered it so much Alex actual y felt a little jealous at times.

Natches grimaced. “Wel , hel . I don’t feel so damned pissed off now. At least I’m not alone.â€

Which didn’t make Alex feel any better.

As he opened his lips to return a mocking retort, his cel phone rang. Having checked the number, he answered it quickly.

“You’re cal ing me,†he murmured, turning away from Natches. “Is everything okay?â€

Janey had never cal ed
him
.

“You know a lot about computers, right?†There was an edge of frustration in her tone.

“A little bit.†He arched his brows. “What’s wrong?â€