Turn on a Dime - Blane's Turn (33 page)

Blane took a deep breath, let it out. There was no sense yelling at Kade. What was done was done. “Where exactly are you?”

“A motel. Outskirts of the city.” Kade rattled off an address.

Kade and Kathleen were in a motel. Together. Blane tried to shake off the uneasiness that revelation had brought. It wasn’t like Kade was going to do something to her. Blane trusted him. Yet he still found himself saying, “Let me talk to her.”

Another pause, longer this time. “She’s sleeping,” Kade said. “You want me to wake her?”

A sharp pang of disappointment. “No. Let her sleep.” Blane hesitated. “So you know she wasn’t a plant,” he said.

Silence, then, “Yeah, I know.” Kade sighed. “What do you want me to do with her? Bring her back in the morning?”

A gnawing ache clawed at Blane’s gut and he instinctively knew it wouldn’t ease until he saw Kathleen, held her, reassured himself that she was well and whole.

“No, I’ll head there soon. I should be out of the hospital here shortly and I’ll drive up.”

The doctor walked in and Blane quickly ended the call, telling Kade he’d text when he was on his way. After the usual cautions about the injury, the doctor signed the discharge papers. Thirty minutes later, a cab was dropping Blane off at home.

He showered, pulling on a pair of jeans and long-sleeved shirt for the drive. Quickly jotting a note for Mona, he grabbed a sandwich from the fridge and a bottle of water, then hit the road. He should be able to be in Chicago shortly before dawn.

When Blane pulled up to the fleabag motel, Kade was outside waiting for him. The sky was just now starting to lighten in the east.

“How’s the shoulder?” Kade asked as Blane got out of the car.

“It’ll heal.” Blane surveyed Kade, his arms akimbo. “I wanted you to keep her from coming at all and I’m pissed that you didn’t. But it looks like you kept her alive, so thank you.”

Kade’s lips twisted. “Sounds like one cancels out the other to me.”

Blane snorted in reply, but was okay with letting his anger go. It served no purpose and he didn’t like tension between him and Kade. After a moment, he asked, “So are you going back to Indy?”

Kade shook his head. “I’ve got some business to take care of back east. I’ll be in touch.”

Blane nodded, hiding his disappointment. It had been nice having his brother around. Really nice. Blane had hoped Kade would feel the same, would want to stay and give up the lonely, nomadic, not to mention highly dangerous life he lived.

“She’s inside. Asleep,” Kade said, handing the motel key to Blane.

“Is she all right?”

“She’s fine.”

Relief edged out the churning in his gut. Blane was anxious to see her, only feet from him now. As he walked by Kade, Blane clasped him lightly on the shoulder. Kade wasn’t one for displays of affection and Blane hoped he understood by the gesture how grateful he was to him—for keeping Kat safe, for helping with the case, for just being there.

Blane would have liked to take Kat to his house instead of her apartment, though the thought was ridiculous at this stage. No doubt she’d look at him like he was insane if he suggested it, so he didn’t say anything and just drove her home.

It seemed she’d been as glad to see him as Blane was to see her, and if the motel Kade had chosen had been of a better quality, their reunion would have been decidedly more thorough.

Instead, Blane had packed her up and driven Kat back to Indy and to her apartment. Gerard had brought the cat back, as Blane had suggested in his note this morning, so the feline was waiting for her when they arrived. Judging by Kat’s response, that had been a smart move.

The D.A. had called Blane while he’d waited for Kat to dress in the motel, letting him know that the Santinis had ratted out Gage and his part in the murders of Mark and Sheila. Gage would go to prison, though his son James would remain unscathed.

The thought briefly crossed his mind that he could go now. He’d delivered Kathleen safely to her home, the bad guys were behind bars, and no one was going to hurt her. But Blane dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. He wanted Kat, wanted her for more than just a night. For how much more, he couldn’t say. What he did know was that she was the first woman he’d ever been with who was completely oblivious to his wealth or the power he wielded. She seemed blithely unconcerned with his public image or career plans, her focus solely on the man he was, without all the baggage.

So Blane stayed. He made love to her, fed her, made love to her again, talked with her, held her while she slept. She fascinated him. Kathleen had an inner strength and innocence that remained untouched, even with what had happened to her the last couple of weeks. She’d buried both her parents and made her way alone in the world. Quiet and unassuming, it seemed she was wholly unaware of her striking looks. Or maybe Blane was just seeing her more clearly now.

Blane woke when Kathleen climbed back into bed. It was the middle of the night. She moved tentatively, trying not to wake him, as she snuggled spoon style. The feel of her curved bottom nestling against his crotch had his cock stirring to life again. Blane’s hand drifted to her waist. Satisfaction flooded through him when he realized she was wearing his shirt and nothing else. A primal need to mark her, possess her again, made him lift her knee to rest her leg atop his as he pushed his now throbbing erection inside her.

Kat gasped in surprise, the sound turning quickly into a moan. She was still slick from their lovemaking earlier, the wet heat of her body like sin wrapped in silk. Blane moved slow and deep, letting her sighs drift over him. His hand kept a firm grip on her thigh, pinning her in place as he sped up, his control gradually slipping away. He thrust harder and faster, until he came in a blinding rush of heat and sensation, his cock pulsing inside her.

His hand was gripping her leg tight enough to leave marks and Blane quickly let go, though Kat hadn’t complained. She hadn’t come yet, either, so Blane’s hand drifted down between her thighs where his aching cock was still nestled. But she stilled his hand.

“Don’t,” she said softly, threading her fingers through his.

Blane lifted his head off the pillow so he could see her face better. He frowned, wondering if he’d gone too far.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Her cheeks tinted pink and she shyly lowered her gaze. “I’m just a little sore, that’s all. I’m not used to this.”

Well, now didn’t Blane feel like shit.

“I’m sorry—” he began, but she interrupted.

“No, don’t apologize,” she said with a small smile. “It’s a good kind of sore.” She brought their joined hands up to her breasts and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Normally after a night like this, sated and replete, Blane would already be making an excuse to leave. Itching to get home, shower, relax. But not tonight. There was something about her, this particular woman, that had him rethinking his ideas and plans for the future. The things he was feeling should have alarmed him, sent him running for the door, but they didn’t.

Blane lay there watching her for a long while. She drifted to sleep, her hold on his hand loosening as her body relaxed in slumber. If possible, she looked even younger and more innocent when she slept. Guilt needled Blane. He shouldn’t get involved with her any further. He should let that young pup bartender date her. Blane’s track record with women was abysmal. He was too selfish and grew bored too easily. Yet even with the possibility looming that he could break her heart, Blane couldn’t make himself leave her.

When the sky began to lighten, Blane climbed out of bed. Kat was dead asleep and didn’t even move from where he left her. Blane took a shower, pulling his jeans on before starting a pot of coffee. After pouring himself a cup, he wandered over to her couch. A stack of books and magazines sat on the floor and curiosity got the better of him. He inspected the books. She liked legal thrillers, by the looks of it, with a couple of romances thrown in. The magazines were all various food and recipe ones, and Blane wondered if Kathleen could cook, not that he particularly cared.

As he thumbed through the stack, a manila envelope fell from between two magazines. It was thick and Blane unthinkingly opened it. A stack of cash fell into his hand.

Surprise immobilized him for a moment, then he counted it. Twenty thousand dollars. Why would Kathleen have that much money? And why would she be hiding it in her apartment?

Frowning as he thought, Blane put the money back in the envelope. He turned it over in his hand and saw writing on one side.

Buy some decent shoes.

It wasn’t the words that made Blane freeze, his breath catching slightly. It was the handwriting. He knew that writing, knew it very well.

It was Kade’s.

Eleven Years Ago

Kade stared out of his window, knowing it was time and yet, not wanting to face it. It seemed like a lifetime ago, the day he’d first come here. He’d been so sure back then that his stay would be temporary at best. And it nearly had been, if not for Blane’s persistence.

Blane had turned Kade around, given him a shot at a normal life. They’d never spoken about that night so long ago, the night things had changed between them. Blane had seen Kade at his most vulnerable, when he weakest, and hadn’t pushed him away in disgust. Blane had really meant it when he said he loved him and that he’d take care of him.

Kade felt no regret over the men he’d killed that night. He’d kept his brother safe and he’d do it again without a second thought. Blane was everything to him.

But now he was leaving, and he might not make it back.

Blane finished packing, not that there was much to take. As a SEAL, his deployment would be for six months at a time before he’d be back.

Hauling his duffel downstairs, he met Mona on her way from the kitchen. Tears sparkled in her eyes immediately when she saw him, but she blinked them back and smiled.

“Gerard should be here in a few minutes,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind my not going with you to the airport. I just can’t—” She broke off.

“It’s okay,” Blane said, reaching to give her a hug. “I understand.”

Mona gripped him tightly before letting go. She nodded, her smile thin lipped now and tears on her lashes.

“You be careful,” she managed to say. “We love you, you know.”

“I will,” Blane replied. “And I love you, too.” He brushed a kiss to her forehead. “Where’s Kade?” he asked.

Mona dabbed at her eyes. “I don’t think he wants to come down,” she said. “You know how he idolizes you. He’s having a harder time dealing with this than even Gerard and me.”

Blane glanced up the stairs with a sigh. “I’d better go up,” he said.

A few moments later, he was knocking on Kade’s door.

“Yeah,” Kade called out.

Blane opened the door. Kade was standing at the window, looking outside.

“You’re not gonna give your big brother a goodbye kiss?” Blane joked, but Kade didn’t smile.

Blane sighed and sank down onto the bed. He glanced around. Kade kept the room spotless. The only area that looked like it was even used was the desk which held his computer and other electronics, some of which Blane didn’t even know what they did or were for. But Kade did. He’d taken to computers like a duck to water, which probably shouldn’t have been surprising since he’d tested two levels above his grade. He’d graduate high school a couple of months after he turned seventeen.

“Tell me why you’re doing this again?” Kade asked.

“You know why. We’ve had this conversation before,” Blane answered. “It’s just something I feel I need to do, to give something back.”

“So risking your life for a country of fools who don’t appreciate it, that’s how you want to ‘give back?’”

Blane knew Kade well enough to know what this was really about, not that either of them would say. It had taken Kade months before he’d slept without nightmares after the run-in with Willie all those years ago. He’d wake up screaming, calling for Blane in his sleep. Blane had taken to just sticking Kade in bed with him for a while. He’d seemed to sleep better when he did that.