Drew
By the time Levi returned to the living room after his bath, he’d sobered up some. He went straight for the kitchen, downing two glasses of water before coming to sit next to me, his head resting on the back of the couch, his eyes closed.
I smoothed my hand over his hair, and his eyes popped open.
“Is the world spinning?” I grinned as I said the words, showing him there was no condemnation from me.
“Nah. Not anymore.” He linked his hand with mine and went back to gazing at the back of his eyelids.
He was a strong man. A man whom the whole team depended on. But I wondered who Levi leaned on when things got tough. I had a feeling he pushed down his emotions or any fears and soldiered on.
I realized how little I knew about him. Even after almost a week of living in the same quarters, I’d yet to ask about his family or his past. I didn’t know his story—I only knew his present. And yet, somehow I still felt more connected to this man than any other person I’d ever met except for Zoe.
“Dinner’s ready,” Ivy announced, and the smell of potato soup and grilled cheese wafted into the room. My stomach growled in response, and I wondered how I could be hungry.
Hunter was missing. It was a fact that kept punching me in the gut over and over again. I knew The Vicar needed the antidote, and I highly doubted he’d harm Hunter before he got it. But I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that. I prayed that the Shadow Force team would be able to get in and get out with Hunter without much incident. I didn’t want to be forced to make a choice between my son and the fate of the world. It wasn’t fair.
Levi kept hold of my hand as we moved to the dining table. It was a large piece that Jolie had said was only recently added to the space. Since many of the team were now living in private residences full-time, they frequently held dinners here to stay close. They were family, something I hadn’t had in a long time.
My parents had died during my first year in college. Both my parents were older when they’d had me, and for most of my life I’d felt very isolated. I was the daughter of two doctors, and they’d been perfectly content without me. I hadn’t been expected. Don’t get me wrong—I’d known they loved me. But I’d always been an afterthought.
Mom and Dad loved each other so fiercely, there just wasn’t room for me. I’d always felt like an outsider looking in. It wasn’t that they meant to make me feel that way—it just happened.
When I’d met Zoe at the tender age of nine, my whole world had changed. I’d spent many nights with her and her grandmother, eating her amazing southern cooking and spending hours talking. We planned our lives out, believing we’d always have each other—we’d always be together. And when she’d died, it was a betrayal of the worst kind. She’d been my only remaining family, and she was gone.
This group of operators and their fearless leader had a family dynamic much like what Zoe and I had had. A deep love for one another that was bigger than any blood relation. They’d selected each other—family by choice, not by chance. And for the first time since Zoe’s death, I desired to be a part of something bigger than Hunter and me.
“You okay?” Levi squeezed my hand under the table, his eyes full of concern.
“Yeah. Just thinking.”
“Looked like some serious thoughts.”
“A bit.”
“Want to share?”
I glanced around the table at the individuals seated there, animatedly in conversations with each other. The only people missing were Lydia, who was still at the clinic, and Cade and Piper, since he was still recovering from the gunshot wound.
“Not now. I’ll tell you later.”
Levi nodded, and we went back to eating the comforting soup and sandwiches. It warmed me from the inside out, and I wondered if it was the food or the people that was having that effect on me.
“Are we leaving here to stay someplace else?”
Levi gave me a look of confusion. “Why would we leave?”
“I mean, all the destruction out front. Is it safe? What if they come back?”
“Ah, I see. Yeah, we’re about as safe here as we could be. The glass that houses the control panels and the small foyer area just outside that door.” He pointed to the door that led out to the gym. “It’s bulletproof. That door is also reinforced, bulletproof and explosion-proof—think safe like the technology they use in banks. The security system is one of a kind, so there’s no bypassing it. There is no place in this state that is as safe as where we are.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize.”
“We don’t advertise it, obviously.” He quirked a smile. “But you couldn’t be safer.”
At the mention of safety, my heart clenched as I thought of my little boy out there in the hands of a madman. Levi took my hand in his and used the other to turn my face to him. “I promise you, we will return him to you safe and sound. I give you my word.”
I knew he meant it, but I also knew there were some things that were just outside of his control, whether he wanted to accept that or not.
“I know you’ll do everything in your power to get him back. It’s what lies outside your power that worries me.”
“You doubt my skills?” I knew he was teasing to lighten the mood, so I went along with it.
“What skills are we talking about?” I waggled my eyebrows, and he laughed heartily. The entire table grew silent and all eyes turned in our direction.
Levi wiped his eyes and sighed. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jolie said, with a huge smile on her face.
“Seriously, what are you all looking at?”
Ivy shrugged and winked. “It’s just we’ve never seen you this happy or carefree.”
“I can assure you, I am not carefree.”
“But you are happy,” Oscar piped in and shot Levi a smile that would scare small children. He might want to rein that in when his baby arrived.
“Shut up.” Levi went back to a single-focused attempt at consuming a massive amount of food. The chatter picked back up, but I couldn’t help the warmth in my heart.
It seemed that maybe I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the pull, the tide of emotions, the electricity that hummed between us. It was exciting and terrifying all at the same time.
We finished eating and all sat down around the TV to watch a movie. Ryder was pounding away on his laptop while Jolie leaned against him, Ivy and Oscar were cuddled up next to each other in the oversized chair, and Levi and I sat thigh to thigh on the couch. Cruz left to go home right after dinner to see Lydia since she was working crazy hours. After the movie was over, Ryder shut the laptop and pulled Jolie up by her hand.
“You ready?”
“You’re actually going home for once?” She winked at him, and he growled under his breath.
“You bet your sweet cheeks I am.” He pulled her in for a quick kiss then patted her on the rear. “Plus, I have to be here early to get a head start on the infiltration of the bunker. See you guys tomorrow.”
Ryder threw up a hand as we all called out our goodbyes. Oscar and Ivy stood to go.
“We’re going to head out, too.” Oscar pointed a finger at Levi. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Levi chuckled. “And what exactly does that leave out?”
Oscar pretended to think about it. “Yeah… not much.”
Ivy leaned down to give me a hug. “Levi’s a great guy. You guys are good for each other.” The words were whispered in my ear, but I wasn’t sure if Levi could hear her or not. It seemed to be a common theme from the SF team. And it was just one more example of how much they loved this man and wanted to see him happy.
Surprisingly, I wanted to see him happy, too. Could I make him happy? I knew he’d made my life so much better over the last few days, but was that just circumstances? Or was it Levi himself who made me feel things I never thought I would feel?
When the two left, Levi sat back against the couch, his arm encircling me. The moment felt weighty, expectant, and the army of butterflies in my stomach marching into battle didn’t help the situation.
Something was on the TV, but I had no idea what it was. My whole attention was on the weight of his arm against my shoulders, the feel of his skin against my neck.
I jumped up from the couch. “I’m going to bed.” The announcement sounded awkward and jittery, and by the look on Levi’s face, I was guessing I looked like a psycho.
“Oooookay.” Levi’s raised brows begged the question of what the hell was my problem.
I tucked my hair behind my ears and crossed my arms. “It’s been a long day. Hell, it’s been a long year. I’m beat, and I can’t stop thinking about what Hunter is doing and how he is.” And I can’t stop thinking about the taste of you, the smell of you, and how good it felt to just be in your arms. I left all that out, ashamed that when my son was missing, my libido was still raring to go.
But maybe it was just the confidence I had in Levi and his team that they would get Hunter back tomorrow and all would be well. Maybe I just knew he was going to be okay. Somewhere deep inside of me, I had total faith in Levi and Shadow Force.
Levi took my hand in his and stared up at me with concern in his eyes. “He’s okay. I know it in my gut.”
I turned away as emotion shot to my eyes. I did not want to cry. Levi stood and pulled me against his chest. I felt so safe there, so cherished. He placed a kiss on top of my head.
“I’ll walk you to your room.” He took my hand and led me to my door, opening it for me. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. “Good night, Drew. Sleep well.”
I watched him walk to his room, watched as he turned back to smile at me. I gave a quick wave and shut myself in my room. It would be so easy to give in to the temptation to just get lost in Levi tonight. To not worry about Hunter or The Vicar or his next victims. But a distraction was just that… distracting me from the real problems at hand. They’d all still be there in the morning.
Quickly going through my nightly routine, I tucked under the covers, more tired than I’d ever felt. My arm was healing quite nicely, and I barely noticed the wound unless I bumped it on something. So it wasn’t my physical ailments that kept me awake that night, but the emotional ones. I tossed and turned for several hours before falling into a fitful sleep, only to be awakened by a horrible nightmare.
I curled into a tiny ball as the sobbing took over; uncontrollable, heaving sobs that I thought were going to break me in half. A knock sounded at the door, but I ignored it, too wrapped up in the emotions and horrible images from the bad dream.
Strong arms encircled me, holding me tight against a hard chest. I clung to Levi as he pulled me into his lap. And for once, I wasn’t strong. I let it all out, everything that had built up inside me for the last six months; I let it flow out of my eyes, kept together by Levi’s powerful embrace.
When I had nothing left, I turned my swollen eyes to his face. He looked tortured, broken. I leaned in, taking his face in my hands, and peppered light kisses across his jaw, cheeks, nose, and lips. Each time I lingered a little bit longer.
With a growl of frustration, Levi captured my mouth in an all-encompassing kiss. It was like pouring kerosene on a fire, heat and flames exploding between us. Blinded by passion and fueled by something I was starting to believe looked a lot like love, I fell into a well of emotions and desires, reaching for an intangible wisp of something just outside my grasp. I wasn’t sure where Levi ended and I began. It was a fevered, needy kiss that went on and on and on, and I didn’t want it to end.
Levi pulled away, his breathing ragged and heavy. My eyes found his, asking and pleading with him for something I couldn’t name.
“You should sleep.”
I should, only I didn’t want to. I wanted to continue to explore the heat and fire between us, but I knew that regrets might follow, and that wasn’t something I wanted between us.
Sighing heavily, I laid my head on Levi’s chest and closed my eyes. In the circle of his arms, I fell asleep.
***
Waking up entangled with Levi was definitely something I could get used to. The thrill and excitement of finding someone you clicked with, who got you, who cared about you, well, I’d never considered how monumental that would be.
I carefully removed myself from Levi’s embrace and padded into the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash water on my face. When I caught my reflection in the mirror, I nearly passed out in fright. My eyes were huge and swollen almost shut from my crying jag the night before. My hair stood on end, tangled and messy like I’d never seen it before. I pulled a brush through my knotted locks, then grabbed a rag, soaking it with cold water and laying it over my eyes. Blindly, I felt my way back to the bed and slipped under the covers.
“What are you doing?” I jumped at the sound of Levi’s deep voice, all rugged and gruff from sleep.
“My eyes are swollen, and I look like a Shar-Pei.”
“A Shar-Pei?”
“Yeah, you know—those wrinkly dogs?”
Levi chuckled and lifted the rag from my face. “If this is what a Shar-Pei looks like, I think I may have to become a dog owner.”
“Are you calling me a dog?”
Levi’s laugh was loud and boisterous, and he pulled me on top of him, kissing me lightly on the nose.
“No, I’m not calling you a dog.” The laughter faded from his eyes, and he pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “How do you feel this morning?”
“Tired. Weary. Like I spent the entire night crying myself out.”
Levi nodded, not rushing the moment, just allowing the silence to calm and soothe us. Then he kissed me quickly on the lips and set me on the bed next to him, standing up and moving to the door. “I’m going to make us some breakfast. Any requests?”
The thought of him making breakfast reminded me of how he’d done that for Hunter the first time we stayed the night. It was a bittersweet flood of feelings, tender and thankful as well as sad and hopeful.
Today they would attempt to rescue my son, and I prayed that they’d all come out on the other side unharmed.
“Anything you want is fine with me.”
Levi dipped his head and left the room. I sagged back onto the bed, replacing the wet rag onto my eyes and lying there for a few moments to collect my emotions.
I must have fallen back to sleep as a light tapping at the door had me springing upright. Levi stuck his head in the door. “Sorry—I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you did. I didn’t go back to sleep on purpose.”
“You’re exhausted.”
“Yeah, I am.”
I dragged myself out of the bed and into the kitchen where I perched on the stool at the bar. Levi set a plate of French toast and crispy bacon in front of me, and my stomach rumbled.
“I guess someone is hungry.”
I smiled, not even a little embarrassed. “Starving.”
Levi rounded the bar and sat next to me as we ate in silence. My mind was flooded with thoughts of how to end this with The Vicar. If the worst-case scenario happened and Hunter wasn’t in that bunker, what would I do?
The Vicar had demanded that I give the antidote over to him that night. He’d want proof before handing Hunter over, and most likely, he’d want my cooperation in making as much of it as I possibly could. Sure, he could hire more scientists to help, but that took time, and The Vicar was out of that particular commodity.
“Whatcha thinking about over there?”
“What I’m going to do if Hunter isn’t at the bunker.”
“I promise you, we’ll find him.”
“I don’t doubt that. But The Vicar isn’t going to wait on that antidote. I’ll have to do something to buy us some time.”
Levi grabbed my hand, squeezing it softly. “You can’t give the antidote to him, Drew. There are too many lives at stake.”
I knew he was right, but my emotions were on edge, and hearing him say I might have to sacrifice my son to save the world wasn’t what I wanted to hear at the moment.
I jerked my hand away from his. “I know that, Levi.”
I used his name like a cuss word, and he knew it. Without pausing, he took my hand back in his and used the other one to turn me to face him.
“I’m not saying you sacrifice Hunter for the greater good. No one would ask that of you. I’m saying we have to figure out a way to stall him. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
I relaxed a little. “I’m sorry. I’m just high-strung right now.”
“And you have every right to be. Just remember I’m in this with you. Every step of the way. I’m not your enemy.”
“I know. I really am sorry.”
Levi leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Already forgiven. Let’s get dressed and get over to the office. I want to check in with Ryder, see if there was any chatter at the nail salon last night. I’m hoping the job is considered completed, and we won’t have to watch our backs on two fronts.”
“You think they’ll just keep going until we’re all dead?”
“I don’t know. I hope not. It’s a complication I’d rather not deal with right now. All our sights are on Los Caballeros, what their plan is and how to stop it. We don’t need the distraction.”
A terrorist regime plotting world domination, a deadly gang trying to kill us—what else could go wrong? I didn’t want to ask that question out loud in case the universe took that as a challenge.
If only there was a way to eliminate The Vicar, all the other problems would fade away.
“That’s it!”
I jumped off the stool and raced to my room to get my phone, Levi hot on my heels.
“What? What is it?”
I held up one finger and made the call.
“Rich? This is Drew. You know the mutation we discovered the other day?”
“Yeah, the killer protein?”
“Precisely. I need you to make me a vial of that.”
“Um, Drew? You know that’s a deadly weapon. One injection of that stuff and the person will be dead in minutes. I’m sure Hunter will be fine. Please, consider the ramifications of suicide.”
“Geez, Rich. Do you even know me at all after working together for almost ten years? Don’t answer that.” The truth was he probably didn’t know me at all. It was the sad reality of my past life. “Listen, I need it for the security force that I’m working with. I just need you to get it to me by lunchtime. Can you do that?”
“Of course. I still don’t understand—”
“It’s not for you to understand. I just need it, okay? And also a few vials of the real antidote.”
“Okay, Drew. I don’t like it, but I trust you.”
“Thanks, Rich. I promise I know what I’m doing.”
I ended the call and turned to face Levi.
“There’s a killer protein?”
“We discovered it this week. One of the scientists made an error and notified us immediately. We tested the vial on one of the mice in our facility, and it was dead within seconds. It’s a tiny little mistake, but a deadly one.”
“So, what are you planning to do with it?”
I smiled, but it wasn’t a sweet smile or a humorous one. Instead, it was deadly—and I’d never been more determined than I was at that moment.
“I’m going to kill The Vicar.”