She didn’t want him to get killed. That was the last thing she remembered thinking when she woke up in the hospital. She opened her eyes wider, as she tried to focus on her surroundings. The first thing she did was take a mental checklist of her body. Toes can wiggle – check. Her knees felt bruised, tender – check. The gnawing pain in her left shoulder where she got shot, hurt like a bitch – check. She brought her hand up to her face, touching the swelling on her lower lip and chin.
A rustling from her left side caught her off guard and she twisted toward the window. There lay Blaze along the worn leather chair, his feet propped up atop a matching ottoman. He wore her favorite blue buttoned shirt, with the sleeves rolled up exposing his muscular forearms and khaki pants. How long had she been here?
“Blaze?” She coughed and he sat straight up.
“Here. Have some water. How are you doing?” He stood from his chair and picked up a water bottle holding it up to her mouth so she could drink from the straw.
She took a sip before answering, “I’m okay. How long have I been here?”
“Two days. Do you remember what happened?” He set the water down and she scooted closer to the wall, to allow him enough width to sit on the edge of the bed next to her.
“Is she alive?”
“She survived.”
“I remember everything up until the point where I thought she was going to shoot you and thinking to myself I couldn’t let her shoot you. That I didn’t want you to get killed. Am I in trouble? I’m assuming she got arrested? What was actually going on?”
“Listen. There has been a lot of things that happened the last two days while you were in here. I need you to promise me something.”
“What’s that?”
“Promise me, when I explain everything to you, no matter what happens, you will believe this: everything between us was real, it was genuine. I know you felt it.”
“You’re scaring me. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Promise me, Red.”
“I promise. Will you please tell me-”
“Ms. Parker, so happy to have you back.”
She turned to the sound of her name, where a small, young woman in blue scrubs was making notes on a clipboard attached to the wall near her door.
“Hi.”
“How are you feeling? I’m Louisa. I’m your nurse.”
Blaze stood and Brandi reached for his arm, “Don’t go, please.”
The nurse laughed, “Oh honey, I don’t think he’s going to leave now that you’re awake. The poor guy has been sitting in that chair since the ambulance brought you in.”
Warmth spread throughout her body and she couldn’t hold back the grin as a faint blush rose to Blaze’s cheeks and his single dimple came out of hiding.
“Just so you know, I’m under strict orders to notify the police department upon your awakening. They have to twenty-question you about what happened.” The nurse proceeded to check her vitals and make notes, while Brandi and Blaze stared at each other as if they were the only ones in the room.
“Okay. You’re doing good. How’s the pain in your shoulder?”
“Painful.”
“Once the doctor comes in, he’ll want to check it out and have it re-bandaged. Otherwise, I’ll send a tray of food in for you that you can try nibbling on, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Brandi watched the nurse jot down a few more notes before she headed out the door.
Blaze took his phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear, “Bryant.”
“No. She literally just woke up. Not yet. I get it. I’m on my way.”
“Do you really have to go right now?”
“I do. I can’t stay here, now. The police are on the way and it will compromise the investigation and possibly your word if I tell you everything that went down. Speak with them first. I’ll come back and we can discuss what we need to discuss.”
“Wait, Blaze! Don’t they have everything that happened on video? Is it necessary to give them my statement?”
“Just following orders, ma’am.” He bent down and kissed her lips. Hard. His mouth opened and she relished his taste. He tasted minty, as if he’d managed to find time to brush his teeth while she was getting her vitals taken. When he pulled away, the desire in his eyes was potent. She wished like hell they were anywhere but here. Although maybe…
“Don’t even think about it. Later, baby, later. I promise.”
With that, he was gone and she was left in her room only to be awakened a short while later by two officers who were there to question her about her run-in with Diane Kingston and why the woman had tried to kill her.
Blaze sat at the computer inside Blake’s house, filling out more and more paperwork. He was still in awe over the fact that Brandi had literally saved his life when Diane had pulled her gun on him, leaving no doubt in his mind she was ready to shoot him. Thank God Brandi had the sense to have her gun on her. When she’d taken her shot at Diane, a graze along her left arm, he’d made his move.
Once he’d been able to watch the video Shell had forwarded him of the visitor at the prison who had used Brandi’s identification. He had been able to identify right away it was Mrs. Kingston because of the jewelry she’d been wearing. Not only that, once he was able to zoom in on the footage, he identified her face and laughed at the absurdity of how she went through all the trouble each time visiting Mr. Parker in prison by donning a fake wig, using fake contacts and of course, penciling on Brandi’s mole.
Once she’d been arrested, she’d easily confessed to everything the pair of them had been trying to do. She had been eavesdropping on Mr. Kingston, one day, learning that he was in fact, being blackmailed by Global Electronics Founder and Board Chairman, to receive the firearms and ship them further on down the line, in the hopes they would eventually get to Chicago. Diane had used that as her opportunity to blackmail him for money to put away for her and Kurt – all with the coercion of Mr. Parker himself.
When Blaze figured out it was her, he’d headed to the house with the knowledge that Mrs. Kingston was at her monthly book club meeting. He’d no sooner walked through the door, thinking Brandi must have had an accident with the vase, than she came running through the house battered and bloody with Diane trailing behind her.
He leaned back in the computer chair, unable to get over the fact that a woman he loved had almost died because of him. It had been a scene of what happened to Nadia flashing through his mind when he watched Brandi fling herself in front of Diane’s gun. Their shootings weren’t technically the same, as Nadia had been shot as a means to an end and with Brandi she had purposely jumped in front of Diane’s gun to save his life. He’d temporarily morphed into some super hero, jumping over Brandi and tackling Diane, where he then tied her up to the hallway banister with his belt in a matter of thirty seconds.
His heart dropped when he’d seen Red lying on the ground. Blood poured from her shoulder and he’d almost lost it. Thinking back to that moment, he was surprised at how in control he’d been when his insides were in panic mode. He couldn’t remember too much of what he’d told her while she was lying there or how he’d managed to call the ambulance. All he remembered was a police officer pulling him out of the way long enough for the EMT’s to get Brandi stabilized and loaded into the ambulance.
The shipment had gone down at Global Electronics without Blaze present. Shell had given him a play-by-play account and Diane hadn’t been lying when she’d claimed Drake was being blackmailed by the founder of Global to get involved with the firearms. Drake had done shady business practices overseas, which would have cost Drake his career if anyone in the U.S. had learned about it, and his chairman had blackmailed him into working for him on the side. Luckily for Drake, he’d compiled every e-mail, voice mail and telephone conversation he’d ever had with Steven White in order to cover his ass and prove he wasn’t willingly involved with the illegal arms distribution.
Brandi had been admitted to the hospital and had surgery on her shoulder. She’d awaken only to have the doctors put her in an induced coma after she’d gone ballistic trying to jump out of the hospital bed. He refused to leave her side and had used his badge to gain access to her room as well as her prognosis. He’d miss being able to flash that badge around. When he’d given it to Shell, he’d balked. Refusing to accept it, Blaze had insisted he was done.
He planned to stay with Brandi. Make a life with her, if she would have him. He still hadn’t had the opportunity to come clean with her that he’d been undercover and he wasn’t dumb enough to believe his red head would forgive and forget on a whim. But he was going to do every fucking thing in his power to make it happen.
He sighed and grabbed his keys. He needed to make things right. He slid into his loafers, grabbed his keys and made his way out the door.
“Blaze. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Maybe I should ask you if everything is okay. Why do you look so frantic?”
“I just stopped by to get my overnight bag. I’m going into labor and Blake is in Fort Collins, so we’re meeting each other at the hospital.”
“What? You’re having a baby? You get in my car. Do you need help? Do you need me to carry you? Where is your bag? I’ll run and grab your bag, you get in my vehicle. Where’s the dog? Who’s going to take care of the dog?”
Marilyn slid her arm along Blaze’s arm, “Blaze. Calm down, please. The dog is at the bookstore. Kay is taking care of him until we get home. I’m only having a baby. I can still walk and function. I’ll get my bag and you can wait here. We can get into your Tahoe together and you can drive me to the hospital, as I’m assuming that is where you’re going, right?”
“Yeah. Okay. Hurry! Go get your shit. Blake will kill me if you have the baby on the side of the road or something.”
“It’s fine. Really.”
Blaze cracked his knuckles, waiting for Marilyn to return from her bedroom, holding a handful of books in her arms with a bag swinging from her shoulder.
“You ready? Can we stop by the bookstore first? I have to drop these off.”
Was she crazy? She had a human coming out of her body at any given moment and here she was thinking about books?
“Marilyn, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re having a baby! My brother will kill me if I don’t get you to the hospital and rightfully so.”
“Let’s go, Blaze.”
She led the way out of the house. Once in his vehicle she was adamant, “Really quick,” she told him as she held up the books.
“I’ve never seen you be so pushy. Fine. Hurry!”
He drove the few blocks to Lusting After Literature and parked illegally on the street as she jumped out. He thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel waiting for her to reappear from her bookstore. If she didn’t come back out in two minutes, he was heading in there.
One minute and thirty-three seconds later, he swung open the car door and stomped up to the front door. It swung open and Marilyn’s face said it all.
“Oh my gosh, we gotta go.”
“Fuck. Blake is going to kill me!” He scooped her into his arms and hauled ass back to his SUV. Setting her a little rougher than he should have into the passenger seat he told her, “Buckle in and hang the fuck on!”
He flipped a bitch on Main Street and floored it.
“Blaze. Slow down. It’s fine. I sent him a text that we’re heading to the hospital. My contractions are coming in just a little closer, but it’s fine. We’ll get there in time. But only if you don’t kill us on the way there.”
“Blake is going to kill me, Marilyn, if I don’t get his wife to the hospital in time to have their baby. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“I’ll take care of Blake. You just pay attention to the road.”
Gripping the wheel a little too tightly, his fingers started cramping. Marilyn placed her hand on his forearm, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
“How’s Brandi doing? Does she know yet?”
“Not yet. I was just on my way to tell her everything when you came busting in with a BOW.”
“What’s a BOW?”
“Baby on the Way.”
She laughed, “That’s hysterical. Is that what you cop-types do? Give acronyms to everything?”
“Only to the important stuff.”
“Brandi will be fine, you know? So much has happened that she needs to know about, she’ll quickly realize she needs you there for support.”
“Let’s just hope while you’re in there having a baby, I’m in there making babies.”
She laughed again and swatted his arm.
“Okay, at least practicing to make babies.”
“You are terrible!”
“But you wouldn’t want any other brother-in-law.”
She quieted down as what Blaze assumed was another contraction overtook her body. He wanted to help. To do something, but the best thing he could do was keep his eyes on the road and get her to the hospital.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Are we almost there?”
“Yup. You can open your eyes, we’re here.”
Before he managed to get his SUV into park, his twin was pulling Marilyn’s door open.
“How you doing, baby? I’ve already called ahead; they’re waiting for you inside.”
“Thank you, Blaze, for bringing us here. You go and get your girl, you hear me?”
“I hear you. Loud and clear. Good luck in there, guys.” Blaze proffered his fist which Blake happily bumped before taking Marilyn and her belongings into the hospital.
Blaze released a sigh and leaned back into his seat cushion. That was intense. Well, it was show time. If he was going to be an uncle to a little boy or a little girl, surely he could muster up enough courage to pour his heart out to Red. Right. If it were only that easy.
If it were only that simple, he’d have been in there already pouring his heart out. Not sitting in his vehicle. Waiting for the right time. He’d rehearsed this over and over in his mind – what he was going to say and how he was going to say it, based upon her reactions. The lines he would come up with when she said this or that, or how he was going to convince her he was the man for her. Only her. Only him. Together. It had sounded fairly easy in his mind, but now that it had come down to this point where she could so easily reject him and never want to see him again; well, it was tougher than he imagined.
He couldn’t bear the thought of putting his heart on the line, again, only to have her stomp on it and walk away. That was precisely the reason he was still sitting in his SUV. His phone buzzed with an incoming call and seeing it was his twin, he answered in a rush, hoping nothing was wrong because surely they hadn’t had the baby that quickly.
“What’s up?”
“You know you have to actually go in to her hospital room to talk to her, right?”
“How do you know I’m not already in there?”
“Lucky for me, I can see you and Marilyn told me to call you and make you get your dumbass in there.”
“Marilyn should be having a baby, not worrying about her brother-in-law.”
“She’s working on it, man. But hey, just doing what my woman wants. So stop being a douchebag and get in there before she falls in love with some other dumbass who’s less worthy than you.”
Blaze fisted his phone in his hand, resisting the need to crack it on the steering wheel. Marilyn was right. He did need to get in there before some schmuck won her over. Before she fell in love with someone else. Before she fell in love with someone else? Did that mean he had stood a chance of her actually being in love with him? Was she? Did Marilyn know something he didn’t? Okay. Big girl panties on. He was going in to find out.
He stood outside of her closed hospital door and waited. For what, he didn’t know. His heart was beating quicker than he would have liked and the fear of possibly losing this intelligent, feisty woman he was in love with was overwhelming him. He’d never come close to feeling this way with Nadia and he didn’t believe that was because he didn’t love either woman – he just loved them differently. He was going to marry Nadia but he couldn’t recall ever feeling this crushing sense of dread, this feeling of overwhelming need to care for her and give her everything her heart desired. Surely he had.
With Nadia’s death, his love for her had grown into an old love. A love he cherished and would never forget. With Brandi, she was his present and future love. A love that warmed him when he watched her cooking lunch for Dee or fold her laundry and how she always forgot to throw the fabric sheet into the dryer with her clothes, having to re-open it and throw one in. He loved the way she moaned his name when he was driving himself inside of her, the way she almost always insisted on being on top when they made love.
“The Exorcist, huh? Can’t handle that movie, too creepy for me. You going in there or are you staying out here?”
Blaze turned to the older woman as she pushed a cart filled with glass vases overflowing with flowers slowly down the hall. She was right. Clutching Linda Blair’s Golden Globe winning film to his thigh, he knocked and entered.
Brandi was reclined in the bed; her fiery red hair lay in haphazard curls across her pillow. She ate ice cream while some soap opera on TV droned on about the hospital’s new chief of staff and how they were trying to keep the patient, who’d suffered a gunshot wound, from leaving the hospital. What was this stuff?
“Entertaining, isn’t it? I love this show. I used to watch it during my teen years and I can’t believe how much I’m missed it. Remind me to start recording it when we get home.” Her smile faltered, “We don’t really have a home, do we? I mean, with Diane in jail now, what’s happening over there?”
“Listen, Brandi. We’ve got to talk about everything that happened.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. Is there more than what I told the police?”
“Yeah, a lot more. I brought this for you. Um, in case you get tired of watching soap operas.” He held the movie out and she took it. Her pouty lips curved into a big grin while she admired the cover as if she couldn’t memorize it by heart.
“Thank you. This is my favorite.”
“I know. Thought it’d make the time go by faster. How are you feeling? You’re looking as beautiful as ever.”
“I’m feeling a lot better. I’m out of here tomorrow.”
“Look, there’s no easy way to tell you this so I’m just going to come out and say it. I began working for the Kingstons as an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. I’m Special Agent Blaze Bryant and my duty was to take down Drake, who was trafficking illegal firearms through Global Electronics.”
“You’re kidding,” she said.
“No. I’m serious as a heart attack.”
“What? All this time you weren’t really a body guard?”
“No. Well, yes I was, but not in the sense you thought. I was there to bust Drake. Not to protect the children, or you, for that matter.”
“I’m…I’m shocked. I don’t even know what to say. You’ve been living with me and lying to me this entire time.” Then, like she’d just made the connection, she asked, “Because Drake was re-selling illegal weapons.”
“I couldn’t tell you, Brandi. It was my job. Despite what was happening between us, I still had a job to do. I took the position on when I thought you were some little old lady like Mrs. Doubtfire. Not…not you.”
“Why don’t you start from the beginning and tell me everything.”
He sat in the same chair by the window that he’d slept in those first two nights she’d been in the hospital. Instead of kicking his feet up onto the ottoman, he steepled his hands under his chin and placed his elbows on his knees.
“The beginning. That seems like such a long time ago.” He started with the guns and how the ATF had gotten wind of this through Drake’s father, who’d actually been looking out for his son after all. He hadn’t been able to accept the fact that Drake was simply breaking the law and since Blaze owed him one, he’d put in a word that he be the one to come out to Colorado. Dallas had pulled some strings as well and had helped Blaze get assigned to the case after a bit of finagling on both their parts. Having money and knowing the right people did come in handy.
“So, I moved in and have been watching him and recording his phone conversations ever since. That is why I had The Prince. And now, knowing that Diane was involved in this, it makes sense why she had it and why Drake had it. Everyone was trying to understand it and what Machiavelli meant about having and gaining all of this power. Really it was just something Diane threw in as a ruse and perhaps meant to a certain extent. Or that may have been your father’s idea. Hard to say.”
“My father. Why were they working together?”
“Long time lovers. I know. Diane seemed so much smarter than that. But Kurt was able to convince her that they needed more money than what she would have gotten had Drake and Diane simply divorced. So she started blackmailing him, making threats that she’d turn him into the police in regards to the firearms if he didn’t comply with her demands.”
“What about Drake? The kids? They have no one now,” tears filled her eyes.
“No. Let me finish. Drake was actually being blackmailed by Global’s founder to smuggle the weapons. Poor bastard was being tugged around by his dick in all sorts of directions. Anyway, he was smart enough to record and keep every piece of correspondence he’d had with his chairman to use against him.”
“Why didn’t Drake just turn him in, in the first place? Why’d he drag it out? Get baited by Diane?”
“He claims he wanted the charges to stick on his chairman. With only recordings and a small amount of e-mails coupled with no real evidence, he wasn’t sure how much trouble the guy would get in. He didn’t exactly know what he’d need in the end. He admitted he was sweating bullets with Diane because he didn’t know who was blackmailing him and he was on the verge of taking that info to the police. Honestly, you walking in on her threatening him couldn’t have happened at a better time. Thank you, by the way.”
“For walking in on her? You’re welcome.”
“No. Not for walking in on her. For saving my life.”
The crimson he’d come to know and love didn’t disappoint as it flushed her cheeks. “You would’ve done the same for me.”
“I would’ve,” he agreed. “Of course, I almost died when you started bleeding out. Neither of us were packin’ heat and that was plain stupid.”
“Excuse me! You don’t get to come in here and confess you’re an undercover federal agent, thank me for saving your life and then lecture me about not having my damned gun on me. What else are you going to throw at me?”