Deadly Reunion (Hardy Brothers Security Book 20) (7 page)

“
O
kay
, baby, Mommy loves you.” Emma’s eyes filled with tears as she hugged Avery and kissed his forehead before reluctantly relinquishing him to Ally in the hospital’s lobby an hour later. “You be good for your aunt, okay?”

Avery happily chirped and grabbed hold of Ally’s hair, giving it a good tug to show his mother he was perfectly fine with the arrangement.

“I’m going to spoil you rotten,” Ally cooed. “I’m definitely going to be your favorite now. You’re all mine, little nephew.”

“It’s just for one night,” James said, rubbing his thumb over the baby’s cheek. “I don’t think your plot to steal him is going to come to fruition with Jeff there watching you.”

“Oh, don’t count me out,” Ally said, rocking the baby. “I’m ingenious when I want to be.”

“Yes, and she’s humble, too,” Jake teased.

“Thank you for doing this,” Emma said earnestly, gripping Jake’s hand. “It means a lot that I know he’ll be okay. I have to stay with Finn, though.”

“We’re happy to do it,” Jake said. “Besides, you guys don’t have Netflix. That means Ally and I can have an actual discussion that doesn’t revolve around television for a change.”

“Finn has every season of
Lost
on Blu-ray,” Ally said. “I’ll just switch to that for the night.”

“Well, at least there’s hot chicks who strip down in that,” Jake said, shaking his head. “I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, angel. You’re going to be all over that baby and we both know it.”

“I want like ten of these,” Ally said, cuddling Avery to her chest. “You’d better prepare yourself.”

“We’ll start with one and see how it goes from there,” Jake said, shaking his head as he put his hand to the small of Ally’s back to prod her toward the door. “We should get moving. It’s getting late and Avery needs his sleep.”

“We all do,” Grady said. “I’ll start a search and see what I can come up with on Parker and his wife.”

“And I’ll swing by the casino and get a copy of the security video,” James said. “We’re going to need that if we’re going to figure out exactly what happened here.”

“And I’ll take care of Finn,” Emma said, tears filling her eyes.

“Oh, it’s okay,” Mandy said, pulling Emma in for a hug. “I know how you feel, but Finn is okay. Just treat him like a king for a few days and he’ll be back to his usual self before you know it.”

“I agree with the king part,” James said, grabbing the back of Mandy’s dress to pull her to him. “That’s the only good thing about getting shot. The perks of an at-home nurse are phenomenal … even if she can’t cook and drools all over you.”

“Keep it up,” Mandy warned. “I still have your keys and I’m the one driving us home.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen, wife,” James said. “I’m back to my senses. My freakout is over.”

Mandy wasn’t so sure, but she let it slide for the time being. “Fine,” she said, holding out the keys. “You need to stop for food on the way home, though. We have nothing.”

“So it’s a normal night.” James chuckled as he dodged her swat, but the laughter didn’t make it all the way up to his eyes. He knew exactly how close he’d come to losing Finn tonight, and nothing but answers would make him feel better. “Everyone keep in touch and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we start working this … and we’re not going to stop until we have all of the answers we need.”

“Well, at least one good thing came out of this,” Grady said, slipping his arm over Sophie’s shoulders. “I’m officially off inventory duty.”

“
I
S EVERYONE
gone
?” Finn’s eyes were heavy when they latched onto Emma as she returned to his room.

“Yes,” Emma said, kicking her shoes off and climbing onto the bed next to Finn, being careful to settle on his good side before drawing him close and pressing his face to her chest. “You need to sleep.”

“I’m not sure if I can sleep when you’re trying to suffocate me with your boobs,” Finn said, smiling. “Usually when we play this game we have a little fun before the sleeping portion of our nightly routine.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Emma said, releasing his head. “I just … I need to feel you close to me and I want to make sure I don’t accidentally hurt you. I thought it would be easier if you slept with your head on my chest for a change.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s going to work because I’ll get too distracted.” Finn tweaked Emma’s nipple for good measure. He was trying to relax her, even though he was pretty sure she that was an impossibility at this point. “I have a better idea.”

Emma arched a dubious eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? What’s your idea?”

“Well, for starters, you need to get up and crawl under the covers with me,” Finn said. “You need to get on your side, just like me, and let me curl up behind you. That way we’ll be close and you don’t have to worry about my back, which is numb and barely hurts.”

Emma sighed but did as he asked, being extra careful when she cozied up next to him. Finn made sure she was completely tucked in before slipping his arm around her waist and resting his head on top of the pillow.

“Better?”

“Don’t worry about me, Finn,” Emma chided. “Worry about yourself. You were … shot.” She could barely get the word out.

“Emma, I’m okay,” Finn said, kissing her cheek. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I would’ve called you myself to tell you I was okay, but I lost my phone in the confusion.”

“I’m not angry, Finn,” Emma said. “I’m … relieved. I’m thankful. I don’t know how it happened, but you’ve filled up my heart and made my life complete. The idea of going on without you … I don’t think I could do it.”

Finn hated the way her voice broke. “Sweetie, you don’t have to do that,” he said. “I’m right here and I’m fine. Just for the sake of argument, though, you’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’re … amazing. You would’ve figured out a way to take care of yourself and Avery. I have faith. My family would’ve helped, too.”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Emma said, a tear sliding down her cheek. “You’re here and that’s all I care about.”

“Okay,” Finn said, kissing her neck and drawing her close. “I’ll be here all night if the fear gets the better of you, though.”

“I’m done letting the fear get the better of me,” Emma said. “We’re going to get a good night’s sleep and then tomorrow I’m going to spoil you rotten. That’s what Ally says she’s doing with Avery tonight, by the way.”

“I have no doubt,” Finn said, exhaling heavily. “I’m so sorry, sweetie, but I don’t think I’m going to last much longer. The medication they gave me is … intense.”

“Then sleep,” Emma instructed. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

“That’s the only reason I’m happy about going to sleep.”

“I’ll be right here forever,” Emma added.

“Good,” Finn murmured. “I love you and I can’t live without you.”

“That goes double for me.”

“
W
HAT
are you doing
?”

Mandy found James staring at his computer screen in his home office shortly before midnight. They’d gone to bed together an hour before, but when she woke – something dragging her out of a happy dream – she found James’ side of the bed empty.

“What are you doing up, baby?” James asked, his voice raspy. He was shirtless and clad only in boxer shorts. “Did I wake you? I turned the volume low because I didn’t want to do that.”

“Your absence in bed woke me,” Mandy answered, moving around the side of his desk and letting him pull her on his lap. She was dressed in simple cotton sleep shorts and a seamless tank top, her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail so it wouldn’t be scattered in a hundred different directions when they woke. “James, you need to get some sleep.”

“I can’t sleep, baby,” James said, kissing her cheek. “I need to know what happened to Finn.”

“I understand that,” Mandy said, cringing as James started the video feed again and she was forced to watch her brother-in-law go down while protecting an unmoving blond woman. “I don’t think watching this video is about solving the case right now, though.”

“Of course it’s about solving the case,” James said, tugging on his limited patience. “What else would it be about?”

“Guilt.”

“Oh, just … lay off the amateur psychology, okay?” James pushed Mandy to her feet and swiveled his desk chair in such a way it became clear he didn’t want her joining him. “I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep. I’ll come to bed as soon as I’m done here.”

Mandy licked her lips and tilted her head to the side as she decided how to respond. “You can’t just dismiss me as if I’m the help or something. You know that, right?”

“That’s not what I was doing,” James protested.

“That’s exactly what you were doing,” Mandy shot back. “I came in here to talk to you and you were happy to let me get close until I told you something you didn’t like. Then you pushed me away and essentially told me to go to bed, as if I was a child and you’d had a long day babysitting.”

“Well, I can’t help the way you see things, Mandy,” James said. “That wasn’t my intention. I do have a job to do here, though. I know you don’t understand it, but that doesn’t change the fact that I have responsibilities.”

“Oh, that’s such a load of crap,” Mandy said, wrinkling her nose. “You feel guilty about sending Finn on that job. Whether you checked into this Owen Parker’s background as thoroughly as you should have is beside the point now.

“You blame yourself for Finn getting shot and you’re going to be a bear because you want to punish yourself,” she continued. “There’s a problem with that scenario, though. I haven’t done anything to be punished for and yet you’re hurting me, too.”

“Dammit, Mandy!” James slapped his hands down on his desk and hopped to a standing position. “Do you want me to go to bed so you don’t have to sleep alone? Is that it? Let’s go. We both know you’re going to get your way eventually. I might as well give in now. You always get your way.”

Mandy reared back, almost as if he slapped her. James immediately regretted his harsh words.

“Baby, I didn’t mean that,” James said, holding up his hand. “I don’t know why I said it.”

“I know why you said it,” Mandy volunteered. “You’re a martyr.”

All the regret he’d been feeling seeped out of James. “Excuse me?”

“You’re a martyr,” Mandy repeated. “You take everything this world has to offer on yourself and then you just … I don’t know … flog yourself until you’re bloody and wounded. You didn’t shoot Finn. If you made a mistake and didn’t check out your client as well as you should have then you’ll learn from it and move forward.”

“That’s easy for you to say, isn’t it?” James challenged. “When you make a mistake someone doesn’t die.”

“Finn didn’t die.”

“Owen Parker did,” James snapped. “He died and Finn almost died trying to save his wife. I’m not a martyr, Mandy. I’m a man who made a mistake and knows he can’t make another one if he wants to keep his family safe.”

“And is making yourself sick and going without sleep part of keeping your family safe?”

“What do you want from me?” James asked, gripping his hands together tightly enough that his knuckles turned white. His temper flared to life and he fought his inner demons hard. The last thing he wanted to do was throw something … or punch a wall. He wouldn’t frighten his wife. He didn’t care how angry he was. “I’m doing the best I can.”

Mandy’s expression softened as she lowered her voice. “James, you always do the best that you can,” she said, moving toward him and resting her hand on his forearm. “Unclench your hands. I know you’re fighting a fit of rage – like you’re the Hulk or something – but I also know you’ll never hurt me. So … chill.”

“I don’t want to frighten you,” James admitted. “I’m not sure you should be around me while I come to grips with this. I love you, but this is my fault. You can say it wasn’t all you want, but I know differently.”

“I love you, too,” Mandy said. “No matter what you say, though, I’ll never believe this is your fault. People make errors all of the time. You’re not infallible.”

“Finn could’ve died.”

“But he didn’t,” Mandy said. “He’s alive. I’m going to bet he’s asleep, with Emma wrapped in his arms. I will not sit by and watch you make yourself sick over this. I also won’t sit by and watch you pick an unnecessary fight because you don’t know what else to do.”

James pressed his eyes shut as he fought the urge to yell at her. What she said made sense in his head. His heart was a mess, though. “Baby … .” James opened his eyes again and sucked in a breath when he realized Mandy’s tank top and shorts were on the floor and she was completely naked. “What are you doing?”

“You’re keyed up and need something to do with the energy,” Mandy replied. “I was asleep, but now I’m worked up, too The only thing that’s going to put both of us to sleep is … this.”

“Nudity?”

Mandy smiled to show James she wasn’t angry with him. “You’re not naked yet.”

“I’m not sure going from a near screaming match to loud sex is a good idea,” James admitted. “I think that’s sending the wrong message.”

“And what message is that?” Mandy challenged. “Are you afraid to lose yourself in me instead of anger?”

“Oh, baby, I always want to lose myself in you,” James said. “It’s just … I feel like I should be doing something to help Finn.”

“You can’t do anything to help Finn until the morning,” Mandy pointed out. “You can do something to help me, though.”

James exhaled heavily through his nose and mustered a smile. “What do you need help with, wife?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I can’t go to sleep without an orgasm … or three.”

“Three, huh? Something tells me I can manage that.”

“I know you can,” Mandy said, moving toward the door. “I wouldn’t have married you otherwise.”

“All right, baby. I hope you know what you’re in for.” James moved to follow his wife, shedding his boxer shorts on the floor next to her clothes before shutting off the office light and shoving Finn’s shooting out of his head until morning.

“Just out of curiosity, James, how do you know the sex is going to be loud?” Mandy asked, giggling when he snagged her around the waist and carried her into their bedroom.