Hiding From Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 2) (16 page)

“Sounds good. I’ll be talking to my buddy again and finding out his plans for Morton. Maybe we can help out.”

Anything that removed Morton from Gigi’s life was okay with West.

“Let me know.” West ended the call and slid the phone back in his pocket. “Shane is going to be okay. He said not to worry about him and to take care of business.”

Gigi closed her eyes as if saying a prayer of thanks. “I’m so glad. I haven’t been able to think of much else.”

“You’ve got way too many things to worry about these days. Let’s see if we can remove at least one of them.”

West pointed to Wyatt who was striding toward their truck, a smile on his face. The meeting with Zach must have gone well. It was time to reunite the woman West loved with her brother. After all these years she’d finally have a family.

There wasn’t anything West wouldn’t give to Gigi if it was in his power.

‡

O
n trembling legs
Gigi walked into the building, her gaze scanning from left to right. A large red mat covered about two-thirds of the floor and the walls were adorned with floor to ceiling mirrors all around. Boxing gloves and pads were stacked on shelving at one end while heavy bags for punching and kicking were positioned in a corner.

The room contained one lone man. Tall with broad shoulders and golden brown hair he stood motionless, his gaze trained on her, seeking and hopeful. She’d changed over the years and perhaps he wouldn’t recognize her. Maybe he’d forgotten her and Aubrey.

She would have known his handsome face anywhere.

He broke into a smile and he took two large strides, wrapping her into his strong embrace.

“Gigi. My Gigi.”

His voice broke with emotion and she hiccupped, trying to keep from crying. Again. It was starting to feel like all she did these days but she couldn’t hold back the tidal wave of love she felt for this big strong man even after all this time. He was her brother. Her protector.

Her throat tightened painfully and she managed to croak out his name, burying her face in his chest. His arms were rocking her as they both cried, this reunion too long in the making. After several minutes he reluctantly pulled back and wiped at her cheeks.

“I was beginning to think I’d never see you again, little sis. I’ve been looking for you for so damn long. But I never gave up hope. Wyatt said you never did either.”

“Never.” Gigi shook her head, his face blurred from her tears. “I can’t believe this is really happening. It just seems so surreal.”

He pulled her in for another bear hug. “It’s real, alright. I can’t wait to hear about your life. No detail is too small. I want to know every single thing about what you’ve been doing and who you’ve become. What are your favorite books? What’s your favorite food? Do you still hate thunderstorms?”

“All the Harry Potter books. Pizza. And yes, I still hate storms. They’re scary. I was so glad to have you there when the thunder and lightning got too bad. I always knew you would protect me.”

Zach glanced behind her where West was standing. “Is that who protects you now? Is he your husband?”

Zach had kept his voice low but Gigi had a feeling West still heard the “husband” remark. Her cheeks grew warm at the implied intimacy she wasn’t sure she – or West – was ready for and she tried to cover her embarrassment with a cough.

“That’s West Anderson, my…boyfriend.” Shit, she didn’t even know what to call him. This was pathetic. “He’s been helping me…”

Her voice trailed off, not sure how to begin telling her big brother how her life was so crazy she needed bodyguards.

Zach’s gaze shifted from her to West and back to her. “Well, that’s good then. Are you going to introduce me?”

“Of course.” She tugged on Zach’s hand and West came to stand by her, his arm around her waist. “West, this is my brother Zach. Zach, this is West.”

The men shook hands, clearly sizing each other up. Something good must have passed between them – or maybe they’d squeezed the ever loving crap out of each other’s fingers – but they seemed to relax, their smiles easier and more genuine.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Zach. Gigi’s told me so much about you. And her sister, Aubrey.”

Zach’s face split into a mile wide grin. “I got so distracted I almost forgot to tell you. I got a call from Aubrey this morning. She found me. Isn’t that amazing? I found both my sisters practically at the same time. She’s still in Chicago.”

West’s brows shot up and he glanced back to Wyatt, who was guarding the entrance but could hear everything being said. “That is amazing. What are the odds? Chicago, you said?”

“Yes, I told her I’d come visit her. Maybe we can all go.” Zach shook his head, his hand still holding her own. “I guess I probably sound pushy but I’m just so damn happy to have my family back. This has been the best day of my life.”

“Me too,” Gigi said, meaning it more than she could express with mere words. She still hadn’t dealt with West’s declaration in the truck earlier regarding his love for her, but her doubt about that relationship didn’t diminish her excitement about finding her brother.

She’d deal with West and his love later. When she could think more clearly. He’d thrown down the gauntlet, issuing an ultimatum, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that either. Having been on her own for most of her life she didn’t take kindly to a man laying down the law about anything, let alone about her future.

“I need to finish up here but why don’t we go to lunch and we can talk? Really talk. What do you think?”

Gigi looked up at West and he nodded his head.

“That sounds good. You know this area—what do you suggest?”

If Zach thought it was strange that she needed West’s approval to go to lunch he didn’t say so. “There’s a really good Italian place just a few blocks down. I just need about fifteen minutes. If you want you can go ahead and get a table and I’ll follow you. It can get busy this time of day.”

“We can do that. Where is it located?” West asked, checking his phone. He was waiting for more news from Jason about the agent who would help them put Alan behind bars.

Zach gave them directions and she hugged her brother one more time before they exited the building, her heart still pounding in her chest.

She’d found Zach. And Aubrey too. After years of it being just her she was no longer alone.

It felt strange. But good. Gigi had a family that loved her. West said he did too.

Everything had changed but it didn’t feel quite real.

She had to believe in it. And that was the hardest part.

*     *     *

West pulled Wyatt
aside as Gigi and Zach chatted away at a corner table in the Italian restaurant. The food was as good as Zach had promised and the newly reunited brother and sister had spent the last hour catching up on their lives.

Unmentioned so far?

Gigi’s control-freak stalker ex-boyfriend and Zach’s life since leaving the military. He’d told her all about his years with a foster family that had eventually adopted him. He’d also talked about his time in the Middle East but he’d pretty much stopped talking at the point of his discharge.

West and Wyatt stood by the swinging kitchen door, far enough away that they wouldn’t be overheard by Gigi and Zach. The place was busy and between the chatter of diners and the tinkling of silverware they hadn’t had to move far.

“Did you hear Zach earlier? Sister Aubrey just happens to get in touch with him, today of all days. I’m getting a hinky vibe about this.”

Wyatt nodded grimly, his lips a flat line. “If I were in your shoes I wouldn’t like it at all. What do you know about this sister? Could she be working with this Morton character? It’s just too much of a coincidence for me.”

“I’ll have a friend of mine look into her past. Now that we know she’s in Chicago and that she has a new last name he should be able to find out what she’s been doing all these years.”

“Do you think it’s a trap?”

West laughed but the situation wasn’t remotely funny. “Yes, but I don’t think we have any choice. There’s no way I’m going to talk Gigi out of seeing her sister and we need to go to Chicago to meet up with Jason’s agent friend if we want Morton behind bars. It doesn’t leave me many options.”

Wyatt jaw tightened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I can go with you if you want. Never been to Chicago.”

“Are you sure?” Wyatt hadn’t been over a hundred miles from his house in over three years. “I could use the help but I know you don’t like traveling or being away from home.”

His friend rubbed his chin and grimaced. “About that…I think maybe I’ve been a hermit for too long. I should get out more. Live a little. Hell, if Gigi can leave her home every day with a madman trying to turn her into some sort of pet or plaything the very least I can do is drag my ass out of the house. No one’s trying to kill me.” Wyatt grinned. “At least I don’t think they are. I could be wrong. There was that high-stakes card game in Tijuana.”

Wyatt had a world class poker face. He could have gone professional if he’d had ambitions in that direction. “Then I accept your offer with gratitude. I’ll call Jason and have him and Jared meet us in in Chicago. No sense them coming all the way down here when we’re just going to up and leave.”

“Got a plan for this trip?” Wyatt arched an eyebrow.

“Nope, but it’s early yet.” West grinned. “We haven’t seen any of Morton’s men, but if Morton had Aubrey call Zach then he has to know we’re here. We need to assume he’ll come at us.”

And West would need to be ready.

‡

“S
o you work
in a karate studio? That sounds like fun.”

Gigi sipped her iced tea, her gaze fixed to Zach and still amazed he was sitting across from her eating a large plate of ziti. He resembled Aubrey more than Gigi with his long legs, light brown hair, and blue eyes. Their mother had always said Gigi got her blonde hair from her grandmother and Zach and Aubrey got their brown hair from their grandfather. Gigi had never met any of her mother’s family so she didn’t know if it was true or not.

“Actually it’s mixed martial arts, which is very different. It takes the best techniques from several disciplines. My job is to run classes for the kids and I also help coach the fight team.”

One look at Zach and anyone could see he was in fantastic shape. “How did you end up here in Vegas?”

Her brother shrugged nonchalantly but his shoulders stiffened. “An old friend runs the gym. He offered me a job so here I am. I’d never been to Vegas so it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Meaning it’s not now?”

Her gaze searched his expression for clues. He’d spoken easily of their years apart until now. He didn’t seem to want to talk about his recent past.

“It’s okay. It’s a job and I needed one.”

She knew all about that. “I can relate. I’ve moved around for the last few years. Mostly I wait tables or tend bar. I think about going to college but maybe I’m too old.”

Or in danger.

“You’re not even thirty, sis. What would you study if you could go back?”

“I’d like to help kids like us. I was thinking I might enjoy being a social worker.”