HIS Choice: An H.I.S. Novel (H.I.S. series Book 2) (29 page)

This was the first morning AJ hadn’t met Megan with a newspaper and a cup of coffee. Instead, his arms were wrapped around her waist, her body curled next to his. He looked down at her. She was lovely even with the messed
up hair.

They had not made love the night before. He’d collapsed in the bed the moment they’d entered the room, sleeping the remainder of the day and through the night, remembering waking groggily for short spurts to tell her that she needed to go with his brothers, because he couldn’t protect her enough himself. Jesse, who had stayed in the room during the evening as what he called extra protection, laughed at him.
Damn brother.

AJ had woken to his brothers coming and going, and to the smell of coffee brewing. Megan’s face had lit up when she’d seen there was a separate bedroom with a door, providing the two of them a bit
of privacy.

“Good morning, my little dove.” He smiled down at her sleepy eyes.

“Good morning. How do
you feel?”

“Like I’ve
been shot.”

“That’s
not funny.”

“Well, it’s true.” He tightened his hold on her and kissed her forehead. He didn’t want to let her go from his life, but he couldn’t stay with her. He had to fix things with Jake and Emily. He wouldn’t be whole again until he found his foster brother and reunited the two of them. He had to repair the damage he’d done to his sister’s life, before he could live a full life. Megan didn’t deserve a broken man. And he’d remain broken until he
resolved this.

He’d kicked Jake out of their home, threatened him if he returned, not realizing Emily loved their foster brother. He’d found out later that she was pregnant with Jake’s baby, turning his world upside down. He couldn’t locate Jake. He had to return the man to Emily. It was past time Amber knew
her father.

“What’s our plan for today?” She reached up and brushed her lips
against his.

“We’re going to lay low today and allow me to heal. We’ll meet with my brothers, and then we’ll begin to piss off a
crime boss.”

* * * * *

“Where are we going?”
Megan asked.

AJ chuckled. “To H.I.S. headquarters.”

“Where
is it?”

“Between Baltimore and Silver Spring,” Brad, their current bodyguard and
driver answered.

She leaned on AJ’s shoulder in the backseat. He wrapped his arms
around her.

She’d held back telling him she loved him. Kate had said he cared for her but listening to his brothers’ joke with him, it became blatantly apparent that he was a ladies’ man, not a man to settle down with one woman. The elation in her heart evaporated. Would her love be enough for AJ to become a one
woman man?

How could she break down the barrier Kate told her he had? Heck, he’d been shot putting himself between her and a bullet. Plus, he’d allowed her to stay with him. That had to mean something. Didn’
t it?

Marcus never would’ve protected her in that manner. Actually, he wouldn’t have allowed her to continue her pursuit of the Magician. And in allowed, he’d more than likely have had someone follow her and report back to him, so he could physically remove her from where the story took her. He’d have expected her to put aside her need for revenge. He didn’t understand. Probably never had understood her. Even if it hadn’t been about her brother, she’d have still wanted to help Kevin and the police remove Magic Shop from
the streets.

But AJ wasn’t Marcus. He understood not only her need for revenge but her need to finish this story. To find the answers the public wanted. To do her job. A job she admitted she should’ve stopped before things became dangerous and she’d been shot at. But that burning desire to see this through trumped
anything else.

In the middle of nowhere, they stopped at a remote, rustic house with a light dusting of snow on the roof. Smoke escaped the chimney. The cozy look had her eager
to explore.

Kate and a Dalmatian met them at the door, welcoming them to her home
and headquarters.

Megan walked into the large, open living room, her eyes zeroed in on the men with guns. She’d met most of them at the hospital. AJ, leaning on a cane, introduced her to them again. For some reason, she immediately knew these men would do anything to protect her and AJ.

A man who looked similar to AJ and his brothers, but had longer curly hair and a softer, more sensual appeal, walked up to her and introduced himself as Devon. She’d almost laughed out loud. She’d expected a computer geek look. She should’ve expected another handsome man. Their father, U.S. Senator Blake Hamilton was an appealing man. His boys were younger versions
of him.

A squeal erupted and a flash of red passed her and threw itself at AJ. Devon reached back to keep him from falling on
the floor.

“Uncle AJ! You came! You came!” A beautiful dark haired child with an angelic face of five or six wrapped her tiny arms around him, holding his
legs tight.

Kate lifted her into his free arm. “Remember what I told you. Be careful, he’s hurt,” she whispered to the
little girl.

“I will, Momma.” The child’s attempt at a
whisper failed.

AJ smiled and kissed the girl on the forehead. “I had to come see you, Reagan. I’ve
missed you.”

She pulled back. “
Guess what?”

“What?”

“I have a new brother. And
guess what?”

He raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“He’s hurt. And
guess what?”

“What?”

“I’m babysitting a cat. And
guess what?”

The room erupted in light chuckles at AJ being assaulted with a question the child
had mastered.

“What?”

“You missed Amber’s birthday. She turned three.” In her attempt to display the number, she held three tiny fingers up with one hand and used the other hand to hold her thumb and
pinky down.

His smile faded, and his body
visibly tensed.

“Reagan, meet Ms. Megan.”

The little girl smiled and stuck out her hand for a handshake. “Are you Bob’
s mom?”

Grasping Reagan’s small, soft hand, she responded, “Hi, Reagan. I am. Is he around?” Megan hadn’t thought of her cat in days. Kate had told her about his antics, but he’d slipped her mind. Megan’s thoughts had been filled with the man before her. She had to get her head screwed back
on correctly.

The little girl squirmed away from her uncle and
ran off.

“Hey, doll.”

Megan turned and gave a small squeal of her own. She threw her arms around him. “Trent, you’
re okay.”

“Not as okay as AJ. My bullet hit bone so I’m out of business for a while.” He waved down to a brace on
his leg.

Her heart sank. “I’m so sorry. I’ll pay you for the time you can’t work. It’s
only fair.”

He chuckled. “Doll, you aren’t paying me. It’s a work hazard. Besides, you were
worth it.”

“Trent, let her go.” AJ said in a stern yet
angry voice.

She swung around and caught the challenging look he cast
his friend.

“Hey, AJ, jealous much?”
Trent taunted.

The muscles in AJ’s jaw twitched. She’d had enough of the two of them and their
territorial whatever.

Before she could give them a piece of her mind, Reagan returned struggling to hold a heavy cat. “Here, Ms. Megan.”

She hurried to retrieve Bob before he fell to the floor. Although cats supposedly landed on their feet, she never was one for testing the theory. Hugging him tight, nuzzling in his warm, long hair and listening to his loud purr, her body calmed. “I missed you,
big boy.”

“You should’ve seen it. Bob hissed at Dottie and she barked at him. And later they were friends. They played together. They played with me. Bob really likes chasing the red dot.”
Reagan snickered.

“Everyone’s here, let’s go,” Jesse said above the noise in the room.

AJ leaned to her and placed a light kiss on the lips. “Stay with Kate. I’ll be
back soon.”

Megan’s hands stroked Bob faster. “But I thought we were doing
this together?”

He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair. “We are, but…”

Kate interrupted. “It’s okay, Megan. We’ll find out what they said soon enough without dealing with all of their male bullshit. Besides, AJ hasn’t received his ribbing yet today.” She winked
at him.

Looking back and forth between the two, Megan bit the corner of her lower lip. She’d come to trust Kate. She’d saved her and AJ. If she said they would find out then they would. But what was this about him getting ribbed? “I’ll trust you, AJ, but I want to know what Kate is
talking about.”

He dropped his head and laughed. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” He and Trent brought up the rear each leaning on
a cane.

“Come have a drink with me. This will take a while,”
Kate said.

Megan set Bob on the wood planked floor. “I’m right behind you.” A photo on the mantel caught her attention and she picked it up. It showed one beautiful girl and six handsome boys. Five of the boys looked like their father whom they all surrounded. The sixth boy and girl looked different from the rest. And different from each other. Different mothers maybe? But she’d read the senator had only been married once and his wife had died
of cancer.

Kate smiled. “I picked up the same photograph my first time here. Perfect looking family, isn’t it? Before you ask, the girl is their baby sister Emily. The boy is their foster brother
Jake Cavanaugh.”

“I hope I meet them someday.” It would have to be soon unless she could convince AJ to share his life with her. She’d love to be a part of
this family.

Kate took the photo from her and placed it back on the mantel. “Emily moved to New York, and Jake is a long story. One that’s best AJ
tell you.”

* * * * *

AJ and Megan waited for the phone to ring. Everything had to go as planned. They needed this
drug bust.

Matt, their current babysitter, lounged in a chair watching TV. AJ knew he remained fully alert and listened to everything said. He sighed watching his brother rub his own leg. He loved him and wished he could make everything normal again. AJ’s leg would be fine in a few days. But Matt’s wouldn’t.

“Why hasn’t
he called?”

AJ chuckled at her impatience. “He’ll call when he’s able. Now, did you call your boss and tell her you’d have a front page exclusive
for her?”

“Yes. She kept pushing to learn what it was. She threatened not to take the story if I didn’t let her know the basics right then. I told her that I’d submit it to her and is she didn’t print it that I’d submit it to other newspapers. Dang, I wish I could have been there to
take photos.”

“You’ll have to suffer with just an interview. The phone should ring any minute.” Although Byron couldn’t participate in the bust since it would blow his cover, he’d selected an agent to brief Megan. The DEA appreciated positive news articles about their success with the war
on drugs.

She glanced at Matt and then back to him. “Tell me
about Jake.”

AJ heart stopped. How could he explain it to her without his appearing a monster? How could he tell her that finding Jake was what held him back from a real life? She loved her brother so maybe she’d understand AJ’s need to find him. She wouldn’t understand his part in his brother leaving. Knowing that, she’d blame him for Emily’s heartbreak like the rest of the
family did.

The ringing phone saved him. She’d ask again. He needed to
prepare himself.

“Hamilton.”

He handed the phone to her and knew he would lose her for the next hour or so. Her smile widened with every note she wrote. His heart lightened. She was in
her element.

She’d insist on attending the meeting his team expected the Magician to have with his advisors who’d failed him. It would be too good of a story for her to pass up. But, she wouldn’t be there, end of story. He’d be her source for her article. The person who’d conducted
the arrests.

Megan broke into
his thoughts.

“I’m finished. Do you want to read it before I send it?” She turned beaming
at him.

His heart skipped a beat. He’d miss her more than
he thought.

She almost bounced out the chair with excitement. “I can’t believe he sent me a photo
to use.”

AJ trusted her. She’d proved herself and joined the elite few that he did trust. “Go ahead and send it. We need it to be in the
morning paper.”

And just like that, step one of their plan had been set
in motion.

He rose and walked toward her, pulled her into his arms, his kiss was hard and fast, her tongue meeting his halfway. His need for her took hold of him and wouldn’t
let go.

A throat clearing slowly brought
him back.

“There is a room with a closed door,” Matt
informed them.

She giggled as AJ dragged her there, slamming the door behind him. With her help, he pulled her sweater and bra off. He leaned down and took her breast in his mouth. He pulled back. “I’m sorry to say my injury will limit my ability to make love
to you.”

She reached under his sweater and slid her hands over his chest. “We already know that you being on your back doesn’t
limit us.”

Which was what he needed
to hear.

* * * * *

Naked, lying in bed, AJ kissed Megan, feasting on her mouth with his lips and tongue as a heated passion flowed between them. Her sweet taste made him lose focus of everything but her. He could kiss her like this forever. But, he
wanted more.