The Pregnancy Plot (Brothers In Arms: Retribution Book 2) (13 page)

“I might be able to help you with that.”

A thrill raced along her spine. Was he saying he wanted to continue their relationship?

A knock on the door made the thrill turn into a chill and she instinctively grabbed Jase’s hand.

He squeezed her fingers. “Stay put.”

He pushed out of the chair and stalked up to the front door. He placed his eye to the peephole. “It’s Officer Franklin.”

“Do you think they discovered anything yet?” She rose from the chair.

“Too soon.” He opened the door. “Officer Franklin. Can we help you with anything else?”

“No, but I can help Ms. Moore.”

Nina peered over Jase’s shoulder. “How?”

The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “You left this in the backseat of my squad car. I figured it was yours instead of Mr. Buckley’s because of the pink polka-dotted case, but correct me if I’m wrong.”

She held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. “It’s mine. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Jase asked, “Any word on Chris Kitchens?”

“Not yet. We’ll keep you posted.”

“Good night and thanks.” Nina held up her phone. She meandered back to the love seat, hoping she and Jase could take up where they’d left off, since he’d just hinted at some kind of future for them. Her phone beeped at her.

“What was that?”

“My cell phone telling me I need to charge it.” Changing course, she walked toward the kitchen to plug in the phone. She slid her finger across the display to unlock it and her pulse ticked up. “I have another text message from Chris.”

Jase materialized by her side. “What does it say?”

She tapped her phone and read the message. “‘I’m here. Meet—’” she shrugged “—and then gibberish.”

“Gibberish?”

“Some letters and numbers.”

“That’s weird. Let me see it.”

She handed the cell to him. “He must’ve sent that right before he fell into the water or whatever happened. Look at the time.”

Jase had the phone practically to his nose, and the knuckles of the hand clutching the phone were white.

Her heart skittered in her chest. “Jase, what is it?”

“The gibberish?” He turned the phone toward her. “He was typing
Tempest
.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Tempest?” Nina’s face registered complete and utter confusion, and then she snapped and pointed her finger at the same time. “The piece of paper in Lou’s pocket. That had
tempest
written on it, too.”

“That’s right.” The dread was pounding through his veins so relentlessly he could barely hear his own voice. He held out the phone and tapped the message. “Look, it’s a
T
, 3,
N
,
P
, 3,
S
,
T
. He was definitely trying to type
Tempest
—in a hurry.”

“What the hell is that all about? What does
tempest
mean? Have people started running around calling big storms tempests all of a sudden?”

“I...” He held out his hands and then clasped them together. “I’m not sure, but for both Lou and Chris to refer to Tempest and then both wind up dead, whatever it is it’s not good.”

“And what does it have to do with me? Do you think that’s why Kip disappeared? Did we all unwittingly run across something that put us in danger?”

She was definitely on the right track. But what had Lou and Chris discovered about Tempest that Nina hadn’t? The name still meant nothing to her. If the agents of Tempest were going after her to keep her quiet, they were wasting their resources. Why expend this much effort going after a dead agent’s ex-fiancée to the point of killing people in the way?

It didn’t make any sense.

He’d been on the verge of telling her everything, but without getting clearance from Coburn he’d be breaking all kinds of rules and maybe putting other lives in danger.

He was here to protect Nina, and that’s exactly what he planned to do—whether or not she knew the reason.

“I think we need to find Kip.”

“Unlike Chris, he’s probably left the island by now. After hearing about Lou and Chris, I doubt Kip’s going to want to be found. Who knows? Maybe his brother really does have a helicopter. He didn’t strike me as the type to stick around and warn others.”

“Not like Chris.” She threw back her ponytail and marched to the closed door of her office.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to do an internet search on
tempest
. Maybe it has some meaning we’re not aware of. Maybe it’s a new synthetic drug or something.”

He slipped past her and stood in front of the office door, and not because he was afraid she’d find out something about the covert agency Tempest. She never would.

“It’s late. You need to get some sleep. Will’s had enough excitement for one day.”

She reached out, her fingertips skimming the white cotton covering his chest. “Thanks for worrying about us. I’m sure you never bargained for any of this when you came to this quiet island to work.”

He hadn’t—not Tempest’s interest in her and certainly not his own interest in her.

Tapping his head, he said, “It’s all fodder for the book.”

“Am I going to turn up as some crazy pregnant lady in your book?”

“You’ll be the intrepid heroine.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, getting lost in the blue depths of her eyes.

“Jase.” She caught his hand. “Can you come into my room and talk to me while I fall asleep? I’m not sure—I just don’t want to be alone right now.”

“Absolutely.” He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her palm. “Get ready for bed and I’ll close up shop here.”

“Thanks.” She spun around and headed for the back rooms.

He needed to check for any messages from Jack. He didn’t have any confidential information on this computer, but he could still send messages to and receive messages from Jack. Standing over his laptop on the desk by the window, he entered his password to unlock it and then jumped as he felt a warm breath on the back of his neck.

“Sorry.” Nina put a steadying hand on his arm. “I just came out to tell you not to bother with the dishes. I’ll load them in the dishwasher tomorrow morning.”

“Got it.”

As she floated to the back of the house on her silent, stocking feet, he checked his email and then powered down the computer.

He rinsed his glass, checked the locks, turned off the lights and retrieved his Glock pistol from the mackinaw and shoved it into the pocket of his baggy sweatpants.

If he was watching over Nina tonight, he’d do so locked and loaded.

By the time he reached her room, she had changed into a pair of flannel pajamas with pink bunnies scattered across a field of white, puffy clouds.

If he’d expected her to get her sexy on, she’d just dashed those hopes.

She fluffed up a pillow against her headboard. “I’m pretty tired, but I appreciate the company.”

He sat on the foot of her bed. “Are you cold? Get under the covers.”

She plucked at her pajamas. “With these on? These pajamas are like wearing a blanket.”

She lay on top of the bedspread and pulled a pillow beneath her head. Patting the bed, she said, “You can join me. I don’t bite.”

“That’s a relief.” But it wasn’t the biting he was worried about. He was worried about the way she smelled like a field of wildflowers after a spring shower. He was worried about the way her dark hair cascaded down her back like a silky waterfall. He was worried about taking this woman, pregnant with another man’s child, and claiming her as his own.

Pushing it all aside, he stretched out on the bed behind her. He slipped his weapon under the bed and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.

She emitted a soft sigh as she curled an arm beneath the pillow. “Are you close with your family? Your parents? Your sister?”

She remembered he had a sister? He decided to tell the truth for once. “Not particularly. My parents didn’t approve of my enlistment and I didn’t approve of their disapproval.”

“What did they want for you? Family business?”

Nina didn’t miss a thing. How’d Simon manage to keep her in the dark for so long? “Yeah, something like that.”

Of course, she didn’t have to know that his family’s business was politics and that she’d probably seen his father bloviating on national TV a time or two.

“Jase?”

“Yeah?” Here it came, more questions and more lies.

“Why
are
you so protective of me...and Will? Most guys would be doing an about-face if they had to deal with a pregnant woman.”

He didn’t have to lie about this, did he? He owed her some truthfulness.

“I was in a similar situation to yours a few years ago. My girlfriend and I had been discussing marriage, but things didn’t work out.”

“You broke up?”

“Yeah, and like you, Maggie found out she was pregnant after the breakup.”

She rolled onto her back, her head falling to the side to study his profile. “B-but you told me you didn’t have children.”

“I don’t.” The pain that sliced through his gut surprised him. “Maggie lost the baby in her fourth month—just about where you are now.”

She sucked in a quick breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“It was her fault.”

“Sometimes these things happen.” She traced one of the bunnies with her fingertip. “I thank God every day that my pregnancy is progressing without any issues.”

“At least you’re not out there rock climbing.”

“Rock climbing? Maggie was rock climbing going into her second trimester?”

His jaw tightened and he tried to keep the bitterness from his tone. “Can you believe that? She fell, broke her arm and lost the baby—our baby. Do you wanna know the kicker?”

She took his hand and whispered, “What?”

“I never even knew she was pregnant. She didn’t tell me. I heard about the accident when I came back from an...from a trip.”

“That’s so unfair.” She laced her fingers through his. “Is that why you jumped on me about whether or not I told Simon?”

“I guess so.”

“And that’s why you care so much about Will.”

“It’s not just Will I care about, Nina.” He shifted to his side and wound a lock of her hair around his finger.

As she met his eyes, she parted her lips and he kissed her. The minty taste of her toothpaste was as sweet as honey.

“Jase, I don’t know where this can go.”

“Let’s not worry about that right now.” He touched her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “Go to sleep.”

She turned on her right side and he pulled her lush body against his. His arm curved around her waist and his hand naturally cupped the swell of her belly.

If Tempest wanted to come after Nina, they could try but they’d have to go through him first.

* * *

N
INA
AWOKE
ALONE
in the bed. All night she’d been aware of Jase’s comforting presence next to her. She’d nestled against him and felt his arms tighten around her in response.

His story about losing the baby he never knew existed had tugged at her heartstrings. It explained so much about his attitude toward her. In protecting her and Will, he hoped to make up for his missed chances with his own unborn child.

Was that the basis of his attraction, too? Once she had her baby, would Jase find another pregnant woman to nurture? It sounded crazy, but the pull of filling emotional voids in your life was strong.

She should know. Having never had a protective father figure in her life, she’d always been attracted to take-charge guys. She and Jase were a match made in psychological, subconscious heaven.

Sighing, she pushed back the covers. Jase had tucked her into bed later, but he never joined her beneath the sheets. Was he afraid of igniting the flame that kindled between them?

She was the one who had stopped the kiss last night. She wanted to know him better, find out what really made him tick. She wanted to read his book.

She tumbled out of bed and crept into the B and B’s living area. Jase had flung open the drapes at the front window, allowing the gray, misty light to filter into the room.

Her breath fogged the glass as she leaned in close. She wiped a streak through it with her fist and peered outside.

It had rained again last night, harder than ever. The storm was still toying with them. Maybe it would bypass Break Island altogether.

Dressed in his Pacific Northwest uniform, Jase was leaning against a fence post he’d repaired and talking on his phone.

She didn’t see him make many phone calls. His family must still be holding a grudge for his shunning of the family business, which he’d never gotten around to explaining to her. It was probably plastics or something equally staid and boring. Jase wouldn’t do staid and boring—hence his stint as a marine.

He thrust his arm out to the side and waved it in the air. Maybe he was talking to his estranged family.

She shuffled into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice. Holding her breath, she glanced at her fully charged phone. No more messages from the dead.

Of course, Chris hadn’t been dead when he sent that message—not yet anyway—and she hadn’t forgotten about the mysterious code word.
Tempest.

She charged toward her office and retrieved her laptop. When she powered it on, she groaned at the blue screen mocking her. She’d been having problems with her computer ever since she moved here. The tech guy on the mainland told her it might happen again, and if it did, she’d need to bring it back. No chance of that now.

Her gaze darted to the side where Jase’s laptop glowed invitingly. No blue screens there. She strolled toward the invitation.

He did have password protection, but she’d seen him enter it last night—Semper Fi—all lowercase and no spaces. How could she forget that?

Resting her fingers on the keyboard, she watched Jase outside, still on the phone. He wouldn’t mind if she looked up
tempest
on his laptop, would he?

She was surprised he hadn’t jumped on that himself. He’d seemed more intrigued by the word that linked Lou and Chris than she was. She knew he’d been up early this morning to retrieve the Kleinschmidts’ boat, so maybe he had already looked it up and didn’t tell her because he hadn’t found anything.

She launched his web browser, which automatically displayed a search engine. She entered the word
tempest
.

The expected and the unexpected popped up—references to Shakespeare’s play, a dictionary definition of the word, a video game and even an actress’s name. She continued to page through the findings, but didn’t discover anything ominous about the word—no new drug, nothing illegal, no secret society.

What had it meant to Lou and then Chris? Was it something that had signed their death warrants? Would it sign hers?

She bit her lip and switched to her email provider. Scrolling through her email, she deleted the junk and saved the queries from her website for estimates. Getting Moonstones up and running was going to take longer than she expected. She might as well see if she could pick up a few decorating jobs in the meantime, even if it meant a few quick trips down to LA.

She patted her stomach. She’d be good to fly for the next few months.

She closed out of everything and zeroed in on a file called
Book
on Jase’s desktop. Could it be that easy?

She hunched over the table to look out the window. Jase had ended his call, but was busy measuring from one post to another.

Feeling guilty and sneaky, but very excited, she double-clicked on the file. It opened and her mouth opened with it.

One sentence glared back at her and sent a chill up her spine. She whispered the words. “‘It was a dark and stormy night and a tempest was headed for Break Island.’”

With her hand trembling, she closed out of the file and slammed the laptop shut and then remembered that he’d left it open. She opened it again with a sinking feeling. She hadn’t made any changes to the file, but would the computer record that someone had opened it?

Too late now.

She raised her eyes to Jase working in her yard. Who was he? That couldn’t be his entire book, could it? She felt like the wife in that scary movie with Jack Nicholson when she’d read pages and pages of the same phrase over and over again in her husband’s tome.

A shattering noise from the front yard made her jump back from the window. Jase had split a cord of wood with an ax. Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie had an ax, too.