“Larry does have a gun, a nine mil that we know of. I want to replace the front door on your mother’s home with a bulletproof door and replace the sliding glass doors with French doors that will also be bulletproof. Your front door is thick enough it could take a bullet from a nine mil. I do want to replace your French doors with bulletproof doors on your patio. You were right, your home makes the most sense, we’ll know the minute he turns off the main road and have time to prepare. Your windows on the house aren’t just for show. Closing them will protect those inside, even though I don’t think they are thick enough to stop a bullet, they’ll come pretty damn close.”
“Make the updates, and can you get someone over to my place tonight? Once the kids are up and have had breakfast I’ll be moving everyone to my place. I don’t want them any more freaked out then they need to be by all the noise.”
“I can have someone at your place within the hour. It will take a few hours but should be done by the time you move the kids.”
“Good. My mom should go wherever the kids go, so I don’t believe we’ll need someone posted at the house. Someone does need to be with Stella at all times. Larry is expected to be arraigned in the afternoon. I want someone there. The prosecutor is shooting for no bail because of his past history, or as high as it can go. If for some stupid-ass reason he gets bail, I want someone on his ass.”
I can’t stay quiet anymore. “Don’t you think you’re going overboard here? We don’t even know for sure there will be any issues.”
Sam and Rourke exchange glances. Rourke is the one who breaks the silence. “This isn’t the first time Larry beat a woman, was arrested for it, then went after her as soon as he was released. He beat the woman so badly she’s had facial reconstruction surgeries. This also isn’t the first time he’s beat your sister—it’s when she said she wanted to leave he beat her badly.
“He threatened her with a gun and it is confirmed he has one, even though he shouldn’t. The time when a woman chooses to leave her abuser is the most dangerous. Larry isn’t going to shrug his shoulders and walk away. I told you, no one hurts you, no gets close enough to even touch you. If something happened to your sister or your nieces it would hurt you, so no one hurts them either.”
At the back of my mind I can’t help but wonder if this is the Connor situation all over again, me giving up control to someone else to deal with a difficult situation. No, the difference is Connor took over to control me. Rourke is taking over to protect me. There’s also the whole me loving Rourke and never loving Connor thing. With a sigh I lay my head back and let the two men talk, their words running over me like water bubbling through a river. I’m careful to stay away lest I get washed away in it all.
We’re stopped, and the overhead light comes on in the SUV. I’m in the back with Rourke in the passenger seat and Sam driving. I blink to see Rourke holding the door open. Sliding off the large leather seat, I’m caught by Rourke, his arm wrapping around me. “Why are we at your place? Shouldn’t we go to your mom’s?”
“Olivia, it’s three thirty in the morning. There are also now three adults and four kids there. From what I understand they put the girls and nanny in our room and Gabe is on the couch. There isn’t room for us, which is why I want to move everyone here. There is the master and four bedrooms, two with Jack and Jill bathrooms and the other two with their own bathrooms, and then t
he second master downstairs. The backyard is bigger too for the kids to play in. I’m going to make us something to eat then air out the rooms. The housekeeping team is supposed to change the sheets weekly, but I never know for certain.”
I give in and follow him inside. I’m starving.
21
Rourke
It’s a little after eight. From the call I got from Gabe a few minutes ago, the girls have been up for over an hour and he’s more than ready to get them out of the house. Mom is willing to follow—she’s in love with the girls. The nanny is good for six more hours before she needs a break.
I’m looking down at Olivia. After I fixed her something to eat and we did need to make up all the beds while we didn’t talk about what happened on the plane, she pleaded for a small nap almost a half hour ago. Considering how loud the guys are downstairs I’m glad she’s sleeping through it.
A bulletproof SUV was delivered from Sam about an hour ago, along with the information the arraignment wasn’t expected until nine thirty, maybe ten. Which is also the time the hospital was supposed to release Stella. I contact the hospital to let them know the time doesn’t work for me, it needs to be as soon as possible to get Stella in a safe place before Larry can make a move. The doctor was willing to release her, maybe five minutes ago. She should be here in about a half hour.
I climb into the SUV to pick up the girls, Mom and the nanny. Since the guards were there Gabe left to go secure his place, then will head over to my place later today. There’s still a bunch of crap at their house we need to get. The youngest had been crying for a pink unicorn since she got to Mom’s. I think it’s best for me to just grab it now. I don’t like the idea of taking the kids to their house only to drag them away again. Even though she won’t like it, I make the decision to let Olivia sleep. I’m sure her sister will wake her up when she gets here.
I let the guys know Olivia is asleep upstairs, to make sure and leave a panic button along with instructions on the kitchen island. One of them, I think his name is Charles, tells me he’s assigned to the property so he’ll be here when I get back, and if Olivia wakes up he’ll walk her through everything.
I roll my neck in an effort to relieve tension, but it doesn’t help. My mind hasn’t stopped running over what Olivia said on the plane. It didn’t matter I already knew it—hearing it spoken out loud, it became real. Olivia Casey hadn’t just wiggled under my skin, she’d worked her way into my heart, into my soul. If she left or I left, she would take a part of me I’ll never get back; it didn’t matter if it was ten days or ten years or sixty years from now. Christ, the way she demanded a baby from me, telling me she was no longer going to fuck me with her being protected... Something primal roared to life at the idea of fucking my baby into her, our baby, a part of me and her becoming one the way we did when we made love for everyone to see.
The sign catches my eye. Come on, Rourke, I tell myself, you don’t have time for this. It won’t take long. I had spotted it when I was buying her earrings, only I made myself back away. No more backing down or away.
I pull into the driveway of Stella’s house. It’s only now I realize I don’t have a key. Damn it. I decide to chance it and get out of the SUV to try the door. I’m in luck—it’s unlocked. Shit. The place is a wreck, there’s blood all over the damn place. A broken lamp, there’s a fucking bullet hole, three in the wall. I shiver at the idea of four little girls, let alone Stella going through all this. With a heavy sigh I bring up the text list of things that needed to be retrieved. The pink unicorn is easy to spot. I’m in a kid’s room where I’m looking for special pajamas when my phone goes off.
It’s Sam King. “He’s out.”
“No fucking way.” I check the time: nine ten.
“Yes, he’s on his way back to his house with his mom.”
“Fuck. I’m at his house. Do you know his ETA?”
The cool as ice Sam swears, “I have no idea. Get the fuck out now, go out the fucking back if you have to. I’m texting my man now.”
Too late—the front door slams, and I can hear Larry and his mom swearing at each other. “Too late, there’s no point of egress from this room. A bunk bed is in front of the window.” The fighting is getting louder. Shit, he’s hitting her and screaming at her calling her a bitch and a cunt. Christ, from down the hall I can hear bones crunch. “The light is on in this room. Fuck, he heard me. I’m going out with my hands up.”
“Who’s here?” Larry is in the doorway. Maybe five seven with a stomach and pale blond hair. His eyes go big when he sees me. “Rourke Vega, you Rourke Vega? What the fuck—the bitch Olivia is working for you. You got my wife, my kids, motherfucker? Where are they? Where the fuck are they?” Then it’s there: he pulls a gun from the small of his back and waves it in my face.
My hands are still up, I haven’t disconnected from Sam. “Chill, man, I don’t have your kids or your wife. Let’s talk.”