Chapter Eleven

Stepping back into the house, Cale sniffed deeply, drawing in the scents of simmering stew and cornbread, along with a freshly baked blueberry pie, which sat on the countertop cooling. In the background, the washer and dryer cleaned clothes while the dishwasher hummed, polishing the dirty dishes from earlier meals. His stomach growled at the enticing aromas while something near his heart clenched in a sure feeling of rightness.

A man could get used to this. He certainly could. After years of survival on the run, coming home to dinner and a warm woman who loved him would be more than a dream. It would be paradise.

He shook off those thoughts, still grappling with scarred emotions from a harsh, but effective lesson. Glancing around, he found Lily. She sat on the couch, holding a stick with a piece of material attached, making it jump and dance as the kittens leaped and grabbed in obvious delight. He grinned, not just from the amusement of watching the babies, but at seeing Lily finally relaxing. The girl had more energy than a small terrier and spent most of the time on one chore or another, from what he’d seen thus far. No doubt about it. She worked hard.

“Where’s Dillon?”

She looked up from her task. “On the phone with Della.”

Anger shot to the fore along with a hefty burst of trepidation. Dillon knew better. No communication rules during a job existed for a reason. The men they sought weren’t dumb or ignorant. They could easily pick up a cell phone tracer on any of their lines and follow them to the source, either to the Wind Warrior himself or to the person they spoke with. Frowning, he turned toward the bedroom, prepared to read his brother the riot act for putting them as well as his girlfriend in absolute danger.

Lily’s face morphed from happy greeting to bafflement before something obviously clicked in her mind. “He’s using my cell phone. I offered. After all, she would want to know he’s okay. I would if I were in her shoes.”

Cale’s attention snapped back to her, his mouth falling open before he shut it again. His moment of temper vanished as he processed the new information. They should be safe using Lily’s phone. Dillon hadn’t taken advantage and asked. Thus, he could only chalk it up to Lily’s kindness and ability to read beneath the surface. A potentially deadly skill if she didn’t possess the goodness he saw in her over and over again. With a sigh, he relaxed onto the couch beside her, absently stroking Hope when she climbed on his lap, purring loudly.

“Please don’t be mad at him. It was my suggestion and offer. I thought it might help him feel better and recover faster, getting to at least talk with the woman he loves.” Lily bobbed the stick again. Charity grabbed the end of the cloth with teeth and claws, refusing to let go of her prize. Faith batted at her until Lily found a toy mouse, tossing it near the black and white spotted kitten, watching her smack it and chase it around on the hardwood floor.

He couldn’t argue with that logic. “It’s okay. And, I think you’re right. It’ll do him good to talk to her.”

Lily continued to watch the babies. “He told me she’s an elementary school teacher.”

Cale nodded, not really surprised Dillon had spoken of Della to Lily. She had a talent for charming things out of a guy. Look how much they’d shared with her in just over a day. Not an awful lot to some, but a generous amount in their line of business.

“They hope to marry soon. Settle down. Raise a family.”

“Yeah.” He knew all that a while back.

“You don’t approve?” Lily glanced up.

He shrugged. “I like Della. She’s a good woman who I think can make Dillon happy. I really wish them the best.”

“But…”

He waited until Hope turned a couple of rounds before settling comfortably in his lap, tucking her front paws under and closing her eyes. “I worry what kind of job Dillon will find. It’s not like he can mesh back into polite society easily. He needs excitement and a challenge. We all do.”

“We?”

Debating on how to answer that question, Cale took a long breath. “We—others who do the same kind of job. It’s not nine to five, no holidays, no weekends. It’s a go from the moment the phone rings until the job is done. Then you regroup and head off to the next one.”

She nodded. “What exactly is it you do?” Lily whispered as if she’d considered not speaking then at all.

He debated for a moment then went with his gut. “We’re a small group of men who are paid to ferret out particularly nasty criminals and capture them.” Send them to hell was more like it. But he didn’t want her expression of interest and trust to turn into one of disgust and repulsion. No. He needed her acceptance, her continued interest, the look of mindfulness of his maleness when she thought he didn’t notice. Once he had received those precious gifts, he stubbornly refused to return them, holding them protectively like a child with a favored Christmas present. Cale watched her features closely, as his words soaked in.

She reached over, twining her smaller fingers with his. Softness descended over her face. “Unfortunately, someone has to do it. If you didn’t, I fear the world would become a darker and more treacherous place.”

His shoulders slumped in relief at her quick approval.

“I can only imagine the dangers you and Dillon must face. It has to be doubly hard on Della.” She looked down, whispering beneath her breath, “I’ll worry about you, too.”

He cupped her cheek, turning her head until her eyes met his. After leaning in, he brought their lips together, seeking the pleasure and sweetness he’d savored once before. She returned his attentions, sending fire directly from his mind down to his groin. With a low moan, he opened her mouth with his own, slipping his tongue in for a deeper taste.

Lily drew a ragged breath, but allowed his explorations, giving back as she shyly moved to run her tongue across his.

That simple action spurred his libido. He tugged her closer with an arm around her waist, as he reclaimed control of the kiss, pushing for greater depth, starving for another sample of delicious essence that belonged solely to Lily. Ambrosia. Her tentative responses reminded him to focus on slow and steady even as they heated his blood to a frenzied state. She could burn him to a pile of ashes at this rate. If her kiss was this hot, what would it be like to lay her down on the king-sized bed, spread out for him to see and appreciate? His engorged cock would spear inside, separating those glorious, glistening, pink folds on his way to the promised land.

“Earth to Cale.”

Dillon’s voice broke into his erotic daydream.

Lily pulled back, face flushed from passion or embarrassment, or a mixture of both. Cale hoped it was the former.

Tearing his gaze from Lily, he glanced at his brother. Dillon stood behind the couch with what could only be called a shit-eating grin on his face—so much for keeping his feelings for their hostess under wraps. “Don’t you have someone else to bedevil?”

Dillon chuckled deeply, looking first at Cale then to Lily before returning once again. “Nope.”

Cale snorted, shifting to ease the tightness below.

“If you will excuse me, dinner should be done.” With that said, Lily retreated.

Cale glared at his younger brother, frustrated with the inopportune interruption. “What is it?”

“I thought the poor girl needed to come up for air.” Dillon’s wicked grin told the real story.

Dillon would never pass up a chance to give him a hard time. A younger brother’s prerogative, he claimed. However, he was going to kick Dillon’s ass for interrupting them and sending Lily scurrying off like a wild filly at the first glimpse of a cowboy with a saddle.

“I think you must like her.” Dillon’s whisper carried to Cale’s ears.

Not liking the topic of conversation, Cale ignored him until Dillon plopped down beside him and elbowed him hard in the gut. His low growl didn’t deter the kid, either.

“She’s a good woman. Reminds me of Della. Someone a man can come home to, who’ll be there for him, and love him to pieces.”

“We’re leaving after Thanksgiving.” The tone brooked no argument.

Dillon grinned. “Then you better get in gear, big bro. Not much time to make that pretty girl yours.”

A scowl formed on Cale’s face. “I…can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“We’re leaving…soon. She doesn’t deserve to be left brokenhearted with no hope of a relationship. She needs a man who’ll come home every night, shower her with kisses, and hold her through the long cold nights.” His own words sank deep, hitting him like a punch to the gut. Damn it. It’s true. I want to be that man. “She needs more than what I can offer. A life on the run with no rest or safety. That’s no way to raise a family.”

“Why not you?” Dillon questioned again.

Throwing his arms up in frustration, Cale faced his brother, barely noticing when Hope jumped down, obviously uncomfortable with his jerky motions. “Have you forgotten what we do? How dangerous it is? Not only for us, but for anyone linked to us? How can I play with her emotions, run off, leaving her alone and unprotected, while I do my job, perhaps never seeing her again?”

Dillon’s lips compressed once more. “You don’t think I’ve considered each and every one of those arguments before? Believing that Della would be better off finding another man with a more stable lifestyle? Let me tell you something she told me that makes a hell of a lot of sense. None of us know how much time we have on earth. She would much rather be with the man she loves, for however long she gets, than to go through life wishing for something that could have been. Della is strong. So is Lily. They understand and will face fire to be with the men they love.”

Cale savored those words for a long moment, considering the message being pounded into his head. With a sigh, he laid his head back on the couch, running one large hand through his short hair. “I can’t bear to see anything happen to her. Not to mention Lansing is still out there.” Still whispered, the words carried more emotion than he would have preferred. He had barely admitted the same to himself, after all, let alone babble the facts to others. Including Dillon.

Dillon slapped him on the shoulder in an age-old sign of support. “I know.” He paused for a beat before continuing. “I’m considering retiring.”

He stared at his brother in shock. “Really? Since when?”

“Since I’ve been serious with Della. It’s true she’ll accept whatever decision I make on the job, but I want more for her.”

“So, she’s talked you into quitting?” Cale frowned at the thought.

Dillon shook his head. “No. I haven’t even mentioned it to her yet. It was just an idea, considering my future. Our future. Truth is, I want to be there with her, come home to her smiling face, spend the nights cuddled up instead of freezing my ass off in the mountains, lying in a snow bank, and waiting out a hit.”

Cale nodded. “I’ve briefly thought about it, too. But what other job is there to do for us? We aren’t cut out to work nine to five, sitting on our asses in a cubicle.”

“I’m not sure, but I’ve been giving it some thought. Perhaps there’s something in the organization without being on the front lines or with another agency. Heck, even being a local cop is possible. I just need to do a bit of research, but I know there has to be something. Other men have left and settled down.”

For the first time today, Cale felt a weight shift on his shoulders, not relieved of a heavy burden quite yet, but definitely lighter. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to make this work. Dillon intended to. If he could maneuver into a similar position but with local ties, he could be close to Lily. Pursue this budding relationship, watching it and her flower with his attentions.

Quickly chastising himself, he stomped down that possibility. It was an ideal solution in an ideal world. He didn’t live in that. Reality came up to bite people in the ass when they least expected it.

“Ready to go court the young lady in the kitchen?” Dillon teased, standing with both crutches for support.

Cale rolled his eyes. “We’re outta here. Soon.” Anger laced his voice. He quickly stood and turned.

Dillon shook his head. “You wouldn’t know what’s good for you if it stood there staring you in the face. Besides, have you considered that Lansing’s crew might have stumbled across our ditched car? It won’t take a genius to track us here. Once we’re gone, Lily’s vulnerable.”

Cale’s gut clenched at the thought of what those men would do to the shy and innocent woman who had taken them in. For helping them out in a bind, she would suffer as no one should ever have to. Just the thought of those men touching her stoked a deep-seated rage. Fury rose up, flashing through his veins. He shot Dillon a glare before stepping from the room.

Cale drew in a deep breath, forcing calmness over his raging emotions. Cool it, SEAL. Losing control signed a death warrant in his business. In order for him to protect Dillon and Lily, he needed to focus rationally, not go off half-cocked. He’d think of something. He always did. He forced a smile when he entered the kitchen, determined to shield Lily from his caustic mood and sincere worry that killers could show up on their doorstep at any minute.