Sitting on her couch the next morning, Rose daydreamed about the previous night. One minute she was living in post-orgasmic bliss and the next she was desperately sad Doug was gone.
Doug had told her he was leaving, and she was prepared for it. They’d shared an amazing afternoon and night together. One she’d never imagined. Yet when he told her they needed to get back to the suite so he could pack, it almost ripped her apart.
It wasn’t a feeling she was accustomed to. Rose had had relationships before and never blinked an eye when they parted. Why is this so different? Heck, we don’t even have a relationship, and I’m missing him.
She picked up her cell phone, lying on the coffee table, and checked for messages. Nothing. She told herself it didn’t matter if he texted, but she wanted to hear from him. I want to wake up in his arms. Kiss him one more time.
That wasn’t all pent-up sexual frustration within her. It was so much more. Something she couldn’t relieve. Somehow Doug had found a way into her heart. It was unexpected, nice, but scary as hell. It wasn’t as though she’d been in search of a serious relationship. Heck if anything, she’d purposely avoided it. So how did you manage to get past my defenses, Mr. Atwood? And now that you have, what am I supposed to do?
As she heard the chopper approach last night, she’d yearned to go back to the States with him. The island was beautiful, but she didn’t want to stay without him. Yet what difference would it make back in the States? They still wouldn’t be together. They had their own lives in different parts of the country. Relationships were hard enough without long distances. He was in San Antonio, and her home was West Virginia.
I need to stop thinking. I went into this with my eyes wide open. He didn’t lead me on. Never promised me anything. Actually, he warned me, and I chose not to listen. If my heart is struggling now, it’s my own damn fault. Not his.
Sitting here allowed her mind to race in directions she wanted to avoid. It wasn’t healthy, and she needed to stop. Rose pulled herself from the pity party, went back into her bedroom, and decided to change into her nurse’s uniform. I knew somehow I’d need it, because I can’t picture anyone bringing a uniform with them on vacation. Of course when have I ever been on Marpe-Agape just for a vacation? Like, never. It was a good thing. Keeping her mind focused was exactly what she needed, and there were people who could use her help.
As she made her way toward the medical center, she saw Sharma. After yesterday’s chance meeting, she was pretty sure Sharma had a clue about what happened last night with Doug. If she doesn’t, the smile of satisfaction on my face may be a dead giveaway.
Sure enough, Sharma’s expression changed as she got closer. Rose blushed like a teenager getting caught after her first kiss. This is ridiculous. I wasn’t embarrassed last night, and I shouldn’t be now. However, that didn’t stop her cheeks from turning bright pink.
“I see Mr. Atwood’s plan worked. You look . . . refreshed.”
Rose almost laughed at Sharma’s sweet, innocent choice of words. “I am.”
“You’re a very lucky woman to have the attention of such a man.” Sharma smiled, yet there was a bit of sadness behind her dark brown eyes.
Rose missed Doug, but Sharma had lost her husband. There was no way to compare the two. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Sharma asked, looking puzzled.
“It hasn’t been that long since you lost your husband and here I am all—”
“Happy?”
Rose nodded. Yes. I feel horrible.
“Oh, my dear girl, you should let that smile of yours shine for all to see. Love is a beautiful thing. Embrace it.”
Love? Is that what this is? I’ve never loved anyone romantically before. “I’m not sure if that is the correct word for what we have.”
“I have loved, and I have lusted. You will know the difference.”
You never cease to shock me, Sharma. “I’m sure I will.”
“My husband wasn’t my first, you know.”
Rose wasn’t sure she wanted to hear about Sharma’s love life any more than she wanted to talk about hers. Yet if the woman needed to open up, Rose would listen.
“There was a man when I was young. He was from a different class than I was. Himanshu. My family worked in his family’s home, so naturally, we were forbidden to be together. He was betrothed to another, and I knew this. That didn’t mean I didn’t want him, or him me.”
“What happened?” Rose paused as it was personal and none of her business. Actually, she had no idea why Sharma shared this story with her.
“We were lovers, and I never wanted to be apart from him. I refused to let myself be happy. I never told him I loved him. In fact, I worked so hard to let him think I didn’t need him he actually believed it. When he left, I refused to go to him. I told myself if you love something, set it free, and if it loves you, it will return. How foolish I was. The truth is, Rose, if you love someone, hold on to him. You must tell him, show him, and remind him. Men are not mind readers. You must make your position clear, or you may live in regret.”
Rose was surprised. She knew Sharma had married, and it seemed as though she had loved her husband. Had she misread that as well as so many other things?
“Himanshu wasn’t your husband?”
“No. My husband, DA as I called him, was an arranged marriage. Don’t get me wrong; I respected my husband, and he was a good man. Even today I miss him. We grew to love each other as friends. But in love, that was something I only felt for one man. You must be asking yourself, why I’m telling you this.”
You better believe it. “We all need someone to talk to.”
Sharma shook her head. “It is because I see myself in you. I have watched you when you are with Mr. Atwood. Your eyes give you away. You care very much for him, yet I see you have a wall up as well. Just like I did, afraid to say what’s in your heart, because the rejection would seem worse than death.”
Rose froze hearing those words. It was too close to how she felt. She could give Doug her body and be open to him sexually. Last night, when they were lying in each other’s arms, she couldn’t bring herself to talk about the one thing she wanted to. Us.
If Sharma saw it, was it possible others had as well? If Beckett or Trent did, I’m sure I would’ve heard something by now. Good or bad, neither of them hold back when it comes to voicing their opinions, and I’m sure they have strong ones about Doug and me.
That was exactly what Sharma was telling her. Although she loved her family, they could not—no, should not—dictate how she lived her life. That’s why I shielded them from the attack. They would’ve hovered over me, smothered me. What I needed was time alone to process, heal. And what I needed was Doug. They never would’ve understood. If she wanted to be with Doug, and he with her, then it was no one else’s business. Is that what I want? To be with him? I don’t know but I am certain of one thing: I don’t want our time together to be over. He’s strong, thoughtful, easy to talk to, easy to relax with, loyal, perceptive, and it’s just wrong how virile and sexy the man is. In many ways, even though I’ve never considered a list of things I want in a partner, Doug is my match. I want more with him. More of him. More. “Sharma, you’re a very interesting woman.”
She grinned and nodded. “It comes with age. When you’re young, you hold back; when you get older, you find it only holds you back from so much. If you ever want to talk again, I am happy to do so.”
Rose smiled and walked away. She appreciated Sharma’s willingness to share her wisdom, but hoped she wouldn’t rely on another person’s perspective. This was something she needed to work out for herself. At the end of the day, Rose needed to do what was best not only for her but for Doug as well. He has so much going on in his life. He needs time to mourn. This is not the time to ask if he wants anything more with me than what we shared. She needed to wait to ask that question.
As she entered the medical center, a weight had been lifted from her. Sharma was correct. If she never told Doug how she felt, she would always regret it. Somehow Rose was going to find a way to see Doug and tell him what he meant to her. No matter what his response, at least he will know.
“What the fuck was she thinking?” Doug barked at Beckett as he exited the courthouse.
Beckett shook his head. “How about a bit more info, and maybe I can answer that?”
Before Doug could answer Beckett, Candi stormed up to him. “What an evil, deceitful man. I can’t believe your father never told me he had a son.”
Doug didn’t say a word. He only stared at her. She’d shown up dressed in black as though still in mourning. The only problem was her little black dress was something you’d see on a stripper’s pole, not in front of a judge. Doug hated suits, but he sure as hell knew when to wear one. Loosening his tie, he turned away, but the twerp of a guy accompanying her couldn’t shut his mouth.
“Don’t be upset, my love. Obviously, he was embarrassed to claim the bastard.”
Doug spun around, his fist clenched ready to shut the guy’s mouth permanently. In a flash Beckett was standing between them and staring Doug in the eye. “It’s not worth it, Atwood. Let it go.”
Doug snorted in anger. He didn’t want to let it go. The few memories of his father were all Doug had to hold on to. He wasn’t going to let some fucking pool boy trash his father’s name. Whether he deserves it or not, he’s my father. The words hurt because they were exactly how Doug had felt over the years. Obviously, he was embarrassed to claim the bastard. His father’s recorded message may have suggested differently, but his actions hadn’t reflected pride. Earl had only taken care of financial concerns. Doug hadn’t known his father was loaded. They never went without, but they sure as hell didn’t live in luxury. Fuck. I even paid for my own schooling.
He heeded Beckett’s advice and walked away. Knocking the guy out on his ass would’ve been too easy and would have meant the night in jail. Not exactly what he wanted after leaving the judge’s chambers and being granted his request. Candi was denied permission to excavate and cremate Earl LaPrade.
Rest in peace, Dad. Now he needed to work out the rest.
“That was your one free pass. Open your fucking mouth again, and you’ll wish you hadn’t,” Beckett warned the guy before following Doug.
As Doug and Beckett got into the waiting limo, he turned and said, “What the fuck was that? You tell me it’s not worth it, and then you threaten the guy?”
“Since you threatened Martin, it was my turn with this prick.” Beckett laughed.
Doug joined in. The bond of old days when they’d had each other’s six in the field hadn’t diminished. You can take the man out of the Marines, but you can’t take the Marine out of the man.
“I know that look, Beckett. What did you find?”
Beckett pulled some papers from inside the breast pocket of his leather jacket. “More than I thought I would.”
Doug took the papers from Beckett. Scanning them, he saw the same number highlighted over and over again.
“What is this?”
“Candi’s phone records for the last three months.”
Doug looked more closely. There were a few numbers she was in contact with regularly, yet only one of them was highlighted. “Tell me about this one,” Doug said, pointing to that number.
“You gave me a list of suspects, people who were at your father’s wedding. This guy, Albert Chester, was there.”
Doug flipped through the pages. Candi was in contact with the guy daily. The messages increased to a few each day about two weeks before his father died. The biggest flag was the actual day of Earl’s death. There must’ve been at least forty messages flying back and forth between the two. The more he read the angrier he became. You bitch. No matter what his relationship was with Earl, he hated reading the intimate messages between Candi and Albert. Doug didn’t stop. He hoped there would be something incriminating. It wasn’t what they were saying but what they weren’t. Neither Candi nor Albert mentioned Earl in any text. They were in constant contact—at times up to ten calls in one day—and despite it looking bad, it didn’t scream murder.
“I already knew the bitch was running around on my father. Not sure the pool boy had a clue, though.”
“I’m not convinced it was just an affair. Looking into your father’s business dealings, Chester was unrelenting in his pursuit to buy this from your father.”
Beckett handed him a sheet. It was for a property in South America. It sounded familiar. “Is this the same one that—?”
“Trent mentioned? Hell, yeah. I called Trent while you were in chambers with the judge. He was ambiguous about what was on the property, but he had a lot to say about our friend Chester. Guess he doesn’t take kindly to being told no very well. In their circle, it was well known the rivalry went deep. When your father snagged this property out from underneath Chester, I think it set the bar higher than anyone thought.”
“It doesn’t make any sense for Chester to kill my father. He doesn’t get the property just because Earl’s dead.”
“And that is where Candi would’ve come in. Chester could have any woman he wanted with the type of money he has, like your father. So why go after Candi? Her type is a dime a dozen. With Earl out of the way, they thought Candi would inherit it all. I’d guess there was a large offer on the table between those two, regarding the property. One problem: no one knew about you and your father’s will.”
Fuck, Dad. You should’ve come to me. I could’ve, would’ve, helped. Instead, you hid everything from me. Hell, you hid me. Look where it got you. Six feet under. Were the pieces coming together? “How are we going to prove it? Someone like that isn’t going to confess.”
“Nope. But there’s something you’re not going to like to hear.”
“They killed my father. What else can they do?” Doug asked angrily.
“The word is, Chester’s determined to ascertain who Earl’s inheritor is. If you ask me, Candi’s purpose in requesting to exhume and cremate Earl’s body was to get you to step forward. Hate to say it, but I think we just walked into a trap.”
Something still wasn’t adding up. “Killing me still won’t get him anything.”
“I don’t think he’d try taking you out. But using someone you love to get you to do what he wants? Yeah, that’s his style,” Beckett growled.
Someone I love? He won’t find anyone to get to me. I don’t . . . His heart almost stopped. Rose.
He couldn’t let anything happen to her. Someone I love. Shit. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but Rose meant everything to him now. If Doug thought it would work, he’d turn everything over to Chester if it kept Rose safe. He didn’t want to add any pain to her life. She deserves only happiness.
That means I need to stay away from her for her own good.
“Is she—?”
“No one is getting on Marpe-Agape without my guys knowing it. That place is a fortress. I’ve also left strict instructions no one, especially Rose, leaves without my approval.”
“I thought it was a medical center.”
Beckett snorted. “My brother made his own enemies along the way. There is a price people pay for the kind of money and power they hold.”
This made him hate the inheritance even more. He didn’t want money to change who he was. In fact, he was worried it’d enhance the disagreeable side of him. Becoming more of an arrogant bastard was the last thing he or anyone else needed. When the dust settles . . . I need to spend time reviewing my father’s businesses and working out how to best use them. Never will I let money come between the one I love and me.
Doug was taken back by his own thoughts. Love? It wasn’t a word he’d come close to using when thinking about a woman before. Yet it was the only one that reflected how he felt. Now he’d do everything to protect her, even if it meant never seeing her again, because he loved her. And as long as she doesn’t know how I feel, she can let me go and consider me yet another asshole in the world. Then she’ll never think of me again. Fuck. He didn’t like that one bit, but if it kept Rose safe, there was no alternative.
“I don’t care what it costs, go back to the island and keep that place on lockdown.”
“And what are you planning, Atwood?”
“They want me that bad, I’ll give them a target. Go big or go home, Chester, because I’m taking this all the way.”
Beckett shook his head. “I’m not leaving you to do this alone. Someone’s got to have your six.”
“And you have a pregnant wife waiting for you. There is no way I’m letting you risk your life for mine,” Doug said plainly.
“I don’t remember asking. Besides, I pulled in some of the best to cover both the island and us. It’s going to cost you, but the Turchetta family is the best. They were once active in the US military. Now their group is contract based. Turchetta has the security muscle and mind-blowing technology you need right now.”
“If they’re so fucking good, why haven’t I ever heard of them?” Doug didn’t normally doubt Beckett’s judgment, but more than his life was on the line. Anyone protecting Rose needed to be top of the line. There was no room for error.
“They don’t normally take on jobs like this. They specialize in jobs requiring them to color outside the lines. The CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security call upon them frequently. These guys have eyes and ears all over the world. If Chester attempts a move, you need these guys. They cast a wide net and have ways of getting information many can’t. We need them now.”
Doug looked at him questioningly, then his surroundings. He noticed a vehicle parked across the street with tinted windows. There was another SUV behind them with the same.
“We’ve been on enough missions together, Atwood. You really think I didn’t anticipate your move when I delivered this information?”
Doug wasn’t sure if he was relieved or pissed that Beckett was stepping beyond his authority. He knew Beckett would also do anything he needed in order to protect his family.
He wanted to apologize for bringing Rose into this. It wasn’t his intention. Hell, none of this was. All I tried to do was check on my friends to make sure their heads were in the right place. And all I’ve done is jeopardize every single one of them.
“How many men do you have on the island?”
“Turchetta has sent an additional ten. All heavily armed and well-trained. Besides that, I brought KJ, Gunny, and my father up to date.”
Once a Marine always a Marine. If he made it out of this alive, he’d owe them his life in gratitude. First things first. They needed to stop Albert Chester from hurting another person. Especially Rose.
Proving Chester’s involvement in Earl’s death would be a plus. He’d promised his father he’d find the answer, but there had been no opportunity to discuss how justice would be served.