NICK WENT WITH Sam to talk to Brant, who was waiting for them in the office the Secret Service had commandeered downstairs.
“I understand you wanted to see me,” Sam said to Brant, who looked more stressed and tense than usual.
“I need to know more about the kids you brought home,” he said. “Are they involved with one of your cases?”
“Yes.”
“How so?”
“May I?” Sam gestured to the sofa that technically belonged to her, but since it was now located in their domain she asked for permission.
Brant nodded and leaned against a desk while Sam and Nick sat. Sam told him what Hill had shared earlier.
“They can’t be here,” Brant said bluntly when Sam finished talking.
“Well, they are here,” Sam said. “They’re traumatized, and I’m not disrupting them again tonight.”
“I understand they’re traumatized, and I empathize with their situation, but there’s no way they can be here when their parents have been murdered and the case is unresolved.”
“As stated,” Nick said, “they’re already here, so we need to put the emphasis on how we’re going to best protect them rather than on how they came to be here.”
“Mr. Vice President, with all due respect—”
Sam stood. “I have other work to finish before I can call it a day. I’ll let you two hash out the details of how we’re going to keep Alden and Aubrey safe tonight.” She squeezed Nick’s shoulder and left the room to go upstairs to call Shelby and then Elijah Beauclair.
Shelby answered on the first ring. “Hi, Sam.”
“Sorry to call so late. Hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No problem. We were up. What’s going on?”
“It seems that I’ve made your job triply difficult by bringing home two kids in need of emergency shelter.” Sam went on to update their assistant on what had transpired that day.
“Avery told me a little about the case. Those poor babies.”
“I was counting on your soft heart, because I’m going to need your help with this. I have no idea how long they’ll be with us.”
“Whatever I can do. I’m happy to help.”
“Thank you, Shelby,” Sam said with a deep sigh of relief. “I should’ve checked with you first—”
“Don’t be silly. You knew I’d be fine with helping. That’s what I’m here for. What can I do?”
“They need some clothing. I asked Tracy to bring over some hand-me-downs from Abby and Ethan, but they’ll need more.”
“I’m on it. I’ll figure out their sizes tomorrow and send one of the women from the shop to the store, if that’s okay.”
“Of course. You have our card. Don’t be afraid to use it.”
“You know me—I’m an expert at spending your money.”
Sam laughed. “We couldn’t do what we do without you backing us up at home. I probably don’t say it often enough, but we’re so appreciative of you.”
“Oh stop, Sam. I get to bring my son to work where I get to love on your son, who’s the best kid ever. I love everything about working for you guys. I should be thanking you. I’ll come in early tomorrow and touch base with you before you leave for work. Noah is up with the chickens anyway, so it’s no problem.”
“That’d be great. Then I can introduce you to the kids and make sure they’re comfortable before I leave. My team is coming to the house in the morning, so we’ll be here for a while.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks again.”
“My pleasure.”
“Hey, is Avery there by any chance?”
“He’s right here. Hang on.”
“Hey, Sam,” Avery said. “How’s it going with the kids?”
“Not bad. Aubrey is adjusting, but Alden has yet to say a word to any of us.”
“I really feel for them.”
“I know. Me too. About their brother, I haven’t had a chance to call him, and it’s getting late. I wondered if you might be willing to do that for me after all?”
“Yeah, I’ll do it,” he said, sighing.
“I hate to ask you—”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it.”
“Let me know if he has anything to say that might be of interest to me?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re meeting at my place at zero eight hundred if you want to join us.”
“I’ll be there.”
“See you then—and thanks again.”
“No problem.”
* * *
AVERY ENDED THE CALL and handed the phone back to Shelby, dreading the call Sam had asked him to make to Elijah Beauclair, away at college and oblivious to the bomb about to go off in his life.
“What’s wrong?” Shelby asked when he got out of bed and pulled on the flannel pajama pants he’d recently discarded.
Avery unplugged his cell phone from the bedside charger. “I need to call Jameson Beauclair’s older son, a student at Princeton, to tell him about the fire and the possibility that his father and stepmother are dead. We were hoping for positive IDs before we notified him, but that hasn’t happened yet, and we can’t wait any longer.”
“Ugh,” Shelby said. “I don’t know how you guys can stand to make those calls.”
“We can’t,” Avery said. “But someone has to do it.” He leaned over the bed to kiss her. “I’ll be back.”
Propped up on one elbow, she gave him a warm smile. “I’ll be right here, and we can pick up where we left off when work intruded.”
Things between them were better than ever, and the crisis that had nearly derailed them was now a distant memory, he thought, as he went downstairs to his office to make the dreaded call. Couples therapy had helped him put his relationship with Shelby back on track. The work he’d done on his own with the therapist had gotten him over some things from his past that had come back to haunt his present.
Avery turned on lights in his office and fired up the laptop where he’d made notes earlier that included Elijah Beauclair’s phone number. He dialed the number, which rang several times before a male voice answered, sounding rushed or maybe out of breath.
“Hello?”
“Is this Elijah Beauclair?”
“Yes. Who’s this?”
Avery closed his eyes and leaned his head on his upturned hand. “This is Special Agent Avery Hill with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, DC.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid I have some bad news. There was a fire at your father’s home last night.”
“Oh no!”
“He and your stepmother were most likely killed.”
He gasped. “Oh my God. You don’t know for sure?”
“We’re awaiting positive identification from the medical examiner.”
“And the kids?”
“Were found alive.”
He released a deep breath. “I knew this would happen. My dad knew too. He said I might get a call like this one day when that son of a bitch Piedmont found them. He knew it was only a matter of time. I can’t believe he’s gone. And Cleo...” His deep sigh said it all. “What’s being done with the kids?”
“They’re with foster parents tonight. Tomorrow, the plan is to hopefully find family members who can take them.”
“That’s not going to happen,” he said bitterly. “My dad has no family to speak of, and Cleo’s family wanted her to leave my dad when the business troubles happened. She defended him, said it wasn’t his fault his business partner had turned into a ruthless criminal. But they were afraid for her and the rest of us. They won’t take them because they’ll be afraid of the same thing happening to them.”
Avery ran his fingers through his hair as he listened and absorbed what Elijah was telling him.
“I would do it, but I’m still in school and... I love them more than anything, but I don’t know if I could—”
“I understand. The medical examiner will want to know about funeral arrangements. Shall I have her call you?”
“I... Yeah, I guess. There really is no one else who can do it. I’ll have to come there. My semester. I... Fuck.”
“I’m sorry, Elijah.”
“Yeah, so am I. I don’t mean to make it about me.”
“Murder is very personal to the people left behind.”
“My dad was a good guy,” he said, sounding teary now. “He tried to do the right thing and look at where it got him.”
“Stay focused on the good times right now. That’ll help you through. If I can be of any assistance to you, call me on this number.”
“Thanks.”
“Could I ask you to take care of notifying any family who might need to be told?”
“I...yeah... I’ll call Cleo’s parents. They treated me well, like a grandson. I’m, ah... I’m going to go.”
“We’ll be in touch.”
“Okay.” The line went dead.
Avery blew out a deep breath. God, that never got any easier, no matter how many times it had to be done in the course of a career. He looked up the number for the Princeton University campus police and made a call to the department, asking for the officer in charge.
“You got him. Who’s this?”
“FBI Special Agent Avery Hill calling from Washington.”
“What can I do for you, Agent Hill?”
“I just had to call one of your students, Elijah Beauclair, with the upsetting news about a fire in his family’s Washington-area home. His father and stepmother are presumed dead. I wanted to let someone there know that he might need some support.”
“Of course. We’ll take care of him. Thank you for letting us know.”
“No problem. Let me give you my number if there’s anything you need.” After rattling off his phone number, he thanked the officer, ended the call and stood, his shoulders tense from the strain of the dreadful task. He shut off the lights and went to the kitchen to pour himself a couple shots of vodka, so he could sleep, and took the drink with him to the large sliding glass door that overlooked the dark backyard. In the spring, he wanted to get a play set for Noah to put back there.
When he heard Shelby’s steps on the stairs, he finished the drink and put the glass in the sink.
She came over to him and slid her arms around his waist. “I worried when you didn’t come back. Are you okay?”
“I’m better now,” he said, turning to return her embrace. Everything was better when he shared it with her. He’d never been part of a relationship like theirs, and he wondered now how he’d managed to live as long as he had without her.
“Was it awful?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. “Let’s go to bed.”
She released him and preceded him up the stairs.
Avery wasn’t at all surprised when she ducked into Noah’s room to check on him. She was a devoted, loving mother, and he was slavishly devoted to her and their son. That he got to be her son’s father was the greatest of the many gifts she had given him, along with forgiveness and patience.
They looked down at Noah, sleeping as he always did with his arms thrown over his head and lips pursed into a kiss. More in love with their little man with every passing day, they shared a smile.
He had to give Shelby a nudge to direct her out of the room. She could stand there for hours and stare at the baby she’d waited so long to have, but she needed her rest.
Their room was right next to Noah’s, and they slept with the doors open so they’d hear him even though they also had the latest in high-tech baby monitors on the bedside table. Outside of work, their lives revolved entirely around Noah, and neither of them would have it any other way.
In bed, Avery reached for Shelby and tucked her in next to him where she belonged. “We should see about giving Noah a brother or sister.” They hadn’t broached the subject of marriage or adding to their family in months, not since they’d started therapy.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted more kids.”
“I do, but only if you do.”
“I’d have ten if I could, but time is getting away from me.” Already in her early forties, she’d gotten off to a late start.
“How about we try for one and go from there?”
“I don’t even know if I can get pregnant the old-fashioned way. I’ve never tried.”
“I would take great pleasure in trying to get you pregnant the old-fashioned way,” he said, running his hand up and down her arm.
Shelby giggled, and the sweet sound of her laughter went straight to his heart. “I’d want to check with my doctor first to figure out the timing and everything.”
“Whenever you’re ready, let me know. I’ll be on standby, ready to do my part.”
Still smiling, she put her hand on his face to turn him toward her. “Nothing says we can’t get some practice in ahead of the official effort.”
“I could get on board with that.” He gave a gentle tug that landed her on top of him, her lips a fraction of an inch from his.
“I love when you show me how strong you are,” she said, squeezing his biceps. “So strong but so gentle with me and Noah.”
“Because I love you both more than anything.”
“We love you too. Noah lights up at the sight of you.”
“He and his mother are the happiest part of my day.”
She moved seductively on top of him, her lips warm and soft against his neck.
Avery was again overwhelmed with gratitude for her ability to forgive. He didn’t deserve her, but oh how he loved her. Turning them so he was on top, he gazed down at her before kissing her.
Shelby’s hands were busy pushing the pajama pants down over his hips.
He gasped when she wrapped her hand around his cock and began to stroke him. “Shelby. Sweetheart.” Groaning, he put his hand over hers to stop her when that was the last thing he wanted to do. “Together,” he whispered, pushing up her pale pink nightgown to find her naked underneath. He loved that she was always ready for him.
He slid into her, gasping from the tight heat that gripped him. “This,” he whispered, “is everything. You are everything.”
“We are. The three of us.”
Dropping his head to nuzzle her neck, he breathed in the scent of her. “Let’s get married. Nothing fancy. Just us and the ones we love best. Soon.”
“Avery.” She raised her hips, seeking him.
He pushed back into her before pausing to gaze down at her face, which was flushed with desire. “Is that a yes, darlin’?”
“Yes! God, yes.” With her hands on his face, she kissed him. “Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Soon,” he said, kissing her. “Very, very soon.”