Chapter Eight
A couple weeks later
“How is Dwayne’s training?” Beast asked.
Caleb stopped looking around the library and turned to look at his brother. “He’s fine. He’s stopped moaning at every single request.”
“And what are your thoughts on him?”
“You’ve treated him too soft.”
“There are ways to train that don’t involve our father’s methods, Caleb. I figured you’d appreciate that. Why have you suddenly taken an interest in my book collection?”
“You have more than me.”
“That’s what happens when you like books more than you do getting one with nature. You own more tents and survival kits than I do,” Beast said, a smirk on his lips.
Caleb smiled. His brother had never understood his need to get away from it all. When your every need was catered to, he guessed a lot of people wouldn’t like going out near the winter, just to be at peace with oneself. He needed it. Without, he couldn’t handle everything he had to do.
“I nearly killed Dwayne, just so you know.”
Beast laughed. “Do I even want to know why?”
“He saw my woman naked.”
This made Beast’s brow rise. “Your woman?”
“You’re shocked that I have a woman but not shocked that I tried to kill our nephew.”
“I’ve wanted to kill Dwayne a few times. I think it’s the boy’s MO, or at least he has a knack for pissing people off. You’ve decided to take the little debt as your woman?”
“Don’t call her that, Beast.” He didn’t like that. Faith deserved a lot more than to be viewed as some kind of debt.
“Hope likes her.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Hope likes everyone.”
“Exactly.”
This made Beast smile. “Are you happy?”
Caleb stared at his brother and saw the concern in Beast’s eyes. They were both monsters and beasts within their world, and rarely took the time to talk about their feelings. He’d always assumed Beast didn’t have any until Hope came into his brother’s life.
“I’m happy.”
“I know this life gets to you.”
“I’m fine, Beast. I’ll never have a problem.”
Beast stared at him for several minutes. “You’re sure?”
“I’m always here, aren’t I?”
“Still, it must … be difficult.”
He’d never had a heart-to-heart with his brother. He’d never felt the need to. They were two different people, and each of them had a different way of dealing with the world.
“You don’t need to start worrying about me. Just because I like a woman doesn’t mean I’m going soft,” Caleb said.
“Well, I know what it’s like.” Beast leaned forward, holding up a file. “I need you to head to Vegas this weekend.”
“What for?” He took the file from his brother and opened it. On the first page was a picture of a man, a cop that was on their payroll.
“I see you recognize him. No, he’s not offering our secrets to the law, and we’re not going to have the FBI knocking down our doors. He’s selling our secrets to the highest bidder, or at least, that’s the rumor. I had a call this morning that he’s setting up an auction, and hopes to have our competitors pay for the privilege of everything he knows.”
“That shit isn’t happening,” Caleb said, flicking over the page. “This is why I don’t like dealing with dirty cops.”
“Dirty cops have their uses. What I don’t like are dirty rat cops. This guy is dangerous.”
“You want him dead?”
“Yes.”
Caleb saw where he’d set up operations. “How long has he been there?”
“One day. I already have your tickets.”
Beast handed over the flight tickets. Caleb studied them then looked at his brother. “Why do I have two?”
“For your woman, of course. Vegas can be such a … wonderful place. You can have wedding ceremonies, gambling.”
“I know exactly what you’re trying to do, and it’s not going to work,” Caleb said.
“Well, you could make an honest woman out of her.”
“She doesn’t do love,” Caleb said.
“Neither do you. Besides, it’s amazing what happens when you spend time together. Words are spoken, feelings are developed, and before you know where you are, you’re a happily married man with lots to live for and a baby on the way.”
Now Beast had a full-blown smile on his face, and he looked so damn proud of himself.
“You really do love Hope?” Caleb asked, closing the file.
“More than anything in the world.”
“The age gap … doesn’t bother you?”
“Nope. It doesn’t. I could let it bother me if I sit and think about it all the time, but I refuse to let something so trivial get in the way. She’s happy. I’m happy. Together we make each other so, and I’m not going to question that. Maybe you should start thinking about that.”
Caleb stared down at the tickets in his hands. “You don’t think it’s dangerous taking her along for the ride?”
Beast sighed. “Our entire life is dangerous. We could have some kind of magical shield around our woman, and they’d still be in danger. Do I lose sleep at times over the danger my woman is constantly in? Yes. There are times I can’t even think straight it bothers me that much. Then I decided that the best way to defend my woman was teach her how to defend herself.”
“You’re teaching Hope how to defend herself, even when pregnant?” Caleb asked, amazed that his brother would do such a thing.
“There are men and women out there who wouldn’t care that she’s pregnant. I’m simply taking care of my woman the best way I know how.”
Beast got to his feet, which signaled the end of the conversation.
“I hope to hear soon that our problem has been dealt with.”
They shook hands, and Caleb left his brother’s home.
Sitting in his car, he stared at the plane tickets. He wondered if she’d been to Vegas. There had to have been a chance with her father’s gambling problem.
Putting the tickets to one side, he started his car and left the security of his brother’s drive.
The journey to his home was a short one. Calling his personal head of security, Caleb made the arrangements so men were waiting for him at the Vegas airport to take them to their hotel room. They had men all around the world who were more than willing to be on their security detail.
Of course, each man had to go through their screening, and Beast didn’t leave anything to chance.
Caleb found Anne in the kitchen making some bread. “She’s in the garden, planting a new rose bush.”
“Didn’t she do much studying today?” Caleb asked.
“Oh, she did. She just likes to unwind in the garden. It’s something she has come to enjoy.”
“I’ll be taking her to Vegas for a couple of days. You can have the house to yourself.”
Anne smiled. “Will you be taking advantage of certain … luxuries while you’re away?”
“Are you asking me if I’ll marry her?”
“Well, you can do it quite easily over there.”
Caleb chuckled. “I doubt it.”
“Is this because you feel like you don’t deserve love?”
Anne paused in kneading the dough. He didn’t need fresh bread, but Anne baked it every single day. She also gave several loaves to the men who guarded his home.
“It’s not that.”
“Sure, it is. I remember you as a young boy when you’d come to the kitchen after one of your father’s … punishments. You out of all of your brothers always suffered. Being the youngest, he didn’t want you to grow into a baby.”
“I never did.”
“No, you never did, but I saw what it was doing to you.”
“You couldn’t stop it.”
“And because of that, it made you believe that you’re incapable of being loved, Caleb.”
He stared at his cook, recalling every single beating he’d been given. From simply asking for a toy, to begging for a cookie, if his father had ever heard him ask for anything, it had been the belt, or some other punishment. He’d even been left out overnight with the dogs in the freezing cold because he’d liked to be warm.
Pushing those memories aside, he moved up toward Anne. “Don’t ever feel guilty. He’d have killed you if you tried to step in, and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy your bread.”
“Don’t fight falling in love. It could be the best thing that ever happened to you.”
****
It had been a couple of years since Faith had last been in Vegas. Of course, she’d never overlooked the gambling capital of the world from one of its most luxurious hotels. From up here it all looked shiny and dazzling. Everything seemed to sparkle. When she’d been younger, she’d been on the street looking up at the hotels, wondering about the people who were staying inside them.
Caleb was on his phone, and three men outside waited, keeping guard. She’d spotted all of their guns. This was not a social trip; far from it.
She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a tension building inside her. Anne had told her to have fun and enjoy the trip, but she didn’t know how that was possible. Vegas held a great deal of memories for her, and most of them were attached to anger.
Anger at her father, at the casinos, at the capital, at everything.
Deep down, she knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault but her father’s, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
If it wasn’t for your father, you wouldn’t be with Caleb now.
The man himself snapped his cell phone closed and moved up behind her. He wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her back, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Do you like what you see?”
“Not really.”
“It’s all way too garish for me, and far too … fake.”
She chuckled. “I should have known you’d see past the lies. The man that gets one with nature and all that.”
“Yep, and one day you’re going to see it.”
“I can’t wait.”
And she couldn’t. The thought of being alone with him, away from cell phones and threats, actually filled her with joy.
“I know this isn’t a social call,” she said. She saw his reflection in the mirror. They’d packed and landed within the same day. She was sure she still had soil beneath her nails, he’d wanted to be gone that quickly.
“It’s not. This is business, but once I take care of business, then we can go and have some fun.”
“I don’t want to be alone in this room,” she said.
“It’s safe for you to be here. Once I’m done, we’ll go to dinner and then go dancing. How does that sound?”
It sounded a little boring and lonely. She didn’t tell him that, but simply smiled. “You’re killing someone, aren’t you?”
“I’m taking care of business.” He kissed her neck, and she turned as he left the room.
She’d noticed over the months that whenever he had to kill someone, he always withdrew from her. It was like he had to close everything else off from what he was doing or he couldn’t focus.
Staring out at the night sky aglow with all the sights, she frowned. This was not a romantic place.
Stepping away from the window, she was determined to get out of the room. When she opened the door, she found a guard posted there.
He wouldn’t let her pass, holding up a hand to stop her, but he didn’t actually touch her.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked.
“Caleb said you’re to stay in the room. I’m simply following orders.”
“Wow, really?”
“Yes. Please, I don’t want any trouble. Your protection means a great deal to him.”
“Can you touch me?” she asked. “Make me stay?”
The guard looked uncomfortable. She imagined Caleb had told him to keep her in the room but not to lay a hand on her. It was really sweet how much Caleb wanted to protect her.
There was no way she was staying in the room on her own with her thoughts running riot. Not happening. “There’s a casino and a bar downstairs, right? They’re part of the hotel?”
“Yes.”
She brought her knee up, taking him completely off guard. Grabbing his gun, she removed the safety and pointed it at him. Being around her father, she had learned how to protect herself. He didn’t always have a lot of good friends, but he had some that found it funny to show a young girl how to hold a gun. Faith didn’t like to remember how they taught her to shoot, and watch as her hands shook, but she always did as she was told. This guard wouldn’t touch her, and he also couldn’t hurt her.
“I really don’t want to hurt you, and if you hurt me, you know Caleb’s going to have an issue. Why don’t we pretend this didn’t happen? You can call Caleb in a couple of minutes and tell him what I did, and that he can meet me at the bar.” She forced a smile to her lips and stepped back. “I’ll also tell him that I did this on purpose, and I’ve got no problem with you following me downstairs to keep an eye on me.”
She stepped back and pressed the elevator button. The doors opened and she stepped inside, thankful no one was on the damn thing. When the doors closed, she put the gun away, placing the safety back on before tucking it away in her jeans.
Her heart was pounding as excitement rushed through her. Caleb would be pissed, but she’d make sure the guard didn’t lose his job.
There was no way she’d spend her life waiting around for Caleb. She wanted to be with him and share his life, but she wouldn’t be put away until he decided to play. She had no intention of going around the whole of Vegas.
Staying in the hotel wasn’t a problem to her.
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out.
There was a mass of activity, and she couldn’t help but smile.
Of course, she didn’t agree with gambling, and as she walked around the main casino, she wasn’t all that impressed with what she saw. There were people winning, which was nice to see, but across the room she’d find someone who clearly wasn’t winning, and was down on their luck.
This was the problem she had with gambling. Too much risk. Sure, it was all down to probability of winning. A fifty-fifty chance, but that was too much chance of her going without rent or food. She liked being able to sleep in a warm bed at night.
After a few minutes of watching people, she grew bored.
She found the sign for the bar and made her way toward it.
From all the years of moving around with her father, she owned a fake ID, and Caleb hadn’t taken it from her. She took a seat at the bar and ordered herself a drink. When the barman asked for ID, she showed it to him, and he nodded.
Licking her lips, she glanced around the bar. The low music had a seductive quality to it.
Tapping her foot on the base of her chair, she watched several couples on the dance floor. The way they were touching was intoxicating. The air was heavy with sex and something else; promise, maybe.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Caleb said.
She glanced over her shoulder, and he stood close to her.
“I’ve been out of my room … twenty minutes and you’re back.”
“I want you to go back to our room.”
She shook her head. “I’m bored there, Caleb. I don’t mind being here, but I’m not going to wait around for you. I’m content to just sit here, have a drink, and relax. I’ll wait for you here.”
“I prefer you to stay there.”
She spun around in her chair. “Why bring me if all I’m going to do is stay there, Caleb? I may as well be back in your home weeding the damn garden.” Her anger spiked. She didn’t mind following him around so long as she was able to do something else.
“I’ve got work to do here.”
“And I’m bored. I’m not stopping you from doing whatever it is you’re doing. You didn’t have to come back.”
He grabbed her hand and led her onto the dance floor. His hands moved to her hips, and began to sway. She stayed perfectly still, waiting.
“You don’t want to dance with me?”
“I don’t want you to manipulate me into getting what you want, so I’m going to stay perfectly still.”
“You’re so cute when you’re being stubborn,” he said.
She rested her hands on his shoulders and shook her head. “I’m not doing this.”
Pulling out of his arms, she walked away, throwing some bills down onto the bar before leaving without even drinking.
She didn’t go back toward her room.
Instead, she walked out of the hotel and completely disregarded her own advice.
“What the hell?” Caleb said, grabbing her arm and dragging her into the nearest alley. “This is fucking dangerous.”
She pulled the gun out of the back of her jeans and pointed it at him. “I know how dangerous life can be, Caleb. I’ve lived it. I’ve got constant proof of how bad it can get.” She pointed at her face. “Don’t treat me like a child. Don’t treat me like you’re afraid to break me. I get it. You’re a bad man, and you do bad things. You kill people. I don’t care. I’m here and I’m not going to do anything stupid, but I think you need to take this gun, and right now, I want to go back inside to that bar. I’m going to sit there and drink, and I’ll wait for you to be done. Is that okay?”
What the hell are you doing?
“I’ve never had a chick that I’m fucking pull a gun on me before,” Caleb said, taking the gun.
“And?”
“It’s kind of hot.”
“Only someone like you would find a gun being pulled on you kind of hot. I’m freaked out.”
She went to walk away, but Caleb pulled her close. He cupped her cheek and tilted her head back. “I only want you to be safe.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I’d never forgive myself in anything was to happen to you,” he said.
It was the first time that they’d spoken about feelings. If he couldn’t forgive himself, didn’t that mean he cared about her?
Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she patted his chest. “I’ll be waiting for you to dance with me.”
She pulled away and made her way back into the bar.
This time, she ordered a stiff drink to help calm herself down.