Chapter Seventeen
“So how was the camping trip with Kenzie last weekend? Likely challenging, as she’s never camped in her life.”
Brett finished chewing his bite of burger and gave Colin a brief smile.
He’d joined the McLaughlin men at their pub. Aleck was off work for the evening, as were Ian and Colin. The four of them sat around talking while the women were at the bachelorette party.
“It was pretty good, and your sister did great.” It was an absent, brief reply, but all he could offer Kenzie’s brother at the moment.
His mind was elsewhere. He was focusing on the series of texts he’d just exchanged with Kenzie. Was one of his sailors hitting on her? Using him for an excuse to buy her a drink? It didn’t make sense, and he sure as hell couldn’t see that happening.
They knew better than to make a move on their chief’s woman.
“Kenzie seems to like you quite a bit,” Aleck said casually. “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”
“You’ll deal with it.” For a moment, he was able to feel a bit of amusement instead of unease. “She’s a grown woman.”
“Aye, she is. You hurt her, and you’ll learn quickly I’m not a man to have as an enemy.”
“Ah for fuck’s sake, Aleck, give it a rest,” Ian drawled. “We all love Kenzie, and this bloke here is right decent. We all know it. Even if we can’t bring ourselves to acknowledge our baby sister is a legitimate adult now.”
“Well who fookin’ gave her permission to do that?” Aleck grumbled. “My apologies, Brett. My brothers are right. You’re a good guy, and I wish you the best with my sister.” He paused. “But as I said, if you break her heart, we break yours. Literally.”
Ian and Colin nodded, both joining in with a light-hearted round of “Aye.”
“Deal.”
He couldn’t help but check his phone again, seeing if Kenzie had texted back. There was nothing.
A ball of unease was gathering in his stomach, and premonition was setting in that something wasn’t right. That Kenzie might be in trouble.
He quickly typed out a text.
Kenzie, sugar, text me back and let me know you’re okay. I’m starting to worry.
“Ah, see that? They can’t even keep from texting all night,” Colin ribbed. “You’re in just as deep as she is.”
Brett set down the phone and then met Colin’s gaze squarely. “I love your sister. There’s not a damn thing I wouldn’t do for her.”
That ended all laughter and jesting, and all three of the brothers watched him with a deeper consideration. Appreciation maybe.
“Well, knowing Kenzie, I’m fairly sure she feels the same,” Ian finally murmured. “I wish you both only the best.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” He checked his phone and bit back a curse. “And I don’t mean to be distracted with texting her, but guys, I gotta be honest. I’m a little worried.”
“About Kenzie?” Colin paused in the midst of grabbing his burger. “What’s going on?”
“She texted a while ago thanking me for a drink she thinks I had someone buy her.”
“Did you?” Ian’s tone sharpened.
“No, and I told her that and she hasn’t texted back since.”
A phone buzzed, and Brett’s hopes momentarily flared, until he realized it wasn’t his.
Aleck pulled out his and checked whatever message had come in. As Brett watched, tension visibly took over the man’s body and his mouth slashed into a grim line.
He shoved back his chair. “We need to get to that club. Now.”
No questions were asked as they all rushed from the pub. They knew it pertained to Kenzie. It was only in Brett’s car, when they were driving over there, did the details start coming out.
“Was it Kenzie?” Ian asked.
“No. It was Delonna. Kenzie thinks her drink was spiked. She saw Richland in the restaurant. Could be a coincidence, but I’m not taking any chances.”
Son of a bitch. He’d gotten to her. Brett’s fingers curled around the steering wheel and fear sent blood pounding through his veins.
“Dammit,” Aleck muttered grimly, “now Delonna’s not answering her texts either.”
They were just pulling into the club when Brett spotted the slumped body on the ground.
Brett slowed the car. Ice raced through him as he recognized the form.
“Oh fook, it’s Delonna,” Aleck said thickly, and jumped out of the car. Colin was right behind him.
In the rearview he watched Aleck scoop her limp body up into his arms and rush inside the club.
“There goes Kenzie’s car,” Ian shouted beside him. “Follow it.”
Brett floored the car, following the taillights disappearing out of the parking lot. They couldn’t lose them. If they lost them… No, he refused to contemplate it. Ian was already on the phone with 911.
In his headlights he could tell it was a male driving the car, definitely not Kenzie.
He brought his car right up to hers, riding her bumper, flashing his lights. The bastard had better pull over if he had any sense.
The car swerved to make a sharp turn, clearly trying to lose him. But Charles was driving too fast, and the wheels came up on the left side.
“Ah fuck, they’re going to crash!” Brett shouted.
Sure enough the car was on all fours again, but now completely out of control. It veered off the road and into a small fence on someone’s property.
As far as crashes went, it wasn’t too terrifying to watch and definitely looked survivable.
Brett and Ian were out of the car and sprinting toward them.
“You get Kenzie free,” Ian shouted. “I’m going to fuckin’ kill the bastard this time.”
As much as Brett wanted to be the one to take out the guy, ensuring Kenzie’s safety was definitely his number one priority. He tugged open the passenger door, and she practically fell out and into his arms. She was clearly unconscious as he moved her away from the vehicle.
Sirens sounded in the distance and Brett knew a neighbor had probably called in the accident. From the corner of his eye he watched Ian drag Richland from the car, and deliver a sharp punch that snapped the man’s head back.
He laid Kenzie down in the grass, grabbing her wrist to check her pulse, all while listening for more sounds of an ass kicking that Richland so thoroughly deserved. But there was nothing but silence and the distant sounds of sirens.
He threw another glance Ian’s way, and found him pinning down Kenzie’s attacker, but throwing no more punches.
“You okay over there?” Brett called out.
“We’re good. I’ve just realized I’m not going to risk going to jail again for this piece of shit,” Ian shouted. “How’s my sister?”
“Alive and unconscious. No doubt about it, she’s been drugged.”
“Well it looks like Kenzie’s got a bit of fight herself,” Ian called out. “This fucker looks like he has a stab wound. Right here.”
There was the sound of another punch, and a gasp of pain from Richland.
“Couldn’t resist one more in the belly,” Ian called out grimly.
The police and paramedics arrived on the scene. Doors slammed, people swarmed about.
All too soon, Brett had to let go of Kenzie so she could be taken to the hospital to be checked out. More importantly, to have a urine sample taken to find traces of a date rape drug before it was out of her system.
Richland was swearing up a storm, complaining about being stabbed, and demanding a lawyer as he was read his rights and arrested.
*
A while later, Ian approached and asked, “Are you heading to the hospital?”
Brett nodded. “Yeah, but first I need to make a quick stop at the club to take care of business.”
“I’ll drive Kenzie’s car to the hospital and meet you there.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
The whole drive back to the club, Brett told himself Kenzie was going to be all right. They’d gotten to her in time. Still, there was the constant niggling what if they hadn’t that kept racing through his head.
That son of a bitch would have succeeded in raping her this time, thinking he’d get off free as a bird. Just like he had last time.
She’s okay. He repeated the mantra in his head as he strode into the club.
There were still people dancing, having fun, but then there was Hailey and her bachelorette group gathered in a side room, talking seriously.
“Did you find her?” Hailey rushed out as she spotted him.
“Yes. She’s fine, but on her way to the hospital right now.”
Hailey covered her mouth with her hand—tears gathering in her eyes. “Oh thank God.”
Aleck glanced up from where he knelt beside Delonna, and gave Brett an appreciative, grateful nod.
Brett nodded back and then glanced at Delonna. “She okay?”
“We’re hoping so.”
“Head wounds bleed a lot. She’ll probably be fine, but we’ll be taking her over to the hospital in a minute.” One of the two paramedics beside her glanced up at Aleck. “You family? Boyfriend?”
“Friends,” Aleck answered flatly. “She’s an employee at my pub.”
Brett moved on, letting them take over the questions and help Delonna. With his concern for Delonna satisfied, he made his way around the club, searching for a familiar face.
He found the petty officer on the dance floor, grinding against a drunken brunette. It was the same guy he always had to pull off girls in the pub or bars for being too aggressive. The same guy who often showed up late to muster.
The petty officer’s gaze lifted just then and landed on Brett. His eyes went wide and the blood visibly drained from his face.
Brett strode forward, his jaw clenching.
“Chief—oof.” The sailor’s head snapped back from the solid punch Brett delivered.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t even show up on Monday,” Brett warned. “Because I’m going to do everything in my power to see your ass dishonorably discharged.”
Brett turned and strode away, not waiting for any kind of response from the piece of shit. With that out of the way, his priority once again became Kenzie. His chest was tight and adrenaline had him near shaking.
He’d be there when she woke up. Just like he’d be there for her the rest of her life.
What had happened tonight only reaffirmed that Kenzie meant everything to him.
And from now on, with every breath he took, he would make sure she knew it.
*
“How are you feeling?”
Kenzie opened her eyes and was relieved that the hangover-from-hell symptoms were nearly gone.
Brett sat on the edge of his couch, where she was resting; his new expression seemed to be one of constant concern.
“Hey you,” she said softly. “I’m doing all right. I just wanted to say, that if this is at all how your hangover was after the Highland Games, then I’m even more sorry.”
He laughed softly and caught her hand in his, rubbing a thumb over her knuckles.
“I’m pretty sure yours is worse.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not sorry for it,” she murmured. “This will sound absolutely crazy, and it is, but I’m almost glad Charles did this.”
He looked stricken. “Kenzie…”
“I know, like I said it sounds crazy, but now he can’t do this to any other women. And I’m certain there’ve been others, Brett. From what Colin told me, they’re coming out of the woodwork to testify now that they’ve heard what happened to me again. He’s going to jail this time.”
“Yeah, he really is. No way around it. Not to mention your urine came up positive for a type of date rape drug.” He paused. “But, Kenzie, I still wish he hadn’t tried this. If we hadn’t gotten to you in time…”
“Aye. I know what would have happened,” she said softly. “And I’m glad as fuck that you did get there on time.”
“I was out of my mind with fear. With panic.” He sat down on the couch and pulled her into his lap.
She pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to his heart.
“I love you so damn much, Kenzie. I’ll do everything I can to protect you from here on out.”
“I love you too, and you’ve already done a pretty fantastic job at keeping me safe, Chief.” She cupped his cheek and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. “Hmm. Or I kind of like the sound of Senior Chief.”
He stiffened against her, his gaze wary. “I’m not sure how you heard about that, sugar, but don’t worry about it. I’m not putting in the paperwork to try for it.”
“And why the hell not?” she demanded. “You love the Navy. You’ve told me as much.”
He hesitated. “I do. But becoming a senior chief means I don’t retire in three years.”
“Oh, aye, I can see why you’d hate having job security.”
His lips twitched. “It means there’s a chance I’d have to move again, and if we get married you’d be coming with me.”
Married. Oh God, he’d mentioned it. Her heart fluttered and happiness jolted through her, making her extra awake and giddy.
“Well I happen to love the idea of relocating,” she said lightly.
“Kenzie.” He hesitated. “You’d be leaving your family. Your brothers.”
“My brothers will be just fine,” she drawled, toying with the buttons on his shirt. “And it’s not as if we can’t come back here when you retire. Or put in orders to get stationed here again if you do relocate.”
“You’re figuring out how this whole Navy thing works, aren’t you?”
“I’ve bonded with Nicole and she’s filled me in.”
“Have you now? Good. I’m glad to hear it.” He paused and tilted his head, giving her an inquiring look. “So you didn’t freak out, or say anything about me mentioning marriage.”
“And why should I? I’m actually quite interested in this open position you have for a Mrs. Craven,” she said, never one to mince words or play games.
His gaze darkened, with heat and with a tenderness that she’d come to realize about him.
“Is that so? Then will you marry me, Kenzie? Because I think you’d be perfect for the job.”
Her heart swelled and her eyes filled with tears. “Aye, of course I will. We can go down to the courthouse—”
“You think I have a death wish?” Brett demanded, horror on his face. “Your brothers would have me shot.”
He had a point there. “Aye, you’re right. My parents too. They’ll want to come over from Edinburgh to meet you and attend.”
“My family will come up from Louisiana. Though they practically know you by now since I’ve talked about you so much.” He grinned and kissed her. “Maybe we could do a small, family-and-friends ceremony down on the beach. Bring in some flowers, and I know this great quartet—”
“Flowers? Quartet? The beach?” Kenzie gave a slow smile. “I do believe you’re a romantic, Chief.”
He pulled her fully onto his lap and gave a low, sexy laugh. “Well one of us has to be.”
“Well, you’ll just have to teach me.”
“I like teaching you things, sugar.” His tone dropped to an intimate, deep level.
All the sensual things they’d done together flitted through her head and she smiled.
“I like that too. Maybe we should try again right now.”
“Now?”
“Oh, aye.” And she lifted her head for the kiss he was already leaning down to take.