Quick & Dangerous, page 18
They wandered over to the rental car, which was now abandoned in the loading zone, and Rob lifted the lid on the trunk. There sat her laptop, her fake passports and everything else they’d taken from her.
Skyler let out a shaky breath before reaching into the trunk. “This feels weird.”
“Because you don’t need them anymore?”
“Yeah, that. But also, just … ” She glanced up at him. “I never thought this day would come, you know?”
“The day you’d get kidnapped?”
She shook her head with a forced laugh. “No, I kind of figured I wouldn’t be on the run forever, that eventually they’d catch up to me. I never thought the day would come that I’d be free.”
He didn’t want to burst her bubble, but she wasn’t free. These were just four muscles for hire. Rubio would send more eventually. He wouldn’t stop until Skyler and whatever threat Rubio believed she posed to him, was eliminated.
He just needed to get her to her brothers, then he could go and cut off the head of the snake. He already had Aaron on his way to France to hunt for the flash drive. If experience told him anything, the flash drive and what was on it was the root of the problem. It was the reason why Rubio was exhausting so much time, money and man-power to find Skyler and eliminate her.
He grabbed her laptop from her arms and tucked it under his. She shoved her fake passports—and hopefully her real one as well—into her purse before slamming the trunk closed.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get you on the plane. Then I can check you out properly.”
She laced her fingers through his, and they headed off to their meet-up place with the McAllisters’ pilot. “Thank you for saving me.”
He squeezed her fingers. “I’ll always save you, querida.”
Chapter 18
Skyler
It was roughly a fifteen-hour flight from Denpasar to Moorea, and Skyler and Rob spent a big portion of it sleeping. Even though the McAllister brothers owned a small airline—Pacific Wave—they also had a private jet and decided to send that instead. It had a small bedroom in the back, as well as a bathroom and bar. The pilot had a meal waiting for them, so once they were in the air, they ate and then retired to the bed in the back.
They would be flying overnight, so it just made sense to sleep.
Skyler had tried to entice Rob into a little mile-high romance, but he politely turned her down. He was really taking her being kidnapped personally and had washed her head wound and dressed it as if caring for a porcelain doll.
“I’m all right, Rob, seriously,” Skyler said, after they’d been alerted by the pilot that they were about thirty minutes from landing. “I had a great sleep; my head doesn’t hurt, and you’ve gone and cleaned and dressed the cut very nicely. My brothers are going to think I’ve had some serious head injury or something with the amount of gauze you’ve taped to my head.”
He pulled up his cargo shorts and fastened the button. His eyes held so many emotions that Skyler was having a hard time figuring out which one to address first. The man was shattered that he’d left her unattended and she’d gotten snatched.
She was sitting on the bed, braiding her wild bedhead, when he went to move past her. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down to the bed, making sure he was looking her in the eye before she spoke again. “I need you to forgive yourself. I don’t blame you. Didn’t for a second. But if you need my forgiveness to move on, then you have it. But please, don’t waste the last few moments we have together quiet and sullen because you think you failed. You didn’t.” She ran her thumb over the back of his hand. A series of small white scars marred the back in a crisscross pattern, making the skin a bit rough and bumpy. “I’m moments from meeting my brothers. I’d say you succeeded. You completed your mission. You saved the girl.” Her lip turned up into a small smile. “And you helped her feel human again, too.”
His light brown eyes burned with an intensity that made her insides liquefy. “For me too, querida. I haven’t been with anyone in a while. Haven’t let anybody in for even longer. Thank you.”
They sat on the bed for a few more moments with nothing but the thoughts of their landing and goodbye passing between them. It wasn’t until the pilot came over the intercom and told them to buckle up that they stood, unclasped their hands and moved out to the main cabin.
“Here,” Rob said, taking a seat but offering her the window. She sat next to him, and he took her hand. “You ready to meet your family?”
“No,” she whispered, glancing out the window to the brilliant green island and turquoise sea below, “but I’m going to anyway.”
She’d barely made it down the stairs on the hot afternoon tarmac before three big, manly bodies practically tackled her. Had Rob not been directly behind her, she probably would have tumbled to the ground. Thankfully, though, her rock kept her steady. Her rock kept her strong.
Skyler swallowed as the men pulled away, their faces all full of smiles as two pairs of midnight blue eyes and another pair of green, the same shade as hers, glittered back at her.
“We’re so happy to finally have you home,” the green-eyed one said. If she remembered correctly from their one Skype conversation, he was Tate. The oldest. He looked it. Though for well over forty, he still looked good. Dark brown hair, well-manicured beard, long lashes, a cocky smirk. He was a handsome man.
“Yes, so glad you’re finally safe,” another brother said. “What the heck happened to your head? To your lip?”
The other brothers looked a fair bit alike. Both tall, rugged, with striking blue eyes. All three of her brothers were very attractive men.
She forced herself to smile, squinting in the sun as it baked her forehead. She brushed two fingers over the gauze on her head. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bump.” Her top teeth raked over her bottom lip. “And I can’t even remember where I got this cut from.”
Rob’s hand landed on her shoulder, grounding her.
“It’s nice to meet you guys. I’m sorry I made it so hard for you to find me.”
All three pairs of McAllister eyes landed on Rob’s hand. Then their eyes focused on hers, asking a billion and one questions. None of which she was willing to answer at the moment.
“Let’s get you out of the sun,” Tate offered. “We can talk more back at the resort. You hungry?”
“Yeah,” she said, hooking her purse over her shoulder. “And I’d love a coffee.”
“A woman after my own heart,” the blue-eyed brother she remembered to be Gavin said, falling in line with her.
“You like steak and eggs? The chef at the resort makes the best around,” asked Warren the other blue-eyed brother, flashing a bright white smile. Her eyes must have gone wide. She’d forgotten he had an accent. Warren started to chuckle. “Seems our good ol’ dad took a trip down under for a bit. Knocked up me mum and had himself a little Aussie kiddo.”
“H-how old are you?”
His face said it all. They weren’t that far off in age.
“About seven months older than you,” he said.
She shut her eyes.
Oh, dad. What did you do? How many lives did you create? How many lives did you ruin? How many people did you abandon?
She rubbed at her temples as they made their way through the airport to a waiting jeep. Everyone piled in, and within a few moments, they were off.
She appreciated the reprieve of the top down and high speed. It didn’t allow for much talking, and no one seemed interested in yelling. So for the short drive to the resort, she just let the wind whip her hair into a tornado behind her as she took in her surroundings.
Her new home. At least for a while. She wanted to get to know this new family of hers. Lay low until they knew for sure she was safe and Pierre Rubio and the Petralia family weren’t still after her.
Lush green trees and shrubs lined the road, peppered with the odd long driveway that led down to a resort or local home. Tree-covered mountains loomed high in the background, against a cloudless blue sky, and as they made their way over the crest of the hill, she saw nothing but a vast and endless sea of glittering jewels.
Rob squeezed her hand as they sat in the back with Gavin. Could he feel her trepidation? Feel her unease?
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the side of her head. “You’re with family now.”
Right. Family.
They arrived at the impressive and luxurious Windward Hibiscus Resort roughly fifteen minutes later, only to be greeted by more people.
Each brother, as if presenting a young woman at her first cotillion, brought forth his wife and introduced her to Skyler.
Two of her new sisters-in-law appeared to be pregnant, while the other one came bearing a gift for Skyler in the form of a very fruity, very alcoholic beverage in a coconut.
“Figured you needed this,” the woman who’d been introduced as Heather said. “These three can be a bit much.”
Skyler took a sip. That was a lot of rum. It instantly hit her feet.
Oh, that was deadly.
“We’ll let you guys get freshened up, and we’ll meet you for dinner, okay?” Tate asked, handing both Rob and Skyler a key card each. “Skyler, you’re in the Sunstar, and Rob, you’re in the Sea Turtle.”
They weren’t staying together?
Her heart sank at the thought of being without him. If he was planning to stay the night, she wanted to spend it with him. If they were getting one more night together—a gift—she wanted Rob to be in her bed. Could she tell her brothers? Or would she have to sneak to Rob’s room in the dead of night like some teenager?
Something passed between the sisters-in-law. Parker, Silver and Heather were all glancing at each other, then at Rob and Skyler, with knowing smiles.
Finally, Parker, the redhead, spoke up, a hand on her belly rubbing rhythmic circles. “The Sea Turtle and Sunstar are right next door to each other. They share the same path.” She winked at Skyler.
“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” Tate asked, giving his wife a confused look.
She grabbed his elbow. “I’ll explain it to you when you’re older, dear. Now let’s let these two unpack and freshen up. I’m sure they’re exhausted from their trip and adventures.” She pinned her gaze on Skyler. “If you’d rather we just send dinner to you, that’s totally fine. This is probably very overwhelming. We can always just meet up with you tomorrow.”
Skyler’s brothers looked incredibly put out. Gavin went to open his mouth, but his wife, Heather, elbowed him in the ribs before he could.
“Um, maybe we could just meet for a quick drink or something?” Skyler offered, knowing that she couldn’t bail on them completely, not after everything they’d done to get her there.
“Sure!” Parker grinned, her blue eyes dancing. “I’ll have dinner sent to you guys, and then we’ll meet for a drink a bit later, when it cools off and the kids are in bed.”
She’d only known her sisters-in-law for less than five minutes, and already she loved them. They got it. They got her.
Rob tugged on Skyler’s arm. “Thanks, guys. We’re both feeling pretty grungy from the trip. We’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
Her brothers’ faces turned to stone when Rob spoke.
Oh shit, they were still pissed off about him dodging their calls.
The wives reached for their husbands’ arms and made to pull them away.
Heather turned back, her arm looped through Gavin’s. “Welcome to the Windward Hibiscus, and welcome to the family.”
Chapter 19
Rob
After a much-needed shower and change of clothes, Rob knocked on Skyler’s door to escort her to drinks with her new loud and pushy family.
As they sat there with her brothers and their wives, Rob grew more and more concerned about Skyler and whether she was all right. She’d been quiet and withdrawn since he knocked on her door to escort her to the Tiki Lounge for drinks.
Could they tell she was uncomfortable talking about their father? Rob could certainly tell. He hadn’t asked Skyler much about her dad. It seemed like a sensitive subject, and she’d already shared so much with him. But at the mere mention of his name or suggestion of him, she squirmed in her seat and licked her lips.
Fortunately, the wives helped steer the conversation and kept the heavy stuff to a minimum.
Rob hadn’t said much since sitting down. He was there for Skyler, to be her support. Her pillar of familiarity and strength as she navigated this new world with what appeared to be a big, noisy, alpha-full family. But the woman could hold her own. He’d known that since day one, so he wasn’t about to jump to her aid unless she needed him.
He’d also been getting some serious stink-eye from each of the brothers. He hadn’t touched Skyler, but that didn’t stop the brothers from glaring at him like he’d just taken their baby sister’s virginity on prom night.
“When did you find out about the money?” Gavin asked, tipping back his beer.
“When I was twenty-one,” she said, hiding behind her third cocktail of the night.
“And what have you done with your money?” Tate asked, his eyes lasering in on her.
Jesus, dude. Back off.
Rob was about to tell Tate to calm the fuck down and leave Skyler alone when she spoke up.
“I, uh … I invested most of it. It’s spread out all over the world in different banks. I played some poker, made some more money.”
Warren’s eyes widened. “How much more?”
She bit her bottom lip. “A lot more.”
How much more was right. Rob knew she was loaded. Knew she didn’t have to worry about money, but just how loaded was she?
She seemed to shrink where she sat. “I’d rather not say.”
The three McAllister brothers looked like they just smelled something unpleasant. They couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to talk about money.
Rob had to stop himself from laughing. She didn’t want to talk about money because money was what had landed her in her current predicament. Money was what had killed her mother, put Skyler on the run for years. Money was not what she was about.
She was about so much more.
And he realized her reluctance because he knew her. He knew her well.
But her brothers were these close-minded money-obsessed plutocrats who couldn’t understand it when someone didn’t live and breathe the almighty dollar.
Rob understood.
Money wasn’t everything.
Skyler, though, she was everything.
“Leave her alone,” Silver chastised her husband. “Maybe she’s not money-obsessed like you three.”
That’s right. Rob smiled at the cute, pregnant little blonde with gray eyes. The name Silver suited her. She was bright and shiny and a joy to be around. He could tell that Skyler was going to find comfort in her new sisters-in-law. They seemed like remarkable women. They had to be, to put up with the men in their lives.
He had to stop himself from glaring at Skyler’s brothers across the table. Could they not see that she was exhausted? That she had some adjusting to do? She’d been on the run for so long that she needed time to integrate back into the real world. She wouldn’t just be able to start trusting people again. And telling people about how much money she had in the bank definitely involved trust.
“We’re not money-obsessed,” Warren murmured. “We’re just curious. I mean, we all took the money Randall left us and invested it.”
“That’s right,” Tate said. “Now we’re billionaires.”
That word left a bitter taste on Rob’s tongue.
Billionaires.
“And if you join the company, you’ll be a billionaire too,” Gavin added.
“The company?” Skyler asked.
“Three Mac Enterprises,” Tate replied. “Though we’d change it to Four Mac Enterprises if you joined.” His wife must have nudged him under the table, because he shot her a look and then began to backpedal. “No pressure, of course. You don’t have to join the company. But if you did, you’d be a billionaire too.”
“Wow,” Skyler said with a whisper.
Wow was right. Would he look at her differently if she suddenly became as rich as Oprah? His mother was always going on about Oprah and how impressive the woman was.
Rob couldn’t give two shits about how much money a person had. It was what was inside them that counted.
“Give it some thought,” Tate said, his green eyes softening as he took in Skyler’s building discomfort. “Maybe in the coming week or something we can carve out some time to sit down, just the four of us, and discuss the company and money. You’re probably not ready to talk about it all.”
No shit.
“Or trust,” Rob murmured.
“What was that, Cahill?” Tate asked, turning his focus on Rob.
Rob rolled his eyes. “I said ‘or trust.’”
“Why the hell don’t you think she can trust us?” Gavin asked. All three brothers sat up, suddenly seeming much larger than they had a moment ago. Rob still had a good twenty to thirty pounds on each of them, but he hoped he didn’t have to use that weight.
“It’s not that she can’t,” Rob said smoothly. “It’s that trust is earned, and after what Skye has been through, regardless of whether you’re her blood, it’s going to take some time for her come around to trusting you guys.”
“She can speak for herself, Cahill,” Tate snapped. He turned to Skyler. “Is this true?”
Skyler seemed to have shrunk even more into her seat. Where had the strong, confident woman he’d met in the dive shop gone? Maybe bringing her to her brothers wasn’t the best idea after all. Were they just going to railroad her?
What she really needed was a family who wouldn’t bombard her with questions but would take care of her.
The thought of taking her home to Texas with him and letting his mother fuss over her popped into his mind but left just as quickly. They’d agreed to a quick fling and nothing more. Besides, he was broken, and she didn’t need a broken man. She needed a man who was whole and could take care of her properly.
