Maya Banks - Hidden Away

As the coffeemaker hissed its last, she removed the pot and poured a cupful of the savory brew. It was too perfect a morning to waste indoors. Sitting on her porch with a cup of coffee sounded heavenly, and maybe she’d see Garrett.

Heat tingled her cheeks and she shook her head. She was acting like a giddy teenager crushing on her first boy. Still, she smiled as she opened her front door. Her gaze was drawn to the water and she nearly tripped over something in the doorway. She stumbled and her coffee sloshed over the rim. She righted herself, put down her coffee on the window ledge and then looked down to see a basket sitting on her porch.

Astonished, she knelt to find two bottles of white wine and the books that she’d dropped in the alley when she’d been attacked. She lovingly stroked the spines of the paperbacks and pulled them away so she could see each of the titles. There were even a few additions to the ones she’d purchased. Next to the wine, were several chocolate bars and a folded note with her name on it.

Her chest was so tight and she was smiling so big her cheeks ached. With shaking fingers, she opened the note.

I’m told no woman can resist wine, books and chocolate.

Enjoy your day.

—G

She hugged the note to her and stared down at her goodies. He’d gone and gotten her books! She was ridiculously touched by the notion of him making a special trip to retrieve her books and to buy her wine and chocolate.

Her eyes were suspiciously watery as she rose and hoisted the basket into her arms. Her coffee forgotten, she set the basket on the patio table and began going through the assortment of paperbacks. After settling on the one she wanted to read first, she hurried back inside to set the wine to chilling in the fridge. She added the chocolate so it wouldn’t melt and then returned outside to her book.

After an hour, she went back inside to prepare lunch. The wine was cold and she poured a glass to have with her meal. She took her time, actually enjoying the food as the sun soaked into her skin. Today ... she was in no hurry today. The events of the previous day melted away and she savored the freedom to just ... enjoy.

She dozed off with a book propped on her chest, her feet resting in the chair opposite her. A fat raindrop hit her square in the forehead, startling her from her slumber. Her eyes flew open to find the sky vastly changed. Instead of the sheer blue canvas, angry thunderheads had rolled in, billowing in the sky like giant mushroom caps.

It was dark and shadows fell over the beach, turning the serene paradise into something sinister. The water rolled and frothy wave caps blew over the surface, rolling onto the beach and spreading over the sand.

She put her feet down and stretched her aching muscles. After collecting her wineglass and book, she retreated indoors. Disappointment nagged at her. She hadn’t seen Garrett even once.

Garrett stood at his window and watched as Sarah went indoors. He’d been on the verge of going over there himself to wake her before the storm kicked up too bad. She’d been sleeping the entire afternoon, and he’d watched over her from afar.

He’s purposely stayed away today to give her time to process the evening they spent together. He wanted her trust and found that he was willing for things to progress as slowly as necessary to achieve that goal.

Lightning stabbed through the sky, flashing and illuminating the rolling sea. Thunder echoed in the distance. The storm was moving fast and getting closer with each passing second.

He turned away and let the curtain fall. He loved a good thunderstorm. It was a perfect evening to kick back with a beer and listen to the rain.

Soon the rain picked up and fell with steady rhythm. It beat against the tin roof of the cottage with a muted roar. Just the sound made him yawn; lethargy stole over him, turning his muscles to jelly.

He slouched on the sofa and kicked his legs up. Of course as soon as he got comfortable, the sat phone beeped. He raised his head and glared across the room to where it lay on the on the chair by the window.

Grumbling the entire way, he pushed himself up and went over to snag the phone.

“This better be good,” he said as he sank back onto the couch.

“This coming from the asshole who woke me up twice?”

Garrett chuckled. “I was comfortable, man. Just laid down on the couch.”

Donovan made a derisive noise before continuing. “Do you want what I got or what?”

Garrett sat up, suddenly very serious. His stomach knotted and he sucked in a deep breath. Yeah, he wanted to know but then again he wasn’t sure he did. He sighed. “Yeah, hit me with it.”

“Sarah Daniels leads a very ordinary life, lives in a very ordinary apartment. No one has a single bad word to say about her. As far as I can tell there are no recent boyfriends. No medical records other than a few routine check-ups. I’m trying to get the actual reports now but it’ll take some time. She’s been jobless for months. She has conservative spending habits but her bank account isn’t hefty so she’s getting support from somewhere. My bet is Lattimer. But in short, she’s normal. She’s disgustingly perfect.”

No. Not perfect. Broken. And infinitely fragile.

Garrett blew out his breath. “Then what the fuck?”

“Maybe you’re misinterpreting things, Garrett. She witnessed a murder. She’s either scared of her brother. Or she’s trying to protect him. That’s a lot of shit to deal with. Of course she’s jumpy.”

Bullshit. Yeah, she was scared, and she was cautious, but there was more to it. Garrett wasn’t wrong about this. He’d touched her. He’d felt her tension. Saw the grief and the pain in her eyes.

“I’m not wrong about this, Van.”

Donovan sighed. “The thing is, if she was attacked but never reported it, she probably didn’t tell anyone. Not even those closest to her. Unfortunately a lot of crimes against women go unreported.”

Garrett cursed, knowing that Donovan was right. If Sarah had been hurt, there was a distinct possibility that the only person who knew anything of it ... was her. And the son of a bitch who attacked her.

“Damn it,” Garrett muttered. “This is complicated.”

“I’ll keep digging. If I come up with anything, I’ll call you.”

“Thanks, man. How is Sophie doing? And have you talked to Rachel?”

Donovan chuckled. “Trust you to want to know about the women.”

Garrett scowled. “I didn’t get to go by and see Rachel before I left. I just want to make sure she’s doing okay. I worry about her. And Sophie. She looked about fourteen months’ pregnant when I left.”

“Dude, you’re on speakerphone,” Donovan said.

Garrett winced. “Oh fuck. She didn’t hear that, did she?”

“She might have just started crying, and Sam is threatening to kick your ass.”

“Crying?” Hell. He’d need to send chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. Pregnant women were demented.

“I’m joking,” Donovan said with a chuckle.

“Asshole.”

“Rachel is doing fine. She’s called at least once a day to ask if we’ve heard from you.”

Garrett went soft on the inside. He loved Rachel to pieces. Always had. The idea that she worried about him made him feel a little mushy.

“And Sophie has slowed down, much to mine and Sam’s relief. Today she spent on the couch with her feet propped up while Sam fussed over her. She’s tired and I think if she doesn’t deliver soon, Sam’s going to have a kitten. He’s already threatened to kick the doctor’s ass if he doesn’t induce her.”

As much as he dearly loved his sisters-in-law and his family, right now he was grateful to be away from Sam. The man was a bit touchy when it came to his wife and until she delivered safely, Sam was going to be a complete basket case.

“How is Dad? Is he taking it easy?”

Donovan laughed. “Mom and Rusty are driving him insane. He’s called over here at least twice a day, begging for one of us to go rescue him. They won’t let him eat what he wants to eat. They won’t let him work for more than a few hours at the hardware store.”

Garrett grinned at the image of his burly father being bullied by the women in the family. That was the way it usually went. Marlene Kelly was ruthless when she put her mind to something. She kept her husband and all six of her sons on a straight line and it was pointless to resist.

Ever since his dad’s heart attack months before, she’d kept him on a tight leash and ruled with an iron fist.

“What about Beavis and Butthead? They still off on some supersecret mission for Uncle Sam?”

“Uh, about them.”

A prickle of alarm shot up Garrett’s spine. His youngest brothers were still active military, and he worried about them constantly. “Uh-oh. What’s up?”

“Nothing bad,” Donovan hurried to say. “Joe called Sam yesterday. Said he and Nathan weren’t re-upping and wanted to know if they could work for KGI.”

“Well, duh,” Garrett said with a snort. Relief lessened the pressure in his chest. Not that KGI was a cakewalk. They handled their fair share of dangerous assignments, but he’d much prefer to have all his brothers right in front of him where he could watch their backs.

“Yeah, that’s what Sam said. They’re bugging out again in a week. Joe didn’t say where, which bothers me. He usually at least has a location for me. Tells me it isn’t good. But when this tour’s up, they both want to come home.”

“Ma will be beside herself,” Garrett said dryly.

Donovan chuckled. “All her chicks in one spot for more than a week or so? That hasn’t happened since Sam was a senior in high school. She’ll drive us all insane.”

“It’ll be nice.”

“Yeah,” Donovan agreed. “It will be.”

“Okay enough chitchat. I gotta go. I have a date with the couch,” Garrett said. “Kiss the sisters-in-law for me.”

“I’m flipping you the bird right now,” Donovan grumbled.

Garrett grinned and tossed the sat phone onto the coffee table. The rain still beat the roof and flashes of lightning went off outside the windows like strobe lights. The rumble of thunder acted like a sedative, luring him into the promise of a nice long sleep.

He yawned. He should probably go to bed. But that would require moving.

THE next morning, Sarah stood on her porch and stared over the debris-ridden beach and watched frothy waves foam onto the shore. Palm leaves, tree branches and an assortment of driftwood sprawled across the sand, remnants of last night’s storm.

The skies were clear this morning and a light breeze lifted her hair and blew over her face as she stood gazing over the water. She was trying to work up the nerve to go back into town. Alone. Without asking for Garrett’s help.

During the night as she lay listening to the wind and rain, she’d decided she wanted to do something to repay his kindness and understanding. He’d cooked her dinner and he’d retrieved her books, not to mention gave her chocolate and wine. That deserved something in her mind, and she was through being a ninny around him.

If she was going to spend all this time laying low, she was at least going to enjoy herself.

Now she just had to conquer her fear of returning to town alone and she’d be set. She took a deep breath and stepped onto the sand. Meat and beer were obviously the way to Garrett’s heart, but she was going to throw in something sweet as well.

She lugged her laptop bag over her shoulder and started at a fast clip down the beach before she changed her mind. While she was in town, she’d check her email and send Marcus reassurance so he didn’t get edgy and come after her. Surely he realized the necessity for them to stay as far away from one another as possible.

As long as she kept quiet and away from Boston, everything would be fine. She’d never risk running into Stanley Cross again. Allen was gone—a fact she couldn’t bring herself to feel any regret over. Just that Marcus had been the one to do the deed. She should have left Boston a long time ago, but she’d stayed locked in her apartment, terrified to go out. Terrified to live.

Well, that was over. It was time to regain control of her life. Even if it was here on this island. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to being uprooted and having to adjust all over again. She’d spent her life moving and adjusting.

She hit the café first. Enjoyed a cup of coffee while she checked her email. Her heart sped up when she saw a new one from Marcus.