Page 8

8

O ctavia slipped from the passenger seat of Bellamy’s truck. She glanced down at her blood-soaked shirt. The events of the last forty-eight hours rolled through her brain like a movie in slow motion. “Do you think Eddy’s going to be all right?”

“Waylen told me he came out of surgery and, while still listed in critical condition, was holding his own. It will be touch and go for a while.” Bellamy squeezed her shoulder. “What you did in that plane may have saved his life. Where did you learn to blood type in the field?”

“From one of the medical Peace Corps volunteers, but Tate taught me a lot about survival over the last five years. More than I ever thought I’d need to know while running from one third world country to the next trying to make the world a better place.” She leaned against his pickup and stared at a big house on a hill overlooking a marina. “And hiding from whoever tried to kill me.”

Tucker rubbed against her leg while Roxy dropped to her feet. They’d picked her up at the Brotherhood Protectors ranch on the way home.

Home.

This was where Bellamy had been living for the past year or so. This was his life now. It was a far cry from the apartments or townhouses he used to rent while he was on active duty with the Marine Raiders. He never needed much back then. A place to lay his head at night. Something big enough to share with his K9.

His best friend.

She often wondered if Cooper and the rest of the gang got jealous too.

Growing up, he’d always had a dog. When his father, Finn, had been in the field as a DEA agent, his mother worked a desk job, so one was always home with Bellamy. When Bell was ten, his dad had been shot and nearly died. It was then that Finn decided his family was more important than his career, and he took a different position with the DEA.

One that allowed him to work behind the scenes. Both Bellamy’s parents had important jobs. They planned missions. They handled agents. In many cases, they were those agents’ lifelines .

Tate often worked under them and spoke highly of Finn and Jade.

How she missed them.

They’d always been so kind, even when she and Bellamy had called it quits, especially his mother.

Bellamy tilted her chin with his thumb. “You’ve done a lot of good in your career.”

“Sometimes I wonder.”

“You’re exhausted. It’s been a long two days.” He kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you let me make you some food. You can take a nice long hot bath and then sleep for as long as you need.”

She cocked her head. “You have a bathtub?”

He chuckled. “A big soaker one. I’ve never used it, though.”

“Yeah. I struggle to see you lounging around in something like that with bubbles and a glass of champagne.”

“Come on.” He wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’ll get you all set up. How does a nice BLT sound with some crispy French fries.”

“That sounds amazing.”

She followed him up the steps to a massive wraparound porch and into a foyer. “Holy crap. Do you own this place?” She glanced down at her feet. In the hardwood was a compass. It was like nothing she’d ever seen and it was spectacular. She couldn’t put into words how to describe it, except it looked like an authentic compass .

“I do.” He smiled proudly, pointing at the compass. “The previous owners had remodeled two years before I bought it, so I didn’t have to do a thing and that is real. So people who are directionally challenged know what is north, south, east, and west.”

“It’s so cool.” These were the kind of details that had mattered to her, but Bellamy couldn’t have cared less. Or at least he didn’t seem to give a crap about anything other than where to put the doggie beds.

“It was one of the reasons I bought the place. That and I’ve got enough land to work with the dogs.”

Just then, a very large calico cat slinked down the staircase. It lowered its body, waggled its butt, and pounced on Tucker, who yelped, scurrying across the wood floor, playing wildly with the cat, dodging left, then right, acting like a puppy, and not a well-trained service dog.

Roxy, on the other hand, scrambled into the other room and jumped on the sofa and stood there, glaring as if she’d seen a mouse and decided it was the worst thing in the world.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Roxy. The cat’s not going to hurt you.” Bellamy laughed. “Roxy doesn’t know what to do with all the cats, unless I force her into work mode. When I first introduced them, she was fine, until she realized the cats were going to live in the same space. Then she got all weird. But Roxy’s getting old. I don’t work her much these days. Hence, the reason I brought Tucker to get you.”

The cat made an interesting maneuver, trying to engage Roxy, but the dog wouldn’t have it. Instead, Roxy did a circle and curled up, letting out a grunt.

“How many cats do you have?”

“Three.” He pointed. “That big one is Hayden. He came with the house. The owners couldn’t take him, so I adopted him. The other two, Ollie and Maverick, are brother and sister. They are still kittens. I adopted them from the shelter about six months ago after I saw a story about them being abandoned. They will hide for a bit. They tend to be a little skittish with new people. But they will come out after an hour or two. Once they get to know you, they will be all cuddly.” He hoisted her bag over his shoulder, took her by the hand, and led her up the staircase.

“Who took care of them while you were gone? I mean, I can’t believe you of all people would leave your precious pets alone. That would be blasphemy.” Christ, she sounded like a bitch. She didn’t mean to. He was right; she was running on fumes.

“Presley, Waylen’s wife, comes over when I’m out of town. They live near the marina. She’s got a little one at home who loves to come over and pet the kitties.”

The way he talked about everyone he’d met here on Big Island, the men and women with the Brotherhood Protectors, appeared different from when she’d been with him eight years ago. Or even when she’d seen him last, right before she up and died to the world.

Everything about Bellamy seemed different. He was more grounded in his surroundings and with the people in his environment outside of his team.

She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

It was as if she had to die for him to change.

“Waylen seems like a nice guy.” So far, he and Hawk had been the only people she’d met since landing in Hawaii. It made her nervous that so many people knew she was alive. Tate had set this all in motion. She trusted Tate with her life.

But he was gone.

And now she had to trust Bellamy and everyone he put in her path.

Putting her faith in him shouldn’t be that big of a stretch. She loved him. Always had and probably always would.

But love wasn’t enough.

Love didn’t stop a person from betraying you.

She loved Eric. Or so she had thought she had at one time. But it was Eric who had destroyed her village, killing dozens of innocent people. And he’d tried to kill her, something she couldn’t prove. However, she felt it deep in her soul.

“Waylen’s the best. Everyone with the Brotherhood Protectors is great. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to land when I left the Marines.” He continued down a long corridor lined with rich hardwood floors which had been slightly scraped up by his dogs and cats.

She counted four bedrooms so far as she ran her fingers along the off-white walls lined with pictures of Bellamy’s parents, a few scenic shots of places he’d been, and a couple of his medals. That one surprised her because he’d always been so humble about the things he’d done and accomplished over his life. He’d never liked being in the spotlight or taking credit for anything. Whenever he’d come back from a dangerous mission where his team was given any kind of recognition for what they had done, Bellamy wanted to slink behind a rock. He’d always say he was simply doing his job and didn’t deserve anything other than his paycheck.

There were photos of him and his team with their K9s. That didn’t shock her at all, even though he’d never displayed them before.

The places he’d lived before hadn’t been a home. Not a real one anyway. He never bothered to hang anything other than a television set. He’d place a few pictures on a mantel, but that was about it.

A true bachelor pad.

She used to tease him about that and every once in a while he’d tell her to move in and he’d change .

But she never did and he never changed.

She gasped as she came to one picture near the end of the hall. It was of her and him taken while they’d been on vacation in the Adirondacks. Seven whole days of just the two of them.

Well, them and Roxy.

It had been one of her fondest memories of their relationship.

He lifted his hand and traced his fingers over the frame. “I’ve got a few more of us hanging around this place,” he said softly. “I couldn’t bring myself to even look at them for years. Once I believed I’d never see you again, this was my way of keeping you close.”

“I don’t know if that’s insanely sweet or if it breaks my heart.”

“It’s a little of both, I guess.” He waved his hand. “This is the master. Feel free to take it over.”

“I’m not going to kick you out of your room.”

He laughed. “I get lost in this place and as you saw, there are plenty of bedrooms. Take mine. You’ll be more comfortable in it. That way you can use the tub anytime you want. The shower also has one of those heads that comes out from the top and a few from the sides. I barely know how to use the damn thing anyway.”

“I’ve been taking bucket baths for the last five years, so I’m not going to turn that down.” She stepped into his bedroom and her knees damn near buckled. A big king-sized bed was nestled between two windows and was positioned under a massive skylight. There were a couple of throw pillows on it and it was perfectly made with a nice dark-blue comforter.

His favorite color.

On the opposing wall was large television and a dresser underneath. To the right was a picture window with a reading chair and an ottoman. To the left was a door to the closet and master bathroom.

She inched toward the side of the bed, her sights set on the picture frame on the nightstand. With a shaky hand, she lifted it and tears burned her eyes. “My college graduation,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. She’d never forget that day. He’d managed to get a few days’ leave and surprised her. Bellamy could be so sweet.

He shrugged, taking the picture and setting it back down. “I never forgot about you and for the record, I never stopped trying to find out what happened.” He tossed her bag on the mattress and sat on the corner, running his fingers through his hair. “It was hard when I was still enlisted. Even though I had some resources, I didn’t have the time. Once I left, I was able to do more digging, but Tate stood in my way. It’s hard to be pissed at a man who died trying to help you. But Nova? She should have told me.” He glanced up. A layer of hurt lined his eyes. It stole her breath. He’d always been so good at masking all his emotions, except anger. “Why didn’t you want me to know? Explain that to me because I can’t understand it.”

“That’s not an easy question to answer.” She folded her arms across her midsection and stared at the sun coming through the skylight. The warmth on her face felt good after spending hours in the back of a plane with another man’s blood on her body. For years, Bellamy had been her best friend. It wasn’t until she started dating Eric that things got weird between them.

“Seems pretty simple to me.”

“It’s complicated, Bell.” She lowered her chin, catching his gaze. This was not a conversation she wanted to have.

“Well, uncomplicate it.”

She let out a long breath. “I didn’t think I could trust you. Not after seeing Roxy. Do you have any idea what that did to me? How that made me feel? To have her sniff right next to me and?—”

“We’ve been over that.” He waved his hand dismissively like he’d done so many times before. As if her feelings didn’t matter. “Freaking Eric, or someone close to him, messed with my dog. With all those K9s. I can’t prove it and trust me, I’ve tried. But yeah, I can understand why that would initially put you on edge after what you went through. But I spoke with Tate and he knew something hinky happened. I’m sure he told you that.”

“Not the point,” she said. “If you had known, you would have done something stupid, like gone off on Eric.” She held up her hand. “Don’t sit there and tell me you wouldn’t have because we both know you’ve got a temper. But the bigger reason is we don’t even know what Eric was covering up. We still don’t. Tate could never make the drug connection. Or even tie Eric to corruption between the two governments.” She pointed to her bag. “You read the documents. All he had was the missing boys and girls and how a couple of them ended up as mules in the United States. He’s tried to connect it to a human trafficking ring, but he’s come up short. Tate didn’t want to bring you in until he had more, and I didn’t want you to know until I could come home. I was safer being dead and you know that’s the truth.” At least she hoped he believed that. Part of her was no longer sure she’d made the right decision.

“Maybe at first and I can get on board with maybe keeping me in the dark while I was still a Marine.” Bellamy jumped to his feet. “But the second I signed on with the Brotherhood Protectors, Tate should have read me in on his little side gig. The things that this organization can do that he couldn’t is… is… I’m not going to stand here and beat a dead horse. I don’t have any bubbles or anything for the tub, but I can run to the corner stor e and buy you some. Do you want me to do that before I make you some lunch?” He paced at the edge of the bed.

“No. I’ll make do with whatever I can find.”

He nodded. “Unfortunately, the kitty litter is in my bedroom, so please don’t close the master door. You can obviously close the bathroom. Later, I’ll move the litter box when all the cats have come out so they don’t bother you. But they will need to see me do it.” The timbre of his voice had quieted, but his demeanor hadn’t.

“It’s fine. If they sleep in here, I might like the company.”

He chuckled. “You might regret that, but the dogs will be with me.”

“Of course they will.” Part of her was disappointed by that revelation. She hated to admit it, but the idea of sleeping with Roxy again made her heart beat a little faster.

Or maybe it was the idea her owner might join her, which was odd, because he seemed to be so angry and she wasn’t sure being with him was a good idea, even if the idea of being alone was utterly terrifying.

Having sex with him didn’t make up for anything. It certainly didn’t erase all the problems they had eight years ago. All it did was remind her that she loved a man she could never have. Bellamy might have changed, but he hadn’t done that for her.

“Text me when you’re out of the tub and I’ll bring up your sandwich.” He pointed to the television. “That thing is loaded with all the streaming apps. I’m sure you can find something you’ll enjoy watching.”

“Sports?”

He smiled. “Seriously, O? It’s my bedroom. It has all the sports packages. Every single one.”

“Are the NBA playoffs going on?”

He arched a brow. “Are you saying you want to watch basketball?”

“Oddly enough, you made me a fan and I wouldn’t mind having human company to watch a game until I fall asleep.”

He palmed her cheek. “Feel free to steal any of my shirts, shorts, or sweats. You’ll swim in them, but until Blake or Presley can show up with some new clothes, those will have to do. Take your time. I’ll see you in a bit.” He strolled out of his room, not acknowledging her request, and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Which were a jumbled mess.

Her mind was like a kaleidoscope. A mirage of images bombarding her brain and she couldn’t slow it down, make it stop, or understand any of it.

She snagged her bag and padded to the bathroom. “Holy crap.” This wasn’t just any bathroom, and she’d grown up privileged. Okay, that was an understatement. Her father was rich. Disgustingly rich. For her eighteenth birthday, he thought the appropriate gift was a Range Rover. And not just any Range Rover. But the most expensive one on the market. She’d been so embarrassed when she’d gone off to college because her father had gotten special permission for her to take her car as a freshman.

Even Bellamy hadn’t wanted to drive it and he loved cars of all kinds. But that one was a little too much for his blood. While his family hadn’t been as wealthy as hers, they sure as shit weren’t poor. His folks bought him a shiny new pickup when he turned seventeen. But it wasn’t loaded. Nor was it flashy.

Just new.

Whoever designed this master bathroom had to have been a woman. It came equipped with a massive soaking tub planted right next to a window and under a skylight. A small television jetted out off the wall. Behind it was a vanity with a well-lit mirror. The toilet was off by itself behind a barn door. The shower had heads coming from all directions and was behind a glass wall. It had a large bench and many nooks and crannies for soaps and shampoos.

Only, Bellamy had two bottles placed on one shelf .

And if she wasn’t mistaken, the floors were heated and there was a heated drawer for the towels.

She yanked open the drawer and yep, freaking heated.

Good Lord.

She’d died and gone to heaven.

After turning on the water for the tub, she flipped the switch for the floors. Yeah, she was going to take advantage of that. When her father remodeled their home, she begged him for that one feature and he said no. He’d spend money on all sorts of things including heating and cooling the garage but found heating a bathroom floor to be pretentious.

Weird.

She snagged his body wash and used it to make bubbles. She didn’t care that she’d smell like an Irish mountain. It would do the trick.

Digging through her bag, she found her cell and stared at it. The only person who ever called her on it was Tate or a couple of local people she’d grown to trust in the last village she’d lived in. Charging it seemed silly at this point, but she plugged it into the wall and set it on the vanity anyway. She shed her clothes and climbed into the steamy bath and sighed. Oh, she could get used to this.

Meow. Meow.

“What do we have here?” She leaned over the side of the porcelain tub and wiggled her fingers at the cute little American shorthair cat. “Which one are you? Ollie or Maverick?” Before she could tap the little bugger on its head, it raced off, hiding under the bed, poking its head out, staring at her with inquisitive orange eyes. “You’re adorable,” she cooed. But the cat ignored her, inching out of sight.

She closed her eyes, doing her best to relax. However, it didn’t last long as the cell vibrated. It startled her and she sloshed some bathwater and bubbles over the side of the tub. Perhaps it was just the phone powering on, only it kept buzzing. Stepping from the tub, she snagged a towel and wrapped it around her body. She padded across the warm floor, enjoying how it felt on the bottom of her feet. Her heart raced as she lifted the cell into her hands.

One missed call and a voice message.

From Tate’s cell.

What the hell?

She tapped the message button and put the phone to her ear.

“Hey, Octavia, it’s Nova. I hope this message finds you safe and sound in Hawaii. Please call me back at this number. It’s secure. Thanks.”

Tears burned her eyes. Her body shook. She should call for Bellamy before she reached out to Nova. But it was Tate’s cell. It was Nova’s voice. It should be fine. Who else would have it?

With a shaky finger, she tapped the screen. It rang once .

“Octavia.” Nova’s voice echoed over across the speaker. “Thank God. Are you okay? Did you make it to Hawaii okay?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. Tate had always told her not to give anyone too much information, and that included him. Whenever he called, he often tested her and if she answered his questions in any way that could compromise her position or her identity, he would reprimand her. This should be no different. However, she wasn’t sure how to respond. Not in this instance.

“What’s going on? Where are you?” she asked.

“I just left Tate’s funeral,” Nova said softly. “I’m in my car headed to the airport. I’ve been handed a mandatory vacation because my partner was killed. I’m not happy about that because I want to work the case. Bellamy’s parents suggested I take a little trip to Hawaii. They are under the assumption that he and his team will be looking into it and thought that it might be a good way for me to do some digging under the radar.”

Octavia swallowed the thick thump that formed in her throat. “Do Finn and Jade know that Bellamy was in Colombia?”

“I don’t know,” Nova said. “They know he was on a mission recently and Finn spoke to him this morning. But they don’t know about you. However, there is some chatter and my next call is to Bellamy. I don’t want to show up without him knowing I’m coming. He’s pissed enough at me as it is.”

“He’s angry because we kept him in the dark, which I can understand.” Octavia sat on the chair in front of the vanity. “What kind of chatter?”

“A recent sighting of you,” Nova said. “I overheard your dad asking Eric about it and if that’s why he went to Colombia. Eric told him that he needed to accept that you were gone, but out of respect, he did ask around and it was nothing credible as usual.”

“What did my father say?”

“Nothing,” Nova said. “He simply turned and walked away. What could he say? Your dad hasn’t ever really accepted your death. Not even when he held a memorial service for you and went through the motions to declare it. Truth be told, he got in Bellamy’s face when Bellamy accepted it. He went as far as to tell Bellamy that he thought giving up was a cowardly thing to do.”

Octavia sucked in a deep breath. Her father was going to kill her and then hug her to death when he found out she was still vertical. What she’d done had been cruel. But she honestly felt as though she had no choice. At the time, she couldn’t be sure if her dad had anything to do with whatever Eric had been up to.

To be fair, she wasn’t sure her dad’s hands were completely clean to this day. He’d been in so tight with Eric, helping Eric for years with his career.

“Do you think my dad could be part of whatever Eric has been doing?” Octavia had asked this before of Tate and his response had always been anything was possible.

That wasn’t an answer.

“I don’t believe so,” Nova said. “At least not willingly. Your dad is a smart man and over the course of the last five years, he’s been distancing himself from Eric. They butt heads on a lot of things, but I don’t work with them in any capacity. I only know what Tate has told me, what I’ve seen when I’ve crossed paths with Eric in the field, or when I’ve seen your dad on a few joint task force missions and that hasn’t been many.”

“What did Finn and Jade have to say about all of this?”

“Only that they don’t believe Bellamy’s going to let any of this go and they think having me go to Hawaii will help keep him in check and maybe help him find some answers,” Nova said. “They want him to have some peace and they don’t believe he’s had any since the day you went missing. I couldn’t say no to that. Besides, I’m being forced to take leave. Bellamy might not like it, but I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“When will you get here?”

“I’ll be there by tomorrow,” Nova said. “I better call Bellamy before I get to the airport. Take care. I’ll see you soon.” The line went dead.

Octavia set the phone on the vanity, shed the towel, and slinked back into the tub, thankful the water was still warm. She was going to soak until her skin shriveled and turned cold.

She had to believe she was safe in Hawaii.

In Bellamy’s home.

This had to be the beginning of the end. She couldn’t go on like this anymore. It was time for Eric to face the music for whatever crimes he had committed.

She touched her cheek.

Including what he’d done to her.