Finally Home (Home Series) (6 page)

She stared at his message for a few moments, shocked that he'd been that vocal about it all.  She'd seen Riley withdraw a bit into himself as well since coming home from the Navy.

I'll try to help him, if he will allow it.  But, you know as well as I, that until and unless he is ready to receive help, there isn't much I can do for him.  He has to be willing, and right now, that's not the vibe I'm getting from him. 

Riley's reply made her smile and shake her head. 
Work your magic on him, Baby Girl.  Whether he wants to admit it or not, he needs help.  If anyone can help him, I believe it will be you.

Your
faith in me frightens me sometimes,
she told him. 
I'll do my best.  It will be a welcome distraction from all of this stalker business.

Just hang in there, kid, you couldn't be in better hands.  Mike will take care of you, I promise.  I gotta go, Jenna's calling me.  We'll be home on Friday.

Don't cut your trip short, Riley.  Like you said, I'm in good hands. 

You're in the best hands.  I will still see you Friday. 

She sighed and put her phone down, knowing it was no use arguing with him.  A frown creased her brow as she thought about Riley and Mike.  Other than that one Founders Day Ball, Riley hadn't ever brought Mike around the family; but they'd been best friends for years.  She had to admit, that bothered her just a little.  Why hadn't he brought Mike around?  She knew a few of his friends; knew several of Jack, Trevor and Aaron's friends.  Why not Mike?  For that matter, why hadn't she ever run into Mike over at Kacee's house?  She'd seen Jeannette several times over there, and now that she thought about it, she'd seen Mike's sister Gia at the Adtkisson's house as well.  Kacee indicated that Mike and his brothers knew her brothers well, that they had a bit of a rivalry between them.  As much as she lived at Kacee's house, she just found it odd that she'd never seen Mike.

Downstairs, Mike was steadily going over the surveillance footage from the club Lainey and Kacee had gone to.  He watched as Lainey walked in beside Kacee, laughing when Kacee's boyfriend swooped her off her feet for a kiss.  The smile on Lainey's face was as bright as the sun and he'd had to force his gaze away from her to concentrate on scanning the crowd for someone who might be watching her a bit too closely.  He watched several men approach her and ask her to dance; all of whom she turned down, until he spotted Kevin Adtkisson approach her.  He had to grit his teeth when he saw her embrace the prick a
nd lead him to the dance floor.  He snapped the pen he was holding when he saw how touchy-feely Adtkisson was with her. 

"
Merda!"
he cursed under his breath.  He needed to concentrate on looking for her stalker, not obsessing about where Kevin Adtkisson's hands were.  But, damn!  Why did it have to be a filthy, stinking Adtkisson!

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath then focused on the crowd again.  It was then that he spotted a man standing at the end of the bar,
shoulders hunched, facing the dance floor.  Mike couldn't see his face well from that angle, but the posture and body language spoke of aggression.  Taking a screen shot, he began advancing the picture frame-by-frame, tracking the man's movements as much as he could.  Just before Lainey and her stooge exited the dance floor, the man turned and Mike caught an image of his face.

"Gotcha," he said, taking a screen shot and emailing it to Colt.  He called Colt, uncaring of the time.

"Yeah, Boss, whatcha got?" Colt answered on the first ring.

"I just emailed you a picture.  Hack into whatever you need to and run a facial recog on it."

"You got it.  Think this is our guy?"

"My gut says it is.  How is Sarah?"

"Sick as a dog.  I thought morning sickness was just that - in the morning.  She's been sick all day long for three days straight."

"Tell her I'm sorry to hear that.  Hopefully, it will pass soon.  Do you need to stay with her?"

"I offered, but she wants me to come help you."

Mike smiled.  "Tell her I appreciate it, but really, man, if you need to stay with her..."

"She'll be fine.  Charlotte is thrilled at the chance to take care of her.  I'll be leaving her in good hands."

"If you're sure, then I appreciate it."

"I'm sure.  I've got the pic running through the programs now.  If I get a hit, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Colt, I appreciate it.
"

"You took a bullet to the gut for Sarah.  I owe you more than I could ever pay; do you think I would be anywhere else?  I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll call you if I get any hits on this."

He hung up before Mike could reply.  Mike rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes a minute.  His team was the best group he could ever hope for.  The bullet he'd taken during Colt and Sarah's ordeal had sucked, but he'd recovered.  Still hadn't gained all the weight he lost back, but he was working on it, thanks to his mother.  If nothing else, this crisis with Riley's cousin was saving him from his mother's constant match-making efforts.  Of course, now she had her sights set on Lainey Riley; and that was hitting a little too close for comfort for him. 

As if conjured by his thoughts, Lainey walked in and he felt his heart stutter.  She was wearing an oversized Navy T-shirt with her leggings.  The shirt was probably one that Riley or one of his brothers gave her; didn't matter to Mike.  What did matter was that she looked entirely too good in it.

"Can't sleep?" he asked, turning his attention back to his computer.

She sat in a chair opposite the desk, drawing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them.

"Well...you know how it is, something has you spooked and suddenly you become aware of every little noise in the house."  She opened her laptop, then glanced up at him when she felt his gaze on her.  "Will I bother you if I work here?"

"No, go ahead," he answered, shifting his eyes back to his own laptop. 

They worked together in companionable silence for a couple of hours.  Lainey felt her eyes growing heavy, so she closed her laptop and placed it on the floor beside her, then snuggling into the chair, drifted off to sleep with the sound of keys clicking as Mike typed.

Mike was aware the minute Lainey drifted off to sleep. 
He watched her for several moments, thinking that he'd never seen a more beautiful sight.  Her face looked peaceful and relaxed, and really small and young.  He knew she was twenty-six years old but in her sleep she looked much, much younger.  Riley and his brothers called her Tinkerbell.  They weren't far off the mark, he decided.

Forcing his attention back to the computer, he
began going back over the footage from the club.  He wanted to make sure he'd zeroed in on the right man.  He was fairly certain he had, but he had to be sure.  He ignored her dancing with Kevin Adtkisson as much as he could and kept scanning the footage.  The man he'd isolated before had to be the one.  He was the only one who was overly interested in the dance floor when Lainey was out there.  He did a screen print of the clearest image he found.  He'd show Lainey in the morning and see if she recognized anything about him.

Colt texted that he hadn't gotten any hits off the picture in the first run but was now running it through a deeper data base.  He pulled up the schedule she'd forwarded to him of her calendar for the next month.  She mainly had her appointments scheduled, but he saw that she had several Founders Day Committee meetings coming up. 
Jack Adtkisson had contacted him about upgrading the security at his estate for the upcoming Founders Day Ball.  He hoped to have Lainey's situation wrapped up before then.  The last thing he needed was to have his attention divided on that night. 

His phone chimed again, drawing his attention.  It was Riley this time.

How's Lainey holding up?

Mike glanced over at her. 
She fell asleep in the chair across from the desk where I'm working.  Said she couldn't sleep because she kept hearing noises.

I think I'd be paranoid, too, if I knew that someone had been in my house and had planted surveillance equipment to spy on me.  I'm glad she felt safe enough to come to you.  Thanks for doing this for me.

Stop with the thanks, man.  Enjoy your new wife.  I'll update you when I have more to go on.

A movement from Lainey caught his eye.  Standing, he stuffed his phone in his pocket and crossed over to the chair she was curled up in.  Without pausing to analyze whether he should, he leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.  She was so small, he thought as he carried her
upstairs to her room.  He laid her gently down on her bed, but as he was pulling back to stand up, her eyes flew open and her hands grabbed hold of his shirt.

"It's OK," he said, keeping his voice calm and quiet.  "it's just me.  You fell asleep in the chair in the office."

Her wide, green eyes locked on his and he could see the fear lurking in their emerald depths.

"Please, don't leave me," she whispered.

"What?"

"I know it's totally irrational, but, I can't help it.  Someone came into my house and...I feel safer with you near me.  I'm not asking to have sex with you, but...could you please just lay here with me?  I don't want to be alone."

"Lainey, I..."

"Mike," she said, his name soft as a prayer on her lips, "please?"

He knew the second she said his name that he'd do whatever she wanted; however stupid and self-tormenting it was.  Taking a deep breath, he stepped back from her and removed his boots, then crossed to the other side of the bed and laid down beside her.  Lainey turned to face him, tucking her hands under her cheek.  They were close, but not touching, even though Mike's fingers were itching to skim over the smooth skin of her cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Go back to sleep," he said.

"You'll stay here?  All night?"

He crossed his arms over his chest.  "All night," he promised.

Lainey closed her eyes and did her best not to smile.  So what if she'd had to play the scared little rabbit to get him to lie down?  It worked, didn't it?  He was lying down and hopefully, he would give in and let sleep claim him.  She could see the fatigue in his eyes, even if he wouldn't freely admit it.  The man was tired and she was afraid of him working himself into an early grave because he was too haunted to allow himself to sleep.  Now, she only hoped that her brilliant little plan hadn't backfired on her, because having him in bed with her, feeling the heat emanating from his body had her unbearably turned on.  She did her best to f
ight the feelings of desire and concentrate on sleeping; she had a feeling she would need all her wits about her to handle him in the days to come.

Chapter Four

Lainey could feel a change in the air in the room that told her Mike was in the middle of a nightmare.  She sat up slowly and glanced at her bedside clock; it was almost four in the morning.  Mike was still on his side, facing her.  He wasn't moving, but his body was tense, as if ready to strike at any moment.  As slowly and as silently as she could, she began to ease off the bed.  She'd nearly made it to the edge when a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist in a vice-like hold.  His hold tightened painfully and when she gasped, he immediately let go
and brought that hand up to scrub over his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her wrist, looking down at him.  Even in the dim light of the room, she could see the flash of those pale eyes.  His breath was slow and steady; controlled.  He didn't look like someone who'd just come out of an apparent nightmare...and for some reason, that had her blood running cold.  When he started to sit up, however, she placed her hand on the center of his chest and held him in place.

"I need to get up, I've got work."

"It's barely four in the morning," she said, her voice steady and authoritative.  "Go back to sleep."

"I'm good, I -"

"Mike," she said, cutting him off.  The look he gave her almost had her laughing.  It was clear he wasn't used to being interrupted.  "Just lie back and relax.  There is nothing that can't wait another couple of hours."

"I have to..."

"You have to get some sleep, Commander," she interrupted him yet again and this time she did laugh at his expression.  "Wasn't that your rank?  I think I remember Riley telling me that.  Anyway, you're exhausted.  You need to sleep.  We've only been in here three hours.  That isn't long enough."

He did sit up then, in spite of her hand on his chest, which fell away once he w
as fully sitting up.  He got out of bed and towered over her, glaring down at her.

"Don't try to pull any psycho-babble on me, Ms. Riley," he snapped, "trust me, I've heard it all."

He started to walk off, but she scrambled out of the bed and to his surprise, zipped in front of him to block the door.

"Fine.  So, you've heard it all.  Wonderful.  But you know what you haven't heard?  Your friends are worried about you.  They all know you haven't been sleeping much since recovering from your last mission.  The time after you got shot helping y
our friend Colt was probably the first time you've slept more than two hours at a time since returning from Iraq.  So, guess what, buddy?  While you're here helping me, I'm going to be helping you.  And that starts with you turning your stubborn ass around and getting back in that bed, do you hear me?"