Chapter 16

“What the hell did you do?” Scott stormed into the kitchen of the house that he’d finally settled on as a place to stay.

Sienna shielded the twins from his view and stared back at him. She no longer had the strength to defend herself, but she would die protecting her daughters if she had to.

“What happened?”

Scott glared at her. “You sent a message with your kid, didn’t you? You told them who I was, and where we’re headed. You bitch!”

Before he had a chance to step forward, Sienna stopped him. “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t send any message with Luke. Though I probably should have. It sounds like a damned good idea, after all. It could have gotten my kids and me out of this mess by now.”

Scott backhanded her, and stars filled her head.

“Don’t you dare talk back to me like that!” His face was livid red. “My picture is all over the news, and there is no way I’m going to be able to go out in public now. I’ve been too kind, too generous with you and your brats all this time. This is what I get, huh?” His teeth bared, viciously. “Fine then. Because it’s all your fault, I’m going to kill your kids.”

Adrenaline pumped through her, but she didn’t think she could be fast enough. Scott had yanked a large knife out of a drawer and was headed towards the twins, who were asleep in an armchair. She wasn’t going to make it in time, Sienna thought, terrified. He was standing over them. As she watched, the knife lowered to touch Serena’s skin.

“No!”

***

The baby was crying. Its wails were persistent and penetrated through the walls. The wails themselves sounded angry and jabbed through comfortable dreams. No one was soothing the weeping infant, and she wondered where its parents were. If she had been able to have a child, she knew that she would be there instantly if she were its parent. As it were, she figured she was dreaming and tried to drown out the noise in her dreams.

Kelly sat up. The cries were real, not a part of her dreams. What was going on? She wondered where the wailing was coming from until it hit her that Luke was home. Brian had placed him in the nursery, which was next to her room. Luke’s cries had penetrated through her subconscious, and Kelly wondered why Brian was not with his child. She had thought he was going to spend the night in the nursery, but, apparently, she was wrong.

Rolling out of bed and ignoring the persistent aching of her limbs, she controlled her steps and walked out of her room and into the nursery. When she peeked into the crib, Luke was lying on his back, eyes squeezed shut, and his face scrunched up, turning purple, as he wailed. Kelly couldn’t help but fall in love with the innocent baby.

Lifting him out of the crib carefully, she rocked and patted him. “There, now, Luke,” she murmured soothingly. “You’re safe now. It’s okay, darling. No one is going to hurt you now.”

The baby’s cries remained the same, and Kelly was surprised that she hadn’t passed out from the sheer intensity of each cry. She decided to switch to a different tactic.

Casting around for lullabies, she realized she really didn’t know any. So, she decided to simply sing the first thing that came to mind.

“Do you believe in magic?” she sang softly. “In a young girl’s heart, how the music can free her whenever it starts…”

Little by little, Luke’s cries turned to hiccuping, and Kelly continued to smooth her hand down his back comfortingly. Brian and Sienna were so lucky to have such wonderful children, she mused. Since Luke’s return three days ago, Brian had never let the baby leave his sight. No matter what he was doing, Brian would make certain that his child was nearby and taken care of, preferably by himself. Late at night, she could hear Brian talking to his son, promising him that his mother and sisters would be with them soon. Then, he would sing softly until she knew the baby would be asleep. He was an amazing father, and, if she would ever be able to have a family, she knew she’d want a man like him by her side.

Kelly wondered if she would have sung to her child in the middle of the night. Would she have done it every night without fail? she asked herself. Absolutely. She knew she would do anything to make the world right for her child. At the realization that it was near impossible for her to have a child, tears filled her eyes and trailed down her cheeks.

Brian watched from the doorway, unsure of how to handle the fact that his son was being taken care of by Kelly or the fact that Kelly was crying. He’d left Luke’s room to get a glass of water and had missed hearing his son’s cries. When he’d come back, he’d found Kelly singing to Luke until his wails subsided. Now, his eyes were drooping, and Kelly was weeping silently.

Brian wished there were something he could do or say that would stop her hurting. He had already been wondering whether or not it was a good idea for her to be around Luke, and now he had his answer. It was a terrible idea because she was obviously upset, but he didn’t want to call attention to it and embarrass her either. So, he just stood and watched helplessly as she finally laid his sleeping son into his crib. He stepped out of sight when she left the room and watched her head back to her room, wishing there were some way he could comfort her in return for all her help in taking care of him and his own.

***

Denise McLean was on a mission. She’d been in Lexington for about two weeks, and, during that time, she’d seen her son happier than she’d seen him in the past several years. She had a feeling it had something to do with the FBI agent, and Denise was determined to find out who the woman really was.

Which was why she had dragged Jackie with her to Brian’s home. Jackie was coming to see her grandson and to reassure herself that Brian was still coping well. For reasons Denise was unaware of, Jackie had decided to dislike Kelly, and it was obvious the younger woman was terrified of her friend’s mother. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, Denise sat in the car patiently until the gates to Brian’s home swung open, and Jackie drove through and parked the car.

When they made it to the front door, Brian opened it holding Luke, and Jackie hugged her son, neatly moving Luke from his arms into her own.

“Hey Denise,” Brian smiled over at her. “How’s everything?”

Denise shrugged. “Not bad, dear. How are you hanging in there?”

Brian sighed. “A day at a time. Regan’s working harder than I’ve ever seen anybody work. I swear, if it weren’t for AJ distracting her, she’d work twenty four hours a day to find Scott.”

Denise tried not to react to the mention of her son and Regan Daniels and, instead, patted Brian’s hand. “Don’t worry too much, honey. The FBI knows who he is, so it’ll only be another couple days, right?”

Before Brian could answer, a call sounded from behind him.

“Mom!”

AJ hurried into the living room where they were now seated. The old flowers had long since been cleared away, and Marlena had dropped off new arrangements each week in order to keep Sienna’s home the way she would have wanted it to be, even in her absence. Nick, AJ, and Kelly had cleaned and dusted the house earlier that week, so everything seemed neat and tidy.

Denise smiled up at her son as he dropped down onto the couch next to her.

“Hi hon. It’s been a while since I’ve heard your voice,” she raised a brow expectantly.

AJ rolled his eyes, but Denise noted that he seemed exuberant. “Mom, it’s been kind of busy around here what with the return of the little man,” he gestured over to Luke. “But you know I love you and thought about you, right?” He hugged her as a way of trying to make it up to her.

Denise hugged him back and tried not to think that her baby was nearly thirty years old. Old enough to handle his own life—in most cases, she reminded herself, thinking of a certain redheaded government official.

“I love you, too, my baby,” she patted his cheek. “Why don’t you let Jackie and me spoil Luke a little and you, Brian, and Nick go do something else?”

“Like basketball,” Jackie spoke up. “It’ll take your mind off things. Besides, you need fresh air,” she added with a meaningful look in her son’s direction.

“But Mom,” Brian tried to protest, but his mother shook her head.

“Luke will be perfectly fine with us. Let the old women spend some time with him, honey. You go, get some color into your cheeks. At the rate you’re going, I don’t think I’ll recognize you after a while,” Jackie added. As if to emphasize his grandmother’s wishes, Luke gurgled happily in Jackie’s arms, and Jackie gave Brian a pointed look as if to say, See? Your son thinks so, too.

“Ha ha,” Brian shook his head, then leaned over and kissed his mother’s cheek. “You’ll never be old, Mom. But we’ll go. Come on, J,” he called over his shoulder as he headed out. “You go find Nick. I’ll meet you out front in a few.”

AJ nodded and turned back to his mother and Jackie. “Good idea. Maybe if we get his competitive kick going, he’ll think more positively, too. If that makes sense,” he added, confused at how competitiveness could possibly cause optimism in his mind. Then shrugging it off, he left the room in search of Nick.

As he passed the study on his way to the kitchen, he thought of how amazing he felt. He and Regan had spent all of their first night together and the night before had been equally amazing. He was really and truly in love with her and knew he wasn’t kidding himself this time into feeling something that wasn’t there. This was the real deal, and he was bursting to tell her. However, there were times when he’d wanted to say it, and, seeming to sense this, Regan had closed off. Not wanting to push or intimidate her, AJ kept his feelings inside. Soon, though, he thought. He’d tell her because there was no way he could feel like this and not have it reciprocated. There was no God that cruel.

He stopped just past the study door when he heard Nick’s voice from inside. What was Nick doing with Regan and behind closed doors, AJ wondered. Had Nick never gotten over his crush on her and was he still hitting on her? As jealousy reared its ugly head, AJ pushed open the door. The sight froze him in his tracks.

Nick was leaning over Regan’s shoulder as she explained what she was doing.

“So, see, if you follow this number all the way through the document, you can see where and when the credit card is used. Scott’s smart enough to know how this works, so”

“So, he doesn’t use his credit cards. Just the cash, which can’t be traced,” Nick finished for her. “It’s disgusting how much he’s covered his bases. Except he didn’t bank on Si being smart enough to hide a note on her kid.”

Regan nodded. “I’m hoping Sienna’s smart enough to find ways to leave more clues. Of course, we can’t depend on her, so we keep searching. Unfortunately, I can’t find any other bank accounts—not even ones in offshore accounts that he could be accessing.”

“What about residences? Does he have any in the south? I mean, he lived in Kentucky for a while, so maybe he has some other place further south in, what, Florida or Alabama?” Nick wondered.

AJ couldn’t help but love how smart Nick really was when he stopped playing dumb for the world. The kid could think, and he wasn’t really a kid anymore, AJ reminded himself. He was turning into a considerate, intelligent man who understood the world better than most other people AJ knew. Probably because, with the family he had, Nick had learned more quickly about the failures of human nature.

“Usually, the government has very good files on everyone using their Social Security number. When someone buys, rents, or leases a house, a lot of their information is recorded in public records. The government keeps us all on a very short leash, so, unless Scott used an alias, I can’t find any other place of residence besides the apartment in New York,” Regan was saying when AJ tuned back in.

“And there were no documents in his apartment that might tip us off to any secret hideaway he might have?” Nick asked her.

Regan shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. Sucks, doesn’t it?” she asked as his expression became gloomy.

“Yeah,” Nick began, then, straightening up, he spotted AJ at the door. “Hey! Didn’t see you there. What’s up?”

Regan turned and couldn’t suppress the smile when she saw AJ. He grinned back at her and stepped into the room.

“My mom and Jackie are here,” he began and watched Regan’s face fall at the mention of his mother. “They wanted to spend time with Luke. They also suggested that you, Brian, and me go out and get some fresh air. Knock some color back into Rok’s face because the man looks like death warmed over.”

Nick nodded. “How about a game of basketball? I mean, we haven’t played in forever. I know you don’t like the game, but he loves it.”

AJ sighed exaggeratedly. “Okay. I’ll do it. But only for Brian.”

Nick grinned. “Yeah yeah. I’ll go grab a sweatshirt and meet you guys outside. Thanks for telling me how stuff works in the investigation, Regan,” he added, kissing her cheek.

“No problem,” she smiled at him and watched him hurry out of the room. Then, she turned her attention back to AJ. “Hey, you.”

AJ crossed the room to her and lifted a hand to his lips. “Hey back,” he greeted her. “So I take it the investigation is still stuck?”

Regan stood and stretched then looped her arms around his neck. “I wish I had good news, but I don’t.” Their eyes met, and he could almost hear her demand before she spoke it. “Kiss me, AJ. Make it good because I need something to keep me going.”

AJ’s brows lifted. “What, last night and the night before weren’t good enough?” he teased her.

“They were, but I’d love something more,” she grinned mischievously until his lips covered hers.

She leaned into him, marveling at how incredible he made her feel. She could barely feel the ground beneath her feet every time he had his hands or mouth on her. Which was getting to be often, and she didn’t mind it at all. When he kissed her, she forgot that she was doing a terrible job with the investigation. That she should have been able to find the Littrell women by now, but she hadn’t because she wasn’t a good agent. Because she had gotten too involved, and emotions were clouding her better judgement.

“I can hear you thinking,” AJ murmured against her neck. “It’s loud and sounds like it’s worrying. Stop it.”

Regan leaned back and looked up into the face that was becoming entrenched in her heart. “I can’t. I’m sorry, I should probably get back to this. You should go find the guys and play ball.”

“Yeah,” AJ sighed, not looking at all pleased to have to leave her. “I’ll see you as soon as we’re done. I promise.”

Nodding, she sat back at the computer with her printouts and maps. “I’ll see you then. Have fun with the boys, and play nice.”

“Yes, mother,” AJ grinned at her back and headed out the door not seeing the smile that spread across her face.

***

“I’m going to go talk to her,” Denise said, standing up after she heard the front door shut behind Brian, Nick, and AJ.

Jackie shook her head. “Denise, I think she’ll be good for Alex. Have you seen how happy and light-hearted he seems? I haven’t seen him like this since the Boys first hit number one in Europe all those years ago.”

Denise sighed. “I know, I know. I just think she should know what she’s getting into and how careful she needs to be. He’s been through a lot that she should understand.”

“Maybe she does,” Jackie murmured as Denise left the room. Then she looked down at Luke, who stared back up at her. “I hope your mother and sisters come home, my darling. I pray everyday, and I think Regan is doing a wonderful job considering all the obstacles and lack of evidence.” Placing Luke on a blanket on the floor, she sat next to him and listened to his laughter.

Denise marched to the study, determined to discover the woman who had totally enchanted her son. Regan Daniels needed to know a thing or two about her son, and Denise knew she’d have to tell the young woman to tread carefully and not break his heart because, if she knew the look on her son’s face, he was already in love with her. Which meant that Regan could absolutely not break his heart.

Knocking on the door, Denise entered when she heard the “Come in!” to find Regan at the desk with several maps and a stack of papers that she kept switching back and forth over, muttering to herself and making notes on post-its.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” Denise began and watched as Regan looked over, startled.

“Mrs. McLean! Hi,” Regan greeted her, surprised and terrified. She looked around for an empty chair for the older woman to sit in, and, finding one, she gestured Denise towards it. “Please, sit. This place is a mess, but there’s so much to sift through, so…” she trailed off.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed of your work space,” Denise assured her. “Whatever will help you concentrate doesn’t bother me. Except,” she paused.

After a few moments of silence, Regan prompted her, “Except?”

Denise sighed. “Regan, dear, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I don’t think you’re the best person for my son, right now. I mean, I know you’re together, the way you two look at each other,” she explained.

Regan was no longer horrified but was edging more towards defensive and annoyed. “AJ and I are together, but I don’t understand why I’m not the best person for him. I’m not trying to be,” she clarified, “but we both are happy with each other, so I think it shouldn’t matter to anyone else what’s going on.”

“But it does because AJ is looking for permanence,” Denise explained. “He’s done with waiting for the right woman, and he thinks you’re the one for him. However, he’s been through a lot, and I’m not sure that he’s ready for that. With you. You’re an FBI agent, and he’s an entertainer.”

“If, when you talk about what he’s been through, you mean his alcoholism and drug abuse, he’s already told me. Frankly, I admire him for being able to cope with and recover from it all in the public eye. I’m proud of him, of the man he is. As for what we do for a living,” Regan continued, “I don’t know of any rule in the world that says law enforcement and Hollywood can’t be together.”

Denise shook her head. “I’m sure you’re a wonderful woman, but can you honestly tell me that you’ll spend the rest of your life with Alex? That you’ll marry him? Because that’s what he’s looking for,” she added and watched Regan pale.

Praying for the right words and trying not to panic at what Denise had just told her, Regan spoke. “I can’t tell you that, right now. It’s not that I don’t care for him because I do. More than I thought myself capable of. The thing is, I can’t really think past this investigation to the future. I know it’s not really an answer, but it’s the best I’ve got at this point.”

Denise nodded and stood. “Just promise me one thing. Promise me that you’ll try not to hurt him. Please. He cannot take more pain in his life, so please, if you cannot stay for him, don’t lead him on, thinking that it’ll go somewhere for the two of you.”

Regan tried not to feel the fissures forming in her heart. “I promise I’ll do the best I can to leave his heart intact,” she promised.

Denise nodded and left. Regan rested her head on the desk and tried not to examine what had just happened. She loved AJ, but she knew she wasn’t made for married life. Not with her past. Certainly not with her personal life the way it was outside of what was going on with her and AJ. What they had was something that she’d always treasure for the rest of her life. One day, she’d be able to look back at this time in her life and think fondly of the man who’d proved that she could love. He’d brought her heart to life, and she’d be forever grateful to him. For that reason, she’d honor the promise she’d made his mother and leave without causing him too much pain.

Lifting her head again, she started to turn back to her search when her cell phone jingled. She dug it out from under a pile of papers and opened it.

“Agent Regan Daniels. Hello?…Callie, hey, what’s up? Listen, I’m actually…What did you say?…Oh, my god. Did you try to stop her? What about the school?…So, she’s coming here? Right now?” Regan tried not to burst into hysterical tears. “I know, I miss him, too. I’ve been calling to check up on him every day, but why is she bringing him down here? I’m trying to run an investigation…Of course, I love him! What, am I the evil ogre? Great…No, thanks for telling me. I guess I’ll just wait for them to get here. Yeah, I love you, too. I’ll talk to you later, Cal. Bye.”

Regan hung up and fought the urge to scream. Why was it that every time she turned around, the pressure on her doubled and tripled? She didn’t know how much more she could handle before she could handle nothing more. Now, not only was there added pressure from Denise, she had to worry about how AJ would react to her own life. There was so much he didn’t know, but he’d be finding out soon enough. Tomorrow, if her mother had her way, Regan thought.

Squaring her shoulders, she shook those thoughts out of her head. What came tomorrow would be dealt with tomorrow. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to return to her investigation—sans the distraction.

***

Brian let the chilly April breeze hit his face as he dribbled the ball up the driveway and around Nick to do a lay up shot that bounced on the rim and fell through the basket.

“Yes!” He pumped a fist in the air and grinned at Nick. “I may be getting old, but I can still beat you!”

Nick made a face, but was happy to see Brian smiling. “It’s not fair,” he grumbled. “You stuck AJ on my team.”

“I heard that!” AJ called over as he dribbled the ball back towards the other two. “I’m getting better. I’ve been practicing. Sometimes.” At the looks on Brian and Nick’s faces, he rolled his eyes. “No, really, I really did practice. So, maybe I have a ways to go, but I don’t suck completely.”

Brian patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’re not as bad as Howie.”

AJ’s jaw dropped. “You did not just compare me to D! He actually shot the ball into his own team’s basket. I’ve never done that! Come on, Rok!”

Brian rolled his eyes and grabbed the ball out from under AJ’s hand. “See ya, sucker!” He took the ball up to the net and shot again. Point again.

“Well, it’s good to see him laughing and smiling, right?” Nick muttered.

AJ nodded as they watched Brian do a mock victory dance. “Oh yeah. He’s getting that life back into him. I’m glad.” When Brian had brought the ball back to them, AJ held up a hand. “I gotta tell you guys something.”

Brian caught the ball as it bounced again and tucked it under his arm. “What is it? Spill.”

AJ looked between Brian and Nick. “Okay, well, I’m in love. With Regan.” He waited for their reactions, but they continued to watch him with the same, reactionless expressions on their faces. “Well? Aren’t you going to ask me how that happened? Or anything?”

Brian tilted his head. “Buddy, anybody could tell you were head over heels for her. I have a pretty good feeling she feels the same way, too. But, the thing is, how much do you really know about her?”

AJ frowned. “I know she’s dedicated, loyal, generous, and sometimes takes herself too seriously. But she can still laugh at herself. She wanted to be a FBI agent since high school because her dad worked for them, too. She went to college and then got hired by the Bureau. She’s got a younger sister and her parents are divorced. She also told me that she’d never really had any big relationships in the past, either. Is there anything else I need to know?” he asked them.

“If you love her, then congrats, man,” Nick told him. “But, like Brian said, do you know everything about her? What she’s thinking, what she wants to do for the future, and, most importantly, what she feels about you?”

“She has really strong feelings for me,” AJ said confidently. “I can feel it every time we make love.”

“Oh, lord, AJ,” Brian groaned. “Tell me you did not have sex in my guestroom. You did, didn’t you?” He groaned again. “I feel dirty, now. Really dirty.”

AJ grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll wash the sheets for you. Seriously, though, I think this might work. I’m going to really push to make it work even when she goes back to Washington. I can’t let her go. I’ve never felt this kind of love before, so I cannot let her go.”

Nick smiled. “I’m glad. You deserve something good, man.” Then, he glanced over as the front door opened, and Kelly stepped out with a bag slung over her shoulder. “Hey, Kelly, what’s going on? Where are you going?”

Brian frowned when he saw the bag in her hand and jogged over to her. “Kelly, what’s up?”

She knew she’d have to be strong and lie her way through this one. Since the night before when she’d stayed with Luke, Kelly had known it was time for her to go. It was too difficult to stay when being with Luke kept bringing back the fact that she desperately wanted her own child. The fact that her feelings for Brian were becoming problematic was not helping the situation at all, either. And, of course, the biggest reason that had convinced her it was time to go was her health. She knew the medicines had stopped working days ago but had stubbornly stuck with them. However, the swelling in her joints and the bouts of vomiting were getting worse, and Kelly knew she needed to check back in with her doctors.

Now, she pasted a smile on her face. “Brian, I need to go. Guza, my director, wants me back. I’ve got a major part, and, while I wish I could stay, I really can’t. I’m sorry.”

Brian shook his head. “No, please, just stay. A few more days and Sienna and the girls will be home, too. Is a few days going to make a big difference with the show?”

Kelly nodded. “I’m sorry, but it will. I promise I’ll call every day to find out how things are, but I really am needed back in LA. Thanks for letting me be here to help you.”

Brian pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for everything. I don’t think I could have retained shreds of sanity without you here.” Leaning back, he kissed her cheek. “I’ll let you know how things go, though, with the media around, it shouldn’t be too hard to find out.”

“No, it won’t, but I’ll still call,” she promised. “I really have to go. I think a taxi should be pulling up” she glanced at her watch “right now.”

Hugging both AJ and Nick and wishing AJ luck with Regan, she headed to the gates and slipped through them. Brian watched her go and knew, deep inside, that she hadn’t left because of her work. It was because she was still heartbroken, and it pained him that he couldn’t help one of his closest friends when she had done so much for him.

Pushing those thoughts out of his head, he turned to Nick and AJ but discovered that they’d grabbed the ball and were now passing it back and forth until they reached the net. With a smooth shot, the ball left Nick’s hands and swished through the hoop.

“Nothing but net, baby,” AJ cheered.

Brian couldn’t help but smile. His life might be a mess, his wife and children missing, but these men, his brothers, were a constant.

***

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