Page 67 of Stolen to Forever
“What problem?”
“The one where I was going to kick you off the island so she would stay.”My mouth falls open and he shrugs.“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Collins.Especially now that she’s pregnant.”
I take a seat beside him and lean forward on my elbows.“You know she’s going to be okay, right?”
“I’m just really worried about her.”He puts his face in his hands and I reach out and rub his neck.
“Kade, she’s going to be fine.She’s a strong woman and she’s got the best care we can provide.Not only with Lula, but there’s a medical team on this island ready and waiting along with a boat that’s gassed up and planes fueled for any emergency.”I shake my head.“If we were in the States the control would still be out of your hands.You can’t predict what’s going to happen, but if you worry about things happening the whole time, you’re going to stress Collins and the baby out.”
He looks up as if only just now realizing that.“Damn.”
“You have to be at one hundred percent so she can lean on you.Now is your time to be her rock and you can’t do that if you’re not sleeping.”
“There’s just a lot that can go wrong.”He shrugs, but I can see I’m getting through to him.
“There is, but you’re not alone.”I think about Lula and what it will be like when she’s pregnant.I know that I’ll be just as worried as Kade, but I also know he would tell me these same things.“I’m here and Vaughn will be back soon.There’s nothing we can’t do together, right?”
“Right.”He nods and lets out a sigh of relief.“Thank you.I’m just going a little crazy but I know you’re right.”
“I love it when you say that.”
“Damn, she really did a number on you.”He shakes his head and laughs.
“What?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t remember the last time I saw you smile like that.”
“Yeah, me either.”Lula makes me want to be a better man and I can’t say that’s a bad thing.“Maybe you should go in there and take a nap with your wife,” I suggest, and he nods.
“That sounds like a great idea.”He yawns and maybe now he can relax and get some sleep.
We stand up and as we walk out of his office my cell phone rings.I check it and see it’s my friend Sam from back in the States.
“You okay?”Kade asks on his way out.
“Yeah, I’m gonna take this.You go ahead.”Kade nods as he walks out and I answer the phone.“Hey man, how’s it going?”
“Pretty good, just calling back with that information you wanted me to look up.”My stomach tightens when I remember why I called him to begin with.
Sam and I go way back but we still keep in touch even though he travels a lot for the military.He does intelligence work for the feds when they need an expert and I knew he was the only one I could trust to help me out.
“And?”I’m not one to beat around the bush with him, and I don’t want to start now.
“So how do you know this chick you wanted me to look up?”he hedges.
“Does it matter?”
“I’m not sure how you got tangled up with the daughter of a mob boss but you might want to sleep with one eye open, if you catch my meaning.”
The knot that was forming in my stomach drops as I stand there completely still and listen to the rundown on Lula.She’s the daughter of Peter Guzik, the man who tried to kill Kade and then Collins.The man who was last seen in Europe, exactly where Vaughn and Berkley are right this very moment.Chills cover my body as Sam keeps telling me things I don’t want to hear, but I stand there silent as I listen to them.Once he’s finished my mind is a complete blank as I stare into space.
“Xander, you okay?”
I swallow hard and clear my throat just as the door to the office opens a little.I look up in time to see Lula standing there with a bright smile on her face.Her hair is in a messy bun and her cheeks are pink and all I can think about is how beautiful she is.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I say and hang up the phone.
“Everything all right?”She walks up to me and puts her hands around my waist, going up on her tiptoes to kiss me.