“Because of you.” She burrowed into him. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but thank you.”
“Shush. It’s all right.” Without meaning to, he pressed his mouth to the tender skin of her temple.
Her face turned toward him, and suddenly they were nose to nose, sharing breath and staring into each other’s eyes.
A sexual moment for him, but he seriously doubted she viewed it the same way.
When he started to move away, she held him tighter. “I’m not upset.”
“No?” She had every right to be. Someone was after her, Jodi or both of them. If the two fucks in the truck hadn’t died, he could have questioned them. As it was, he’d removed their wallets and passed them to Cade. Hopefully, Madison would have plenty to share with him tomorrow.
“I was,” Kennedy admitted. “The gunshots—”
“Cade had that in hand, and if one of the idiots got by him, I’d have taken care of it.”
“So self-assured,” she teased.
“I’m prepared,” he said seriously. “Well trained.”
And...he cared about her.
“Yes, it’s been easy to see that you can handle yourself. But, Reyes, they tried to drive us off the road.”
“And how did that turn out?” With two dead bodies, that’s how.
She shook her head. “You amaze me. You stayed so blasted calm through all of it.”
Taking her hand, he led her to the couch. He didn’t pull her onto his lap this time, not when he was feeling so oddly territorial. Instead, he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her comfortably into his side. “Since you’ll meet Dad tomorrow, I figure I better explain a few things.”
“What things?”
“Long ago...” Hell, he sounded like the start of a Star Wars movie. “When I was thirteen, actually, my mother was taken, trafficked—and that changed Dad.”
Horrified, she bit her lips. “God, I’m so sorry.”
“He found her. Dad would have charged through hell for her, and a few times I think he did.”
Kennedy rested a hand on his chest. “Is she okay now?”
He shook his head. “A year later, she committed suicide.” He didn’t want to dwell on that memory for too long. “I know what that type of abuse does to a person. I saw it in my mom—and I saw it in my dad. It changed him. He and Mom both came from money, then they made more of their own. Not bragging about finances or anything, just saying Dad had the funds and the motivation to turn his focus almost solely to taking down traffickers.” He rested his chin against her silky hair, breathing in the scent of her while forcing all emotion from his tone. “That focus included grooming us—Cade, me and Madison—into weapons. We started learning every fighting technique there is, usually from the best trainers in the world. Hand-to-hand combat, grappling, boxing, mixed martial arts. We’re versed in it all.”
“Madison, too?”
“Yep. Though Dad groomed her for computer work, he wanted each of us to have a well-rounded education.”
“Was there room for affection?” she asked softly.
“I guess. It was a difficult time, you know? Cade rebelled.” Smiling, Reyes said, “He doesn’t do well with orders, which is funny, since he joined the military to escape Dad’s regimen. There, he excelled. With Dad? They’re so much alike, they always butted heads.”
“And now?”
“Sterling changed things. I think she blunted a bunch of Cade’s anger and resistance.”
“It sounds like you like her, but I got the impression you two don’t get along.”
“She’s my sister-in-law and I love her, but yeah, I enjoy twitting her.”
“You,” Kennedy said, poking him in the stomach, “enjoy twitting everyone.”
“Maybe.” This whole discussion was easier than he’d expected, because Kennedy was so easy to be around. “Cade trained, the same as we all did. His pride demanded he be the best.”
“How old was he?”
“Fifteen.” Now that he’d started talking, Reyes wanted to share other things, too, things he’d never discussed with anyone, not even his siblings. “Cade is a half brother. Maybe that has something to do with how he’s always been.”
“Different mothers?”
“Yeah. When he was born, his mom gave him to Dad and moved on, and that was that. He’s never met her. But to Madison and me, he’s our big brother and nothing will ever change that.”
“Of course. You were all raised together?”
He nodded. “My mom was basically his mom, too, until we lost her. We were all devastated, you know? And then Dad made his decision and we didn’t really have time to grieve. On top of learning to fight, we’re experts with weapons, from every improvised implement you’d find on the street to military grade.”
“And that tricky driving you did?”
“Dad’s covered every scenario,” he confirmed. “Before you start thinking he’s too mercenary, he also started a task force to help ensure victims are legally represented, that they get any counseling they need, and enough financial aid to start over.”
“Wow. Your dad sounds pretty phenomenal.”
“He is.” He could also be overbearing, dictatorial and downright cold at times. Except that... Sterling had changed him some, too. Maybe it was getting Cade back as his son that made the difference. Reyes admitted, “I used to be a real hell-raiser.”
“No?” she said with facetious surprise.
Reyes gave her a squeeze. “Dad didn’t seem to care as long as I channeled my anger and energy into what he considered the right direction, which basically meant defending someone. But Cade? That dude is military through and through, and he’s all about personal control. He put the stomp on my bad attitude real quick.”
Rearing up, Kennedy frowned at him. “What does that mean?”
Her automatic defense made him grin. “It means anytime I got too froggy, Cade showed me that his quiet control trumped my rage every time. He always made it into a lesson. Like he’d block one of my punches, give me a smack, and explain why he’d managed it so easily.”
Her scowl darkened. “I don’t think I like the idea of him putting hands on you.”
“Ah, hon, Cade and I have been sparring since we were early teens. This was no different. And I did learn. Funny thing, too, was that Dad would watch on with a satisfied smile, as if it made him proud to see Cade school me.” He shook his head with a short laugh. “It’s the truth, I’m a better man because of Cade. Better fighter, better strategist, probably a better son and brother.”