Echoes at Dawn (KGI #5)(22)

He sighed wearily. Sometimes the weight of so much worry wore him down. It was a burden shared by his brothers, but it didn’t make it any easier for Sam to bear.

The door leading out to the deck slid open. Light footsteps and then a warm, soothing hand slid over his back. Sophie. His wife. The mother of his child. How could it be possible that she meant more to him with each passing day?

He turned, seeking the comfort of the hug he knew was coming. And sure enough, her slim arms wrapped around his waist and she went into his arms, burying her face in his chest.

He tucked her head underneath his chin and savored the sweet scent of her hair. Of her. Nothing ever felt as right as Sophie did in his arms.

She pulled away and tilted her chin up so she stared into his eyes. “What are you out here fretting over?”

His mouth formed a grim line. “I hate this, Soph. I hate it all. I wonder sometimes if this family will ever find true peace. When does it end?”

She reached up to touch his jaw, tracing a line with her fingers before stopping at his chin. “I know you’re worried about Nathan and Shea and now R vcaped Wiio and not knowing where he is. But Nathan will be fine. Joe and Swanny are with him.”

He caught her hand and kissed the soft skin of her palm. “I love you, you know.”

She smiled. “I do know. I hate to see you like this. Always taking on the burden of responsibility by yourself. You have so many others willing to share it with you. Garrett. Donovan. Even Ethan. Your parents. We’re a team, you know? We’re family. And family supports family.”

He trapped her in his arms and hung his arms loosely around her waist. Then he leaned in to kiss her. “How did you get so damn smart, Mrs. Kelly?”

Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “I’ve been told ever since I came back into your life what family is for and what it’s all about. Maybe it’s time I started dishing back what I’ve been served.”

He lowered his head until their foreheads touched. “You’re a pretty special woman, Sophie. My woman. My wife. My love. I don’t want you to ever forget that.”

“And you’re mine, Sam Kelly. You damn well better never forget that fact, mister.”

He chuckled and then kissed her again. He was about to suggest they go inside and find some extracurricular activities to indulge in when the sat phone beeped an incoming transmission.

He grimaced. “I have to take this. I’ve been expecting a call from Resnick. I need to tell him what all Rio had to say.”

Sophie retreated a few steps but held on to his hand for a bit longer. “I’ll be waiting inside.”

He watched her walk away, his heart in his throat. It happened every time he watched her. Love was an ever-changing emotion. Strengthening every day.

Halfheartedly, he reached for the phone. He’d rather be inside making love to his wife than on the phone with a man he was no longer certain he could trust. Resnick had been solid in the past. He’d brought many of KGI’s missions to them. He was largely responsible for the success of Sam’s brainchild. Uncle Sam had certainly pushed enough money KGI’s way over the years.

But they’d damn sure earned every penny.

“I need information,” Sam said bluntly as he put the phone to his ear. He was in no mood for pleasantries, not that there would be any.

Resnick had been responsible for Shea falling into the hands of the bastards pursuing her, and as a result, she’d been all but tortured, hooked to a machine that monitored brain activity so that every time she tried to reach out to Nathan with her mind, she’d received an electrical charge.

While KGI may have helped Resnick in the days following Shea’s rescue, they damn sure hadn’t forgiven him. Nor could they be certain how well intentioned he’d claimed to be.

“What is it you need?” Resnick asked.

Sam could perfectly picture the nervous, agitated bastard lighting a cigarette and sucking on it like a whore giving a blow job.

“Titan,” Sam said.

There was a long silence. Too long. Resnick’s breathing filtered over the line.

“What about them?” Resnick finally asked.

“I need to know everything you know about them and I need it all yesterday.”

“What the f**k is going on, Sam? Level with me here. Titan is or rather was some heavy-duty shit. Deep. Like as deep as it goes. But they aren’t anymore.”

“What do you mean anymore?”

“Tell me why first,” Resnick p {1D;cessersisted.

Sam’s nostrils flared. “Listen to me, you little prick. You owe me. You owe KGI. More than you could possibly ever repay. If it weren’t for me pulling Nathan off you, he would have killed your sorry ass. Hell, he’d be there kicking your teeth in now if I’d let him. I’m not playing games with you here. I need to know who and what Titan is and why they’d be after Grace and possibly Shea.”

“Fuck,” Resnick breathed. His voice came out all shaky. Sam could hear the forceful exhale as he puffed on his cigarette. “Look, Sam, back in the day, Titan was the badass. They were who you called in when no one else could get the job done. They cleaned up messes. They created them. They did whatever the hell the military or government needed done. No questions asked. Their fingerprints are all over some of the world’s biggest shake-ups. But they never existed.”