“I hate flying. I won’t go. You can’t make me!” Jessa screeched. “No one will let you take off with a woman screaming inside the plane.” She knew her arguments were stupid, but they were doing the trick. The only two men remaining between her and freedom were staring at her like she’d gone slightly crazy.
In seconds, Cole had pinned the guard to the ground, denying him air until his legs finally stopped kicking. Burke stood in the shadows, his gun out, his eyes on the plane. Cole stood, and they both began coming closer. The guard at the top of the stairs would see and hear them coming a mile away. He’d have plenty of time to draw his gun and shoot them both—unless she distracted the guard.
“I won’t go.” She stood up and stamped a foot like a toddler in need of a nap. Anything to bring their focus on her and not the men moving to the plane. She let it go, throwing a fit to end all temper tantrums.
“Shut up,” Delgado growled.
“No!” she screamed, tossing the blanket in Marco’s face. His eyes widened before they disappeared under the scrap of black felt. He batted at it, the glass slipping out of his hand and spilling.
The guard rushed forward, grabbing at the blanket.
“Sit down, bitch,” Delgado said, baring his teeth as he swiped at the Scotch on his slacks. “No, wait. Don’t sit yet. Michael, teach her a lesson first.”
The hulking guard near the door stalked closer and lifted his hand. Jessa braced herself, but she still lost her balance from the vicious slap that smacked her head back. She fell against the chair, her skin burning and stinging. But she couldn’t give in. The doorway was tight. Both men would have to come through there first. They’d be in deep danger. She couldn’t stand either one being hurt. She forced herself back to her feet and shoved at the guard using every bit of strength she had. She screamed as she pushed at him to let Burke and Cole know that she was in the plane.
“Two! Two! Two!” Jessa screamed. If they heard her, they would know that there were two people on the plane with her. They would know they had two men to kill.
“She’s gone crazy,” Delgado said, reaching out to grab her hair. His fingers tangled brutally against her scalp, forcing her head back. “We can start your training now, bitch. Michael, get the duct tape. I don’t want to hear her scream when I use her ass.”
There was a loud crack, and Michael stopped, his enormous body frozen for a single moment. There was a neat hole where a bullet had exited his forehead, blood blooming around the circle.
Cole entered the plane behind the falling guard, his gun ready once more. Burke was right behind him.
Delgado pulled her against his body. She felt the sting of his hand pulling at her hair and the hard press of metal against her flesh. “Get back. Both of you.”
Cole’s gun went down. He let it fall to the floor. “Let her go and you can do anything you want to me.”
“Or I could just blow a hole in her side and you two can watch as she slips away,” Delgado shot back. “Your brother will put his gun down, and you will both allow us to leave this plane or I’ll kill her right here.”
That wasn’t happening. If Burke dropped his gun, Delgado would simply shoot them all. She understood their hesitation, but she had to take a chance if she was going to save them. “Cole, Burke, I trust you. I trust you.”
The minute the words were out of her mouth, she let her body go completely lax. She fell toward the floor. The only thing holding her up was the hold Delgado had on her hair. But it was enough. He couldn’t balance and hold on to her.
Another shot rang out, the sound ricocheting through the plane. She hit her knees as the hand in her hair let go. Cole caught her before she hit the ground, his arms pulling her away.
Burke stood over Delgado’s prone body. He kicked the gun away. In the distance, Jessa could hear the roar of sirens coming their way. Cole held her close, but all she could see were dead bodies.
“Baby. Baby, are you all right?” Cole’s hands were everywhere, looking for damage. “Did someone hit you? Did they hurt you?”
Burke was at her back, crowding her. “Sweetheart, he’s dead. They’re all dead. They can’t hurt you again.”
Yes. They were all dead, and she was alive. Her hands shook as she pulled away. So much had happened. She felt herself shake again, the shock setting in. Her knees threatened to crumble beneath her. Delgado was lying dead feet from her. She knew that in her head…but destructive thoughts crept through her mind. What if he’d somehow gotten to Caleb? After all, why should she trust a criminal to keep his word to leave her baby unharmed?
She looked at Burke and Cole with stark terror and begged, “Take me to Caleb. Please. I need to see my son.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jessa stared at the door that separated her from Caleb. She’d thought about sleeping on the floor beside his crib, but decided that simply leaving the door open between their rooms would work. When they’d arrived at the James’ condo, she’d spent over two hours holding him, cradling his little body, but he’d been sleeping fitfully, waking with an occasional cry. She’d known that if she didn’t let him be, he would be one cranky boy in the morning. And in the morning she had to decide what to do with her life.
She sat up in bed, knowing that sleep wasn’t coming soon. She’d made it through the police interview and the paramedics examining her. She’d held herself together through it all, but now that the distractions were gone and she was all alone, the tears fell.
Why couldn’t she just take what Burke and Cole were offering and so willing to give her? Tonight, they had hovered over her, telling her again and again how much they loved her. And she kept pulling away, almost afraid to believe that it was true. Trembling at the thought they might leave her again—this time for good. Maybe she was exhausted and not being terribly rational. But…broken trust was hard to repair. She wanted to try, but being so utterly alone this past year as she’d tried to live without Burke and Cole had been torture. Some days—and nights—she’d thought that if she had to spend another minute without them, she’d go insane.
She frowned. She still loved them. That wasn’t ever going to change. Something in her was wired for them. So why couldn’t she cling to them now? Why was she holding herself back?
Fear.
Jessa rolled out of bed, her feet sinking into the luxurious carpet. She was wearing one of Hannah’s silk nightgowns, the material soft on her skin, but all she could think about was her men’s strong hands caressing her, their arms surrounding her.
What was she doing? What was she going to do?
She walked to the windows and opened the blinds. The soft lights of the Dallas skyline played across the room. Marco Delgado was dead. She could leave tomorrow, and the Lennox brothers couldn’t stop her if she really wanted to go. She could pack Caleb up and find a new home. She could go on with her life.
Jessa sniffled. It sounded a bit mean and petty to move Caleb away from their fathers. To punish them by leaving just because they’d left her. In fact, it sounded terrible. So what the hell was she to do?
Tired. She was so tired and she felt a little empty. They were in another room. Doors, a hallway, and distance lay between them because she hadn’t been brave enough to approach them last night, tell them how much she needed the sense of safety and love they gave her so freely. She’d been too afraid to try with them again.
“Come on.” The low whisper came out of nowhere.
Jessa turned toward the door to the nursery with a start. Someone was in there. She frowned, her heart beating out a rapid rhythm as she padded across the floor and grabbed a heavy, decorative candlestick as silently as possible and drew it up over her head. Since she’d left the door open to be closer to Caleb in the night, she easily heard the masculine voice that whispered in the air.
“God, you’re a baby hog. I want to hold him.”
She closed her eyes and had to grin a little. The sweet grumble of Burke’s voice pierced her heart. They were here. She’d turned away from them, but they had snuck into the nursery to be with their son. The miracle they’d created with her.
She peeked through the crack in the door.
There were two rockers in the nursery. Hannah had explained that this was the east wing bedroom, for times when one of her babies was sick. It must be nice to be wildly wealthy. Jessa would have to settle for a lovely home with only one nursery. It would have been enough if Burke and Cole hadn’t come back in her life. Now it seemed like…settling. They’d come back into her life and made her want more—a house with a bedroom big enough for the three of them, along with more love to fill it. No, she’d always wanted more, and now she knew they wanted to give it to her.
She had to make a choice.
Burke and Cole sat in the rockers. Cole had his shirt off and cradled Caleb against his chest. Her son, who never seemed to sleep when she held him, was like a limp noodle in his father’s strong arms.
“I can’t help it. Look at him. He’s so fucking beautiful.” Cole smiled down at the baby.
Burke kicked at his shin. “Don’t cuss around the baby. Do you want his first word to be fuck?”
“Shit.” Cole winced. “Sorry. I hadn’t thought of that. No.”
“Then watch your language. We have to do things differently now. We have a son.”
Cole rocked back and forth, cuddling Caleb. Burke leaned over, his fingers stroking Caleb’s hair. “We might have to move. If Jessa goes back to Virginia, we’ll follow her. She might not want us now, but I’m not giving up. And I can’t let him go.”
Jessa felt tears prick her eyes. Cole’s voice, his strong, deep voice, had hitched when he’d said she didn’t want them.
Burke took a deep breath. “I thought if we found her in time and eliminated Delgado, that she’d want to be with us, would see…” He shook his head. “I’m not willing to give up, either.”
“I love her. I need her.”
“We both need and love her.” Burke sat back, his head resting against the chair. “She’s the one, but we can’t force her to love us back. We can only be there. We can only prove that her hardheadedness can’t drive us away. We made some horrible mistakes, but we won’t make them again.”
Cole sighed, his lips cracking into a sad smile. “I’m glad you feel that way. I was worried that all the bullshit with Hilary would turn you into me.”
“No. There’s only room for one brooding butthead in our lives.” He chuckled. “You took that role on long ago. I’m going to be the happy dad. And you’re right. He’s so fucking beautiful. He’s the best thing we ever did. Do you think he’ll love us? Or do you think he’ll be angry that we couldn’t love his mother separately? Do you think he’ll be ashamed?”
The tears coursed down her face. She’d hurt them, made them worry about their relationship with their son. Made them doubt what they needed. God, she hadn’t meant to.
“We can only try, Burke. We’re going to love him. We’re going to be the best fathers we can, and that starts with cutting back on work. We can’t risk ourselves anymore. He needs us. Even if Jessa doesn’t want us around, we have to be here for him. I love Jessa, but I owe this child.”
They wouldn’t leave Caleb—or her—again. Deep down she’d known it all along. She’d known that they would be good fathers, but she was still afraid that the only reason they would settle down would be for Caleb’s sake, and she wanted to mean more to them than a successful breeder. Her fear and insecurity was roaring in her head. And a single quiet voice spoke below it. A little whisper.
You are more than that.
She’d let her grief and fear lead her. She was allowing her need to protect herself to keep her from them.
But she wasn’t the girl who was going to let fear trump happiness. She was a woman who knew what she wanted. She’d been brave enough a year ago to take them on, and damn the consequences, because she knew that it was better to try than to regret. She’d turned away privilege and money because they came at too high a cost. She’d been braver in the past. She’d been a woman two men could fall in love with. She’d been enough for them.
If she’d dig for a little courage, she could be enough for them again. She had to dig for it. She didn’t want to give them up, either.
Cole finally passed Caleb to Burke, whose arms curled around his tiny body. His lips curled up in a smile.
“Hey, buddy. We’re your dads. You’re lucky. You got two. We’re not very smart, but we’re tenacious. We won’t let you down.” Burke kissed his forehead.
“And we won’t give up on your momma. We’re going to be patient. We’re going to show her. We’ll move. We’ll buy a house close to you. We’ll build another business, one that won’t take us away from you.”