Page 37 of The Hero's Bride
“Could we stay here? I’d like to help you cook.”
“Sure thing.” He flashed her a smile. “I have pasta, sauce, and some frozen garlic bread.”
They stood in the kitchen together, talking as Mason boiled water and stirred sauce on the stove. She took in the scene before her, and let the sense of safety and security surround her. It was almost surreal how her life had changed over such a short period of time. From sleeping on a hard floor, shivering with fear, and her stomach gnawing with hunger to having a soft mattress beneath her at night, protection, and a full belly. What had changed most though was being reconnected with Mason. Learning about his life and who he’d become. Feeling at first a sense of camaraderie and gratitude that had quickly morphed into so much more.
Chapter Eighteen
After dinner, Thaliatook a long soak in his bathtub, then they settled in the living room together. They were intertwined on the couch, holding each other close. He’d never felt the swell of satisfaction and belonging he did in this moment with the woman he loved nestled into his arms. He clamped down on the voice in his mind that whispered the relationship wasn’t permanent. He’d purposely tried to slow down their physical relationship but still found himself unable to stop hugging and kissing her. In an attempt to take a step back, he’d simply strengthened the emotional connection between them. He wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing, but one thing was certain: he was crazy about the woman tucked into his side. He’d barely been able to breathe when she walked into his condo. Her presence here made a place where he ate and slept feel like home. He’d loved cooking dinner with her as they talked, then shared the simple meal together. She’d savored each bite, reminding him of the basic needs denied to her. Never again.
His phone vibrated along the coffee table, and he leaned forward, frowning at the name displayed on the screen. “Hey, Mrs. Foster. Everything okay?”
“No, dear. I’m not feeling well.”
He straightened. “What’s wrong? Is Kenny there?”
“He’s sleeping. I-I need you to come over.” Her voice trembled and the hair on the back of his neck rose. Mrs. Foster would never call him this late at night and be so elusive. “I think that disgusting reptile of yours made me ill.” Hearing that, he jumped up from the couch.
“Hang tight, Mrs. Foster. I’ll be right over.” His neighbor adored Tiny and treated him like a puppy. Something was wrong, and that was her attempt at tipping him off.
“What’s wrong?” Thalia’s eyes were wide with alarm.
“Mrs. Foster called to say she wasn’t feeling well, but something’s not right.” There was a knock at the sliding glass door outside his balcony. Thalia jolted up and pinned herself against him. He squinted as he looked out, then rushed forward.
“Kenny.” He slid open the door and pulled the boy inside. “What’s going on?”
“Two men broke into Gran’s condo! They didn’t know I was there, so I climbed out my window and down the fire escape. They told Gran to call you and tell you to come over or they’d put a bullet in me. I don’t know how they knew I lived there, too. Must’ve been watching the condo unit. I recorded the whole thing on my watch, which I left behind in my room in case they say anything else important. They knew your name, and hers,” he said pointing to Thalia.
“Good work. Is your gran hurt?”
His face took on a pinched expression. “I don’t think so, but I let my snakes out of their tanks hoping to scare them.”
Mason lifted his phone and placed a call to Jude, quickly relaying the information.
“I’ll have my team check the cameras on your building,” his friend said, his voice a dangerous growl. “Wait for backup. I’ll have a team there within minutes. We can’t discount that this could be an attempt to draw you out so someone can silence Thalia.”
“Fuck.” He couldn’t stop the curse from leaving his lips, but figured Kenny had said his fair share when his grandmother wasn’t around.
Loud screams coming from across the hall had him grabbing his weapon. “Stay here. Lock the door. Don’t open it for anyone.”
“Go,” Thalia urged, putting her arm around Kenny. “We’ll be fine.”
He exited the condo, waiting for the dead bolt to click into place to cross the hall. Another scream sounded. This time male. He tested the knob, surprised to find the door open except for the small chain at the top of the opening. Stepping back, he kicked the door. The crack of the chain sounded just before the door flew open. Gun trained on the room in front of him, he stepped inside. Mrs. Foster was shaking her head, panic stark on her face. A man stood behind her with a gun pointed at her head. His temperature soared and the primal urge to drop the gun and grip the throat of the familiar face made his body tense.
“I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Foster sobbed. He did his best to ignore the woman who had become like a grandmother of his own.
Another man stood in the corner, stiff with fear. One of Kenny’s large boa constrictors was wound around his neck and even though the snake wasn’t attempting to squeeze him, the man shook in fright.
He glared at the man pointing his gun on Mrs. Foster. “Benito? You motherfu—”
“Don’t you dare judge my decisions,” the man he’d served with across the border working to minimize illegal drugs and trafficking shouted back at him. “You have no idea what it’s like to grow up in poverty.”
“You’re a member of the Mexican Special Forces. You took an oath.” Anger bubbled in his gut at the man’s betrayal.
“Words don’t mean shit. Not when you must fight for every fucking scrap.”
“So, when you called to tell me Estrada was dead?” Adrenaline shot through his system as his throat constricted, mind immediately turning to Thalia and the danger she could be in.
“He’s dead. If it wasn’t for him wanting Thalia, I could’ve made her disappear the moment she crossed the border. Instead, Estrada offered a large sum to transport her directly to him.”
