Hardwired (The Brotherhood Series) Read online

  Luke

  Luke raged within himself. He wasn’t sure why he had followed the woman out, but she never went anywhere without the little girl. Seeing her dress up after the grandparents took the little girl made an uneasy feeling settle in the pit of Luke’s stomach. He had no right, no rational reason, to be jealous but he knew she was going on a date, and he wanted to rip the man apart for even considering looking at the woman.

  “Dammit Luke, you crazy bastard,” he admonished himself.

  “Excuse me, sir?” The waiter asked him.

  Luke hadn’t even realized the man had been standing there when he spoke out loud. The waiter gave him a weird look as he walked off. Luke had asked to be seated in the corner where he sat alone, his hat pulled down low over his face. He could see the woman and her pretty boy date, but the chances of her seeing him were slim.

  “Nothing, sorry. I’ll have the steak medium rare, baked potato, and whatever vegetable you have today,” Luke ordered.

  “Thank you, sir,” the waiter replied, gathering Luke’s menu and walking off.

  The longer Luke observed the woman on her date the more he felt at ease. She was miserable. Luke could feel her boredom from across the room. The idiot apparently couldn’t even sense it from across the table. Luke wanted to interrupt, wondering what she would say if he walked over and told the guy to go get bent and took the seat across from her.

  He couldn’t though. Luke’s life was meant to be lived in the shadows. She was meant to shine under the sun. Luke continued to watch the disaster of a date unfold, but just as his steak was placed in front of him, the woman took a call and then rushed out of the restaurant. Luke tossed more than enough money on the table to foot his bill and took off after her; neither of them bothering to turn around and give pretty boy any last looks.

  Luke kept a reasonable distance behind her as she drove. Her speed didn’t signal any kind of emergency, so he felt safe knowing Bella was more than likely not the reason for her abrupt departure. Soon she stopped off for food and then continued home. Luke grabbed some chicken of his own, and quickly dumped it in his side saddle and hurried to catch up to her.

  He waited a good twenty minutes before pulling into his own driveway, even though he didn’t figure she would ever think he had followed her for the night. It wasn’t that civilians didn’t harbor the necessary senses to know when they were being watched; they were trained to ignore them. It was a type of desensitizing. They were more afraid of hurting someone’s feelings than they were of protecting themselves. A woman would accept a random man’s offer to help her with her groceries, even though she had a bad feeling about him, just so she wouldn’t hurt his feelings more times than not. She may have felt Luke watching her tonight, but she would have brushed it off as being in the crowded restaurant.

  When Luke finally did pull into his driveway, he didn’t like seeing the other vehicle parked in hers. A million scenarios began racing through his mind. Had she run off from pretty boy to be with her lover?

  Luke raced inside and huddled by the windows that looked to her house. She had all her blinds pulled shut, but the lights were on, so he could see shadows moving. The other shadow didn’t look big enough to be a man, but Luke wouldn’t be able to calm down until he was sure. Darkness had already descended on the beachfront, so Luke decided to get closer.

  A small sand dune separated their houses, and on top of it were tons of tall sea oats. Her house was up on stilts, as were most of the beachfront homes, leaving it open underneath. There was a house on the other side of hers, but it was vacant. None of the homes in the cul-de-sac had cameras. Luke slid into the darkness, his training taking over. He stayed low so he would be hidden from the windows. Once he was underneath her house, he looked around. That’s when he saw a crawl space. There was a brief second where he tried to talk himself out of being crazy and going inside of her home with her wide awake especially with the possibility of their being a man inside, but that was quickly shut down.

  He was trained for situations just like this. She would never know he was there. He lowered the access door and gradually pulled the stairs down. Then he made his way up. The space was just large enough for him to crawl in. He could hear their hushed voices, so he followed them until he was close enough to hear what they were saying.

  “I’m sorry, Jen. I wish I had some advice or worthwhile saying that would help you, or make you feel better, but I’ve never had a Luke.”

  “That’s okay. You brought wine, and that’s better than advice on a night like tonight,” Jen laughed.

  Luke’s heart raced from hearing his name on her lips. He worked to slow down his rapid breathing, constantly telling himself it was just a coincidence. Maybe the man she had been out with had been named Luke as well. What were the odds? Luke had been trained to not believe in coincidences, but it couldn’t be.

  The sound of the movie starting seemed far off as Luke fell further into his warped state of mind. He knew he needed to leave, go back to his house, pack his bags and go to the barracks. Instead, he stayed rooted to the tiny crawl space he was in. Luke knew he wasn’t going anywhere until he got more answers. He also couldn’t pull himself away from the sound of her laugh. It was like a bullet of pure joy, piercing his dim life.

  Chapter Ten

  Jen

  Bella bounded into Jen’s room waking her up early the next morning. Jen groggily sat up, instantly regretting her decision to drink so much wine the night before.

  “Aunt Tara’s here!” Bella sang excitedly.

  “I know,” Jen replied as she grabbed her pounding head.

  “I’m so excited. What are we going to do today? Are we going to go shopping?”

  Bella bounced off Jen and began jumping on the bed, her face alive with her excitement. Jen didn’t know if she had it in her to do anything for the day, but seeing Bella so happy she figured she could find some way to power through.

  “Why don’t you go wake Aunt Tara up, and Mamma will be right out.”

  “Okay.”

  With that, Bella was off to give Shatara her wake-up call. Jen dragged herself from bed and made her way to the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that she looked as bad as she felt. She peed for what seemed like forever and then padded out to the kitchen. Her mother greeted her with pursed lips while her dad peered out the window facing the house where her motorcycle riding neighbor was staying.

  “Dad, let it go,” Jen said, an annoyed bite to her tone.

  “Jen, Ben’s mom called and said that you fled the date last night.”

  “I don’t see where it’s any of her business.”

  “She called to see how Bella was feeling. Imagine my surprise at hearing you had left the date early to pick up Bella.”

  “Ugh,” Jen sighed. She was nowhere ready to deal with her mother or her lies from the night before. Not without coffee. Ignoring her mother, she started up her Keurig.

  “Jen,” her mom huffed.

  “Mom, I’m a grown woman. Ben was boring, so unbelievably boring I couldn’t stand to be there for one more minute. I texted Shatara to bail me out. I’m sorry I lied, but I warned you before not to set me up.”

  “Did he get here on a Friday?” Her father asked, still looking out the window.

  “I don’t know, Dad, I think. Would you get away from the window? He’s going to think we’re a bunch of crazy people.”

  “Aren’t we though?” Shatara joked as she entered the room looking as if she had slept for twelve hours after a spa treatment. Jen decided she hated her.

  “You look chipper this morning,” Shatara said, egging her on.

  “Why don’t you look or feel like me?”

  “I’m a pro. Back to the crazy part; what’s going on?”

  “Dad’s obsessed with watching the man staying next door.”

  “Ah ha! So you admit it’s just one single man.”

  Jen rested her elbows on the kitchen counter and sat her head on her hands wishing he
r family would just leave her alone. She also needed to reassess the amount of lies she had told recently. It wasn’t like her to rack them up like she had been lately. The Keurig wheezed to a stop, Jen grabbed her coffee, and took a long, relaxing sip.

  “Aunt Tara, are we going shopping?” Bella asked.

  “Oh baby, I wish we could, but I can’t today. How about I come back one night this week, and you and I go out and get you whatever you like?”

  “Yay!”

  “I gotta go, Jen. Call me.”

  With that, Shatara breezed out of the house and away from the drama. Jen desperately wished she could do the same. Her mom was still staring daggers at her, and her dad had yet to move away from the window.

  “How about we go out for breakfast?” Jen said, hoping if she could get everyone out of the house, they’d quit focusing on her.

  “I want to go to the Froggy Dog!” Bella chirped, shooting her hand in the air.

  “Froggy Dog it is.”

  Jen rushed off to make herself look presentable. Within a few short minutes, they were all sat down at their favorite breakfast place, and the tension had finally eased. Bella was catching Jen up on everything she had done during her sleepover. Bella’s moods were so contagious. Luke’s had been like that, for good or bad. Jen had always hated it when Luke would come home in a bad mood. His job hadn’t let him divulge many details with her, so most of the time she would just sit with him until he had worked through whatever it was.

  “You’re thinking of him again,” her mom whispered.

  Jen looked down and realized she was playing with his dog tags again. She squeezed them together in her hand until the metal dug into her flesh just a bit then she released them. She felt guilty for wanting to forget about Luke, but she couldn’t help but sometimes admit her life would be easier that way. Jen forced herself out of her mind and focused on the conversation her parents were having with Bella. Their breakfast was delicious, and when they all said their goodbyes the tension was gone, and they were all back in good spirits.

  “We miss him too, baby,” her dad whispered when she hugged him goodbye.

  Her dad and Luke had been close. Luke lost his parents right after he and Jen had gotten together. They had been so proud of Luke becoming a SEAL and they had welcomed Jen into their family with open arms. They would have no doubt worshipped Bella. Jen felt the tears gather in her eyes. She quickly sucked them back; there was no use in shedding tears over what would never be.

  Chapter Eleven

  Luke

  Luke woke with a killer migraine. He had either fallen asleep or blacked out while he had been in the crawl space, he wasn’t sure which. That thought alone was terrifying, but he had managed to get himself home. He reached for his phone and realized it was well into the afternoon. He shot up out of bed and tugged on a pair of jeans before making his way into the kitchen for coffee.

  When he had his mission chip in, or even just the chip he was permitted to use while he was in the barracks, he never really needed coffee. They kept him hyped. The civilian one had him reaching for the black liquid often though. Since he couldn’t help his compulsion, he glanced out the window to the house. His overnight in the crawl space had earned him the knowledge of her name.

  “Jen and Bella.”

  The sharp pain seared through his mind, and he had a faint glimpse of a little baby in his arms and a woman with dark hair asleep with her head on his shoulder. The image fled as quickly as it had come, and Luke was left feeling nauseous and dizzy.

  He was so frustrated with himself that he wanted to scream their names until the pain consumed him, but he didn’t. Instead he waited for the pain to subside and his heartbeat to settle. Jen’s car pulled in the driveway, and she and Bella got out and instead of going in the house, they walked down to the beach. It was the first time Luke had seen them go to the beach since he had been there. He realized then that they must not be on vacation; they must live there. The thought had never occurred to him before.

  Luke stepped closer to the windows overlooking the beach. Jen and Bella were far enough off that they didn’t feel his gaze on them. Bella rushed toward the water only to sprint back to her mother before the waves could get her. It’s a game Luke figured countless children played, only he knew how dangerous a game it was. He had spent the better part of the life he remembered learning the oceans sick and dark pleasures. Its strength is untouchable, and its will bends to no one. Luke wanted to rush out and grab Bella and tell her not to play the game anymore, but it wasn’t his place.

  His heart was lodged in his chest as he watched her laugh and play while Jen kept a close eye on Bella. He couldn’t help but wonder how strong a swimmer his Jen was. Had Bella been taught yet? Again, he felt like the dog from his friend’s story; just watching, protecting those who owned him from afar. A flicker of something caught his peripheral vision bringing him back to the windows that looked into Jen’s house. Luke trusted his instincts to know there was someone there, he could feel it. They must be good for him to not see them, or maybe he’s finally lost all reasonable sense.

  He heard Jen and Bella’s laughter as they approached, the sound washed over him like a soothing caress. Luke stepped back away from the windows so as not to be seen. He watched Jen look over at his house intently.

  “That’s it mamma bear, be fierce in the protection of your cub,” he murmurs to himself.

  Her instincts were there. She had put it together that he was a lone man staying next to her and her child. That made her vulnerable. He felt pride that she was on guard. Bella bounced along next to her, her bright pink shoes in her tiny hand. She was beautifully naïve to the dangers of the world. What Luke wouldn’t give to keep her that way.

  “Mamma, we should go say hello to our neighbor,” Bella insists.

  “He’s not really our neighbor. The Abbots are our neighbors still; he’s just renting the house. He’ll be gone in a couple of days,” Jen replied, her eyes never leaving the house as they made their way up onto their own deck.

  It’s as if she could sense Luke’s presence, and was drawing her in. She was curious, he could see it all over her face.

  “Run away,” he cautioned to the emptiness.

  Jen finally broke her gaze from Luke’s temporary home as she and Bella went inside the safety of their home. The flicker of light Luke saw earlier flashed again. It was steel catching on the sunlight. Luke moved closer to the window and studied the area harder. Usually in his world, the only metal reflecting sunlight was a gun, but this wasn’t his world he reminded himself, trying to shut his mind off to the chaos of thoughts that were battling their way forward.

  His cell phone rang, jolting him from the dangerous place his mind had gone.

  “Kiersey,” he answered, not bothering to see who was calling first.

  “Luke. How’s it going?” Dean greeted him. There was an edge to Dean’s voice, not of concern but possibly nervousness.

  “Fine. Miss me?” Luke replied, hoping he didn’t sound like a man on the verge of losing his shit.

  “Always,” Dean said, and even though there was a hint of a chuckle, Luke could still pick up the nervous edge to his voice.

  “Cut the shit, Dean. What’s going on?”

  “Have you had any more episodes with the woman?”

  Luke knew his hesitation would be taken into consideration, but he waited a beat before he responded.

  “No,” his voice was deadpan, and he felt the sting of the threat coat his skin.

  Dean didn’t respond, the line was silent as the ebb and flow of what was unspoken between them played out. Luke was aligning himself with Jen and Bella, he was the dog and he had just marked his territory. He hadn’t thought of being on opposite sides with Dean, but if his silence meant anything, then Dean was firmly aligned with the others, whoever they were.

  “Just come back to barracks, Luke.”

  “I’m on vacation.”

  “Your time is almost up anyway.”
/>   “I’m taking my time,” Luke spits.

  “Dammit, Luke.”

  “Goodbye, Dean.”

  Luke didn’t wait for Dean to respond. There was no response needed. Luke knew why he had the sudden urge to drive to the town he had no recollection of; it was because at some point it had meant something to him. Just like the woman next door with the beautiful girl with big blue eyes.

  “Jen and Bella,” he whispered their names again. This time the pain was fleeting. He took up residence next to the window and watched for the flash of metal again. Whoever held that metal had crossed into dangerous territory, and even though Luke’s chip wasn’t designed to allow it, he felt a sudden burst of adrenaline; the one he always got before a kill.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jen

  “Jen, you can’t out swim the ocean,” Luke’s deep voice penetrates her disoriented mind.

  She was swimming in the ocean, and the current was strong. Every time she thought she had gotten the hang of it, she got sucked back under. This wasn’t how she’d imagined her and Luke’s first trip to the beach, but the man was determined. He was also deliciously sexy when he was spouting off his SEAL jargon. At his insistence, she was stubbornly trying to show him that she could, in fact, get herself back to shore if she were to be caught in a rip tide and pulled out with the current. She was also failing miserably.

  Just when she was about to call his bluff and yell for help, strong arms wrapped around her waist and swam her steadily back to the shore. Luke stood her up and inspected her thoroughly. Jen snagged the opportunity to kiss him. At first, he hesitated, letting her lips mold to his. Then he captured her lips, stealing the breath from her lungs. His power emulated that of the ocean. Just as the waves swept in and ripped the sand and shells back to their icy depths, Luke somehow always managed to sweep in and steal her breath with one look, or touch. She was hopelessly his.