Disillusioned Read online

  Fighting irritation, she leaned back in her seat. The last thing she wanted was the assurance of Kade’s companionship.

  Finally the traffic thinned out, but Nikki knew that it would be a while before they’d be able to move at a steady pace. Traffic on the DC beltway was known for being atrocious. It had rightfully earned its reputation.

  Her mind continued to spin. Whatever she did, she couldn’t panic. She couldn’t let herself go down the road where fear took control.

  It would be easy to let that happen. To succumb to her dark thoughts. But her brother needed her to be strong. And that’s what she intended to be.

  CHAPTER 6

  Four long hours later, Kade pulled to a stop at the end of a gravel lane. Darkness had long since fallen, traffic had faded, and Kade had begun to breathe again. That had been close back there. Too close.

  He’d kept an eye on his rearview mirror on the way here. He hadn’t been followed. But he knew with certainty that those men—whoever they were—would search for Bobby until he was located.

  Kade hadn’t been to Cape Thomas in more than a year. In front of him stood an old restored farmhouse adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay. Though it was hard to see through the darkness, he could make out mums popping from colorful planters on the porch, the elegant wreath on the front door, and the stylish wicker chairs that beckoned a visit with early morning coffee. Since his friends Jack and Savannah had rediscovered hope, this place had been restored right along with their lives.

  The house was surrounded on all sides by either the water, woods, or cornfields, and the nearest neighbor was probably a mile away at least. This would be the perfect location to hide out. Cape Thomas was the closest place to being off grid you could get.

  “Here we are,” Kade said, glancing at the backseat.

  Nikki had sat there for the last two hours with her hands in her lap, her shoulders back, and that look of worry in her eyes. She’d always been such a trouper, but he could see the situation was wearing on her.

  He hadn’t spoken with her in years, but he’d heard that Nikki had gotten married only six months after Kade had broken up with her.

  Six months? The realization still stunned him.

  He had thought it would take her longer to move on. In fact, he’d hoped to come back from his mission in the Middle East, explain all the unspoken things to her, and marry her himself. By then, the men who’d put a bounty on Kade’s head should have been captured, and his old life would be ready for the taking again.

  But that hadn’t worked out.

  Apparently Nikki’s marriage hadn’t worked out either. He’d heard she divorced. Funny, because she’d never seemed like the divorcing type. No, she’d seemed like someone who’d fight with every last ounce of strength to make a relationship work. What did he know, though? Maybe she had fought. On the other hand, maybe Kade had never known her at all.

  Either way, it was no longer any of his business.

  “Can you two wait here for a minute?” he asked.

  Nikki nodded while Bobby stared stoically ahead, like a shell of the person he’d once been.

  Kade climbed out and was surrounded by the scent of sea air and the soothing sound of cicadas. Before he could even knock on the front door, it opened, and his friends Jack and Savannah Simmons stood there.

  “Wheaton,” Savannah murmured. She gave him a friendly hug, careful not to spill the coffee she balanced in her other hand. “So good to see you again.”

  “You’re looking as beautiful as always.” Kade turned to Jack and offered his hand. “Always good to see you, old friend—or should I say Clive.”

  Jack chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t care if anyone ever calls me that again.”

  Jack had taken on an alternate identity not long ago, and Kade had helped him out of a difficult situation. Crisis intervention—it seemed to be Kade’s calling.

  “Sorry I only see you two when there’s an emergency,” Kade continued.

  “After the way you helped me out last time, how could I say no?”

  “Would you like to come inside?” Savannah glanced at his vehicle before nodding toward the front door.

  Kade’s gaze followed hers to the Jeep. “I have two people with me. I know I didn’t give many details, but it’s a mess, guys. The less you know, the better.”

  “Actually, the timing works out well because the house is all yours,” Savannah said. “We didn’t have time to chat, but Jack and I are going on a late honeymoon to the Caribbean. We’ll be gone two weeks.”

  “When are you leaving?” Kade asked.

  “Believe it or not, tonight.” Jack glanced at his watch. “We’re going down to Norfolk, and we’ll catch a flight in the morning. Is there anything we can do to help?”

  “You already are.”

  “We left some cash on the kitchen counter, as well as one of our credit cards. I also ran to the store and got some food and other supplies you might need,” Savannah said.

  “You’re an angel.”

  “If it wasn’t for you, I might be dead and Jack might be in jail,” Savannah said. “I’d say this was the least we could do.”

  “Let me get our bags then,” Jack said. “We’ll head out. Best of luck to you, Kade.”

  Kade was going to need more than luck, and he knew it.

  Nikki’s anxiety continued to mount as she stared out the window while Kade talked to a couple on the porch, each of his movements appearing purposeful and in control. That was Kade for you. He was the dependable, charming cowboy with a gentle Texas twang.

  The couple he talked to occasionally looked over at Kade’s Jeep, though Nikki doubted they could see inside because of the tinted windows.

  Who were they? Could they be trusted? How long would she and her brother be safe here? The questions all collided in her mind, resulting in a headache. Trusting wasn’t something she was good at; she especially wasn’t good at trusting Kade.

  She dragged her eyes away from the porch and glanced back at her brother. He still stared out the window, toward a dry cornfield across the landscape. What had those monsters done to him in Colombia? She’d seen his physical scars. But emotionally what had he gone through to cause such a personality shift?

  “Bobby?” she said, trying to get his attention.

  His gaze snapped toward her. “Yes?”

  “Why Kade?” She knew there were more important questions to ask, but she’d stuck her neck out for her brother and deserved some answers.

  And if she was going to risk it all, she needed some insight into her brother’s thought process.

  So far, Bobby had been able to offer so very little. But he could tell her why he’d called Kade.

  “What?” A wrinkle formed between Bobby’s eyes as he stared at her in confusion.

  “Why’d you call Kade, of all people?”

  “Because of Trident.”

  She shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

  “His company. Trident. I thought you’d heard of it.”

  “I can’t say I have.” She’d had no interest in keeping tabs on Kade throughout the years.

  “I heard about the organization right before my last tour. About five years ago, Kade left the military and started a company to help people like me.”

  “People like you?” She was honestly confused. She’d heard that Kade had branched out on his own, but she figured he’d started a security company or something. She hadn’t asked too many questions. She’d tried to convince herself that she didn’t care.

  “Vets. People returning from war. Soldiers suffering from PTSD.”

  “Kade’s qualified to do those things?”

  “Apparently. He got his degree in counseling and runs support groups. He has a lot of real-life application.”

  “I see.”

  “My friend Harry—you remember the Irish guy?”

  Nikki nodded.

  “Anyway, he returned from Afghanistan, and he was messed up. He tried to drink a
way all of his problems. Ended up being arrested for drunk driving. When he got out of jail, Kade helped him turn his life around.” Bobby shrugged. “I’ve always liked Kade. Thought a lot of him. I knew if there was anyone besides you I could trust, it was Kade.”

  Nikki glanced back at the porch where Kade continued to talk to the couple. “What about Raz? He helped me get to Colombia.”

  “Raz and I have never connected. I know he’s been there for you since everything has happened. But he’s not the kind of guy I trust with my life.”

  “Kind of like you and Dad?” As she said the words, Nikki reached for the black cameo around her neck. Her mom had handed it down to her for her sweet sixteen birthday.

  Bobby frowned. “Exactly like me and Dad.”

  Bobby and their father had always butted heads. Their father had been a former Special Forces officer turned Homeland Security undersecretary for National Protection. He’d still been serving in that position when both he and their mother had been killed in a car accident on an icy mountain road.

  He’d pushed Bobby to join the military, even when Bobby had wanted to go into sports medicine. Service to the country was very important to Dad, though. Dad had won, and Bobby had gone to college on an ROTC scholarship. He’d joined the navy after graduating and eventually made it all the way to the SEALs.

  Nikki turned her attention to the sedan that pulled away from the house. The woman inside offered a brief nod their way as they passed.

  Now it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

  With his friends gone, Kade went back to his Jeep to retrieve Bobby and Nikki. A sense of sadness smacked him as soon as he opened the door. There was no panic emanating from the backseat of his car. No, the somber calmness spoke volumes.

  Both Bobby’s and Nikki’s lives had been ripped apart. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t expected. But it had happened, and now they had to deal with the aftermath.

  Kade didn’t envy them, but he hoped he might be able to help. He wouldn’t have dropped everything when Bobby called if he didn’t think his services would be useful.

  “You guys ready? Let’s roll.”

  Nikki snapped into action first. She slid out, landing with a bounce in front of him. Something about the sight clutched Kade’s heart. It made him want to put his hands around her tiny waist and help her to the ground, to offer her someone to lean on, a hand to steady her when the road felt rocky.

  But that wasn’t his right anymore. He’d given it up when he’d ended their relationship.

  As if he hadn’t thought about that a thousand times since then. But now was not the time to go there again. More pressing matters concerned him.

  Bobby climbed out also, moving almost robotically toward the front door. Kade needed to talk to Nikki. He needed more information about his friend, about what had happened today, about how Bobby had escaped the terrorists and gotten back into the country. He’d followed a few news stories on TV, but he’d learned not to trust most of what he heard there.

  Kade ushered them inside and locked the door behind them. The warmly decorated home should feel like a safe place for Bobby. His friend needed stability now in order to restore himself. The events of today would make it difficult to continue the healing process.

  “I’ll show you to your rooms, then I think we should have a meeting,” Kade started. “Follow me.”

  Nikki glanced at Bobby, worry clouding her gaze. She was concerned for her brother. Kade had no doubt about that.

  Bobby needed counseling. Therapy. Prayer.

  Probably a whole laundry list of other things.

  But that wasn’t an option right now. Right now they were here and needed to figure things out the best they could. Being in Cape Thomas should buy them some time. If there were no slipups, they should be able to stay at the house a few days at least. Cell phone service in the area was spotty, the location was secluded, and there was no one around for miles to spot them.

  At the top of the stairs, as a matter of security, Kade took the room closest to the house’s entrance. If anyone came up the stairs, they’d have to go through Kade first. He nudged the next door open for Nikki.

  “Why don’t you stay in here?” he said. “Bobby, you take the last room.”

  No one argued. Kade suddenly realized they had nothing to deposit—no luggage to leave upstairs, no bags even.

  That was going to be a problem.

  “Savannah said there’s a casserole in the kitchen that she made for us,” Kade continued. “Let’s go eat and talk. We need to figure a few things out and set some ground rules.”

  “I appreciate your help, Kade, but when Bobby called you, that wasn’t an invitation for you to take over,” Nikki said as they stomped down the stairs. A new hardness firmed in her eyes.

  “I’m not trying to take over. I’m just trying to keep you both alive.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. It wouldn’t take much convincing for her to realize the truth in his words. Nikki Wright was many things, but she wasn’t a soldier. She needed help.

  No sooner had they set foot on the wood floor of the first level than an explosion sounded outside.

  Before Kade could react, Bobby did. “Everyone down!”

  He pushed them to the floor as more blasts detonated.

  CHAPTER 7

  Nikki froze on the floor as Bobby hovered over her. He’d snapped out of his dazed state faster than a track runner hearing a starting pistol. He’d gone into battle mode, she realized.

  As they lay there, her brother’s heart beat out of control against her back. His breaths were shallow. His body was rigid.

  Kade had ducked behind a table, but he slowly rose back to his full height and let out a long breath. “It’s fireworks. I seem to recall hearing about a pirate festival down in Cape Charles.”

  Nikki nearly went limp. Fireworks.

  Sure enough, she heard a whistle and another burst. It was just fireworks. Now that she knew, the sounds made perfect sense.

  Despite Kade’s declaration, Bobby didn’t move. He remained frozen over Nikki, reacting as if he were in a war zone.

  PTSD, she realized. Bobby was remembering the bombings. The guerilla warfare. Probably a million other things that Nikki had no comprehension of at the moment.

  Could Kade help him? Was he really as good at intervening during the crises in people’s lives as Bobby said? Nikki would set aside her differences if that was the case.

  She scooted out from under Bobby’s protective hunker and stood, brushing dust from her pants as she turned to face him. Sweat covered his forehead, and his eyes were glazed. His mind seemed to have transported him to a different world.

  “It’s okay, Bobby,” she murmured. “We’re safe right now. You’re safe.”

  He pulled himself up enough to collapse against the wall and draw his knees to his chest. He buried his face somewhere in the middle of his arms and legs.

  Nikki exchanged a worried look with Kade. She wanted to help, wanted to offer Bobby comfort. But what could she do right now? Find the person responsible for these fireworks and demand that they stop? That wouldn’t be happening.

  She’d read about this reaction before, though. About soldiers returning from war and having painful flashbacks at the sound of pyrotechnics. Most people took things like fireworks for granted. Ordinary citizens didn’t understand what it was like to go to war.

  “Why don’t we get you up to bed?” Kade said to Bobby. “You’re not looking well.”

  Surprise rippled through Nikki when Bobby unfolded himself and let Kade lead him upstairs.

  “I’ve got this,” Kade mouthed. He held up some earbuds he’d pulled from his pockets.

  Nikki let out her breath. Music would be perfect to mask the fireworks and calm her brother’s nerves.

  As they disappeared upstairs, Nikki took in her surroundings. The house was charming, with weathered wood floors and bright splashes of paint on the walls. At the entryway, an offi
ce led off to the left, complete with French doors. A living room stretched beyond that. A kitchen, dining room, and master bedroom completed the bottom level.

  Nikki picked up a picture on the table by the staircase. The same couple she’d seen earlier smiled on the glossy paper. The woman was a knockout with wavy brown hair and a slim build. The man was tall and broad.

  Nikki longed for what she imagined to be their simple life here in this quaint house in this quiet town. What she wouldn’t do to go back to the days when fear didn’t stain her every thought. When she’d believed she had the world ahead of her.

  Setting the picture back on the table, she went down the hall until she found the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of it. She hadn’t eaten much at all lately, not just today. Ever since her brother had called, her life had been in upheaval.

  But at the moment she was hungry. Maybe it was the tantalizing scent wafting from the dish on the counter. She peeked under the aluminum foil and spotted a creamy chicken casserole with bread crumbs on top. The dish was still warm. She found some plates, silverware, and glasses, and placed them on the table.

  Just as she brought the casserole over, Kade thunked down the stairs. Those cowboy boots. He had a Texas-sized hero complex to go with them.

  As he rounded the corner, Nikki’s throat tightened. There her body went again, reacting in ways it had no business reacting. She wanted to claim that the man had no effect on her, but it was hard to deny her reaction every time she saw him.

  “He’s lying down,” Kade said, joining her at the table. “I think he’s on sensory overload, so maybe being alone for a while will help.”

  Nikki nodded as he sat down. “I think you’re right. He’s always been an introvert. Even more so now that he’s back.”

  More fireworks exploded outside, each burst causing her muscles to tighten. She could only imagine what Bobby must be feeling. Nightmares like the one he’d endured should never be relived.

  “Do you mind if we pray before we eat?” Kade’s eyes connected with hers.

  Wouldn’t he be surprised if she said no? When he’d known Nikki, she’d wanted to be a missionary. She’d given her life up for the cause. Now she wasn’t a Christian or any other religion. She wasn’t necessarily an atheist or agonistic even. She just was.