Page 26 of Night Moves
Drake looked like he wanted to sigh but held it back. “She just wants to mother everyone and make sure they’re happy. She loves everyone with enthusiasm.”
“That’s special.” Natalie inhaled the scent of fresh coffee filling the air.
“Trust me. At my age it can be challenging.”
“How so?” Natalie watched as he got two travel mugs from the cupboard.
“Mostly she sees herself as a matchmaker.” He opened the mugs and rinsed them out. “She wants all of us to get married and produce grandchildren right now.”
“I noticed Aiden and Brendan were wearing wedding rings.”
He nodded. “They both got married this spring, and Clay’s engaged. Brendan’s wife, Jenna, has an almost five-year-old daughter. Mom has Karlie to spoil, and Sierra’s due any day, but she wants more grandchildren. Many more.”
Natalie looked out the window at Peggy hurrying back to the cabin. Natalie didn’t understand the woman’s longings. Natalie was a loner—plain and simple—and she had no desire to be a part of such an overwhelmingly large family. She left those yearnings in her childhood with her mother’s neglect and her father’s abandonment and was well over any angst regarding that.
Peggy rushed in and handed a container to Natalie. “Banana nut and blueberry muffins. Make sure Drake eats. He gets cranky when he’s hungry.”
“Mom,” Drake warned.
Peggy simply smiled up at him and clutched his arm. “Be careful, son, and keep our Natalie safe.”
Our Natalie. Already?If Peggy was matchmaking, she worked fast. Something Natalie was going to have to put a stop to as soon as they returned.
The moon hung in the sky, striations of light filtering through the foggy darkness. A fine mist fell, dampening Natalie’s body, and a crisp breeze was downright chilly on her bare legs. She moved as fast as her heels allowed to Nighthawk’s SUV. Drake remained in sync with her. She got the feeling that he would not only be in charge of protecting her and the children, but be physically by her side whenever she left the cabin.
She climbed into the big SUV and pulled the door closed. Odd. It was heavy under her hand. She hadn’t noticed that before. She hadn’t noticed many details that she was picking up on now. Like the way Drake’s eyes could be darkly intense and just as quickly turn as clear as a summer’s blue sky in a flash.
He slid in and cranked the powerful engine. The SUV rumbled to life under them and cold air blew from the vents as the heat struggled to warm up.
She looked at him and said the first thing that came to mind to keep her thoughts off of him. “Is there something special with your car door? It seems really odd.”
“Right. I didn’t tell you.” He patted the dashboard. “This vehicle is armored, and the doors are bulletproof. The windows are two inches thick. That’s why our doors are thicker. They need to support the weight of the windows. We even have electrified door handles.”
She looked him full in the eyes. “What?”
“The exterior handles have copper wire embedded in them.” A cute grin formed on his face. “With a push of a button the driver can turn on the handles and zap any attacker who grabs them.”
Trying to comprehend this James Bond kind of spy stuff, she blinked a few times. “Seriously?”
“Yep.” His grin widened. “We have night vision cameras, a loudspeaker, and a siren. Plus bulletproof metal panels for the radiator and battery. The bumper’s reinforced steel, and we have run-flat tires. We’re virtually a tank.” He laughed, the deep rumbling sound bouncing around the space and feeling warm and wonderful after all the tension they’d been going through.
She tried to process this information. “Sounds like you have every option possible.”
“Nah.” He shifted into gear. “There are tons of additional things you can add. Like a Kevlar blanket for the floors to stop an explosion from harming someone in the vehicle. Too pricey for us.”
“This technology is something else. I had no idea.” She shook her head. “Nighthawk Security is definitely a first-rate operation. It must’ve been expensive.”
“It was.” He shrugged. “Aiden insisted on tricking out both of Nighthawk’s vehicles right up front, and the money came straight out of our pockets. But it’ll all be worth it the first time one of the upgrades saves a life.”
A vision of Kirk, gun in hand, standing outside the SUV and opening fire on them flooded her brain. She could almost feel the bullets pinging off the vehicle’s body. She shuddered, but she knew she’d be safe. Thanks to these guys. A good feeling. Especially if Drake was in the vehicle with her, as she wouldn’t want him to be hurt. His brothers either. Or, of course, the children.
She nodded. “Sorry to question you.”
“I don’t mind questions when your life isn’t in immediate danger. After all, I’m the one in my family who’s always asking them.” He smiled, a slow, lazy one that flip-flopped her heart. The smile disappeared in a flash. “But I need you to listen if we come under attack. No questions.”
“And I will. Promise.” She crossed her heart and smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood, but his eyes followed her finger’s movement, and when he looked up, his eyes were darkly dangerous.
A heated current flowed between them, feeling almost physical. Powerful. Amazing and new.
