5. Backup Plan
Sean wrapped his arms around Branna and sighed in relief. She wasn’t going to run, wasn’t going to try to handle this on her own.
He kissed her hair and squeezed her. “How about we go inside and rustle up something to eat?”
Branna squeezed him hard. “That sounds about perfect.”
He kissed her hair again, wishing he could kiss her properly, but this was absolutely not the time for that. With his hands on her waist, he lifted her from the truck.
Jabba whined, and he leaned in to rub the mutt’s head. “We’re not leaving you. Come on.”
Sean also grabbed his duffel out of the back and then led the way inside.
Branna kept behind him as he opened the door and called out. “It’s Sean Falcone. Falcon. Is anyone home?”
No one responded, and they moved into the mudroom and then the kitchen. Sean pointed at Jabba. “Stay.” He turned to Branna. “I’m just going to do a quick check. Be right back.”
It was a one-story home, and it wouldn’t take long. He figured Branna would be nervous about being alone for any length of time, but he also needed to ensure the house was secure.
Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a combination kitchen, living, and dining room took up the rest of the space. Clean and comfortable.
He was back in the kitchen in less than a minute, but Branna stood with wary eyes and one hand on Jabba’s head.
He smiled to ease her nerves. “All clear. Doors are locked, and there’s an alarm system in place.”
“That’s good. Do you think we’re allowed to have some of the food? Should we check in with your friend?”
“We can eat whatever there is. When was the last time you ate?”
She shrugged and moved to the sink to wash her hands. “I’m not sure. Before dad was killed probably?”
Hell. That had to be days ago. No wonder she was on edge. Sean grabbed a banana out of the fruit bowl. “Start with that. Do you want to take a shower while I rustle up something to eat?”
She gnawed on her lower lip for a second before nodding. “A shower sounds like heaven. You don’t mind?”
He moved forward and hugged her. “I don’t mind. And I’ll be right here when you come back in. If you want to keep the door open, do it. I promise to be a gentleman.”
That made her snort a laugh.
Jabba barked and whined at the door. “Let me take Jabba out, and then he can go with you.”
She nodded and peeled the banana.
He unlocked the system with Troy’s code, and let the dog out. Jabba did his business and hurried back as if he knew Branna was nervous on her own. “Good boy, Jabba. Let’s go take care of our girl.”
He liked the sound of that.
Back in the kitchen, Branna was at the sink drinking a glass of water. Her head had to be throbbing from the lack of food and drink. “Tell me you were at least able to get something to drink over the past few days.”
She nodded. “I used that disgusting bathroom when I needed to. I wanted to clean it but figured that might alert anyone who used it regularly.”
“Smart. We’ll get something easy to eat in you for now. How does an omelet sound?”
She leaned on the counter. “Perfect.”
He could see her energy levels were dropping now that she didn’t have the adrenaline rush keeping her moving. Sean moved to her. “Don’t hurt me.”
Then he scooped her up. “You’re exhausted, and we need to get that ankle checked out. I’ll save you a few steps.”
“I can walk.”
She could, except she leaned into him. Showing him how worn out and depleted she was. His Branna had always been independent and strong. He hoped she felt like herself again soon.
In the primary bathroom, he set her on the edge of the tub and grabbed a towel from the shelves. There was a robe on the back of the door. “Use this if you want. I don’t know if this is an actual safe house yet or if it belongs to a friend of Troy’s. I’ll find out while you shower. Take your time and yell if you get dizzy.”
He left the door open, told Jabba to stay where he lay on the bedroom floor and moved to the kitchen before he did something stupid like offer to wash her back.
In the kitchen, he dialed Troy and put it on speakerphone while he set out a bowl of food for Jabba and then pulled ingredients out of the fridge for omelets. Despite her Irish heritage and upbringing, Branna had always loved Mexican food, but she hadn’t eaten in days, so spicy foods would have to wait.
“Hey, Falcon. You there?”
“We’re here. Thanks. I don’t think anyone followed us close enough to have ears on us, but I wanted to be sure.”
“Us?”
Of course, that’s the part his buddy picked up on. “Yeah. Branna O’Dea is with me. She’s in a hell of a situation and has been hiding for a few days. No food. She’s showering now. Neither of us has slept in a while either, so I’m making some food and then we’re going to crash. I’ll fill you in once we’ve got the bandwidth to deal with it in more detail.”
“Sally? Is she okay?”
He grinned, loving that Epic remembered her nickname. “She will be. Looks like a sprained ankle is the worst of the physical injuries.”
“I’ll get more details off you tomorrow, but for now, give me something to dig into. Names. Places. Something.”
And this was what Epic did. Took care of others. The man was easy with people and made friends with everyone. Everywhere. He was also a whiz with communications and had unbelievable connections. As evidenced by this house.
“Okay. I don’t have the entire story yet, and we’re not going to get into it until tomorrow. But the basics are that Branna’s dad Seamus, was killed a few days back in some kind of hit and run.”
Troy swore.
“Exactly. Some asshole named Prince was pressuring him for protection money. He refused to pay.”
“Is Prince his real name?”
“Not sure. Last name is Hawley, in Miami. I’m not sure what happened after Seamus died, but their pub has burned to the ground. Branna had gone to the police after her dad’s death, telling them about Prince, but the cop she dealt with blew her off.”
“Some assholes should never be cops. Too bad she got stuck with a dirtbag.”
“Agreed. I don’t know the details of what caused Branna to run, but it’s something to do with Prince. I assume he wanted protection money from her.” Or something else.
Troy made a sound of disgust. “Prick.”
The omelet simmered in the pan, and Sean shredded some cheese over the top. The more protein he could get in her, the better.
“I’m going to need a new vehicle before we leave. I’m sure no one followed us, so I’ll drive my beater to a dealer. I’ll trade for another vehicle to get us up there. I want to upgrade to electrical, but I’ll do that later, once we’re settled. If Hawley’s gang somehow have my license plate, multiple changes should slow them down.”
“I’ll have options for you by tomorrow. Does Branna have anything with her? Clothes? Toiletries?”
“Nothing.”
Troy cursed again. “This bastard is going to pay.”
“He is.” Sean flipped the omelet and sensed the air change. He turned to find Branna walking in wearing the robe. And maybe nothing underneath.
He barely kept his tongue in his mouth. She looked gorgeous. And vulnerable. Sexy as hell, swallowed by the fluffy robe. “Here she is now. Troy, I’d like you to meet Branna O’Dea. Branna, this is my buddy Troy Phail. Epic to those on the team.”
“Hi Troy. Thank you so much for helping us. This house is amazing.”
Hearing her say us had another knot loosening in Sean’s gut. She believed in him. Sean slid the food onto a plate and passed it to her while he started on his own omelet.
“Hi Branna. Nice to meet the Sally we heard so much about while we were overseas.”
Branna’s eyes widened. “You know who I am?”
“Damn straight. Falcon always talked about you and Charlie. I’m sorry as hell about what you’re going through. I’ll get the whole story tomorrow. For now, know that you’re in a safe place. The house belongs to Ada and Jesus Oliveras. They’re both former military and now run a garden nursery. They maintain the house for anyone who needs it. Soldiers returning with PTSD, people needing to hide from the world for a few days, whatever. They know you’re there and said for you to use anything you need. The closets are stocked with basics for clothing and items for personal use. Take what you need.”
Branna’s eyes had filled with tears and Sean had to battle back his own emotions while she whispered. “That’s amazing. Thank you.”
“For now, get some food and some sleep. Sounds like you both need to rack out for a dozen hours. I’ll catch Arrow up to speed, and we can all talk tomorrow. Nice to meet you, Branna. Sleep well, you’re in good hands.”
Troy hung up, and Sean found himself a bit overwhelmed. He plated his omelet and joined Branna at the island. They sat side by side and dug into their food.
When she finished her last bite, Branna set down her fork. “Thank you. You have some awfully good friends.”
He sure did. And the friend sitting beside him was one of the best. And one he didn’t want to lose track of again.
* * *
Branna’s entire body was made of putty. The gooey kind one of her teachers used to make instead of buying the real stuff from the stores. It never quite held together, and their childish creations always slipped into puddles after a few days.
Sean had cooked, and she knew she should clean up, but that required way too much energy.
As if reading her mind, Sean set down his own fork. “Okay. Clean-up can wait for tomorrow. I’m ready to sleep for a week. You?”
She nodded and could feel her eyes starting to close.
“Trust me?”
That had her eyes popping open. “Of course.”
His grin could be registered as a lethal weapon. A sexy, lethal weapon.
“Hang on.” He stood and lifted her into his arms again. She didn’t protest. Instead, her body sagged into his, and she snuggled in.
He walked to the primary bedroom with the dog on his heels. He shifted his weight and held her with one hand while he yanked back the covers. The move had her feeling all swoony. Or maybe everything was catching up to her.
Sean tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. “Sleep Branna. I’m going to grab a shower and then I’ll be right next door if you need me.”
She wanted to tell him he could share the bed, but her mind was mush, and she slipped into sleep.
Later, Branna knew she was in a nightmare. She knew she wasn’t really back in the snug while it burned around her, but she couldn’t escape the dream.
Her mom’s body sat on one stool, leaning against the side wall, with the bullet holes leaking blood. Charlie lay on the floor with too many injuries to count, his body barely recognizable as a human being. Her dad sat beside her, with his lifeless body leaning on hers for support.
Fire raged around them, the smoke choking her lungs and the roar filling her head.
Prince Hawley strolled inside and sat on the table, not bothered by the inferno surrounding them. “You should have listened to me, Branna. You’re next, and I’m going to have some fun with you before you join the rest of your family.”
He reached for her, and she screamed at him to get away.
“Branna. Wake up, Branna. It’s me, Sean. Falcon. Wake up, Sally. I’ve got you. It’s a dream. He can’t hurt you. I’ve got you.”
With deep gulping breaths, she clawed her way out of the nightmare and towards Sean’s voice. The room was dark, but light filtered in from the hallway. They were in the safe house.
She wasn’t burning. Prince wasn’t here.
Branna managed to get enough breath to speak. “Sean?”
She was sitting up, and he held her in his lap, his comforting arms around her. “Yes. There you are. You’re back. Holy hell, Branna. That nightmare took years off me, and I wasn’t even living it. You’re okay now. You’re okay.”
She snuggled into his warmth and breathed in his safety.
Jabba woofed softly, and she realized his head was in her lap. She released one arm from where she clutched Sean to pat the big head. “I’m okay. Thank you. Both of you.”
Sean continued to hold her, rocking slightly back and forth as her heart settled. She could feel his heart slow as well while they sat.
The heat pouring from his body warmed her. Even though in the nightmare she’d been burning, in reality, her body was chilled, even with the robe she’d been wearing.
“You want to talk about it?”
“Not even for a second. I’m hoping it slips away like most dreams.” That didn’t seem likely, but she could hope.
“Think you’ll be able to get back to sleep?”
Her yawn prevented her from answering and made Sean chuckle. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
But the thought of being alone with the nightmare was horrific. “Can you stay with me?” She hadn’t meant to ask, but Sean hugged her before she could take the words back.
“I’d like that. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re okay.”
The man might be a tough special forces operator, but he had a soft center that made him so damn special. “Thank you.”
He shifted them so he was on his back and she cuddled into his side with her head on his chest. He tucked his arm around her and pulled up the cover. “There. Comfy?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
His chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Stop thanking me. I’m here with my arms full of a strong, sexy woman. It’s not exactly a hardship. Now sleep.”
He kissed her hair, and she smiled into his chest. Right now, she felt the exact opposite of strong and a million miles from sexy. But she loved that he’d said it.
The bed dipped as Jabba hopped onto the bed and tucked himself behind her back. He was snoring almost immediately, making her smile.
“Close your eyes. Turn off that beautiful brain. And follow the mutt’s example. Sleep, Branna.”
And she slept.