5. Tessa
5
Tessa
H eavy curtains of rain obscure the road ahead by the time I wake up. Although, from the way the SUV is being jostled around, this is more of a track than a road. Barely even a track, judging by the thick trees beyond the windows.
Not that I can see a lot. It's still dark outside. No hint of a moon or stars.
"Where are we?" My voice is raspy as hell. It's been hours since I drank anything. Kade hands me a bottle of water and I take a long gulp. The water is warm and tastes a bit funky, but it soothes my throat.
"Montana."
"Umm, where are you taking us?" It occurs to me I don't know this man. Yes, he's my father's guy, but he's essentially a stranger. And now I have no phone and no way of contacting anyone for help. Not even my father.
This is the pivotal moment in a horror movie where the heroine realizes she's massively fucked up and signed her own death warrant by taking a ride with a serial killer. Yet, strangely, I feel nothing but safe.
"To the friend of my brother's place."
"Oh? Who is this guy?"
"Madden. Cin, my brother, is there, too. Madden runs a private security company - close protection services. Cin works for him, but they're also close friends. They served in Afghanistan together."
"Mommy!" Harry's sudden wail reminds me it's been hours since we stopped. At least I think it has. The digital clock on the dashboard tells me it's gone 3 AM. Have we really been on the road for seven hours? "I need to pee!"
"Can you hold it, buddy?" I glance sideways at Kade, but he shakes his head.
"We're nearly there. Another mile."
"Ten minutes, baby. Then you can pee."
"Mommy!" he cries, inconsolable. I reach back and grasp his leg, stroking his baby-soft skin with my thumb. The physical contact helps. Wrenching sobs slowly turn into softer sniffles. Snot drips down his red face and my heart clenches in my chest.
Why is Enzo such a horrible human? He has two amazing kids, yet he doesn't even notice them half the time.
The SUV bumps over potholes and finally pulls up outside a brightly lit stone and timber house. It's a lot bigger than I expected. Given how isolated we are, I figured we'd be staying in a shack.
This is less house-in-the-woods and more aspirational living. It reminds me of Harley's family's vacation place by the lake. I've been there with Stella and the guys a few times. For parties and relaxing weekends before the kids came along.
Before Enzo fucked up my life.
This place has a similar vibe.
"Pee, Mommy! Now!"
"OK, baby, I'm coming." I'm out of the car before Kade can react, quickly releasing Harry from his car seat. Rain sheets down, soaking us in seconds. I tug my son onto the covered deck, both of us shivering in the chill.
The house door swings open and a tall silhouette of a guy appears, back-lit against the warm, glowing interior. It looks cozy in there. Warm too.
"Bathroom?" I blurt, not looking at him.
"First door on the left."
Deciding introductions can wait, I push past and hustle Harry into the bathroom. He pees, we clean up, and then head back out to collect Chloe. Only Kade has already brought her in, still fast asleep in her car seat.
Raindrops sparkle on the tips of her strawberry blond lashes and her blanket is wet, but she's oblivious. The child can sleep through anything. It's truly a blessing.
"Hey there, little dude, do you want a drink?" I look up to find an insanely pretty guy with curly red-brown hair grinning at us. He looks a little like Kade - same eyes and jaw - so this must be his brother.
Fuck me. He's shirtless, wearing nothing but some loose cotton pants. He sees me checking him out and the grin widens.
"Warm milk?" Harry asks, hopefully.
"Manners!" I remind him.
"Please?"
"Sure, I can do that, bud. And for the pretty lady? Anything you need, baby?" From the wink and twinkle in his eye, I get the impression nothing is off the table. The Lord is testing me. This guy is a natural-born flirt. How am I going to survive the next few days?
"Cin, quit it!" barks a sharp voice. "It's the middle of the night. Take Tessa's bag to the guest bedroom. I'll sort out the drinks."
Cin pouts but does as he's told. The other guy is just as good-looking but in a different way. Thank God he's wearing a shirt and jeans. Not that it hides the fact he's stacked. Like Kade, but slightly taller with short blond hair and dazzling green eyes.
"I'm Madden, by the way. He's Cin. Guessing you don't want coffee this late?" he says.
"No, thank you. I'm off coffee for the moment anyway," I say, nodding at Chloe. "Can't drink caffeine while breastfeeding."
"Ah, yes." He heats some milk in a small pan and then hands it to Harry. Does he have kids? It sounds like he might. Maybe he's married. To Cin? Perhaps they are life partners. Fuck buddies?
Ugh. My cheeks burn. I really ought not to be thinking about their sex life. It's a one-way trip to hot flush city.
While I zoned out, Madden whisked up some more hot milk with cinnamon for me. I take the mug he offers gratefully, enjoying the slightly spicy flavor.
"Do you have kids?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
"No, but my sister does. Three little monsters, two of them identical twins. We have plenty of baby stuff here because Serena and her husband sometimes stay, so there's a crib in your room along with kid's clothing. Her little boy is a similar age to yours."
"Thank you." My voice comes out croaky and I can feel tears welling in my eyes. I didn't expect such kindness from these men, but I appreciate it. It's been a long time since someone took care of me. Mostly it's been me acting as the responsible adult.
"Come, let me show you to your room so you can get the kids settled and catch a few more hours of sleep."