Page 65 of Special Agent Storm

Chapter Forty

Kurt tried to get Ruby to stay for breakfast, but she’d have none of it. “At least let me make you a cup of coffee.”

“I can’t drink the stuff. Molly got me hooked on ginger tea. I’ll get it at home. I really have to go, Kurt.”

He held her close, “I don’t want to let you leave.”

“I can tell.” She wriggled to get space between them. “If I admit that I feel the same way, will you back off. I really have to go home and get ready for the day. They told us to get there by ten.”

Stalling, Kurt groaned. “You’re going in to work today? After what you went through last night and this morning?”

“Of course. The whole crew will be there. We still have a lot of work to do after any fire. The equipment will need attention and the engines all need to be cleaned and readied for the next job.”

Nodding, accepting defeat, he asked, “Can I see you later?”

“Call me.”

“Does that mean yes?”

She laughed and headed out the door. There she stopped and turned. “Probably.” Seeing his eyes narrow, she let out a little scream and ran.

Kurt hated to see her leave. There was still a cloud hanging over his woman, and it grated on him. Earlier, after they’d made love the first time, he’d felt her cover her stomach with her searching hand as if something had happened to grab her attention.

When he’d asked what it was, she’d tried to put him off until he’d made her look into his eyes as he’d said, “Tell me. Share with me. I care.”

Then she’d admitted to feeling the baby move for the first time, and it had brought the truth home to her like nothing else could. She was going to give life to a real child. Till then, she’d lived in a dream world of understanding she was pregnant but not really believing it had happened.

And now the baby would be arriving in a few months whether she believed in its conception or not. That’s when she’d admitted the truth to both him and, he figured, to herself. It was there, alive, and would be showing up no matter how many times she tried to tell herself it was impossible.

Later, going about his morning routine with Jupiter following him like a dog trained to heel, he checked in on Molly and her pets first before he headed into work. Once he arrived at the office, he realized that his partner was out on another assignment, and so he pitched in trying to find out something about the Chinese woman who’d saved their lives the night before. Wading through files, using his connections, calling in favors for information turned up nothing, but it did help pass the day.

Finally, he pulled his phone out and pushed the connection for Neal. “Hey, buddy. It’s beer o’clock. You want one? I’m buying.”

An hour later, they met at the same bar where Kurt had first run into Ruby. Neal had arrived before him and sat waiting at their regular table. He grinned as he watched the attention drawn to his friend and Kurt saw the humor on his face. “What’s so funny?”

“You don’t even notice the women falling all over the place the minute they see that handsome mug, do ya?”

“What women?” Kurt grinned self-consciously, shaking off the discomfort he always felt when anyone teased him about being a pretty boy. Just then the waitress appeared with her tray. “Hey, Sugar. How’s things?”

“Couldn’t get much better, Sal. How about yourself?”

“Fair to middling. I brought your regular.”

“You’re a mind reader, honey. Thanks.” Kurt lifted the bottle off the tray and waved it at her before taking his first slug.

Alone again, Neal opened the conversation. “I heard you were caught up in a shitshow last night with Decker.”

Kurt told him about the details, and when he mentioned killing Ruby’s attacker, Neal cut in. “You know that dude’s been on a rampage lately, right? We have him on the books for kidnapping underage girls and doing all kinds of nasties to them. He’s killed a few and would have kept up his tricks if someone hadn’t put a stop to him.”

“Yeah, I looked into his file last night.”

“I know. It was on your desk. It wears heavy when you have to take someone’s life.”

“Funny thing – this time, when I found out the woman he’d chosen to hurt was Ruby, it hasn’t come back to haunt me. I don’t think it ever will. Some are people are born scum.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Kurt hesitated before revealing his perspective. But he’d been in a reflective mood all day and there was no one better to share his thoughts with than the man sitting across from him. No one he trusted more. “You know, bro, I’ve always understood that life is full of choices. Been taught by the best that there’s also consequences for those choices. That son of a bitch made his decision to be an asshole and hurt others, and I made mine to stop animals like him.”

Neal smiled, his face warm with understanding and acceptance. “I’m proud of you, Storm. And I’m glad Ruby is okay. Otherwise, it would have killed me to give her the shitty news she’s not going to like.”

Kurt’s heart dropped, and he rubbed his thighs under the table. “Which means I’m not going to like it either… am I?”

Neal shook his head, lifted his bottle to drink, but spoke first.

“Nope.”

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