Haydn (Steele Protectors 5) Read online

  “Did the two of you—”

  “Fuck off, Logan.” Hailey lifted her head from Haydn’s shoulder to glare across the room at the other man. Her hair was a tousled mess, her cheeks flushed, and her lips still plump from their kisses the previous evening.

  Haydn’s arms tightened about her as he chuckled. “You heard the lady.”

  Logan still didn’t move. “Didn’t sound very ladylike to me.” He tutted. “Besides, I have news,” he added seriously.

  Haydn immediately felt Hailey’s tension.

  He continued to hold her in his arms as he pushed himself up the bed until they were both half sitting against the pillows. He pulled the duvet over Hailey’s shoulders to cover her nakedness. “Is it Silva?” he demanded of Logan.

  His brother strolled across the room before sitting on the end of the bed, completely unconcerned by their obvious nakedness beneath the bedcovers. “This mattress is really comfortable.” He bounced up and down a couple of times. “Ours has gone lumpy. Where did you—”

  Haydn sighed. “Could you try and stay on subject, Loge? Neither Hailey nor I have any interest in hearing how you and August have managed to completely wreck your mattress after only a couple of months of marriage.”

  “Believe me, it gave up and died after a very…busy and useful life.” Logan grinned. “Morning, Hailey,” he greeted brightly as he turned to look at her.

  The warmth deepened in Hailey’s cheeks. She felt totally unnerved at having Logan just walk into the bedroom where she and Haydn were lying completely naked beneath the bedcovers. It was even more disconcerting to have him just sit down and start talking. As if he found the two of them in bed together every morning.

  Perhaps he did? Oh, not her, but other women Haydn might have brought home with him the previous night?

  Haydn’s arms tightened about her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. “He’s deliberately being an arse.” He glared at his brother. “Go and wait in the sitting room, and we’ll join you when we’re both dressed.”

  Logan gazed at them from beneath lowered lids. “I might behave like an arse a lot of the time, but I’m really happy to see the two of you together at last.” He rose to his feet before either of them could comment. “I’ll go and put on a pot of coffee.”

  “Are we?” Haydn spoke softly once Logan had left the bedroom. “Together?” he explained when Hailey frowned.

  She pulled out of his arms and moved to sit on the side of the bed, wrapping the duvet about her nakedness. “My situation means I don’t have the luxury of being together with anyone.” She kept her face averted so that Haydn couldn’t see how much that knowledge devastated her.

  Making love with Haydn, spending the night in his bed, in his arms, had felt more real than anything else in her life had for the past eight years. She felt wanted here, cared for, protected. Safe.

  Desired and desirable.

  Hailey hadn’t dared to feel any of those things for such a long time. Because emotions forged invisible bonds, ties that would make it so much harder for her to move on when the time came.

  They might be invisible, but there were definitely ties to Haydn that had stopped her leaving London on Monday when she should have done.

  She glanced at Haydn when he made no reply. For a few seconds, he held her gaze, his expression one of disappointment, before he seemed to shake off that emotion to throw back the bedcovers and stand beside the bed. He appeared completely unabashed by his nakedness or his hard and aroused cock being fully on display.

  Hailey’s mouth went completely dry as she stared at him. He was so beautiful, all golden flesh, defined and hard chest, his legs long and muscular and dusted with that fine fair hair. There were golden curls at the base of his fully engorged eight-inch cock.

  A delicious-looking cock Hailey couldn’t stop staring at, making her regret that she hadn’t insisted on making love to him last night.

  But at least Logan’s presence meant she and Haydn hadn’t had to have the “what did last night mean to you” conversation this morning. Because Hailey knew she couldn’t answer that conversation honestly.

  Last night, being close to Haydn, meant everything to her.

  And he could never know that. She couldn’t allow him to know that.

  “Do you want to use the shower first?” The briskness of Haydn’s tone brought her gaze back to his face, his expression having become mocking as she continued to stare at him.

  Hailey quickly looked down at her own bare feet. “If that’s okay with you?”

  “It’s fine.” He shrugged. “I’ll go and talk to Logan.” He pulled on boxers over his nakedness before turning and striding from the bedroom.

  Hailey’s shoulders drooped the moment she was alone. She didn’t wanted to keep her distance from Haydn. But she had no choice, would never forgive herself if something were to happen to him because of the danger now stalking her life.

  She stiffened her spine. She had done the right thing. Was still doing the right thing. Would continue to do it.

  “Do I sense a little tension there, bro?” Logan prompted softly.

  Haydn turned to glare at him. “You came bursting uninvited into my apartment, into my bedroom, before eight o’clock in the morning, and refused to leave despite the fact Hailey was obviously naked in bed beside me. Instead, you sat on the end of the fucking bed and started talking, so yes, you probably sense a little tension there, bro.”

  “Tetchy.” Logan pulled a face at the aggression, his posture relaxed as he sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. “I’m guessing you didn’t get any this morning.”

  “I’m guessing from your laid-back attitude that you did.” Haydn took a sip of his unsweetened black coffee.

  Logan grinned. “In order to protect my wife’s modesty I couldn’t possibly confirm or deny that statement.”

  “I think your wrecked mattress says it all.” He moved to sit on the stool next to Logan’s. “So, what’s happened to bring you here this early in the morning?”

  All humor was instantly wiped from Logan’s expression. “Let me first reassure you that none of us intend to let anything happen to Hailey, okay? She’s one of us. More importantly, she now belongs to you—”

  “I don’t belong to anyone,” Hailey stated firmly as she strode into the kitchen after what had to have been the quickest shower on record.

  She was now wearing a dark blue sweater and fitted low-rider jeans. Her hair, obviously freshly washed, was pulled back in a severe ponytail, emphasizing the sharp angles of her cheeks and jawline.

  “What do you have to tell us, Logan?” she demanded as she poured herself a mug of black coffee.

  “You know, a little brotherly politeness might be nice,” he drawled.

  Her brows rose. “I don’t have a brother.”

  “Fair enough.” He grimaced. “But you do have a sister.”

  Hailey was instantly alert and totally focused on Logan. “Did Silva find her?” It was something she should have thought of earlier. If Ernesto had somehow managed to find her, despite being in Witness Protection, then logically, he might also have found Becca. “If he’s hurt so much as one hair on Becca’s head—”

  “He hasn’t,” Logan reassured. “But we thought you ought to know that Silva might be sniffing around your sister’s profile online. Lucan is keeping an eye on that situation, and he’ll step in if it looks as if Silva is getting anywhere close to her.”

  Hailey felt sick as her stomach seemed to turn a somersault inside her. “I didn’t tell Lucan her new identity.”

  “Oh, come on,” Logan chided. “Haydn’s scarily accurate programs might be able to probe deeper than any of us ever could, but none of us is completely helpless when it comes to doing searches for someone specific. Which we did last night while the two of you were busy fu—”

  “Logan!” Haydn growled.

  He gave an unconcerned shrug. “There are a limited number of women with a degree, aged twenty-three, and work
ing in the art department of one of the London museums.”

  Hailey had told them that. Eight years of holding Becca’s secrets tightly inside her, and now she had blown her sister’s cover wide open with just a few words to the members of the Steele family.

  Except she knew none of the Steele brothers would ever hurt Becca. The opposite, it seemed they had now extended their protection of her to include her sister too.

  “Besides,” Logan dismissed, “the two of you are facially very alike.”

  “You’ve seen her?”

  “A photo.” He nodded. “Lucan is the one who chose to protect her.”

  She released a shaky breath. “I don’t want Lucan to approach or talk to her.”

  Haydn gave her a pitying glance. “I think all of us know that Lucan will do whatever the hell he needs to do in order to keep your sister safe.”

  Her hands clenched, her expression pleading. “He can’t tell her I’m still alive.”

  “If Ernesto tries to get to her—”

  “If I leave London, he’ll follow me and stop this search for Becca,” she state firmly.

  “You don’t know that,” Haydn dismissed as he began to pace the confines of the kitchen.

  “It’s the only choice I have!”

  “No, it isn’t.” He ceased pacing to glare at her. “What you need to do is take back the life this bastard and his brother took away from you eight years ago.”

  She felt the shudder down the whole length of her spine. “I don’t ever want to be Cassandra Snow again.” Even the thought of once again being that pampered little rich girl, with very little knowledge of even those people closest to her, made her feel ill.

  “Then be whoever the hell you want to be,” Haydn dismissed. “But in order for you to have even the semblance of a normal life, Ernesto Silva needs to be gone.”

  Hailey wasn’t sure she knew what a normal life was anymore. What the Steele brothers had with their wives, she supposed.

  What she might possibly be able to have with Haydn if she stopped running long enough?

  Those were the sort of thoughts that could made her weak. A weakness that could make her careless, and one she couldn’t allow now she knew Ernesto was in England and looking for her. From the information they had, he was quite possibly looking for Becca too.

  Besides, what did Haydn mean when he said Ernesto needed to be “gone”? “I can’t say I would be heartbroken if Ernesto were to step out in front of and be mown down by a London double-decker bus, but I don’t want any of you to be responsible for killing him.”

  Logan snorted. “You think we can’t arrange it so that no one would ever need to know his death wasn’t accidental?”

  “I know you can.” She shivered. “I’m asking you not to.”

  Haydn’s eyes were narrowed. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want his death on your hands. Any of your hands.” Her frown was pained. “I’m not worth it.”

  “I disagree,” Haydn rasped.

  “I second that,” Logan assured. “Look, Hailey, you do realize it’s highly likely Silva’s intention is to kill you once he has his hands on you? In all probability, slowly rather than quickly?”

  “Logan!” Haydn scowled his displeasure with his brother’s bluntness.

  Logan shrugged. “The man has already broken the terms of his parole by leaving the US. I doubt he’s going to balk at taking out the woman he holds responsible for the death of his brother. I’m just telling it like it is,” he defended when Haydn gave a warning growl.

  “Then don’t.”

  “Why don’t you go and put some damned clothes on, so I don’t have to keep looking at your scrawny arse?” Logan scorned. “Then we can continue talking about this like three sensible adults?”

  “My arse isn’t scrawny,” Haydn drawled. “And I think the sensible adult part of that statement might be a little difficult for you this early in the morning.”

  “Ooh, listen to you,” Logan mocked. “That’s the last time I leave my beautiful wife alone in our bed in order to come here with the intention of helping you and your woman.”

  “I am not—”

  “Give it up, Hailey.” Logan eyed her mockingly. “The two of you were naked in bed together when I arrived. In my eyes, that makes you Haydn’s woman.”

  Her cheeks suddenly felt very hot. Nor was there any point in her denying the accusation. “Maybe try ringing a doorbell or something next time?”

  He waggled his eyebrows at her. “So there’s going to be a next time?”

  “Someone should have drowned you at birth,” Haydn muttered. “Or just kept sticky tape permanently over your mouth.”

  “Go and put some damned clothes on,” Logan reminded.

  “Try to behave yourself and not speak out of turn while I’m gone. What the hell am I saying? You always speak out of turn!” Haydn gave him another frustrated glare before turning on his heel and leaving the kitchen.

  Hailey’s gaze was drawn to watch the play of muscles down his back, taut—definitely not scrawny—glutes, and long legs. At that moment, she felt much like the moth mesmerized by the flame.

  Logan’s laughter drew her attention back to him. “It’s like watching two fish caught on the same hook trying to avoid each other as well as their destiny.”

  “The cooking pot?”

  He shook his head as he chuckled. “I’m taking dibs on being best man at the wedding when the time comes.”

  Her cheeks paled as quickly as they had flushed just minutes ago.

  No matter what Logan thought, or how she might wish it was possible, there couldn’t be a permanent future of any kind for herself and Haydn.

  Chapter Nine

  “I really don’t advise you do that,” Logan remarked conversationally as he stood to cross the room and pour himself a refill of the strong coffee.

  Hailey eyed him warily. “Do what?”

  Logan leaned back against one of the kitchen units to lift up his mug and take a sip of the strong brew before answering her. “Haydn would really lose his shit if you even attempt to leave here without telling any of us where you’re going.”

  She ceased her slow but steady inching toward the hallway and elevator. “Damn it, how did you…? Never mind.” As she had acknowledged to herself yesterday evening, she was as guilty as everyone else of underestimating Logan. “Look, surely you can see that my leaving, and taking Ernesto with me, is the only logical thing to do?”

  He grinned. “I think we both know that logic isn’t high on my list of character traits.” He sobered. “I’m also not sure Haydn would ever forgive me if I allowed you to leave and something happened to you.”

  “Of course he would. This…attraction to me is just an aberration on his part. Once I’ve gone— No?” she questioned at the firm shake of Logan’s head.

  “Rourke warned you last night about Haydn’s slow temper and how it’s fierce and destructive when it blows. What you should also know is that Haydn, once his emotions are engaged, is loyal to the core and protective as hell.” Logan straightened, his expression more serious than Hailey had ever seen it before. “He’s also my favorite big brother, and I’ll do anything I can to ensure his happiness,” he added huskily. “Do you want to know why?”

  She swallowed. “Would Haydn mind my knowing the reason?”

  “Probably,” he conceded ruefully. “But only because he’s such a self-effacing bastard."

  “Unlike you?” she teased.

  “Unlike me.” He nodded before his expression turned grim. “One winter, when Rourke and I were twelve and Haydn was thirteen, Rourke fell through the ice in the lake near the cottage where we were spending Christmas. Instead of rising to the surface again, Rourke just sank like a stone into the black water beneath. All the other brothers, including me, were so shocked, we were as frozen as that bloody ice.”

  “But not Haydn?” she guessed.

  “Not Haydn,” Logan confirmed. “He jumped straight in after Rourke,
diving to the bottom of the lake again and again until he found him and pulled him up through the hole in the surface.” His eyes were dark with the pain of that remembered nightmare when he look at Hailey. “Apparently, Rourke hit his head when he fell through the ice and knocked himself out, which was why he wasn’t able to help himself. For those long agonizing minutes while Haydn searched for him, I thought I’d lost them both.” The stark terror of those minutes was etched into Logan’s face as he relived that memory. “We almost did lose Haydn to pneumonia, but a couple of weeks in hospital and he was fully recovered, thank God.” He drew in a shaky breath. “Rourke and I might argue a lot of the time and seem totally unalike, but we’re identical twins and the two halves of a whole.” His jaw clenched. “I will forever be grateful to Haydn for bringing Rourke back to me.”

  “And you think by somehow keeping me here, it’s a way of giving him something back?”

  “I know it is.” Some of the tension eased from Logan’s shoulders, and he grinned. “He hasn’t so much as looked at another woman since you came to work for Steele Protectors.”

  Hailey felt herself blush. “I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.”

  “I don’t believe in coincidence, Hailey, and neither should you,” Logan drawled softly just as Haydn re-entered the room.

  His hair was still damp from his shower and he was wearing a black T-shirt that fitted tightly across his chest and arms, with fitted black jeans settled low on his hips. Heavy biker boots sounded on the marble-tiled floor.

  He pulled on his black leather jacket. “I’ve made arrangements to take Hailey to the family cottage in Scotland.”

  “What…?” Having been momentarily caught up in Logan’s gratitude toward Haydn for his twin’s life, Hailey now went on the defensive. “You might have tried asking me before you did that!”

  He gave a shake of his head. “I already knew what your answer would be, so instead of asking, I’m telling you. You’re going to Scotland until this situation is settled.”

  “What are you all going to be doing while I’m hiding in some cottage in Scotland?”