Page 52 of Seaside Strangers
He would rather have made the trip with a few of his own men, but Hernandez had insisted on sending those two to ensure there were no further screwups. Leo didn’t like it, but he understood the message.
Do it right this time.
And he would.
Because once he found the girl, he was ending this mess—for good.
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Moriah woke in KC’s arms, his warmth wrapped around her like a shield. A glance at the bedside clock told her it was a little after eight. She shifted carefully, enough to study his face without disturbing him.
The hazel eyes she’d come to love were hidden behind closed lids, his long dark lashes resting against his cheeks. A lock of brown hair had fallen across his brow, and she resisted the urge to brush it back, afraid even that small touch might wake him. His hair was longer now than when they’d first met.
Had it really only been a little over a week?
It felt impossible. Too much had changed. Too much had happened.
And yet, lying there with him, she felt something she’d never known before. Not just desire, though that was there, steady and undeniable, but something deeper. Confidence. Trust. A connection to him that felt solid and unshakable.
More than anything, she felt safe.
No matter what came next, she believed he would stand beside her. That certainty settled quietly inside her, stronger than the fear that had followed her for days.
“I love you,” she whispered, her hand resting lightly against his chest.
She startled when his eyes opened immediately, as if he’d been closer to awake than she’d realized. “I love you, too, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep.
Emotion caught in her throat as she searched his gaze. There was no hesitation, no doubt. Only truth.
She didn’t need anything else.
Closing the distance between them, she kissed him, letting everything she couldn’t put into words pass through that simple touch. He answered in kind, drawing her closer, and for a while, everything else disappeared. The danger, the uncertainty—all of it slipped away as she focused only on him and the steady comfort he offered.
Time passed before they finally pulled themselves from the bed. Later, standing under the shower spray, she found herself laughing softly, the earlier tension gone. At first, she’d blushed when he stepped into the tub behind her, unusedto sharing something so personal, but that uncertainty hadn’t lasted long.
Surrounded by steam, she leaned into him easily, the closeness no longer unfamiliar but something she welcomed. His hands moved over her in slow, unhurried passes, drawing her attention away from everything else.
When they finally stepped out, the mirror was fogged, the room still heavy with heat. As they dried off, she caught sight of red scratch marks across his back—evidence of how tightly she’d held onto him during their passionate lovemaking.
Concern flickered for a moment, and she reached out, her fingers hovering. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
He glanced over his shoulder, a hint of a smile in his expression. “Don’t be.”
Something in his tone eased the last of her worry, leaving behind a quiet calm she couldn’t quite put into words.
As they walked hand in hand into the living room, Moriah spotted Sean at the table, a mug of coffee in one hand and his attention fixed on the computer in front of him. He glanced up as they entered.
“Uncle Dan’s on his way with breakfast,” hesaid. “He got someone to cover the store and already spoke to Sheriff Griffin and brought him up to speed. Griffin’s putting his deputies on alert—watching for Illinois plates and anyone who doesn’t belong. He’s also adding an extra patrol in Whisper and said to call if we need anything.”
Moriah absorbed that, her gaze drifting toward the window. She’d only been in Whisper a short time, but it didn’t take long to see how closely people looked out for one another. A place like this didn’t miss much. If the sheriff was taking things seriously, it meant the danger she’d brought with her wasn’t as far behind as she’d hoped.
Brian headed toward his assigned unmarked car, a black duffel bag slung in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. After Sean had filled him in on the latest from the DEA regarding Moriah’s family, Brian had gone into headquarters early and sat down with his supervisors. With confirmation that Moriah wasn’t a suspect—and that there were compromised officers in the Chicago PD—Assistant Director Johanssen and Special Agent in Charge Culpepper agreed her location needed to stay off theradar. For now, they would follow the DEA’s lead and keep things quiet.
That didn’t mean everything else stopped.
He still had his own cases to manage, leads that couldn’t wait simply because something bigger had landed in his lap. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he set his coffee in the holder, started the engine, and eased out of the lot, his thoughts circling back to the past two days.
KC had stepped into something complicated. They all had their share of trouble over the years, but this one carried more weight than most. And like it or not, it centered on a woman.
That in itself wasn’t unusual. The Malone brothers had never lacked for female attention. Between their looks and their builds, dating had always come easy. What hadn’t come easily were the kinds of relationships that stuck. None of them had gone looking for anything serious.
