Bailey didn’t know what was going on, why was her brother home? Why were all those men down stairs?
She felt strong arms wrap around her waist, hot breath next to her neck, lips feathering over her neck and then a soft kiss.
“What’s on your mind?” Cody nuzzled her neck and pulled her body up against his.
“What do you mean?” Bailey asked as she laid her head against his chest.
“You’ve been staring at your clothes for the past five minutes.” Cody moved his hands down to her hips and eased his hands under her shirt.
She has? She hadn’t realized.
“Sorry,” she softly said.
“No need to be sorry, I was just curious.” Cody eased his hands higher, running his fingers along the curves of her breasts.
“I still want you,” Bailey whispered as she started to ease her shirt off.
“I still want you as well but we can’t Bailey.” He sadly whispered as he eased his hands lower and settled them on her waist.
Bailey took off her shirt anyways and the boxers she was wearing. She turned around and put her hands on his bare chest and looked up, meeting his light blue eyes she asked, “Why not?”
“One being your brother is down stairs, second we need to figure out what to do next now that he’s here.” Cody glided his finger along her jaw and cupped her face with both his hands, brushing his lips against her mouth her whispered, “We can make love as soon as they leave.”
Well at least they were going to have sex again, Bailey thought. That had to count for something right? She was now eager for her brother and everybody to leave.
“Fine,” she shyly smiled, she stepped away from him and started walking out of the closet, strutting her stuff, giving her hips an extra sway as she walked to bathroom and gave him a come hither glance right before she closed the door.
Cody stood there in disbelief; she was down right teasing him. He loved it though, the way her hips swayed, he wanted to chase after her and take a shower with her but he couldn’t, it would only end up with them fucking in the shower.
He needed to keep his distance till the rest left, it was the only way or he’d jump her every chance he got.
Cody pushed those thoughts away as he got dressed; he slipped on a pair of jeans and a black shirt. After putting on his shoes he slipped his Beretta into his jeans, resting it against his lower back and turned to walk out of the closet, only he stopped.
There was a naked Bailey standing in front of him. Some of her hair clung to her jaw, her skin looked so smooth and she smelt like cherry blossoms.
“Already dressed?” she smirked as she looked him over.
Cody narrowed his eyes on her as she continued to walk past him and started to look her clothes over.
She knew exactly what she was doing, what did she think she was going to get out of this? Just because he said they couldn’t have sex she was going to tease him?
“You don’t know what your tempting, Bailey.”
“I have no idea what talking about,” she turned around and gave him an innocent look.
Cody grunted, “Watch it.” That look didn’t work on him, it wouldn’t he told himself.
He averted his gaze and decided to look at her delectable breasts. The pump swells were indeed flushed, her nipples taut. She did want him, it showed but he couldn’t.
He moved his gaze back up to her heavy lidded ones and cleared his throat. “Hurry up and get dressed, the faster we get rid of them the fast I can have you again.”
Man did he want her again, his eyes roamed all over her body one more time before leaving the room, he couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her, not when she was naked and so eager for him.
When Cody went down stairs his living room and kitchen were transformed not a surprise to him. This was the usual when they were on a mission. He looked around for Blake as he passed the living room and strode into the kitchen.
He stopped as he saw him on his deck; damn he was having that heated conversation. He was getting his ass chewed out, Blake was going to give it to them to, and he wasn’t going to get blamed for the outcome of the mission when it wasn’t completely his fault.
He heard soft whispers behind him in the other room; he turned to see why his team got quit all of a sudden.
Bailey walked into the kitchen swaying her hips, figures. This was the Bailey who made you want to do dirty things to, the one who made you want to act out all the fantasies you’ve ever had.
She looked damn sexy, her red corset did wonders for her slim figure, the top curves of her breasts swayed a bit with each step she took and her jean clad legs, he didn’t know what to say about those.
Cody didn’t like the fact that everyone was practically drooling over her right now. He wanted to growl at them, no body was aloud to look at her that way, Bailey was his and no other man was going to look at her.
His team looked at him just in time to see him give them all a look that he rarely used. Noah rolled his eyes and went back into the living room, Whitman smirked and followed behind Noah, and Matthew regarded him with a curious look and then followed behind Whitman.
Alecxander Richmond kept his stare and returned it with a stare of his own. He needed to get over Bailey; Bailey was his and always will be his. What the hell, where was this coming from? He was never the possessive type, never till Bailey.
She came into his view blocking his gaze towards Richmond and smiled as she looked up at him. She wanted to touch him, he could see it, he saw her arm move, she was about to place her hand on his chest and stopped in mid air.
“Kept your hands to yourself Bailey, he has cooties.”
Cooties? What was she seven? Bailey turned to see her brother regarding her with narrowed eyes, narrowed yet curious as he looked at her hand just inches away from Cody’s chest.
“When are you leaving?” she asked annoyed, she regretted it as soon as it slipped out.
“Living worry free, aren’t you? What are you going to do when you get bored or those people find out that you’re over here?” Blake questioned her with that firm voice she didn’t like, not at the moment anyways. “Have you forgotten that somebody wants you dead?”
Bailey lowered her hand and frowned, “No,” she sadly said.
“Blake leave it alone. Do you want her cowering away, hiding and scared?” Cody questioned him; Blake regarded him with a mean stare. Cody ignored it and pulled Bailey in an embrace.
“We need to talk, now.” Blake ordered.
Cody watched Blake strode out of the kitchen, he sighed as he let go of Bailey and followed him up stairs.
He was going to get his ass chewed out. He knew it and he honesty didn’t want to hear it right now.
Cody closed his bedroom door behind him and watched as Blake paced back and forth.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Blake turned and stared him down.
“What are you referring to exactly?”
“Don’t fucking play dumb, not when it comes to my baby sister.” Blake said angrily, he once again started pacing.
“I honestly don’t know,” Cody sighed as he leaned again the wall.
“Why are you sleeping with her then?”
“I can’t ignore the sexual tension; she’s the one who wanted it.” Cody cleared his throat, “I still love her but I’m afraid of being with her,” he admitted.
“You don’t know how messed up you left her,” How could he be doing this to Bailey?
“I know deep down she still loves you, why do you think it didn’t work out with Richmond? She couldn’t get passed you and I don’t think she ever will. If you’re not going to be with her then leave her be, she doesn’t need that heart ache again, it will hurt even more now, she’s not some teenage girl anymore, she’s a grown woman.”
Leave Bailey alone? He’s left her alone for the past six years; he’s kept track of her even with her relationship with Richmond. That whole time they were together he suffered; he couldn’t believe Bailey would be with that kind of man. He was relieved though when he found out they were no longer together because of what she wanted; it was so like Bailey to choose the Army over anything.
He wanted Bailey like no other and it was always going to be Bailey for him.
“I want her but I’m afraid she’s going to remember that day,” he told Blake; he didn’t need to say which day because Blake knew.
“Then be with her, don’t hurt her again. If she does remember I honestly don’t think she’ll care, she didn’t care before she lost her memory.” Blake pointed out as he sat down at the edge of the bed.
Be with Bailey? Just like that? Blake said she still loved him, could she really? Even now with her memories gone? All Cody knew was she did feel something for him, but was he lucky enough that it was love or was this all lust for her?
“Why are you hiding things from her?” Cody asked then.
“I’m hiding things for her sake, she doesn’t know about all the things that made her upset in her old life and I’m not going to bring it upon this one.”
Blake had a point, but what could be so upsetting that he would hide it from his sister, a sister he did anything for, he babied her so god’s sake.
They both looked to the door as they heard the knock, no doubt it was Bailey.
Blake got up and strode over to the door, “Remember what I said.” Blake opened the door and looked his sister over and gave her a small smile before pulling her into a tight embrace.
“I’m so glad you’re alive,” he whispered. “I love the new hair by the way, it looks lovely.”
Bailey smiled shyly as he brother let go of her, she watched him descend the stairs and then turned her attention to Cody.
“What was that about?” She asked.
“Nothing,” he causally said. “Let’s go down stairs, I think Blake has a plan.”
He walked over to her and closed the door behind him and guided her back down the stairs.
Bailey wondered what the hushed conversation her brother had with Cody was about. What couldn’t they discuss in front of her?
Cody led them into the living room, never releasing his hold on her waist. Everybody looked at them with curious faces as he sat Bailey down on the couch. He wished they would stop looking, he could tell it was just making Bailey nervous.
He turned his attention to Blake as he walked in with Jeremy? What was Jeremy Fallen doing here?
“Ok, listen up. We have Fallen’s team with us on this, extra protection for Bailey but in four days it’s just going to be just us so we have to move on this quick and get rid of the enemy, do you understand?” Blake told them all as he looked around the room at his men.
“What’s it going to cost us to have Fallen helping us?” Richmond questioned him as he glowered at Fallen.
Fallen grunted at that, “Nothing I owe Blake a favor and I’d do anything to keep Bailey safe, whether you and I have a good relationship or not Blake and I do and I’m starting to wonder if you forgot who Bailey was with after she was done with you.”
Fuck he shouldn’t have said that, Cody looked at Alecxander and saw his jaw lock and his eyes go cold.
“Regardless of that we’re here to protect Bailey. We’ve come up with a plan.” Blake looked over at him, fuck he wasn’t going to like this, not with the look Blake was giving him.
“Bailey you’re going back to work starting tomorrow night.”
Bailey was with this Fallen guy to? How many of her brother’s friends did she date? She suddenly felt like a slut.
“Bailey!”
She head snapped to her brother, what had he said? “What?” she asked.
“You’re working the club tomorrow night,” he roughly said as he looked at her.
Cody watched Bailey pale. “Blake are you sure there’s not another way?” He didn’t like this idea either, that made Bailey an easy target.
“No, she’ll work then they’ll probably follow her home, Howards won’t make it obvious. We’ll wait for them at the house.”
“House? Them?” Bailey asked as she sat at the edge of her seat, she didn’t like this idea one bit.
Cody didn’t know what he meant either he was a ways from the club which meant they were going back to Bailey house.
“Blake we don’t have cameras around the house and the perimeter isn’t that big,” Cody pointed out. He moved his hand onto Bailey’s shoulder and started to massage her, she was tense and she didn’t need that.
“Blake’s right,” Bailey whispered.
Everybody turned to look at her; they really needed to stop doing that. They seemed so shocked that she would agree.
“When are we leaving?” She ignored them and asked Blake.
“We’re leaving at nightfall.”
There was pride in him as he regarded her; at least someone didn’t think she was completely helpless.
“I guess I should go pack and get ready,” she sighed as she got up and walked in Blake’s direction.
She almost forgot, “Blake what happened to my CBR?” she held her breath after that, she was afraid to know the answer.
“They came back for it, I’m sorry. I’ll get you another bike.”
That hurt just a bit, that bike meant a lot to her but only because Blake bought it for her.
“No its fine.” She sadly sighed and continued walking.
“Bay wait,” Cody tugged on her hand.
Bailey didn’t bother looking at him, “I’d like to be alone until we leave.” She slipped her hand away and ran up the stairs.
Cody couldn’t do anything but watch her leave, he turned to look at Blake who was looking at Bailey run up the stairs as well only he looked thoughtful.
“If I know my sister, she’s up there planning something.”
“That’s the old Bailey.” Cody pointed out. “I don’t think the one up stairs is planning anything, if anything she’s trying not to have a panic attack. I don’t know why you couldn’t leave her out of this, we’ve gone in and taking down the enemy I don’t see why you couldn’t do that this time.”
“Because he wants her, we have to lore him out, have your forgotten he’s a trained killer, I don’t think anybody else has even thought that the attack was planned. Hell he knows how to get rid of a body and erasing people’s life like they never existed, I’m letting him come to her and then I’m going to kill that bastard.”
“Not if I kill him first,” Cody growled.
Cody was going to be the one to kill him, it had to be him or he wouldn’t get over the fact that he wasn’t the one to get revenge for Bailey. Joseph Howards was going to die by his hands and his hands alone.
Bailey was able to drive by her self on her way home, her brother gave her a black truck to use, it looked similar to Cody’s but it was much smaller, Cody’s was huge.
She wasn’t supposed to make a detour but she was and knew it was safe because she knew her brother was behind her as was Cody.
She went inside and immediately felt the uneasiness. They were probably waiting and coming to the club every night, waiting for her to make an appearance. She ignored the feeling and went upstairs to the main office.
She had a few words with her boss letting him know where and why she hasn’t been to work and that she would be in tomorrow.
After exciting the club she got in the truck and started driving home. She looked at the vibrating phone on the passenger’s seat and ignored it, she knew it was Blake.
Bailey had an idea of who was after her even though Blake and Cody weren’t saying anything. She had a feeling it was the men who raped her when she was deployed. She came to the conclusion two days ago that her nightmare was not just a nightmare, it was real.
And Bailey knew exactly who was after her, she just didn’t know what their motives were yet, so they raped her but why were they trying to kill her, she hadn’t gotten that far.
She felt like a new person for the past six hours, she’s came up with a plan and thought out all the possibilities that could happen and all the outcomes that could happen but all of them ended up being safe and in Cody’s arms once again.
Would that happen? Probably not since the Lieutenant was a trained killer just as she once was. In the end if it came down to it would she be able to kill him?
She was sure she killed before probably multiple times, what would one more kill do to her?
Bailey pulled into the drive way and got out, she didn’t sense the uneasiness and no one followed her home, well not that she saw.
After entering the house she felt a wave of safeness run through her body. Funny that she would feel safe at her own house, she thought that she would only feel that at Cody’s.
She went into the kitchen and saw two dark figures running along the edge of her backyard.
Cody and Blake slipped in through the sliding glass door, both of them pissed as Blake closed the door behind them.
Both of them looked at her with dead angry stares. Ok, so she didn’t follow directions, it wasn’t that much of a big deal.
“We didn’t discuss a detour.” Blake said in a cold voice.
Bailey ignored that and rolled her eyes, “And? What are you going to do about it?”
She turned her back to them as she looked in the cabinets for her Folgers coffee container. She had made an agenda for when she got home and she was going to need coffee to stay up.
Bailey started her coffee and turned around to face them and held her ground. She was going to do this her way and they weren’t going to get in the way of it. Her first place she was going was the attic.
She remembered Blake saying all her old stuff was in there, all the stuff she had as a child. That was the first place she was going to look at. She was remembering some things and she wasn’t going to tell anybody that.
Bailey excused her self after she grabbed a cup of coffee and headed up the stairs.
Cody and Blake stared in the same direction Bailey left in. “That was the old Bailey.” Cody murmured.
“Watch her; don’t take your eyes off her. I told you she was planning something.” Blake opened the sliding glass door and disappeared once again.
Cody didn’t know what to do with her that sure as hell was the old Bailey, the eye roll and attitude is what gave her away.
He shouldn’t keep an eye on her; he wanted to distance himself just in case he triggered a memory, if she didn’t already remember. No matter what, it was already going to be too late it was just a matter of time.
He went up stairs and wondered where she went off too, there were only four bedrooms. He picked one and opened the door and swallowed deep, this was Bailey’s room.
The only thing that gave it away was the stripper pole. It was clearly an adult room nothing childish at all and he didn’t know why he expected something like that.
He shouldn’t be in here, it was invasion of privacy still he walked into her room, the curious side of him got the better of him.
He closed the door behind him and strode over to her to a small book shelf and looked at the pictures she had sitting there. A feeling of guilt ran through him, he shouldn’t be in here.
He sighed and retreated, he quietly closed the door behind in just in time to see another door close down the hall.
He didn’t remember what was through that door. Cody quietly walked down the hall and quietly opened the door Bailey went through.
It was another stair case, it was the attic she was in, what was she doing up there?
Bailey set her coffee cup down on a really dusted table and started looking at all the boxes that were pilled up.
When was the last time someone was up here? Probably months ago when her parents were alive or when Blake put their parents things up here.
She sighed as she began biting her lip, where would she look first? They’re where three boxes marked with her name but which one had what she needed?
She walked over and grabbed the first box and opened it up. The first thing she pulled out was a picture of her and Blake in their uniform; she looked younger, maybe nineteen. She looked strong and proud as she stood next to Blake.
She put it down and moved things around in the box and realized this wasn’t the box she needed.
She closed it back up and put it aside and got up and grabbed another. She opened it up and found what she was looking for.
The first thing she saw was a high school year book, she had three of them as well and not a fourth like Cody. She wondered why? She thought hard about it and came up with her not having one because maybe that was the year Cody wasn’t in high school, maybe that was the year he graduated and that’s why she only had three. She had one for freshman year and sophomore and senior year but not her junior year, why wouldn’t she have that one? It didn’t make sense.
She put her year books aside and continued to look in the box. She had tons of things in here and she had no idea of why she would have saved those things. She got to the very bottom and found another year book along with scattered photos. So this was the missing year book, why was it covered with everything else?
She picked it up and read the front ‘DO NOT EVER OPEN’ was wrote on the cover in dark black marker. Why would she put that? She was kind of afraid to look inside, she had no idea why though, it was just a book filled with pictures.
She laid it down aside her, keeping it close just in case she decided to open it. She fixed the pictures up and picked them up and started flipping through them, it was just pictures of friends and her.
She continued to flip through them and stopped when she came to a picture of Blake and her. Holy fucking shit, she was pregnant! What? How had she gotten pregnant at such a young age? Cody came to her mind, is that why they broke up? He left her?
If she was pregnant then where was the baby? Heat boiled in her, she was so damn pissed, how could her brother hide this from her? How could Cody hide this from her?
She flipped to the next photo and it was just her by her self, in the same bathing suit she saw in Cody’s picture only she was laying out in the sun next to a pool, and her stomach was huge.
She flipped through the pictures so fast they started falling out of her hands. They’re so many pictures of her pregnant and then the rest were just her and Cody together.
She gathered the pictures up and ran down the stairs and nearly tripped when she opened the door.
She held it in as she stocked down the stairs and saw Cody looking at her with a curious look, and his eyes narrowed on the photos she had in her hand.
“Where is he?” Demanded Bailey, she tried so hard not to smash the pictures in her hand but the anger was only getting worse by the second.
“Where’s who Bailey?” Cody got up and started walking towards Bailey; he’s never seen her so damn pissed before.
“Get the fuck away from me and get Blake’s ass in here right now?”
Cody hesitated and then pulled out his cell phone and demanded Blake to get his ass in the house.
Cody stared at her, he didn’t know what to do, how to calm her because he didn’t know what was wrong. Her jaw was locked, probably digging her molars into her other ones as her nostrils flared with anger, she was trying to keep calm but she couldn’t.
Cody saw Blake coming in from the corner of his eye and saw him keep his eyes on Bailey. Did he know why she was mad?
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she said angrily.
“I don’t know what you’re taking about.” Blake kept his face cool.
“What is she talking about Blake?” Cody looked between Bailey and Blake.
“Don’t fucking play stupid?” she yelled, her nostrils flaring as she breathed heavily.
“Watch your mouth Bailey, calm down.” Blake sighed.
“Watch your mouth Bailey, calm down.” She mocked.
Bailey pointed her finger at him and yelled, “Don’t tell me to fucking calm down, you fucking didn’t tell me about this?” She threw the pictures at him and watched them fall on the ground.
Cody didn’t know what her deal was or why the pictures had anything to do with it. But he bent down and grabbed one before Blake pushed him aside.
“What the fuck.” Cody growled as he balanced himself.
“Are you going to fucking tell me or not!” Bailey yelled as her eyes began to burn.
“You want the truth? You want to know why I hid it from you.” Blake yelled back at her.
“I’ll tell you what happened and why I kept the past from you.” Blake pointed at Cody, “Cody fucking knocked you up when you were seventeen, it was probably the day he dumped your ass and left you to go to boot camp. You told mom and we moved two hours away, you decided that you weren’t going to tell him because you were going to give them up for adoption. You knew you couldn’t handle it and take care of them and you wanted better for them so after having them you gave them up.”
Blake continued to yell at her, “That guilt ate you up like you wouldn’t believe; you were upset for months till you finally started being happy again. What also ate you up was him, because he broke up with you and you had no idea why. So losing the boyfriend you loved and then giving those babies up really messed you up. I seriously thought you were going to hurt yourself but then you started getting better and then you were the Bailey I always knew. You graduated high school and then mom, dad and you moved back to this house and then you joined the Army to keep your mind clear, deep down I knew what happened as a teenage still bothered you and that’s why you joined. Should I fucking tell you more about what ate you up?”
Bailey stood there shocked and sobbing; she looked at Cody and saw he was just as shocked.
“What did I have?” Bailey managed to whisper.
Blake face softened just the slightest bit, “You had the two most beautiful baby girls I’ve ever seen. They were identical Bailey.”
Two identical baby girls and Bailey gave them up, she couldn’t believe it. “Where are they now?” she murmured.
Blake knew exactly where they were at the moment. “Their still in the Foster Care system,” he sadly said.
Foster Care? They never got adopted? Those made Bailey cry even more. She felt horrible, why didn’t she ever adopt them? Because she joined the Army that’s why.
“I can’t believe you hid this from me,” she sobbed as she began to retreat up the stairs.
“It was for your own good.” Blake sighed as he stared at her for a moment more and then started walking back towards the kitchen and out the back door.
Bailey looked down at Cody for a moment and saw the hurt in his eyes as well as the hurt on his features, he made a move towards her, that’s when Bailey decided to bolt up the rest of the stairs and slam her bedroom door.
Cody couldn’t sleep, not with all the crying Bailey was doing in the room next to him. He couldn’t believe he got her pregnant and then left for boot camp, he wished he knew, he would have taken care of her and the girls. He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she had two identical girls. He wondered who they looked like, what features they had that were his and what they had that were Bailey’s.
He heard her cry hitch and couldn’t take it anymore, he got up headed towards her room.
Cody hesitated for a second before quietly opening her door and closing it behind him, all he heard were her soft cries as he moved closer to the bed.
“Go away,” she cried.
“I can’t Bailey,” he softly whispered as he approached closer.
Cody moved the covers and slipped under them and laid down on the bed, he wanted to pull her to his chest and would have except she got up and walked towards her bathroom.
Cody heard her blowing her nose and then seen her walk out of bathroom and back towards the bed. She looked at him with such a sad expression, her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying and still as he looked at her he could see the tears that were on the brink of falling.
Bailey’s lips began to tremble once more as she decided to get in bed with him. She cuddled up to Cody, laying her head against his chest as he held her tight to his body.
She had so many questions and the first one had to do with him. “Why did you leave me?” she murmured.
Cody gave her a squeeze as sighed, “I left because I thought you deserved better, I didn’t want you to have that military life.”
That made sense but she joined it after she graduated. “Is that the only reason why you left me?”
“Yes, god Bailey I didn’t know you got pregnant, I would have taken care of you and the babies. After leaving you I realized what a mistake I made. After boot camp I came back to see you and would have begged you to take me back but you were no where to be found, I even wrote you when I was in boot camp, I never got anything back from you.”
“I never received any letters,” she murmured, Blake probably kept those from her to.
“It doesn’t matter now, it’s the past and there’s only now and the future.” His gently told her, he started running a hand up and down her arm. She seemed to be settling down as he stroked her.
“Did you love me?” Bailey held her breath after she asked, she wanted to know, had to know if he loved her and was afraid she wasn’t going to hear the answer she wanted to hear.
“I loved you like you wouldn’t believe,” Cody kissed her hair and told her, “I still love you Bailey just more then what I did when I was a teenage boy.”
She wanted to hear that he still loved her and she did. After all this time he still loved her.
Bailey felt the same way, she couldn’t believe it either she’s only known him a few days. Maybe she always felt that way and didn’t realize it, could she have loved him just as long as he had loved her?
“I love you to,” Bailey whispered.
“Never thought I’d ever here those words.” He softly laughed.
“I want them back Cody,” she softly cried as she sat up and looked down at him.
“We’ll get them back. After all this is settled we’ll adopt them Bailey.” Cody wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks and cupped her face. He easily sat up and gently kissed her.
“I promise Bailey.”