Special Delivery by April Wilson
Chapter 28 - Killian
Killian Devereaux
Hannah’s flying back to Colorado later this morning, and I heard she asked her brother Liam to drive her to the airport. Her brother, not me. I offered to take her. She said she’d let me know.
I feel this deep connection with Hannah. It’s something I can’t explain—it just is. When I look at her, it’s like the earth stands still, and I find myself utterly captivated by her. I think it’s her strength and resolve that I find so damn attractive. The woman can hold her own under any circumstance, and I find that a real turn-on. Where I come from, strong women are appreciated.
But unfortunately, the connection doesn’t go both ways, because she won’t give me a damn inch. It’s confusing as hell because I catch her watching me sometimes. Her gaze follows me across the room. I know she’s not oblivious to my existence, but for some reason, she keeps me at arm’s length.
Restless, I put on a pair of shorts and head down to the lower level to the fitness room. A workout might help me center myself. At the very least, it’ll help me burn off some of this pent-up energy.
It’s just past seven, and the house is still dark and quiet. I imagine everyone’s still sleeping. But as I approach the fitness center, I see a faint light shining through the viewing window. I suppose someone could be in there… or maybe someone left the light on last night. I walk up to the window to check, and to my surprise, I see Hannah sparring with her younger sister.
Lia and Hannah are a lot alike—both strong-willed and pig-headed. Both independent as hell. Jonah seems to have done a decent job reeling Lia in, but I’ve done nothing but crash and burn when it comes to getting Hannah’s attention.
I stand in the shadows and observe the two girls going at it. I suppose I shouldn’t be acting like a stalker, but the temptation of seeing Hannah in action—seeing what she’s physically capable of—is too much to resist.
I already know that Lia’s a beast in the ring. Whether it’s kickboxing, Aikido, or Krav Maga, she’s an outright terror. I’ve seen her knock guys twice her size on their asses. Lia may be petite, but she packs a powerful kick. It doesn’t take long for me to realize that the girls are pretty evenly matched. They’re going at each other pretty seriously, despite the sporadic laughter. Clearly, they’re having fun.
I’m sure Lia misses her big sister a lot. Hannah only comes back to Chicago a few times a year for short visits. They don’t get a lot of time together time.
They’re both wearing gloves, boy shorts, and sports bras. Both have braided hair, Lia’s blonde and Hannah’s brown. I watch Hannah try to fake a punch, followed by a kick, but Lia dodges the blow and pivots away. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Hannah knows what she’s doing in the ring—after all Liam is her brother, too. And Liam’s an international champ.
“What are you doing up?” Jonah Locke asks me as he comes to stand beside me.
“I could ask you the same thing. Isn’t this your honeymoon?”
He laughs. “Don’t worry. There was plenty of honeymooning going on last night. But Lia got a text message this morning from Hannah and decided to come down here and check on her sister.”
Keeping out of sight, we watch the two girls go at it. I wince when Lia manages to get in a solid kick. “Damn.”
“Yeah, they train hard. It takes some getting used to. But it’s a good thing Hannah knows how to take care of herself. I hear the town she lives in is a bit rough—a real wild, wild west.”
I nod. It’s reassuring that Hannah can take care of herself. Still, I’ll worry about her. From what I hear, she spends most of her time out in the wilderness, tracking everything from bears to wolves to mountain lions. After finishing her university degree, she now works for a nonprofit wildlife preservation organization. Their mission is to stop illegal trapping and poaching. Damn. That could turn sketchy real fast. And Hannah’s out there in the forefront, chasing poachers who are probably armed.
She’s bad-ass, and that’s probably why I’m so damned attracted to her. She’s a spitfire. A wildcat. And right now, watching her spar on the mat, my pulse pounds, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Congratulations on your marriage,” I tell Jonah, trying to distract myself from watching Hannah.
He nods, fighting a grin. “Thanks.” Then he yawns. “I’m heading back to bed. I just came down here to make sure everything was okay. Looks like it is.”
As Jonah heads back upstairs, I stay a little while longer. This is probably the last time I’ll see Hannah for a long time.
Maybe forever.
The thought sinks in my gut like a stone.
