Before Sunrise (72 page)

The press hurled questions at her, but she
immediately rose and walked Mackenzie away from the microphone. The
camera swiveled to focus on Milton and Stephen, who began to
address each and every question. All of it became a blur through
her tears. Her mother was the first to pull her into her arms and
Kennedy cried against her shoulder.

“
You did great,
sweetheart.”

“
I hope it works,
mama.”

“
It will.”

***

Three weeks later

Kennedy lay in bed. She didn’t sleep long.
All she had were brief naps in between nightmares. Dr. Abrams had
been kind enough to prescribe something but she couldn’t take it.
It was déjà-vu all over again. Her daughter needed her and she had
to pretend to be whole. After the press conference, the White House
issued a statement that Liam was indeed in contact with his family
and not being detained against his will. The press secretary went
on to say he appreciated Liam’s family’s concern and would indeed
see to the reunion so devotedly requested by his wife. However,
there was no word from Liam. Just a strong message to her attorneys
indicating they should not have another press conference or engage
the media in any way. Stephen and Milton told her they could do no
more unless she wanted to drop the word ‘Scorpion.’ Again trusting
her instincts, Kennedy chose not to. Eric never called, never
contacted her in any way.

Anthony returned home for the birth of his
sons. Kennedy couldn’t bring herself to question him. When she saw
him at the hospital he only said not to worry. That Liam would be
home soon. And she believed him. She had to keep the faith.

The plan to get Liam’s story before the
world worked. Milton and Stephen said that the pundits would spin
the story to another stratosphere and that’s exactly what they did.
Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, all of them gave daily reports on the
conspiracy to keep Liam Flanagan from his family. Some outlets
claimed Liam was an enemy of the state, that he was currently
detained because those five years away from home had compromised
him. Everything from the Patriot Act to the war in Iraq was
scrutinized. And soon the story became less about Liam and more
about why Liam’s unit had been on that mountain. Difficult
questions were asked of the White House and had begun to be
whispered on the floor of Congress.

And all the while Kennedy waited.

She turned over on her pillow. Maybe she
should take the anti-depressants? In the past, they made her go
numb. She vowed all those years ago she’d never medicate again. But
she needed something. Anything. She smiled sadly, thinking how
determined Liam had been to make her Christmas special. With help
from her parents and sister, she was able to move in and decorate
their new home. Mackenzie had her room just as it was at
Phil’s.

Rising topless, she slipped her arms through
the long silk sleeves of her robe and crept out of her room into
Mackenzie’s. She found her daughter asleep, with the puppy she’d
named Dog. They agreed they would give the puppy a more appropriate
name when Liam returned. Reassured by her daughter’s peaceful
sleep, she closed the door and ventured down the stairs. She needed
a glass of wine. A glass or two a day calmed her nerves. She
reasoned it wouldn’t be a problem. It was a better solution for her
than anti-depressants.

As she crossed the living room for the
kitchen, two bright beams of light swept through the living room.
Kennedy froze. The first year of their marriage, Liam had taught
her how to handle a weapon. She was never afraid of guns after he
showed her how to load and fire one. However, she kept her gun
locked securely away from her daughter. She considered going to her
room and retrieving it. Eric’s warning remained in the back of her
head. The sound of car doors opening and closing overwhelmed her
with curiosity. She went to the picture window and peered out
through a separation in the blinds.

Liam, in his full dress uniform, limped
toward the door with the aid of what looked like a shiny new cane.
Eric walked at his side. The elation that swept through Kennedy had
her grinning madly. She raced to the door and ran out over her
frozen lawn, barefoot, in nothing but her silk robe and panties. He
caught her with one arm as she buried her face against his chest
praying. “Thank you God! Oh God, thank you!” she cried.

She lifted her face and raised her arms to
wrap them tightly around his neck. Liam chuckled deep in his
throat, and let go his cane to capture her face in his palms. He
kissed her hard and fast. She barely caught her breath, but clung
to him desperately for more.

The kiss ended prematurely, but Liam
peppered her face and kissed away her tears on her cheeks. All the
while he hugged her tight to him. “I have missed you, babe.”

“
I can’t believe this. I
prayed so hard. You’re here! They let you go? Oh thank you
God!”

“
Folks it’s cold out here.
You feel like going inside?” Eric joked.

Kennedy took notice of him. She let go of
her husband and threw her arms around Eric hard, forcing him back
on the lawn. “Thank you, Eric. Thank you so much. You did it. I
know it was you.” She returned to Liam’s side and walked with him
into the house. She had a million questions. But first she had to
look at him longer. See for her self that he was okay. “They
released you?”

“
It’s over. Consider me
discharged.”

“
Really? Really?” She looked
over at Eric.

“
He’s all yours. Liam will
sign up for treatment with Abrams. It’ll be outpatient treatment.
Going to miss you like hell, brother.” Eric said.

“
I’m always here.” Liam
extended his hand to Eric.

Kennedy watched the men embrace. Eric winked
at her and walked out. She stood there staring at Liam in
disbelief. He needed a shave. His hair had grown a bit, but he
looked fit. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to see. “What
happened Liam? What did they do to you?”

“
There are things that we
can’t talk about, Kay. I just don’t want you dragged into it any
further than you have been. I saw your press conference.” A smile
lifted the corner of his mouth. “I’ve never been so proud of you,
babe.”

“
I did it for
you.”

“
You did it for us, for our
family, and it worked. You set me free, Kay. You saved my
life.”

“
I did?”

Liam cupped the side of her face. “I have
never loved or needed you more. Thank you, Kay, for not giving up
on me.”

Kennedy pressed her lips together and nodded
as tears fell from her lashes. He glanced around at the
furnishings, then to the stairs. “I want to see my baby girl. I
want to hold you and sleep in our bed. Think we can manage
that?”

“
Are you okay?
Physically?”

Liam smirked. “I’ll prove it tonight.”

“
I was so worried about you.
They said you were sick.” She hugged him again.

“
I was, but I’m
better.”

Kennedy eased her arm around his waist and
walked with him toward the stairs. He tossed his cane and leaned on
her for support. That was new, his willingness to lean on her for
support. She didn’t say anything, was just grateful for the chance
to take care of him. In the back of her mind she wanted answers.
Where was he all this time? What did they do to him? But she knew
those were answers she’d never have. Liam’s life as a SEAL was
over. She would focus on having her guy back.

Together they climbed. She helped him and he
let her. When they reached Mackenzie’s door, she let him go in
without her. From under the arch of the doorway she witnessed a
scene that melted her heart. He tucked their daughter in, kissed
her and the puppy, whispering his love for them both.

“
Hi daddy from heaven.”
Mackenzie yawned then turned over.

It was as if the past few days hadn’t
happened. Liam stood there staring at Mackenzie for a long time.
Kennedy didn’t know what went through his head. Maybe it was the
same things that made her get up in the night and look in on the
daughter they’d created in love. Eventually he limped from the
bedside and came toward her. He took her hand in his and they went
to their bedroom. He removed his cover and let his gaze sweep the
room, how well she’d decorated it.

“
Do you like it?” she
asked.

“
I love it. You did the
entire house?”

“
Yeah. I wanted you to have
our family settled when you returned. This was so hard,
Liam.”

“
Are you all right, Kay? I
know you have questions, worries? If I could have come home sooner
you do know I would have.”

“
I know it wasn’t your
doing.”

There was little light in the room, just
slithers of moonlight casting through the gauzy curtains. Her eyes
adjusted quickly. She ran her fingertips over the shiny buttons to
the front of his Naval uniform, then unbuttoned them, one by one.
The sight of him in full dress always sent ripples of desire down
her spine. Liam was devilishly handsome, and she wanted him on her,
over her, in her. Kennedy lifted her gaze and met his stare. Just
touching him or him touching her was enough to suck all the air
from the room. Kennedy opened the lapels and continued to undo the
buttons to reveal his T-shirt. She pressed her face against the
hardness of his chest, wanting to hear his heart beat. It was
strong, and the rhythmic harmony assured her he was, too. It lulled
her deeper into her physical cravings that had been submerged for
so long. It wasn’t just sex. It was the connection between them
that her body yearned for.

Liam’s hand slowly lifted to stroke the back
of her head as she swayed a bit against him. He didn’t speak. For
this she was grateful. There were no words to express everything
they’d loved, lost, and needed over the years. No need to make
promises or offer apologies. This was their life together and to
have the good, she had long since learned to accept the bad.

Suddenly the room felt cold and the only
warmth radiating was from him. She pressed her body into his and
shuddered, seeking that comfort, clinging to it. Liam eased up her
robe to palm her ass. Her mouth naturally rose to meet his. A slow,
lazy swirl of their tongues became a passionate clash of desire as
the kiss consumed them. She eased her hands up to his shoulders and
helped him shrug down his dress jacket. The kiss stopped briefly
when he aided her by pulling his shirt over his head.

Kennedy hands were lightning-quick. She
unfastened his belt and lowered his zipper, catching the hard,
urgent look in his eyes, his tense jaw, his lips set in a firm
line. He forcibly restrained himself. Her tiger would normally flip
her and take over, but tonight he understood the need to go at her
pace. When her hand slipped inside the front of his pants and took
hold of his erection, the flash of desire in his baby blues made
her moist.

“
Come here,” he grunted. He
locked his arm around her waist and Kennedy was thrown to the
mattress. She bounced, her robe falling open, to reveal her bare
breasts and thin white lace panty.

Liam smiled down at her.

“
You sure about this?” she
asked in a tremulous voice. If he wasn’t up for the task she’d be
miserable for the rest of the night. But she had to ask. Eric
warned of the illness that precipitated his being snatched from
her. Was it real? Looking at him now she didn’t see any evidence of
it.

“
Liam? Were you
sick?”

He didn’t answer her and that was
disappointing. She wanted desperately to understand what had
happened to him the past weeks but needed something even more
urgently. Him. He pulled her by her ankles to the edge of the bed
and her robe drew up to her waist. Then Liam ran his palms down her
thighs to hook his fingers around the waistband of her panty and
draw it down, and off.

Kennedy parted her thighs and put her hands
to the tops of her bent knees to hold her position. The gleam in
his eyes when she did so made her quiver. She panted softly with
anticipation when his left hand went between her legs. Heat infused
her skin and spread like a wildfire through her, gathering warm
moisture above her top lip and brow. His thumb brushed the soft
folds of her pussy and her heart nearly went into arrest. She tried
to remember to breathe, but she felt all the sensations rush from
her channel straight to her head with a pulsating overload. Using
his thumb he let it part her nether lips and reveal her moist
opening. He hovered over her now, running his tongue across her
nipple then down the line of her stomach to dip into her belly
button. Before she named his intention in her conscious mind, the
hot, flat, moist surface of his tongue licked in an upward swipe of
her bud. He paused and licked again.

When his lips sealed over her clit, he drew
it into his mouth and sucked until she cried out for mercy.
Secretly she prayed her daughter didn’t hear, but she knew she was
loud enough to wake their neighbors a block over.

Liam groaned and sucked harder before he let
his tongue work delicious swirls around her clit. Passion melted
all her anxiety over the past few days away. She wanted to beg him
to stop. Plead with him to give her a moment to adjust and for her
body to accept the currents of pleasure shocking her below. She
didn’t dare. Her climax built at such an acceleration she just
thrashed and rolled her hips, smashing her sex into his face. His
hands moved up and down her thighs with slow caresses and he eased
her into the orgasmic explosion that brought a veil of tears up
behind her closed lids.