Turbulent Waters (Billionaire Aviators Book 3) Read online

  “You’ve got my number, darling,” he told her.

  “Trying to steal my wife yet again, Nick?” Cooper asked with a growl as he stepped into the living room to join them before moving toward the kitchen. Nick wheeled his chair forward and followed them. Stormy was chuckling.

  “Always,” Nick told his older brother.

  “I think I’m going to have to whip your ass again in the ring to show you how effective that might be,” Cooper warned.

  “As soon as I’m on my feet again,” Nick said with a glint in his eyes. He would love to get back in the ring. “On second thought, I’m sure I could kick your ass even while sitting down.”

  “I’m going to leave you boys to battle it out. A woman does love to be fought over,” Stormy said before softly kissing Cooper, then patting Nick on the arm. It felt as if the light dimmed a bit when she walked away.

  “You truly are a lucky man, Coop,” Nick told his brother as Stormy’s scent lingered in the room.

  “That I know, little bro,” Cooper said with a smile as he opened the fridge and looked inside at the contents, acting a bit lost.

  “Get out of the way, Coop. Even injured, I cook better than you,” Nick said with a laugh as he moved to the fridge, pushing Cooper aside. He scanned the shelves before pulling a few items out. Cooper took a seat.

  “I see you’re starting without me again,” Maverick said as he stepped into the kitchen and lit the stove, pulling out a pan as he eyed the food Nick had pulled out.

  “Forgot you were even here,” Nick told Mav.

  “I am anything but forgettable,” Mav said with a wink. “Just ask my very satisfied wife.”

  “Spare us,” Coop said with a chuckle.

  “Yeah, this morning after I got done―”

  “Stop!” both Nick and Coop yelled at the same time. Maverick busted up laughing as he added oil to a pan and let it warm.

  “Fine. I won’t embarrass you by showing you your own inadequacies,” Mav said.

  “Miracles really do happen,” Nick told him with a roll of his eyes.

  Mav’s expression became serious all of a sudden. “Yes, they do. You’re proof of that.”

  The brothers might joke a hell of a lot, and they might get into some pretty damn big brawls, but when it came down to it, they were family, not just because they’d been born into it, but because they were also friends who would die for each other. Nick felt his throat tighten and he cleared it to cover up the emotion.

  “Don’t be getting all mushy on me. I’m not married like you two idiots, so I haven’t tapped into my feminine side,” Nick said with a laugh to cover up the awkward moment.

  “Wouldn’t even think about such an emotion,” Mav said with a smile.

  “You really are looking better, though,” Coop said.

  Mav pushed Nick’s wheelchair aside as he threw steaks into the pan and began cutting up vegetables. Nick decided to back off. It was hard to do anything while sitting.

  “I’m getting stronger every day. My arm and ribs are as good as new, and I’m lasting longer and longer on the crutches. I’ll be back to work soon,” Nick boasted.

  “Want me to test the arm for you?” Coop pointedly asked.

  Nick sent him a glare. The words didn’t warrant a reply.

  “Fine, I might not want to take a hit in the arm or ribs right now, but that damn well doesn’t mean I can’t fly,” he said.

  “You know you do a lot more than fly,” Coop asserted.

  “I try to,” Nick admitted.

  “Well, your commander knows you well enough to realize that light duty isn’t something that appeals to you. Sherman is bringing in a new therapist. If you behave this time, you can get your strength back in your knee, then maybe, just maybe, you can get out there on a few dates before you’re back to saving those lost at sea,” Mav said.

  Nick glared at both his brothers. “I really don’t need therapy or dating advice,” he warned.

  But the reality was, he needed help―maybe in both areas. There was something missing in his life. He was sure it was just because he hadn’t been able to work, hadn’t truly been able to say good-bye to his crew.

  His copilot, Gail, had a six-year-old daughter who was now being raised without a mother. When her husband had come to see him in the hospital, Nick had been mortified when he’d felt a tear wet his cheek. Gail’s strong husband had placed his hand on Nick’s shoulder and told him Gail would want him to survive. He’d known Nick hadn’t been able to continue speaking, and he’d left, leaving Nick lying there trying not to fall apart.

  His young paramedic, John Francis, had only been with them six months. He’d been so happy to be a part of the Coast Guard, and he’d been far too young to die. His parents’ lives had been forever altered by his loss. Secretly, Nick had paid for his funeral and left a fund for the parents, whose son had been taking care of them. They were lost without him.

  Then there was his rescue swimmer, Pat, who had been so damn brave. He’d jumped into the water no matter the risk to himself. He’d always cracked jokes and had come up with the most insane songs to torment them with through their headsets.

  And they were all gone while Nick lived. It wasn’t right.

  Nick realized that as he’d been reflecting on his crew, his brothers had stopped speaking and were staring at him.

  “What?” he grumpily asked.

  “We’re not trying to be a-holes, we’re just trying to help you out,” Coop said as he gave a far-too-understanding look to Nick. Nick shook his head and sent each brother a stare that was sure to make them stop meddling.

  “Since you and Mav married, you’ve been pestering the hell out of me to do the same. I’m perfectly content to be single,” Nick warned.

  Cooper looked as if he was going to keep pestering him, but then he sighed and sat back. Mav continued cooking. But Nick didn’t miss the glance that passed between the two brothers. Something else was going on that they didn’t want to share with him. He was immediately on alert.

  Mav turned off the stove and put their lunch on plates, then they all moved to the dining table. Nick waited to see if they would say something. They didn’t and he lost patience.

  “What’s going on, guys? I know it’s not my lack of a dating life,” Nick said when the room remained too silent. Mav and Coop looked at each other and Nick grew frustrated. “I was injured, I’m not dead, and I don’t need to be safeguarded. Don’t leave me out of whatever is happening.”

  “It’s about Ace,” Cooper said with a sigh.

  Nick sat at attention. Their brother had walked out years ago at the reading of their father’s will. He’d been angry, and time had only made it worse. They had all tried reaching out to Ace, but he had only made a couple of appearances, and they hadn’t been happy reunions.

  “What’s the news?” Nick asked.

  “He’s back in the States,” Coop said.

  Nick was silent for several moments. He took a few bites of food, not tasting it, eating on autopilot as his head spun.

  “What does that mean?” Nick finally asked.

  “He’s been back for six weeks, living in Montana. I’m trying to get more information, but I don’t understand why he’s not trying to get ahold of us. He’s not even pursuing the stipulations of the will anymore.”

  That was another contention among the brothers. Their father had left them all ultimatums upon his death. The four brothers had told their mother they wouldn’t comply, but then life had happened, and whether they’d wanted to or not, they were doing exactly what their father had requested with his final words―leading more respectable lives, settling down―maturing. Coop and Mav had gotten married like their father had wanted. Nick and Ace were the only holdouts there, but it wasn’t because of the will that Nick didn’t marry. It was because the thought of settling down with only one woman made a cold sweat break out on his brow. His brothers made the actual act of matrimony seem appealing . . . but he kept going back to the only on
e woman for the rest of his life part. Damn! That seemed like shackling himself for sure.

  “Should we go to him?” Nick asked, deciding he didn’t want to focus on wedded bliss any more than he absolutely had to.

  It was Cooper’s time to be quiet. He pushed the rest of his food away, not able to even pretend he had the stomach to continue eating. He was the eldest of the brothers, and therefore always felt like he had to take on the brunt of the responsibility.

  “I think we need to do that, but let’s get some more information first. I think he might be mixed up in some shady dealings,” Coop said with a sad sigh.

  “Why does it have to be shady dealings?” Nick asked.

  “Because he’s been avoiding us. And now we find out he’s back in the States and won’t have anything to do with us? We don’t ever see him anymore. To me that looks like shame,” Coop said.

  “We don’t have enough information to determine that,” Nick insisted. Why was he the only one defending Ace?

  “I’ve used every connection I have, and I still can’t get anywhere,” Mav pointed out. “It’s not that I want to think the worst. He’s just not leaving us much of a choice anymore.”

  Nick shook his head. “No way. I don’t care what he’s done over the past few years. He’s still Ace, and there’s no way he would ever do anything illegal.”

  Nick and Ace had always been close. He had to have faith in his brother even if the rest of their family had lost theirs. Maybe he would go in secret and find out what was happening―that was, when he could walk again.

  “There’s not an official investigation,” Cooper said. “It’s just from some of the things I’ve been hearing from investigators. He can’t even be pulled up in the system.”

  “That doesn’t even make sense,” Mav said. “Everyone leaves a paper trail whether they want to or not.”

  “I’m just telling you what I found,” Coop said, holding up his hands.

  “What does Uncle Sherman have to say about it?” Nick asked.

  “He says to have faith in our brother,” Mav said.

  “Then maybe that’s exactly what we should do,” Nick said, his voice gruff. “I’m just saying there has to be more behind this. He’s our brother, and I’m choosing to believe that he’s still him―even if he got lost a bit along the way. We’ve all been lost and we’re okay now. Let’s have the same faith in him.”

  “I want to, I really do. But so much time has passed. I just don’t know what to think now,” Cooper said.

  “We stick together no matter what,” Nick said. It was pretty cut and dry in his book.

  Coop shook his head. “We can’t support something illegal.”

  “I’m not suggesting that,” Nick snapped. “I’m just saying there has to be a reason behind what’s been happening. I’m going to do my own research.”

  “Let’s talk to Sherman, and we’ll go from there,” Coop said.

  Nick was irritated at how logical Cooper was being. When it came to family, it wasn’t always black and white. Maybe it was time for Ace to quit hiding and ask for help with whatever was going on. Had he lost his faith in his family? If so, they’d have to figure out a way to restore it.

  “I’m sorry we upset you,” Coop said.

  “Yeah, we know how delicate you are,” Mav added.

  Nick glared at them both. He was injured, not incompetent.

  “Quit treating me differently. It’s pissing me off. Of course I’m upset. Ace is our brother,” Nick spat out.

  “None of us are giving up,” Coop reassured Nick.

  Nick knew that. His shoulders dropped as the anger drained from him. He smiled at his brothers. Cooper and Mav both nodded. Nick pushed away from the table and went over to his large windows. He could see the waters churning and the sky flashing, but his earlier excitement over the storm had evaporated.

  It had already been a long day, and it wasn’t even yet noon. It would be a long while before the hits stopped coming at him from every direction. For now, he needed to simply learn how to roll with the punches.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Chloe Reynolds stepped up to the monstrous-size house on San Juan Island. She wasn’t happy about being pushed into taking the job for the wealthy, arrogant helicopter pilot for the US Coast Guard, but at the same time, she hadn’t had a lot of choice.

  It wasn’t just about taking the job. Chloe knew a lot more about Nick Armstrong than she would ever want to know. He was a monster―as was his entire family. But she smiled as she took calming breaths outside his front door. She could put on a happy face, do her job, and be instrumental in making him pay for his crimes.

  Having experience as an RN and being a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist had gained her access to his home. Because she was a professional, she would do her job and do it well, but that wouldn’t stop her from completing her other mission.

  Nick Armstrong was going down. That thought brought a smile to her full pink lips as she brushed back her blonde strands and took a step forward. The door opened before she even lifted her hand to knock, and then she was gazing at Nick Armstrong, the man she’d been sent to investigate―unofficially. Her stomach tightened and her muscles shook. So much emotion raged through her, she wasn’t sure she actually would be able to do her job of helping him heal―not when she knew what he’d done. But she couldn’t turn back now.

  “Can I help you?” The deep timbre of his voice made her stomach clench. This wasn’t starting off well at all: first the self-doubt, and now facing him, she felt something she most certainly didn’t want to feel.

  “I’m . . .” Her sentence fell away as she took a step forward, her foot sliding on a slick leaf. She tried to regain her balance, but she was suddenly tumbling. Nick held out his arms, either to help her or push her away. She wasn’t exactly sure which.

  With a rush of breath, Chloe landed in Nick’s lap. With her face far too close to his for comfort, she saw momentary agony in his eyes. She was locked in place by his powerful arms as she watched a mixture of emotions cross his face.

  Chloe knew she should jump up, demand he release her, apologize profusely, and run like hell in the other direction―she knew she should do anything other than lie there limply in the arms of the enemy. His arms tightened around her, and Chloe felt a stirring in her stomach that startled her. This was much different than the turmoil she’d felt just a few breaths before as they’d gazed at one another.

  Besides the fact that this man was her enemy, had been her enemy before she’d ever even met him, she wasn’t normally a foolish woman who fell into the arms of random men. So to have this reaction to him of all people was throwing her completely off balance.

  His eyes were burning as he looked her over. Chloe shifted, wondering what in the world she was going to say after her noteworthy entrance. He smiled and she found herself having a difficult time breathing. Did her heart just skip a beat?

  Nonsense!

  Nick Armstrong was far too good-looking for the natural well-being of all women within a hundred yards of him. He had dark hair, smoldering green eyes, and a cocky tilt to his lips that made her want to lean forward and kiss him. Of course, she already knew all this, since she’d been studying the Armstrong family for quite some time.

  As his arms tightened around her, Chloe’s stomach continued to stir, coiling as unexpected sensations rushed to the rest of her body. She inhaled a breath of air, and Nick’s scent permeated her system. She found her fingers tightening on his shirt as she pressed a little closer to him.

  The shock of what she was doing stunned her into immobility, and she stiffened. She could have prevented the fall if she’d been more careful, but it had happened. However, her subsequent reaction to this man, who she was supposed to hate with every fiber of her being, was inexcusable.

  Foolish, foolish, foolish.

  She would be kicking her own butt for a while for her mistake. She most certainly wasn’t going to be able to continue her self-loathing until s
he extricated herself from his arms. What was she doing? If this was playing with fire, she’d leapt in with both feet and was now scorched.

  She raised an eyebrow at the man as Nick’s head began leaning toward hers. For one moment she wanted the kiss he seemed about to give her. And then, thankfully, her brain cells began firing again. The shock of the moment had her heart thundering and her stomach doing a little dance.

  “Let me go,” she demanded, her voice coming out too squeaky for it to have any real impact.

  He stopped, but he didn’t look irritated, merely surprised. Maybe he hadn’t thought his own actions through and had been going on impulse. His eyes twinkled as he gazed at her. No words beyond their quick greeting and her plea for release had been spoken. She moved while she tried to pull from him. That’s when she felt a bulge pressing into the toned flesh of her thigh.

  Her body tightened even more, and she knew she had to get away. Pushing against his chest, he finally loosened his grip and she scrambled to her feet.

  Chloe raised a hand, wiping moisture off her face, realizing that the rain had started up again while she’d been in this surreal encounter. Why in the world were they simply staring at each other while the storm intensified? A crack of lightning flashed across the sky, and a boom of thunder quickly followed, making her jump.

  She took a step back, not sure of what she was doing. Escape was on her mind, but she was stopped by the grip of his fingers on her arm. The touch sent more heat spiraling through her.

  This so wasn’t good.

  “I’m assuming you came here for a reason,” he said, tugging her back toward him. His eyes were raised as he waited for her to introduce herself.

  As much as Chloe suddenly wanted to run, she knew her nerves were just a reaction to the unique situation. She was there for a job and she wasn’t going anywhere. Putting her professional mask in place, she tugged against his hold to no avail as she looked down at him. Her aloof attitude had made many men walk away with their tails between their legs. She could handle Nick Armstrong―no problem. She’d been pushing men away since she’d developed early at the age of thirteen. Men with looks like Nick wanted one thing, and it wasn’t something she was willing to offer.