Free Fall Box Set (Loving Summer #8) Read online

  “Um, that’s usually reserved for The Blue Room members.” She said. “I could put you in another room nearby.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary,” I said, looking disappointed. “I was hoping to be near one of my friends who got a room near Room T100.” I gave her one of my wicked smiles and trailed my eyes down the pretty front desk clerk’s shirt looking into her cleavage. “Do you frequent the Blue Room?” I asked.

  “No,” she blushed.

  “You should,” I lowered my eyes in a look of lusty desire. “You’re just as beautiful as the Blue Girls who work there. And every bit as,” I lowered my voice to a deep growl, “sensual.”

  “Oh,” she smiled, looking flustered.

  “I really wished I could be close to Room T100.”

  “Um, I do see we have one close across from it, with a nice view of the garden below.”

  “That would be perfect,” I said as she handed me the keycard.

  I smiled and walked out of the Blue Tower, heading straight to my car and popping out the trunk. I grabbed two large black duffel bags and hoisted them on my shoulders before walking into the elevators and into my new room for the night.

  Once inside my room, I unzipped my bags. One bag was full of surveillance equipment, and the other bag held weapons of all kinds…weapons I spent years learning to use with skill and precision. I’ve kept myself alive all these years because I learned to fight, to fight back instead of becoming a victim. I went from a sheltered college freshman to becoming a skilled killing machine trained by the top ex-military alive to become the hunter instead of the one being hunted.

  I was one step ahead of The Dragon.

  I got to his girlfriend before he could get to my old love, my girl whom I gave up publicly so she could be safe. And now, thanks to his girlfriend’s mouth which can’t seem to stay shut, I will get him first before he could get me.

  Chapter 8

  Summer

  “So why is it that I haven’t seen my long lost big brother when everyone else has?” Rachel asked the next day after that amazing tonight I had with Drew at the Blue Meridien.

  “Drew and I bumped into him by accident,” I said, taking a bite out of my sun-dried tomato and olive pasta salad. “He still has things he has to take care of, I guess.”

  Rachel put down her fork from eating her chicken and strawberry salad. “We all do.” She looked directly at me with a wistful expression. “Growing up, I always thought he would be the one to stick around, and Drew would be the one out traveling the world, off to some dangerous but exciting adventure. Who would’ve thought life would turn out the opposite of what we expected.”

  “I thought the same thing,” I said. “Life throws you curve balls sometimes, you just need to know when to catch them or when to duck.”

  Rachel laughed. “And I always thought you’d be the glamorous one, modeling or leading the life of a celebrity, but you chose to go into the profession of saving people.”

  “And you’re following in Aunt Sookie’s footsteps,” I laughed. “She would be so proud of you…how far you’ve come from the days when we put on those plays on the beach. I couldn’t believe you played a starfish in the Pirate and Princess, and I was the Princess.”

  “Aunt Sookie paired you up back then with Nat.”

  “That’s because you and Drew are twins,” I said. “She couldn’t separate you two. Even now, you two are inseparable in helping run Donovan Dynamics.”

  “Not true. Drew does most of the work. I only show up for board meetings or when they need a celebrity spokesperson.”

  “All of you Donovans could be celebrity spokespersons. You’re all too good-looking for your own good.”

  Rachel laughed. “I think Drew always knew it, but Nat…I always thought he was just as handsome as Drew, but in a different way. You should know…” she smiled wickedly at me.

  I looked down. If she only knew what I was feeling and thinking all night long last night after my encounter with Nat.

  Rachel took a bite out of her salad before placing her fork down again. “So what’s he like?” She wrapped her arms around her, looking like a lost little girl. “I missed him so much when he disappeared. I didn’t even get a chance to say ‘good-bye’.” She had tears in her eyes, and I bent over to hug her.

  “I felt the same way,” I said. “Everyone who loved him, missed him terribly.” I sighed remembering him in his suite, wrapped only with a towel around his waist, and dripping wet. He looked so much stronger, tougher, worldly, and manly now. He had worked hard to have a body as fit and flawless like that. “Whatever it was, he had his reasons,” I told Rachel.

  “I know,” she said. “I just wished he trusted us more, that we can handle the truth instead of trying to protect us from it. Nat, Nat, Nat,” she said, “still the same Nat. Always the protector.”

  “Always the one to shoulder everyone’s burden,” I said.

  “So, soon-to-be sister-in-law,” Rachel prodded. “How does he look?”

  “Almost the same. He wasn’t wearing a disguise, so he looked like himself, only bigger, bulkier, more grown up.”

  “Lust-worthy?” Rachel asked. “We all knew about your crush on Nat since birth.”

  “Definitely lust-worthy.”

  “See, if he wasn’t my brother, I’d go for him. But if he is a kind of stepbrother, and I’m not blood to him, I’d go for him.”

  “You wouldn’t!” I said.

  “You’d be surprise how that’s one of the biggest fantasies we women have. I’m looking at a script right now that has that part, and I was almost disgusted at that, but then I thought of you. Is that’s what it’s like for you?”

  “Are you kidding me?” I asked. “Just because we all grew up together, love each other as friends and then grew up…” In a way, Nat and Drew were like stepbrothers to me, but not really. “Nah, it was never like that. My crush on Nat was never forbidden.”

  “It would be if you find out he’s blood.” Rachel said. “You know that he would be worried about that.”

  “I was worried too, but if it’s there, we knew each other as non-blood related even before any of that happened, and…I’m not too sure if it’s true. I asked my mom about it a while back after she had time to settle back into civilian life from the military, and she said she didn’t remember Aunt Sookie giving birth to a baby boy. But then again, Aunt Sookie seemed to have kept some secrets from her older sister. She and my mom were closed but not really close. You know what I mean.”

  “She could have given birth secretly, like those women who didn’t even show when they were pregnant,” Rachel said. “And my parents…”

  “Did they say anything to you or Drew about Nat’s birth?” I asked.

  “No, if they had adopted Nat, it would be a secret my parents would take to their grave. Nat was and is their favorite child. Whether or not they adopted him or gave birth to him, it wouldn’t change anything.”

  “I know,” I said. “I’ll be that way too when I have children.”

  Rachel smiled. “That day may come sooner than you’d imagine. I can’t wait to become an aunt one day,” her eyes glisten. “At least one of us is having an awesome sex and love life.”

  “Oh Rachel,” I said. “Don’t worry, you’ll find someone you’d want to be with soon. How could any man not want you? You’re so beautiful, funny, loyal, fierce, and…if I’m not straight, I’d be all over you.”

  Rachel laughed. “Thanks, that would be even more complicated for you, wouldn’t it? But no, it’s not a matter of having guys interested, it’s just a matter of what do I want. I have some challenges I need to overcome, and it’ll be a while before I settle down.” She watched my face closely. “You, on the other hand, need to get through this wedding. Although when I mentioned Nat’s name, I get the feeling, it’s like I’m talking to the Summer from years ago. Like you still have feelings for Nat. Am I right?”

  I groaned, putting my head down into my hands. My head was spinning
…first from drinking too much wine last night and two, from being reminded how much I was hit by lust when I first saw him again. “Rachel, I can’t deny that when I first saw him again, there was a spark. Of course, it’s always been there since we were kids, and I don’t know if it will always be there, but then again, I love Drew very much too.”

  Rachel pursed her lips. “I see. I guess feelings those strong are hard to go away.” She placed her hand over mine and squeezed. “What are you going to do?”

  I took a deep breath and said, “I’m going through with the wedding.” I couldn’t deny my unresolved feelings for Nat, but I couldn’t let it destroy what I had with Drew too. Besides, who knew if Nat felt anything at all. It could be my mind playing tricks on me or my body reacting to the strong chemistry we’ve always had.

  “Okay, well,” Rachel said. “Here’s an update on things from this wedding coordinator…Astor has the catering down. He’s a pro at that. He’s hosted and been to so many Hollywood events, he even started his own restaurant and catering business. Flowers will be there, goodies for people, the guest list and seating arrangements after the wedding for the reception…looks like everything will be in place. And I will do you makeup and hair.”

  “Rachel,” I said. “You will?”

  “Of course,” she smiled. “I’m a pro at it. You know how I love all that. Anyways, I would recommend my stylist for all those appearances I make, but I want to have the honor of doing your hair and makeup. I’ve dreamed of it…the day you’d get married to one of my brothers, and I would get to dress you up, put makeup on you, and put your hair up, just like a doll. You have to let me do this.”

  I laughed. “No one else would do it justice.”

  A phone rang, and we both grabbed our phones.

  “I have to get over to Astor’s place,” Rachel said. “I mean his restaurant. We’re holding the dinner reception there tomorrow night, so I have to go over some last minute details. Don’t worry a thing about the wedding. I’ve got this. Just go and get pampered. I think Drew and you should do a couple massage or something. Just don’t stress okay?”

  Rachel rushed off, leaving me to finish lunch by myself.

  My phone went off and I looked down at the text. It was the hospital, and there was an emergency I had to be at right away.

  Someone had come into the ER with massive injuries.

  I grabbed my drink, tossed the rest of my lunch, and ran to my car. Thank God I had my work to get my mind off of my love life…if only for a few hours.

  Chapter 9

  Summer

  I had to weave my way through traffic to get to the ER, and then I had a hard time finding parking. I gritted my teeth. Los Angeles was way too congested.

  I finally found a spot next to a handicapped spot near an area close to the dumpster. It wasn’t technically a parking spot, but this was an emergency, and all the other doctor’s reserved parking were taken up.

  That’s what I got for being the youngest surgeon on staff. Eager to get started in my medical career, I was able to skip two grades in college, not to mention my early admissions as a freshman. So here I was, the lowest surgeon on the totem pole.

  I ran in and pulled on my coat, heading over to the Emergency Room.

  Sylvia, the head ER Trauma nurse came over to me. “Thank God you work on holidays. There are no other doctors in town, I swear.”

  “What do we have here?” I asked Sylvia, washing my hands and looking down at the clipboard in Sylvia’s hands.

  “Head injury. Severe. Looks like someone tried to bash this guy’s head in with a bat. Or a pipe. It’s bleeding profusely, and he’s out cold.”

  I walked over to the room where the patient was lying and took one look at his swollen face and head. There was a large gash on his head with the possibility of a fractured skull. I checked his pulse and temperature, seeing that he had a low heartbeat. He was fading…fast.

  “Get him into surgery!” I shouted.

  Everyone moved quickly, getting the patient into the surgery room, prepping him, and prepping me.

  I never try to look at a patient’s face whom I had to perform surgery on. It brought on too many emotions when I do which could be distracting. I had to stay neutral and not affected by who I was performing surgery on. I was a doctor who couldn’t let anyone die if they needed medical help, regardless of who they were. It was one reason how I could have a steady hand throughout surgery, performing it fast and precisely.

  The surgery to his head took almost five hours of intense concentration.

  When it was over, and the nurses were wiping my brow, I finally looked down to really see the face of my patient.

  I almost fainted. The face looked familiar. Too familiar.

  My knees went out from beneath me, and I nearly collapse onto the floor, if it wasn’t for one of the nurses catching me.

  I had just performed head surgery on Nat Donovan.

  Chapter 10

  Nat

  Days Later

  Darkness was all I could see when I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar room. All the lights were off, but my eyes adjusted itself to the dark quickly. It was a skill I picked up from my training with the Special Ops.

  I looked around the room and noticed the heavy ornate drapes, marble tables, and plush sofas. I must be in some luxury hotel suite.

  My throat felt like sandpaper. Parched like a desert, I could barely swallow without it hurting.

  “Hello?” I called.

  I tried to get up but felt too weak. My arms, it felt as though I was tied down with some loose ropes. I pulled my arms out further and noticed I was hooked up to some machines.

  I looked down and saw an IV hooked up to me, and my head…something was around my head.

  I felt a cloth, soft yet rough, and thin around my forehead.

  It must be bandages around my head. And this room…I was in a care unit, a plush one at that, but where?

  I looked around for a call button or a phone, but there were none in sight. Where do they put these things?

  I haven’t been to a hospital in a while. The last time was when Aunt Sookie was dying and everyone was there. I remembered that day like it was yesterday. Aunt Sookie was so special to me. She was special to everyone, but we had a bond that felt like she was more than a caretaker, more than Summer’s aunt. Like mother and son.

  That was over 11 or 12 years ago, and I had made a promise to her on her death bed…to protect and watch over Summer.

  Summer! Where was she? How long have I been here?

  Everything came flooding back to me. The Dragon. His girlfriend Brandi. How she had set me up.

  Ambushed me…she must have hit me from behind, with a bat or pipe.

  But The Dragon…he saw me. He would have finished me off if the security from the Blue Towers Hotel didn’t come and find me in the nick of time. Now The Dragon knew I was alive and back in town…

  Which meant he would be going after someone I cared about…Summer.

  I had to get up and get out of here.

  I fumbled with the sides of the bed and found some buttons. I pressed each one, and the light went on, and the bed moved to a sitting position.

  There was a commotion outside my room, and the door flew open, with a nurse in pink scrubs rushing in and a pretty girl with long jet black hair and a purple streak wearing jeans, a baby doll black t-shirt, and a silver faux fur coat trailing behind her.

  “Patient’s up,” the nurse said to a headpiece she was wearing. “Yes, I’ll be careful. He’s VIP, I know.”

  “Oh, thank God,” the black-haired girl said, her big blue eyes blinking. She looked so familiar.

  “Rachel?” I asked.

  “Nat!” she flew over to hug me. “I was so worried. You were knocked out for days. Even after the surgery. It was an intensive one, too. But Summer did it, and you’re alive. You’re here!” Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Summer?” Nat asked. “She operated on me?”

  “Ye
s, she’s a doctor here.”

  “Where is she?” I asked.

  Rachel’s face went from happy that I was up and alive to complete gloom. She shook her head and began crying.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked Rachel. “How long have I been here? Did I miss Summer’s wedding? Why are you crying?”

  “Oh, Nat, I wished I could tell you where Summer is...It’s been days pass the wedding.”

  I felt my heart sank. I missed Summer and Drew’s wedding. What kind of a jerk brother was I to miss their big day. “I’m sorry I missed it,” I said.

  “You didn’t,” Rachel said. “It didn’t happen.”

  My mouth dropped. “What? Why?”

  “Summer…she never showed up to the wedding. She didn’t even show up to the Reception Dinner the night before.”

  “She couldn’t have gotten cold feet,” I said. “She wouldn’t leave Drew hanging like that.”

  “No, she wouldn’t. Everyone knows that,” Rachel said. “So when she didn’t show up for the reception dinner and to miss her own wedding…we knew she was missing.”

  I closed my eyes and clenched my fists.

  “No!” I shouted so loudly, so fiercely, that I made Rachel and the nurse jump.

  “He must have her,” I said to myself. “I have to go,” I said, trying to get the tubes and gadgets around off of me.

  “Mr. Donovan, you have to remain calm. I’ll go get the doctor to see if you’re capable of being discharged.”

  The nurse left the room, and Rachel tried to calm me down.

  “What do you mean, ‘he must have her’?” she asked. “Is Summer in some kind of trouble?”

  I covered my face with my hands. “I spent ten years, Rachel. Ten years in hiding my identity so I could protect Summer from these crazy psychotic A-holes who were after me back when I went on that mission to get Dad back. For ten years, I worked with the FBI and all kinds of agencies to help bring these guys down…first their computers, then their guys. One-by-one, I even went after the bosses. Sometimes with my team, and sometimes by myself. There was only one boss left, and he was the most ruthless, the smartest, and the most charming one…The Dragon.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sure, he has Summer.”