Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four
Steel sat on the bed, looking intently at her. She was a tiny thing, compared to him and for a moment he almost smiled at the thought of Kelley dwarfing her in every aspect. She was fierce in her own right too but Steel could see the pain and doubt in her eyes. It was hard to see her so conflicted but Steel also knew that Kelley was an upstanding man, even if his hands were a little dirty.
Kelley was a good man, one of the best and Steel would always be loyal to him, no matter who said what, he'd never change his mind but there was something about Milana that tugged at his heart strings, he'd be loyal to her too.
"Come on, Milana, talk to me or you can go back to the kitchen and talk to them," Steel said gently.
Milana smiled slightly and sniffed. “Sometimes I don’t trust my own judgement. For so long I was controlled by my uncle and his family, even my sister. I want to trust Kelley, I really do. Some days I even think I love him, I mean, I feel it.”
“So what’s the problem?” Steel could see it, the love in her eyes and he knew enough about Kelley to know that if a woman loved him then he surely loved her back.
“I’m not sure I can trust it. I don’t know if what I’m feeling is true. Some nights I have nightmares that Kelley’s just like them, that he’s being nice so he could hurt me more later. Sometimes I think that his true self will still emerge.”
Steel gripped her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. “If you’re not happy, then leave and make your own life. Find yourself if that will set you free.”
Milana lowered her head and shook it. “It’s not that easy, Steel … I think … I think I’m pregnant.”
Steel frowned. “Are you afraid of Kelley?” He couldn't even fathom the idea of her being afraid of him and he wondered briefly if she was afraid of him as well.
“I wasn’t, but if he can drug me, what else can he do?”
Steel shook his head and smiled briefly. “I’ve worked for Kelley for three years and I can tell you from my own experience that Kelley’s only been good to me. He helped me out of a situation that I couldn’t get out of myself and for that I’ll always have his back. I’ve never seen him be violent or two-faced. He says what he means and he means what he says.”
“Trust me, Steel, I want to believe that he’s honest with me but he’s never even told me about this girl he loved.”
Steel nodded his head. "That might be true, but then again, does that really make him a bad man? Maybe it's something in his past that he'd rather not remember."
Milana sighed. "I know. I just feel confused about everything. Kelley never talks about his past but it doesn't really matter." Milana's hand went to her stomach and Steel didn't miss the motion.
“First thing in the morning I’ll go to the mainland and buy you a test, then you’ll know for sure and you can decide what you want to do.”
“Thank you, Steel, you’re a good friend.”
Steel moved backwards until his back rested against the headboard. “Come here.”
Milana moved up against him and laid her head down on his chest. His arm came around her waist and she curled up against him. She felt oddly safe with Steel, even though he worked for Kelley. She was so out of her depth she didn’t even know it.
Steel sat with Milana like that long after she’d fallen asleep. He didn’t feel like he could leave her. She was fragile, alone and afraid. Kelley was a good man, he was sure of that but he also understood her fear. Kelley had helped him save his own sister three years earlier from a drug ring and he knew enough about Milana to know she also had a troubled background.
“Steel.”
Steel opened his eyes and looked at Kelley who stood at the foot of the bed. He had nodded off and his head turned towards Milana where she still lay against him. He moved her slowly so she wouldn’t wake and shifted off the bed.
“Good to see you, Sir. She’s been crying all afternoon.”
“Thank you, Steel. Go get some sleep. I’ve got her.”
“Yes, Sir.” Steel walked past Kelley and left the master bedroom. It was dark outside now and Steel made his way to the kitchen where he could hear Jesse’s voice. He had no idea why Kelley was on the island or what his thoughts were on finding him next to his wife.
“Hell, Steel, you look like you took an afternoon nap.” Jesse’s smile greeted him as he sat down at the table.
“Something like that.”
Jesse chuckled low in his throat. “Hope the boss didn’t catch you sleeping on duty.”
Steel looked up at Jesse, who had obviously been joking but now he was worried for a different reason. “Is Kelley a jealous man?”
Jesse frowned and sat down next to Steele. “Why do you ask that? What the hell did you do?”
“She was crying … one thing led to another …”
“Fuck sakes, Steel. Did you sleep with Kelley’s wife?” The shock in Jesse's eyes spoke volumes and Steel almost laughed.
Jackson sat down on the other side of the table and looked at Steel with shock in his eyes. “She’s pretty, Steel, I’ll give you that, but hell, do you have a death wish? Nobody sleeps with the boss’s wife.”
“I didn’t sleep with her! Not like you’re thinking anyway. I was comforting her and I nodded off with her sleeping next to me.”
“What did Kelley say?”
Steel shrugged and looked back at Jesse. “He told me to go get some sleep.”
“Kelley’s not an asshole, don’t stress about it.”
“But his head will explode tomorrow right?” Steel didn't know how Kelley would handle this because there'd never been a woman he cared enough about in the past.
Jackson laughed and then Jesse grinned at him. “If you’re still alive tomorrow morning.”
“Shit.”
“I’m kidding. If Kelley’s head was going to explode you’d already have heard it.”
Steel sighed in relief and looked at the plate of food the cook placed on the table in front of him. “Thanks George.”
“Although … the last time he took revenge on someone because of a woman, he waited six years to do it, just so fingers wouldn’t be pointed in his direction.”
Steel choked on the first bite of steak and Jackson roared with laughter as Steel tried to breathe and swallow. “Six years.”
“He’s cold, Steel, colder than all of us put together. I’d sleep with one eye open for the next six years, just to be safe.”
“But I didn’t touch her.”
“You fell asleep with his wife in your arms.”
Jackson wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and looked at Steel. “It was nice working with you, Steel. I liked you and I’ll probably shed a tear at your funeral.”
“Thanks, asshole.”
