by Amy McKinley
I’d had no idea she’d removed it from the pouch. I should’ve conveyed the seriousness to her better or taken the damn phone away. I got that she was worried, but our situation proved how dangerous the people after her and her brother were.
My hand curled in a comforting grip around my sniper rifle, which I’d left on the coffee table. I hadn’t disassembled it, and for that I was thankful. They knew what room we were in and could have seen us from the roof or a room in the hotel across the street from us.
With care, I moved around the room until I was on the side of the window that had a hole through it. Through a sliver between the wall and the curtain, I fit the rifle to my body and peered through the scope. Across from us, the four-story building mirrored the style of the one we were in, with its quaint charm and windows that opened. Some even had small balconies.
I scanned for an open window. Found it. One window was cracked, and a shadow formed in the room. Large men crossed the street and entered our building. There was no mistaking who they were. We were surrounded. I counted eight of them. The odds weren’t that bad. I could easily take out two of them, but escape would be a better option. We needed more information about the company that was after Stella. Their actions didn’t make sense. Why would they risk shooting at her?
I had to be the one they were shooting at. That, I could deal with.
I glanced at Stella. She had recovered enough. The glaze of terror was gone, and in its place was raw fear. I needed to give her something to do—that would help her pull out of her shock.
“Stay low and grab our stuff.”
She rolled to her hands and knees and crawled into the bedroom. Our bags had remained packed in case we had to make a quick exit, unless she’d left something out. “Get the box, the necklace, the letters.”
“Already packed,” she whisper-yelled. Her face was pale.
I pulled my cell from my pocket and shot off a text to Jack with the number of people converging on us. They were close, and us sitting there wasn’t smart. We had to get out, preferably without killing anyone.
I’d texted Jack the day before, after Stella had read her grandmother’s letter. We agreed on where to go next. They would go ahead of us to the cabins on the lake. I sensed she needed time, not a group of guys packed into a car with her, when she was missing family.
In my head, I kept track of how much time we likely had until they arrived at our door. Not that it mattered. We’ll get away. I can handle this.
Two duffel bags slid out from Stella’s room before she crawled into mine. I only had a backpack with a few things and my rifle case, which fit into the pack. Once out of the room, Stella flattened herself to the wall next to me.
I could tell her heart was racing by the pulse hammering at her neck and her quick, shallow breaths. Dammit, I didn’t want to have to leave our position, but it was the best way at the moment. I shifted so I sat next to her. I took my backpack, broke down my rifle, put it away, and exchanged my favorite gun for a 9mm.
She had too much stuff. I should never have let her bring it all, but I’d given in to the alarmed look she’d given me when I said to pack anything of value. The jewelry supplies added weight, but it was manageable enough. “Are your Oma’s things in here?” I asked as I slid one of the duffels closer.
“Yes, in that one.” A shaky finger pointed to the one farthest from us. Careful to keep my head away from the windowsill’s sightline, I pulled the other bag over and put them on so the straps crisscrossed my chest. It was awkward, but we would be all right. “You’ll have to carry my pack.” It was lighter than the two duffels and wouldn’t inhibit her movement.
She put the pack back on, and I tightened the straps so it was secure and fit to her body. Framing her face with my hands, I leaned close. “We’re going to be okay.” My thumb rubbed the softness of her cheek, easing a tiny bit of the stiffness in her posture. “Trust me?”
Steel infused her panic-filled eyes. “Yes.”
“Good.” I reluctantly dropped my hands. “We’re going out the door. There will be someone there. Stay behind me until I clear the hallway but be aware.” I crawled under the windows, pulling the room-darkening drapes as I went. It wouldn’t stop them from shooting, but it would give us a fighting chance, as the door was across from where they were firing.
A barrage of gunfire shot through the curtains, distributing random holes of pale light in the fabric. With a finger to my lips, I turned to her. They’re coming now. After, we will escape.
When the shooting stopped, we moved to the wall closest to the door. I needed to be next to the frame to strike hard and fast.
Silence was thick as the dust settled. We waited. My pulse increased in tempo.
Bullets were fired in the hallway at our door’s locking mechanism. Then a loud thud sounded as they kicked in the door. I didn’t hesitate. At first sight, I cracked the butt of my gun against his temple. First guy down.
The second came in shooting. The burn of a bullet whizzed by my earlobe. No sounds came from behind me. Stella was a smaller target and pressed against the wall. I thought she was okay.
My hand thrust out, and I connected with the guy’s wrist, throwing his aim off balance. I threw an elbow to the side of his head then a hard shot to his jaw, between his ear and chin. He dropped.
There would be more. We needed to move. I took Stella’s hand and helped her to step over the unconscious men. The bags settled against my body, pulling at my shoulders. I ignored them. We’d carried heavier and more awkward packs and equipment when we were in the military. Our SEALs division got the job done every single time. This will be no different.
Stella made a choking sound as we rounded the first body, whose blood pooled in a slow leak from his temple to the floor beneath him. “They’re alive.” Well, I knew one was. I wasn’t positive about the other. “Don’t look. Eyes forward.”
She slipped her finger through the belt loop of my jeans as I took a glance past our door. Clear. For now. Her body crowded mine as much as she was able with the bags. We left the room and hurried to the stairwell. “Keep a lookout behind us.”
I felt her shift. Her finger tugged at my jeans as she tried to inch closer. Through a small crack in the stairwell door, I checked for movement. When none came, I pulled the door wider. The immediate area was clear. We entered with a quiet click of the heavy steel door behind us. I leaned over the rail enough to look for men and guns.
They weren’t in the building yet, but I had no doubt more would be. If not, they would be waiting for us on the street. Two were in the building across from us, one in the room and one on the roof. Two had been at our door. Four were unaccounted for.
We traveled down the poorly lit stairwell as fast as was safe. What waited for us in the lobby would be at least four more guys, from what I’d seen earlier. If not inside, they would be near the doorway. We needed to leave through the back. It was undoubtedly guarded, but given the force in the front of the hotel and across the street, I figured the back wouldn’t be as difficult to maneuver.
We left the stairwell without a problem and weaved through the halls to the back of the building where the service entrance was. I’d checked the layout on the map on the back of the door when we’d first arrived at our room.
With caution, I cracked the heavy steel door. No gunshots sounded, so I eased it further open. A bullet ricocheted off the door. Stella cried out. Fuck.
I leaned out with my gun raised and fired. It had come from up high. There had to be a sniper. A shadow hovered by a ventilation shaft on top of a roof kitty-corner to where we were. Got you, motherfucker. I squeezed off several rounds until he slumped forward.
The trill of sirens sounded in the distance. They were closing in fast. We had to go.
I flicked my gaze over her. “You okay?” Blood trickled along her arm, staining her light-gray Henley. It didn’t look bad. At her nod, I popped the clip and shoved another one home. She would be okay—she had to be. I told myself that
to keep the fuck calm.
We burst from the doorway and raced along the alley. I’d parked a block away from the last hotel, hoping the car would blend in. We headed there now.
Keeping to the shadows from the setting sun, we went from building to building until we neared the SUV. Even in the dim light, her hair was a beacon. We made it to the car, and I hit the unlock button on the key fob. All our vehicles had been modified so there would be no sound when locked or unlocked. There were too many situations we knew we would inevitably run into, especially given our backgrounds and line of work.
I helped Stella in, threw the duffels in the back seat, then rounded to my side, gun at the ready. Once inside, I grabbed my pack and yanked out a T-shirt and hat. “Turn toward me.” When she did, I tied the shirt around the wound on her arm then put the hat on her head, tucking her hair in as best as I could. It would have to do.
The engine turned over. I took a moment and cupped her cheek. She leaned into my hand and kissed my palm. My heart pounded. Maybe she does want more? Or maybe she needs comfort.
I pulled onto the street, heading away from the hotel. We steered clear of most of the guys waiting for us, but something nagged in the back of my mind. I thought I’d recognized one of them. The shape of him, the hulking muscles that were more stacked than lean, and the trail of cigarette smoke as he’d leaned against the building across the street just before he joined the rest as they closed in on the front of the hotel.
We had a few hours until we arrived at our destination. As the miles flew by, the uneasy feeling that I knew him from somewhere stayed with me.
Chapter 14
Hawk
Darkness blanketed the seven log cabin houses spaced along the edge of a lake. I pulled into the driveway of the middle one on the east side. Large pine trees offered coverage. The lake was seated beneath one of Kirkwood’s majestic mountains, which provided additional security.
I parked in the gravel driveway, grabbed the bags, then helped Stella down. All the lights were out in the cabin we were heading into. The guys and I knew the owners. The place was extremely secure. Cameras littered the area. Nothing happened there without our former SEALs commander knowing about it.
We walked up to the cottage, and I felt under the windowsill for the small depression that hid the key. Cool metal met my fingertips, and I coaxed the key from its clever hiding place.
After unlocking the door, I flicked on the light and ushered Stella inside. I shut the door and locked it then took off the bags and put them down. We had to take care of her wound right away. I didn’t think it was terrible, but infection could set in, and I wanted to see if it required stitches.
I grasped her hand and tugged her along behind me. “We need to get you cleaned up.”
“I’m okay. I don’t think it’s all that bad.”
I spun her around to face me and took in how pale she was. Even if it was a scratch, what had happened shook her up. With care, I lifted her and set her on the bathroom counter to get a better view of her arm. From under the counter, I pulled out the first-aid kit we kept beneath the sink.
“How did you know that was there?”
I met her gaze, weighing what to tell her. I’d taken her to the cabin when I should have taken her elsewhere. We could have flown to Maine. In the cabin, it was just the two of us, alone. I wanted it that way.
When Jack and I had talked, I told him it was best to stay off the radar and beyond prying eyes, so we could figure out what we were going to do next. Even though I wanted to, I couldn’t divulge secrets to Red that involved the team, not regarding our safe house or who owned the property. That information was only for family, something she wasn’t. The organization her brother was mixed up with made her knowledge of anything pertinent dangerous.
She’d asked how I knew about the place. I couldn’t tell her. She wouldn’t know where we were. There were no addresses on the cabins, and we were far from the road. “Lucky guess.”
She pursed her lips. “You expect me to believe that after you found a hidden key under the window ledge? Is this your place?”
“No.” I grabbed the seam at the top of her sleeve and, with care, tore it off. “Let’s clean up your injury.” The material of her shirt stuck to her wound, and she flinched. Blood welled in the reopened gash. It couldn’t be helped. I had to get the shirt off her.
I clenched my teeth. Shouldn’t have brought her here. Panic bubbled in the pit of my stomach, and I grimaced.
“Hey.” Stella brushed my hands away before she cupped the side of my face. Her thumb traced over my cheekbone. “Why are you pulling away from me?”
God, I loved her touch. She was trying to look inside me, figure me out. I could tell because it was something I tried to do to her more and more. “I’m right here.”
“Well, yeah but I’m not talking about physically.” She laughed quietly. “Mentally, it’s like you’re a million miles away. What’s wrong?”
My hand closed around hers, and I moved both down to her thigh. I couldn’t think when she touched me. It was foreign and sent me into an avalanche of conflicting feelings. I’d admitted to myself that I liked her, but it couldn’t go past that. I knew she would realize that I wasn’t worth loving or even knowing. Her eyes sparkled with concern and with what I thought was trust. I didn’t want to see it extinguished. I wasn’t sure I would survive that.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should never have dragged you into this. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt when this is my problem.”
“No. It’s not yours. It’s your brother’s.”
She shook her head, and I was momentarily distracted by the need to run my hand through her soft curls. “That’s where you’re wrong. My brother is my responsibility. He’s family. I’d do anything for him, even if it means I’m in danger. Saving him is the same as saving myself.”
I frowned as I studied the steely conviction in her eyes and the determined set to her shoulders. She meant it. A part of me understood, as that was how it was between my brothers and me. They weren’t blood, but sometimes that was better, at least it had been for most of us. Trev and Chris were the exceptions. They were related, but their parents had been horrible too. What would it be like to have her feel that way about me? Love me no matter what?
I wanted that, but to wish for it was foolish. I broke from her gaze and focused on the task at hand, her injury.
Blood seeped in a trickle from where I’d removed the hastily tied t-shirt I’d wrapped around her to slow the bleeding. It was only a flesh wound, but it had to be cleaned and dressed. “This’ll sting.” I held her arm out and poured antiseptic over the injury. Her quick intake of breath was the only indication that it was uncomfortable. After I patted the area around the injury dry, I applied a heavy dose of antibiotic cream then bandaged it up.
“It’s not bad. A scratch.”
She flashed me a shaky smile through misty eyes. “No stitches needed?”
“No. It’ll be sore for a few days, but it should heal with a minimal scar.” My gaze dropped, and I busied myself with cleaning up the garbage and throwing the bloody shirt into the trash until her hands cupped my face and she forced me to meet her gaze.
“Thank you.”
Her lips brushed over mine, and desire exploded in my gut from the contact. One hand threaded through her hair, cradling her head, while my other wrapped around her waist and pulled her close.
She melted against me and breathed a small moan into my mouth as I coaxed her lips open. Only a tiny ounce of restraint leashed me from crushing her lips to mine. But it couldn’t go further. Even so, I couldn’t help stealing that small moment of heaven. She was so soft and sweet.
I slid my tongue along hers, deepening the kiss and losing myself for a few moments in her warmth. Her arms wound around my neck, and I shivered until she flinched. Shit. Her injury. I pulled back and gently disengaged her arms from around me, careful not to hurt her more. I wanted to apologize but couldn’t get th
e words past my lips that still tasted of her.
Confusion spread across her expressive features, and I wanted to smooth the uncertainty away. She had offered a kiss as thanks, not for me to pounce on her. Tempering the urge to kiss her again, I helped her down from the counter. Then I led her toward the kitchen, which I knew would be fully stocked. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”
The place was small, but the amenities were top-of-the-line. The kitchen had granite counters and a large gas range, double ovens, and an oversized fridge.
“Wow. I never thought there would be a kitchen like this from the outside of the cabin.”
That was the point. The cottages were supposed to appear rustic, bare bones. Inside needed to have enough beds to sleep a full team and feed them too. We tended to gather in one place for meals and briefings.
I indicated for her to take a seat, and I got to work rummaging through the fridge. God, I was hungry. “I can make a burger, or I think there’s some sandwich meat in here if you’d rather have that.”
Stella leaned back in her chair and watched me. “Burgers sound great.”
I couldn’t help it. I grinned back at her. It was annoying when a woman only wanted a salad, afraid to eat in front of others. She would fit right in with the rest of the women who’d become part of our growing family. If only that were a possibility.
I pulled out everything I needed to make the burgers, including bacon and cheese. I opened the cabinet that held the pots and pans and found the grill plate. Once that was heating up I dumped the ground beef in a bowl and mixed in an egg, seasoning, and a dash of cheddar.
Stella went to the fridge and grabbed a tomato and some lettuce. “You don’t mind if I help, do you?”
“Not at all.” I rather liked it. After I’d formed the patties and had them cooking on the grill plate, I got out two beers and handed one to her.
She leaned against the counter and took a long drink after plating the lettuce and sliced tomatoes. The cheese, buns, and dishes sat nearby. She’d even found a bag of chips.
