by Nikki Rose
“Chris? I was so afraid you were dead. I saw the explosion...”
“I'm okay.”
“There are guys after me. One works for whoever won the auction.”
“Patrick?”
“How'd you know?”
A gun fired in the distance and dirt flew up beside us. I screamed and glanced toward the sound to see Oleg with a gun aimed our way. Chris pulled me around the side of the car, crouching low.
“It was a ruse to get you out of there before the team took down Petrov and his men.”
Chris peeked from behind the car and took a shot just as another bullet shattered the side window. He dodged and then peeked out again, firing a shot and retreating.
“I think I got him.”
“What about the other guy?”
“We’re clear.” I recognized Patrick’s voice calling out from the other side of the car.
“He’s with us. We’re clear.” We stood up and looked over to see Oleg lying motionless on the gravel.
I turned to Chris, so confused and needing more explanation, “It was all a plan?”
“It was a backup plan, in case I couldn't get to you before the auction was over. Damn it, watching what those guys did to you...” Chris grabbed me and crushed me against his chest. I wrapped my arms around him and cried tears of relief. I was safe.
“I’m okay. I'm gonna be a little sore once this adrenaline wears off but I'm okay.”
“I will never let you out of my sight again.”
Patrick approached us, huffing, out of breath, “Sir, I'm sorry. She got the jump on me.”
“It's okay, Patrick. She has a habit of doing that.” Chris gave me a look and I flushed.
“You must be exhausted. Let's go sit in the hanger while we wait for the others to meet us here.”
CHAPTER 29
Chris
“Come on. Let’s find somewhere you can sit down.” I led Caroline into the hanger. Spotting a few crates in the corner, we walked to them and I guided her to sit.
“Chris, I’m fine. Really. I’ve been sitting too much as it is.” She gave a timid smile and I couldn’t resist grabbing her and pulling her to me again. I just needed her in my arms.
“I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Thanks to you.” Her voice was slightly pained and I noted the way she tensed when I held her.
“You’re hurt.”
“It's just some bruises. I’ll be fine.”
“Let me see.”
“Chris...”
“Let me see.”
She let out a sigh and lifted her shirt just enough to show her midsection. Angry purple and blue bruises riddled her stomach and side, wrapping partly around her back.
“Damn it, Caroline.”
“It doesn’t hurt that bad.”
“It doesn’t...you should have never had to go through any of this. If I hadn’t...” I looked down at the ground. Looking at her was just too painful.
“Hey, listen...” She lifted my face to look into her eyes. “I’m okay, thanks to you.”
I ran my hand through her hair and cupped the side of her face, lightly brushing my thumb over her split lip. A magnetic pull drew me to her as I honed in on her lips. I kissed her softly, just a whisper on her lips before Hunter, Mason, and the other guys joined us in the hanger.
“Whoa, didn’t mean to interrupt again.” Mason smirked at me as they walked in.
“Does someone want to explain how you pulled this off?” Hunter came up to me and Caroline with the other men close behind.
I smiled at them, took out my phone, and dialed Mikey again, this time putting it on speaker phone.
“Hey, Mikey. You're on speaker. I got Caroline, Hunter, Mason, and the rest of the guys here wanting to know how we pulled this off. I thought you'd be the best one to explain.”
“Hey! Yeah sure. Well, when Chris called me earlier to confirm the Director had canceled our dig into the Russian’s server to find a location on them, Chris and I came up with an idea.”
“The Russians were mainly protecting their location. How can I explain this? They had set up digital tripwires to alert them if we got too close. What they weren’t monitoring was their communication between them and their buyers and their guard went down even more after the money was wire transferred into their account.”
“All we had to do was wait for them to determine the winner, then intercept communication. We told the winner a location about fifty miles south of here. Some of our guys were dispatched there to pick him up. Then we told Petrov that the winner would be sending one of his guys to pick up the girl so that he could transport her to Russia. So that he would know it was the right guy, we gave him a detailed description of one of our operatives and even went so far as to come up with an agreed upon phrase for security purposes. After that it was a piece of cake. Our guy walked right out of there with the girl.”
“Genius.” Caroline exclaimed more to herself than to any of us.
“Yes, yes, I am.” Mikey, always the modest one, replied and I laughed.
“Thanks for everything, Mikey. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Anytime. Oh, and Caroline...”
“Yes?”
“Glad to know you are safe.”
“Thanks, Mikey.”
I hung up the phone and gazed into Caroline’s eyes, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. “I’m glad you’re safe too. I would have never forgiven myself if something happened to you.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I ran away. Hell, I drugged you.”
“Wait, she drugged you?” Mason was doing a poor job at fighting back a laugh.
“Yeah.”
“How the hell did you let that happen?” Hunter chuckled out loud.
“She dosed the cupcakes with sleeping pills.” I ground out through clenched teeth, knowing I was going to catch hell for it.
“Oh, well then that’s understandable. I mean who could turn down cupcakes?”
“Hey, how was I supposed to know the little troublemaker was planning on a jailbreak?”
“Troublemaker?” Caroline nudged me with her elbow and looked up at me with that sexy teasing little smile.
I fought back a smile of my own as I tried to maintain a serious facade. “Oh, don’t play innocent. You know you’re a troublemaker. It’s one of the reasons I love you—” I stopped the words from coming out of my mouth seconds too late. This was not how I’d planned to tell her I loved her. Not in an old airplane hangar surrounded by the guys I work with.
That teasing smile slipped from her face into a shocked yet hopeful expression and my chest clenched. “You love me?”
“I—uh. Yeah. I love you.” A smile tugged at the corner of my lips and I gave in to the grin that threatened to split my face in half.
“I love you too.”
The guys all began to chatter, making excuses for other places they needed to be and soon the group dispersed, leaving just Caroline and myself in the hanger.
“I’m so sorry I drugged you and ran away. I was just so upset when you started acting so cold and distant from me.”
“Cold and distant? You mean before or after you announced you were going out with Derek to the club?”
“Before. When we were having breakfast with my dad. We had just had amazing sex right before we went to breakfast then suddenly—”
“I was feeling guilty for hiding our relationship from your dad. While we were waiting for you to come down for breakfast your dad was going on and on about how much he trusted me and how that was why he picked me for this assignment. It was torture looking him in the face knowing I was sleeping with you behind his back. I was trying to think of a plan to come clean and tell him without screwing everything up.”
“Our relationship? So, it wasn’t just about the sex for you?”
“Of course not. I mean, sex with you is out of this world but—”
There was a loud sound of a throat being cleared a
nd we jumped as the Director walked into the hanger looking very serious. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there but judging by the look on his face, it was long enough.
“Director Applegate, sir, I need to explain—”
He held up his hand to cut me off. This was not how I’d hoped he’d find out about me and his daughter by the cat was out of the bag and there was no putting it back. He turned to Caroline with his back to me and held her by the shoulders at arm's length.
“I’m so glad we got you back safe. I can’t even tell you how worried I’ve been. I’m sorry that my overbearing and overprotective ways drove you to feel like you had no other option but to run away. I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too, dad.” Caroline wrapped her arms around him and I stood back, a spectator to their embrace.
The Director released her and turned around to look at me. “And as for you...”
“I know, sir. I broke protocol more than once and on top of that I—”
“You saved my little girl. If it wasn’t for you, I would have lost her forever. I can never thank you enough for what you did today. And, I cannot think of a better man for my daughter.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No, son. Thank you.”
CHAPTER 30
Caroline
“Dad, I’m fine to go out. I’m feeling better.” I stood in the doorway of my dad’s study with my arms crossed, letting him know that I wasn’t backing down.
“You shouldn’t be going out so soon. Why can’t you just stay in for your date?”
“I have a small fracture in one rib. The doctor already said that I can do light activity and I’m going crazy sitting around the house all the time.”
“I just want you to be safe.”
“Haven’t we learned anything from all this?”
“Yeah, watch out, sir or she might offer you a cupcake.” Chris came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist.
“Shut up, you.” I lightly elbowed him in the stomach and he pretended to be hurt then laughed.
“In all seriousness, sir. I promise you I’ll keep her safe. We’re just going out to dinner and maybe a drink after.”
“I believe you’ll keep her safe but, who’s going to keep you safe?” He raised his brow, trying to keep a straight face.
“Don’t worry, Sir. I’ll call for backup if I need it.” Both men laughed.
I elbowed Chris again. “Well, if you two are finished, I need to go get ready.”
I stepped into my little silver dress and pulled it up my body, looping the spaghetti straps over each shoulder. Chris and I had slept together several times. We’d been through so much but technically this would be our first date and I was unbelievably nervous. No matter how much I tried to remind myself this was the same Chris I’d fought with, laughed with, slept with—I couldn’t calm my nerves.
I checked my lipstick one last time before shoving it into my silver clutch. My ribs ached as I took a deep breath and struggled to calm my racing heart as I walked out of my room. The house was quiet except for the muffled talking from my dad’s study. I walked down the stairs and neared the door, hearing Chris and my dad talking. Curiosity made me pause at the door and listen.
“So, she went with him voluntarily.” My dad said with some irritation. It wasn’t so much a question as a realization.
“Yes, sir.”
“I know Caroline is strong willed, but she’s smart. Why would she run away when she knew about the dangers?”
“I’m afraid that was my fault, Sir. Things between us got—complicated. She felt that she needed to get away.”
“I know the second team picked up the Russians at their safe house. But, did you guys ever find Derek?”
“Yes sir. Seems the Russians never planned to pay him for Caroline. My team found him out in the middle of an abandoned campsite with a bullet in his head.”
I threw my hand over my mouth as a gasp escaped while listening to them talk. “They probably figured a bullet would be cheaper.”
There was a long pause and I peeked in to see my dad and Chris looking toward the door.
“Caroline? Come on in.” My dad smiled at me and motioned me inside.
I pushed the door open and timidly stepped inside. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I’m just updating your dad on the case.” Chris pulled me to his side and kissed my cheek before whispering in my ear, “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him before turning back to confront the conversation I’d walked in on. “So, Derek’s dead?” Even though he’d been a horrible person and turned me over to the Russians, a part of me still felt bad that he’d been killed.
“Yeah.” Chris wrapped his arm around my shoulders as always, knowing exactly what I needed in that moment.
“I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused.”
“I’m just happy you’re home safe.” My dad looked at me with tears glistening in his eyes. His face hardened slightly as he turned to face Chris. “And that wouldn’t have happened without you. I owe you my life because if anything had happened to her, it would have killed me. She’s everything I have since her mother died. You be sure to take good care of her.”
“I will, sir. With my life but, Caroline is stronger than you sometimes give her credit for. She can do a lot to take care of herself too.” Chris squeezed my shoulders affectionately and I nuzzled into his side.
“You mean with all those self-defense lessons you’ve been giving her over the past several weeks?” I tensed, my jaw falling slack. I had no idea my father had known about my lessons.
“Sir?” Chris sounded just as shocked and I took the chance to peek up at him.
“You didn’t think all those lessons went unnoticed, did you?” my dad chuckled.
“I—uh. I’m sorry, sir. But I felt very strongly that Caroline should have—”
“It was my fault. I pushed for the lessons.”
My dad held up his hand to quiet us both. “I’m glad you did. When I saw you two training and how good she was at it...” He turned to look from Chris to me, pride beaming from his expression. “You were so strong, so capable. It made me even more proud of you than I was. And, some of that came in handy. Knowing when to fight and when to feign compliance. That in itself I believe helped keep you from being hurt worse.”
“She’s an extremely strong, amazing woman.” Chris gazed down at me. There was so much pride, love, and admiration in both of their eyes that it overwhelmed me and made my heart swell.
My dad’s voice lightened. “Yes, she is. And strong willed too. Just like her mother. I can guarantee this, you’ll never be bored.”
“I have no doubt about that, sir.” Chris squeezed me again and I grinned at the two of them. I’d never been happier in my whole life than to be surrounded by the two men I loved more than anything and to have that love returned so completely.
I rounded my dad’s desk and hugged him tight around the neck, kissing his cheek. “I love you, dad.”
“I love you too. You two should probably get going before you miss your reservations.”
“Thank you, sir.”
My dad nodded to Chris as I joined him near the door.
“Oh, and Chris?” My dad stopped us just before we made it out of his doorway.
“If you need it, don’t hesitate to call for backup.”
Drawing the Line
CHAPTER 1
Mason
I drove down the dark highway, leaving the lights of the city behind. A shrill ring came from my phone and I pressed the touchscreen on my dash to answer.
“Carlile.”
“Mason, hey. Where are you?”
“I'm on my way. Just hit the nine now. I should be there in twenty.”
“I'm already here. Location is secure.”
“Good. Just hang tight and I'll call when I get there.”
I hit the button to end the call and veered off onto my exit, fol
lowing the navigation.
I hated the boatyard at night. Maybe it was the black abyss that seemed to go on forever, threatening to suck me in or maybe it was the eerie quiet. Nothing good ever happened in the boatyard after dark.
My senses were on high alert, assessing the area for any possible threat. The wooden docks creaked against the small waves that crashed against them and the bell of a buoy chimed in the distance. Otherwise, there was nothing, no sound or sign of life anywhere.
I kept my flashlight low, searching for his boat, the Nauti Wench, where I was meeting Jamie. In the year I'd known him, it was the only place he trusted to be secure.
The stern of the boat bobbed in the water near the dock and the orange scripted name along the hull came into view.
Keeping my distance from the boat, I pulled out my cell and hit send on the number already programmed in. A strange high-pitched beep pierced the silence through the phone's speaker. I wince and jerked the phone from my ear.
“What the hell?”
I could barely get the words out before a loud blast ripped through the air. I was half blinded by the brightness of the explosion in front of me. Instincts took over as I shielded my eyes from the blast, crouching and ducking as debris fell all around and ash rained down on me.
When I finally stood, the Nauti Wench’s shattered fragments were engulfed in flames. I ran to the edge of the dock, yelling out and calling for Jamie. I wanted to run inside but there was no way anyone could have survived that blast and there was no way I'd survive if I went in.
An explosion that big would inevitably attract a lot of attention so I fought the pull toward the boat and hurried back to my car.
Sirens wailed in the distance. I needed to get as far away from the docks as possible. Police lights pierced through the dark as I drove. I did my best to keep a regular speed, fighting the urge to press the gas pedal to the floorboard. Up ahead were more blue flashing lights but these were still.
A road block.
I couldn't turn around. It would be too obvious. And, I couldn't let the police see me covered in ash and smelling like smoke. If I did that, I should just save them the time and cuff myself. Instead, I took a deep breath and played it cool, turning down one of the smaller residential streets.
