Never Tempt Danger

by Denise Robbins

  “It wasn’t an accident.” She could barely swallow with the tears that had formed and started to choke her.

  My attorney will have the pertinent details along with account numbers, codes, and deed to property. In a nutshell, I leave Maureen Gillman my brownstone house and all monetary accounts that include, checking, savings, and all investments. In addition, I can think of no better person to take over NanoRobotics than Maureen. She will love and care for the business as much as, if not more than me.

  “You left me your company?” Silent tears slid down her cheek and plopped onto the paper. She swiped at the puddle and then at her eyes. “Damn you. Why did you have to die? Why did you do this to me? I don’t want what you worked for.” She had not even been sure she wanted him. The day he put that ring on her finger, she…she…she would not have said yes.

  Enough of the details. Maureen, just know that you will never want for anything ever again. If I am dead, it is the least I can do for the woman who brought joy and happiness into my life. I will be eternally grateful for the day you shared your extraordinary gift with me. I fell in love that day. The day I knew, I could never live without you.

  Goodbye my love and be happy.

  Love,

  Jimmy

  As stated, the second page held the contact information for his attorney and the signed notary seal.

  Sobbing, she refolded the letter, stuffed it back in the envelope, and slid it under her shirt and into her waistband. The water stopped. Afraid of Lucas seeing her red-faced and teary-eyed, she used the hem of her shirt to clean up the telltale signs of her crying. Then she sat back, closed her eyes and willed any thoughts of Jimmy and the letter from her mind. She would deal with all of that when Morpheus was done and Jimmy’s killer was caught.

  SIXTEEN

  Lucas let the shower run warm then stepped into the tub. “Shit!” He jerked the curtain closed and rubbed at his shin.

  “Does it really matter?” he muttered as the spray pelted against his skin. “Damn right, it mattered.” He wanted to know if she had loved the guy or not. “Did she say yes or no?” It was a simple question and deserved a simple answer. He had a right to know. He had a right to know if Gilly, his Gilly, would have married the man who proposed.

  His head ached, but his heart hurt worse. Palms resting on the shower wall, Lucas dropped his head to his chest, and let the shower pound at his neck and shoulders. It eased some of the tense muscles. Seeing her naked, all that peaches and cream skin, perfect sweet thatch of copper hair between her thighs, her slim curves, nearly drove him mad. It took all his willpower and self-control not to dump her on the bed, injured or not, and make love to her. Hard and fast. He would show her that she had not loved Jimmy. She couldn’t. She loved him.

  Tilting his face up, he closed his eyes and switched the hot water to cool. For now, he would keep his distance. For now, he would focus on the situation and what needed to be done to protect her. But later… Lucas let the thought trail off as he stepped out of the tub.

  When he walked out of the bathroom fully dressed, he spotted Gilly bent over a pad of paper and a pen in her wrong hand.

  “I made a list,” she announced without glancing up at him.

  “A list for what?”

  She looked up then, her sea green eyes alight with excitement and something else. Had she been crying? She handed him a piece of paper. He took it and read. Barely legible, he managed to make out a few words. “Bioengineered polymer?” He lifted an eyebrow in question. “What the hell is this?”

  “There were a few things I still needed to get in order to build the replacement robot. I had planned to pick them up while I was down here. Luckily, I had been smart enough to put the other supplies in your trunk after you sabotaged the Bronco, otherwise, we would have to get a lot more.”

  “Sabotaged?” His mouth twitched up at the corner. “What are you talking about?” he asked with feigned innocence pocketing the list.

  Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. “Don’t even try to deny it. You’re a bad liar.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” He helped Gilly to her feet.

  “Oh, my gosh! The Bronco! Grandfather’s baby. Where is it? What are we going to do about it?” She stepped to his right and started to move. “We’ve got to go get it.”

  Lucas placed his arm in her way, blocked her movement when his hand clasped her waist. “It’s taken care of. I notified Mickey last night and he’s on it. I also asked him to put some men on your grandfather.”

  Her hair smacked him in the face when she whipped her head around. “What? Why?”

  “It is just a precaution.”

  She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with fright. She dropped the hand and spoke, her voice trembling. “You think someone could trace the car back to him. They could go after him. Oh, Lucas,” she wailed.

  He cupped her head and let her cry into his shoulder. “No one will get to Frank. I won’t let that happen.”

  Gilly shoved one-handed at his chest and pulled away from him, swiping at her eyes with the palm of her hand. “I’m fine. I think we need to get the supplies and get up there. I can protect him.”

  He shook his head. “Nuh-uh. First, the old bugger would know what you were doing and would resent it and you. Second, Frank would feel he had to protect you. That could be even more dangerous.”

  She gnawed on her lower lip, contemplating his words then finally nodded.

  “Mickey wants us to go in.” The stunned look on her face with her open mouth and her wide eyes made him realize he had said the wrong thing. His fingers brushed her arm. “Look, I think he happens to be right. You need to be put some place safe.”

  “No.” She wrenched free from his touch and shoved at his chest with her forearm as she stepped past him. “I am not going to any safe house. I have a job to do. Scratch that,” she said and spun back to face him, her mouth set in a grim line. “I have two jobs to do.”

  “Two?”

  “Yes. First and foremost, I have to complete the work on Morpheus. Second, I have to find out who killed Jimmy and Daniel and why?”

  Okay, what? “Are you nuts? Someone has already killed two people you know, taken several pot shots at you, not to mention me—”

  “I never asked you to come after me. I’m a trained agent just as you are, just the same as everyone else who works for Mickey.”

  “Someone isn’t trying to kidnap everyone else. Only you!”

  Lucas watched as she reeled back in shock. She had not put it together. “Why do you think you were hit in the shoulder? That guy!” He took a cautious step forward and lowered his voice. “That guy wanted to wound and disable you, not kill you.”

  Her lower lip sucked in between her teeth, Gilly glared at him, and stiffened her spine, crossing her good arm under the one in the sling.

  Oh, holy hell! “You already knew that!” He exploded at her, his concern and worry taking over his normally calm demeanor. “You have a death wish? Is that it?”

  “No!”

  “Your boyfriend dies and you want to join him?” He saw the words reach out and slap her, but he could not, would not take them back. “Damn you, Gilly!”

  “For what?”

  “For being pigheaded, stubborn, beautiful, and brilliant!”

  Her mouth opened but no words came out. Good. He went on. “Damn you for letting some other man love you! For wanting to set yourself up as bait! For giving up on me! Us.” He plopped down on the edge of the bed, dropped his head into his hands. “For not trusting me.”

  Her heart stopped. Gilly stood there stunned, staring at the man who had just rocked her world for a second time in her life. Or was it a third? Unable to take in all his words, she did not know what to do, or to say.

  She eased down next to him and clasped one of his hands in hers. “Lucas.” She paused and cleared the squeak from her voice. “Lucas, we need to talk.”

  “Damn right we do,” he bit out. She smiled at the back of his head,
at his acerbic tone. Leave it to him to bite her head off when she wanted to soothe.

  “Now is not the time.” She waited and he nodded. “Yes, I knew someone would probably come after me. That was why I left. I didn’t want to risk anyone else getting caught in the crosshairs and I couldn’t risk getting caught.”

  “You had no right to put your own life at risk.”

  “I have every right. It’s my life.”

  He glared at her, hard. “It’s not just your life,” he told her and looked away. “If I hadn’t been there yesterday what would have happened?”

  “I…I probably would have been long gone before the shooter ever took his first shot.” Lucas grunted. A concession? She doubted it and shrugged her good shoulder.

  “Why would someone want you?” He turned and pinned her in his sights. “Why does someone want you alive and not dead?”

  She chewed her bottom lip. “Because of Morpheus.”

  “The robot.”

  Gilly inclined her head.

  He reached up and ran his thumb across her worry lip. “What else?”

  What else? Should she tell him? She debated with herself whether or not to tell Lucas about the neural network feature on the robot and how her curse was involved. She cocked her head and sized him up. If she told him, would he run again? He had the first time. Somehow, she doubted it. Her gut told her that no matter what, Lucas planned to stick with her. Well, for everyone’s sake, it would be safer to keep the second reason someone wanted her as a secret.

  “Never mind, Maureen.” He shot up from the bed. “I don’t want a lie.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek, deliberated one more minute, then mentally shrugged off his attitude and got to her feet.

  “Have you got everything?”

  She glanced around the room. The only things she came in with were her wound, the ring in her pocket, the FLASH drive. “Do you have the USB drive?”

  “Yup.”

  “Can I have it please?” She held out her palm.

  He hesitated then fished in his pocket. “Still don’t trust me, huh?” he asked in a grumble and smacked the device into her waiting hand.

  “Thank you.” Gilly ignored his barb and tucked the little drive back where it belonged. Next to her heart. “Okay, let’s go shopping.” Lucas groaned and she smiled at his back as he walked through the door.

  “Wait until I give you the go ahead.”

  “Luke.” Her whine of protest went unheeded.

  With his weapon at his side, he checked for possible threats, stuffed his duffle in the trunk of the car then finally came back for her.

  When he wrapped an arm around her waist, Gilly knew it had nothing to do with intimacy, and everything to do with protection. It grated on her nerves. “You do realize I have a gun tucked in my pants?”

  He opened the passenger side door and helped maneuver her into the seat. After shutting the door, he sprinted around the car and slid in behind the wheel. The engine started and Lucas backed the car out of the lot and onto the highway. Then he finally acknowledged her. “Yeah, I know you do.”

  “You also realize that I’m capable of using said weapon, right?” Behind the steering wheel, a wide grin slid across Luke’s face and surprised her. “What?”

  “Apparently you forgot which shoulder is injured.”

  “Well, hell,” she puffed out. She had not forgotten, she just hadn’t thought about it. And of course, she was not ambidextrous. Sure, she could pull the trigger left-handed. Would she hit the target? Damn, damn, double damn! Gilly had no choice. She was stuck with Lucas. Rubbing her chin, she observed him out of the corner of her eye.

  “Quit eyeballing me like I’m a piece of meat.”

  Her hand dropped to her lap as her mouth fell open. “You wish.”

  Lucas chuckled, laughing at her. The bastard.

  “Where am I going for these robot parts?”

  “Not parts. It’s the materials to build the parts.” Gilly ignored the rolling of his eyes. “Head to M Street in Georgetown.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “You can find all kinds of shops downtown that sell any number of items.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted it, knowing where his mind had wandered.

  A few years back, Lucas dragged her to Georgetown on a dare. Actually, they had been in Georgetown for dinner at Houlihan’s, her favorite restaurant. Afterwards, they strolled around M Street and various side streets, visiting various shops until they came to an adult toy store. She had walked right past the entrance and Lucas laughed at her, called her chicken.

  “I am not chicken,” she blustered.

  “Bock, bock,” he squawked in her ear. Her shoulders bunched up as his breath tickled and shivers of anticipation raced through her. Evil man. “I dare you.”

  Of all the things he could have said, that did the trick. She did an about-face, stomped back to the store and flung the door to Pleasure Place open. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she was spellbound. Glow in the dark dildos hung from the ceiling. Lucas walked in behind her and plastered himself against her backside. He steered her toward a shining silver rack toward the back of the dimly lit store. Hanging on the rack was all manner of leather goods. Leather bras, hoods, even leather men’s jock thingies. Lucas picked up a hanger and held a red bustier up to her chest.

  “Mmm.” He grinned and his eyebrows danced. “I’d love to see you in that.”

  She had shoved his hand and the red leather away. “Pig.”

  Lucas chuckled and put the bra back.

  Something behind him caught her attention. She walked past him and careful not to touch anything else, she lifted the cattail whip from its peg. She tested its flexibility, grasping it at both ends and bending it. Turning to face Lucas, she slapped the whip against her palm just enough so the crack was evident.

  One of Lucas’s brows shot skyward. “Uh, what do you plan to do with that?”

  Her tongue licked her mouth and she held in her grin by biting down on the corner of her lower lip. “Gil—ly. You’ve got that wicked gleam in those Irish eyes.”

  Without thinking, her arm shot out and the whip cracked sweetly against his firm ass. An indescribable thrill shot through her. Her heart leapt and her toes curled inside her shoes. Lucas grabbed the whip and tugged her to him, hard against his solid chest. “You’re dangerous.”

  “Mmm.” She nipped at his warm mouth. “You like it.”

  “Do not tempt me, sweetheart.” He grinned and without her knowing it, slid the whip from her grasp. “Never tempt danger,” he growled.

  She gasped. The sting, electrifying and exciting bit into her hip. Momentarily stunned, Gilly felt her heart beat and race against Lucas as a delicious heat skittered down and pooled between her thighs. Through veiled lashes, she peered up into lascivious lavender eyes. Never tempt Danger, Lucas Danger, ran through her mind as he pulled her to the counter to pay for his toy and practically dragged her out the door, to the car, and back to their hotel.

  “We’re on M.”

  Damn! Just when she was getting to the good part, Lucas interrupted her trip down memory lane. “Go to Potomac and find a spot to park. Spybot is down on L Street.”

  “Spybot?” he asked as he drove down Potomac. “What kind of name is that?”

  “Actually, it is the perfect name. They carry spy gear as well as robot paraphernalia.”

  No spots on Potomac, Lucas pulled into a parking lot on L and took the ticket from the attendant. Gilly reached across her body to the door handle to open it, but she could not quite get the door to release. Lucas opened it and helped her out.

  Wrapping a protective arm around her waist, he kept his body between Gilly and the street. He really wished she would agree to go to a safehouse. Mickey could arrange it and no one would be the wiser. If she were not so damn stubborn, she would see the reasoning behind it and listen. It was for her own good.

  Gilly stopped walking and he almost tripp
ed over her. He went on alert, but his attention was on her. From his peripheral vision, he saw a skinny bald man cross the street ahead of them and a woman wearing a skirt that rode her ass step out of a shop and stride away. Cars honked, tires bumped over seams in the road, and he caught a grumbled conversation between two people coming up behind them. He shifted her closer to the brick building, creating a barricade between her and the passersby and waited. Once they had gone, he pinned her with his gaze.

  “Mind telling me what that was about?”

  White teeth bit into her lower lip. She shifted her gaze up and right.

  “Do not lie to me, Gilly,” he warned.

  She rolled her eyes and shoved at his chest, but he refused to budge. He waited.

  “You were thinking too loud.”

  He stared at her. Of all the things he had expected her to say, that was not it. “I what?”

  “I’m not going to a safehouse. Period. It has nothing to do with being stubborn.”

  He gaped at her, stunned. “You read my mind.” He didn’t pose it as a question because he obviously knew that was exactly what she had done. “I do not understand.” Lucas shook his head. “You picked up on what I was just thinking but you did not know it was me in the house when you beat me to a pulp.” He glared at her waiting for an explanation.

  “I can’t pick up everything, just some things slip through. It depends on the intensity and the connection.” Her eyelids flapped shut for a second and then re-opened. Her Irish eyes stared right through him. “You and I have a connection.”

  She blew out a breath and the long bangs over her forehead fluttered up, leaving a couple of red strands standing at attention. “The whole thing is tied to emotions. Mine and whoever else, in this case, you.”

  He did not get it. He wanted to, but not now. They needed to move and get off the wide-open street. Before he moved, he had to ask one question, but she spoke again.