Everyone laughed, and Brody shrugged as he returned to Arden’s side. “Can’t win them all.”
“I guess not.”
They wrapped up the festivities with cake and wine and more dancing. With the moon shining down, and Arden sweet and familiar in his arms, Brody wasn’t in a hurry for the evening to end.
Nearly all the guests had departed, and they’d sent the honeymooners on their way when Arden took the keys from him and urged him toward the car. “I’ll drive.”
He settled good-naturedly on the passenger side after Patch and Riley squeezed into the back. “I’m not drunk.”
“No, but you aren’t exactly sober, either. I haven’t been drinking, other than a sip of champagne during the toast.”
“I wondered about that.”
“Someone has to be the designated driver.” Riley spoke up from behind him.
“We appreciate your due diligence, Arden.” Patch sounded half-asleep.
“I definitely appreciate you. Period.” Reaching across the console, Brody rested his palm on her thigh where her dress rode up well above her knee. When she didn’t shrug off his hand as she accelerated out between the gates of the Croft estate, he considered it a major victory.
Less than ten minutes later, she pulled up in front of the rental chalet, and they all piled out of the car. Once inside, Patch and Riley headed straight to their room, calling brief good nights. Brody took the dogs out, as had become his habit. Standing on the lawn in the dark, he stared up at the star-filled sky. When a shooting star flew across the magnificent vista, he made a wish, pouring all his hopes and dreams into it. That he and Arden could find their way back to each other and be a family again.
When the dogs finally finished peeing and strolled back to the house, he went inside and locked up. Feeling his way through the dark, he climbed the stairs, stopped in the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then entered the bedroom. He faltered and gripped the doorframe, his gaze riveted on Arden who was curled up in the double bed. He was almost afraid to hope.
“Am I sleeping in the twin tonight?”
She shook her head, her pale hair fanning across the pillow. “No.”
He lost no time kicking off his shoes and stripping off his suit. After tossing his clothes on the chair in the corner, he dropped his socks and briefs on the floor, turned off the bedside lamp, and crawled into bed beside her. She was naked in his arms, and he couldn’t hold back a groan of pleasure. Only a single intelligible word escaped as he pressed his lips against her sweet neck. “Why?”
“Keeping you at arm’s length doesn’t make me care any less. I’ve tried not to love you, and it isn’t working.” Her voice cracked.
“I’ll give you whatever you need to be happy, babe. I swear to God I will.”
“Giving and taking has to work both ways. We have to find a compromise we can both live with.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He held her face in his hands and kissed her.
Making love to Arden was like coming home. Familiar. Passionate. Tender. Wrapped up in his wife was the only place he ever wanted to be—making the moment last as long as humanly possible his only goal. Her satisfaction was paramount. His a given.
He tasted every square inch of her from her head to her toes, pausing more times than he could count in between. She lay with her eyes closed, mindless sounds of pleasure escaping her lips as he made love to her. When it was finally over, and they were both left damp and heated, he could only cup one palm over her breast and know he was the luckiest man in the world.
“I’ve missed you so much these last years.” One tear slid down her cheek. “I tried so hard to move on and couldn’t.”
He tugged her close against him and rested his face on her hair. “Moving on wasn’t even on my radar. All I’ve ever wanted was you back in my life. I only stayed away because I didn’t want to hurt you any worse than I already had.”
“This won’t be easy. I have to somehow not lose my mind every time you leave on a rescue mission. I have to trust you’ll come home to me.”
“Maybe I can hire more agents and not go out in the field as often.” His gut clenched as he said the words, wondering if he could send his team into danger and not go with them.
“I know you, Brody. That would kill you.”
“No, losing you again would kill me. Anything else I can get used to. Eventually.”
“Riley manages. Of course, she’s super busy with teaching and her Alzheimer’s trials. Maybe staying focused on my own endeavors would help. I want to continue working with my bees, maybe expand my customer base.”
“I’ll support you one hundred percent. Before, it was different. You were all about being a mom. Now, I can see where you’ll need a hobby—”
She gave him a push. “Honey Be Mine isn’t a hobby. It’s a business.”
“Well, sure, but you don’t need to work—”
She shoved a little harder, breaking out of his hold. “This is what you’d damn well better work on. Your fifties mentality of providing for the little woman. I don’t need you to take care of me. I choose to be your partner. There’s a big difference.”
Her fierce tone jolted him out of his comfort zone. “You’re right. I’ll do my best to adjust my mindset. We’ve talked about this before. I guess I didn’t—”
“Think I was serious? I am. I’m not that young girl barely out of college you married. I’ve grown and matured. If you want a malleable little lady who’ll ‘yes, dear’ your every command, this isn’t going to work.”
“I don’t. I love your strength. We’ve both changed, and I think that’s a good thing.”
After a moment, she scooted closer and rested her face on his chest. “There’s more we need to discuss.”
“Thanos?” He tightened his grip on her. “I intend to neutralize that bastard sooner rather than later.”
“Actually—” She broke off when a phone rang. “Do you need to answer that?”
“It isn’t my ringtone. Crap.” He let go of her and levered out of bed. “It’s Scarlet’s agency cell.” Hurrying across the room, he picked up his jacket and pulled the phone from its pocket, along with his own cell when it began to vibrate.
“You have a new case?” Arden’s voice was hesitant.
“No, we have a new case.” The ringing stopped as the call went to voicemail. “Are you ready to do this?”
She sat up and tucked the sheet beneath her arms. “I guess I’ll have to be.”
He checked the text message he’d just received and let out a breath. “Jesus.”
“What?”
“A friend of mine from our old SEAL team is a stuntman in Hollywood. He gave our emergency contact number to the actor he’s currently working with. Someone kidnapped the man’s son, and he says it’s a shit show with paparazzi all over the place since he’s such a high-profile figure. Apparently, word leaked fast.”
Arden pressed a hand to her mouth. “Who?”
“Lincoln Saxe.”
“The star from all those FBI thrillers? Oh, my God. Didn’t his wife just have a baby?”
“Their son is three months old.”
She let out a cry. “I can’t even imagine.” She closed her eyes. “Yes, I can. I know exactly how they feel.”
He glanced up from texting the rest of the team. “I know you do. That’s why you’re going to stay calm and focused when you talk to them. Tell them to sit tight while we gather intel. Reassure them we will rescue their son.”
He dug in his suitcase to pull out a pair of jeans, then paused when his phone dinged. He typed a quick response to Sparrow. Then another to Luna. Across the hall, a door opened. Patch was awake and moving.
“Will we?”
He glanced over at Arden. “Hell, yes, we will. Saving victims is what Counterstrike does.” He held out the lifeline phone. “Call them back. Tell them help is on the way.”
She took it from him and nodded, her eyes anxious. “Right now, hope is what they need
most, something to hold on to, and that’s exactly what I’ll give them.”
Chapter Eighteen
Arden sat on the patio with her laptop, trying her best to both comfort and learn something useful from Lincoln and Gina Saxe over Skype. At first, talking to the famous—not to mention extremely handsome—movie star had been a little surreal, but after a couple of interactions, she’d dismissed his Hollywood glamour. He and his wife were simply two distraught and terrified parents who only wanted their baby boy back alive.
The view in front of her was of Marblehead Bay with the Atlantic Ocean stretching to the horizon. On the computer screen, she could just make out the Pacific Ocean beyond the couple who sat on the deck of their Malibu beach house. Though they were on opposite sides of the country, they were united in their fear for the missing child and resolve to safely bring him home.
She referred to the list of questions Luna had texted her after landing in Southern California. The team had determined the kidnapping wasn’t a professional job. Whoever had abducted the baby had also taken a few clothes and stuffed animals, not the MO of a killer. More than likely, the person who was holding little Connor Saxe was known to the couple. There had been no ransom request, which made tracking the psycho more difficult. But the forensic team had discovered a single auburn hair on the windowsill in the child’s nursery.
Arden relayed the latest police findings made available to the team through Brody’s FBI contact, hoping the parents could provide some sort of lead.
“A basic DNA test on the hair indicated it was from a woman. It’ll take time to get specific genetic information, but it wasn’t a close familial match to either of you.”
“A woman took Connor?” Gina wiped fresh tears off her splotchy pink face.
Arden wasn’t sure if she’d stopped crying for more than a minute or two since finding their baby missing. “Yes, an auburn-haired woman. She probably entered the house through the partially open window and left the same way.”
“The breeze felt so nice yesterday evening.” Gina broke down sobbing again. “If only I’d locked the damn window.”
“This isn’t your fault.” Arden spoke firmly. “Nothing that happened is your fault. But right now, we need your help to identify the intruder. She’s probably someone you know slightly or at least have seen near your home. Maybe down on the beach or driving in the neighborhood.”
“The police asked us about strangers who might have been loitering in the area.” Lincoln squeezed his wife’s hand. “Hell, there’re always paparazzi around, so I barely notice random gawkers. It comes with the territory.”
“Try to remember anyone with red hair. It’s not a super common color.” Arden did her best to sound encouraging.
“Our neighbors two houses down had a party on the beach a couple of days ago. A girl with long red hair spiked the volleyball over the net while I was walking along the shore with Connor. She was young, probably late teens. I remember thinking she must play on her high school team since she was so good.”
Arden scribbled notes. “That’s great, Gina. These are the type of recollections that might help. Anyone else who struck a chord with you recently?”
“No.” She pressed her fingers to her eyes and rocked back and forth. “Other than that party, it’s been quiet around here. Even the paparazzi had made themselves scarce until news broke that Connor—”
Her husband wrapped an arm around her when she buried her face in her hands. “The media came out in full force once they heard about the kidnapping. One of the local cops must have told someone.” His finely cut lips were pressed into a tight line, and his brown eyes were filled with despair. “We’ve had no one at our home lately but our usual cleaning woman. No repairmen or anyone like that.”
“I don’t suppose your cleaning woman has auburn hair?” Arden asked.
He shook his head. “No. Marta’s hair is dark.”
Gina raised her head, a wild look in her eyes. “Your sister and her friend stopped by for a visit yesterday morning. You’d gone to the gym.”
“Bridget would never—”
“Cassidy has red hair.” Her voice cracked. “She held Connor and said how sweet he is. She talked about how much fun the three of you used to have together in high school.”
“I’ve known Cassidy since we were toddlers. She and Bridget have been best friends forever. She—”
“What’s her last name?” Arden interrupted.
“Cassidy Styles.” Gina’s voice rose to a screech. “Do you think she took my baby?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll certainly find out.” Arden met Lincoln’s gaze. “Where does she live?”
“Santa Barbara. I can ask Bridget for her address.”
“Please don’t. Don’t say a word about this to anyone, including the police. You know how fast any little detail can leak out. Let us handle this.”
He nodded, a flash of hope lighting his eyes. “We won’t. You’ll call us as soon as you know anything?”
“The second there’s news, I’ll be in touch.”
“Find my baby. Please find him,” Gina sobbed.
“We will.” Arden took a breath and spoke the words no one had ever offered when she’d been so desperate to hear them. “I promise.”
After disconnecting, she picked up her phone with a shaking hand and called Brody.
He answered on the first ring. “Anything new from the parents?”
“Yes.” Excitement filled her as she pushed to her feet. “I think I know who has Connor. You can save him, Brody.” Her voice cracked. “You can save him.”
* * * *
Arden was there, within sight but not within reach. He’d had no chance to get near her in New Hampshire, not with Grant glued to her side the entire time. Now her new watchdog was on alert twenty-four seven while his nemesis was off saving yet another victim. Asshole. Interfering in someone else’s carefully laid plans.
Demetri lowered the binoculars and rubbed his aching leg. The constant pain was a never-ending reminder of how much he wanted to make Brody Grant suffer.
Maybe he could pick off his ex-wife with a long-distance shot while she walked along the beach, but where would be the fun in that? He wanted the man to experience anguish and guilt before he took them both out.
Soon. Very soon. The situation had dragged on for far too long. Grant and Counterstrike had screwed him over for the last time.
The first step in his new plan would be a little mental torture to draw Grant out and lure him into making an impulsive mistake, and for that, he needed help. Why risk getting caught on the property when someone else could plant his missive for him? Leaving his perch on the rocks down the beach from the Grant estate, he hummed a random tune as he headed for his meeting. He’d chosen the location simply to mess with her.
She’d been livid when he’d called, asking for another favor. But in the end, she’d agreed to see him. Not like she has a choice. His lips curved in a smile. She’d made her bed—so to speak—years ago.
The drive to the cemetery didn’t take long, and there was only one other car parked near the area where the child was buried. She was prompt. He’d give her that much. Slamming the door, he hustled across the grass between the headstones toward the motionless figure.
“His grave is two rows over.”
As he stopped behind her, she turned to face him. “I know where it is. What do you want, Demetri?”
“Not feeling chatty?” He smiled broadly. “Guilt will do that to you. Or so I’ve heard.”
“You’re such a jerk. Do you have no conscience?”
He crinkled his brow in thought. “No, I guess I don’t.” His levity dissipated as a breeze off the bay fluttered the dead flowers on a nearby grave. “I have a job for you.”
She tightened her lips and didn’t respond.
“Don’t worry. No more playing nursemaid. I just need you to leave this for the Grants.” Using a tissue, he pulled an envelope from the pocket of his windbreaker. “P
ut it somewhere in the house where they’ll find it soon, but without being too obvious.”
She stared at the square blue envelope the way she probably looked at a dead mouse. “What is it?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“No, I guess not.” Her shoulders slumped. “Is this ever going to end?”
“Actually, it will. Not much longer now, and I’ll be out of your life for good.”
“Famous last words,” she muttered. “Fine. I’ll play messenger for you. God knows, I’ve certainly done worse.”
“Use the tissue. You don’t want to leave prints.”
She took the envelope from him, holding it carefully by the corner. “With any luck, you’ll get hit by a bus crossing the street. Or Brody will shoot your sorry ass. I can’t wait for this to be over.”
“Careful what you wish for. The way your luck runs, it won’t pan out the way you expect.”
She turned and walked away, but her parting shot carried clearly. “I hope you rot in hell, Demetri.”
He most certainly would. But it wouldn’t be anytime soon. He’d make sure of that.
* * * *
“Connor is safe and one hundred percent fine. Luna and a woman from Child Protective Services are bringing him home right now.” Arden delivered the good news to the Saxes by Skype, so very thankful their ordeal had a happy ending.
“You rescued him? He’s okay?” Tears streamed down Gina’s face, and Lincoln looked like he might cry, too.
“The Styles woman took good care of him, and when Counterstrike went in, she handed over your son without a fight.”
“Why?” Lincoln’s voice broke. “Did she say why?”
Arden shivered, remembering Brody’s description of the incident. Cassidy Styles hadn’t shut up, ranting about how Connor should be her baby, how Lincoln would have married her if Gina hadn’t butted into their lives. Even as she’d been taken away in handcuffs by the police, she’d screamed over and over that it wasn’t fair.
“She was in love with you, Lincoln, and she was sick. Apparently, she had a breakdown around the time you got married that no one knew about and checked herself into a treatment center. She left against the advice of doctors and has been spiraling out of control ever since.”
Imminent Danger (A Counterstrike Novel Book 3) Page 21
