Better Off Dead

by Meryl Sawyer

  He checked the cars around him to make certain no one was following him. He needed to shift into readiness mode. One man had already died while testing the DARPA gadget. Albert had killed Devon’s friend while trying to get to her.

  When he arrived at his office building, he looked in Aloha Yachts and Weddings to see if Devon had come here. No one was inside. They were closed Monday and Tuesday, but Eddie sometimes came in to catch up on paperwork.

  “Any calls?” Chad asked Ane as he walked into his office.

  With a smug smile, Ane said, “I told you so.”

  “Okay. What did you tell me?”

  “The murder in Turks and Caicos would be solved.”

  He stopped in his tracks. “Really? How?”

  “One of the crew members went to the police and admitted he’d lied. The captain and the wife weren’t onboard the yacht all afternoon. They’d paid the crew to give them an alibi.”

  “Why would the guy suddenly confess?”

  “Tom Holden from Fidelity Insurance said the crew member discovered he has colon cancer. He didn’t want to die with this on his conscience. Mr. Holden has e-mailed you the final report. The wife and the yacht captain are living together in Boston. The police there eked a confession out of Mrs. Townsend. The captain punctured the air hose with the bang stick and held Robert Townsend down until he drowned. The wife was onshore nearby.”

  “Hoopono.” Justice. He walked over to his desk and found a few messages, but nothing from Devon. He tried her cell again. Still no answer.

  He booted up his computer and checked a few facts of her story. Liquid Fix, the boat Devon claimed to have crewed on, had sailed from St. Tropez to Key Largo, Florida. Devon Summers had been listed as a crew member on that voyage.

  He’d been in Key Largo several times when he’d left the military and had been doing testing for DARPA. It was a haven for rich people with yachts the size of ocean liners. There wasn’t a customs office there. The harbor master kept a roster of incoming ships and their crew. The information didn’t go to the main computer customs used to run background checks for possible terrorists because all the harbor master recorded was the names and citizenship status.

  “Ingenious,” he said under his breath, “and dangerous.” He hoped to hell that Homeland Security was on to this.

  Nate Albert would have been able to hire a hacker to break into the U.S. Customs master computer and check for Devon’s name. It would have been entered into the computer as she flew in from abroad. He wasn’t clever enough to check the numerous private yacht harbors.

  He used Google to look up Nate Albert. A little over three months ago, Albert had been sentenced to six years in federal prison for racketeering. They’d nailed him for bootlegging cigarettes from Canada. Chad bet the prick was involved in drugs and prostitution, but bootlegging cigarettes was the only thing they could prove. He knew the Feds did that a lot. It helped get known criminals out of circulation.

  He felt like a major skank for checking up on Devon, but his training wouldn’t allow him to not verify a few facts. He’d believed her when she’d told him the story. The only thing that had bothered him was Devon using her own name. She’d pointed out that Albert had found her when she’d been living under another name. She didn’t think he’d expect her to use her real name.

  Okay, maybe. But it still troubled him.

  Devon had a power and depth to her that other women he’d known didn’t have. It came as a shock for him to realize he wanted to settle down with Devon. He’d never thought much about starting a family. His sisters and their children had seemed to be family enough.

  Until now. Until Devon.

  His cell phone rang. It was Devon. She’d been at the Salvation Army dropping off the clothing. He made arrangements to pick her up in an hour.

  “Pono!” Careful, Ane said as he walked out the door. “She’s pilikia.” Trouble.

  DEVON STOOD AT THE SHORE where the waves were breaking at her feet and watched Zach romp in the water, retrieving a tennis ball Chad had tossed for him. Chad had picked her up more than an hour ago and had brought her to his home.

  She didn’t know what she was feeling. She realized she cared about him—even without really spending time with him—more than she had Tyler. How had that happened so quickly?

  You’re lonely.

  A chill settled over her as she watched Zach frolic in the surf with Chad. She’d allowed a man into her life, someone who might easily die because of her. What was she thinking?

  Something in her couldn’t bring herself to let Chad go. She tried to examine her emotions, but she decided that being in WITSEC had changed her. Not only was she more cautious, but she was emotionally exhausted. She needed him in a way she’d never needed another person before, and it frightened her.

  “Come on in,” Chad called. “The water’s warm.”

  She was wearing a red bikini that she’d bought on sale when she’d first arrived in Honolulu. She walked into the surf, and discovered he was right. The sun had set in a splash of crimson, leaving the sea burnished with a golden glow. She stopped beside Chad.

  Her eyes drifted over his powerful body, which did wonders for the green Hawaiian print swimming trunks. She couldn’t seem to force herself to look away. The magnetism he generated was almost a living, tangible thing.

  Chad examined every inch of her expressive face. Her full lower lip added to her sensual appeal. But even in the dim light he could see how hiding, always being on guard was wearing her down. The determined set of her jaw, the spray of lines just beginning to form at the corners of her eyes spoke of fears unuttered, unshared. He wanted to be part of her life and to somehow make her world right again.

  He slipped his arm around Devon’s tiny waist. Parting her lips, she tilted her head toward him inviting his kiss. His mouth met hers and he took a moment to caress that full lower lip with his tongue. She moaned softly and furrowed her fingers through his hair.

  The balmy night was warm, but Devon’s body was even warmer. Its heat unfurled rapidly from where lush breasts were pillowed against his chest. He wanted to see those breasts without a stitch of clothing on them. He wanted to kiss them, brand them with his mouth.

  Aw, hell. He wanted to kiss every inch of her gorgeous bod. For now he contented himself with letting his tongue mate with hers and running his hand down her smooth back. He inched his fingers beneath the red fabric across her cute bottom.

  She twined her legs around his and arched her body so her pelvis was against his penis. His pulse skyrocketed and he had a full-blown erection in a heartbeat. He’d never been so painfully hard in his whole damn life.

  And he’d never wanted a woman more. Not just for sex. He wanted her on many levels.

  He cupped her bottom with his hand and pushed her against his penis. She moaned softly, her arms now curled around his neck.

  “Maybe we should go inside,” he whispered.

  “Okay.”

  He picked her up and carried her out of the water. His body was so masculine, so comforting. Zach trotted after them. “Here,” she whispered when they were near the chaises around the swimming pool. Rory was in Kaui for a surfing competition. No one else was around.

  “Works for me.”

  He gently laid her down and stretched out beside her, his breath stirring the wispy hair along her temple.

  “Oh, my,” she whispered as his lips found the sensitive spot at the curve of her neck.

  Her breath came out in a soft rush and with it came a debilitating flash of intuition. Even as he kissed her, she was shattered by a sense of loss. This would end. She would lose him, and the overwhelming power of the loss brought tears to her eyes.

  She would be alone again.

  Chad raised his head just long enough to catch a flicker of something cross her face. “Darling, what’s the matter?”

  She shrugged, lifting both shoulders off the chaise in a way that seemed as if she were getting set to run.

  “We
’re in this together,” he told her. With the back of his knuckles, he caressed her cheek. His eyes searched her face as if there was nothing—or no one—more precious on the earth.

  He put his hands on either side of her face and bent down to kiss her. His lips were soft, moist, undemanding. The glint in his eyes made her feel like the most precious thing in the world. Her dread eased, and she allowed her fears to flow out of her like a receding tide.

  Live in the moment. All you have is here and now.

  She gazed into matchless eyes and knew all the hell she’d been through was worth this moment, this man. With trembling arms, she circled his neck, and whispered, “Make love to me.”

  “I was planning on it.” His voice was husky.

  For a moment, she experienced a stab of guilt for telling him such an elaborate lie, but she couldn’t chance confiding in him. The only chance she had for a future with this man was staying in the program. She’d detected a note of suspicion in Warren’s voice when he’d asked her what she’d been doing. Nothing.

  Oh, yeah, and Diamond Head was just another hill.

  He untied the top of her bikini and tossed it over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zach nose it, then trot away to where he’d dropped the tennis ball.

  He reverently ran his warm hands over her breasts and her nipples tightened at his touch. She gazed out at the sparkling water and knew the menehunes were dancing on the waves, smiling at them. She took a happy breath and inhaled the heady fragrance of plumeria floating on the balmy air. The stars had popped out, in that sudden way they do in the tropics, and winked down at them.

  He lowered his head and gently kissed first one breast and then the other. The raspy prickling of an emerging beard tantalized her sensitive breasts. He drew one turgid nipple into his mouth and gently sucked. Her pulse went haywire and moist heat built between her thighs. She shifted beneath him, striving to feel his erection where she needed it the most.

  He stood up and in one swift motion dropped his swim trunks. His penis jutted out from his powerful body. Her stomach fluttered, and she heard herself sigh. He was drop-dead gorgeous, the moonlight silvering the pale skin that hadn’t been exposed to sunlight.

  She reached up and cradled the full weight of his sex in her hand. One finger traced the ridge of his penis until she reached the rounded velvet tip. Her hand glided up and down the turgid length of his sex, squeezing hard as she stroked.

  “Hold it, babe. Aren’t you forgetting something? Drop the rest of your bikini.”

  She let go of him and shimmied out of her wet bikini bottom.

  “You’re fantastic, Devon,” he whispered as he grabbed her.

  He lowered her back onto the chaise, taking the brunt of his weight on his forearms. He kissed her again, this time more insistently, his erection prodding her belly. He slowly eased one hand downward until it found the moist curls between her thighs.

  Hot and wet, she was more than ready. “Hurry, hurry.”

  He stroked her for a minute, fondling the slick nub. He inserted one finger deep inside her, and she cried out for a second. He withdrew his finger, then entered her again this time with two fingers. She slowly moved against his hand.

  He pulled his hand away and nudged her legs apart with his knee. The tip of his shaft began to probe her. He inched forward, gently rocking his hips and pressing inside her. She felt her body stretch, giving to accommodate his size. She arched upward as he thrust into her, hot and hard.

  A growl came from deep in his chest, but it reverberated through her entire body. She quivered and her heart thundered in her ears.

  She let herself go, and threw her legs around his hips. “Oh, Chad. Oh, my God.”

  Almost immediately a flood of pure pleasure rushed through her. It crested with a rush of erotic sensation that kicked up her spine and slammed into her brain like a handful of sparkling stars. It took a minute to catch her breath and realize Chad hadn’t yet climaxed. She stayed with him, intent on giving him as much pleasure as he’d given her.

  He came a few minutes later. Moisture sheathed their bodies, and Devon felt strangely languid, almost boneless.

  Breathing like a marathon runner, Chad rolled to the side to take his weight off her. “I’m crazy about you, Devon. Crazy about you.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  BROCK HAD ABSOLUTELY no luck in finding another set of files. He’d electronically checked every computer at Obelisk. That left Olofson’s computer. He’d e-mailed the general a greeting card with an embedded worm. It instructed the computer to download all the general’s files to the new computer Brock had purchased, using cash and a fake name so it could never be traced back to him.

  “What crap,” Brock muttered. The general had so much stuff on his computer it would take days to sift through all the info. He tried searching for 251’s name but didn’t get a hit. It was possible the info was in code. After all, General Olofson had once headed up army intelligence.

  His telephone rang, the line his agents used to contact him. He picked up the receiver. “Numero Uno.”

  “251 here. I just landed at Dulles.”

  “Great. Tomorrow I’ll arrange a meeting with 77, your partner on this.”

  “I’m going to need equipment.”

  Brock knew he meant a sharpshooter’s rifle and a night vision scope. Airport security being so tight these days, 251 wouldn’t have brought his weapon with him. “Make a list of what you need. I’ll take care of it.”

  “I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “Don’t use a cell phone.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that.”

  Brock hung up, a smile on his face. Samantha Robbins was as good as his. He’d have a little chat with the bitch, then let 251 take over.

  He tried Jordan Walsh again. It had been two days since he’d left the note. Now he was more than just angry. A blinding hot jolt of rage hammered him every time he thought about her. No woman had ever ignored him like this. Jordan’s damn machine picked up. He slammed down the receiver.

  After a few minutes thinking over the situation, Brock called one of his local operatives. The jerk was practically worthless, but this assignment didn’t require much brains.

  “It’s Numero Uno. I’ve got a job for you. I want Jordan Walsh’s condo staked out. Call me the minute she shows up.”

  The guy took down Jordan’s address and the cell phone number Brock was currently using. Tonight he wanted to go to the warehouse and detail his cars. Those babies needed a little loving.

  CHAD COULDN’T CONVINCE Devon to move in with him. Since they first made love, they had spent every night together, but Devon insisted on going home early each morning. She claimed she needed to be independent. Chad thought her relationship with Nate Albert had made her a little distrustful of all men. It would take time for it to ease, and he had to face the fact that she might never get over it completely.

  If he and Devon were going to have a future together, something had to be done. What? He wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. Warning a guy like Albert to leave Devon alone would be like waving a red flag at a bull. It might just lead Albert to Devon.

  He wondered if Archer Danson could help him. Maybe he could contact an inmate at the same prison and have the man talk to Albert. He could feel him out and see if the creep was still after Devon.

  He put in a call to Danson, then went to the pay phone near the marina to wait for his call. On the way out of his office, he waved to Devon from across the courtyard. He didn’t even think about telling her what he was going to do. He didn’t want to have to explain his relationship with DARPA.

  The phone rang a few minutes later. “Danson, I need a favor.”

  “Okay,” he replied slowly. “What kind of favor?”

  “There’s a wise guy from Chicago named Nathan Albert. He’s sitting in federal prison in Illinois for bootlegging cigarettes in from Canada. I need a fellow inmate to talk to him.”

  “I hope you
know what you’re getting into. Chicago wise guys are just about the most ruthless.”

  “I just want to see if he’s still after Devon Summers.”

  “I take it you’re involved with this woman.”

  “That’s right. I need to find out if she has anything to fear from him now. He tried to kill her once already for leaving him.”

  A long pause. “What if he is still after her?”

  “Good question.” Chad glanced down the street and saw Keke parking her car. Great. She would wonder what he was doing on a public telephone—if she saw him. He turned away, hoping Keke wouldn’t spot him. “I don’t have to do anything right now unless Albert has sent someone after Devon. He’s just starting a six year sentence.”

  “Which means three years with good behavior.”

  “Great.”

  “Don’t do anything that will jeopardize your safety or get you into trouble. If there’s a problem, get back to me. I can put you in touch with people…”

  “Right.” He knew Danson meant assassins who killed for the money but weren’t affiliated with the mob.

  Danson asked for a little more information and said, “I should have an answer for you tomorrow. The next day at the latest.”

  “Any word on the person who murdered the other agent testing for you?”

  Danson grunted. “We’ve got a few leads. I’ll keep you posted if there’s anything you should know. Meanwhile watch your back.”

  Chad hung up and slowly turned around. His sister stood across the street waving at him.

  “Hi, there!” Keke called.

  Chad walked toward her with what he hoped was a relaxed smile. He hadn’t spoken with her since he’d started spending so much time with Devon. Keke was far too perceptive where he was concerned. If he mentioned Devon, that would be it. Keke would be all over him.

  Warning him.