Running Blind

by Gwen Hernandez

  Kurt rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and glanced back to see Glenn watching them. “You have good instincts.”

  Lambert’s house had been transformed. Small star-shaped lights hung in clusters from the wood beams that ran the length of the ceiling in a magical display. Dozens of round tables filled the great room, covered with turquoise or salmon tablecloths and large centerpieces of tropical flowers arrayed in a flat circle.

  One would think this was the wedding reception.

  Too bad Caitlyn couldn’t enjoy it, even with the sexy man on her arm, though she liked having Kurt by her side far more than she’d expected. The look in Glenn’s eyes when he greeted them at the back gate had been more predatory than usual. Darker somehow.

  She shouldn’t chafe at wanting backup. It wasn’t a sign of weakness. Even special ops guys worked in teams.

  “Any sign of her?” Kurt asked, his breath tickling her neck and raising goosebumps on her skin as he casually scanned the room.

  Caterers filled the chafing dishes at the buffet, and servers circled the room with trays of drinks and appetizers. Reini, the woman of formidable size she’d met two weeks ago in the kitchen, stood in a corner dispatching a crew to clear tables and clean up mishaps.

  None of them were Rose. For all Caitlyn knew, these were outside catering or legitimate hired help.

  “No. Not yet.”

  He squeezed her hand. “We’ll find her.”

  They played the happily engaged couple as the real engaged couple sat at one end of the room, flanked by their families. After dinner and a round of speeches from the fathers of the bride and groom, Lambert revealed a dance floor on the back lawn overlooking the beach. A string quartet played music, and couples filtered outside where another bar had been staged.

  As she and Kurt rose from the table, Treavor Lambert approached.

  “That’s Lambert,” she said under her breath.

  “Ms. Brevard!” The man beamed at her so genuinely, she could almost forget he was a devil under the charming facade. “I’m so glad you made it. And this must be your lucky man.”

  “Yessir. Hi.” Somehow, she managed to smile. “This is Kurt Steele,” she said as the men shook hands.

  “Nice to meet you, sir,” Kurt said.

  Lambert winked at him and gave them both a genial grin. “It’s good to meet you. I was beginning to think the little lady here was blowing smoke just to keep Glenn away from her.”

  Caitlyn managed a breathy laugh.

  Kurt slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight to his side. The possessive move sent a little thrill clear to her toes. She might like her independence, but some part of her enjoyed a man who took charge. As long as he didn’t take too much.

  “We’re still trying to sort out the logistics,” Kurt said, “but we won’t let a couple thousand miles keep us apart.”

  The older man’s eyes twinkled. Unlike his son, Lambert’s depravity didn’t leak out from beneath his navy suit like a bitter fog. “She’s definitely worth hanging onto, this one. But I’m hoping you don’t steal her away too soon. Not only is she the best pilot I’ve ever flown with, this little woman saved my life. Did she tell you that?”

  Little woman? Caitlyn managed not to wrinkle her nose. Amazing how he could be so condescending and complimentary in the same sentence. And, of course, he assumed she’d be the one giving up her life when they married.

  “Yes, sir, she did.” Kurt’s big, warm hand squeezed her shoulder. “I gotta say, I’m not too excited about her getting shot at. I thought we left that behind in the Air Force.” There was no mistaking the irritation in his voice. If she didn’t know better she’d fully believe he was an aggrieved fiancé.

  “You’ll be glad to know, then, that I have doubled my security, especially patrols in the jungle and plantation.”

  Shit. Doubled?

  Lambert shrugged and shook his head. “The more successful you become, the more people want to take you down.” He said it like a man with nothing to hide. Like a man who didn’t mislead desperate people and use blackmail or threats to force them to work under horrible conditions.

  She found it increasingly difficult to hide her distaste for the entire Lambert family in the weeks since she’d discovered Rose. And now she and Kurt had only a couple of hours to locate her sister and the others and get them out to the van waiting several streets over for her call. Sadly, not all of them would be willing to leave.

  Fear was a powerful yoke.

  “I can only imagine,” Kurt said to Lambert, pulling Caitlyn’s attention back to the conversation. “I guess everyone struggles.”

  “Indeed,” Lambert said, with no trace of irony.

  “I hope you don’t mind if I whisk my date away for a dance in the moonlight. Your home is too beautiful not to take advantage of the moment.”

  “Not at all, young man.” Lambert turned to her. “Ms. Brevard, thank you for joining my family for this happy occasion.”

  “Of course. Thank you for inviting us. We’re honored to be here.” She wanted to rinse out her mouth with bleach. If only she could go back to believing he was a wealthy-but-benign man who greased a few palms to get his business done. All the money she’d taken from him—was still taking, but now with a purpose—had been earned not just illegally, but immorally. “Enjoy your evening, and my congratulations again to your daughter and your family.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kurt whisked her through the back doors and carefully descended the steps to a large brick patio ringed by columns that stood like good soldiers ready for drill. “What an ass,” he murmured.

  Gauzy fabric had been draped around the perimeter, lit with small white lights and paper lanterns. Beyond the far columns, the lawn sloped down toward the sand, jungle on either side framing a view of the Caribbean Sea with a broad swatch of silver moonlight painting a path across the water.

  Kurt gave a low whistle. “This place is incredible.” The cool breeze ruffled his dark hair as he took her into his arms for a slow dance. His touch burned right through her dress.

  “Built on the backs of slaves in the heyday of sugar plantations, and now maintained with the labor of modern-day slaves.” She kept her voice low and her smile firmly in place. “Now that my blinders are off, I can hardly stand to be here.”

  He distracted her with small circles on her lower back. Only pride kept her from melting into his arms completely. “You’re doing great,” he said. “I had no idea what an accomplished actor you are.”

  She met his gaze, and it darkened when she combed her fingers into the short hair on the back of his neck. Was he acting now? Was she? In spite of their mission, the magical location combined with Kurt’s arms around her waist made her feel a bit reckless. “I’m not that good,” she said, tightness building in her chest.

  Her gaze strayed to his lips.

  He kissed her. A jolt of energy shot through her veins and she kissed back. Hard. The depth of her lust left her stunned. He was everything she feared.

  She pulled away slowly with a shaky laugh. “Don’t get too carried away, we’re still in public.”

  His hold on her tightened, pressing her breasts to his solid chest. “I thought that was the whole point,” he said, his deep, intimate voice a soft caress gliding over her skin.

  She struggled to catch her breath with him looking at her like she was the next course in his favorite meal. And then she noticed Glenn on the dance floor with a beautiful blond woman.

  Caitlyn’s heart turned cold. She needed to find Rose and convince her to get out of this place before they lost their chance. Before she had to spend another hour here. “One more kiss and then we’re going to wander away from here to be alone.”

  Kurt nodded. She touched her lips to his, and unable to resist, took a quick taste with her tongue. He moaned and deepened the kiss. In another life, under different circumstances, she’d maneuver him into the shadow of the trees and kiss him senseless.

  Wi
th a sigh, she forced herself to disengage and glanced around. It wasn’t wise to make a scene. But, luckily, nobody else was paying any attention to them.

  Except Glenn. The slimy bastard stared daggers at her from ten yards away.

  She blinked and let her gaze roam as if she hadn’t noticed. Kurt loosened his hold, so she backed out of his arms and took his hand. “Care to take a stroll through the garden?” she asked.

  “I’d love to.”

  They walked hand-in-hand at a leisurely pace through the expertly sculpted topiary, a contrast to the wild growth at the edge of the manicured grounds. As they rounded the corner to the south side of the villa, she checked to see if anyone was following them. Glenn was still on the brightly lit dance floor with his partner, but another couple talked quietly next to a column on the porch, and a guard with an AK-47 set a leisurely pace along the edge of the dark wilderness.

  Keeping her voice low, Caitlyn said, “That should be the place.” According to Shaylee’s intel, the workers slept in the house to their right. The two-story servants’ quarters mirrored the style of the great house with a much smaller footprint, maybe twenty-five hundred square feet total.

  “Why don’t we check out that fountain?” Kurt said in a normal tone, nudging her toward a vine-covered pergola that led to a stone fountain, partially hidden from the main house.

  Caitlyn swung their joined hands and faced him. “A less trusting girl would think you were trying to get me alone so you could compromise me,” she said, with what she hoped was a flirty smile that wasn’t as hard to fake as it should have been.

  “A less trusting girl would be right.”

  Oh my. She passed through the pergola and into the circular space created by trees that ringed the dry fountain. Kurt followed and sat on a cement bench, immediately tugging her sideways onto his lap. The hard frames of his prosthetic limbs caught her by surprise and she jolted. “Oh.”

  “Too uncomfortable?” he asked.

  “No. I just…forgot.”

  “It’s okay. I still do too, sometimes,” he said, his weak smile barely visible in the shadows.

  Unsure how to respond, she pressed her hands to his freshly shaved cheeks, holding his dark gaze as she pulled him in for a soft kiss. He held the back of her head and tattooed her mouth with whisper-light, breathy kisses that made her heart race.

  “The guard went around the corner, and the couple moved inside,” he said before gently sucking her lower lip into his mouth.

  She ran her tongue across his upper lip.

  With a groan, he took the kiss deeper, their tongues gliding sensuously as his warm hands slid up her ribcage. He kissed his way across her jaw and down the sensitive skin of her neck.

  Oh, God. She pressed her aching breasts to his muscular chest, helpless under the soft, wet press of his lips and the gentle scrape of his teeth. He’d reduced her to an incendiary bundle of nerves ready to explode at his lightest touch.

  What the hell were they doing? She dragged her fingers across the short, silky hair at the base of his neck and urged his head up. To soften her sudden withdrawal, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and scanned the garden. “Looks safe now,” she whispered, as if it had all been for show.

  His chest rose and fell in time with hers. “Right.” He sounded a little dazed as he loosened his hold and let her slide from his lap. While she straightened her dress, he sat motionless on the bench with his eyes closed, taking deep, measured breaths.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Never better.” He slowly stood, rubbing his palm across his mouth, his amazing mouth that made her system go haywire. With a quick glance around, he stood and clasped her hand in his. “Let’s do it.”

  Kurt released Caitlyn’s hand and followed her along the narrow, shrub-lined path that led to the servant quarters. The only light came from the tree-filtered moon and a dim bulb over the front door of the two-story outbuilding with plantation shutters on every window.

  Why the hell had he agreed to Caitlyn’s scheme again? He could still taste her sweet, salty skin on his lips, still feel her soft curves under his palms and her breasts crushed against him. And, God help him, if he could, he’d stash her away and pick up where they’d left off.

  Real life was far better than his dreams. How the hell was he supposed to go home and forget about her now? Only a fool would think he could be part of this ploy without getting hurt.

  But then, he knew a little about surviving pain.

  You’ll live. Just get your head back in the game.

  A fat raindrop splashed onto his nose, and within seconds, the sky opened up.

  Caitlyn’s pace picked up, but they were already drenched. His dress shoes slipped on the wet tiles, forcing him to tread carefully. The last thing he needed was to end up on his ass.

  When they reached the narrow shelter of the porch, Kurt used his dripping-wet body to block her from view of the main house while she tried the door handle.

  “It’s locked,” she mouthed. Her wet hair stuck to her face and lay in clumps on her shoulders. Water droplets fell from her nose. She was beautiful, even soaked and bedraggled, her dress glued to her body.

  Dragging away his gaze, he examined the lock, then pulled a slim set of picks from his wallet. The guards hadn’t thought to look there. “Keep an eye out.”

  With a nod, she turned her back on him. His hands were slippery, he hadn’t practiced in months, and Caitlyn stood too close for him to ignore, but he managed to conquer the lock in under a minute.

  “We’re in,” he said, dropping the tools into his pocket and pushing open the wooden door.

  “All clear out here.” She slid past him into the dimly lit foyer, waiting for him to close the door behind them before advancing down the hall.

  They dripped and squished, leaving behind a trail of water on the carpet runner that muffled their approach to the central staircase. A quick circuit of the lower floor revealed a kitchen, a lounge, and a large dining room.

  The rain pounded on the roof overhead, drowning out all other noise as they circled back to the foyer.

  “Don’t move.” Glenn stepped into the anteroom holding a Glock, his wet hair dripping onto the floor.

  Kurt froze, shielding Caitlyn with his body. Why hadn’t he found a way to sneak in a weapon?

  “Glenn, put the gun down,” the damn foolish woman said, stepping out of his shadow and into the line of fire. “It’s just us.”

  A black man dressed in a T-shirt and jeans stood behind Glenn, pointing a Sig Sauer at Kurt’s chest.

  “I can see that,” Glenn said. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.” Caitlyn stepped closer, pushing Kurt’s blood pressure up another notch. “We were looking for shelter from the downpour and this was closer than the main house. You?”

  Richie Rich looked skeptical. “Shelter? Or a bed?”

  Even if he was insanely jealous, the guns seemed like overkill. What had they walked into?

  She made a face. “Don’t be crude. We just wanted someplace warm and dry to wait out the rain.”

  “So you broke in? You must think I’m an idiot.”

  Hands on hips, she said, “No, but I thought you trusted me by now. Your dad does. I saved his life, remember?”

  Glenn’s gaze raked her body from head to toe. “That was unfortunate.”

  She stared, eyes wide. “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “Patience has never been my strong suit.”

  What the fuck? Had the guy really admitted to an attempt on his father’s life? Christ, they were so screwed.

  “Glenn, we can—”

  “Enough bullshit.” He cut her off with a wave of his gun. “I know you’re the pilot.”

  Oh, fuck.

  Her brow wrinkled in an Oscar-deserving pantomime of confused innocence. “Right. I’ve been flying your family for more than a year now.” She raised her hand, palm out. “Are you feeling okay?”

&n
bsp; “No, no, you beautiful, devious bitch.” Glenn held his weapon inches from Caitlyn’s forehead. “You’re the rescue pilot.”

  CHAPTER 7

  DON’T REACT, CAIT. But Glenn’s mouth slipped into a sickly smile of triumph. She’d given away the truth.

  A shiver chased down her spine.

  “I wasn’t one hundred percent sure,” he said, “but how many white, female pilots can there be in the Caribbean?”

  “So now you’re going to…what?” she asked. “You think people don’t know where we are tonight? Or why?”

  He insolently lifted a shoulder. “Things happen in the jungle.”

  Her stomach turned hollow. But if he planned to kill them and make it look like an accident, he wouldn’t want to shoot them now, right? Maybe they could work with that. She glanced at Kurt, who stood rigid at her side with his gaze on Glenn’s backup gunman. Was he thinking the same thing?

  It was her fault for getting him into this mess. She hadn’t known Glenn was onto her, and she shuddered to think how he’d figured it out. Right now, though, she had to get herself and Kurt out of this alive.

  This was what all that Krav Maga training she’d taken had been for. She’d practiced disarming maneuvers for hours at a time. But even if she could execute the move effectively, what about Kurt? He was too far from the other guy to use the same tactic.

  Her throat tightened. She’d have to trust him to get out of harm’s way.

  She counted to three. Come on, muscle memory.

  With a deep breath, she exploded into action.

  Head to the side.

  Hand up to the trigger guard.

  Redirect the weapon and turn.

  Snap and twist the gun out of his hand.

  Step back.

  Holy shit, it worked! The whole action had taken a second, if that.

  Glenn blinked and stared at his Glock, now in her hands. “What the fuck?”

  “Don’t move.” Her pulse drummed in her ears as she aimed the gun at his chest, positioning herself out of reach.