“Philip? He got a last name?” Diamond’s got his tablet out, typing madly.
“I would assume so but if he said it, I don’t remember. I gave him my gun but who knows how long before the rest show up. Hurry. Please.”
Again, she points into the deep round hole in the street. “There’s a tunnel then a big opening with huge steel pipes and broken machines.”
A fully armed officer from ESU listens intently. “You said the rest, miss. Exactly how many were down there with you?”
“When I started, there were three but I shot one in the stomach. I’m pretty sure he’s dead. I shot another one in the leg.”
She frowns. “He was alive when I left. That’s not why I’m worried. Philip said there were a lot more. Maybe a dozen.”
“You shot two?” I give her shoulder a squeeze. “That’s my girl.”
Her mouth goes even lower as she shakes her blond locks. “No, no, I shouldn’t’ve missed. It was an easy shot.”
Diamond grimaces and she catches the look. “Hey, they pulled their guns on me, I had no choice.”
“It’s okay. They know, hun.” They damn well better.
While we sit on the tail of the rescue truck, the FBI agent gets distracted by the ESU team leader. They check out a blueprint online, discuss tactics, then a team of armed men descends into the tunnel.
“I hope they get to Philip in time.” When they’re gone, she looks up at me brows creased and biting her lower lip.
“I wouldn’t worry. They’re the best.” Diamond pats her back, hands on his hips, surveying all the commotion like the King of England.
Then, he turns to me. “She’s going to have to answer some questions.”
Hell no, I’ve waited too long as it is. “Hospital first, you can talk to her after.” I stand and stare him down, daring him to argue.
Blake raises her pretty blue eyes, intertwining her small fingers with my large ones. “How about I answer a few, just a couple?”
Above our clasped hands, for the first time, I note the angry welts from where she was bound.
“No.” I’m putting her needs first.
She cups my cheek. “Let me explain how it all happened. It might help them find Philip faster.”
The paramedic takes off her blood pressure cup and says, “It’s one-twenty-nine over eighty.”
“That’s a little high.” I pick her up and place her down on the cot inside the vehicle. “Diamond? You can talk to her as she lies down.”
Diamond crawls in, turns on a recorder, and holds it near her mouth. “Tell me everything you remember.”
Blake’s recollection is amazing as she recounts the fake call, leaving an earring, and swapping cars in a garage.
I barely hold my shit together when she tells me how the two guys went for their guns and describe Philip’s bloody face.
Suddenly, I don’t care for the tone of Diamond’s voice as his line of questioning changes. “Do you always carry a concealed weapon?”
“Damn right she does.” I butt right in and answer. Blake clearly shot those two in self-defense.
“I got this, bud.” Slate’s familiar voice sounds from behind me and I throw him a grateful look knowing he’s already called Patten’s lawyer.
The detective clears his throat, not at all daunted by my evil eye. “Is the gun registered?”
She juts out her chin, her tone a bit defiant. “It’s all legal and I’m trained, too. I go to the shooting range every week. Well, except for recently.”
I didn’t know she was skipping practice so frown until she whispers in my ear, “It’s too loud for the baby.”
Hell, I never would’ve thought of that. I place my hand on her stomach. I wasn’t there sweetheart but no one will ever get close again.
“Do you want to hear the rest or not?”
Diamond nods curtly, lips pursed, nowhere near as friendly as before as Blake continues with her harrowing escape. “So, I scraped my tie wraps against a drill bit and got my hands free. Philip’s, as well.”
A walkie talkie blares to life. “One of the suspects is dead…” The speaker squeals. “blood. In pursuit.”
My wife pales. “Oh my God. Did the Asians get away?”
“Asian? Like in Chinese?” My gut clenches.
“Okay, twenty-questions is over. I’m bringing my wife to the hospital. You can send a sketch artist as soon as a doctor gives her permission.” I push Diamond toward the back door until Blake sits up and grabs my arm. “Wait. Let him talk. Did they find Philip?”
Diamond’s right-hand cups his ear as he listens for over a minute. Then, he turns to us and says, “The repair center was empty when ESU arrived. What else do you know about this guy?”
“He said he was a whistleblower for some chemical company. I can’t think right now. It started with a J.” She closes her eyes and curses under her breath.
I squeeze her hand. “You’re doing real good, hun.”
“Did this Philip say what he discovered?” The detective squats to her height with eyebrows raised high.
“Don’t you know?”
He shakes his head.
“He said he has proof the flu shot is pure bullshit.”
“Fuck. We’re done here.”
“No. She needs to come to the station and- “
I point out the back of the truck to where my billionaire boss exits a limo. “See that guy over there? He’s Grayson Patten III. You fuck with her and we’ll slap a suit on you so fast, you’ll shit. She’s not saying another fucking word.”
My fist pounds on the ambulance roof. “Time to go.”
After the doors close and the sirens squeal, I kneel, and give her a kiss.
“You truly are intimidating.”
“Damn right, I am.”
At the hospital, her GYN does a few tests, then gives Blake and our baby a clean bill of health. Now, she sleeps soundly while I pace the living room, occasionally putting a branch in the stupid fake tree. Ho. Ho. Ho.
When I’m not making merry, I sip my scotch, and tamp down the urge to pound the fucking blackmailer through the earth and back to China. Dollars to doughnuts, he’s somehow connected with Blake’s abductors. I swear I’ll put my fingers around his neck until he spews out every name he knows, including his great-grandmother.
I’d already be out searching, but Slate insisted I cool down first, which probably is the right move. Besides, when she wakes, I need to be there, make love, and cum with her warm sheath clutching my cock.
She should be pissed. My job almost got her killed. Instead, she fussed over me all night until I said I’d tie her to the bed posts. Pregnancy finally won over stubbornness and she fell asleep with her face tucked into my chest.
I figured she’d sleep better in her own bed so tucked her in, my fucking heart about to burst with love. There was another unfamiliar emotion. Fear. What if I had lost her?
I’m saved from examining my feelings when Slate rings. “How is she?”
“She’s fine, I’m the one who’s fucked. I want to find whoever’s behind this and take him out.”
“I’m with you, bro.”
“Yeah, she did good but she saw faces. You think they’ll let it go?” I swirl the ice cubes in my empty drink, contemplating another. “What the hell?”
“I know it looks bad but in the morning, we’ll put her with a sketch artist and have her check out some mug shots.”
I stick another fake pine branch into the Christmas tree’s trunk wondering if she’ll mind if I trash it. “Did you get anything on a whistleblower named Philip.”
“Nada.”
“That’s weird. This whole hoax thing? You buying it?” Again, I check the tree directions and decide they were written by a Korean with no English skills.
“The flu shot fake? Now that would be a secret worth killing for. No vaccine would mean a lot of people out of work. Chemists, drug manufacturers, nurses… hell, it’s a billion-dollar industry.”
Wondering if t
he tree is going to be worth the effort, I plug it in, and it smokes. Shit. Quickly, I pull on the cord while Slate ponders in my ear. “The Chinese have a lot to lose but this is out of character. They’re much more likely to fight with tariffs and negotiations. Strong arming and kidnapping aren’t their usual MO.”
The tree now toast, I begin pacing again, drink in hand. “Did you figure out how they got access to the NYC water system?”
“The FBI is cross-referencing delivery guys, employees, and so on. We should hear more by morning. Is Lucky there?”
“Yeah, he’s outside in the hall. Ate almost all my cinnamon buns, too.”
He chuckles. “Sounds about right. You should sleep. You’re no good to her, exhausted.”
I’ll sleep when I find the bastards who kidnapped her. Somehow this all ties back to McAlister. “By the way, who’s watching him?”
“Secret Service.”
Where were they a few days ago?
Blake calls out from the bedroom, “Jack? Come to bed.”
“Got to go. Thanks. Talk soon.” I hang up, set down my drink, and head toward heaven.
Chapter 10
Blake
I slept soundly in the hospital but now, back at home, I’m wired. The kidnapper’s surprise as I shot him doesn’t feel real. That’s the trouble with being a shrink. I know the image will haunt me until I own the guilt and talk about it.
Jack’s way worse than me. He’s been up for at least two days and wound tighter than a cobra about to strike. I’d get out of bed to be with him but last time I did, he threatened to tie me to the bed posts and not in a good way.
He steps into the doorframe, rubs a palm over his chin’s dark stubble and sits on the side of the bed with a hand over my belly.
His voice is brittle, eyes sad. “Why are you still awake? The doctor said you should rest.”
“I’m fine, hun. I slept so long I’m not tired anymore. What’s your excuse?”
“I almost got you killed.” He stares at my wedding ring, then brings my hand to his mouth for a kiss.
“You couldn’t possibly have known th-”
An index finger shoots over my lips, shutting me off. “Hear me out. Thanksgiving, I drove Senator McAlister to DC. When we got there, he asked me to take him to an address. Turns out, it was the Chinese Embassy. I had a real bad feeling and even though he asked me not to, I listened in on his conversation.”
He stands and looks out the window. “Blackmail. I should’ve let it go. Shut my fucking mouth. There was this diplomat there and when he chuckled, I lost it.”
“Everyone’s got buttons, Jack. You’re not made of stone.” From what he’s shared about his upbringing, it’s amazing how he survived.
He shakes his head, brows creased, and mouth pursed. “Nope. People in my line of work can’t afford to be weak. Anyhow, that mother had a superior look and it just pissed the fuck out of me. So, I threatened him on the way out. I’m betting right after, he called someone to go after you and I am so, so sorry, babe. If I had known, I never would’ve started anything.”
Sitting upright, I kiss his frowny lip and hug him, my face buried his chest. It’s odd how I was the one kidnapped and yet he’s the one who needs comforting. I get it, though. The day he got shot, I felt the very same way.
“Luv, you were with me, the whole time.”
“What are you talking about? I was in the air, not here, like I should’ve been.” Muscled arms surround me and his chin rests on the crown of my head.
“From the second I knew I was in danger, your voice was in my head. You said things like, be patient, wait for the right moment, don’t let him get too close.” I look up and finally, a small grin replaces his grimace.
“Huh. I did all that?” He places a kiss on my forehead and I snuggle into his neck, inhaling his musky scent.
“You did. And when the first thug reached for his weapon, you said shoot.” Closing my eyes, I force the memory away. It’s not a healthy move but I can’t deal with these thoughts right now.
“Thank God, you listened.” Jack cups my chin and we lock gazes.
The coals of our love burst into flame, his tongue plunges into my mouth, and I suck. When he moans and kisses me, I melt into a puddle.
Our mouths grow so desperate I forget to breathe. When we part, I gasp for air. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too. You are one bad-ass momma.” The centers of his eyes grow dark and his nostrils flair as his fingers slide up my neck and into my hair.
“Can we stop talking, now?” I have to make love, to feel him deep inside me. Liquid lust pools between my legs and I squirm.
“Yes, ma’am.” In one efficient move, he tugs the soft cotton of his t-shirt over his head.
My heart thumps wildly as I reach to the cut of his biceps, the tats on his chest, and the bumps of his abs. Every inch of him is so beautiful, I can’t wait. Kicking off my yoga pants, I pull my nightshirt over my head.
He lays us down and lifts his butt so I can tug down jeans and briefs. While down there, my mouth finds his cock. His fingers pull my locks and his length thickens as I lick the bead of liquid off the tip.
“Blake…shit… that feels so damn good.” Brown eyes, filled with heat, bore a hole deep into my soul.
He is my man, my bodyguard, my husband. I still can’t believe in this whole wide world, we each found our soulmate.
I adore his cock until he groans, pulls me to his mouth, and takes the lead in our lovemaking dance. I nip his ear, he nuzzles my neck, and I dig my nails into his back. Then, he kisses down my chest, puts a nipple in his mouth, and I give in.
“Uncle.”
Chuckling, he sucks and plays his tongue over the sensitive tips of my breasts until my sex is dripping with need. I open my legs wide, he reaches between my curls, and stops.
“Oh shit. You’re so ready for me. I fucking love you so fucking much.” His lips find their way down my body where he whispers to my navel. “Love you, too.”
He continues his kisses until he reaches my aching want. One leg gets tossed over his shoulder and his rough beard scratches my inner thigh.
Not to be outdone, I stretch a toe to his cock and caress until it jumps, raring to go.
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” One finger, then two enter me while he sucks my crazy-swollen nub. Maybe it was the near-death experience, maybe it was seeing him cry but I’m so in love, I can’t take it. Higher than ever before, I shoot to heaven, shuddering and bucking.
Full of tenderness, he turns me onto my hands and knees, finger still pressing on my nub. Then, he enters me fully, backs out with a sucking noise, and does it again, prolonging this epic orgasm.
Again, he plunges deep and our bodies meet core to core. This time he holds my hips and grinds in small circles.
“J-jack.”
“I got you, Blake.” He increases his pace as I meet him thrust for thrust, like some kind of wild woman.
My boobs bounce and nipples swish against the sheets, creating more pure pleasure. If I was high before, now I’m soaring.
I scream and see stars when another amazing release comes out of nowhere.
“Fuck, babe.” He grows thick and pumps his liquids into me, shouting my name.
Still in orgasmic splendor, my inner muscles contract around him and he groans, enjoying each one. When they stop, he slowly pulls out and collapses onto his back, pulling me over his chest.
His sleepy voice mutters, “Fucking love you so fucking much.”
Smiling, I rest my cheek on his chest, loving his musky scent, the beat of his heart, and the tickle of hair. When his breathing becomes regular, it’s so hypnotic I close my eyes and sleep.
When I wake, I’m spooned against him, his heavy arm resting on my lower belly. Slowly, I slide out from under him but when he turns, he rolls onto a lock of my hair.
“Ow!”
“Sorry.” Still half-asleep, he pulls me back into bed, his cock poking my buns.
“I’ll be right back. Promise.”
When he lets go, I head to the bathroom, already fed up with how my bladder seems to have shrunk.
Suddenly, Skype sings from my computer. Only a few people have this account, mostly friends, so I finish up and answer.
“Hello?”
“It’s Philip. We need to talk.”
“Oh my God. Are you okay? I sent the police to find you but by the time they got there, you had already gone. Did you get free?”
I sense rather than see Jack padding into the living room. He stands behind my chair, hand on my shoulder while Philip talks quickly. “Tell your husband to stop looking for your kidnappers.”
“And why would I do that?” Jack’s fingers tighten on my shoulder.
“Taylor?”
“Yeah.”
“You need to know. The men you’re looking for? They’re bad. If you don’t want her to get hurt, back off.”
The line goes blank.
I shiver. Philip’s tone sounded so different… “Do you think the kidnappers are making him say that?”
Somehow, I think not.
Jack pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. “No way of knowing for sure. We should call the FBI and let them know.”
“But what if what he says is true?”
“All the more reason to go after them, right?” He forces my gaze into his. Like always, my knees go weak and my mouth drops open. I still can’t believe someone as perfect as Jack would fall for me.
His eyes go soft as he kisses me. “Come to bed, then we’ll talk.”
After we share more pleasure, he plays with a lock of my hair and kisses the tip of my nose. “Tell me more about this Philip.”
“This is our pillow talk?” I stroke his cheek, loving his beard, his chocolate eyes, and those strong brows, now furrowed.
“Tell me, hun. This is as good a time as any.” Soft lips find mine and for him, I try to recall more.
“We really didn’t talk all that much. His leg was in a splint and his face was all swollen, like he’d taken a beating. Poor man. We have to find him and help him get free. Besides, if he really has proof the vaccine is a hoax, the American people should know. We need to go back to DC and tell Joe.”
Jack II Page 7
