Chavez_Jagged Edge Series, Alpha-male, Romance
Page 16
The time to leave was getting close and we had gathered all the equipment we needed. Looking at my watch, I knew the Jagged Edge team was already in place making their presence unknown. Chavez gave me a quick kiss before leaving himself. Grabbing his arm, I looked at him with concern and said, “Be careful. I don’t want to lose you.”
Pressing his lips to mine in a heated kiss, he brushed his thumb across my cheek and declared, “Not today or any other day. I’m yours for the long haul.”
Watching Chavez leave left an empty feeling in my heart. I knew he would be okay, but still there was that chance, like with every mission, that something could go wrong. Pacing the floor, I must have looked at my watch at least a dozen times in the span of fifteen minutes. When the time finally came for me to head out, my chest tightened and my adrenaline began to kick in. This feeling was different from every other operation I had been on. Maybe it was because there was more at stake.
~****~
Even though there were a lot of people in the park, I could only focus on getting to the bridge where I knew Elliott would be waiting. As I approached the meeting point, Elliott was nowhere in sight. I looked down at my wrist to make sure I wasn’t late. According to my watch, I had five minutes to spare. One thought crossed my mind, “What if he found out that I didn’t come alone?” As I looked around, not even I could see the guys. I figured it had to be something else. Stepping closer to the edge of the bridge, I looked out over the water and decided to just wait for him. If he didn’t show in fifteen minutes, I was going to head back to my car and call this whole thing off.
I could hear the minutes ticking away. When fifteen minutes had passed, I knew that this meeting wasn’t going to take place. Walking slowly off the bridge and back through the wooded area, I took in a breath, relieved that Elliott didn’t show up, but also concerned that something terrible was going to happen. Feeling like I wasn’t alone, I turned around to see Elliott standing in front of me. “Had he been there the whole time,” I thought to myself.
“I’m glad to see that you finally learned how to follow instruction. Although something tells me, not completely.” His words were cold and clear as ice water.
“Why are you doing this, Crawford?” I asked sharply.
“Call it peace of mind. You took away something very dear to my heart and now you need to pay. Because of your existence, I lost the only woman I ever loved.”
Lowering my eyes from his, disgusted by his reasoning, I noticed the gun he was pointing at me. He was too close to me and I couldn’t risk removing my gun from its holster. My only option was to keep him talking and hope that the guys would intervene before he located my weapon.
“How could you blame me for this? I didn’t even know you existed when my mother died. How could I have possibly known that you loved her?”
“You were old enough and your mother chose to take her own life instead of being with me. We could have been together after your father died, but she chose you.” His eyes become even colder than his voice and the grip he had on his gun began to tighten.
Finding it difficult to listen to any more of his bullshit, I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and tried to tame my hatred for this man. I needed to get away from this madman, but I knew if I moved he would shoot me. I also needed to be careful in what I said next. The last thing I wanted was to make him angrier than he already was.
“I’m sorry for everything that happened to you. I’m sorry my mother died before you had a chance to be with her. But more than anything, I’m sorry I was ever born.” As I spoke, his focus was on my words. It was then I knew it was now or never. I reached around my back, I found my weapon. Placing my hand on the grip, I slowly pulled it free to aim it at Elliott, only I didn’t get that far. No sooner than I had my gun out of the holster, I felt a hard object slam into the back of my head. My line of vision narrowed, then went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Chavez
Watching Gabrielle within feet of that asshole was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I knew I needed to let this plan play out if it was going to work at all. She had no idea that he was so close to her and all I wanted to do was yell to her to turn around. When she finally did, her eyes fell to his waist where he held a 9mm pistol pointed right at her. If I could have taken him out, I would have. There was one small problem: I was too far away from them. I knew at least one of the other guys was much closer to them. What the hell were they waiting for?
Holding my binoculars in place, I held tight as I continued watching them converse. I wasn’t sure what was being said, but the way Gabrielle was waving her hands around, she was pissed. When Crawford lifted his weapon higher, I thought for sure he was going to shoot her. Gabrielle somehow got him to calm down, because the gun lowered a little.
“Hold tight, baby,” I said to myself as I continued to look on.
I thought everything was under control and soon the guys would be moving in, only that didn’t happen. One of Crawford’s goons came up behind her as she reached for her gun and smacked her with the butt of his weapon. Her handgun fell to the ground and soon so did she. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I needed to do something.
Climbing down from the tree, I stayed low and headed in their direction. On my way, I ran into Peter, who was dressed in Ghillie netting to camouflage himself. Meeting Sly and Cop in our pursuit, they were also dressed in the same netting. We were still at least twenty feet from the bridge. I could see Elliott and his goon heading in the opposite direction with Gabrielle being carried by Elliott’s man. As we got closer to the bridge, Gainer began moving in the water and he had what appeared to be white water lily attached to his helmet. As he got out of the water, he was the closest to them. Climbing up the bank, he moved a rock over to the side and took a handgun that he had safely hidden beneath it. Walking slowly behind them, he held his weapon high, aiming it in their direction. One thing he didn’t account for was the warped board on the bridge that creaked when he stepped on it, giving his location away.
Elliott’s man turned around with Gabrielle in his arms. He somehow managed to flip her body over his shoulder and get to his gun. It was now a standoff. There was no way that Gainer would be taking a shot with the guy using Gabrielle’s body as protection.
“It’s over, Crawford. Tell your goon to stand down,” I heard Gainer yell.
“What makes you think I would do that? I think we have the advantage here. Let us go or she dies.”
One thing Crawford didn’t count on was Ryan. He was the best shooter on the team and not once had he ever missed his target. Hearing a shot echo through the trees, Hyatt was right on as usual as Crawford’s man hit the ground with Gabrielle landing right on top of him. With her safely out of gunshot, Gainer was able to get his gun in position before Crawford could raise his weapon. There was no way I was going to let my brother get in this shot. Standing behind him, I yelled, “Kneel,” and waited for Gainer to lower his body.
He knew how much I wanted this, so when he fell to one knee, I took my shot. Crawford pulled off one shot before his body crumbled to the ground. I could feel the sting in my arm, which told me he made his last move on this earth count. Ignoring my wound, I ran to Gabrielle to find that she was still out. Picking her up, I held her in my arms and kissed her lightly on the forehead. This woman was my life and I was going to spend every moment of the day showing her.
~****~
“So, you got him,” Gabrielle said as she sat up in her bed.
“Yeah. He will never hurt another being ever again, baby,” I replied as I scooted closer to her and held her in my arms. “I never had a doubt that you weren’t his daughter. No way could you ever share the same DNA as him.”
When Crawford was taken to the morgue, I requested his DNA be tested. Come to find out his real name was Ernest Gates. He had been on the NYPD’s most wanted list for years until he just disappeared. His case turned cold and no more was done to find him. Seems his identity transfo
rmation didn’t help his need to commit other crimes. I guess you can change a man’s face, but you can’t change his thought process.
Shifting my position, I pulled her in closer and kissed her gently on the lips. Feeling the presence of another being, I opened my eyes to find a nurse standing in the doorway with her leg crossed over the other. We were caught. I broke the kiss and greeted the nurse, “So are we free to go?”
When she smiled back at me, I knew she got it. “Yep, all checked out. Take your woman home and give her some real lovin’,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.
Kissing Gabrielle one last time, I pushed from the bed and pushed the wheelchair to the side of the bed. Helping her out of bed, I lifted her in my arms and placed her gently in the chair. I wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible.
Squatting lower to unlock the chair, I felt her arms come around my neck as she pulled me closer to her. In a heated breath, she raised her head to my ear and said affectionately, “Love you too.”
If it weren’t for the fact that we were in a hospital, I would have taken her right then and there. There was only one thing holding me back: I was pretty sure that there was a thick leather belt waiting for us when we got home. God, I loved this woman. I couldn’t wait to show her what I was going to do to her.
About the Author
Some would call me a little naughty but I see myself as a writer of spicy thoughts. Being an erotic romance writer is something that I never imagined I would be doing. There is nothing more rewarding than to put your thoughts down and share them. I began writing four years ago and have enjoyed every minute of it. When I first began writing, I really wasn’t sure what I was going to write. It didn’t take me long to realize that romance would be my niche. I believe that every life deserves a little bit of romance, a little spice doesn’t hurt either. When I am not writing, I enjoy the company of good friends and relaxing with a delicious glass of red wine.
I hope you found Gainer enjoyable to read. Please consider taking the time to share your thoughts and leave a review http://amzn.to/2q3QLTS. It would make the difference in helping another reader decide to read Gainer and all the books in the Jagged Edge Series.
To get up–to-date information on when the next Jagged Edge Series will be released click on the following link http://allong6.wix.com/allongbooks and add your information to my mailing list. There is also something extra for you when you join.
Coming Soon!!!!!!
Ryan: Jagged Edge Series #8
Read all the books in the Jagged Edge Series
Hewitt: Jagged Edge Series #1
Cop: Jagged Edge Series #2
Hawk: Jagged Edge Series #3
Sly: Jagged Edge Series #4
Ash: Jagged Edge Series #5
Gainer: Jagged Edge Series #6
Other books by A.L. Long
Shattered Innocence Trilogy
Next to Never: Shattered Innocence Trilogy
Next to Always: Shattered Innocence Trilogy, Book Two
Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy, Book Three
To keep up with all the latest releases:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/allong1963
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ALLongbooks
Official Website:
http://www.allongbooks.com