“I’m right here with you, sweetheart,” he ground out, his movements losing their smooth cadence as he too was caught up. “I’m right …”
Corded muscles stood out in his neck as he tossed his head back, thrusting into her one final time. She could feel him pumping into her, filling her and triggering another orgasm that caused her inner muscles to clamp down on him and launch her up and out into a place where only ecstasy thrived.
For a long time they lay together in a tangle of sweat-soaked limbs, slowly coming back to their separate selves. Listening to his heartbeat slowly returning to normal brought reality crashing back in. “I’m scared, Gabriel,” she finally admitted. “Scared of what’s going to happen. Scared I’m going to lose you.”
“I want to tell you not to worry, but I know you will.” He lifted her hand from his chest and kissed her fingers. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make this a non-event. My lawyers are very good at what they do.”
“But what if the FBI learn about that charge—”
“An unfounded charge,” he reminded her. “We waited until you were eighteen to have sex for the first time. Besides, even if your father told the FBI about the charges, there are no records for them to find.”
“But—”
“No buts, sweetheart.” He kissed her, then sat up. “All they’re going to find is that I was your high school boyfriend and we reunited after ten years. This is our final opponent, Kari. We get through this bout, and we’re home free. Free to be together.”
“Promise?”
He turned, and she saw the conviction in his eyes. “I swear it. Now, let’s freshen up and get dressed. The public awaits.”
“All right.” She wanted to believe him, needed to believe him, but the doubts refused to disappear completely. For her father to go to this extreme hinted at something much larger than him not wanting her to date Gabriel. What that something was she had no idea, and no real desire to talk to her father to discover his reasoning. As far as she was concerned, he’d interfered in her relationship with Gabriel for the last time. It was time to cut those ties.
Yet something told her that was easier said than done.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Compared to facing the media, talking to the FBI was a walk in the park.
Kari stepped out of customs and into chaos. A sea of lights, cameras, and reporters of all stripes overflowed the baggage claim area, crowding out fliers and their access to their bags. Lakefront Airport was smaller than Louis Armstrong, making the cacophony of noise torture. Reporters shouted questions at her, but she strode resolutely inside a protective phalanx of DJD Security and her own pair of bodyguards.
The questions … the questions they shouted at her. The insinuations that Gabriel had done something wrong, had drugged her or otherwise coerced her into leaving with him because she’d dumped him ten years ago infuriated her. She knew her videos and photos had already hit the Internet, but she also knew the media would make anything a scandal if they could. While she knew she should have kept silent, should have kept her head down until she made it safely to the waiting limousine, she couldn’t bear the thought of the press making Gabriel out to be a bad guy. Her father had done that in spades, and enough was enough.
She stopped. Her phalanx of bodyguards took two more steps before realizing she’d halted. The tide of reporters surged around them, then settled. Placing her hand on Daniel’s bicep, she gently moved him aside. She stood there, sunglasses firmly in place as the reporters captured all the shots they wanted even as they continued lobbing question after question. Finally, she raised her hand in a request for silence. Surprisingly, they gave it to her.
She pushed her sunglasses up so they could see her eyes, and she could see theirs. “I know that all of you have questions. I do too. Right now, I’m still shell-shocked and trying to learn what’s going on myself. There’s something I want to say, and I hope you guys will understand that I want to say this and then say good-bye.
“I have known Gabriel Devereaux for years. He took me to my prom. He is a dear friend and an honorable man. When I expressed the halfhearted wish of wanting to get away from it all and just relax, he became my white knight and took me away to a private island, where my most important decision was deciding which bikini to wear.”
Staring into the cameras, she projected her voice. “Gabriel Devereaux did not kidnap me. My friends knew where I was. So did my manager. My bodyguards were with me. Seriously, guys, who kidnaps someone then takes them on a shopping spree in Miami?”
They laughed, just as she’d hoped. “Gabriel gave me the best vacation of my life. This ridiculousness was the result of some well-intentioned but misguided people who have no say in my day-to-day life. I’m not thrilled that my getaway hit you in the middle of a slow news cycle, but it’s grown into something much bigger than it actually was. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see if I can get Gabriel’s jet refueled. I need a vacation from my vacation.”
She replaced her shades and let the security team whisk her out of the terminal and into a waiting limousine while the lawyer and PR lady stayed behind to make an official statement. As soon as the car pulled away from the curb, she sank back against the seat. “Where’s Gabriel?”
“He’s still being interviewed, ma’am,” one of the DJD Security guards said.
“We left him behind?” She stared at the man, shocked. “We need to turn around.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t do that.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? We can’t leave Gabriel back there!”
“We have our orders, ma’am,” the guard replied. “We’re to see you safely to the Delacroix residence.”
Renata and Sebastian Delacroix lived in Audubon Place, a gated community with its own security and Italianate mansions more than a century old. She’d be safe there with Gabriel’s friends while they waited for him to join them, but still … “No.”
“Ma’am—”
“Don’t you dare ‘ma’am’ me, not after the day I’ve had.” She glared at the poor guard, then softened. “Look, I know you’re just doing what your boss told you to do. I appreciate that. If you think I’m going to leave Gabriel there by himself, without anyone to support him, you are out of your damned mind.”
The man had the grace to look sheepish. “Kilgore is with him, Ms. Armistead—”
“Do. Not. Call. Me. Ms. Armistead.”
Sweat began to bead on his forehead. “Ms. Karina?” he guessed.
“Thank you.” She folded her arms and kept her tone level with an effort. “I’m keeping my shit together with a spider’s web and it is not going to take much to push me over the edge. We just got through doing the kidnapping dance with the FBI and I now have a clear definition of what does and does not constitute abduction in their eyes. None of you are taking me anywhere I don’t want to go, against my will. Do you understand?”
“I understand, ma’am—Ms. Karina,” the guard finally said, “but Mr. Devereaux will skin me alive if I don’t take you somewhere safe while he finishes this business.”
“Mr. Devereaux isn’t here,” Daniel pointed out, folding his arms across his massive chest as he stared the man down. “She is. You really don’t want to see her pissed off.”
“I’ll call him and the others to let them know of the change of plans,” she volunteered. “If that isn’t satisfactory, you can take me back to the airport, and I’ll book a flight to Nashville.”
The guard muttered something unpleasant under his breath then turned around and asked the driver to take them back. Satisfied that she’d get her way, she dug her phone out of her bag and dialed Gabriel. As she suspected, it went straight to voice mail. She wasted little time. “You listen to me, Gabriel Devereaux. I’m coming back to wait for you and I don’t give a damn what you think about that. As soon as you’re done, you’d better call me so that we can bring the car around, all right? Love you.”
She disconnected, then looked up to s
ee everyone staring at her. “What?”
“I’ve never heard anyone talk to him like that. Ever.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not just anyone, and apparently today’s the day I teach everyone how not to deal with me.” With a full head of steam still surging through her, she dialed another number. She wasted no time when she heard the haughty voice on the other end. “Are you going to apologize?”
“Never,” Peyton Armistead hissed. “He deserves to go to jail for what he did to you.”
“You’ve done more harm to Gabriel than he has ever done to you. This has to end, and it has to end now. Stop trying to ruin our lives.”
“Now you listen to me—”
“No. You listen to me. This is the last straw. I am done with you trying to run my life, trying to ruin Gabriel’s life. You will leave him alone and you will leave me alone. If you won’t do it voluntarily, I will have my lawyer seek a restraining order as soon as she can get to court. Given the debacle with the FBI, I bet a judge will be happy to sign off on that.”
She plunged ahead. “One more thing. Gabriel owns the company that has the majority stake in Armistead Manufacturing. That stake now belongs to me. Gabriel and I will give you one day to step down with dignity and have Paul named CEO.”
“You’d abandon your family to be a Devereaux whore?”
“Calling your only daughter a whore is such a classy move, Dad.” She drew a steadying breath. “That right there is why I can’t deal with you anymore. As far as I’m concerned, I no longer have a father.”
She disconnected, then handed her phone to Daniel. “I’m going to need a new number,” she said, her voice calm despite the fury and agony raging inside her. She was done crying over her relationship with her father. Sometimes you had to go with the family you created instead of the family you were born into.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Gabriel’s security guard stared at her. “I’ll make sure to never get on your bad side, Ms. Karina,” the man said. “You’re scary in ways that Mr. Devereaux isn’t. You’re made for each other.”
“I think so too. Will you and Henderson go wait for him? I don’t want him pressing through a crowd without you there protecting him. I promise I won’t leave the car, and Daniel is right here with me.”
The two men exited, leaving Kari and Danny staring at each other. “Are you going to tell me that I’m making a mistake?” she asked.
“No.”
She raised a brow. Danny had been with her for seven years, since she signed her first record deal. She trusted him implicitly, but she knew she had a blind spot when it came to Gabriel. “Why not?”
“I don’t think you’re making a mistake,” Danny said, surprising her. “No, I didn’t like the guy when I first met him. He’s dangerous. To everyone but you. With you, he’s … not softer, because that word doesn’t fit him, but more approachable. You’re good for him and I think he’s good for you.”
“Danny.”
The big man looked away. “I studied him. Underneath that serial killer glare is a good man. He’d cut off his right arm before he’d hurt you. He loves you that much. If I had to leave you in someone else’s care, he’s the one I’d trust to take care of you.”
Kari swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “Thank you for that, Daniel. I appreciate it more than I can say.”
“Just make sure you invite me to the wedding.”
“We’re nowhere near that,” she chided with a much-needed laugh. “Don’t think you’re off the hook from doing your job, mister. I still need a bodyguard.”
“True.” Daniel’s expression sobered. “He’s not going to be happy you did this.”
“I know, but he needs to understand what I’m about. I may not have his bank account, but if we’re going to do this thing it’s going to be as equals.”
“I know. Good luck explaining that to him, though.”
Just then the door opened and Gabriel was there, his face a granite mask. “Gabriel.” She scrambled across the seat to him but he held up a hand, stopping her.
“Daniel,” Gabriel said to her bodyguard, “there’s another car on the way to take the security team back to Karina’s hotel. You can ride with them or you can ride up front, but Kari and I need to be alone right now.”
Daniel hesitated, but Kari nodded her okay. She’d known that Gabriel would be furious but she didn’t care. Not when she was furious too.
Gabriel raised the privacy divider as Daniel climbed out of the car, leaving them alone together for the first time in hours. He sat across from her, his dark eyes glittering as he loosened his tie with short, sharp motions. “I’m dangerously close to being the beast that everyone expects me to be, Kari,” he said in a deceptively quiet voice. “I need one good reason why you chose to ignore my very reasonable request to get the fuck out of here.”
“Go ahead, be angry. I don’t give a damn.”
His hard gaze flicked over her. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. I’m pissed at you too, by the way.” She shifted to his seat, holding his gaze as she very deliberately straddled him. “You act like you’re this lone wolf, having to do everything by yourself. You’re not alone, Gabriel. Not anymore. Neither am I. I’m here because I need to be here with you. And you need me to be here for you.”
She shoved her hands into his hair and kissed him with everything she had. His arms tightened around her, almost too tight, but she didn’t care. Now that they were together again, it felt like she could finally breathe, finally relax, finally just be again.
“Kari,” he groaned, just before he took over the kiss, one hand gripping her hair, holding her just where he wanted her as he plundered her mouth. Just as she melted against him, his hands slipped to her shoulders, pushing her away. “I sent you away because I wanted you to be safe! Can’t you understand that?”
She did, just as she understood that what he felt was fear for her. She understood it because she felt the same way. “Gabriel,” she whispered, palming his beautiful face in her hands. “Don’t you think I feel the same way about you? Don’t you think I want to make sure you’re safe? How can you not know that the safest place for me to be is right beside you?”
Wide wild eyes stared back at her. “I come out of an interrogation to find that you gave an interview to the press, got my security team to stage a rebellion, and now you’re filing restraining orders. Have you lost your mind, or have I?”
“I’m fighting for you, fighting for us,” she said against his lips. “I love you, Gabriel Devereaux. Maybe that makes me a little bit crazy, but I’m not going to let anyone—not the press, not my father, not even you—stand in the way of us being together.”
He sighed and in that sigh she heard his surrender. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I’d rather we focus on what I’m going to do to you,” she cracked as she slid to her knees, then reached for his zipper. “It’s not that far to my hotel. Mind if I relieve a little stress?”
“There’s nothing little about my stress,” he told her, big hands gently cradling her head. “But you will always be the cure for what ails me.”
* * *
Despite the passionate reunion with Kari in the back of the limo, Gabriel still seethed with anger. Peyton Armistead reporting Kari kidnapped and dredging up long-buried events from ten years ago infuriated him. As much as he wanted to set aside retribution for Kari’s sake, the man needed to be stopped. This sort of escalation meant it wouldn’t end until someone was hurt, and Gabriel didn’t want it to be Kari.
They ignored the mob of reporters at the hotel’s entrance, but Gabriel didn’t relax until they stepped into the relative quiet of the foyer. “Are you okay with staying with Sebastian and Renata for the rest of your time in New Orleans? Their pool house is a two-bedroom cottage. You’ll have complete privacy and absolutely no reporters.”
“Is there a particular reason you don’t want me to stay with you?”
He grimaced. “You won’t
have as much privacy staying with me. It’ll be like you never left here.”
The manager and assistant manager stepped up to the desk as they approached. “Mr. Devereaux, Ms. Karina,” the manager said. “It’s a pleasure to welcome you back to Hotel du Mont.”
“That’s kind of you to say, but I’m sure you’re ready for things to return to normal,” Karina told him. “So am I.”
A look of dismay crossed his features as he glanced at Gabriel then back to her. “You are leaving us?”
“Ms. Karina will be checking out today,” Gabriel confirmed.
The man swallowed audibly then turned back to Gabriel. “You’re not unhappy with us?”
“I had a lovely stay,” Karina assured him. “You and your staff have been exemplary while dealing with the press of nonguests descending on your doorstep. I’m just going to stay with friends for the remainder of my time in New Orleans.”
“Of course, ma’am. I’ll settle your bill and send Charles up to your room to help you with your luggage.”
“That’s not necessary,” Gabriel interjected. “We’ll have our security help with Karina’s bags.”
“Of course, sir.” The manager inclined his head. Gabriel had already arranged to take care of Karina’s tab, but saw no need to point that out.
“Do you always have to take control of everything, even checking me out of my hotel room?” Karina asked as they headed for the alcove that housed the elevators for the executive and higher levels.
“I feel the need to be in control of something today. Short of tying you to my bed, this will have to do.”
“We’ll have to add that to the list. By the way, don’t think I didn’t notice how the manager was fawning all over you like you own the hotel.” She gave him the side-eye. “You own this hotel, don’t you?”
“It’s part of my real estate portfolio,” he admitted. “I needed a place to stay once DJD Holdings decided to relocate here, but I still travel a lot. So why not buy a hotel that I could live in and make money on?”
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