“Come on, walking will help. The Jeep’s two miles away.”
I hold my stomach when we start moving. I step carefully, aware that falling won’t help. My feet are frozen and I worry about frostbite. The thin socks I’m wearing are no help at all. Two miles. I can make it. We’ll be fine once we reach Rack’s Jeep.
I know we haven’t gone a half mile when I almost trip over a branch. Rack gathers me into his arms, lifts me, and keeps walking. “Put me down, you can’t carry me.”
“Stop wiggling and making it harder. We’re both freezing.” His tone is hard. It’s an order.
Orders don’t sit well with me, but he’s right. We need to find the Jeep. I clench my hands into the vest under his arms. Leaning against the vest is not nearly as comfortable as wearing it. Pocket-y things stick into me. I’ll be damned if I complain.
Rack carries me and my extra belly weight like it’s nothing. At least during the first mile. His breath comes in stronger gasps as he continues walking. I’m almost about to insist he put me down again, when he stops.
“The Jeep is up ahead. I want to check it out before getting you situated.” He removes the handgun from his holster and hands it to me. It no longer has the suppressor on it. Nick was a gun fanatic and taught me well. I pull the slide back and realize I can’t see if there’s one in the chamber.
“It’s loaded and ready to go. You have twelve in the mag and one in the chamber.” He doesn’t question that I know what I’m doing when it comes to guns.
“Hurry back,” I tell him.
He nods, pulls the rifle around, and disappears into the forest. I place my back to a tree like he did earlier, though I don’t attempt to sit. Keeping the gun securely in my hand, I wrap my arms around myself and listen for strange noises.
The trees rustle with the slight breeze that’s making it even colder. It should be cold enough to keep animals in their dens. I don’t notice the normal critter noises I would expect. A few minutes later the crunch of a branch makes me move the gun and turn slightly to the side.
“You’re good, it’s me. Come on, I started the engine so it will be warm when you get inside.”
I want to laugh and cry at the same time. Angelo might not be dead but Rack got me out of there and now my baby has a chance.
Chapter Nine
Rack
I LIFT HER INTO the passenger seat of the Jeep. It’s barely warmed but anything is better than outside. I have the Mylar blanket ready to go and tuck it in around her. I didn’t want it shining through the trees while we headed to the Jeep in case Angelo circled back looking for the person who blew up the house.
She’s shivering. I shut the door as quickly as possible and move to the driver’s side. I throw the Jeep in gear and pull onto the road. I chose this spot so I could move forward and hit the road in case we were in a hurry. With everything involved, the extraction went good. Maybe too good.
Beth moves her hands to the vents to heat them. I’m as cold as fuck but hey, I’m tough. I refuse to act like a pussy in front of her. I head back to the long stretch of road I came in on and see no vehicle lights in front or behind us. I head east at the intersection. I don’t have a plan that involves a pregnant woman. At least not yet. I’ll check my phone when I’m sure we’re out of danger and see if Moon has responded to the information I left him. If he’s smart, he’ll stay out of this and Moon is a very smart man.
“You okay?” I ask Beth. She’s deceptively quiet. I need her communicating any problems besides the obvious one of being frozen almost solid.
“Better,” she replies with trembling lips that I can just make out within the Jeep’s dark interior.
“Push back the seat if you need to. We’ll be on the road for hours.”
“Umm,” she says followed by, “never mind.”
“That won’t cut it,” I tell her. “You tell me what you need and I’ll take care of it.”
She groans and I’m about to push again when she says, “Bathroom. I need to go frequently.”
“Like right now?” I ask, astonished.
“I’ll make it another thirty minutes,” she replies stubbornly.
Thirty minutes isn’t good. I doubt we’ll find a bathroom before that. I also don’t want to stop at a gas station or anywhere that might have video cameras. I’m not dealing with just Angelo. I’m dealing with his father’s organization, which has a long reach. I check the clock on the dash and drive for twenty minutes. There’s a turn off and I pull in and head off the main road for a short distance.
“What are you doing?” Beth asks grumpily.
“You’ll need to take advantage of Mother Nature. We can’t stop at a restroom and chance cameras…”
She cuts me off and says, “Have you seen the size of me? I can’t squat somewhere and go,” she huffs indignantly.
“You can and you will. No other choice. I’ll help.”
I park the Jeep and she throws her door open. “Stay right where you are. I’ll do this myself if it kills me.”
I do my best not to smile. “Would toilet paper help?” I ask before she slams the door.
“Yes, you jerk.”
I have sympathy, I really do, but she’s damn cute and it’s hard to hide my smile. I open my door and head to the back of the Jeep, where I have emergency supplies. A small roll of biodegradable paper is in the kit. I place the roll in her outstretched hand. “You need help. Let me assist you. I promise I’ll close my eyes. Your modesty is safe with me.”
“I’d rather die,” she snaps and walks off. I turn around and watch for passing cars. A few minutes later I hear, “Rack, I need your help.”
I head in the direction her voice came from. She’s leaning against a tree. “Come on,” I tell her. “It’s not that bad.”
“That’s what you think,” she sniffs. “What if I had to hold your dick so you could go?”
My dick twitches at the thought. I’ve imagined her doing just that. Okay, not so I can take a piss, but having her fingers wrapped around me is one of my favorite fantasies. Her damn brother started this mess from his nightly stories.
I move behind her, spread my legs to either side of hers, and place my hands beneath her arms. “Pull down your pants and squat. I’ll ease you down and keep my eyes closed while doing it.” I shut my eyes and concentrate on the movement of her body.
“What if I piss on your boots?” she all but sobs.
“They’ll wash. Come on, it’s cold.”
“I can’t believe I’m doing this. I hate being pregnant. The indignities keep mounting,” she whines. She shifts and I hear the slide of her pants going down. I step back slightly and lean down allowing her to bend at her knees. “The doctor Angelo hired to examine me was a creep. He did perv-y things and Angelo watched.” She stops talking and the sound of her peeing fills the night.
“I’ll kill the doctor and Angelo for you.”
“Angelo is mine,” she sasses.
“Okay, I’ll take the doctor.” Over my dead body will she kill Angelo but now’s not the time to argue about it.
Her hands shift and I clue in that she’s wiping herself. “Can you lift me a little?” I lift her and turn so she’s not standing in the wet spot. I help her stand upright and she readjusts her clothes. “You can release me. Thank you.” Her teeth are beginning to chatter again.
I move to the side and take her hand. “Come on, let’s get you to the Jeep where it’s warmer.”
I tuck her back into her seat with the Mylar blanket. “Get some sleep and let me know when you need to go again.”
“I will. At least it shouldn’t be as mortifying the next time.”
I don’t mention her need to do other business. I feel another argument coming on for that one. I reach back and hand her a bottle of water. “I know you don’t want to go as often but you need to stay hydrated.” She takes the water and twists off the top. After she takes a few sips she hands it to me. I take a pull and place it in the cup holder between us. “Sleep,”
I say softly.
“Okay, but I’ll drive when you need to sleep.”
I don’t answer. The sun will be up in a few hours. I want to clear Wyoming and get into Colorado before stopping.
Chapter Ten
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Dear Stubborn Beth,
You’re not listening. This guy is bad for you. You’ll be bored within a year if you marry him. I know he hasn’t asked yet but I can read between the lines. You can’t marry him without me there, so I may never come home. I know in your stubbornness you will react irrationally if I try to tell you what to do. You have always been the most obstinate baby/girl/woman I know. I’m asking you to take things slow and wait.
Your equally stubborn brother,
Nick
****
Beth
I WAKE UP CRAMPED and needing to pee again. The Jeep stops moving and I peer out the window. We’re at a rest stop. Rack reaches into the back seat and hands me a small travel pouch.
“Make it quick. The toothbrush is mine, use it. I’ll give you five minutes. Leave everything behind if I tell you to move. I don’t expect trouble but we need to be prepared.”
I cover my mouth. “My breath is that bad?”
He smiles and I think my heart stops. He has dimples. “No,” he says and shakes his head. “I just know my mother would want to brush her teeth.”
There can’t be a more perfect man on the planet. He’s as far from Angelo and the criminal world as you can get. My brother was right in telling me to contact Rack. Of course, I don’t think my brother was ever wrong about anything. I would say joining the military was not a wise choice because it got him killed. I can’t, though, because Nick had a sense of duty and fighting for this country was part of it.
I stop daydreaming when Rack’s brow furrows. It makes little difference that the sun is coming over the horizon, it’s cold. I hustle, which means a fast waddle into the bathroom. I do my business thankful Rack doesn’t need to hold me while I do it. I glance into the metal mirror, which misshapes my face and still doesn’t hide my swollen eyes or my hair sticking up in odd places. The travel bag is a bathroom kit and has a comb but no hairbrush. I wash my face and hands and then move to the hand dryer to dry myself. The heat feels good. I don’t mind brushing my teeth with Rack’s toothbrush. It’s kind of sexy. I don’t care if I’m the size of a barn. Sexy is sexy and Rack is the definition. Why didn’t I call him after breaking it off with Kevin?
Shit. What if Rack is in a relationship or married? He doesn’t wear a ring but that means nothing in today’s world. I don’t know why I’m even having these thoughts. I’m pregnant with another man’s child. If Rack is single and desperate, I still wouldn’t be on his list. I leave the ladies’ room after combing my hair and hand him the bathroom kit.
“Your turn. I’ll keep watch.”
He hands me the handgun after I’m situated in the front seat of the Jeep. He rolls the window down. “I’ll be quick. Yell if someone pulls up.”
I wrap the silver blanket around me. I can’t remember what they’re called. I have pregnancy brain, PN for short, or at least that’s what it feels like. PN makes me cry, forget the simplest things, and makes me think I need to pee every hour. I rub my hand over my stomach.
“I told you we would be okay. Your mom doesn’t give false promises,” I whisper. That’s so far from the truth it’s ridiculous, but I need my baby to understand she’s safe.
Rack is out in half the time it took me. I watch him stride to the Jeep. And oh man he can stride. He has the lethal walk of a predator. Add in bulging muscle and badass tats and Rack is extra yummy. Pregnancy has had another effect on me. I swear I’ve been horny since day one. I haven’t had sex with anything other than my fingers in six months. I fight back a groan and must make some small distressed noise because Mr. Lethal gives me a quick look.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Perfect,” I reply and try to wipe my last thoughts from my mind.
He hands me a brown bag which he pulled from the trunk before we left the rest stop. “Energy bars and fruit. Eat what you need.” He puts the Jeep in gear and pulls out.
I’m starving. I peer into the bag and remove one of the bars. I hand it to him. “I’ll eat one if you eat the other.”
He takes it without arguing. The bag also holds an apple. I eat the bar first. “Do you have a knife?” I ask after the bar is gone and I pull out the apple.
“You’re not using a knife while we’re moving. Eat half and I’ll take the rest when you’re done.”
“You’re bossy, you know that?” I smile because I want him to smile back at me. Boy do I want him to smile back. I’m such a pathetic excuse for a pregnant woman.
He glances over and I think it’s going to happen. Then his gaze drops to my stomach and he snaps his eyes back to the road. I can’t imagine a woman in my condition causing any kind of flirtatious behavior in a man who looks like Rack. This stomach completely kills a mood, even an imaginary one. I can’t believe I’m having any of these thoughts. Damn, I’m just losing my mind.
I eat part of the apple and cast covert glances his way while he drives. He’s lickable sin. I want his lush mouth all over me. His brutally muscled arms wrapped around me and his…Oh, God I need to stop.
I take steady breaths to try to hide my crazy thoughts. I lean a little to the right in the seat and settle back, turned slightly so I can see him without it appearing so obvious. He has three tattooed crosses on the side of his throat and a full arm sleeve of beautiful artwork. Nick never mentioned Rack being an overly religious man but the crosses say differently. Again, he’s as close to perfect as I can picture a man. I can’t help wondering if there are more tats where I can’t see. My body heats and I’m uncomfortably warm. I take my last bite of apple and chew slowly.
“Do you need to go again?” he asks me.
My face heats. I guess I was squirming just a bit. “No, I’m good. Here’s your half of the apple.”
“Eat it, I’m not hungry.”
I pull the apple back and take another bite. I eat with one hand and rub my belly with the other. It’s habit. The swirling over my stomach calms me. The desire doesn’t leave, though. I’m a woman and even pregnancy can’t ruin my fantasy.
“We’ll get a room tonight and you can shower. I’ll pick up some clothes for you to change into once we’re settled in the room. Too many stores have cameras. I don’t want you seen.”
A shower sounds heavenly. I finish the apple and place the core in the bag. “Could we manage real food?”
His lip quirks and a hint of his smile shows. “What type of real food do you like?” he asks.
With his incredible body he probably exists on energy bars and protein drinks. I’ve been eating overcooked vegetables and bland meat for months. “Pizza, I crave pizza with everything on it.” I expect a response similar to what Angelo would give me. What I get is Rack’s full smile.
“Pizza it is.”
I salivate over the thought of pizza and what his smile does to my insides. The baby kicks in pleasure even though she has no idea what pizza is. The tears come out of nowhere. It’s been this way since I became pregnant—perfectly okay one minute and a sobbing mess the next. Rack jerks the Jeep off the road. He’s out the door and at mine before I realize what’s going on. He throws my door open, releases my seatbelt and has me in his arms. I hiccup between gasps for air while clenching his shirt.
“Shh,” he whispers while rubbing my back. His muscled arms tighten and he’s completely supporting my jelly legs with my extended belly plastered to the front of him. Everything I’ve been through pours out—the pain, the fear, the utter desolation. This man saved me. Saved my child. He doesn’t even know us. We’re nothing to him. His friend’s sister. That’s all. And he came through.
“Shh,” he says repeatedly. He finally pushes me back in the seat and takes a knee on the ground. He picks u
p my hand and moves it to his chest. “You’re safe.” He wipes hair from my face where it’s sticking to my tears. He uses his T-shirt to wipe the tears and snot. I’m such a basket case that I don’t even care. At least not until a bubble blows from my nose and I snort.
“See, everything will be okay,” he says with another heart-stopping smile.
“It’s the baby. I never cry, but she makes me cry all the time,” I say between hiccups.
“I don’t know anything about babies or being pregnant. It helps when you tell me these things. I thought it was the pizza.”
I manage a small giggle. “It was the pizza. Angelo monitored my food and made me eat healthy. No sugar and no damn pizza.”
“Just another reason to kill him,” he responds lightly but his eyes darken. “I’ll pick up pizza and ice cream if you want?”
“A hot fudge sundae and I’ll love you forever.”
“I can manage that.” He palms my cheek and tilts my face up a bit. “We’ll find you someone special to love. He’ll be a great father for your little girl.”
I’m looking at someone special. All I’ve thought about for months was escaping and raising my child alone. I was totally off men. And now…now I want this man so bad it hurts. “She could be a he. I don’t know but I was just kind of hoping for a girl. I didn’t want a boy to turn out like his father.” I sniff and tears well again.
Rack’s fingers run beneath my eyes. “None of that. There’s no way your baby will turn out like Angelo. There’s too much of Nick in him or her.”
I push forward so my cheek rests on his shirt. That’s the nicest thing he could possibly say. I’m ready to start bawling again but manage to gain control. The buzz of a phone coming from behind me makes me jump.
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