I’m too angry to sit, but I know this is hard for her so I stand slowly and do my best to keep my voice even. “How did you contact me?”
“The man you shot at the front door, Peter. He left his phone in his room and I saw it when I tried to find a jacket so I could walk outside.”
“Did you care about Peter?” It doesn’t really matter. I had no choice. I just want to know if it bothers her.
Beth gives me a shaky smile. “He was just a kid with hero worship. Angelo would have killed him if he knew I sent the message from Peter’s phone. I knew that and sent a message anyway.”
In this, she’s exactly like her brother—do what needs doing even if you don’t like it. She has Nick’s dark eyes. He was so damn proud of Beth in everything but her choice of men. Of course he thought I was the better choice. More fool him.
The words slip out before I can stop them. “Do you want a back rub?”
Chapter Fourteen
To: Beth Hoffman,
Enclosed you will find your brother’s final communication. He has paid the ultimate sacrifice to his country and so has his family. I grieve with you.
Commander E. Montgomery
Dearest Beth,
By now you know I didn’t keep my promise and that I’m not coming home. Forgive me. I would give anything to see you grow into a more incredible woman, find that special man who completes you, and make baby Beths who will be as cute as you. From the moment you were born, I loved you. I hear that’s rather strange for older brothers but to me you were the perfect bundle of joy and you gave my life purpose. This is actually the second “just in case” letter I’ve written. This new one is because of my friendship with Rack. I’ve beat you upside the head about him. I won’t do it in this letter. But I need you to know that he will always be there for you. You can depend on him no matter the circumstances. Grieve for me and then move on with your life. I want your happiness above all else. I will love you until the end of time and beyond.
Your everything brother,
Nick
****
Beth
RACK JUST ASKED IF I want a pot of gold. It’s sad that the hardest thing about being under Angelo’s proverbial thumb was the lack of touch. The baby hormones only made it worse. My back aches constantly, along with my feet and calves. I wake up with calf cramps that leave me in tears.
“Please,” I whisper, afraid he’ll take back the offer.
His dimples appear and he waves his hand toward the bed. “I can’t get to your lower back while you’re in the chair.”
I jump up and head to the bathroom. “I’m putting your shirt back on,” I say over my shoulder. He’s going to touch me again. I tear my clothes off and pull his T-shirt over my head. My panties, hanging over the curtain rod, are almost dry, so I slip them on. I walk out and Rack is standing next to the bed where he’s pulled back the covers. “If I lay face down, I’ll need multiple pillows above and below my belly. Can you toss over some from your bed?”
Rack hands me two pillows from his bed and I add them to my two. I make two piles with enough room for my belly to rest between them. As I look at what I’m about to do, I realize I’ll look like a beached whale once I’m lying down. I back away. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t feel like a back rub right now.”
He looks at the bed and then at me. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted a back massage.”
He’s so perfect. So beautiful. So damn hot. “I’m fat,” I say in frustration. I point at my ass. “Do you know what this will look like propped up by pillows?”
The jerk smiles. “I thought we already established that you’re fat. Baby fat.”
I want to laugh, yell, and stomp my feet at the same time. “Sometimes it might work in your favor to lie to a girl.”
His expression changes and he appears more closed off. I’ve said the wrong thing. Then his gaze lightens and he places his hand out. I slowly lift mine and take his fingers. “I promise this will feel great,” he says huskily.
The blood in my veins catches fire. I’m practically breathless. Too many thoughts fly through my head. Could this turn into sex? Would he want it to? Will my expanded body repulse him?
He reads something in my gaze. “Only a back rub.” He pulls me closer to the bed and I turn slightly and look up at him. I’m disappointed but I understand. I’m an idiot for thinking this sexy man could want me.
“Turn around so I can situate myself,” I tell him before I chicken out and end the chance of him touching me.
He chuckles, shakes his head, and turns like I asked. I climb onto the bed, pull the T-shirt down, and do my best to position the pillows beneath my hips and breasts. “Okay,” I say with a huff from the exertion. “Make it good because I don’t know if I’ll ever have the guts to do this again.” I gaze down at the sheet and refuse to watch Rack when he gets his first look at me.
He doesn’t say anything, thank God. His knee dips into the mattress and he shifts closer. One leg goes over me so he’s straddling my upper thighs. I’m about to call a halt to everything because I’m mortified by how I must look to a man who most likely has gorgeous women in his bed whenever he’s in the mood. I say nothing because his fingers span my lower back and dig in just enough to bring a moan from deep in my throat.
“Is that okay?” he asks as his hands massage upward.
“Oh, God, yes. Don’t stop.” I’m in heaven. Tingles follow everywhere he touches. I can’t stop the noises that rise from my throat. His large hands move up and down my back, over my shoulders and finally he moves lower to my ass. I don’t have the willpower to stop him. He kneads the muscles, and the moan I’m in the middle of turns to a loud embarrassing groan. This isn’t sex, but maybe it’s better. I hadn’t realized how bad my muscles needed this attention.
“What about your thighs and calves?” he asks.
“Yes, please,” I say with a heavy breath because nothing has ever felt this good in my entire life.
He moves to my thighs, shifts his body so he’s beside me, and rubs farther down my legs. He massages my feet without asking. Why hasn’t some woman snatched him up? I would have ten babies and never complain if a man would do this each time I was pregnant.
His hands drift back up and my eyelids grow heavy. He lightly trails his hands over my skin; the rough callouses on his fingers adding to the sensation. His hands still and I roll over to my back. He moves the pillows away so I’m comfortable. His eyes are jade green—dark and dreamy, full of need. I tear my gaze away and look lower. God, his erection. I want to see him naked. I want to wrap my mouth around him and give him the best blow job of his life.
“I need another shower,” he says softly, and I look back into his eyes.
“You do because I just had at least five orgasms,” I say with a smile. It’s the first time he gives me a full out laugh. He’s even more beautiful. “Will you kiss me again, Rack?” I ask when his laughter fades.
“No.”
“Lie to me,” I beg.
“I’ll never lie to you, Beth. You have questions, you ask.”
I reach out and take his hand, placing it on my breast. His fingers squeeze gently. My breasts are extra sensitive and I inhale sharply. “Don’t stop,” I whisper. I feel like he doesn’t want this to happen and I almost roll away.
He bends down and kisses me. My fingers go to his head and weave into his hair. It’s longer now than it was when I first met him and it’s so darn soft. My desire fires on all cylinders. He moves the pillows further away and ends the kiss, just looking at me for a few seconds. Before I beg, his hand slips inside the shirt and his rough fingers slide over my nipple. I arch into him, almost forgetting that I’m pregnant. His face is so intent on what he’s doing. He watches me—my face, my expression. His eyes are murky with desire. His other hand travels to the bottom of the shirt and slides under it as he leans over me. His fingers travel across my thigh and when he encounters my panties, he slips past them. I’m wet. I want him. A single fing
er enters me and I close my eyes and press my pelvis into his touch.
“Oh, God.” My breath comes in gasps. Rack’s musky scent fills me. My heart pounds and my blood heats. He kisses me again. His lips are so perfect, so commanding. He turns my entire world upside down, consuming me. His tongue dances to the same rhythm as his finger. I cry out when he slips two fingers inside. He immediately stops and begins pulling his hand away. I grab his arm. “No, no, don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” I croon into his mouth. I’m desperate. His touch is all-consuming. I can’t stop myself from grinding against his hand…wanting more, needing everything he’s willing to give.
His fingers slip away and I want to scream. Then he brings them up and slides them over my mouth, painting my lips with my own wetness. His smoky, green, lust-filled eyes follow his fingers—so intent on the artistry. When my lips are wet, I lick just the bottom one and taste. His eyes go from steamy to hot emerald. He lowers his lips and his nostrils flair as he inhales. His tongue comes out and runs over where I just licked. Then, he glides it across my upper lip and makes a noise deep in his throat. His mouth claims mine, so I swallow his groan and it combines with my own. His fingers trail downward over the T-shirt and I don’t care about my fat belly, I want his touch on bare flesh.
His fingers sink inside me again. Slowly in and just as slowly out. The rough pad of his thumb circles my clit. The air in the room no longer holds enough oxygen. I push up against his hand when his two fingers sink deep. He increases the rhythm—driving me insane with need. The spasms start too soon. I want this to last forever, but my body has other ideas. Rack is no longer kissing me. He’s watching me. I shake my head back and forth.
“Let go, Beth,” he commands.
“You…” I fight my body. “You don’t understand,” I manage to strangle out before the internal pulses explode and I can’t think. Oh, but I feel. It’s earth shattering. The aftershocks come one after the other until I’m completely undone.
I recover slowly and I’m suddenly aware of Rack’s erection pressing against my side. My right hand is trapped between our bodies, so I turn slightly to my side and run my left hand down his chest to reach for his cock. His hand takes mine, lifts it, and kisses the backs of my fingers. He pulls away and slowly rises off the bed. I want to scream. He kisses my nose and without another word, disappears into the bathroom. I should feel ashamed that I was such a wanting mess of need. Later, maybe. Right now I sink into the sensation of having the best orgasm of my life. It doesn’t matter that he left me because I still feel his touch and it goes clear to my soul.
The miserable sexual ache I’ve carried for so long is gone. I smooth my palm over my tummy. The baby is a tight, hard ball beneath the stretched skin.
“I think I’m a little in love with him,” I whisper into the room after the shower goes on.
I fall asleep with a smile on my lips.
Chapter Fifteen
Rack
I JACK OFF THREE times before I’m willing to even think about returning to the bedroom. She is so incredibly soft, her pussy so fucking hot. And, God, her taste. I’ll never get it out of my head. The remembrance of her sweet scent mixes up my insides until I’m one raging hard-on after another. How the hell will I walk away once she’s safe?
The hero worship shows plainly in her eyes. She thinks I’m a man like her brother and has no idea who and what I really am—a cold-blooded killer with a vendetta that eats him alive. Beth deserves something more. She deserves a man without blood on his hands. I rest my forehead against the shower wall. What the hell am I doing? It doesn’t matter that watching her come was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I fucked this up royally.
I’m relieved when I enter the bedroom and she’s asleep. I want to leave early tomorrow morning, so I place all but one handgun in the weapons bag, tidy the room, and hit the bed wearing boxers. It doesn’t take much for me to fall asleep. It’s been a long few days.
Beth gets up twice during the night to use the bathroom. I’m instantly back to sleep when she climbs back into her bed.
****
I check my phone for messages before the sun comes up. There’s another text from Gomez.
Check your old email
I stare at the message for several minutes. I only have one email account, which is on my phone, and there are no messages waiting. And it’s strange that he would use it anyway. It suddenly dawns on me that I do have another email address. It’s the one from my other life. It’s been a long time since I checked it and I’ve never used my phone or the laptop in my room at Moon’s compound when I did. The fact Gomez sent a message to my old email means things are hot on his end.
I can’t worry about that right now. Beth and I need a safe place to hunker down until the baby’s born. There are several possibilities. Today, we’ll get enough cash to enable us to do what’s needed, including the car issue.
With the lights out, I look through the front window into the parking lot. As long as the Jeep’s license plate didn’t hit any cameras, Angelo will think I’m heading in Moon’s direction. Staying a state over won’t keep us safe for long, though.
I quietly carry the bags out to the Jeep before waking Beth. The light is just beginning to shine through the curtains when I gently nudge her shoulder.
“Wanna sleep,” she sluggishly whispers. Her hair is tousled and she’s more beautiful than ever.
I steel myself against giving in and letting her sleep. She can nap on the road. “No can do. We have a long day ahead of us and I know you must be starving.”
“Eat pizza,” she says and pulls a pillow over her head.
I remove the pillow and slide my hand under the sheet. My plan is to tickle her. Or that was the plan. My hand slides over her stomach and I feel a strong kick under my palm. “Shit,” I say and jerk my hand back.
“Oh gosh, you can’t make a pregnant woman laugh before she pees first thing in the morning. Those are the rules,” she says with a laugh that turns into a groan.
I’m smiling when I whip back the covers to help her out of bed. Her fingers scramble to pull my shirt over her belly. I place my hand over both of hers. “Now that I know there’s not an alien under there can I feel the baby kick again?”
“I really need to pee,” she answers as she takes my hand and moves it farther up her stomach. Thirty seconds later I feel another kick. I’m watching her stomach and see movement. “She’s rolling over,” Beth adds with a soft smile when I look back into her eyes.
“Damn. Does it hurt?”
She laughs again. “The only thing that hurts right now is my bladder. Help me up, please.”
I hear her desperation. I lift her from the bed and stand her next to it. She wobbles for a few seconds and then turns and heads into the bathroom. Thirty minutes later, we pull into a drive-thru for breakfast. Beth orders two breakfast croissants, hash browns, and two milks. I don’t say a word.
I give her an overview of what today’s plans are. “We’re hitting the bank as soon as it opens and then buying a car. I have two promising leads. Taking money from the bank will give Gimonde our location. We’ll leave quickly and drive to the location of the first car, hoping we get lucky. I picked up a throwaway phone when I shopped yesterday. Mine will stay behind after we go to the bank. If they’re able to track it, we might as well give them someplace they would find anyway. Once we’re in a different vehicle, we’ll use the new phone and we’ll be untraceable.”
I explain it all while driving west. “The vehicles I checked on and got addresses for are in Moab, Utah. It’s a small town but has a direct route into Arizona. That’s where Gimonde will think we’re heading. After we have the new vehicle, we’ll head east.” Beth doesn’t argue. “You feeling okay?” I finally ask.
“Ate too much again. If you see a donut shop on the way, don’t pass it by, though.”
She’s killing me and I want to stop the car and kiss her again. “Deal,” I say instead.
We take
several bathroom breaks, eat lunch, and arrive in Moab around two in the afternoon. One of the reasons I chose this location was because my bank is one of three in town. I pull out all but a grand so I don’t need to waste time closing the account. Because I’m withdrawing a large amount, an assistant manager comes over and helps with the transaction.
“Would you like your balance, Mr. Jones?” the teller asks right before I turn away.
“Yes, please.” She hands me the slip and I walk out. We’re on the clock now and need to move quickly. Beth waits in the Jeep with one of the guns in her lap. I hand her the receipt and pouch with the money.
“We’re heading to the first vehicle I found for sale.” I notice her looking down at the receipt.
“What do you actually do for a living?” she asks.
I knew the question would come up eventually. “I work security for Xavier Moon.” If she recognizes his name, my answer will lead to more questions. I told her I wouldn’t lie. There are things I can’t talk about and I’ll relay exactly that if her questions touch sensitive areas.
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