A Second Past Midnight (The Sentinels)

by Melinda Hunter

  A deeper moan rumbled up from within Arrigo and Sana knew she would have him begging for his release within minutes. It pleased her to know that she still brought him to this point.

  “Stop, Sana.” Arrigo whispered breathlessly. She paused long enough to look up at Arrigo and say no. Watching him drop his head back to the bed, she smiled before she continued. Sana liked having this control over him, but more importantly, she reveled at the thought that she brought him pleasure.

  Moments later as Arrigo’s breathing became heavier and he came in her mouth. Sana moved to lay her head on his thigh.

  “Morning.” She couldn’t help but smirk at him.

  “If that’s how you say good morning I think I’d like to see how you tuck me in.”

  Sana laughed and scooted up so that she lay next to him.

  “Arri, can I ask you something?” Sana leaned over him so that she was propped up on his chest. With his eyes still closed, he spoke.

  “Of course.”

  “What do we do now?” Sana swallowed hard as she waited for his response. Arrigo’s eyes came open and he smiled at her.

  “Well we are going to go to Sentinel Headquarters, but only after I rip out Marcus’ tongue.” So he didn’t really like the shortened version of his name.

  “I’m sorry, I won’t call you that again.” Sana looked away from him because the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint or anger him.

  Arrigo propped himself up on his elbow and turned her head to meet his gaze.

  “You can call me whatever you like just as long as you call me yours.” Arrigo pulled her toward him so that their lips touched.

  Sana tried to keep a straight face while he kissed her, but what he had said was so uncharacteristically mushy that she couldn’t take it. Sana burst into laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Arrigo asked with a smile.

  “That was terribly dreamy and so not you.” Sana giggled again.

  “I didn’t think it was that bad, but if you say so.” Arrigo pouted and Sana knew he faked it. She hadn’t seen him this way in so long and it warmed her heart.

  “If that’s how you really feel.” Sana smirked at him. Arrigo rolled so that he leaned over her now.

  “It is and there’s something else.” Arrigo slid his hand over her stomach. Sana guessed what he was about to say. They’d had a very similar conversation five years earlier. “I want to make babies with you. I know how you feel about work and we’ll figure it out, but if you still feel the same way about children I want to have a houseful.”

  Sana beamed with joy. She wanted exactly that. And as far as work went, well she already had that figured out.

  ****

  Sana methodically walked toward Williams’ office ready to spit nails. For two years, he had kept Arrigo from her. She wanted to kill him for it, but for once in her life, she wanted to try to remain calm. The only problem was that she knew herself all too well and didn’t know if she could pull it off.

  “Sana are you sure you’re ok? You look really pissed.” Marcus asked. He was at her right flank, while Arrigo on her left.

  “Yes, Marcus I’m fine.” Sana wasn’t fine though. She nervously bit the inside of her lip.

  Arrigo threw his arm in front of the closed door. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Sana looked up at him. Placing her hand gently on his, she smiled. “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

  Arrigo nodded as he reached down to turn the door knob.

  She didn’t miss the fact that Arrigo had looked across her to Marcus and when she shifted her eyes to her right, she saw Marcus nod. They had a restraint plan, she guessed. Which was probably not a bad idea. It made her laugh on the inside, because Arrigo knew she never listened to him, but this time she had a surprise for him.

  “Sana. Arrigo.” Williams nodded at them as they entered the room. He also nodded toward Marcus, but he remained silent.

  “We need to debrief you Sana before you go to your next assignment,” Williams stated as he rounded the end of his desk.

  “No. I don’t think that will be necessary. You obviously know everything that is going on in Tecktar so you won’t need to talk to me.” She tried to keep the venom out of her tone, but it was challenging.

  “I told you not to get involved with the Tecktar case, but as usual you didn’t listen and you almost got yourself killed because of your insubordination!” Williams shouted at her now. She was used to it though. “As if that isn’t bad enough, do you understand that you could have blown the entire case that Arrigo has worked on for the past eighteen months?” He slammed his hand on the desk, but Sana remained calm.

  She narrowed her gaze at him and took two steps forward. Arrigo and Marcus mimicked her steps.

  “I have never failed a member of my team, and I have never disobeyed in a way that would jeopardize a case, until now.” Sana took in a deep breath and Williams spoke before she could finish.

  “Yes, until now. I can’t trust that you’ll be so lucky next time!” Williams glanced up at Arrigo, who had at Sana's's request, remained silent.

  “It won’t happen again.” Sana kept her tone even and calm.

  Williams started to ramble on, scolding her, but she wasn’t going to listen to him anymore. Not that she made a habit of actually listening to him anyway.

  “I. Quit.” Sana said the two words that she’d been waiting to say for quite some time. She just hadn’t realized it until she had found out that Arrigo was alive. She hadn’t been the same since he had left and knew that she not only needed to quit, but wanted to. The Sentinel group did honorable things, but it was time for a personal change. It was time for her to have a life. She was thirty and needed love and children and that all came from Arrigo.

  Williams stared at her, speechless. She couldn’t say the same for the men behind her.

  “What?” Arrigo and Marcus said in unison. Arrigo stepped around to face her.

  The huge weight that she had been carrying for the past few years, left her. She hadn’t felt this happy since the day she had found out she was pregnant. Maybe this time, things would turn out differently.

  Feeling exhilarated she nodded emphatically at Arrigo.

  Arrigo smiled back at her and pulled her into an embrace. Sana whispered against his ear low enough that only he would be able to hear her. “We have babies to make and I think that will keep me busy.”

  “Anything you want. Anything you want,” Arrigo whispered back. He loosened his hold on her and stepped back around so that he was beside her, but left one arm wrapped around her shoulders. Sana loved that he touched her in front of people. It showed she belonged to him and that meant the world to her.

  Sana looked back at Williams to see him standing with his arms crossed and leaning against his desk. He had a most unexpected smile on his face.

  “You deserve to be happy, Sana. I’m happy for you.” Williams had never expressed anything so emotional to her before and it warmed her. Usually he was yelling at her for disobeying orders.

  “Thank you,” she replied quietly.

  “Now, Arrigo I need to talk to you for a minute before you head in today,” Williams added. Sana looked up at Arrigo.

  “Marcus and I will wait for you.” Sana and Marcus stepped out into the meeting room while they waited for Arrigo. For once, she actually didn’t want to hear what Williams had to say to Arrigo.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to give up being a Sentinel,” Marcus stated.

  Sana shrugged her shoulders and replied. “My family is more important even if it is just Arrigo and I.”

  “What am I chopped liver?” Marcus whined. Sana laughed. Yes, she had only known Marcus for two days, but he obviously meant something to Arrigo and she had already grown to like him.

  “Yes, Marcus you are part of the family.” Sana patted him on the cheek once lightly and made the second pat pop.

  “Ow! Gees mom I didn’t know you’re were violent.” Marcus rubbed h
is cheek, but she knew he was just playing along. She liked the fact that he called her mom, it made her feel needed and loved.

  “Sana!” That Texas accent couldn’t be mistaken. She turned around to see Sinjin strutting toward her. He had on his usual weathered brown ball cap, jeans, black t-shirt and cowboy boots. His black hair was smoothed back under his cap and stuck out the back. A smile spread across his handsome face and Sinjin quickly pulled her into a hug that caught her off guard.

  “Where the hell have you been? Williams wouldn’t tell me anything!” Sinjin squeezed her tightly.

  “You’re crushing me, you jerk,” Sana managed to choke out the words. Standing about the same height as Arrigo, she looked up at him. Sinjin released her but gave her a stern look.

  “Well, I’m waiting and who’s this guy?” Sinjin nodded toward Marcus.

  Sana chuckled at his blathering. “Okay, okay. Sinjin Russell this is Marcus Fowler. Marcus, Sinjin.”

  “And— where have you been?” Sinjin drew out the last word while he crossed his arms and cocked his stance.

  “I was detained.” Sana nodded behind Sinjin as Arrigo approached. She beamed as he walked toward them.

  “Cowboy.” Arrigo slapped one hand on Sinjin’s shoulder as he passed by him.

  “Poster boy?” Sinjin scowled. “You’re alive?” he added.

  “Appears so.” Arrigo stepped behind Sana and sat on the edge of the conference table. Leaning forward, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. She knew what he was doing. He was marking his territory again. Slipping one hand over his, she cherished the public display of affection even though there had been only a professional relationship between her and Sinjin. Arrigo had been gone for two years and Sana knew he had probably just seen Sinjin hug her even thought it was innocent.

  “Well I’ll be. You okay Sana?” Sinjin looked solely at her.

  She nodded.

  “I quit today,” she stated proudly.

  “What!” Sinjin ran one hand through his black hair.

  “Yep. I’m done. We’re going to start a family. Well, we’re going to add to our family.” Sana glanced at Marcus and smiled. Marcus stood there with his hands in his pockets rocking on his heels, just as a kid would do.

  “Mom said I could stay up late tonight,” he said sarcastically. Marcus smiled and looked over her to Arrigo, wagging his eyebrows. If Sana guessed right, Arrigo would be rolling his eyes right then.

  “Wait what? Did we time warp and I sleep through a decade?” Sinjin asked.

  “No. Don’t mind him, his brain is underdeveloped half the time. I guess it’s time to go.” Sana looked up at Arrigo. He nodded.

  “I’ll see you around Sinjin, just not as often.” Sana extended her hand toward him, but instead he pulled her into another hug.

  “I’m happy for you. Don’t hesitate to call if you ever need me.” Sinjin squeezed her one last time and let her go.

  Sana had seen more emotion from men today than she ever had in her lifetime. What was deal? She appreciated the hugs and smiles, but it blew her mind.

  “Poster boy.” Sinjin held out his hand to Arrigo.

  They shook and Arrigo even smiled at him. Now Sana had seen everything.

  One would have thought that the world was coming to an end with all the hugs, smiles and civility that had just taken place inside the Sentinel Headquarters. Even Arrigo didn’t quite understand what had just happened. He had walked in with Sana, prepared to rip her off Williams for helping to fake his death. Instead, he saw the woman he loved give up her career to start a family with him.

  “Marcus, you drive.” Arrigo threw his keys to the kid. He wanted to sit in the backseat with his wife and hold her before he went to work.

  Arrigo leaned to Sana and whispered in her ear. “I love you.” Her mind wandered and wished she had never pushed Arrigo away.

  “I love you. I’m sorry for everything.” Sana leaned against Arrigo’s shoulder.

  Lifting her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for. We’re together and that’s all that matters.” Arrigo dipped his head so that their lips met.

  Sana felt the heat of his body and wanted him naked. She wanted to make up for the last two years of lost love.

  “I have to go to work,” Arrigo whispered against her cheek. His breath tickled her skin and sent a chill over her. Reflexively, she tightened her grip on his arm as she didn’t want to let go.

  Letting out a deep sigh, she knew she would have to leave him, but just for a while.

  As they got closer to the Tecktar facilities, Sana felt a strange twinge in her gut, and she knew that every day as a Sentinel was a risk. Today was no different as she knew that her husband headed into a very dangerous situation.

  It had been suspected that Tecktar conducted illegal experiments on unwilling human subjects for years, but they had kept their secrets so well, that the authorities had not been able to legally investigate.

  Strangely enough while Sana was on medical leave Hess had contacted The Sentinel group for protection. While Arrigo wasn't exactly sure who he would be protecting Hess from, it would give him the perfect opportunity to investigate. Arrigo had accepted the job to go undercover and literally signed over his life to the job.

  As Marcus brought the car to a halt a few blocks away from Tecktar, Sana reassured herself that Arrigo would be fine and he would come home to her that day.

  “I’ll talk to you when I can.” Arrigo squeezed her hand and turned to get out of the car. “You take her wherever she wants as long as you’re at the house with her by six.”

  Marcus peered at Arrigo through the rearview mirror and waved to Arrigo.

  “Bye,” Sana whispered. Arrigo winked at her as he stepped out of the car.

  Chapter 11.

  Arrigo walked the few blocks to the Tecktar facility and as he approached the entrance of the building, he felt a determination fill him that he hadn’t felt in years. With the return of Sana into his life, the need to complete this job had just escalated, but that could cost him his life.

  As he entered the building, he looked up at the high glass walls and elegant entryway that misrepresented the malfeasance that Tecktar truly was. Another wall secured with bulletproof glass, alarmed doors and armed guards separated him from his mission.

  “Mr. Kane.” The guard at the desk greeted him and buzzed him into the facility. Passing through the secured area, Arrigo thought about why he was there and what waited for him back on the outside.

  Getting Hess to give up pertinent information was his primary goal, but the man was a vault and had never slipped even once. He had been so evasive that Arrigo had begun to wonder if Hess even knew about the illegal activities that went on in the company. In reality, Hess had to know. No one could be as tight lipped as he was without having secrets.

  Arrigo walked toward Hess’s office as he did daily, but as he approached the door he found it slightly ajar. Normally it was always closed and locked. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand, and the strange electrical sensation that usually happened in conjunction with that passed over him quickly as he assessed his surroundings. No one to his left, right or behind him. So, he thought, what lay ahead of him on the other side of the door? Taking in a deep breath, he prepared himself defensively and mentally.

  Arrigo reached inside his coat and clutched his hand around his gun as he opened the door. There in front of him was Jonathan Hess, lying dead on the floor.

  A pool of blood surrounded his head, obviously from a gunshot wound. The multi-billion dollar mogul did have enemies that wanted him out of the picture. Arrigo started to pull out his gun, but before he could extract it he felt a sharp pain in his leg. Looking down at his leg, he saw a black haired woman glaring up at him with her hand pressing on the plunger of the syringe that she had stabbed into the side of his thigh.

  Quickly, Arrigo jumped away from her and reached for the syringe only to fin
d that his stance was unsteady as if he were drunk and a numbing feeling spread through him. She must have been crouched to the side of the bookcase and with the discovery of Hess, he didn't think that the killer would still be on the scene.

  As he fell to his knees, the black haired woman stepped in front of him with an evil smirk on her face that actually scared him. Her blue eyes and pale skin caught his attention and reminded him of Snow White, but there was something inherently evil about her features. Her cheekbones were prominent and the skin around her eyes was thin and dark. Arrigo swallowed hard.

  "My father couldn't stop me-" she paused as she stooped over so that they were eye to eye. Arrigo tried to speak but his voice was already lost and he knew his body was all but paralyzed. "from getting what I want."

  Arrigo fell helplessly to the ground as the woman's evil laughter filled the silent air of the room around him. In that instant, he knew he had screwed up and this might just be the last time he made a mistake so critical. He might never see the beauty of Sana's face again.

  While his mind wandered into dark places, Arrigo watched the petite woman move around him as he lay on the floor, paralyzed. His eyes would blink slowly as he watched her move through the room searching through the desk drawers and file cabinets, but whatever she looked for she wasn't finding and with that, her anger grew. Arrigo couldn't move and in his drug induced stated he wasn't able to focus completely, but he did recognize that her anger made her frantic and unstable which would work to his advantage if he was ever able to move again.

  "Damn him!" she shouted. Arrigo watched as she stormed toward him. "You have the next few hours to think and be silent, but once your paralysis wears off we'll talk. In the meantime, I will prepare for our conversation."

  Arrigo didn't know where she headed as she stepped over him, but at least he knew he had a few more hours to live. She had probably injected him with a drug similar to horse tranquilizers which would temporarily paralyze him, but he would remain concious. What he didn't know was why. What kind of information did she think he could possibly know? He had spent the better part of two years trying to find information about Tecktar with no avail.