Danger and Desire: Ten Full-Length Steamy Romantic Suspense Novels

by Pamela Clare

  Processing everything he heard, Jay studied his oldest child. She had her head down, eyes closed. His relief at seeing her alive battled with the wish that she wasn’t here at all. Good thing he had a strong heart, or he’d have had several massive coronaries by now.

  He had a million questions, so he started at the top. “Jess, honey, are you okay?”

  She nodded, glanced up at him and quickly looked away. Maybe because he looked as if someone had used him for a punching bag or maybe because she felt responsible. Jay didn’t know. Right now, he wanted some answers.

  “You finally figured out what we were trying to tell you?” Eric asked.

  “Took you long enough,” Danny kidded. The boys usually resorted to humor in tough situations. Even now, when it was clear that Jess was devastated by all that had happened.

  Jess eyed him but her gaze softened at Danny’s teasing smile. She looked at her brothers and misery shone bright in her eyes.

  “How’d you end up with Tanner Bryant?” Jay asked.

  Glancing skyward, Jess sighed before meeting his gaze. “It’s a weird story. I was with Maurice on stage at the studio and Tanner…uh…” She either didn’t want to tell him or didn’t know how to tell him and Jay just nodded, encouraging her to continue. “Tanner…was shooting at Maurice and…”

  “Shooting?” The question lurched out of Jay’s mouth before he clenched his jaw and waited for the rest. He already hated it. Shooting? Not the word he wanted to hear. Terry’s eyes were as wide as his. “And,” he prodded.

  “And he missed. Kind of got me instead.”

  “Kind of? There are no ‘kind ofs’ when it comes to bullet wounds. You either get hit or you don’t,” Terry said.

  Jess’s brows quirked together in that little slant that usually preceded an apology. “I’m fine. Really, he barely nicked me and he didn’t mean to do it. He apologized.”

  Apologized? Jay briefly dropped his chin to his chest before looking back at Jess. “An apology is supposed to make up for you taking a bullet?” Jess leveled him with upset eyes, so he moved on. “So he shot you and you became…pals?” Jay couldn’t even let his mind wander to the other thing Bryant had said. No way, no how. Yeah, sure, Jess was an adult, but she was still his little girl and little girls didn’t… He pushed it out of his head.

  “Tanner thought I was hurt worse than I was and he…well, he took me. Kind of.”

  There she went with the kind ofs again. “Took you? As in, kidnapped you? Instead of taking you to a hospital!” Jay growled. If he survived this, he was going to make sure Tanner Bryant spent every last day of his life behind bars. Or six feet under.

  Jess seemed sufficiently torn. “Well, maybe at first, but then we made a deal and he’s been helping me.”

  “Helping you? You think this is help?” How could he have raised a daughter so naïve? He’d always loved that Jess was so sensitive and caring, but now he wanted to shake a little sense into her. But, too late to go back now.

  “I never expected him to do this.” Jess’s eyes widened, the betrayal clear in her tone. “He helped me with Maurice. He helped me…” She shook her head. “He just seemed like he wanted to help and I trusted him.” Two tears leaked down her face and Jay looked away. Couldn’t stand to see her pain.

  “It’s okay, honey,” Terry said. “Is what he said true?” Her voice carried the compassion of a mother. “Did you kill Maurice?”

  Jess pressed her lips together, but never opened her eyes as she nodded. “I didn’t mean to,” she whispered. “It was an accident.”

  Jay leaned his head against the wall. The pain in his chest hurt like nothing else. His little girl had killed a man. An act she’d have to live with the rest of her life.

  “He had a gun on Tanner,” Jess continued. “He was going to kill him and I just wanted to scare him. I wasn’t aiming for him when I pulled the trigger, but the bullet hit one of Blake’s guitars hanging in the garage and it ricocheted and…” She shook her head, couldn’t finish. But she didn’t have to.

  Bryant had wanted Maurice dead and Jess had accomplished it for him. Obviously Bryant knew what he had when it came to Jess. Retribution on a large scale. Robert Briscoe had defended Bryant in the trial and he’d done a piss-poor job. The man had died from complications of diabetes several years ago, so Bryant couldn’t mete out his own justice when it came to his lawyer, but he sure as hell could when it came to Jay. If he wanted, Bryant could wipe out all the St. Johns while Jay watched. That was a hell of a lot of retribution. Jay’s stomach knotted.

  Bryant couldn’t have known who Jess was when he’d originally hurt her. Or had he?

  “Jess…” How should he ask this? “Is it possible that Bryant was after you and not Juneau?”

  Jess shook her head. “No way. He wanted Maurice. I heard them talking when we got into Maurice’s house. Tanner wanted him to suffer. He wanted justice.

  Justice. The word stuck in Jay’s throat. Bryant sure hadn’t gotten any seven years ago.

  “Did you know who Bryant was?” Jay asked.

  “No. Not until he saw your picture at the house and brought it up,” Jess said. “Then I realized it was your case and both of us connected the dots.”

  “Isn’t it possible, honey, that once he connected those dots, he changed his initial plan?”

  The forlorn expression in his daughter’s eyes answered the question. She’d been had and they were all as good as dead.

  Getting onto the lot and into the office wasn’t a problem. Tanner had taken Jess’s keys and walked in like he owned the place. Grabbing Juneau’s computer was also not a problem. It sat in the top drawer of Jess’s desk. Figuring out how to get Jess and her family out of Facinetti’s hands was definitely a problem. Tanner had gambled with the only thing he had and that was knowledge and Juneau’s computer. Informing Facinetti of Juneau’s death did two things. It gave the man valuable info, and set Tanner up as the guy to help him with his problem. Jess’s reaction had been perfect, because it was real. Tanner had stolen her bargaining chip and made it his own. About the only thing keeping Facinetti from killing Jess and her family was the fact that if Tanner somehow failed to retrieve the computer, Jess remained the only other option. Therefore Facinetti shouldn’t be hasty in any actions regarding her family.

  Tanner just hoped the man stuck to his word.

  Even so, once he went back to the house with the computer and once Facinetti retrieved the information he wanted, the St. Johns were history. Not to mention the possibility of Facinetti taking Tanner out as well. If Tanner didn’t prove he was useful to have around, he’d be next on the hit list.

  So where the hell did he go from here? Tanner sat forward in Jess’s chair and dragged his hands over his head. He was so fucked.

  The door opened and a man walked in carrying a large box. The sun streaked in and lit his blond hair as a breeze blew it forward. He wore blue jeans and a green T-shirt advertising The Prop House. The box nearly dwarfed him, but he deftly set it in the corner of the room.

  “Hey, there,” he said. “You must be new. I’m Ron. Props. Be right back.” He came back a minute later with another box and set it on top of the first one. “Is Jess around?”

  “Ah…no. She’s not. Can I help you with something?” Tanner asked, walking around the desk and facing the man.

  “Can you just tell her I brought the blanks and blood packs that Maurice wanted? I kept the blanks he liked, but these are the ones he really hated. I think he’s unloading them to another production in exchange for something else, but…” he shrugged. “I have no clue what that man does.” He rolled his eyes.

  He doesn’t do anything anymore, Tanner wanted to say.

  “Are you a new production assistant?” Ron asked. “It’s about time Maurice hired someone to help Jess. She’s been running this office by herself for years. I think she does more than Maurice.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.” Tanner studied the boxes in the corner and the word blanks
clicked in his head like a light bulb. “So what’s wrong with these blanks?”

  “Nothing. Except they’re full of wadding, not crimping. The wadding makes them sound really fake. Maurice won’t use them. I had them because you never know what a producer might want on the set. These make it possible to use at closer range without needing a squib and with little risk to the actor. But Maurice would rather the theatrics so these have been banned.”

  “Could you use a suppressor on the gun to hide the sound?” Tanner asked.

  “I guess so. Since it wasn’t in the last script we never considered it, but I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. Why? Will I need to get a suppressor for the next film?” Ron asked.

  “I don’t know. Just curious,” Tanner said. “I’m new to the film industry.”

  “You’ll love Jess. She’ll teach you everything. It’s only a matter of time before she’s producing her own stuff. She’s that smart.”

  Tanner nodded. “Yeah, that was my first impression.” Actually his first impression was that she was a fluff ball, but she’d dispelled that pretty quickly. Tanner glanced at the boxes again then back at Ron. “You got a minute? Could you show me how these things work? I was thinking about getting into props one day, but…” Tanner shrugged. “I haven’t made up my mind. I’m just lucky that Jess is giving me a chance to get my foot in the door.”

  “Sure.” Ron opened up the box on top. “I can show you, but you can’t touch this stuff. Don’t even breathe on it. You wouldn’t believe the training you have to go through to do this shit.”

  Tanner didn’t care, and he got a crash course in blanks, guns and blood packs.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jess stared at the floor. She’d screwed up big time. The kind of screwing up that cost a person their life. Or in this case seven lives.

  She still couldn’t believe Tanner had betrayed her. Couldn’t believe that he’d sold her out so quickly. Maybe her dad was right…Tanner had just been waiting for an opportunity to even the score. Maurice might have been the top of his list, but he wasn’t the only one on the list.

  Jess twisted her wrists against the rope binding them. Her raw skin burned as she continued to pull at the middle knot. Every movement sent hot shards of agony through her arms, but she wouldn’t stop. She was their only chance. A trickle of something wet slid into her palms and she gritted her teeth. Blood or sweat? She didn’t want to know. Her shoulders and back ached and none of it mattered because as soon as Tanner got back with Maurice’s computer her whole family was dead.

  She’d trusted Tanner. Somehow he’d wormed his way into her heart. Had it been the sex? Had she actually let good sex equal trust? Apparently the answer was a resounding yes. More like yes, stupid.

  She’d not only led him straight to her dad, she’d patched him up, made him stronger so he could kill her whole family. Anger washed through her and she twisted her wrists viciously, deserving of all the pain the movement cost.

  How could she have missed this part of Tanner? How had he fooled her so easily? He’d seemed so honorable. He’d warned her, been up front with her. He’d seemed so sincere. But he’d been just as sincere when talking about making her family disappear. She’d seen that same look in his eyes when he’d confronted Maurice in her garage. That same cold, calculated gaze that made a chill run down her spine. Those cold dark eyes belonged to a man who wanted not only justice, but revenge. Retribution.

  She’d practically handed it to him on a silver platter.

  A tiny part of her held out hope that he’d been lying to Facinetti. Maybe he intended to help her and was only buying time by offering his help to the enemy. But even thinking that made her sound more naïve than she already felt, so she kept quiet.

  Jess glanced at her parents. Emotion clogged her throat. Disappointment made her chest heavy. For years she’d struggled to be as successful as her parents. She’d worked hard in school and at her job. She’d been convinced that by following the rules and doing the right thing, she’d get ahead in life. Now look where she was. Look how she’d brought her whole family down with her.

  Jess yanked again on the rope and felt a tiny bit of give. Her pulse picked up as she worked the strands with cramped fingers. This had been the longest three hours of her life, but if she could get out of this damn rope, she could do something to help.

  More rope slipped through the knot and for the first time in her life, Jess thanked God her little brothers used to tie her up. There hadn’t been a knot she’d been unable to escape and her talent, although rusty, remained intact.

  Just as she pulled her wrists out of the rope the door swung open and Tanner walked in with another goon. Jess recognized the satchel over his shoulder. It belonged to her and it had been in the office. The giant bag was stuffed. Tanner set it in the middle of the floor.

  He pulled out a gun.

  Jess’s adrenaline soared. Her parents and brothers had the same panicked look that must have been on her face as well. Had she been so wrong about Tanner? Was he just going to kill them all without hesitation? That tiny seed of hope got smaller.

  “I’ll take care of this,” Tanner told the other guy. “Why don’t you wait outside. I’d like a little privacy with the family.”

  The goon shook his head and pulled out his own gun. “Not on your life. We don’t do anything until the boss gets here.”

  Tanner took a few steps, the gun held carelessly in his palm, and circled the man. “So what’s the deal? All of you are paranoid? I thought it was just the man in charge.” He stopped with his back to the door, but Jess didn’t have a clear view because the goon stood in front of her.

  Had Tanner done this on purpose? He had no idea she’d freed herself, so that couldn’t be it. Still, she had an opportunity and if she had any trust in Tanner, now was the time to find out who he stood with. All she had to do was distract the goon and let Tanner do the rest.

  Tanner lifted the computer out of its case and Jess’s mouth went dry. “Here.” He stood, held the computer in front of him like a shield. “You can take this to your boss now and he can start looking for the information he needs. You can leave me here to do the rest. No problems.”

  Ohgodohgod. This didn’t sound good. But what if he just wanted to get them alone without the goon? Or what if he really planned on killing them when the guy left?

  She glanced at her parents, whose complete focus centered on Tanner. Confusion made her pulse triple and Jess reacted. She launched to her feet and jumped the goon from behind. With one precise right fist she knocked him in the temple. Roaring in her head made her deaf as she hit the deck, sprawled on top of the big guy. He didn’t move a muscle and her sudden elation vanished as she stood and saw Tanner coming at her. The shouts from her family didn’t help. His body language was all business as he set the computer on the floor and tackled her. It was like getting hit by a two ton wall. They hit the ground hard, but Tanner took the brunt of the fall.

  Disoriented, Jess tried to get to her feet, but Tanner rolled and trapped her with his body. What the hell was he doing? She struggled harder, kicking and twisting.

  “Easy, Jess,” he hissed.

  Her family’s shouting stopped abruptly as Facinetti appeared with his gun drawn.

  “Trouble?” He didn’t look the least bit amused, but then neither was she. Their one shot at freedom had gone to hell quicker than a snake can strike. Her trust in Tanner all but disappeared completely.

  Tanner shifted on top of her. “Nothing I can’t handle.” Sweat beaded his forehead. Breathing hard, he leered at her, but spoke to Facinetti. “Your guys can’t tie a fucking knot to hold a hundred pound female for more than a few hours? You need to hire better help. But then I think you just did.” He smiled down at her.

  “I haven’t hired you yet,” Facinetti said.

  Tanner stood up and brought Jess with him, his grip like a steel band around her arm. “I brought the computer.” He pointed to the Mac on the floor. “You’ll get your
money back.”

  Facinetti shook his head, a look of amazement on his face. “Who the hell died and put you in charge of deciding what I do? What makes you think you can walk into my house and start giving orders to my guys?” He looked down at his man on the floor and shook his head.

  “Get him out of here,” he said to another man at the door. It took a minute to haul the prone body out of the room.

  Tanner pulled Jess in front him and wrapped his arms around her. His heat seeped along her back and the sensation brought back too many memories. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. Jess squirmed to get some distance, but Tanner only held her tighter, nearly squeezed the air out of her lungs.

  “You wanted that computer so I brought it. In return for a job, I take care of the St. Johns. I’m just trying to expedite the situation. What’s the problem?”

  “The problem is I don’t know you, asshole.” Facinetti’s gun leveled at Jess. Tanner purposely used her as a shield. The giant coward. He was no better than Maurice. If Jess hadn’t been so angry she might have been freaked-out terrified.

  “Look,” Tanner said. “I meant what I said before about proving myself.”

  “That doesn’t give you the right to walk around my house like you own the place. My guy told you to stay in the front room. That means you stay in the damn front room until I get there.”

  “What’s your problem, man?” Tanner asked. “I got no beef with you. I’m here to do you a favor.” Behind her, Tanner shifted and a gun appeared in his hand.

  Jess glanced at her parents, caught the mix of defeat and fear in their eyes. Blood rushed from her head as panic seized her. A few feet away, Facinetti aimed his gun higher, right at Tanner’s chest, right at her eye level. It was too close to call who he wanted dead most.

  “I told you I’d take care of her family and I meant it. There’s just one part of the agreement I want to change.” When Facinetti didn’t answer, Tanner met his gaze. He looked as if the gun didn’t faze him, but his heart slammed against his ribs and she felt every beat against her back. “Instead of the two grand she owes me, I want something else.”