by Arianna Hart
“See. I told you.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get Billy so I can leave with a clear conscience.” Caitlyn waited for Maggie to get the security guard that manned the booth at the parking garage. Once she was sure Maggie wasn’t going to risk going back alone, she headed for the garage entrance.
An arm wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air. Someone grabbed her hand, pulling it up behind her. Her shoulder burned from the strain.
“My money’s in my purse. Go ahead and take it.” Her pictures and credit cards weren’t worth her life.
“I don’t want your money. I want to know where Mac is.” Hot, moist air that reeked of cigarettes wafted over her cheek.
“Mac?” Oh my God. They were after Mac and they knew she was involved. “I don’t know any Mac.”
“Don’t fuck with me!” The arm came off her neck and the click of a switchblade opening sounded in the air. Cold metal pressed against her throat, just behind her jaw. “Tell me where Mac is and I won’t have to cut this pretty face of yours.”
Caitlyn flinched as the tip of the knife pierced her skin. Her knees turned to water and she let out a small sob. She could feel a trickle of blood drip down her throat.
Think. She had to think instead of panicking.
What did Tom tell her to do in a situation like this? Her brain spun in circles and she couldn’t focus. Fear made the blood pound in her ears and all she could hear was her rapid breathing.
“Tell me.” He pulled her arm up higher, wrenching her shoulder painfully.
It all came back to her in a flood. Liam holding his arm across her throat and her hand pulled up behind her back. Without another thought, Caitlyn raked the sole of her shoe down her attacker’s shin. While he was distracted from the pain, she grabbed his hand near the knife, digging her fingers in and holding tightly. Quickly, she turned and stepped back, pulling him with her.
Lashing out with a kick to his groin, Caitlyn dropped his hand and ran. She had a brief glimpse of a man with a jagged scar across his cheek before she fled into the parking garage and ran for the safety of her car.
Her hands shook so badly she could barely get the key into the lock. Tears streamed down her face as she fumbled with the door and got into the Jeep. As soon as she shut the door, she locked it and jammed the keys into the ignition.
Slow down. Slow down.
She had to calm down before she tried to drive home. They could be expecting her to run and try to follow her. The police. She’d go to the police station. They wouldn’t follow her there.
But Mac didn’t want anyone knowing about his involvement. If she went to the cop shop they’d ask questions that she couldn’t answer. She had to keep Mac safe.
Throwing the Jeep into reverse, she backed out and worked her way out of the garage. No one followed her but she couldn’t be sure. What to do, what to do? Adrenaline blurred her vision as she tried to see if the set of headlights in her mirror were the same ones as a minute ago.
Wait a minute. Just because she went to the police station didn’t mean she had to tell them about it. If someone were following her, wouldn’t they expect her to go to the cops? She could just say she was looking for Liam and leave.
Caitlyn dug around in her purse for a napkin or tissue or something to wipe the trickle of blood off her neck. Nothing. Not even a receipt. Her hand brushed the material of her windbreaker. That would smear the blood more than clean it.
But it would cover it up.
As she pulled into the police station, she wrestled the jacket over her head and made sure her hair stayed tucked under it to cover up her neck. Taking a deep breath to calm her shaking hands and even shakier nerves, she climbed out of the Jeep and walked up the stairs to the officer at the reception desk.
He didn’t look familiar, thank God.
Caitlyn pasted a smile on her face and approached the window. “Hi, is Liam O’Toole working tonight?”
The officer looked her over quickly, then glanced at the duty sheet in front of him. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, he’s not on tonight. Can I leave him a message?”
“No, that’s okay. I’ll catch up with him later. Thank you.”
Caitlyn walked away from the reception window and squatted down as if tying her shoe. She wanted to give anyone who was watching her plenty of time to get nervous. Taking her time, she retied both shoes and walked slowly out of the station, searching for anything out of place.
The parking lot was deserted and the street empty of cars. If anyone suddenly pulled out behind her, they’d stand out like a sore thumb. Caitlyn walked to the car as calmly as she could, but inside, her heart beat furiously. She wanted to run to the Jeep and peel out of the lot.
Probably not a good idea in front of the police station.
Instead, she pulled out slowly and carefully, keeping a watchful eye on the rearview mirror. Using every back road and circuitous route she could think of, she wound her way home. Just to be extra certain, Caitlyn drove around her block twice before pulling into the driveway and parking.
Cutting the engine, she laid her head on the steering wheel for a brief moment. She had to pull herself together before she faced Mac. The adrenaline had worn off and she felt exhausted. Every pain in her body was amplified, from the cut on her neck all the way to the muscle aches in her back and legs. Maybe she could just take a little nap in the Jeep.
A knock on the window brought her head up with a jolt and sent bolts of fear shooting through her body.
Mac peered in at her, a concerned look on his face.
Opening up the door, Caitlyn pushed him aside and got out. “For the love of God. Don’t do that. I almost peed my pants.” She grabbed his arm and hustled him towards the apartment.
“I heard you pull up, then when you didn’t come in I got worried. I checked from the window and saw your head down. I didn’t know what to think, so I came out to check on you.”
“I thought you didn’t want anyone to see you? Stay in the apartment before you get killed.” Caitlyn’s gaze darted around, searching for watchers.
“It’s safe, I looked first.”
“Yeah, sure.” Once in the kitchen, Caitlyn shut the door and slid the lock home. “I need to talk to you, come on.” Without waiting for him to follow her, she scurried to the living room to check the locks on the windows. It was stifling hot, but better sweaty and safe than cool and dead.
“What’s going on? You’re running around like a mouse on crack.”
“We’ve got to make a plan. They know I know where you are.” Caitlyn’s back hurt with every step she took, but fear was a great motivator. She’d rest when she was sure all the windows and doors were secure.
“What do you mean?” Mac grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks. “What happened?”
“I was coming out of work and Maggie—you remember her? My friend who’s dating Jim?” At Mac’s nod, she continued. “We were walking to the parking garage when she realized she’d left her jacket in her locker. I waited to make sure she went back with the security guard, then I went to step into the garage.” Caitlyn took a deep breath. Her legs started shaking as she recalled the events of the night.
“Go on.” Mac rubbed her arm.
“I was walking towards the door when someone grabbed me and asked for Mac.”
“Not Diego?”
“No. He said Mac. He wanted to know where Mac was.”
“Damn it.” He pounded his hand into his fist and spun around.
His anger sent a shiver of fear through her, even though it was directed elsewhere.
“How’d you get away?” He turned back to her, looking her over for signs of injury.
Thank God she still had the jacket on. “I used some of the tricks Tom and Liam taught me and ran for the Jeep.”
“No wonder you were sitting in the car. What a night.” Mac took a step towards her but stopped before he reached her. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood stiffly away from her.
Cait
lyn shook off the desire to have him take her in his arms. She could stand on her own two feet. Even if they were shaking in their shoes. “You have no idea. Tonight was drug night at the ER. We had so many junkies going through detox that we almost ran out of restraints.” As if the words called up the pain, the muscles in her back throbbed in agony. “I’m going to take a hot shower.”
“Okay.” Mac seemed lost in thought. He sat and turned away from her.
Wincing in pain, Caitlyn pulled the windbreaker over her head and crossed to the bathroom. After her shower she’d try and talk Mac out of his funk but right now she didn’t have the energy.
“Son of a bitch!” Mac grabbed her again and pulled her to him, sending new darts of pain through her back. “You’re bleeding!”
Her hand went to her neck and touched the sticky blood there. “It’s just a scratch. I’m sure it’s stopped bleeding.” Caitlyn tried to keep up with Mac as he dragged her to the bathroom and flipped on the light.
“Bullshit, that’s no scratch. That’s a knife cut, and it’s still seeping. Where’s your first aid kit?”
“In the closet next to the washer and dryer. Just get me some peroxide and it’ll be fine. Really, it hardly even hurts now.”
Catching her first glimpse of the cut in the mirror, she had to admit it was pretty impressive looking. The trickle she’d felt sliding down her neck had stained her uniform shirt. Her hair was stuck to it, matted with blood in spots, and the wound leaked slowly.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me some punk pulled a knife on you. That’s it, I’m out of here and you’re moving in with Jim and Tom. Maybe between the two of them they can keep you safe. I’m sure as hell doing a crappy job.”
“It’s not up to you to keep me safe. And I’m not going into hiding.” She winced away as he cleaned the blood off her neck with a washcloth.
“Yes, you are. This is the last straw. Call out of work, you’re going to disappear for a while until I can be sure you’re safe.”
Caitlyn grabbed the cloth out of his hands and threw it in the sink. “I make my own decisions and you can just kiss my royal Irish ass if you think I’m going to let another man try to take over my life. I’ve had enough of that with my brothers.” She stalked out of the bathroom.
“That’s who I’m worried about.” He stormed after her.
“My brothers? You’re worried about them?”
“Yes. Tom made it clear in no uncertain terms that you were off limits. If they found out I not only have feelings for you but that I’m putting your life in danger—”
“You have feelings for me?” A warm fluttery feeling tried to make its way through the boiling anger in her belly. She conveniently ignored the rest of his sentence.
“Yes…I do. I didn’t want to, but it just happened.” He ran his hand over his chin, then let it drop to his side. “But that’s beside the point. I still can’t do anything about those feelings.”
“Bullshit.” She threw his words back at him. “That’s the only point.” Caitlyn took a step closer to him. The flutters had taken over and were traveling through her entire body now.
“Either way, you still have to leave.”
“No.”
“No?” Mac looked incredulous.
“No. I’m not leaving you.”
“But your neck. Your brothers—”
“Have got to realize that I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions. I’m not leaving you until all this is settled and I know you’ll be safe.” She was a step away from him now and sexual energy zipped between them on an invisible current.
“I might never be safe. In my line of work, I go from one dangerous assignment to another. That’s no way to raise a family.” His gaze blazed into hers, watching her every move.
“Who said anything about raising a family? We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, forget next week. After losing my parents so young and having three brothers in dangerous jobs, I’ve learned to live for today.”
“Every time I walk out the door, you’ll have to wonder if I’ll come back.”
“So? I could step out that door and get run over by a bus or get into a car accident. You can’t live your life worried about what could happen, you just have to enjoy what is happening.”
“Can you tell me what’s happening then? Cause I sure as hell can’t figure it out.” Mac drew her into his arms and lifted her chin with his callused hand.
“I can’t either, but it’ll be fun trying.” Caitlyn went up on tiptoes and pulled his head down to meet hers.
Chapter Eleven
At the first touch of her lips, the last vestiges of fight went out of Mac’s body. How could he continue to struggle against something that felt so right? Caitlyn’s body fit perfectly against his, her softness a foil to the hard planes of his torso.
He had a desperate need to explore all of that softness.
Running his hands under her shirt, his fingers found the smooth texture of her belly. Her breathing grew rapid as he pushed her shirt higher.
“You’re sure about this? I’m not going to ask again.”
“Good. I’ve been sure for a long time. I’ve just been waiting for you.” She shrugged out of her shirt and dropped it on the floor.
With her hand on his, she pulled him towards the door to her room, tossing a come hither smile over her shoulder. Mac’s mouth watered at the thought of spending the night stretched out on her bed next to her. He had a lot of fantasies that took place on this bed, and he was going to act out as many of them as he could tonight.
“I should shower first,” Caitlyn said, untying her pants. “I’m a little sweaty.”
“Later. I’ll wash your back.” His pulse jumped three notches as she stood in only a pair of lacy white panties and a matching bra. “I’ll only get you sweatier anyway.
He yanked off his shirt and pulled her close, reveling in the feel of her nearly naked skin against his chest. Tunneling his fingers into her beautiful hair, he drew her face up for another kiss. Caitlyn’s arms wrapped around his neck and she responded to him by sliding her tongue along his lips in a tantalizing caress.
With a groan, he opened his mouth to duel with her tongue. One hand moved down until he reached her bra. He unfastened the clasp and pulled the interfering garment from her body.
His erection pulsed painfully between his legs. “You’re so beautiful.”
Caitlyn blushed and looked down briefly. “You’re none too shabby yourself.” Reaching out, she drew him to the bed and knelt on it.
Mac pulled his pants off before he joined her. Her eyes widened at the sight of his naked penis standing at attention. For a minute, he was afraid he might have scared her, but then she licked her lips and reached out to touch his length.
“Not yet. My control is hanging on by a thread right now.” To ease her disappointment, Mac laid her down gently amongst the pillows. Lying on his uninjured side, he ran his fingers lightly over her collarbone and between the valley of her breasts.
Her nipples pebbled up and seemed to beg for his kiss. Leaning over, he drew one of the pink peaks into his mouth and rolled it over his tongue. His other hand kneaded her breast and he marveled at the creamy texture.
Caitlyn’s hands held his head to her breast and her hips lifted in supplication. Mac moved to her other luscious globe and let his fingers drift down her abdomen until they rested slightly above her waistband.
“You’re killing me,” she gasped as he slid a finger just under the elastic, but no lower.
“This is only the beginning.” Mac trailed nibbling kisses down the lower slope of her breast, then followed the path his hand had taken.
Her scent filled his senses, seducing him as he caressed her body. He rolled until he could kneel between her legs. Taking his finger out from under her panties, Mac let his hand feather lightly over her quivering thighs.
“I’ve wanted to touch you like this for so long. Every time you gave me a good night kiss, I thought about doing th
is.”
“What took you so long?” She gasped and arched up as his hand grazed the very center of her pleasure through the silk of her underwear.
“Patience, my sweet Caitlyn, patience.”
Caitlyn was ready to tell him what he could do with his patience. Her body was on fire for him and she didn’t want to wait a second longer. The sight of a naked and aroused Mac was breathtaking. He had muscles on top of muscles and she wanted to touch every one of them. Her fingers itched to feel his steely hardness, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, she dug her hands into the comforter beneath her and held on for dear life.
He was driving her mad. Calloused fingertips brushed over her skin and wakened every nerve ending in her body. And they all wanted more. Her entire being cried out for him to touch her there and end her torment. Never had she been so on fire for a man.
“Mac, hurry.” She didn’t care if it came out like a demand, she couldn’t take much more.
“Where’s the fun in that? There are so many things I’ve dreamed of doing to you. I’m not going to rush through them when I finally have the chance.”
Heat pooled in her core and spread through her body, making her legs weak and her head spin. Caitlyn felt worshipped, treasured. His lips teased the inside of her thigh, sending shivers of anticipation to her center. Lord. She was ready to explode and he hadn’t even taken off her underwear yet.
As if reading her mind, Mac slipped his fingers under the elastic of her panties and slowly dragged them down her legs. She was free and open to his gaze.
And gaze he did.
Caitlyn tried to close her legs in embarrassment, but he wouldn’t let her.
“Don’t hide from me. I’ve wanted to see you like this for so long, wet and willing for me, don’t deny me now.”
“Denying you is the last thing on my mind.” Caitlyn reared up and pulled him to her, capturing his mouth in a kiss.
All the pent up need she had went into that kiss. His weight felt so solid, so right, on top of her. But she wanted more. Much more.
