Holding up one hand, Jake forced a laugh. “I need to make a phone call first, then I’ll tell you everything.” He didn’t like calling from the hotel phone, but his secure cell phone was back at the house.
Rummaging in her purse, Jenny must have read his mind. “Here.” She held out her own cell phone. “You can use this.”
One call to his former boss’s private line told him everything. Even working with several government agencies, they had been unsuccessful in rounding up all of the cartel. At the trial, they’d been satisfied that they’d gotten the key players. Even then they’d wanted Jake to enter the witness protection program. Wanting to return to Ater—and Jenny—Jake had adamantly refused. He hadn’t believed they would be able to find him. Now it appeared he’d been wrong.
Leonard Draper, Jake’s friend and sometimes undercover partner, had already been killed. Now they were coming for Jake.
“They’ve found me,” he told Bill Rearden. “Shot out the windows in my lady friend’s car.”
Rearden swore. “You need to come in, let us put you in a safe house.”
“Was Leonard in a safe house?”
The other man’s silence told Jake that Leonard had been hidden .. . and still the cartel had found him.
“I’ll take my chances here.” Jake glanced at Jenny, sitting so patiently on the bed. She trusted him to keep her safe, and so he would. “But I’ve got someone else with me who definitely needs some protection.” Jenny made a soft sound of protest, which Jake ignored. Speaking rapidly, he firmed up plans for him to transfer Jenny to two agents in an unmarked sedan.
When he hung up the phone, one look at Jenny’s mutinous expression and he knew he was in for a fight.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she told him. “We got separated once before and look what happened.”
He had to make her understand. “It’s dangerous, Jen. I was undercover for the DEA the whole time I was gone. I infiltrated a drug cartel down in Mexico. They trusted me. When it came down, I testified at the trial and helped put a lot of them away.”
“And now they’re out to get you,” she finished. “That’s why we were shot at earlier, why we’re hiding now.”
God. He ran a hand through his hair, struggling not to show his agitation. “Sweetheart, this is real. It’s not like a movie, or a TV show. These creeps mean business. They won’t hesitate to kill you too, just because you’re with me. I’ve seen what they do to people that cross them. It’s not pretty.”
Jenny shook her head. “I don’t care, Jake.” She raised her chin, stubbornness written all over her delicate features. “I’m staying with you.”
He didn’t deserve this kind of blind devotion, this love. He’d left her at the altar, vanished without a word for two entire years, then returned without being able to offer a single, reasonable explanation for his behavior. On top of that he’d told her he only wanted to be friends.
“That’s what love is,” she told him softly, making him wonder if she’d somehow read his mind.
The back of his throat aching, he crushed her to him in a hug, letting his hands roam over the tantalizing curves of her body. Outside he could hear the faint sound of traffic, sirens and airplanes; normal sounds of a busy city. For now, they were safe.
But the one who sought to kill them would find them, of that Jake had no doubt. It was simply a matter of time.
“I can’t let you do this.” Reluctantly, he put her away from him, narrowing his eyes. “I love you too much to endanger you like that. My old supervisor from the agency has agreed to take you to a safe house. Please, Jen”—he held up a hand as she started to speak—“please. I won’t be able to act effectively if I’m worried about you.”
She tilted her head, her expression stubborn. “Is this why you stayed away for two whole years?”
Because he didn’t trust himself to speak, he simply nodded.
“Two entire years.” Moving forward, Jenny poked her finger at his chest. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears. “I won’t have it, Jake. No way. This came between us once and deprived us of two years! Don’t you see? I won’t let it happen, not again.”
He could tell she meant it. The way he saw it, he had two options. He could have her carried away, kicking and screaming, or he could let her stay and pray he could somehow keep her safe.
Hell, he didn’t even know if he could keep himself safe.
Though it was the opposite of what he’d intended, Jake realized he had no choice. If he wanted to protect his Jenny, he would have to do as his former supervisor had recommended and enter a safe house with her. Until the last of the cartel were rounded up, his life would always be in danger.
As would Jenny’s.
Picking up her cell phone, he made the call again to alert the agency to his abrupt change in plans.
The adrenalin that had pumped through her in the beginning was long gone, leaving in its place nothing but sheer exhaustion. In her wildest imaginings, Jenny hadn’t dreamed that Jake could be involved in anything like this.
But it made sense out of everything that had happened two years before. Why he’d had to leave her, why he’d never communicated. She believed him when he told her he’d never expected the operation to last two years or that he’d have to go so deeply undercover. He’d nearly lost himself, he told her, pain stark in his beautiful blue eyes. Which is why he’d quit the agency as soon as the trial had concluded.
Quit the agency and found his way back to her. Grimly, Jenny realized she would do anything to keep him by her side.
Anything.
Even risk her life.
Jake dialed the phone and began speaking in a low voice. Listening to his end of the conversation, Jenny realized he thought he had found a way to keep them safe, however temporary it might be.
When Jake concluded his call, Jenny went to him and wrapped her arms around him. Never had she loved him more, this brave and foolish man, who had risked so much to return to her. Touching her lips to his, she drew him down alongside her on the bed. Heat and passion—a celebration of life and love— flashed between them. This time, Jenny was the aggressor, driven to show him with her body how much he meant to her.
She took him and loved him, moving at first slowly, seductively, driving both of them wild.
Eyes dark with heat, he arched to meet her, stroke for stroke, fire and water all at once.
But in the end, they moved together, reaching for fulfillment as one. When it exploded it took them both, drawing them in a mutual tide of ecstasy.
Then, cradled in each other’s arms, they slept, knowing dawn would bring another set of problems.
When the phone rang the next morning, signaling the arrival of morning and the agents who were to take them to the safe house, Jenny rolled over and stretched. And woke up alone. When the agent arrived to pick her up a half hour later, she got into the car without protest, her thoughts in turmoil, emotions churning inside of her. Jake had left her ... again. But at least he’d cared enough to make sure she was protected.
“How could he do this?” she asked the anonymous agent who drove the nondescript black car. Anger burned her insides hollow, and her eyes ached from unshed tears. She would not cry, would not allow herself the luxury of wasting tears over a man who could lie with such ease.
The agent didn’t answer, just made a sympathetic noise and concentrated on his driving.
Had Jake made her any promises? Thinking back, she could think of none. At least not directly. On the phone to his mysterious supervisor, he’d talked of them both entering a safe house, making sure she heard him. This must have been a careful ruse.
Jenny shook her head, hands clenched into fists. He meant well, damn it She knew that but his actions still felt like a bitter pill she had to swallow. If only he’d leveled with her—but then she knew he had tried, only she’d refused to listen. She’d wanted to stay with him, no matter what.
“Where are we going?” Obviously it wasn’t anywhere in Texas. After
six hours of driving, they were now in the panhandle, heading north.
“I can’t tell you that.” Without turning his head, the agent managed to convey both sympathy and warning. “But you will be safe there.”
“What about Jake?” She couldn’t help herself, she had to know. “Are there people to help him too?”
“I can’t answer that.” Still spoken in the same calm tone, the man flashed her a half-smile. “But I can tell you that Jake Durham is one of our best agents. If anyone can take care of himself, he can. Don’t worry about it.”
Don’t worry about it. Easy for him to say.
“Miss?”
Jenny looked up to find the agent was regarding her with a serious expression.
“These are dangerous people,” he said. “The drug cartel, I mean. It’s a good thing that Jake wanted to keep you safe. If you stayed with him, he would have had to worry about you and it might have made him make a mistake. One mistake is all it takes.” His point made, the agent returned his gaze to the highway.
Okay, she knew the man was right Hell, she’d understood all he’d said even before Jake had decided to deceive her. She’d still told Jake she wanted to stay with him. She’d still believed she could somehow help him. If he’d thought she’d be a hindrance, he should have said so. She’d had enough deception and lies to last a lifetime.
So had he. Good Lord, Jenny remembered what he’d told her, that they were done with lies. She’d actually believed him, despite his broken promises in the past. He’d said he had changed, but had he? Had his newest promise been just another lie, a quick statement given to calm her suspicions and fears? Did she mean so little to him then? If lies came so easily to him, how could she believe anything Jake had to say?
With a mounting sense of déjà vu, Jenny stared out the car window at the flat, uniform landscape. She’d already been through this once with Jake and it had nearly killed her. She didn’t know if she could go through this again.
But it was different this time. Something—she didn’t know what—bothered her about the way this had happened.
Jake had made the phone call to the agency—she’d heard him. He’d also specifically stated that they both would be going to this safe house, and arranged for pickup.
The cell phone rang. The driver answered, spoke a few words that told her absolutely nothing, then listened. When he clicked the phone off, he seemed suddenly savage. If he hadn’t been there to protect her, she’d be worried about protecting herself from him.
Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Something was wrong. Trepidation coiling inside of her, she glanced at the driver’s impassive features. “Did you know when you came to get me that Jake wouldn’t be with me?”
A muscle worked in the man’s prominent jaw. He glanced at the silent cell phone, the road, then fiddled with the radio. She caught a whiff of his aftershave, a subtle scent that seemed to further underscore her unease.
When he turned to look at her, all trace of civility had vanished from his expression. “Actually, no.” Reaching for the cell phone, he fingered it lovingly. “I’ve got my orders though. Even if they don’t exactly mesh with my own plans.”
She fought to still the panic. “Your own plans? I thought this had all been settled. You are taking me to a safe house, aren’t you?”
“A safe house?” He shook his head. “Actually, no.” He lifted one hand to quiet her protest “But then
I need to let you in on a little secret, lady.” The harsh bite of his laugh sent a chill through her. “I’m not who you were expecting. I’m not with the government at all.”
It took a minute for his meaning to sink in. When it did, Jenny stared at him with mounting horror. “If you’re not with them, then you must be . . .”
“That’s right.” He laughed again, this time sneering at her. “And I didn’t even have to fight with you. You walked right into our trap.”
So she had. Jenny swallowed. “What are you going to do with me?”
“I’m taking you to Taos. My boss has a place there and wants to meet you. You’re going to help us get Jake Durham, once and for all.”
Whistling, Jake pocketed his change and retrieved the bag of fresh donuts from the counter. He’d gotten cream-filled, Jenny’s favorite, hot from the oven. Though he’d be willing to bet she hadn’t let herself indulge in a donut for two years, he remembered her murmurs of pleasure when he’d fed her one piece by delicious piece. It had been awhile, but a man didn’t forget things like that. Not about the woman he loved.
And he loved Jenny. To distraction. So much so that he was willing to still the hunter’s instinct inside of him and go far away from the action. Part of him, the part that was still tied to his old life in the agency, longed to slide back into the shadows and track the one who sought him.
But he had given too many years of his life to that job. It no longer had any claim over him. Jenny was his life now. When he’d spotted the small donut shop a block from the motel, all he’d been able to think of was pleasing her.
One more time, he glanced at his watch. He still had an hour before the scheduled rendezvous. Time to wake Jenny, slow and easy, pleasuring her while she lingered in that haze between sleep and wakefulness. Then they would eat their donuts, get dressed, and head out of town.
So engrossed in his daydream, Jake nearly missed the signs that told him something was wrong. But something was. An instant after he felt the first dawning awareness, he froze, taking stock of his surroundings. The curtains in the window of the motel room he’d left ten minutes before no longer hung neatly closed. Instead, they looked like they’d been yanked open. He’d left the door securely locked. It now sat barely closed. One swift push would open it.
Jenny!
Controlling the urge to rush into the room, Jake ducked around the corner of the building. It might be a trap and, if he meant to save his Jenny, he had to stay alive.
Heart pounding, he only prayed he wasn’t too late.
Behind him in the sunny parking lot, tires squealed as a gray Ford sedan rounded the corner. It barreled across the asphalt, weaving crazily, before squealing to a halt in front of Jake’s room. Government issue, he’d be willing to bet. But, always a cautious man, Jake stayed put. Doing so had saved his neck more than once.
Two men got out from the car. Jake recognized one of them as Drew Lake, someone he’d worked with on occasion. Okay, so these were the good guys.
Jake stepped out from around the corner, careful to keep both hands in full sight of the agents. “Hey.”
The other man, the one Jake didn’t recognize, spun around, weapon drawn.
“Hold off,” Drew told him, his dark face splitting into a wide smile. “Hey yourself, my man.”
The other man frowned. “Aren’t you—”
“Jake Durham.” He jerked his head towards the hotel room. “Were you guys assigned to surveillance? I have a lady friend inside there.”
Both men exchanged unreadable looks.
Jake felt another stab of panic. Since neither of the agents seemed too concerned about any threat coming from the half-open door to his room, Jake rushed inside.
The still rumpled bed looked recently vacated. Jenny’s purse was gone, though there were no signs of a struggle. It almost looked as though she’d gone out for a leisurely breakfast without him.
Surprised to realize he still clutched the bag of donuts in one hand, Jake dropped them on the dresser. Damn. He’d thought to surprise her, never imagining she’d wake up and find him gone. What if she’d gone in search of him? What if—
The two agents stood silently behind him.
Jake spun to face him, pushing away his worry until he had all the facts. “Where is she? What’s going on here?”
Drew stepped forward, his broad face grim. Clapping a hand on Jake’s shoulder, he shook his head. “Sorry, man. We were watching the place—saw you leave and saw the car drive up ten minutes later. We thought you got some wheels or something.”
In disbelief, Jake stared at them. “You didn’t check it out.”
The other man shrugged. “We did. Called in a make on the car and the license plate. The vehicle was reported stolen. That’s why we hightailed it over here.”
“You’re telling me—”
“Yeah.” Drew shook his head. “They drove off about five minutes before you got here. We gave chase, but he lost us on the freeway.”
“Jenny—”
“It looks like they got her. The weird thing is, she went willingly.”
Chapter Ten
Though Jenny had always wanted to see Taos, New Mexico, she’d been thinking more along the lines of a ski vacation. Not as prisoner of some drug overlord or whatever this boss person was.
“Excuse me.” Though she had scooted so far over that the door handle dug into her arm, she still thought it prudent to watch the man. Especially since he’d mentioned he had plans of his own. “There is one thing I’d like to know. Why me?”
“I already told you.” He sounded irritated by her question, not a good sign. “You’re bait, lady. Bait to bring in Jake Durham.”
Perhaps playing stupid would buy her some time. She needed all the time she could get, in order to formulate a plan.
“Why,” she asked slowly, “do you want Jake?”
He gave a snort of disbelief, his long face contorting with rage “He betrayed a trust. Enough said.” With a chopping motion of his hand, he indicated he was through answering questions.
Where she’d once found his nondescript appearance reassuring—that of a traditional, government agent operating undercover—now she found it threatening. The military style haircut and battered profile now reminded her of someone in a gangster- type movie.
Jenny resigned herself to a long car trip. At least she would have time to think. She had to think of something, some plan so she and Jake could get out of this—alive.
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