They held each other for the longest time until their limbs grew stiff. Ethan looked pale and exhausted. ‘Come on,’ said Kizzie, helping him to his feet. ‘We better go back before they report us missing.’
They walked slowly down. ‘I’m supposed to be getting out of here at the end of the week,’ Ethan said, ‘and I can’t wait.’
Kizzie nodded. ‘Word. I’m out of here the minute the seventy-two hours is up.’
As they reached her room, Ethan stopped, and suddenly she was aware of how close they were standing, how strange it was that they had only met a couple of hours ago. She felt like she had been through a war with this man.
‘Kiz…you don’t have to say yes but when we’re both free of this place, do you wann…’
‘Love to,’ she said with a grin. Ethan grinned in relief, and his lips brushed her forehead. ‘I’m in two-seven-two. Come see me.’
‘Promise.’
Kizzie watched him lope away, his easy swagger disarming. Before he rounded the corner, he looked back and waved. She gave him the peace sign and heard him laugh as he disappeared. She got back into bed and lay down, her mind whirling.
Before long she fell asleep, and when she dreamed, she dreamed of Ethan Fonseca, his smile and his lips against hers.
She backed away from Ray as he advanced, the gun aimed directly at her. He couldn’t miss from this distance…Emory glanced behind her in panic. The edge of the platform was a dead drop into the dark, freezing waters of Elliott Bay.
‘It’s all over now, Emory, darling. There is no way out.’
Emory turned to face her killer, the gun was aimed at her abdomen, and she saw his finger twitch on the trigger. Drawing herself up, she met his gaze. ‘Go fuck yourself, Ray.’ She was glad her voice didn’t shake. Rage creased Ray’s face, and he pulled the trigger.
The bullet smashed into her belly and Emory buckled, gasping and fell backward into the water. He’s won…he’s won….
Then there were voices, calling her name over and over. A girl’s voice. A man’s voice. She wanted to reach out to them, but her body was frozen except for the fire raging where the bullet had torn into her body. You’re dying, Emory. Ray’s voice. I won’t leave you alive in this world. I’ll kill you again and again if that’s what it takes…
And I’ll kill anyone who dares to love you…
Emory woke up, screaming, her distress and terror making the sound a raw, desiccating howl of panic. She was drenched in sweat, and she twisted away from the ghosts of the dream that were reaching out to her. She rolled off the bed and began crawling toward the door. She heard someone running, and the door burst open.
Oh God, not Ray, not Ray, please…
But the arms that wrapped around her were bigger, stronger than Ray’s had ever been, the chest she was held against broader, and it didn’t have that sickening whiskey and whiskers smell that Ray had that awful sour milk smell. No, this man smelled like home: clean linen and freshly showered skin.
‘Baby, ssh, it’s okay, it’s okay…’
That warm deep voice. ‘Dante?’ The panic starting to subside now. Don’t let me go.
‘It’s me, Em, it’s me, it’s all okay now…’
Emory looked up through the tears in her eyes. God, his face, his beautiful face. His eyes, so troubled, so tender as they met hers and then their lips were together, and it was the most natural thing in the world.
Dante kissed her so deeply, with so much longing that Emory’s entire body became entirely under his control. He picked her up easily and carried her to his bedroom, laid her gently on the bed, covering her body with his. Emory wrapped her legs around his hips as they kissed, neither in any doubt of what was about to happen between them.
God, the instant he had touched her, all her fear disappeared. It was a dream…but her thoughts now were just of Dante and being in his arms and how right it felt.
Dante worked his way down her body and pushed up her camisole, kissing her belly, moving so he could take her nipples into his mouth. Emory stroked his hair as his tongue teased her nipples until they were so sensitive, she shivered through a tiny orgasm as he worked his way back down. He pulled her shorts off in one easy movement and then his face was in her groin, his tongue lashing around her clit, tasting her, driving her wild. She felt pure, fierce longing, as well as the rightness of this moment as Dante moved up to kiss her mouth again and now she could slide her hands under his t-shirt, feel the hard muscles of his chest, the curve of his stomach. He was so broad and tall that she felt tiny in his arms, vulnerable but unafraid.
‘Oh god, Emory…I have wanted you for so long, so long…’
In a flash, they were both naked, and Dante was pulling her legs around his waist. Emory gasped and moaned as his diamond hard cock thrust deep inside her, its length and girth filling her entirely, making her head swim with pure desire. Her body moved against his as they made love, their lips hungrily seeking the other’s, whispering each other’s name over and over and over again, before they both came, moaning and crying out. Dante gathered her to him, kissing her over and over stroking every inch of her skin, his focus entirely on her. They made love long into the night and when finally, exhausted and sated, they fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms, knowing that their lives had changed irrevocably.
Kizzie was released the next day, the doctor agreeing with her and her parents that she wasn’t a danger to herself. ‘I know, I told you that,’ she muttered, but now she had no resentment, no anger left because if she hadn’t been here, she wouldn’t have met Ethan.
And God, Ethan…in the three days since they had met, they spent every hour together that they could and talked about everything. Almost everything, Kizzie amended in her head. She was aware that Ethan, in all his easy manner and guile, was holding something back. She was confident, however, that if she needed to know, he would tell her and besides, she didn’t feel she had the right to push him.
She was already dressed and packed but excused herself from her parents to go say goodbye to Ethan and to check, for the hundredth time, that he had her contact details. She walked slowly along the corridors, holding herself back from running. She had never felt like this about anyone before – except Lexi, Jess and Bree of course – but not a guy. A guy guy.
As she neared his room, she heard him talking, and when she reached the half-closed door, she stopped and listened, not wanting to intrude.
‘No. No, fuck you, Nick. It’s time, you need to…no. You’ve held this over me for too long…people died, Nick! My friends, our teachers. People I care about, people I love got hurt, are still hurting because of what you did and I’m not going to be party to this anymore…Jesus, you’re a psycho, you know that? Do what you want to me, I’m going to the police.’
Kizzie felt her blood turn to ice. She had no doubt what Ethan was talking about. Who the hell was Nick and what did he know about the school shooting? She stood, frozen, not wanting to know anymore. She closed her eyes. This cannot be happening. Of all the things Ethan could have hidden from her. Suddenly his words in the stairwell came back to her. Please don’t thank me, Kizzie. Please don’t…I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
Oh God. Kizzie whirled around and staggered back down the corridor, almost making it before she threw up. A nurse rushed to help her, but Kizzie was inconsolable. Ethan was hiding something about the school shooting, could have been involved…
Kizzie did the best thing she could as the pain raged through her.
She fainted.
Emory pulled her sweater over her head and walked out of the bathroom. She felt changed deep inside of her. For the better, she thought now, definitely for the better. When she had woken in Dante’s arms, she had felt so safe, so loved. They had made love again, slowly, tenderly before taking a shower together. Her body ached pleasantly, her thighs from being wrapped around his hips, but her belly was sore, and she realized that maybe she had underestimated how badly her injuries had been. She shook her head. Don’t th
ink about that, think about now. You’ll heal and quicker with the happiness that Dante brings you.
She padded through the immense mansion and down the stairs. She found him in the large kitchen. She smiled shyly at Dante, who was pouring out some weak looking coffee.
‘Is that for me?’ She grinned at him. Dante looked worried, hesitated before handing her the cup.
‘I don’t know, it’s not very good.’
She rolled her eyes and took the mug, sipped it. He laughed at her expression.
‘See? Now you’ll think less of me, mock my shambolic coffee making skills.’
Emory put down the mug and walked around the counter. She slid her arms around the dark-haired man and looked up at him. ‘It’d take more than crappy coffee to put me off.’
He grinned down at her, his cheeks flushed with pleasure. ‘Glad to hear it.’
She pulled his face down to her and kissed him. His arms tightened around her.
The coffee, abandoned on the counter, got cold.
It had been a month since the wedding and Zea had heard nothing more from Jared. Flynt’s private detective had been trying to trace him but found only what they already knew. Jared Podesta had been David Azano’s biological brother.
‘In a way, it helps to know that there’s some sort of reason behind David’s behavior,’ she said to Flynt one evening as they relaxed in his living room. ‘Some latent psychological imperative to do what he did. Something inherited.’
Flynt wasn’t convinced. ‘I don’t know, Zea…we didn’t find out anything bad or wrong about the birth parents.’
Zea frowned. ‘What I don’t get is this – why would they, wealthy people, give up their kids? They had all the means necessary to bring them up well, even if it meant sending them to boarding school. So why didn’t they keep them? No, something’s hinky with the parents, I’m sure of it.’
Flynt kissed her. ‘Hey, Hannah will be waiting for us.’ They had plans to join his sister at the cinema that evening, along with Teresa, with whom Hannah had formed a fun friendship lately.
‘Can we swing past the diner, pick Teresa up? I forgot to ask you before.’
‘No problem.’
In a half hour, they were at the diner and Teresa was being hustled into the car by a teasing Zea. As they drove off, the two women chatted easily with Flynt shaking his head in amusement. Suddenly, Zea grabbed his arm. ‘Stop, Flynt, stop.’
The car screeched to a halt. ‘What is it?’
Zea pointed to a dark red car at the side of the road. ‘That’s Jared’s car.’
Flynt cursed, and Teresa nodded. ‘It is, I – ‘
She was cut off as behind them, close enough for their car to be hot by the concussion, the diner exploded, casting furious flames into the cold Portland night.
Kizzie had to stay an extra night in hospital after her throwing up incident. ‘Just to be safe,’ the doctor said, and she was too numb to argue. She had gotten into bed and slept for most of the rest of the day and night, only waking when she heard someone come into her room.
‘Hey, snuggle butt, you awake?’
Ethan. She opened her eyes and stared at him. ‘Ethan.’
Her tone was cold, and he seemed to recognize that she was pissed. Not, not pissed, hurt.
‘You okay?’ But she could see from his expression he knew. He knew she had overheard him. Ethan sighed. ‘It’s not what you think, Kiz, I swear.’
She sat up in bed. ‘You know something about the shooting.’
Ethan sat on the end of the bed and rubbed his eyes. ‘I can’t tell you. I can’t. I can’t tell anyone, Kiz, or more people will get hurt.’
‘What the hell are you messed up in?’
Ethan tried to smile. ‘Something I got into by accident…and I swear, Kizzie, I did not know that…he would do that. Kill people. Go crazy.’ He sighed. ‘I’ve said too much already. But I want you to know…I would never hurt you, or anyone. Anyone. I just got dragged into something…’
‘Don’t tell me anything else,’ Kizzie said, closing her eyes. ‘I don’t want to know. Please, Ethan…please go.’
When she opened her eyes again, he was gone.
Bree went over to the island to make sure Kizzie’s place was all ready for her return. She let herself in with the key Kizzie had given her – and ran straight into Jesse. She stared up at him, not knowing what to say until… ‘I miss you.’ She couldn’t stop the words. Jesse pulled her into his arms then, and she could feel that he was trembling. Bree tightened her arms around him, feeling something she’d not felt for weeks, maybe even months.
Safe.
Jesse’s voice was low. ‘Say we can work this out, Bree. I have to be a stand-up and guy and support the baby but there’s no reason, none at all, why we can’t be together. None. I love you.’
Bree returned in his arms, gazed up at him. He looked down at her, everything he longed to say in his eyes.
‘Yes, Jesse. We’ll work it out.’ Bree whispered. ‘We’ll figure it out.’
He kissed her again as his cell phone began to ring, insistent now. He sighed in frustration and answered it.
‘Yeah?’ His face became serious. ‘What? Jesus, yes, yes, I’m coming. Right now.’
Bree frowned at him.
‘Julieta’s bleeding. She thinks she’s losing…hell.’ He rubbed his head with both hands, leaving his hair sticking up.
‘I’m so sorry. ‘
Jesse hesitated. He motioned towards his home. ‘I have to…’
‘Of course, go, go. I hope everything’s okay. I love you.’
He paused for a second, gave a quick nod, kissed her and left. She watched him jog over to his house. A few minutes later, she looked out and saw Jesse drive past with Julieta in the car. He glanced over, and their eyes met. She tried to smile at him but the moment passed, and he was gone.
Kizzie came home a little later. She looked drawn and tired. Bree hugged her.
‘Any news on Julieta?’
Kizzie shook her head. ‘Nope. She was bleeding pretty heavily, though.’ She sighed. ‘I’m a bad person.’
Bree frowned at her. ‘Why?’
Kizzie looked away from her. ‘Because my first reaction wasn’t…horror. That Julieta losing the baby wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.’
Bree was silent. Kizzie studied her, taking in her friend’s reddened eyes.
‘You’re shocked.’
‘No.’ Bree sighed and sat down next to her friend. She looked around the empty shop and squeezed her friend’s hand. ‘If you’re a bad person, then I’m worse.’ She looked down.
‘You’re not. I get it.’ Kizzie squeezed her hand, frowned as she noticed the deep lines around Bree’s eyes, the sickly pallor of her skin. ‘Hey, are you okay?’
Kizzie’s cell interrupted them. Bree stepped away, going into the kitchen. Kizzie picked her phone up.
‘Hey.’ Jesse.
‘Hey, yourself. How’s…?’
‘She lost the baby.’ Jesse’s voice was flat, unemotional. Kizzie drew in a breath.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Yeah.’ He sighed. ‘She’ll be in here for a few days.’ He lowered his voice. ‘She’s got some bruising on her stomach. They think she might have fallen, or something, but she’s not saying.’
‘How is she?’
‘That’s the thing, she seems okay. Resigned. She keeps smiling at me as if she knows something I don’t. It’s weird.’ Jesse gave a short laugh. ‘But what isn’t lately? Are you with Bree? Can I talk to her?’
Kizzie handed Bree the phone and gave them some privacy. She went into her bedroom and laid down on the bed. Why, even at this moment, could she only think about Ethan? Not knowing what the hell was going on with him was driving her crazy. She had the feeling that he was in way over his head and that he could be in real trouble. Big trouble.
Bree, obviously having ended her call with Jesse, came into the room silently and lay down next to her, hugging her tigh
tly. Kizzie squeezed her friend gratefully. ‘Thanks, bubba. For everything.’
‘Are you okay?’
Kizzie had no answer for her.
Jesse strode quickly down to the gynecological unit. As he passed the nurses’ station, the nurse called to him. ‘Mr. Kline?’
He turned.
‘Mr. Kline, the doctor, would like to see you before you see your partner. Could you wait here a moment and I’ll go and get him?’
Jesse nodded, relieved to put off seeing Julieta. He looked in at her door to see her sleeping. The gynecologist approached him and shook his hand.
‘Mr. Kline, let’s go into my office. I’m afraid I need to tell you something.’
Zea, Flynt, and Teresa watched from the house across the street from the diner. The emergency services had turned up quickly but were still battling the blaze. Flynt’s car had rolled but, thankfully, they hadn’t suffered many injuries. Teresa had a cut on her forehead, Flynt was pretty sure he’d dislocated a finger, but they were lucky. Alive. They’d all refused treatment; instead, a neighbor who was a regular invited them in to recover.
Teresa nodded, distracted, looking past them, out of the window. ‘Hey, that’s Mike.’
‘Who?’
She turned and smiled. ‘An ex. He’s a fireman…he might be able to tell us what happened.’
She walked over to the door. Flynt looked defeated, and Zea frowned. ‘You okay, baby?’
He leaned his head against her chest for a moment, took a deep breath in. ‘I just want it to be over. For you. For us. I want to get on with our life together.’
She nodded, stroking his hair but didn’t speak. They both jumped when Teresa’s voice came from behind them. They turned to see her walking in the door, a handsome firefighter at her side. She introduced them. Flynt frowned at her. ‘What did you say?’
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 21
