Blissfully relaxed, unaware of anything other than the warm water, a knock on the door startled her. “Yes?” she called out.
“I’ve got a clean shirt for you, babe.”
“Come on in,” she invited.
Chad opened the door, surprised to see Dani still in the tub. “Isn’t the water cool by now?”
“I added more hot water so I could stay longer.” She smiled up at him. “Why don’t you join me?”
Moving over, he looked down at her beauty, rosy with the heat, and his cock swelled painfully. “Join you? You need to rest and that’s not what’ll happen if I get in there with you.”
She leaned to the side of the tub, her arms hanging over as she looked up at him squatting next to her. “Chad, I need you. I want you. I want to forget this case…forget what’s happening all around us. I just want to feel you.”
He reached behind and jerked his t-shirt over his head. Standing, he shucked his jeans and boxers off in record time, stepping over into the tub. “Well, I aim to please.”
Dani scooted forward and allowed him to slid in behind her. As big as he was, the water rose to a dangerous level. She let some out then replaced the stopper. Leaning back, she rested her back against his chest with his knees on either side.
Chad soaped his hands and then moved them over her slippery body. Her shoulders, then down to her breasts. Giving each one attention, she arched her back, pressing them into his palms even more. Her moans filled his ears as his cock pressed against her lower back.
Lowering his hands, he moved them over her slightly rounded belly. The sensuous feeling was heady, knowing there was new life beneath his hands.
Suddenly, Dani twisted around, facing him. She placed her legs on the outside of his, bringing her aching core right to his cock. Lifting herself she settled just to his tip. His large hands spanned her waist as he assisted her. Wanting her to set the pace, he allowed her to settle a bit at a time down his shaft until she was fully seated.
Chad groaned, repressing the desire to fuck her hard and fast. With her hands on his shoulders for support and his hands on her waist, she began to move up and down. The friction was sending sparks throughout her body. Throwing her head back, she picked up the pace.
He viewed her beautiful body as it moved over his. Her breasts bounced in front of him and he leaned forward, pulling a nipple deep into his mouth. Nipping it lightly, he felt his cock swell even more. “Come on, baby, give it to me,” he called out.
Her body, muscles coiled tightly, was so close as she rode up and down, his cock filling her, rasping against the raw nerve endings.
Moving one hand lower between them, he pressed against her clit, sliding his thumb around the swollen nub. He felt her body jerk as her tight pussy grabbed his dick. His balls tightened and he lunged upward, thrusting over and over as they both came.
She fell forward, her head landing on his shoulder as her ragged breathing matched his. Chad lay boneless for a moment, his energy sapped once his orgasm poured himself into her. He took her weight gladly as his arms managed to pull her closer. Slowly, consciousness brought awareness to him. Shifting her in his arms, he hefted his large body from the tub, settling her feet onto the thick bathmat. She stepped back, smiling up at him. My gentle giant.
She watched as he let the water out of the tub after wrapping her in a thick towel. He turned back to her, grinning as he toweled off rapidly. Moving over to her, he pulled her in possessively, his lips latching onto hers.
Placing his large hand on her stomach, he asked, “Are you okay, little mama?”
Smiling up at him, she nodded. “Yeah. Thank you.”
Rearing back, he looked at her in surprise. “You never have to thank me for loving you, babe. Being with you…is my life. My dream. The one I thought I gave up. So every minute with you is a miracle to me.”
“I was overwhelmed earlier,” she explained. “We still don’t know what Adam was into, but he was right. I was always meant to be with you.”
Kissing her once more, he pulled one of his large t-shirts over her head, settling it over her baby bump. “We’ll go back and get your clothes tomorrow. If…” he peered into her eyes, “you want to stay here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she answered honestly, cupping his stubbled jaw. Raising on her tiptoes, she kissed his lips. Soft. Sweet. With the promise of many tomorrows.
Chapter 16
“Did the shipment come in on schedule?” Muhammad asked, walking into the house with Abdul.
“Got it here,” Fazan answered, pointing to the unmarked boxes on the table.
Muhammad’s eyes roamed around the room, seeing Habib coming in from a back room with several more men and two women with him. He pinned the newcomers with a hard stare. “Do you understand your instructions?”
They nodded hurriedly, eager to agree to whatever he asked. Scowling, Muhammad looked at Habib, mollified when he nodded as well.
“They have the materials now and understand what they are to construct,” Habib answered. “They’ve also been informed how to conduct themselves to keep a low profile.”
Muhammad looked at them again, saying, “Your assignment here is important to the cause…if your actions draw unwanted attention, our work is all for nothing. This,” he pointed to the box on the table, “is what we need for setting off the explosives.” Leaning in for emphasis, he said, “We do not want anyone to suspect we are here until we are ready to show them.”
Again the men and women nodded their understanding, fear in their eyes. “Your work here,” Muhammad said, “is part of the grand jihad in eliminating this civilization from within.” Pride replaced fear from the group as they gazed upon the man they knew was in charge.
Muhammad left Habib to work with the newcomers and walked into another room with Fazan and Abdul. “I want more of the detonators from our contact. We will need time for the new recruits to learn how best to use them from a distance. How soon can we expect the shipment from him?”
“It will be a while,” Fazan confirmed. “He is exceedingly cautious. We can go slow and get what we need or possibly lose everything if we rush.”
Muhammad agreed, shaking his head slowly. “We know what it is to go slow. This country always wants things fast…in a hurry for everything. It will be their downfall.” Turning to Fazan, he said, “Stay in close communication with our contact so we know when we can expect our next shipment.” To Abdul, he added, “And find out where that Turner woman is. I want to know what she knows about her husband’s activities.”
He and Abdul walked out of the house and Fazan placed a call. “He understands there is no guarantee of another shipment soon, but wants to know when you think it will take place. I know, I know. Fine, stay in touch.”
*
Jahfar hung up the phone, wiping the perspiration from his brow. He had walked out of his home to take the call and as he came back in, he observed his wife in the kitchen and heard his two sons playing in the den. His wife turned from the stove, smiling until she glanced at his face. Laying the spoon down, she walked over to him. “Are you all right?”
Forcing a smile on his face, he returned her hug. “Of course. I’m fine.” She moved back to her dinner preparations.
“Tell the boys dinner will be soon.”
Jahfar nodded as he walked to the den, hoping to hold everything together until all could go as planned.
*
Chad reported to the Saints and Mitch what the note from Adam said. No one spoke for a moment, their shock evident on their faces.
Finally, Blaise asked, “Did Adam say anything else? Just that not everything is as it seems?”
“What the fuck did he mean?” Jude asked. “That he was working with terrorists and was sorry about it or that he wasn’t even though he appears guilty?”
Shaking his head, Chad threw his hands up. “I’ve got no idea.”
“There’s got to be more than that,” Marc added. Gaining the attention of
the others, he continued. “He went to the trouble of putting a note in a safety deposit box and hiding the key. That makes no fuckin’ sense.”
“Do you have the note?” Mitch asked, from the video conference.
“No, Dani has it. Other than that, the words are mostly personal and I think she put it in her purse.” Seeing the looks from the others, he added, “She’s moved in with me. We went to her place yesterday and packed up everything we could and brought the haul to my place. We’re getting movers this weekend to bring the rest.”
“She’s had a lot of changes,” Luke commented. “That’s gotta be a lot of stress on her.”
“Yeah, well this one will be the last,” Chad vowed.
“If she’ll let me, I’d like to look at the note,” Luke said. “I could run it through some decoding programs to discern if there was something else.”
Nodding, Chad agreed. Pulling out his phone, he called her. “Hey, baby. Do you have the note with you? Can you scan it to me? Luke would like to run the message through some programs to see if he can discover a code. We don’t know. We’re grasping at straws right now. Okay, thanks. See you, tonight.” Looking at Luke, he confirmed, “She’s sending it to my email.”
Jack, turning back to Mitch, said, “So where are we on the sleeper cells?”
Mitch grimaced, “Fuckers are coming in faster than we can keep up with them. Got a group in Fairfax and Richland, plus about three others in smaller communities. We’re keeping an eye on them. Here’s the part that bites us in the ass—the Mexican drug cartels are sneaking in terrorists from the Middle East, through the Texas border.”
Cam’s eyes jumped up to the screen, a curse escaping from his lips. He spent time in Mexico on a mission to rescue a nurse from a drug cartel. The mission was successful and he was now married to Miriam, the nurse he rescued, but he had seen up close the long arm of the Mexican drug cartels.
“Can you use us?” Bart asked.
“I wish I could, Bart, but with the homemade and professional explosives these people have, I can’t trust that even your skills would not trigger whatever the fuck they’ve got set up.”
The group’s frustration ran high, not used to spinning their wheels and getting nowhere.
*
Dani sat at her desk, finishing up the latest proposal for the new explosive devices MES produced to sell to the military. She glanced at her watch and was surprised to realize it was almost time to go home. Sending her files to a secure drop box, she forwarded them to Ethan for final approval before digging the note from Adam out of her purse. Standing, she walked to the printer/scanner on the credenza beside her desk. She held the note for a moment in her hands, rubbing her fingers over the words. The fierce anger she felt toward Adam after he was killed had slowly morphed into resignation. And with that came the remembrances of good times. Now, her emotions moved toward complete frustration.
Aaron popped his head around the corner of her door. “Hey, Dani, Melissa’s here and wanted to confirm if you were coming to the company picnic this weekend?”
“I hadn’t really made up my mind,” she confessed. “Does she need to know now?” She watched as his eyes dropped to her hand holding the note.
“She’s in my office, do you have a minute to talk to her before you leave?”
“Uh…yeah, sure.” Placing the note on the scanner, she quickly closed the lid before he had a chance to observe what was in her hand, unwilling to share any of her crazy life with someone from work.
She followed him out and made her way to his office, greeting his wife warmly. The two women chatted for a few minutes, before Dani headed back to her office. As she turned the corner of the hall, she saw Jahfar leaving her office. His eyes met hers and she swore she imagined guilt piercing his gaze.
Aaron came from the other direction with Ethan and met them at the entrance to her office. “Hey, did you and Melissa get things straightened out?” Aaron asked.
Her lips pressed into a tight smile, she forced a pleasant expression on her face. “Yes, thank you.” Turning back to Jahfar, she cocked her head to the side. “Find what you were looking for?”
Smoothly, he replied, “I was looking for you, so now I have.”
Lifting an eyebrow, she waited for him to explain, but he only looked at his watch and said he would talk to her tomorrow. She stared at his back as walked down the hall.
“You okay?” Ethan asked, studying her carefully.
Sucking in a deep breath, she replied, “I may be wrong, but I just don’t trust him.”
Neither man spoke as she moved back into her office. She finished scanning the note and then sent it to Chad’s email. Luke, if you can find anything from this, good on you!
*
“You’re right,” Marc said, looking at the note. “There’s not much to go on, is there?”
Even Luke gazed at it dubiously. “I’ll run the words through some decoding programs I’ve got, but you said Adam wasn’t much of a computer techie.”
“At least not the Adam I knew.” The idea that for over a year he did not truly know Adam gnawed at Chad. If I’d stayed with the ATF, would I have been able to keep Adam from going off the reservation? If he actually did? Heaving a sigh, he rubbed his hand over his face and stood, stretching his large frame.
“I’m going to take a run, guys,” he announced. “Maybe that’ll clear the cobwebs from my brain.”
“Want any company?” Bart asked.
“Sure,” he replied. The two men changed in the locker room and headed out. Chad was grateful that Bart kept the run challenging, but also stayed quiet so he could process the myriad of thoughts zinging through his mind. Adam’s note to Dani sounded like the note a man would give to his wife, knowing his life could end at any time. Was that just because of his dangerous job? If so, why leave it in a safety deposit box? Why not with a family member…or stuck in book…or…No, Adam wanted to make sure that not just anyone could get to it. Therefore, there has to be some meaning behind the words. But what? And since the note was in a safety box, why did Adam have to be so cryptic?
His feet pounded the trail, sweat poured off him, his muscles worked hard…but no clue came to mind. Was it because Adam was afraid that someone might find the key besides Dani, so he didn’t want to speak plainly? Finishing the run, Chad decided he did not think that Adam had the ability to plan something so intricate. Not the good-time Adam that I knew!
*
Dani drove down the driveway to Chad’s house sitting in the woods. She sat for a minute in her car, looking around. How many moves have I made in the past year? Ugh! Noting the few blooming dogwood trees dotting the woods amongst the cedars and pines, she had to admit she appreciated the view. She knew Chad had been working on house projects and she loved the results. The house was beautiful…a good place to raise a child? She waited to see if the ensuing panic would set in, but it did not. With her hand on her belly, she said, “All right, little one. I’m trying to do the best thing here for all of us. Honest, your mommy’s never been so flighty in her life. I was always the calm and steady one. Rational to a fault.” Sucking in a deep breath, she stepped out of her vehicle and walked to the front door.
“Well, for now, this is home, baby, and I pray it’s the last move we have to make!” Stepping inside, her eyes landed on her cherished rocker sitting in the living room, where Chad had placed it. She had been avoiding it—the memories too painful after her miscarriage and then Adam’s death. Now, the time seemed right to enjoy the comfortable chair. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, she walked to the rocker and settled down in its comfort.
Leaning her head back after taking a long swig, she closed her eyes. “Even your daddy wanted me to be right here in this rocker.” Her mind roamed over Adam’s note once more, but soon she rocked herself to sleep.
Chad came in an hour later, smiling as he pulled up and saw Dani’s jeep sitting in his driveway. This was where he wanted her…where he had always wanted her. Stepping
inside, he viewed her sitting in her rocking chair, head leaning slightly to the side, sound asleep. Thinking of the note, he realized Adam may have come home from work and seen her in the same position. Instead of feeling envy, he felt a kinship with his former friend who had tried to the do the right thing for Dani when he insisted they marry. Your motives were good as always, buddy, but sometimes your actions were completely fucked up.
Seeing Dani stir, he pushed all thoughts of Adam from his mind and moved over so when she awoke, he would be the first thing she saw. Kneeling in front of her, he yearned to reach out to touch her thick auburn tresses. Her hair was what had captured his attention when they first met, until getting closer and having her green eyes focus on him. He had been lost ever since.
Her eyes fluttered open, a second of confusion on her face that blended into a beautiful smile when she looked at him kneeling in front of her. “Oh, I must have fallen asleep.” She reached her arms above her head in a long stretch. “I keep wanting to take naps, but can’t at work.”
Finally able to allow his fingers to move through her silky hair, he bent forward, kissing her lips. “I’ve read where that’s common in pregnancies. So you nap whenever you want, babe.”
Standing, they walked into the kitchen together. Dani looked around and asked, “Do you mind if I make supper?”
Chuckling, he replied, “I don’t know a man alive who wouldn’t love to have a meal cooked for him.” Sobering, he added, “But I don’t want you to wear yourself out.”
“Nah, the nap did me good.” Opening a few cabinets and the refrigerator, she was surprised to see them well stocked. Looking over her shoulder, she asked, “Do you always have this much stuff?”
“I went shopping when I hoped you were coming and made sure to buy everything I could. I mean, I do eat well…and a lot, but I tried to get anything you might want.”
Sacrifice Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Page 14
