by Tia Louise
“I’m ready when you are.”
I stand to one side as he swings the door open and immediately shots fill the air. It’s nonstop popping like the explosion of a million firecrackers. The air fills with smoke and tastes like metal. We make our way down the long hallway, arms outstretched, picking off assholes as they try to dive through the passage. When we reach the end, our eyes lock. The large room is the most dangerous area. Shooters will be up, down, around, behind.
Mace nods to me, and I step forward into his arms, pressing my chest against his. He turns into the room, protecting me with his height from shooters above. I protect him by taking them out one by one.
His body and arms vibrate with the automatic rounds coming from his weapons. The shooting seems to go on forever, but the reality is it’s only a matter of minutes. My heart squeezes when I hear Mace grunt. He’s been hit, more than once, but the Kevlar is doing its job. Still, it’s an excruciating pain.
He’s protecting me from the bulk of the shooting because his legs and arms are covered as well. I’m vulnerable everywhere but my torso in this dress.
Another shout, another drop, and the popping noises slowly die. I’ve hit every man I’ve seen in the head. I know they’re dead, and I don’t even care. These assholes are drug dealers, criminals, and lowlifes, and if that weren’t enough, they were waiting to watch me be raped while they jacked off and cheered. I have no regrets.
We’re breathing heavily when we part, and we both survey the room. “Ella, get us backup in here now,” Mace says, and I realize he has our friend in his ear.
Waves of happiness and reunion warm my insides, and tears are in my eyes again. I’m so happy…
Until I see the glittering of dead blue eyes watching me from the divan. I don’t have time to move before he throws the knife. It flies through the air so fast, I don’t even have time to scream. It lands directly in my chest, cutting through the Kevlar. The force of the blow knocks me down. My head hits the Spanish tile, and the room goes black.
Epilogue
Mason
Ammonia burns my nostrils and my boots squeak on the linoleum of the hospital floor. I’d just called for backup when Araña struck. His final, dying act had been to throw that fucking Bowie knife at Jessa.
I saw her go down, and instinctively, I emptied every last bullet in my clip into that motherfucker. Law enforcement was just storming in when I pulled the blade straight out from her ribs the same way it entered. Blood soaked the vest, and she was unconscious. The blood loss had me the most worried, and I didn’t waste time explaining. I had her in my arms and to the chopper, leaving the men to sort out the carnage at the house.
Now I’m pacing the halls, waiting. The knife didn’t hit any major organs, but it clipped an artery and one of her lungs collapsed. After two hours, I’ve lost patience.
“They’ve stopped the bleeding, and it looks like she’s headed to a full recovery.” Ella is in my ear, having hacked into the hospital’s computer systems. “Right now, they’re just monitoring her for signs of concussion. The baby is completely fine.”
Her words freeze me in place. “What…”
“Thanks for telling me, by the way. I’m only your oldest friend. Well, Jessa’s oldest friend, but still.”
She’s teasing, but my mind has momentarily stalled. I’m less than a day back from rescuing her. I don’t remember anything from my accident in Panama, other than one minute I was lunging at Mantanilla and the next I was struggling to stay on my feet and get Jessa to safety.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital in Panama City. Ella had contacted authorities after Jessa explained what had happened. My GPS signal was weak but still functioning, and once our girl-Einstein knew I was injured and not ignoring her, she had police and emergency medical teams scouring the area below Mantanilla’s former residence. I say “former” because after he’d thrown me to what he’d hoped would be my death, everyone in his entourage went underground—a mission for another day.
Luckily, the scrub brush had broken my fall, and my body was so relaxed, I didn’t sustain any major injuries. I had a few major contusions, one on my leg and one on my shoulder, but the doctor’s primary concern was exposure.
Two days in the hospital had me recovered enough that I was pulling wires and monitors off my body so I could get back out there and find my wife. It didn’t take long to put two and two together and know she’d been taken to Araña, who had managed to escape prison and was working to reestablish his reputation and power in the Central American subculture.
“I didn’t know.” It’s the only thing I manage to say as I’m pushing through the double doors of the ICU, headed to her room. I’ve waited long enough, Ella has told me what I need to know, and I need to be with my wife.
“Mace, wait… I see alarms. What are you doing?” Ella is speaking in my ears, and I vaguely register nurses calling after me.
“Where is she Ella?” I’m looking in each room I pass, straining my eyes for her dark hair, her tiny frame.
“Room D-14. It should be at the end of the hall on the right.”
I pick up speed until I see D-14. The wooden door is closed, and no one is with her. The lights are dim, making the green glow of the monitors seem especially bright.
“Sir! You can’t go in there!” A nurse is close behind me, but I don’t even stop. I’m through the door and at her bedside before she finishes speaking.
A silver metal stool is in one corner, and I grab it, pulling it alongside her bed. Jessa’s eyes are closed, but the monitors beep steadily. I look up to see her pulse is strong… and the second monitor tells me our baby’s pulse is also strong. Warmth floods my veins, and I slide my hand under her slim one.
Carefully, I place my arm around her in the bed and slide my thumb across her forehead. “I’m here, Jess. You’re safe and sound, and so is the baby.”
“Sir, I appreciate your concern, but we’re waiting for her to regain consciousness.” The nurse is at the foot of the bed, but I’m not moving. “I don’t want to have to call security.”
“Lady, I am security.” I give her a look that I hope she understands. “This is my wife and apparently my baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
The small woman’s thin lips press together, and then she smiles. “Well, that’s helpful information. We’ve been keeping close watch on her. Apparently she’s some type of assassin.”
“Not anymore,” I say softly, turning my attention back to my beautiful wife. “Come on, Jessa. Let me see those emerald greens.”
I lean forward and press my lips to her cheek. My hand is still above her head, and I see her slim brows quirk. Gently lifting her hand, I press it to my lips. My insides are tight. I’m pretty sure Jessa doesn’t know about the baby, and I want to be the one to tell her. I want to be the first face she sees when she comes out of this.
Another twitch of her brow and her forehead lines.
“That’s it, baby,” I whisper. “Come back to me now.”
Then like something out of an old Disney movie, her chin dips, and she takes a deep breath. She’s so beautiful, I lean forward to kiss her again, and she moves toward me causing my chest to rise.
“Mace?” Her voice is a cracked whisper.
“Are you thirsty?” My eyes are hot with love for her. I start to rise, but her grip on my hand tightens. It makes me stop and return to her side. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
“No…” She looks around the room. “I-I had a dream. I thought… But it was just a dream. You’re here.”
I sit down again, spreading my arms around her like I’d done moments ago. “I’m here, my love. I’m not going anywhere.”
She blinks down and laughs. “I’m sorry. I really am thirsty… if you don’t mind?”
The nurse who’d followed me inside appears on the opposite side of the bed. She gives me a kind smile and holds a cup with a lid and a straw to Jessa’s lips.
“Here,” she says. “Take a s
ip.”
Jessa complies, and the nurse reaches for my hand. “You take this, and I’ll leave you two alone.”
“I’ll leave you two alone as well,” Ella says in my ear, and I shake my head.
“I’d forgotten you were there,” I say, and my wife frowns. I point to my ear. “Ella.”
Her eyebrows rise. “Hi, Ella!”
“Hi, Jessa!” Ella says in my ear. I only shake my head and remove the surveillance device, slipping it into my pocket.
Looking down at my beautiful wife, I clasp her hand in mine and pull it to my chest. She smiles, and the light in her eyes is all I need to know. I pull her lips to mine, ready to tell her our exciting news.
Ten weeks later
My arm rests on the hospital bed behind Jessa, and I lightly stroke her hair away from her forehead. She smiles up at me, but her doctor striding through the door interrupts us.
“Who’s ready to see what’s cooking?” Dr. Hill is an older man with a warm bedside manner. “We should be at the perfect time to know with complete accuracy.”
“Is it crazy that I feel nervous?” Jessa says with a laugh, and I slide my thumb along her hairline.
“You will never catch me telling a pregnant woman she’s crazy,” he answers quickly, making us both laugh.
Jessa’s shirt is lifted, gel applied, and he takes the flared-wand instrument, moving it slowly across her skin as images of our baby appear on the screen. I swear, it hits me in the gut every time I hear the tiny heart beating so fast. The noise is loud and strong.
“We’re going in,” Dr. Hill says with all the seriousness of a field commander.
It provokes another nervous laugh from my wife, and I watch without blinking as he sweeps a centimeter lower and what looks like a prehistoric skeleton appears. Jessa has been nervous that she was drinking before she knew about the baby, but Dr. Hill has assured us it shouldn’t be an issue—many expectant mothers have such slip-ups before they know they’re pregnant. Still, when she tries to beat herself up about it, I hold her in my arms and tell her not to worry.
“Ah,” Hill says, freezing the frame and selecting a specific quadrant before blowing it up. “There you go.”
Jessa lets out a little gasp, and I swallow the lump in my throat. The doctor chuckles as our mouths collide. I hear him set the wand aside and leave the room, but all I can see are Jessa’s beautiful eyes. Her hands are on my face, and we share this moment of wonder and amazement.
Later that same night
Jessa lies on the white sheets on her side. A book is propped on a pillow in front of her, but her long back and smooth skin is exposed. Only a dark green satin string holds the gown over her body. Climbing onto the bed, I place one hand beside her, smoothing her long, dark hair away with my other.
“Hi,” she says, not taking her eyes off the book. I lean forward and kiss her neck, and I’m rewarded with a shiver. “What are you doing?”
A playful tone is in her voice, and I pick up the satin string, pulling it apart, loosening the laces. Tonight, I want to worship her beautiful body growing my little son.
Leaning forward, I kiss the center of her back, following the line of her spine down to the curve of her ass. She exhales a sigh that sends heat surging below my waist. Catching the sides of her panties, I pull them down her slim hips.
“Mace,” she whispers as her legs part for me.
My hands slide up her thighs and her back arches higher, giving me all the access I need to her shimmering core. I spread her cheeks apart and slide my tongue from top to bottom along her slit, sinking deep to taste her arousal. It’s like a drug, sweet and forbidden. She pants little moans as I focus my tongue on the hard bud hidden in the front. I pull it between my lips and suck, and her hips jerk and quiver.
“Come here,” I growl, turning her over in the bed.
Her body is flushed, and the satin gown falls away, leaving her naked. She’s a goddess, her breasts fuller and her hips rounded. Her stomach is still flat, but I know what’s growing there. Looping my arms around her legs, I drag her to my mouth and sink my tongue into her wet heat.
“Oh, god!” she moans loudly as I coax her to the brink of orgasm.
Tracing my hand up the back of her thigh, I test her with my thumb. “You’re so wet for me.” My voice is a hungry rasp as I kiss her heated skin.
“I want you so much,” she moans, and it registers straight to my cock. “Come to me.”
Her hands reach out, and I untangle my arms from her legs, but I don’t go just yet. I give her clit another pass and another, feeling her hips rotate and jump in response. She’s so close. I want to feel her break, so I keep going, tracing and sucking until she’s gasping and writhing in the sheets, repeating my name in a feverish refrain that has precum escaping my cock.
Trailing my lips to the crease of her thigh, I kiss her lightly, allowing my beard to tease her sensitive skin.
“Oh!” she sighs, jerking in response.
I kiss her navel, running my tongue around that small circle and thinking of the tiny baby hidden deep inside. Warm satisfaction unfurls in my chest, and I move higher to kiss her beaded nipple. Her fingernails trace through my beard into my hair, and her back arches. I’m so close to losing it, but I want to take my time, devour every inch of her luscious body.
“Please,” she whispers, pulling my shoulders with her fingertips.
It’s all the encouragement I need. I’m up and plunging deep into her clenching insides with one hard thrust.
“Oh, shit,” I groan. I have to hold still a moment or I’ll be a high school boy, blowing my load in seconds. “You’re so beautiful to me.”
Her hips rise, and she wraps her long legs around my waist. “I love you so much,” she whispers, and I’m undone.
My hips start to rock faster as the growing orgasm takes over my movements. We’re life and love and everything that matters in the world right here. I’ve found this woman, I’ve claimed her, I’ve fought for her, and I’ll die for her. Her body is the closest to heaven I’ll ever get.
I love as strong as she is, as fierce, she’ll still submit to me. She gives her body to me in a way that only fuels my desire.
“Mace…” she moans, rocking her hips against mine. “Yes… yes!”
I feel her clenching begin, and I know she’s coming for me once more. As her inner muscles clench and pull, I thrust faster, chasing the burning high that’s right at the edge of my grasp. Three more deep thrusts, and I release with a shout, holding her body against mine as the pulses of my orgasm flood into her.
I’m breathing heavily as I collapse beside her, gathering her fluid body in my arms and holding her close against my chest. She curls into me like a kitten, and I smooth my hand along her cheek, gathering her thick dark hair to the base of her neck so I can kiss her cheek.
“I’m so in love with you,” I say, watching her green eyes glow in response.
“I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you in the burning rubble of that ridiculous compound I thought was gone.”
I can’t help a chuckle at her characterization. “It’s true. We all worked so hard to reduce that place to rubble. Who knew it wasn’t enough?”
She exhales a sigh and hugs her cheek against my chest. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For understanding about Lajuana.” She lifts her head and props it on her hand. “I know she’s not actually my relative, but after all I’d been through there—”
I touch my finger to her full lips. “You don’t have to explain. I know how much having a family means to you.”
The girl is now living with us. Once we’d exhausted our search for her family in El Salvador, Jessa couldn’t bear sending her back to the convent. She’s a bright young woman and very kind. We’ve hired a tutor for her, and we’re working on helping her get a green card. We’ll be her guardians for the next four years, and after that she can return to her country or we can help her get established in the community…<
br />
She’ll also make a great helper to Jessa with our family. It’s the one thing I hope to address as time passes—more babies.
Turning her, I pull Jessa’s back to my chest, spooning her in a way I know will lead to another delicious hit of her beautiful body later in the night. In the meantime, I hold her, wrapping my arms around her and sheltering her with my love.
While she’s carrying our son, while she’s in this period of nesting, I’ll bide my time, but Moscaretti and Steele is not a thing of the past. One day soon, I will have my brilliant, strong, incredibly sexy partner back at my side. It’s the only way for things to be right in my world. It will happen.
And our first order of business will be finding Mantanilla.
Thank you so much for reading my story!
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