by Lea Hart
Gladys lifted her glass and smiled innocently. “Sure, Grady. Fill it up.”
Sam stood off to the side and tried to hold in his laughter. As far as Grady could tell, he was doing a piss-poor job. Nothing like having your private life discussed before the meal was served. Apparently the idea of privacy wasn’t something they were familiar with. After he filled the ladies’ glasses, he asked Sam to take them into the living room. Once they were out of earshot, he approached Sara. The way she was stirring the sauce told him she was working very hard on holding it together. “Can I pour you more wine?”
“Just bring me the bottle and a straw. Let’s not pretend that I’m not going to need the whole thing to get through this evening.”
He refilled her glass and kissed her head. “I’ll keep it topped off.”
“Don’t let me have more than three. I want to stay awake long enough to have at you. I loved what we did last night, and I want to do it again.”
Before he could respond, she opened a package of fresh pasta and dumped it into the boiling water. “Can you grab the salad out of the fridge?”
Standing as still as he could, he tried to determine if there was any blood left in his head. Nope, all of it had pretty much traveled south. “So, you want to get at me?”
She slid the bread into the oven and set the timer. “Why does your voice sound so gravelly?”
“Because I’ve got a couple of pictures running through my mind that are making it hard to breathe.” When she took a step closer and patted his chest, he about lost it. “Let’s just make everyone leave now. I can give Sam some money, he can take the ladies out and we can have the house to ourselves.”
“Salad, honey. Can you get it out of the fridge?” Pushing away, she stepped around him and went to check on the table. As he watched her bend over, he groaned out loud. It was going to be a very long evening.
CHAPTER TEN
Wednesday
Sara opened the front door and waved Sam in. “Don’t say anything about my hair.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.” Snickering, he dropped a kiss on her head before he moved past her. “I’d ask how it happened, but I already know the answer.”
Trudging over to the coffeepot, she filled two mugs and handed him one. “All I can say is that it was completely worth it.”
Grady strode in and asked, “What was worth it?”
“My crazy hair.”
Laughing, he kissed her cheek as he grabbed a coffee cup. There was no mistaking how they spent their time together. Sara appeared well-tumbled and satisfied. The fact that her mouth was still swollen from his kisses and her cheeks were pink from where his beard had abraded her only satisfied him. “I’m a gentleman, so I won’t be discussing anything that happens in our bedroom.”
Sara kissed his arm before she grabbed the cream from the fridge. “All of it didn’t happen in the bedroom.”
“Don’t need to hear the details,” Sam responded.
“Wasn’t going to give you any.” She grabbed a banana and stepped out of the kitchen. “I’m going to take a shower. You all can discuss safety measures for our trip to San Diego.”
Grady tracked her exit until she disappeared into the bedroom. “She’s got me so tied up that I don’t know which way is up.”
Sam responded like a proud brother. “Congratulations.” He moved over to the table and sat down. “I’ll give you the latest information we have about the threats against Sara.”
“Thanks, man. I can use all the intel I can get.” Grady filled his cup and grabbed his tablet. “I have our travel plans, and I can forward them to you. I booked direct flights, and we’re going to be met at the airport by some guys from Max’s team. We’re staying in Coronado at a condo that I booked through Airbnb. Max confirmed that he would have men available if we needed them, and I have a bunch of buddies from the Teams who live in the area. I booked Sara’s ticket with her alias, so no one should pick up on our travel plans.”
“Sounds rock solid. We have no reason to believe that the Outfit has developed skills in tracking people. Traditionally, they’ve focused most of their illegal activities on gambling, prostitution, juice loans, and the like. They haven’t gotten into cybercrime like the Eastern European crime groups. That’s what has allowed Sara to stay out of WITSEC.”
Grady ran his hand along the top of his cup and then cleared his throat. “How do I end this for her once and for all? I know that I can’t plan an op and wipe them out, and if they could be brought in and put away you would’ve already done that. I want to neutralize this, so we can have a life together.”
“That’s the frustration. I spent ten years in the Army, and my mentality was very similar to yours. Identify the threat and then eliminate it. None of that works with the mafia. The FBI has been after organized crime since its inception. The task force never shrinks.”
“What would it take for them to leave Sara alone? Forever.”
“First they want the password to the bank account that Sal had. Apparently he skimmed around seventy million dollars from the Outfit, along with details of how the family operates. It was his insurance policy, because he knew there were certain family members who wanted him out.”
“It seems he was right, since he got gunned down in front of a restaurant in broad daylight. According to Sara, one of his men didn’t do anything to stop the hit.”
“Unfortunately, the password seems to have died with Sal. He was never married and has a widowed sister left. Sara is the only other blood relative.”
“Have they targeted the sister?”
“They keep an eye on her, but she lives in the same house that’s she’s been in for thirty years and lives a quiet life. They have no reason to believe that she has anything.”
“Why would they think that Sara has it? She only spent a couple of hours with the man. It doesn’t make sense that he would entrust her with anything. Much less the password to a fortune.”
“The timing makes it appear otherwise. Sara was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the capo believes that Sal passed on the information to his long lost daughter.”
“It’s so damn frustrating.”
“Welcome to my world.”
“I don’t know how you do it. Why did you leave the HRT team?”
Sam lifted his perfectly pressed pant leg to reveal his prosthetic. “A rescue went south and I got in the way of a bomb. I lost the lower half of my leg. It makes dropping down the sides of buildings a little difficult.”
“Tough break, man. Sorry.”
Sam shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. “I had more good luck than I deserved for many years. I can still do most things, so I focus on that. Not on the fact that I’m no longer able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.”
“I don’t know about that. We have a guy on our team who has a freaking amazing bionic leg. He can run faster than a lot of guys with two legs.”
“It hasn’t slowed me down as much as I thought it would. But it does mean that I spend a lot of time at my desk.”
“I hear you. I’m a partner in my office, and I spend more time with my computer than I like. For a while it was the closest relationship I had.”
Sam threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Sara gave me regular updates about your girlfriend. I know you had a lot more than computer time going on in your life.”
“Ex-girlfriend.”
“Right.”
Grady went over to grab the coffeepot and then returned to refill their cups. “I’ll handle the trip to San Diego like I would any other op. We’ve run a lot of personal security assignments, so I expect this to be fairly easy.”
“I have no reason to believe that they know where she is and what her alias is. We have their communications tapped, and we have someone on the inside. Our CI is a low-level enforcer, but he still manages to get us decent intel from time to time. So you two shouldn’t have any issues.”
“The question remains how to end it once and for
all. By all accounts, Sara has kept a low profile and has only shared with a couple of people what’s she’s up against. But something has changed. We were at my partner’s party on Monday, and she told a group of women what’s going on. It feels like she doesn’t want to hold it in anymore.” He stared out the patio window and tried to collect his thoughts. “I wonder if there isn’t some value in that. The more vocal she is about it, the harder it’s going to be to get away with killing her or abducting her.”
“The Outfit has lost some of its power and influence, but it’s still considered a major player in the world of organized crime. They don’t like to see themselves in the media, so there may be some merit to what you’re suggesting. Let me work on it from my end, and in the meantime you keep her safe on the trip.”
“I’ll keep her safe, no matter where we are.”
Sam straightened his shirt and grinned. I guess having you as a neighbor worked out after all.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
One Week Later
Sara strolled down the aisle and climbed over Grady to get into her seat. Being the gentleman that he was, he grabbed her butt and lifted her into his lap. “Well, I’m sure the back half of the plane enjoyed watching that.”
“What can I say? …I enjoy getting my hands on you. No crime in that.”
Running her hand down his beard, she grinned. “I wonder if anyone is making bets on whether we’re going to try to have sex in the bathroom. Which, by the way, is a no-go. There’s no way that you’re going to wedge that big body of yours in there and be able to move.”
“Now, honey, that’s not the attitude we need if we want to make one of your dreams come true. You are tiny, so I’m sure, given enough motivation, we could come up with something.”
“You’re probably right.” Shrugging, she crawled off his lap and into her seat. “Maybe we can try later on.”
“I’ve been in tight spaces before and been able to accomplish my goal, so if you decide you want to give it a try, then I’m game.”
She snorted, then stared out the window and laughed. “I’ve become pretty familiar with your game over the last two weeks, and I have to tell you that it’s impressive. Every day in every way and more than once. My goodness, I had no idea what I was in for.”
He lifted the arm rest and placed his arm around her shoulder. “It’s chemistry. We have it and we’re not going to waste it. There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of what we have as often as we can.”
“I agree, but I think the car wasn’t the best choice. I don’t have any desire to have a policeman shine a light in my face when I’m half-naked.”
“The cop didn’t see anything. I made sure of that.”
“Next time, I’m going to pay closer attention to my clothes coming off.”
“You said you wanted to make out while watching the sunset, and that’s what we did. It’s not my fault that we got carried away.”
“Oh, yes, sir—it is. All your fault.”
“Fine, if that makes you feel better.”
Taking his hand, she lifted it and kissed his knuckles. “Thank you for letting me pretend that it’s you that’s out of control. We both know it’s me.”
“I think we’re both out of control, and I couldn’t be happier. Let’s make sure that we do everything we can to hold on to it.”
Leaning against his chest, she let out a sigh. Old-fashioned lust and hunger simmered between them, and Grady leaned over to grab a kiss. When his lips met hers, he whispered, “Let me in, honey. Let me all the way in.” Mouths fused, tongues tangling. Sexual tension flared to life.
Before she lost control, Sara leaned back. “Can’t let this go too far. We don’t want to be kicked off the plane.”
“You’re right. Better keep it G-rated.” Opening his arms, he waited for her to lean against his chest again. “I promise to behave.”
Before she could respond, the flight attendant came by, offering them drinks. Sara asked for water and so did Grady. When they had gotten their drinks and the attendant moved on, she started to laugh. “She was looking at us and trying to figure out how much trouble were going to be.”
“Speak for yourself. I have the face of a Boy Scout.”
Laughing, she patted his leg. “You have the face of a hardened warrior who looks like he breaks people’s bones for fun.” When he scowled, she kissed his cheek. “But in the sexiest way possible.”
Rubbing his chin, he smiled. “I thought since I got rid of the big beard that I appeared more respectable.”
“Respect is not something that you have to worry about. People running away in fear…probably.”
“Is that why you never tried to get to know me after you moved in?”
Turning, she studied his face. “No…maybe.” Taking a sip of her water, she stared out the window. “I was trying to survive, and I didn’t know if I was going to have to disappear on a moment’s notice. The idea of getting to know my intimidating neighbor never made it to the top of my list.”
“Glad we fixed that.”
“All it took was crazy Angelina to give us an opening.”
“I guess you’re right. It makes the whole debacle more acceptable if I believe it led me to you.”
Patting his chest, she closed her eyes. “I’m going to take a little nap, since I hardly got any rest last night.”
“Good idea. You’re going to need energy for later on.” He released his seat and pushed it back. “Crawl on in, honey, and let’s get some sleep.”
Sara slipped her shoes off, curled into Grady’s embrace, and felt him kiss her head. It only took a couple of minutes before she felt herself drift off. There wasn’t a better place in the world than this man’s arms.
***
The late afternoon sun poured through the window, and Sara blinked against the glare. Turning her head, she inhaled the unmistakable scent of Grady. It was a mixture of laundry soap, testosterone, and strength. “I think we have another hour before we land.”
“We can still make a run at joining the mile-high club.” He growled, quietly. “I want to make all your fantasies come true.”
Patting his arm, she laughed. “After I saw the bathroom, it doesn’t seem that appealing. I’ll wait until we get to the condo. I’d rather have you stretched out on a king-size bed. If I’m going to get at your naked glory, then I want some room to maneuver.”
“Have I told you how much I like how your mind works?”
Twisting around, she grinned. “I don’t believe you have.”
“Well, I do. You wrap that dirty mind of yours in sweetness and intelligence. It’s a lethal combination.”
Before she could respond, the flight attendant came by and offered them something to drink again. After she left, Sara leaned over to look out the window. “What do you want to do while we’re in San Diego? All I have is the two meetings at Comic-Con.”
“My brother from another mother has invited us over for dinner. Mark got married a couple of years ago, and he and his wife, Birdie, have a baby girl. If it works out, they want us to come over tomorrow night.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Mark and I were in the same BUD/S class, and we were on several platoons together over the years. We haven’t spent any real time together in a couple of years.”
“Is he still on the Teams?”
“No, he was injured on an op three years ago and never got cleared for active duty again. He’s in charge of First Phase at the base.”
“You’re going to have to explain what that means.”
“I’ll tell you all about it over the next couple of days. We are staying in a condo not far from the base. We’ll probably see the current class out on the beach. Mark asked me to join him if I had time.”
“You should have plenty of time. I’ll watch you run up and down the beach and whistle at you every time you pass.”
“As long as you wear something over that red bikini. I don
’t need a bunch of low-life recruits looking at my girlfriend.”
“Is that what I am? I had no idea we were official.”
“The fact that we’ve spent every free moment together since you kissed me didn’t give you a clue?”
“I thought we were just hanging out. I wasn’t thinking about anything long-term.” The way he straightened up and crossed his arms told her that he didn’t like her statement. “I have people who want me dead. It makes long-term planning kind of dicey.”
“I’m going to eliminate the threat. So don’t try to use that as an excuse.”
“I don’t need an excuse. You haven’t asked me for anything, so if you want something, then I suggest you ask. Politely.”
Leaning forward, he took her hands and grinned. “Sara Montgomery…would you consider being my girlfriend, love of my life, and reason for living?”
Letting her eyes fall to their entwined hands, she took a shuddering breath. The strongest, bravest and kindest man she’d ever met had just given her a huge slice of happiness. “I would be honored to be your girlfriend.” Kissing his cheek, she sighed. “I just hope to God no one takes a shot at you because of me.”
“Not going to happen, honey.”
Mumbling to herself, she rubbed her cheek against his T-shirt. “Please be right about that. I can’t let anything happen to you.”
He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s my line. We’re going to figure out how to get the Outfit to leave you alone. One way or another.”
***
As they waited at baggage claim, Grady checked his phone. “Chris is on his way over to pick us up.”
“Is Chris from SAI?”
“Yeah. He’s also a good friend. We were on the same Team for about two years and rotated in and out of squads together. We called him Iceman. He was the ultimate operator and always professional. In combat he was a supreme athlete, swift, violent, brutal if necessary. I never saw him lose his cool or be upset. A true credit to the brotherhood.”
