by Jill Sanders
Ashley chuckled. “Yes.”
“But—” He stopped when the power turned off, thrusting them into sheer darkness.
Instantly, he went on guard. The gun he’d tucked in the nightstand was in his hands.
“What?” she cried out, clawing at him.
“Easy,” he said softly. “It could be something simple.”
“Or… it could be…”
“Easy, I’m here.” He took her hand in his. “Your brother-in-law told me about the new safe room he had built.” They moved as one towards the bathroom.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“You’ll stay in there until I figure out what’s going on.”
They made their way towards the closet. He silently opened the door, then slid the secret panel open behind the wall of shoe shelves. The panel slid open silently and a small light flickered on.
“Battery backup,” he assured her. “This room is on its own power source.” He made sure she was in before stepping in himself and shutting the door behind him.
“Tom had it built after that crazy woman tried to kill Amber,” Ashley said in a shaky voice as she sat down on a padded bench. “Looks like she wasn’t the only one in the family who needed it.”
Her eyes were wide and full of fear, and he knew she wasn’t going to be happy with him leaving her there. But he had to check on his team and see what was going on.
“This door locks from the inside.” He showed her. “There’s a fridge with water, food, and medical supplies, and there’s a secure line to call for help.”
“Cole.” Her eyes narrowed at him.
“I have to go check up on the team.”
“No.” She stood up and gripped his arms. “What you need to do is stay put until they say it’s all clear.”
He leaned his forehead on hers. “Ash, this is my job. Let me protect you. Trust me.”
She took a deep breath, then nodded. “Five minutes. Then I’m coming out.”
“No, you’ll stay put.” He took her shoulders. “We don’t have time to argue now, but I won’t be able to focus if I’m afraid you’ll be running into danger.” When she didn’t respond, he nudged her back into the seat. “Stay, please.” She nodded slightly, and he waited at the door, listening. “I’ll be back. Ten minutes,” he promised and left the room, making sure she locked the panel before he left the closet.
Making his way in the dark down the stairs, he listened for any sounds. Since the mountains blocked most of the moonlight, the house was completely dark as he went.
He almost stumbled at the base of the stairs, but caught himself and mentally cursed for not seeing the dark figure laying at the foot of the staircase. When realization finally hit him, he moved quickly just as a flash of light and the loud sound of gunshots filled the room.
17
It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, waiting in a dimly lit room, listening to her own rapid breathing, for Cole to return. She’d removed her watch before crawling into bed earlier, so she could only count the seconds by the sound of her heartbeat.
After what seemed like a lifetime, she heard several loud pops and jumped, closing her eyes as realization flooded her. Someone was shooting. Her hands shook as she realized she’d covered her own mouth in fear of her scream’s echoes escaping the small room.
Minutes of silence dragged on and she fought back panic. In her mind, she imagined Cole laying somewhere, bleeding and calling out for her. She imagined the entire team needing her help.
She thought about calling someone, but who? 911? Would the local cops understand that the FBI was here, or would they see a man with a gun and shoot him, even if that man was Cole or one of the other team members?
Finally, after running through several scenarios, she unlocked the secret door and slipped out into the dark closet. She listened and could hear faint talking.
Making a quick decision, she tiptoed out of the closet and made her way to the stairs. Slowly and carefully, she moved down the stairs, hugging the wall as she went. She stopped when she could clearly hear the talking.
“So, you see why I can’t let you continue.” The woman’s voice rose from the main floor. Ashley could tell she was near the bottom of the stairs, but didn’t know where Cole was or even if she was talking to Cole or one of the other guys. “I’ve been warned not to touch a hair on your pretty girlfriend’s head. Anton lost a finger over the break-in, didn’t you, Anton.”
The woman chuckled as a man with a deep voice answered from across the room. “Shut up.”
“Oh, don’t be that way,” the woman said, moving around.
Ashley watched as a dark figure moved to the base of the stairs. She didn’t know who it was, but the figure was heading her way. She inched her way back up the stairs, but whoever it was, they were moving too quickly for her to make it up the second set of stairs to the top floor.
Just then a hand grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth.
“It’s Greig,” he whispered into her ear. “Lock the door behind you.”
He shoved her into the first open door. She glanced around and found herself in the guest bathroom. She flipped the lock as Greig had instructed, just as she heard footsteps outside the doorway. Holding her breath, she waited until it was quiet outside before placing her ear against the door. She thought she heard a grunt, but couldn’t be sure.
After a few minutes of silence, she took a chance and slid open the door. She spotted a dark figure disappearing down the stairs. Hoping it was Greig, she followed him slowly.
She could hear more talking below and as soon as she made her way towards the stairs, an explosion of gunfire caused her ears to ring and a squeal to escape her lips. She bolted down the stairs, hoping for a chance to escape out the front door but she was grabbed and yanked off her feet, then shoved behind a dark figure. Instantly, she realized it was RJ.
“What the hell…” he growled out. “Stay behind me.” He shoved her hard between his body and the wall as he continued to fire, pointing his weapon up the stairs at the figure heading towards them. It was when the wall beside her exploded that she realized the figure was shooting back at them.
She ducked and tried to make her body as small as she could, hiding behind RJ as chunks of wood and drywall rained down on her.
When the figure coming down the stairs fell and started rolling, RJ stopped firing and pushed her down the hallway.
He shoved her into the kitchen pantry and growled, “Stay put.”
After he shut the door, she cowered in the corner like a scared mouse until the lights flickered on again. This time, she was determined to stay put until someone found her. Tears streamed down her face as she hid behind a large trash can.
She had never been more afraid in her life. Her teeth, hands, and legs shook so bad she couldn’t get her body under control.
When the door opened, she cried out and hid, only to have RJ’s soft voice soothe her fears.
“Easy, you can come out.” He took her by the shoulders and when her knees went weak, gently picked her up and carried her to the kitchen chair. “Stay here, I’ll grab you a blanket. You’re in shock.”
She laid her head on the kitchen table, trying desperately to slow her breathing. Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on calming her mind down, but the image of the dark figure falling down the stairs flashed repeatedly in her mind, those dead blue eyes staring back at her blankly.
“Here.” RJ laid a blanket from the sofa over her shoulders. “Need some water?”
“Ye…Yes,” she managed to croak out.
When the glass was set in front of her, she took it with shaky hands and drank as much as she could. Her throat was dry, as if she’d spent the last hour screaming.
Finally, her mind sharpened, and her eyes flew open. RJ stood beside her, looking down at her. He was dressed in all black, a large, rather scary semi-automatic gun tossed over his shoulder with a strap. Looking around the room, she didn’t see anyone else.
“Cole?” She started to get up.
“Easy, he’s all right,” RJ said, holding her into the chair. “Help is on the way.”
“Where is he?” she asked, once again trying to get up.
“He went outside, making sure it was all clear.”
“Is he all right?” she asked, her eyes still scanning the room. Lamps, picture frames, and furniture were all riddled with bullet holes. The beautiful wood staircase had splinters and shards cut out of it from where bullets had hit. Tom and Amber’s cabin was ruined.
“Last I saw him, he was upright,” RJ finally said. “Like I said, help is on the way.” He sat across from her and opened a small box. He pulled off his shirt and, to her horror, blood started flowing quickly from a large hole just below his collarbone.
“You’re shot!” She jumped up, took the kit, and grabbed a towel from the kitchen sink. She put the towel on the wound and held it down hard.
“Easy.” RJ groaned, but smiled up at her. “I’ve had worse. A splinter of wood got me, not a bullet.”
“Cole?” she cried out when the back door opened. Instead, Tony came in.
“All’s clear,” he said, glancing over her shoulder.
She turned and watched as Greig and Cole came in the room from the front door.
“Cole?” she repeated.
“What are you…” Cole rushed to her side.
“I’ll go wait outside for the ambulance,” Tony said and quickly disappeared.
“Here.” Greig took the towel from here. “I’ve got medical training.” He nudged her aside as Cole took her shoulders and pulled her into his arms.
“Why didn’t you stay put?” Cole asked her, raining kisses into her hair and over her face.
He pulled her into the living room and down onto the sofa, holding her until she stopped shaking.
She pulled back, running her hands over him. “You’re not hurt?”
“No,” he assured her. “I’m okay.”
She realized then that he had scanned her for any injuries. His fingers went to a spot on her forehead. It was then that she felt the slight pain.
“You’ve got a small cut here.”
“I’m fine.” She hugged him again. “Now that I know that you’re okay.” She rested against his chest. They heard the sounds of the sirens outside and she relaxed against him fully. “Is that it? Is it over now?”
“Yes,” he said, sighing into her hair. She felt him relax completely as well. “It’s over.”
“Good.” She looked up at him. “Now we can get on with our lives.” He leaned down and kissed her, but not before she noticed the look behind his eyes. There was still something he wasn’t telling her, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Cole stepped into Ashley’s house behind her, setting their bags down and locking the door.
Knowing that Badumna and both of her goons had been carried away in body bags comforted him. He’d been careful not to let Ashley get a glimpse of the messy scene and had kept her in the kitchen until everything was clear and cleaned up.
“It feels so good to finally be home.” She sighed and fell onto the sofa and smiled up at him. “I won’t even mind the unpacked boxes or the dripping bathroom sink.” She closed her eyes and rested her head back against the sofa. He sat beside her and took her hands in his.
“I’ve made a few decisions,” he said. She opened her eyes and focused on him.
“And?” It came out as a whisper.
“I think it’s time I got a different job.” He smiled when she laughed.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked as she sat up a little straighter.
He took her hand up to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “I was thinking of starting my own security firm.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Like security guards?”
“Yes and no, more like the kind of guys your sister hires to protect her.”
“That’s a great idea.” She sat up further and tucked her legs under her. “Amber was telling me how much Tom has been paying the team to watch them after… what happened.”
“I have a few names, others who have taken early retirement, that I can bring on, people I trust.” He’d been thinking about it since he’d seen her in Paris. Maybe even before then. “I want to start a life here, with you.” He pulled her close, his eyes searching hers. “If you’ll have me.”
Her smile was all the answer he needed, but her kiss sealed the deal.
“Let’s go upstairs,” she purred next to his ear. “We can start that new life together tonight.”
“Sounds like a perfect plan.” As they got off the sofa, her phone rang.
She glanced at it. “Let it go to voicemail.”
He frowned down at the image on the screen. “Better get it.” He handed it to her. “Just in case.” He knew that their team would have most of the cabin cleaned up before Tom and Amber returned from their extended honeymoon, but still, he felt guilty for how much damage had been done to their place.
“I’m sure Amber will understand. I talked to her before we left the cabin.” She tugged him towards the stairs and he forgot all about the ringing phone as her lips covered his, sending desire shooting to every part of his body.
By the time they reached the landing, he’d pulled off every piece of her clothing as she’d tugged on his own. He was left in his boxers, and she stood before him in a pair of silk panties.
Taking her hips in his hands, he stopped her from walking down the hallway. Kneeling before her, he pushed the panties aside and covered her with his mouth. The taste of her on his lips made him moan.
Her nails dug into his hair as she held on as he pleased her, lapping up everything he wanted from her.
“Cole,” she cried out. “Please.”
He backed her up and nudged her to sit on the window seat, spreading her further as he pulled the silk down those sexy legs of hers.
“Just a little more, I can’t get enough of you,” he said before taking her in his mouth once more.
When she wrapped her legs around his shoulders, he knew he’d never get enough of her.
When he felt her convulse around him, he yanked off his boxers and covered her on the soft cushion.
“Look at me,” he said softly. Her hair was fanned out on the white cushion, and her skin glowed under his touch. A small smile played on her lips and she licked them as their eyes locked. “If I spend a lifetime doing that, it wouldn’t be nearly long enough.”
Her smile grew wickedly. “Is that a promise?”
“No,” he said softly as he slowly entered her, “that was a warning.”
18
Days turned into weeks. Cole officially moved in with Ashley, bringing only three boxes of his things from his parents’ home. They finished unpacking all her items and enjoyed shopping together for the rest of the things they needed around the house.
Cole had put in his notice; after his mandatory leave period after the incident, he wouldn’t be returning.
Ashley spent her days painting while Cole spent his days preparing to be a business owner.
She’d gotten a few calls for art showings—several in the mountains, one in downtown Denver—that she was excited about. It was in one of the galleries she’d always dreamed of being in.
She’d gotten the call from her agent to set up the showing shortly after her sister had informed her that they had met the owner at a gallery while in Italy.
“Luca Marcello seemed very impressed with the pictures I showed him of your work. Then, when we ran into him the following night at a dinner party, he told us that he’d looked you up and was very interested in showcasing your stuff at his Denver gallery downtown. Marcello’s is one of the highest rated galleries in Colorado,” Amber had told her over dinner the first night they were back in town. Amber had gotten a little sun on their trip and looked very relaxed. Tom had looked pleased and happy sitting next to his wife. It was strange, but Ashley had always thought of the pair as
belonging to each other. Much like she’d always thought of Cole and herself.
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Ashley had replied. “I’ve been dying to get a piece in one of his galleries.” She’d gotten so excited that her hands had started to shake. Cole had noticed and reached under the table to take them in his own. It helped root her and she’d felt peaceful sitting next to him.
“I gave him your agent’s name and number, but he’d like to meet you personally and see how many pieces you have for a showing.”
Ashley hadn’t expected the call to come so quickly or that Luca would want the showing to be so soon. She hadn’t even met the man first as Amber had hinted at. There was only a week and a half to get everything together.
Cole helped her pick out the pieces she would showcase and helped her determine prices for each one. She printed small cards with descriptions and prices for each piece.
She went shopping with Amber in Cherry Hills for a dress, new shoes, and a clutch purse for the event. The excitement welled up inside her and she began to think she would be too nervous to enjoy her very first exhibition.
When the night of the showing came, Ashley had failed to talk herself out of being nervous. Cole had spent all day yesterday and all morning helping her set up her pieces in the gallery. The staff at Marcello’s had done most of the work, but she had made sure everything was perfect.
When she made her way down to meet Cole at the foot of the stairs, his eyes heated as they ran over her.
“My god,” he whispered. “You’re so beautiful, no one is going to be looking at your art tonight.”
She laughed as her stomach did little leaps for joy.
“Where are you going to put your phone?” He handed her the device.
“I have a clutch purse.” She showed him. “But…” She slid the phone between her breasts and smiled when his mouth fell open. “I was thinking here would work too.”
“Yeah.” He reached out and ran a fingertip town the low V of the dress. “I can’t wait to peel this off you later.”
