He seemed to be looking everywhere at once, but when she tried to adjust her position to see what was happening, he reached down with one hand and held her firmly in place. “Don’t move.” The voice that had seemed so easy going and kind just a few short minutes ago was now as hard and cold as ice.
She pulled her attention from him and tried to focus on what was happening around her. She could hear people screaming, now, and more than one person was crying. There were men yelling, seemingly trying to calm the panicked crowd, but not really succeeding. She could hear more shots being fired, though they were no longer in the immediate vicinity.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, as he pulled her to her feet. Hindered by the restraints on her wrists and ankles, Madison moved as quickly as she could. He was guiding her hurriedly around the back of the judge’s bench, and out through a back door.
“Stay right here.” He pushed her against a wall. He opened the door that would lead to the main corridor and looked up and down the hallway before pushing her in front of him. “Stay right with me. We are going to move as quickly as possible down the hall to the stairway. Once we’re in the stairwell, stay as close to the wall as you can while we head down to the parking garage.”
Nodding her understanding, Madison ran awkwardly toward the stairs. By the time they reached the garage, her lungs were on fire. Heart pounding, chest heaving, she bent over to try and catch her breath, while he contemplated their next move. When he slipped through the doorway and pressed his back to the garage wall, Madison followed.
The gunfire started up again, only this time it sounded much closer. Fear clawed at her chest, burning its way through her body. She started to tremble as he propelled her through row after row of cars, with the clatter of her bonds echoing loudly in the silence. By the time he finally stopped beside a black Camaro, opened the driver’s door and shoved her inside, she could barely breathe. She scrambled across to the passenger seat, trying to keep the chains from catching on the shifter, as he jumped in behind her and started the car.
“Get down.” He pushed her to the floor seconds before the back window imploded. Madison screamed, and then she began to cry. Head down on the seat, she gave in to the harsh, agonizing sobs she could no longer hold back.
After a few minutes, which felt more like hours, Madison felt a comforting hand on her head. He didn’t say a word, simply stroked her hair gently as she cried. When she was finally able to get a grip on her out-of-control emotions, she lifted her head to look at him.
“It’s okay. It should be safe now if you want to get up,” he told her kindly.
Madison climbed onto the seat, and buckled the seatbelt. “Thank you,” she said. “Where are you taking me?”
The fear in her voice caught his attention, pulling his gaze to hers. “It’s alright, Ms. Delaney, I’m an undercover agent. My name is Rafe Jackson.”
“I don’t understand what is going on,” she told him honestly, her voice quavering as she spoke.
“I know, it’s all very confusing, but I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m here to protect you.” When he looked over at her, once again, she tried to show him that she was alright. The trembling of her lower lip made the tentative smile difficult to maintain, though, and she gave up and lowered her head.
Madison was trying desperately, to pull herself together. Looking around at the familiar streets helped, but looking at Rafe helped more. He was the embodiment of strength, a rock in a raging sea of confusion. “Where are we going?” She risked another quick glance in his direction.
“I am taking you to a hotel, somewhere safe, out of the immediate area.”
“Why?”
“We have been after your boyfriend for a long time. We know he set you up, and we were expecting him to try and eliminate you before you could testify against him. I was assigned to be your bodyguard, although we didn’t expect him to make such a bold attempt to take you out. We were afraid he might try to get to you en route, but did not expect trouble in the courtroom.” Rafe glanced in the rearview mirror before making a quick right turn.
“He is not my boyfriend,” was all she said, staring out the window as they moved erratically through the city.
“Sorry, ex-boyfriend.”
“I still don’t understand why he set me up. I haven’t had any contact with Vincent in over a year.” Madison thought back to the day she had broken up with Vincent. She had stumbled across the guns by accident. She was at his house, making a nice dinner to surprise him. When she had gotten cold, she went into his bedroom closet to borrow a sweatshirt. The pile of very large, very scary looking guns she found on the floor of the closet frightened her enough to make her break up with him that night. She didn’t tell him what she had found. She simply closed the closet door, without taking the shirt, and returned to her task. When he had come home, they’d eaten dinner and then she told him she would not be seeing him again.
That had been the first time she had witnessed his violent temper. He’d grabbed her by the throat, and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave him. A shudder ran through her, effectively pulling her back to the present.
“He knew I found the guns,” she stated, matter-of-factly. “Why did he wait so long, why not just get rid of me right away?”
Rafe looked confused, but continued with his explanation. “Vincent has been under surveillance for quite some time, and he suspects it. By masterminding an attack on the courthouse, and directing some of his minions to carry it out, he probably figured it would look like a random killing. Plus, there was the added advantage of multiple targets. We’ve known for some time that a judge and two attorneys are on his hit list, and it just so happens that they are all at the courthouse today. Fortunately, between the protection we have been offering them, and now you as well, there was a lot of extra security at the court today. The outcome would probably have been much different if Vincent’s men had been able to shoot their way into the courtrooms.” When his voice drifted off, and she noticed him looking repeatedly in the rearview mirror, Madison started to turn and look over her shoulder.
“Don’t turn around,” he told her calmly, though she could hear the tension in his voice.
“Are they following us?” Her voice shook at the thought of another confrontation.
“Yes, but don’t worry, it will be alright.” Rafe weaved his way through the city, trying to lose his pursuers.
Madison looked around, unfamiliar with this part of the city. She noticed there were fewer and fewer people around as the sun began to drop rapidly below the skyline. “Are they still behind us?” she questioned, afraid to turn and look.
“Yes.”
“Can you lose them?”
“Probably not,” he sighed. “Hold on.,”
From the corner of her eye, Madison spotted the SUV coming up on the driver’s side of the Camaro. “Rafe,” she said, voice shaking.
“I know, I see him. Get down.” He pushed her toward the floor.
Madison unbuckled her belt and slid to the floor. She had never been this scared before. At least, that’s what she thought before someone in the other vehicle opened fire. Covering her head, she pressed herself as close to the floor as she could get.
“ Madison ,” the sound of her name startled her. “ Madison ,” Rafe tried again, more firmly this time. When she finally looked up at him, he continued. “I need you to come up here and steer.”
Taking a deep breath, she cautiously lifted her head.
“Just stay as low as you can, keep your head down, and steer the car.” Loading a weapon as he spoke, Rafe appeared calm and confident, which helped to calm her, a little.
“Okay,” she said, as much to herself as to him. “I can do this,” she told herself. Carefully sliding into the seat beside him, Madison grabbed hold of the steering wheel, leaving his hands free to use the gun. Keeping her head as low as possible, palms sweating so badly they kept slipping off of the wheel, she struggled desperately to keep the car on the road.
Rafe had the window open and was firing at the SUV. Though she heard the sound of the crash, she was unable to see what the other vehicle had hit. Relief poured through her when he put the gun down and took the steering wheel back from her.
“Are they gone?” she asked, hopefully.
“For now,” he answered.
Sensing his distraction, she looked over her shoulder. Not seeing anyone behind them, she grew confused. “Why are we slowing down?”
“I’m not sure. They must have hit something.”
She looked around as he pulled to the side of the road. They seemed to be in a fairly desolated area, though she knew there had to be something nearby, since they had just left the city. She waited for him to come around to the passenger side of the Camaro before opening the door. Hindered by her restraints, Madison climbed slowly from the car.
“We are going to have to do something about those shackles. You won’t be able to walk comfortably with them on.” He opened the trunk of the car, but slammed it just as quickly, the frustration evident on his face. “I don’t have anything to get them off with.”
“Don’t you have a key?”
The look he gave her was all the answer she needed.
“Come on,” he said, grudgingly, as he started to walk.
Madison struggled to walk beside him, the bonds impeding her efforts as much as the constant need to look over her shoulder. When he left the road, to head across an empty lot, she questioned him.
“I want to get off the road in case Vincent’s men follow us. See that construction site?” Rafe pointed ahead of them toward a large building that appeared to be either under construction, or in some advanced state of disrepair. The lot surrounding it was littered with garbage that kept getting caught on the chains as she tried to walk. “Hopefully, we can find something to remove the cuffs.”
She stopped short, trying to shake loose a plastic bag that had gotten stuck on the chain, without having to reach down and touch it. Rafe used his foot to pull it off, and was left face to face with her when he lifted his head. The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver through her that had nothing to do with cold or fear.
~* * *~
Vincent DeMarco was furious. “What do you mean, you lost her? I told you exactly where to find her, and how to get her.” Could this idiot really be so incompetent? “I don’t want to hear any of your excuses,” Vincent cut the caller off mid-sentence. “Find her, now, and get rid of her.”
Slamming the phone down, Vincent let loose a string of curses that did nothing to calm his ire. Who did that bitch think she was? Did she really think he wouldn’t notice that she’d been in his bedroom closet? What kind of game was she playing? Who was she working for?
Vincent tried to rein in his temper. He knew better than to lose control. Madison had been a thorn in his side for more than a year, now. She had to have been working for someone, spying on him in his own home. If it was up to him, he would have rid himself of her immediately, but his business partner had been afraid of drawing attention just before a very large, very important deal.
Angry with himself for allowing his partner to dictate the terms of her removal, and frustrated that he had ever trusted Madison in the first place, he picked up the phone and threw it across the room, smashing the wall of mirrors behind the bar.
With some of his tension vented, Vincent was able to think more clearly, if only a little. He knew better than to trust anyone else to do something important. If you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. How many times had his father drilled that into his head? With that thought in mind, he grabbed his keys, and stormed out the door.
Dangerous Men, Dangerous Places
Chapter Two
When they finally reached the construction site, Rafe realized that it had been abandoned long ago. Though there was debris everywhere, nothing useful was immediately obvious. Frustrated, he tried to decide what to do. With darkness rapidly descending, they would not be able to go much farther, especially with Madison chained. But, with Vincent’s goons somewhere behind them, staying put was not an appealing option either.
“We are going to have to try and climb to the second floor,” he told her. Without waiting for a response, Rafe searched for some way to reach the next level. He found an old extension ladder and, clearing a space on the floor, placed it against the steel girder. “Climb up in front of me and I will make sure you don’t fall.”
“But there is no floor to walk on, just beams.” She looked nervously at the ladder, and then to the girders above them.
“We have to get up there first, and then we can walk a little way across the beam, until we reach that section of flooring.” Rafe was pointing the way as he spoke, and Madison knew they had no choice. “Don’t be afraid, I won’t let you fall. Come here and let me see if you can lift your foot high enough with the chains on.”
Madison lifted her foot up to the first rung with no trouble and Rafe moved in behind her. When she reached the third rung he stepped up onto the ladder. As he pressed against her to keep her from falling, he breathed in her scent, and was lost.
The musky fragrance did not smell like perfume, but more like a lotion, earthy and compelling. What was it about this woman that was so enticing? She was beautiful, he couldn’t argue that, but there was something else that spoke to him on a more primal level. When she looked at him with those deep blue eyes, he couldn’t look away. He could easily drown in those bottomless twin pools.
He’d been watching her for too long, had allowed the hunger to become too intense. Although today was the first time he had been assigned as her body guard, he’d been part of the surveillance team for months now. Every nuance was familiar to him, the way she swung her hair back over her shoulder, the sway of her hips as she climbed the stairs, her easy smile.
“Now what?” She startled him from his musings, when she reached the top of the ladder.
Pulling himself from his daydream, he tried to look past her. “I will help you push yourself up and over the girder. Don’t try to stand up, just straddle the beam with your legs behind you, and pull yourself along until you reach the floor.” As he helped her to swing one leg over the beam, placing a hand on her bottom to steady her, a flow of hot lava began to spread slowly through him. Quickly moving his hand, Rafe looked away as he tried to regain control.
Shaking off feelings that he thought of as inappropriate, he climbed up behind her. He pulled the ladder up and wedged it between two of the joists. By the time he was done, Madison had made it to the section of flooring and was looking around.
“I can’t see anything,” she complained.
“I have a flashlight in my pocket. Just sit still until I get there.” He was grateful that he had thought to take the light from the trunk. Shining it around, he found they were in a large, mostly empty space. A cursory search showed no tools he could use to free Madison . “Are you all right?” He sat down next to her on the floor.
“Yes, just tired and drained.” He shone the light at her to be sure she was telling the truth. She was sitting with her back against the wall, her feet pulled into her body. Her cuffed hands were wrapped around her legs, and her head rested on her knees. She seemed to be okay, though shaken, so he left the light on and placed it on the floor behind them.
“Relax. We should be okay here for a while. When the sun comes up, I’ll go for help.”
“You won’t leave me here alone, will you?” She looked so frightened that he felt momentarily guilty for having thought about leaving her there, even for a short time.
“No,” he told her, “I won’t leave you.” He gazed directly into her eyes as he made the promise and was grateful for the relief he saw there.
A visible tremor shook her, and he moved closer. “Are you cold?” He took his jacket off, even as he asked the question. Kneeling before her, he wrapped it around her shoulders. When she looked up to thank him, he couldn’t help himself. He leaned toward her and his lips met hers, e
ver so gently, the kiss feather light, teasing. Pulling back slightly, he adjusted the light so that he was able to see into her eyes. Finding only acceptance, Rafe pushed her hair behind her ear, and moved closer, deepening the kiss.
Madison reached up to put her arms around him, forgetting about the handcuffs that bound her wrists.
The cold steel of the cuffs against his skin shocked Rafe back to reality. “I’m sorry,” he said, backing away from her. “I don’t know what it is about you. I look into your eyes and I am lost. I’m supposed to be protecting you.”
As he moved toward her once more, he was startled by a loud bang. “Stay here,” he ordered, as he hurried to extinguish the light.
“No, I’m coming with you.” Madison insisted stubbornly. Instinctively starting to shake her off, Rafe turned impatiently to look at her, and the fear in her eyes was his undoing.
Not wanting to waste time arguing with her, he waited to see if the sound would be repeated. Taking her with him was not an option. There was no way she could climb down in the dark with the shackles on.
Listening carefully, he moved closer to her. “Take it easy. I won’t leave you. Back up against the wall, stay still and be quiet.”
This time, Madison obeyed him, inching her way to the wall, and sitting with her back up against it. Rafe moved stealthily across the large space, the moonlight shining down on him, creating a silhouette that moved with the grace and beauty of a predator.
Finally, seemingly satisfied that nothing sinister was lurking in the darkness, he came to sit beside her. With his back against the wall Rafe pulled Madison to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. When she snuggled back against him, he tried to comfort her. “It’s okay. There’s nothing out there. The noise was probably just a stray dog or a raccoon.”
“Will they try to follow us?” The vulnerability in her voice made Rafe pull her closer to him.
Dangerous Men, Dangerous Places Page 9
