She bowed her head as fresh tears welled behind her eyelids. Damn him. When he said something like that, emotion flooded her. She didn’t like to think that he was right, but what if he was? If she canceled now, with less than three hours to go, the media attention would swell. Awareness that something was wrong would increase dramatically. How would she keep it together with microphones shoved in her face everywhere she went? With people wanting to know if she was dying or when she would reschedule? This was the last concert for six weeks, so if she got through this one, she didn’t have to think about it again for a while.
“All right,” she said, head still bowed. “I’ll do it.”
“His name’s Eli, huh?”
She looked up at the uncertainty in Jack’s voice. Her heart flipped. He was so damn handsome. So rough and rugged and beautiful in a way no Hollywood pretty boy could ever be. He was poster material with those blue eyes and muscles. And he was tattooed. She remembered that well. Tattoos on his back, his arms, his chest. Winding tattoos of words, guns, snakes, animals, leaves, flowers. She could see the branches and scrolls of his tattoos peeking from beneath the sleeves of his T-shirt. He planned to get them all the way to his wrists someday, but he hadn’t done it yet.
He was a beautiful canvas that she’d gotten to explore once. But he was also a man, and he was looking at her with a combination of anger and curiosity that made her heart hurt.
“Jackson Eli Robertson,” she said, embarrassment heating her cheeks.
His gaze slewed away from her. And then he fumbled in his pocket and fished out his smartphone. “I’ll make those calls now.”
But he didn’t stay there to do it. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Shutting her out.
CHAPTER SIX
JACK STOOD IN THE marble bath with its steam shower big enough to hold an elephant, its Jacuzzi tub and wall of mirrors, its granite counters and fancy sinks, and told himself to breathe. He set the phone on the counter and gripped the edge of the granite tight as he looked in the mirror.
Goddamn, he had a son. And she’d named the boy after him. Jackson. Why had she done that?
He pulled in air, willing himself to be calm. And then he turned on the sink faucet and splashed his face with cold water. He blotted his face with a towel and threw it on the counter.
A fucking rich-girl pop star. A media sensation. A woman who couldn’t step outside without ten photographers showing up to document her every move.
Why had he lost his ever-loving mind and made love to a woman like that?
Because nothing about that situation had been normal, that’s why. They’d just been two lonely people in that cave. People with a lot of baggage and a live-for-the-moment attitude because they could be discovered at any time. They’d snuck out at night to bathe in the ocean, but they’d spent the rest of their time in close quarters, talking for hours and then curling up together for heat. Hell, in retrospect, it was amazing he’d waited two days to get inside her.
Not that he’d had that many condoms. Apparently, though they were good at keeping things dry, they weren’t particularly useful for the one thing they were designed for.
Jack straightened and gritted his teeth. Nothing for it now but to call Matt Girard or Kev MacDonald and tell them what was going on. No, he still couldn’t use the team for this, but he’d use every last contact he had to get his kid back safe and sound.
And then what, asshole?
Was he going to sue her for custody? Demand his rights as a father?
“You don’t fucking have a clue, do you?” he asked his reflection. An hour ago, he’d known who he was and what he was doing—now, he was as lost as if someone had stuck him on a raft in the middle of the ocean and left him adrift.
He picked the phone up and dialed. Matt answered on the third ring. “Hawk. What’s up?”
“Got a situation, Richie.”
He could hear the other man mentally brace himself. “All right. What is it?”
“Gina Domenico’s in town.”
“Yeah, saw that on the news. Evie’s going to the concert with Georgie and Olivia.”
It didn’t surprise Jack that Lucky wasn’t in that group. She was a bit more reserved than the other three. And she was one of the team now, in spite of her recent marriage to Kev. Married soldiers didn’t go into battle together, but HOT was able to bend the rules any way they wanted these days. A good thing, or Kev and Lucky would have both left.
“Her kid’s been kidnapped.”
“Holy shit. Are you sure?”
Jack gave him a rundown of everything that had happened up until now—with one important exception.
“All right, so she called you and you want to help her. I get that. But man, she needs to let the FBI get involved.”
“I’ll talk her into it. But I’m going to need a leave of absence.”
“Hawk, I don’t think—”
“There’s something else.” Jack’s throat was closing. Was it fear? Desperation? Old wounds threatening to choke him? He didn’t fucking know. Since he’d walked into this hotel room earlier, his whole life was upside down.
“Okay. Am I going to like it?”
“I doubt it.”
“Let me have it then.”
“The kid’s mine.”
There was silence on the other end for a long moment. “I’m not even going to ask how that happened.” Matt blew out a breath. “But you aren’t in this alone. We’ll be there in an hour.”
“You can’t get the team involved—”
“Fuck that. Did you guys back out when I needed you to help me find Evie’s sister? Did we let Georgie handle her problems on her own? Or Olivia? Did we walk away when she came to Billy for help? No fucking way, Hawk. We’re brothers. And we aren’t leaving you to deal with this alone, you copy?”
Jack pulled in a deep breath. “Yeah, copy.”
“Be there in an hour.”
*
Half an hour after Jack came out of her bathroom and started pacing the living room, asking her about her routines, about the threats she’d received, and about how many people knew her schedule, there was a knock on the door. He went over and looked out the peephole—and then he yanked the door open and a phalanx of tall, muscled men with serious expressions strode into her suite.
Gina’s heart kicked up at the sight of all that muscle and might, but this wasn’t the first time she’d seen these men. She didn’t really remember them individually since she hadn’t spent much time with them, but they were familiar in a way that made her heart jump. Jack had told her they were coming, but she hadn’t really known what that would mean.
She still didn’t, but already she felt as if her son’s life was in better hands than if she’d gone to the FBI. A knot of tears pressed against her throat, but she held them back and concentrated on breathing.
The big surprise, however, was the four women who came into the room with the men. Three of them were dressed in heels and looked ready for an evening on the town. The fourth looked, oddly enough, like a soldier. She had a mane of dark blond hair and her arms were crisscrossed with fine scars. But it was her tough expression that put her into the column with the men. She didn’t look like the sort of woman who would take any shit from anyone. In fact, she made Gina think of a blond Lara Croft.
Gina stood and wrapped her arms around her waist.
“Gina, you remember Matt?” Jack asked.
A tall man with dark hair and piercing gray eyes came over and took her hand. “Hey there, chère. Been a long time. I’m sorry we have to meet again in these circumstances, but we’re gonna do everything we can to take care of your boy, yeah?”
She sniffed and nodded, afraid to speak for fear the waterworks would start again. A black-haired woman separated herself from the others and came forward when Matt shot her a look.
“Hi, sweetie,” she said softly, taking Gina’s hand. “I’m Evie Baker and I’m going to be with you for the rest of the evening, ok
ay? Anything you need, you just ask.”
“I need my baby,” she said, her throat tight.
And then she felt like a bitch. She shouldn’t have said that when the other woman was just being nice. She started to apologize, but Evie hugged her.
Ordinarily, Gina would shrink from the contact. But damn if it didn’t feel nice to have someone wrap her up in a sisterly hug. And then Evie gave her a soft smile.
“My little sister was kidnapped last summer. These guys found her and busted up an organized crime ring while they were at it. So don’t you worry, okay? It’s just gonna take a little time, but they’re on it.”
Gina’s cheeks felt hot with embarrassment— and gratitude. “Thanks.”
“That’s right,” the tough blonde with the scars said. “These guys can do anything.”
“And gals.” It was the tall man standing next to her who’d spoken. He wrapped an arm around her and tugged her in close as she smiled up at him. Gina’s heart twisted at the look they shared. Definitely in love. Definitely happy together.
Jack had been standing off to the side, looking anywhere but at her. But he glanced over at that precise moment and their gazes locked. Her pulse thumped even as his eyes hardened.
“So what’s the plan?” she asked, forcing the pain from that look down deep. What right did she have to expect tenderness from him? She’d known for a year that Eli was his and she’d done nothing about it. It had seemed like the right thing at the time, but it was hard to hold on to that logic when he was standing here in front of her, wounded and angry.
As if sensing the undercurrents, Matt glanced at Jack. “You have a concert to give. The ladies are going with you and they’ll run interference when necessary. Then you’ll come straight back here when it’s over. We’ll set up a command post and wait for instructions from the kidnappers.”
“What if they call my cell phone?”
One of the guys grinned as he held up a case that looked like it contained electronic equipment. “Not a problem,” he said. “We’ll catch everything.”
Gina pulled in a breath and tried to keep calm. “What if they find out you’re here? They’ll think I called the police.”
“They aren’t going to find out,” Jack said. “The team swept the area before they arrived. If anyone was watching, we’d know.”
Matt nodded. “Yep, that’s right. Whoever took your baby, they aren’t watching you now. If they were, they’d call and tell you to get rid of us.”
“They said they’d kill Eli—”
“They won’t,” Jack said. “They want something. They’ll try to get it first. Killing him means they lose their bargaining power.”
She nodded. It made sense, but it was hard to be logical when someone took your baby. All she wanted was Eli back. And she’d give the kidnappers anything they wanted to achieve that goal.
“We need to stay with you until you hear from them. We’ll take the room next door,” Matt said. He raised a hand, as if anticipating her question. “They aren’t in New York anymore.”
Her stomach dropped. “How do you know that?”
“Because we’ve been doing this kind of thing a long time,” Jack replied. “It’s not just a random grab, and you aren’t an ordinary target.”
Gina licked suddenly dry lips. “All right. But how can you get a room here? The hotel is fully booked, and this floor is reserved for VIPs.”
“We can’t,” Jack said. And then he turned to Matt. “But the colonel can.”
Matt grinned. “Damn straight. I’m calling Mendez.”
“Who’s Mendez?”
Evie gave her that sweet smile again. “A miracle worker, if you ask me. The colonel will get it done, don’t you worry. Now let’s get you ready for that concert.”
Gina let the other woman hustle her into her bedroom. Two of the women—the ones dressed for an evening out—joined them. The other one stayed with the men.
“This is Olivia,” Evie said, pointing at the woman with wheat-blond hair. “And this is Georgeanne.”
“Call me Georgie,” the brunette said.
“Who’s the other one?” Gina asked, glancing at the closed door.
“That’s Lucky,” Olivia said with a smile. “She’s part of the team.”
Gina sank onto the edge of the bed and sucked in a breath. “Oh, God, I don’t want to do this tonight. I really don’t.”
“I know, hon. But you have to.” It was Georgie who’d spoken. “If the guys think you need to go on, then you really do.”
Evie came over and squeezed her shoulder. “Matt told me you spent three days hiding in a cave before rescue and that you didn’t fall apart once. I think you’re strong enough for anything, Gina.”
“Jack was with me.” She swiped beneath her eyes as tears welled up again. “I wouldn’t have made it without him.”
“Jack’s a good guy to have at your side. But who do you think told Matt you never fell apart?”
Warmth rolled through her at the thought of Jack saying something nice about her. But he didn’t know that she had fallen apart. It was only after she’d gotten on the plane. Three days in a cave with a man and she’d felt things way out of proportion to the length of time she’d known him.
Because she was fucked up that way.
Gina stood and pressed the heels of her hands beneath her eyes. “All right then, I guess I better get over to the venue. Hair and makeup are there, as well as wardrobe.” She nodded at the three of them. “I’m sorry if I’ve messed up your plans tonight.”
Evie laughed. “You didn’t. We were coming to see you.”
Gina swallowed as a sudden awkwardness settled over her. She was two people living in this body. First there was little Regina Robertson who was shy and scared and afraid to talk to people because she didn’t know what to say. Regina liked to write songs and play her guitar or piano. But Gina Domenico was different. She was the persona, the star. The one Gina trotted out for fans.
She was larger than life and always knew what to say or do. But she wasn’t the one in charge at the moment.
“I, uh, wow, that’s so nice of you,” she said, running her hands down her skirt.
“Hey,” Georgie said, and Gina met her sympathetic gaze. “It’s okay. You aren’t used to this kind of thing, and you must get crazed fans wanting a piece of you all the time.” She shrugged. “We’re just three friends who happen to like your songs. But I promise you we’re all very normal. We know you aren’t our new BFF, and we won’t be selling our story when this is over.”
Gina felt herself coloring again, but Olivia snickered. “Normal? Your man blows things up for a living. Mine could start World War Three with the tap of a computer key if he weren’t so darned honest. And Evie’s? I’m afraid of what he could do if he decided to be bad.”
“I’m sorry,” Gina said softly. “You’ve all been so nice. I didn’t mean to suggest you weren’t normal.”
“Hon,” Georgie said, waving a hand, “until we walk a mile in your shoes, we can’t judge. So don’t you worry about it another second. There are far more important things to take care of tonight.”
“If you aren’t comfortable with us there, it’s okay,” Evie said. “We’ll figure something out.”
Gina’s heart thumped. “Oh please no, don’t leave me. I was surprised, that’s all. It’s fine, really.” She closed her eyes for a second and dug the strong Gina up from within. When she was that Gina, she felt like she could conquer anything. She felt a sense of calm confidence envelope her and she opened her eyes, giving them a dazzling smile. “Let’s go, ladies.”
She marched over to the door and swung it open. And collided with Jack, who was standing there with a hand up as if he were about to knock. Gina bounced off his hard body. Her stilettos caught in the rug and she started to tumble backward. But Jack shot forward and caught her before she hit the ground, scooping her against him and pulling her upright again.
Gina gulped in air as her heart rocketed into o
verdrive. She had her hands on his chest, her fingers curling into his T-shirt as she steadied herself. His hands spread around her waist, his fingers burning through the silk of her top.
“I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly. “I didn’t know you were there.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. And then his fingers tightened and he set her away from him. But he didn’t let go, and for that she was grateful. She wasn’t precisely steady on her feet yet.
“We’ve decided that I’m going with you. Just in case.”
“I…” She stared into his eyes and couldn’t think of one damn thing to say. And then she shook herself. “Just in case of what?”
His eyes were hard. “In case this is something more than a simple kidnapping.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
JACK STOOD OFFSTAGE WITH his arms crossed over his chest and watched Gina perform. Evie, Georgie, and Olivia were in the VIP section of the front row, dancing and singing along. Sam McKnight was on the opposite side of the stage, watching the crowd from there. Their eyes met across the distance and they nodded.
So far, there was nothing out of place. Nothing but Jack’s thoughts. They’d decided, back at the hotel, that a couple of the guys should go along too, just in case there was more to this kidnapping case than it seemed. From there, they’d all piled into the limousine that was waiting out front for Gina, along with her manager, Barry, and headed out to Wolf Trap. Gina had disappeared into a dressing room along with the women, who had somehow become fast friends with her.
Or maybe she just kept them near so she wouldn’t have to be alone with him. Whatever the case, she’d emerged from the dressing room an hour later looking like a goddess. Her blond hair hung over her shoulder in a cascade of golden curls. Her eye makeup was heavy and exotic.
And the dress she wore was fucking off the chain. He’d thought the stilettos and miniskirt was her performance outfit. He’d been wrong. She’d emerged from the dressing room in a skin-tight rubber minidress. Or at least it looked like rubber to him.
It was electric turquoise and it hugged every killer curve she had, dipped into every hollow, and made him instantly hard. Her legs were a mile long in platform heels that looked diamond-encrusted. He’d been incapable of looking at Sam because if he’d seen the same hungry look on Sam’s face, he’d have wanted to deck him.
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