Samantha said a quick goodbye and moved toward the bank of elevators. Her tight little ass, held snug by jeans that rode low on her hips, tempted him. He’d bet she was a screamer. It made him wish he had the time to play with her before he snapped her pretty little neck.
Fishing the cell phone from his pocket, Mark dialed a familiar number as he stepped out into the sunshine.
“What is it?”
“Aw, come on now, Vinnie,” Mark drawled. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“Unless you have something useful to discuss, this conversation is over.”
Mark tsked his disappointment. “Such impatience. I’ve warned you that your impatience would be the death of you one day. But, in this case, I’ll make an exception. I assume you’re set for tomorrow night?”
Vincent’s sigh was loud in his ear. “I’ve already told you. A public announcement of my attendance at the fundraiser went out. Anyone who’s anyone will know I’m attending.”
“Excellent. But there’s a slight change in plans.”
“I’m listening.”
The need to knock the arrogance out of the man nearly had him crushing his phone. All things in good time. “You’d better be, asshole, because the time for games is over.”
Let the fun begin.
Chapter 11
Caleb stared blindly at the ballgame, his feet propped on the coffee table next to his laptop—which also sat ignored.
He hated this part. The waiting. The time between plan and action where there was nothing to do. He’d pulled all the strings he’d had to pull to rush the ballistics, but still no word. Alec had made all the arrangements for the benefit and Brandon had finished up their last training session for a few weeks. Joe and Amanda were with Samantha and he was … waiting, ping-ponging between lust and worry.
The fact that Joe was with Samantha quieted the worry, but there was only one cure for his lust and she was currently off gallivanting around Austin.
In the past, Caleb had never minded being alone. Now, however, his home seemed empty without Samantha’s vibrant personality and sharp wit to drive him crazy. That mouth of hers had the ability to render him stupid. Whether she was arguing with him or sucking his brain out his cock, she left him with the insane need to chain her to his side—where she’d be safe and no other man could touch her.
Caleb shook his head and took a swig of his beer. Samantha would bust a nut if she knew the possessiveness of his thoughts. Good thing he hadn’t planned on sharing.
Caleb’s phone went off and he grinned when Joe’s number came up on his caller ID.
“What’ve they done now?” he asked in way of greeting. “Wait, let me guess. They made you sit across the restaurant so they could girl talk?”
“If I pretend to know what you’re talking about, will you take a look at the picture I just sent to your phone?”
“Hang on, let me grab my iPad so I can actually see the damned thing.” Caleb docked his phone and activated the house speaker. He grabbed his iPad and, with a few swipes, pulled up the photo. He recognized the man standing on the sidewalk in front of the Driskill Hotel. “That’s Vincent, but I don’t recognize the woman with him. When was this taken?”
“Just now. I’ve had eyes on him for the last half hour. Would you show it to Samantha and see if she knows who the woman is before I send it to Alec?”
“Why don’t you show it to her?” Caleb closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as a thought occurred. “Please tell me Amanda and Samantha are with you.”
Silence.
“Joe?”
“Goddamn those women. Mandy is supposed to be with you.”
“Yeah, well, she isn’t. They left here over an hour ago.”
“And you just let them go?”
Caleb growled. “I didn’t let them do anything.” If anyone knew how hard-headed and stubborn those women could be, it should be Joe. “They told me you were waiting downstairs to take them to lunch.”
“The bloom off the rose yet, buddy? Your sweet little sister would con the hide off a deer if it meant pulling one over on you. I swear, I’m going to paddle Mandy’s ass when I get my hands on her. Hang tight. Call you back.”
Caleb felt like doing a little paddling of his own. He should’ve known better, he thought as the line went dead. Samantha was reckless and impulsive, but he’d assumed she’d have a little more respect for him now that they were … whatever the hell they were doing.
He couldn’t even call her.
Why hadn’t he replaced her fucking phone? Because he’d believed she’d not be out of his sight, that’s why.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He’d about paced a hole in the floor in the fifteen minutes it took Joe to call back. Longest fifteen minutes of his life.
“You got ’em?” Caleb barked out.
“Yep. I’m going to guess they had an argument because Mandy decided to do a little window shopping—which she rarely does—and she’s not talking about what happened—also a rarity. She’s with me, and she said Sam never left the building. They only went to the café, and Amanda warned security ahead of time. Sam’s probably still there.”
Caleb sent up a silent prayer. “Lemme talk to Amanda.”
“Not a chance. Worry about your own girl; you’re not ripping into mine. Listen Caleb, I recognize that tone and I can’t say that I blame you. I’m sportin’ a few gray hairs myself, right about now. But they weren’t careless. All the same, you’ll understand when I say we aren’t coming up. Good luck, buddy.”
Joe hung up.
It helped to know she’d used her head this time, but even that hadn’t been enough to soften the blow of finding out they’d lied to him.
The elevator opened and Samantha stepped out, hesitating a moment when she noticed him leaning in the doorway. A smile lit up her face as though she were happy to see him. Before he could get a word in, she walked straight to him and raised on her toes, pressing her lips to his in a warm, soft kiss.
God, she felt good. He wanted to tear the clothes from her body and take her. Fast and hard. Right here. Right now.
Not a good idea while he still wanted to throttle her, so he didn’t pull her in, didn’t devour her as his body demanded. He let her control the kiss and he got a grip on his temper. The delicate little sounds that hummed from her mouth helped to distract him.
When she pulled away, she wore a sly grin. “I like that I can do that.” She caressed his bottom lip with her thumb.
His anger subsided somewhat. “Do what?”
“Kiss you.”
Yeah, he liked it too. A little too much.
“You’re in a good mood.” Considering what Joe had told him, he hadn’t expected that. Who was he kidding? He never knew what to expect with this woman.
“No offense, but it was nice to get out for a bit.” She moved past him and went to the kitchen.
Wanting to know if she’d come clean, Caleb kept it light. “Did you have fun?”
Her smile faltered slightly. “Always.”
Ah, there it was. Caleb watched her carefully as she went to the fridge and started pulling out containers. There was a sadness in her that he hadn’t seen a moment ago, making him wonder what had gone on between her and Amanda.
She glanced up and caught him staring.
“You hungry?” Without waiting for his answer, she pulled two plates out of the cabinet.
“I thought you and Amanda had lunch.”
“We never got around to actual food.”
“That right?” Enough of this crap. “Joe called me.”
She froze for a moment before continuing to fill the plates. “I didn’t know he wasn’t downstairs until we were in the elevator.”
At least she hadn’t given him any bullshit excuses. “And yet, you still went.”
“Of course I did. I’m not going to be held hostage, Caleb.”
That little comment did nothing for his current mood. “Is that what you think I�
��m doing? Holding you hostage?”
She put a plate in the microwave and started it up. “You aren’t mad.”
The hell he wasn’t. “I’m not?”
“You’re not. Well, not at me anyway.”
Oh, this ought to be good. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do tell.”
“Let’s take a look at what happened, shall we? Amanda and I went to lunch, or coffee, actually. As we’ve done a hundred times in the past, and probably will more times than that in the future. I respect the fact that the situation is different right now, but we’ve agreed that whoever is harassing me doesn’t want me dead, so —”
“I didn’t agree to sh —”
“Let me finish,” she snapped. The authority in her tone gave him a taste of what it’d be like to go up against her in court. “We stayed in the building, Caleb. Amanda made sure security knew what had happened to me and they stayed close. Believe it or not, I wouldn’t have gone otherwise. And, let’s not forget that Amanda and I aren’t slouches, either. We know how to handle ourselves if threatened. Joe’s even taught us a few new moves.”
He had?
She pulled the plate from the microwave and replaced it with the other. She stabbed a fork into the mashed potatoes and slid the warmed plate toward him.
“You might not believe this, Caleb, but I’m not looking for a fight. I’m prepared to scream my bloody head off at the first sign of trouble, but I’m not willing to hide out to avoid it. I’d appreciate it if you’d stop thinking the worst of me.”
“Thanks for the analysis, counselor, but you’re missing the point.”
Her expression softened. “You were worried, and now you’re pissed off because you couldn’t control the situation. Anything could’ve happened and you’d have been powerless to stop it. That’s the point. I went downstairs, had some coffee with a friend, chatted with a guy I know for a minute, and came back here. Safe and sound. Nothing happened to me. That’s the point, Caleb.”
Such a calm, logical explanation. Wait. “What guy?”
She pointed to his plate. “You should eat before it gets cold.”
“Not hungry. What guy?”
“Then why did I warm that up for you?”
“Samantha! What. Guy?”
She scrunched her nose. “No one to get all excited about. The guy I ditched when you showed up the other night stopped in to make sure I was okay.”
Warning bells went off in his head. “He just happened to know where you were? Convenient, don’t you think? Or is it possible he stopped by to finish off your date?”
“Be careful, Caleb,” she said dryly. “I might start to think you’re jealous.”
Jesus, the woman was infuriating. “What I am is pissed off that you lied to me.”
“I’m not the one who lied to you. You’ll have to talk to your sister about that one.”
“Anything could’ve happened,” he argued, repeating her words.
Christ, she was right. He’d been worried. Scared out of his head, actually. Vincent was only a few blocks away. But, she didn’t know that because he still hadn’t shared it with her. “You’ve got to be more careful.”
She stretched her arms wide and glanced down at herself before pinning him with a stare. “Yet, here I am. Healthy and whole. The only way I could’ve been more careful was to not go at all, and you already know how I feel about that option. You’re getting worked up over nothing. Besides, while I’ve enjoyed playing house with you this last week, it can’t continue forever. And I can’t have you freaking out every time I step outside. I won’t have it, Caleb. It’s not fair to me … or to you. You’ve got the next generation of bad asses to train, and I’m sure you’ve got a line of women waiting for a chance in your bed.”
She choked on that last part, and Caleb clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He didn’t give a shit what she was sure of. He didn’t want another woman in his bed, and he sure as fuck didn’t want another man in hers.
“I’ll decide what’s fair for me, if you don’t mind,” he snarled, shocked by the possessiveness that rolled over him. “And as for my bed … you’re the only woman I’ve shared that particular pleasure with, sugar. In fact, other than Amanda, you’re the only woman who’s ever crossed my threshold.”
This conversation was not going as he’d planned at all.
Her eyes widened and her hand trembled as she reached for another fork. “We got off topic. You want me to be more careful. Fine. Done.”
She grabbed her plate and a beer from the fridge. She jutted her chin toward the TV. “Watch your game, darlin’. I’ve got some work to do and it’ll take a few hours. Then, I’ll see what I can do to reassure you that I’m fine.” She winked before dropping a quick kiss on his mouth. “I think I have the perfect outfit for that.”
The soft lilt of her laughter followed as she disappeared into his room.
Caleb glanced to the game and then back to the empty place where Samantha had been, just a moment ago. Son of a bitch. He shook his head in wonder.
She’d done it again.
Chapter 12
“You’re an asshole.” Alec’s chastising tone vibrated through Caleb’s cell phone.
“Your point?”
“That is the point.”
Caleb didn’t give a shit that Alec disagreed with his decision. He wasn’t going to tell Samantha the real reason for attending the fundraiser. They’d been cooped up for days. Samantha had been a good sport about it. Too good. That, in itself, had Caleb worried. As if she were biding her time … the calm before Hurricane Samantha opened up and leveled them all.
His time with her was running out. Maybe she knew it too, and that was why she’d been so accommodating. Of course, the fact that he’d barely kept his hands off her had probably helped. It certainly hadn’t hurt.
But, he couldn’t keep her here forever. Very soon, he’d have to let her go. After he had his little chat with Matteo tonight, Caleb wouldn’t have any reason to keep her here. They’d never know Matteo’s next move if Samantha was kept under lock and key. As much as it killed him, she needed to go back to her life. A life she’d insisted wouldn’t include him.
Tonight could be their last night together. Caleb wanted her to enjoy it, not worry about why they were there. Or, worse, pick her own fight with Vincent.
“It’s not your call to make.”
“And you think it’s yours? ’Cause you and Sam are solid, right?”
Caleb had no idea how solid they were, but he wasn’t budging. “Why’re you busting my balls about this?”
“Mostly ’cause it’s fun.” Alec laughed. “But also for the well-being of my future nieces or nephews.”
Caleb grinned. He couldn’t wait to hear this. “Meaning?”
“Meaning me busting your balls is a lot better than what Sam will do with them when she finds out you lied to her.”
“I haven’t lied to her.”
“Yet.”
“Give me a little credit. I’m not that much of an asshole.”
“Says who?”
“Says me, dickhead.” Caleb lowered his voice. “Come on, Alec. You know I’m right about this. Samantha’s unpredictable on her best day. If we tell her now, she’ll have time to think about it and god only knows what she’ll plan. She has every right to be pissed off, but I’d prefer to handle this my way. With any luck, we can keep the two of them apart and she’ll never be the wiser. No harm, no foul. Samantha enjoys her evening and I eliminate the threat. It’s a win-win.”
“What makes you think it’s going to be that easy?”
Caleb chuckled. “I can be very convincing when I need to be. I’m sure I can get Matteo to see reason.”
“And if Sam decides to confront him herself?”
Caleb ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. Every instinct screamed that this was a bad idea, but he didn’t know what else to do. He’d leave her ass at home if it were possible. Unfortunately, they’d used her name to secure the
ir invitations. Any other time, he might think it was funny to be Samantha’s ‘plus three’.
It was a risk he had to take. He couldn’t let Samantha go without putting assurances for her safety in place. She’d always be looking over her shoulder, always wondering. Whether she’d admitted it or not, she was afraid. And that was unacceptable.
And even after he let her go, Caleb would still watch. From a distance, of course. At least until he was certain Matteo stayed leashed.
He wouldn’t fail her. Caleb would keep her safe.
“She’s promised to trust me. And you need to do the same thing. She deserves a little fun, Alec. She deserves to go where she wants, whenever she wants, without fear.”
He’d give her that. Whatever it took.
“Well, well, well. Listen to you. Sounds like someone is going all soft for our girl.”
Soft wasn’t the word he’d have chosen. “I’m hanging up now, Alec. I got this.”
He disconnected on Alec’s laugh. His brother didn’t understand how easily things could fall apart. It was something Caleb knew all too well. He was already walking a fine line with Samantha, allowing emotions to get involved. The more time he spent with her, buried deep in the welcoming heat of her body, the more he lost himself to her.
He’d worked hard over the years to keep her at a distance. Now, in the course of a few days, the wild Irish beauty had wrapped herself around his heart.
He moved about the kitchen as he considered what they knew. Jack shit, that was what they knew. Hunches and speculation, that was what they had. Nothing concrete. No evidence to link Samantha’s harassment to anyone, let alone a powerful man like Matteo. Alec and Amanda had come up with a big, fat goose egg in their search of Matteo’s files. Frustrations were running high.
Caleb filled two glasses with ice and grabbed a pitcher of tea from the fridge.
Lack of information made it damned hard for him to know what to do.
Who had helped Samantha make Carlotta disappear? Why had Carlotta hired Samantha in the first place? Where was the woman now and what made her worth all of this trouble?
There were too many unanswered questions.
Shadow of Sin (The Martin Family) Page 13
