by Cait Jarrod
Her head popped up, and she blinked. She had fallen asleep quick. Pamela scanned the water again. “There, there he is.” She pointed on the other side of a boat. A body floated on top of the water.
“That’s not him, Pamela.”
“He’s got to be okay.”
“He is.” Jake’s voice sounded so sure. Pamela searched the water again. Off to the right on the sand, a man with Steve’s physique paced the beach, waving his arms. “He’s on the beach. We’ll be there in a sec.”
A few minutes later, they reached the sand. Steve met them and scooped Pamela into his arms. He set her in the sand, then picked up something.
The blurriness remained, but she could see him opening his duffle bag and pulling out what appeared to be dry supplies. “Is it waterproof?”
“Yes. Lean back and close your eyes. Let me see what’s going on.”
Jake straddled her, unbuckled the life jacket, and gently slid it off before easing her against his body. Steve moved some strands of hair around on her head and face. The spot on her head stung.
“You have an abrasion. It’s not bleeding now, and the salt water aided in speeding the blood to coagulate. Let me look at your shoulder.”
Steve moved her arm.
“Ouch! Don’t!”
“I’m afraid you might have broken your arm,” Steve said.
“Great. As if I don’t have enough to contend with. How am I going to a hospital looking like this?” Pamela looked down at her clothes to emphasize her point. To her shock, her shirt had been torn, and the top half of her breast was exposed. Another inch and she’d be showing all. She moved her strong arm, covering herself.
“You’re not going to a hospital.” Steve patted her leg. “And don’t worry. I’m not trying to sneak a peek. You’re too much like a sister to me.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “The guy behind you is a different story.”
Jake slid his hands around her stomach, snuggling her to him. The air warmed her skin, and the gentle breeze had just about dried her clothes, but Jake was the one to warm her insides. She looked at Steve, then Jake. These two guys will keep me safe.
Steve made her a sling for her arm, broke an ice pack and gently settled it on her shoulder, then zipped up his bag. “I’m not going to do anything to your wounds. I think the salt water has already started its healing effects, and who knows how many days we’ll be on our own. We need to preserve our supplies.”
Having the weight off her arm lessened the pain. Pamela blinked. Her vision started to clear, and she eyed the burned remains of the beach house. It was ironic that they landed on the beach in front of the house. No one was around, at least, no one that she could see. “We’re back where we started?”
“Yes.” Jake’s voice vibrated against her back. “We need to leave. Police will be here any minute. And not knowing who to trust, I don’t want to see any of them.”
“There’s also a missing Scorpion. They’re like spiders. They multiply way too fast.” Steve made a spider with his hand.
Pamela giggled and smacked his arm with her good hand, then looked up at Jake. Movement was becoming somewhat easier, but she cringed at the pain. “How will we leave?”
Steve motioned toward the neighbor’s beach. Three Jet Skis were strapped to their pier.
“I can’t drive,” Pamela said.
“No, you’ll ride with me.” Jake kissed the side of her head that wasn’t bruised, then helped put the damaged life jacket back on. “Let’s go.”
Pamela was exhausted. Jake must have known it, since he cradled her to him and carried her to their ride. After sitting her in front, he straddled her and gripped the handlebars, his body snug against hers.
So much had happened that she forgot she had been mad at him. Why had she been mad? She shrugged. Jake must have thought she was cold. He nuzzled her closer to his body.
Steve climbed on and strapped his duffle bag to the back of his Jet Ski. “I’ll need to check in with Larry. He’s probably anxious, wondering if we’re okay. The Director needs to know, too.”
Jake nodded. “You’re right, but I hope they can pull off being concerned when they know everything is okay.”
Steve started the motor. “Want to take bets as to our mole?”
Jake cocked an eyebrow. “Lever.”
Pamela’s chin dropped. “Agent Lever, really? He was always so polite,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the motor.
“Yeah, he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Steve added. “Follow me.”
Pamela’s head throbbed, but the breeze running through her hair soothed it. The path Steve took never went over waves, so the ride was smooth like riding on glass. A little while later, Steve broke away from them and headed to the pier near a restaurant. Jake motored around the open water, out of eyesight.
Steve returned, and they rode in silence, giving Pamela time to think. The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. Arriving at the beach house, arguing with Jake, confronting Nicholas, and being held at gunpoint, all of these incidents would drive a person insane.
Hundreds of emotions competed for her attention, knotting her thoughts. When Jake and she weren’t doing the horizontal mambo, as Sue would call it, they’d dozed. Maybe they slept two hours. She smiled and wondered if Sue and her dad had opened the café. Surely, Mark had finished repairing everything. Did Charlene show up to work?
Her mind was spinning.
Her stepfather was thief, a dead one, who put his wife and stepdaughter in harm’s way. What an asshole!
She needed to check on her mother and Marge. How was her father handling everything? What about Paul and Celine, did they have any idea what was happening?
She sucked in a breath and choked as the wind from the Jet Ski forced its way into her mouth. Her dad would call the Director of the FBI and find out whatever he needed to know, and he’d pass it to Paul and Celine. Wouldn’t he?
The two boats exploding minutes ago rushed into her mind’s eye. Another shiver ran through her body, and Jake’s thighs tightened.
Sometime later, they pulled up to an island. No one and nothing was there. Jake helped her dismount, then he and Steve pulled the Jet Skis into the woods. They each found a branch with greenery and used it to scratch out the tracks in the sand.
The guys joined her in the clearing in the middle of the island. From the looks of things, it was the only a small patch without any trees standing. There were a few dead ones on the ground. “Is this another one of the FBI’s safe locations?”
“No, we’re not getting any more assistance.” Steve pulled out two brown bags from his duffle bag. “Hungry?”
Thinking about it, she realized she was starving. The pain in her head had subsided, but hurt to the touch. She tried to wiggle her shoulder, but couldn’t.
“Have a seat.” The three of them sat on a fallen tree, and Jake helped Pamela remove her life jacket. Steve handed Pamela and Jake a foil tin and a fork, then pulled the lid off Pamela’s. Italian spices drifted under her nose. She propped the container on her lap.
Around a mouthful of food, Steve said, “I called Larry when I was at the restaurant. He said that Agent Dennis found evidence of Lever’s activity late last night. Evidently, Lever had the alarm at the safe house disarmed. The goal was for Sanjar to find The Warrior and destroy him.”
Pamela shifted, and her tin fell. Jake caught it just before it touched the sand and handed it back to her. She eyed him. His movements were lightning-fast. Wow.
“Do you know why Lever joined forces with Sanjar?” Jake asked.
Steve pulled out three cans of soda and handed them out. “Lever cut a deal with Sanjar. You in exchange for his life.”
Jake dropped his fork. “That wuss.”
“Yep. Agent Dennis has no tolerance for moles. He’s throwing the book at him. Right now, Dennis is taking him to the HooverBuilding in DC to meet with the Director. It won’t be a pretty sight.”
“Wh-what’s a Warrior?”
She stabbed some food with her fork, then looked at Jake.
Jake sucked in a deep breath. “That was my alias a few years ago. I took down the leader of the Black Scorpions, who happened to be working for Sanjar.”
“Were you trying to take down Sanjar, too?”
“He was the main goal, but my assignment was to remove his right hand man.”
Pamela licked some sauce off her lip. “The question still remains, are these men chasing me or you?”
“They’re after both of you, and since we don’t know which Scorpion is after who, we have to believe both of your lives are in danger whenever a brown jacket with a scorpion on it shows up.”
Jake leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “We need to go back to Fredericksburg, find the bonds, and get to Wine’s partner.” He lifted his tin and ate the last bite. “By the way, we found Nicholas Wine’s body.”
“The sack in the boat?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Jake said, replacing the lid on his tin.
Pamela dropped her tin on the ground. Her appetite had vanished when she heard the name Warrior and what they were planning on doing.
“I have a question.”
Both men eyed her.
“Not a question really, but … Sanjar wants Jake dead.” She looked at Steve first, thinking it was safest. She was dealing with too many emotions to look Jake in the eye.
Steve cleared his throat. “Yes.”
An indescribable ache flooded her body, and the little bit of energy she had in her body left. She stood, fighting back tears as she realized that if she stayed with Jake, this would be her life, always worrying about him. “A terrorist is hunting me, and he wants you dead. I need a few moments alone.” She walked away. In her subconscious, she knew she shouldn’t be upset with Jake, but the thought of him continuously being in this situation, unsettled her.
“Damn it.” Jake tossed his tin to the ground.
Steve got to his feet and held out his hand. “Let me handle this.”
“Anderson, I don’t need you to handle my problems.”
“Maybe not, but I’ve known Pamela a hell of a lot longer than you have, and I didn’t sleep with her. She won’t be as emotional with me.”
Jake held up his hand, fingers spread. “Five minutes.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The bay breeze stirred the air as Pamela stared at the water and tears leaked from her eyes. Once again, she’d picked the wrong man to fall for. Berating herself wouldn’t help. Nothing would change. The fact that she attracted men with a colorful past seemed to be a way of life for her.
Though Sam didn’t compare to Jake, he had beaten his past girlfriends, but none of them ever went to the police. He was unstoppable until the night he attacked her. She often wondered what would have happened if Steve hadn’t found Sam pinning her against the wall of The Memory Café. Would she have been strong enough to get him off her or file charges?
Sam was arrested, and now, served time for attempted rape. Too bad she didn’t know about the other women he’d hurt before the attack.
Not an apt comparison, but Jake’s life was extraordinary. He protected citizens by putting his life on the line. In turn, people wanted him dead. Who knew how many searched for him? The reality sent a cold chill down her spine, making her sick to her stomach.
A rustling noise stirred behind her. She hoped it wasn’t a wild animal. Jake had already reassured her that the island was free of large, wild creatures. How would he know?
A branch snapped, and a hawk screeched overhead. She was ready to run.
Black material shined through the branches. She blew out a breath. It was either Jake or Steve, not a wild animal. Neither man seemed to have any other color in his wardrobe. A tree branch moved, and Steve’s sandy brown hair became visible as he emerged from the trees.
Pamela looked at him, her eyes stinging. “I’m so stupid. I knew better than to fall for him.”
Steve stopped in front of her.
“People want him dead, Steve.” She waved her hand in a circle. “Even with all the stuff I’m dealing with right now, not knowing who will come after me,” she toed a shell lying in the sand, “I’m worried about him. You’d think I would learn. I go from a man that tries to rape me to a man who puts his life in jeopardy on purpose.”
His hand dropped. “Not on purpose, he has a job to do.”
She faced the water, as tears wet her eyes.
From behind her, Steve’s arms closed around her. “Pamela, you’ve dealt with me for years. Anyone who protects, at some point of time, will have their life threatened. It comes with the job, but you can’t think about it. Otherwise, it makes it difficult for them to work.”
She patted his arm that stretched across her stomach. “I don’t know if I could handle it.”
“If you like your boy toy, you will.”
She giggled.
“I’m not going to encourage you to be with him. An FBI agent, retired or not, has seen a lot, done a lot. If you stay with him, there are a lot of things you’ll never understand, and he’ll always have secrets.”
She relaxed into her friend’s embrace. “Like you.”
“Exactly, but you’re stuck with me. I’m more than a boy toy.”
Patting his hand, she maneuvered out of his embrace and picked up a shell. Staring at it, she asked, “Steve, am I a fool?”
“No, Pamela, you’ve never been a fool. You picked one wrong guy. Sam is in jail, thanks to you, and can’t hurt another woman.”
She dropped the shell. “What about Jake?”
Steve closed the gap between them. “What are you asking?”
“Am I dumb by pursuing a relationship with him?”
“Do you know if that’s what he wants?”
She shrugged. Jake hadn’t said what he wanted. The words he spoke in the bed and breakfast rang through her head. My body and soul want to be with you. Still, she didn’t know.
“I can’t believe we’re having this discussion now.” Steve let out a breath as his hand passed through his hair. “From what I know of him, which is all second-hand, he’s a terrific agent, loyal, and hard working. He’s one of the Director’s chosen ones. I can’t say I’m on that list.”
All good traits. Steve wouldn’t name them if he didn’t believe it. “Give me a second, would ya? I need a few minutes to get myself together.”
Steve kissed her forehead and disappeared through the trees.
Pamela faced the bay, folded her arms across her chest, and stared at the ripples in the water. They were hypnotic. Her thoughts were still discombobulated. She had no idea what to make of her life. Actually, this was a terrible time to analyze it.
An osprey dived into the water, flew away, then dived again.
“You still mad?” Jake asked. His voice was deep and as hypnotic as the water.
Pamela spun around, hitting her nose on his chest. Rubbing it, she fell into his embrace. “I was never mad, Jake. I just don’t know if I can handle being your girlfriend.”
“You stay good friends with Steve. What’s the difference?”
I’m not falling in love with Steve. Her hand stroked his chest as she looked into his eyes. She would keep that thought to herself, for now anyway. “None. I’m just scared. I hate to—” she paused.
“You hate to put yourself into a relationship with a man who does the work I do?”
She nodded.
“I feel the same. You working in the café is dangerous work. What if, a boiling pot of water lands on your foot?”
She punched him in the arm. “You’re not funny.”
He leaned in close, smirking. “Not just a little bit?” he said near her lips.
She held her finger and thumb apart a fraction of an inch. “Just a little.”
Easing her to him, he pressed her body into his as their lips met. He kissed her. Slow at first, as if he didn’t know if she wanted it. With her good hand, she latched on to his shirt, and the kiss became powerful. Her li
ps parted at his tongue’s perusal, giving her flashbacks of their time together the night before. Hunger took over, and her hand trailed over his hard, muscular chest.
Moaning, he pulled back and groaned. “I don’t want to stop, but we’ve got to go.”
Not yet. She kissed his jawline and traveled to his lips where she licked them, baiting him.
Another rough sound escaped him. Moving her against his body, he bit the defenseless spot below her ear. Her limbs melted.
“We’ve got to go before I start tugging off your clothes.”
“Promises, promises.”
A splash in the water turned them around. More ospreys had joined the feeding frenzy, though these were much smaller than the two-foot bird next to them.
“The young are learning. They’re beautiful,” Pamela said as the birds flew away.
“They are.” He kissed her cheek.
After the birds flew out of sight, he asked, “How’s your wound?” His voice lost the sexiness she heard moments ago.
For a second while they kissed, she had forgotten about her battle scars. Her head didn’t hurt too much, but her shoulder was sending sharp pains down her arm. “Shoulder hurts.”
“I think Steve has some medicine he can give you. At first, we didn’t want you to have medicine until we knew what injuries we were dealing with.”
He stretched out his hand. They walked through the trees, Jake moving the branches so she could pass on the way, and joined Steve back in the clearing. He was inventorying their supplies. “Here.” He handed Pamela a few pills. “It’s for your shoulder.”
“Mind reader.” She sat down on the log a few feet away and took her medicine. “Steve, where did you disappear to this morning?”
Steve grabbed the brown bags full of their empty tins and shoved them in his duffle. “I was in the main house in the tower. After the men realized imprisoning me wasn’t a bright idea, I followed two of them to the dock.”
“We know why the two guys were standing guard near the ship,” Jake said.
“I shimmied down the fire escape ladder on the outside of the house. Those fucks I followed loaded a boat with supplies. From my position at the restaurant, I watched you two peek around the house. It was all I could do not to laugh and blow my cover. You were pretty comical.”
