“I just hope I get a chance to punch him right in the gut after everything he’s put her through. Are you sure your friend doesn’t have enough to arrest him yet? It would be much simpler if he went to jail.”
“He’s building his case. That’s something we need to discuss after we find Gigi’s brother and sister. My friend may be able to help with that as well. He’s excellent at delivering messages I’ve found. At six-foot-four and two-hundred and fifty pounds, Faulkner stands out wherever he goes.”
“Tell him I appreciate his help thus far. As for what to do with Morton my goal is to put the fear of God into him. I want him to know that if he comes within a hundred mile radius of Gigi it will be very bad news for him. Painfully bad.”
Jason rested his elbows on the table, his lips pursed in thought. “Listen, I know you want to beat on this guy for awhile and I can’t say that I blame you a bit. But…you going to jail isn’t going to keep your woman safe. You need to keep your head on straight and control your temper at all times. I think we can scare Morton off just using the information we already know. He doesn’t want any more attention from government authorities than he has already.”
The terrified expression Gigi had worn when she told her story still haunted West. That she’d lived with fear that great every day for so long made him want to wrap her in cotton wool and keep her safe for the rest of her life. “When you put it like that I’d settle for one good punch.”
Jason laughed and shook his head. “Don’t do anything stupid, little brother. Alan Morton is one bad dude who doesn’t give a shit. So what if you put a hurt on him? He’s got a dozen henchmen to come after you and mess up your pretty face. And let’s be honest here, your looks are about all you have going for you.”
“You’re an asshole, big brother,” West smirked. “You’re just jealous of my brains and talent catching those bad guys.”
“I think I’ll hobble through life just fine. Now let’s talk about tomorrow. If we get on the road early, before sunrise, it would be best. I’ll be in the lead, you and Gigi in the middle, and Travis bringing up the rear. We need to keep in constant radio contact and stick closely together no matter what.”
“Travis? I thought Logan was driving in today to do this?”
“The twins both have the flu,” Jason sighed. “He and Ava have their hands full. Travis kindly offered to help out but it tells me that I need to hire another field man.”
West stood and paced the kitchen, too restless to keep still. He was anxious to get on the road, find Gigi’s siblings, and then put an end to Morton reign of terror. But he was a cautious man and one thought kept running around in his brain.
“What if this guy really brings it? If what Gigi says is true – and I don’t have any reason to believe it’s not – he wants her and he doesn’t care what he has to do to get her. He’s got badass men to do his bidding. And money. Which tells me he can buy even more people to do his dirty work. What if he sends an army? Are we prepared?”
Jason didn’t laugh or scoff at the question. “Your job is to keep Gigi safe. Always remember that. If we get ambushed, you get her and run. Don’t worry about us, we can take care of ourselves. We’ll be loaded for bear and ready and willing to do what needs to be done.”
West rubbed his throbbing temple. He hated the waiting around and was as anxious as Gigi to get this show on the road. “If anything happened to her…”
“Love’s a bitch but what’s a man to do when he’s found the right one? You can tell your kids the story in twenty years.”
Sitting straight up, West shook his head in denial. Marriage talk made him nervous. Jason was way off the mark here. “We’re not in love. It’s not like that.”
“Sure. Right. Whatever you say. Except that you two both look like you’re in love. I could be completely wrong. But I doubt it.”
Clearly Jason was laughing at West but the situation wasn’t funny in the least. Love was not in the equation here. West cared about Gigi but wasn’t ready to call it anything more. She sure as shit wasn’t in love with him. She’d been packed and ready to leave his ass in the dust without a backward glance.
“I don’t want to talk about my fucking feelings.”
Jason raised his brows at West’s tone. “That’s fine with me but don’t think because you don’t acknowledge them they’ll just go away. I can personally attest to that.”
“What time will you be at the house tomorrow?” West changed the subject heartily tired of the last one. He wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of guy who wanted to talk about love, rainbows, and unicorns.
“Five. Brinley offered to make us breakfast and pack it for the road plus some snacks so hopefully we can put a few hundred miles behind us before we have to stop. Be ready when we get there.”
West was more than ready. Finding Zachary Rogers and reuniting him with Gigi was the first step in getting back her life.
Alan Morton would be the second.
* * *
Gigi had trouble keeping her eyes open, her lids weighted down with fatigue. After the physical exertion of today, she was wrecked. She’d be out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow which was really a shame. There had been some serious sexual tension between her and West earlier and this might be the last night they had alone for awhile. But she wouldn’t complain. For the first time in forever, Gigi felt safe. Or safer. She’d almost forgotten how wonderful it felt.
The streetlights whizzed by as West drove them back to his house to finish packing and get some rest before their road trip tomorrow. She’d wanted to fly to Vegas but all three Anderson men had quickly squashed the idea. Jason especially had shaken his head and said that if Morton knew anything about computers he was probably monitoring transportation databases looking for her name. Then he’d grinned and excused himself to call someone named Jared about planting a false record to send Morton off the trail.
These men didn’t miss a trick and for that she was immensely grateful.
By the time he pulled into his driveway, she was half asleep, dozing on and off. “Home sweet home, babe. Next stop, dreamland. I’ll have you in bed within ten minutes.”
“Promises, promises,” she giggled with a wide yawn, rubbing her eyes. “You’ve never had much trouble getting me in bed, that’s for sure.”
West gave her a lopsided grin. “You weren’t easy. I remember being nervous as hell on our first date because you acted like you didn’t care one way or another if you were there or not. I was sweating.”
“It was picnic in July. We were all sweating.”
She remembered that sunny and hot day well. They’d eaten fried chicken and apple pie next to the lake and then took a ride on his Harley. He’d kissed her goodnight under a new moon and she’d never been the same since. He’d slowly become the best thing in her life.
He helped her out of the truck, handing her the chocolate cake his mother had wrapped up for them so he could carry the gun case and range bag that held the firearms and ammunition they’d used earlier. When they were inside he set the case and the bag on the coffee table before pointing up the stairs. “Go on up. I need to do a few things and then I’ll join you.”
No way was she going to argue. She was dead on her feet, barely remembering to place the chocolate cake in the refrigerator. “Don’t be too late. You need your sleep too.”
“Thirty minutes tops. Fifteen if I’m lucky. But I doubt you’ll be awake that long.”
She wasn’t too tired to get a goodnight kiss. If she wasn’t going to get lucky at least she’d get some sugar from this gorgeous hunk. Looping her arms around his neck she gave him her best come hither look. “How about a kiss for sweet dreams?”
His rough fingers caressed her cheek, sending a shiver of awareness down her spine and straight to more personal parts. Two muscular arms lifted her until she pressed against him, her legs wrapped around his lean middle. “Sweet dreams, huh? That doesn’t sound like any fun. How about hot dreams?”
She w
asn’t feeling all that exhausted anymore. Blood fizzed in her veins like champagne while flames licked at her flesh, sending arrows of pleasure through her body. In this mood West was devilishly lethal.
“You might have to help me with that,” she whispered, her lips caressing his stubbly jaw while his hands roamed over the curve of her bottom. “Hot sounds good.”
So very good. His mouth took control of their kiss, dominant and playful at the same time. She gave herself over to him, happily following his lead until they were both breathless and aroused. She moaned as his lips traveled over her jaw to nibble at her earlobe before sliding down to a shoulder, her heart galloping a mile a minute.
“Let’s go upstairs,” she urged, letting her head fall back to give him unfettered access to the nape of her neck.
Instead of nibbling at her sensitized skin he took a step back, his expression conflicted. “You know I want to, babe, but you’re dead on your feet and we need to be on the road early in the morning. I’ve still got a few things I need to take care of. If I carry you up those stairs neither one of us is going to get any sleep for quite a while.”
“Suddenly I’m not very tired,” she teased, running her hands up and down his muscled arms, the flesh warm under her palms.
He captured her hands in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I take this seriously. You’ve been scared for too long. I want to give you some peace of mind if I can and to do that I need to make sure I don’t lose focus. There are things that need to be done before we leave in the morning.”
She admired his dedication but damn if she wasn’t more than a little disappointed too. West could rev her engine with a simple kiss but she’d waited for a man like this for a long time. Someone who put her safety and well-being before his libido.
Crap and double crap. She’d fallen for an honorable man and this was the result. Safe. Sound. And aroused.
“You’re a good man, Westin Anderson.” She pushed at his shoulder playfully. “A frustrating one, but good. You get me all wound up and then…nothing. A girl could get a complex, you know.”
He tugged her back into his arms, the warmth from his body easily penetrating her blue jeans and shirt to heat her skin. “I’ll promise you here and now that when we get to Las Vegas the odds will definitely be in your favor. In fact, let’s call it two-to-one. Two orgasms for you for every one of mine. Deal?”
She liked those odds.
“Deal.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Seriously, don’t stay up too late. You need to sleep as much as I do.”
He gave her bottom a playful slap as she passed him on the way to the stairs. “Just don’t hog the covers. It’s supposed to be cool tonight.”
Bounding up the stairs, Gigi felt more hope than she had in a long time. She’d told the truth to West and he was determined to keep her safe and help her find her siblings. Plus the Feds were looking into Alan’s dealings in Chicago.
Maybe she had a future after all.
Chapter Ten
‡
Gigi was having a wonderful dream.
She and West were walking hand in hand down a white sandy beach, cool water lapping at her toes and the warm sun beating down on her bare skin. Birds glided overhead while palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze. The scent of coconut oil and hibiscus filled the air and she kicked out her foot playfully, splashing water on West’s legs. He laughed and pulled her closer, a wide grin on his handsome face. Leaning down to look into her eyes, he cupped her cheeks in his strong hands, his face inches from her own as if to tell her something very important.
“Don’t say anything.”
Gigi sucked in a breath, her eyes flying open.
Her heart raced and her body trembled at being awoken so abruptly. West sat on the edge of the mattress, his fingers pressed to her lips. She opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head. Instead of talking he tossed the covers aside and drew her out of bed. Guiding her to the large walk-in closet in the corner of the room, he opened the door and backed her into it, pressing a handgun and a flashlight into her shaking fingers.
“There’s someone trying to break into the house. They’re trying all the doors and windows. Stay here while I take care of this and don’t come out for anything. Nothing, do you hear me? When I’m done I’ll knock on the door three times. Got it?”
She heard him although he’d kept his voice deliberately soft and low. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she grabbed onto his arm, not wanting him to go out there.
“It’s dangerous. Call 911.”
The minute the words were out of her mouth she realized how idiotic they sounded. West was the police and handling a burglar was probably a boring night for him.
“Obviously you haven’t woken up yet, babe. I’ve got this. Just stay here and be safe. I’ll be fine. I’ve already called for backup.”
Of course he would have. He was a trained cop and she was still bleary-eyed from REM sleep. Just for a little extra added embarrassment her hair was probably sticking straight up as well.
“Can I help?”
“Yes. You can help by not doing anything that would distract me. So stay here until I come and get you. If anyone doesn’t knock and tries to come through that door? Shoot them.”
Instructions didn’t come much clearer than those. She nodded and he closed the closet door behind him, leaving her in the dark. She took a few steps backwards until she could feel hanging clothes on her back. Sinking to the floor, she leaned back on a cardboard box, squirming to try and get comfortable.
Her heart had slowed to its normal pace and she stretched her legs out from their cramped position. There was nothing to be afraid of, really. West would catch the burglar and she’d sit here like a fool in the closet with a loaded gun.
Kind of ironic. She’d been waiting all these months for one of Alan’s men to come for her but tonight she was cowering in a closet because of someone who wanted to steal West’s Xbox.
Life was strange.
* * *
With all that was going on in West’s life the last thing he needed right now was to fend off a burglar. Probably some young kid or maybe a junkie looking to score a DVD player, iPhone, or a Playstation that would bring a quick buck. He should be lying in bed next to Gigi catching up on his sleep but instead he was climbing out of his bedroom window and walking as silently as possible on his roof.
Dropping to his knees, he slowly crawled close to the edge that hung over the side of the house. Coming from the ground below, he could hear a few whispers and the sound of someone shaking the window frame.
West craned his neck and was able to make out two figures in the shadows. Not the best odds but then he’d been in much worse. If the guys were amateurs they’d run the minute he identified himself.
Easing the .38 from his shoulder holster he pointed the barrel down at the dark outlines before shouting. “Police! Drop any weapons and lie on the ground.”
Normally that command – out of the blue and in the middle of the night – was enough to get a perp to piss himself before he went belly first into the grass shouting he was innocent and it was all a set up. Or he called for his lawyer.
It didn’t matter which to West. The guy could tell it to the judge at arraignment the next morning.
This time neither of the figures did any of those things. West barely had time to scoot back and duck his head as one raised his arm in West’s direction. There was a flash of light from a gun barrel piercing the darkness and then he felt the whistle of a bullet fly past his ear. Flattening his body to the rough shingles, he heard three more shots ring out in his general direction but none as close as the first.
What the fuck?
An urgent unintelligible whisper and then the thud of footsteps in the grass as the men ran, probably toward a getaway vehicle. West swung down from the roof, landing with a jolt on the air conditioning unit before jumping to the ground. Glad he kept himself in excellent shape he broke into a sprint, the men not far in
front of him.
“This is the police! Stop!” he bellowed again but he already knew they weren’t going to stop fleeing the scene. If they had the audacity to shoot at a police officer they weren’t going to suddenly throw down their weapons and surrender like good little citizens. The sound of sirens in the distance indicated however that backup would be there momentarily and West could get this situation under control. This was a residential neighborhood and West didn’t want any of his neighbors to get hurt.
Especially not the woman who was hopefully following his exact instructions.
One of the men looked over his shoulder and wildly fired two more rounds, one hitting a window in West’s house and the other flying off into the air. These assholes were going to hurt an innocent bystander at this rate and already lights were coming on in windows down the street, one by one. Soon people would be streaming out of their houses and into the line of fire, drawn by the sound of shots.
Stay where you are, babe. Just stay there.
West raised his gun but one of the men dashed into the darkened street as the police backup careened into the neighborhood, sirens blaring and lights flashing. Whether the perp was temporarily blinded or simply not paying attention West didn’t know, but the man bolted straight into the path of the oncoming vehicle. There was a squeal of tires and the sickening sound of metal on bone. West’s stomach twisted in his gut and he winced at the splash of red on the black and white cruiser.
Bodies streamed from the homes along the street and West lost sight of the other man until he heard the roar of an engine and a vehicle barreling out of the neighborhood. He couldn’t make out the license plate but he could tell it was a dark Ford Escape, possibly navy blue or black. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he quickly sent a text to Nancy who was working police dispatch tonight about the speeding SUV. He added, “Armed and dangerous. Do not engage without backup.”
With more sirens screaming in the background West knelt next to the injured man. The other officer had already started administering first aid and West was careful to stay out of the way while still getting a glimpse of the suspect’s face.
Hiding From Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 2) Page 6
