Loose Ends
Page 5
A woman's scream cut her off. Heads snapped around. The maitre d’ rushed their table.
"Sir ... the other gentleman in your party—"
Allie jumped up before he could finish his sentence. A busboy snagged her arm and led her toward the restrooms. She saw the blood smeared on the wall first, then fell to her knees beside Matt. Fear clawed at her throat, squeezed her heart so hard she couldn't breathe. It was a gunshot she'd heard, not a champagne cork.
"Oh, my God,” she gasped out, feathering her fingers over his face.
He blinked up at her and then over her shoulder where Petrocelli hovered with the maitre d'.
"We've called 9-1-1,” the man said.
"What happened?” Petrocelli demanded to know.
Matt pulled in hard breaths. One bloodied hand cupped Allie's face. He wiped at the track of her tears, only to have a new stream replace that one.
"Stupid mistake,” he managed to say. “Got me as I was leaving the men's room. I ducked too late. Took a hit to the shoulder. I think it's just a graze, but it hurts like hell."
She glanced at the suit jacket. The left shoulder padding was ripped and bloodied at the top. She could see gunshot residue in the lining. The shooter had gotten up close and personal. If Matt hadn't ducked, he'd be dead right now.
Petrocelli wrapped his hand around Allie's elbow and tried to tug her to her feet. “We need to get you somewhere safe. My house is secure."
"No!” She jerked free. She couldn't leave Matt, couldn't just walk out while he lay there bleeding.
"Go,” Matt whispered.
"No ... I go with you.” She loved him. There was no place other than by his side.
* * * *
"Have you lost your fucking mind?"
Allie resisted the urge to clamp her hands over her ears. When Herb wasn't yelling, Bob was.
"Do you know how long we've waited to get inside Petrocelli's organization?” Bob chimed in. “You had one chance to grab it. Why the hell didn't you?"
"I couldn't leave Matt."
Herb's complexion darkened with rage. “Your job is to protect the mission by any and all means possible. Why? Why now of all times—"
"Leave her alone,” Matt said from the hospital bed. He was weak, but his voice still said “don't fuck with us."
He reached for Allie's hand. When she grasped his, he pulled her against his good side. He was lucky. The bullet was across the shoulder, needing stitches and nothing more. He was still going to be hurting and vulnerable for a short while.
"I wouldn't have left her either,” he said, and followed the words with a kiss to her forehead.
"Fuck!” Bob smacked his fist into bedside table, knocking the water pitcher to the floor. “They're in love.” The words were hurled in a sicky-sweet sneer. “Great timing. After all we've got invested, you two go and screw it up. Now what? What the fuck do we do now?"
Allie blinked back a rush of tears. It was her fault. She'd done the unpardonable—fallen in love and jeopardized a case Matt had devoted two years of his life to investigating. If not for her...
She pulled up and faced their superiors. “I can fix this. I can get us back on track."
Herb jammed his fists onto his hips. “Then you'd better do it fast. Everything we've set up is going to hell in a hand basket right now."
"I'll take care it.” She bent down to Matt, dropping a kiss to his lips. The words didn't need to be said. The love was there, but there was also that nasty business of doing their jobs. All the love in the world wouldn't survive if that were left hanging between them.
Pulling in a deep breath to steel her resolve, Allie fished Matt's cell phone from her purse and pressed redial to Petrocelli's number. No one dared mention this unpardonable sin—using the cell phone in the hospital.
He answered on the first ring. “Yes?"
"This is Samantha Shaw. Teo and I ... we've decided your protection is a wise idea."
"I see,” he said. “And what will I get in return?"
Allie frowned. “What will you get?"
"Yes ... from you. I will, of course, have Matteo's unquestioned loyalty. But, after tonight, I think I'm going to need something from you."
Allie understood all too well. She stared down at Matt, at the man she loved, the man who'd given up so much to put a criminal behind bars. What did one more taboo matter?
"Me,” she told Petrocelli. “If you help us ... you get me."
Matt squeezed his eyes shut. His jaw clenched. Doing their job had never been more gut-wrenching.
"An intriguing trade,” Petrocelli replied. “Someone will be there shortly."
"It's done,” she told them all as she ended the call. My final descent into hell.
Herb and Bob grumbled something and had the decency to finally shut up and leave. Matt patted the space beside him and lifted his arm in invitation. Allie did the only thing left to do—she curled into the cove of his body and prayed they and their new love could somehow survive.
Caitlyn WIllows
Caitlyn Willows is the pseudonym for award-winning author Catherine Snodgrass, who wanted to flex her writing muscles in the erotica genre. Readers will find the same quality from “Caitlyn” that they have come to expect from “Catherine,” but the stories will be more over-the-top and more steamy. Always they will be action-filled ... in more ways than one.
Caitlyn Willows's email address is: caitlyn@caitlynwillows.com
* * * *
Don't miss A Real Man,
(Book IV in the Teamwork Series)
by Caitlyn WIllows,
available at AmberHeat.com!
FBI agents Allie Quinn and Matt Oliver have a reputation for doing whatever it takes to stay alive and get the job done. But doing whatever it takes to complete an undercover mission suddenly holds new meaning to a man in love with his partner—a partner he now has to share with another man!
* * * *
Don't miss Stagecoach Capture, by Layla Chase,
available at AmberHeat.com!
Boarding a westbound stage in San Antonio, US Marshal Slade Thomas realizes all three female passengers resemble the wanted poster for a bank robber. The audacious and playful behavior of one passenger, Jessimay “Jazzy” Morgan, especially draws his attention—and suspicions.
Jazzy, a former prostitute, is intent on a respectable future built on the money she earned in Miss Veronica's Pleasure Emporium. Polite society is more taxing than she imagines, however, and a flirtation with the handsome stranger on the stagecoach flares into a rousing night of passion in which she loses a little bit of her heart.
The following day, when the stagecoach is robbed and the women kidnapped, Jazzy is crushed at leaving a beaten Slade behind. Planning an escape against huge odds is tough, but confessing her past to a respectable man like Slade is almost impossible. And Slade must also make a decision that could change his life—capturing the bandits, or saving Jazzy ... a choice between his duty and his heart.
* * * *
Don't miss Falling, by M. L. Rhodes,
An Amazon #1 Best Seller and JERR Gold Star Winner!
Available at Amber-Allure.com!
As the leader of an elite British group that hunts criminals of the magic world, Christian Wetherly comes to the U. S. undercover, posing as a British cop, to investigate a series of murders he suspects have been committed by a dark mage. He never expects, however, to find himself intensely attracted to the American police detective in charge of the case. Christian has long struggled with his hidden desires and hasn't admitted them to anyone. But Alec Anderson stirs something deep within him that's difficult to ignore.
Still ... even if he could master his fear of coming out, Christian's dedicated himself to protecting the world from magic terrors. It's a dangerous life an ordinary human could never understand or accept. And to complicate matters, Alec's emotionally vulnerable, still grieving the death of his previous lover, a fellow cop killed in the line of duty. So Christian's determined to k
eep his true occupation and powers hidden from Alec.
Neither man can deny the powerful chemistry that burns between them, and both realize they're falling hard for one another, yet with so many secrets and complications, a relationship seems impossible.
When the two men become the target of the dark magic, however, and clues about an ancient legacy come to light that indicate Alec may not be exactly what he seems, can they find the strength to tear down all the barriers between them and risk their hearts in order to save each other's lives?
* * * *
Don't miss Soul Obsession by Amy Wolff-Sorter,
available at AmberQuill.com!
A story blazing with reluctant passion, bitter betrayal, ghostly retribution and the battle for a man's very soul...
A brilliant businessman...
Daniel Grogan is at the top of his game as he prepares to marry a wealthy socialite. But something goes wrong on his wedding day and his path takes a crazy turn toward strange visions of mountains and oceans, and a growing obsession about a woman he's never met face to face.
A rebellious rabbi...
Peggy Witwater entered the rabbinate to serve her people. When congregational politics deal her a vicious blow, she fights the tide of change while trying to help Daniel; not realizing her actions could ignite her own deeply buried obsessions.
Passion and vengeance from beyond the grave...
As the two are drawn toward one another, they fall under the shadow of a vengeful spirit who will stop at nothing to claim Daniel. To win the battle for his soul, Daniel must acknowledge past wrongs, or risk falling into an eternal—and fatal—enchantment.
Visit all three of Amber Quill's web sites
and earn free books with Amber Rewards!
* * * *
AMBER HEAT EROTICA
Gimme Fever!!
Steamy, sensual genre fiction...
www.AmberHeat.com
* * * *
AMBER ALLURE
Where Love Is Blind To Gender...
www.Amber-Allure.com
* * * *
AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC
Quality Books, Print And Electronic
Genre fiction at its best!
www.AmberQuill.com
* * *
Visit www.amberquill.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.