Take No Quarter

by Desiree Holt

  He collapsed forward, barely catching himself on his forearms so he wouldn’t smother her. Her breath was choppy and her heart beat against his chest. Fighting for control of his own respiration, he peppered her cheeks and forehead with light kisses, inhaling the wonderful scent of her.

  They lay like that for what seemed like endless minutes, but he had no desire to move. It was different tonight, and not just because he had a mission to wipe everything from her mind but sex. Something had shifted between them and, for a moment, it scared the shit out of him.

  At last, knowing they couldn’t stay like that forever, he eased himself slowly from her hot, wonderful body and headed to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he walked back into the bedroom, she was lying on her side, facing him, a smile curving her lips, a satisfied glow on her face. The tension from earlier in the evening was gone.

  My job is done.

  He climbed up behind her, spooning her supple body, banding his arm around her narrow waist and cupping a warm breast with his palm. They lay there like that for a moment, everything rippling through his brain. He hoped the incredible sex had taken her mind off the dangerous situation her sister was in. He couldn’t believe the woman was actually coming to San Antonio to meet with a member of the cartel that had kidnapped her and had now put a price on her head. How stupid is she, anyway?

  And he wasn’t sure he trusted bodyguards he knew nothing about. He’d be sure and quiz them thoroughly in the morning. He knew Slade would have Mike Elliott check them out upside down and sideways. It wasn’t so much that he gave a rat’s ass about Dana, but he didn’t want Kenzi worrying herself sick about her reckless sister.

  But, at least for the moment, Kenzi was in a good place—stress-free.

  While he was mulling all this over, the woman in question wiggled her sweet ass against him.

  “Better cut that out unless you’re ready to go another round.”

  She laughed softly. “Maybe tomorrow night.” She was silent for a long moment. “Trey?”

  “Uh-huh?”

  “Thank you.”

  “For?”

  “For being you. For…you know…everything.”

  He hugged her and gave her breast a gentle squeeze. “For you? Anything. Oh, and by the way, it was my pleasure.”

  And isn’t that just the damn truth?

  Chapter Ten

  Trey slept tentatively, his body attuned to Kenzi, so when she slipped quietly out of bed, he opened his eyes, reached for his cell phone and glanced at the time.

  “A little anxious today, are we?” he teased when the readout said five-thirty.

  “More than a little.” She found her big T-shirt she slept in—when she slept in anything—and pulled it over her head. “I’m going to fix coffee. You can go back to sleep if you want to.”

  He laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not. Just because I’m antsy doesn’t mean you can’t sleep a little longer.”

  He climbed out of bed and grabbed his jeans off the chair where he’d flung them the night before, yanking them on with one swift pull.

  “We’ll both get coffee. I’m pretty sure we’ll need it today.”

  He followed her into the kitchen, where she had her snazzy new one-cup coffeemaker set up, and leaned against the counter while she filled mugs for both of them. He would have offered to do it, but the nervous energy buzzing around her was almost visible. He was damn sure she needed to something to occupy herself.

  “At least come sit at the table to drink your coffee,” he urged, and pulled out a chair and dropped into it.

  Kenzi sat down close to him, placing her cell phone on the table. She was so filled with nervous tension he could practically see her vibrating. She took a sip of her coffee, then looked up at him and managed a tiny grin.

  “I’m a mess, right?”

  He set his mug down and took her free hand. “Understandably so, but at this rate, you’ll wear yourself out by eight o’clock.”

  “Have you heard back from Slade about the bodyguards?”

  “No, but I will. He might still be trying to connect with Mike. But I promise we’ll know something before we leave to meet your sister. Any word at all from her?”

  “Not yet.” She looked at her cell. “But it’s only six o’clock— Oh, wait. They’re an hour later so it’s seven there. Dana said they’d be landing about nine-thirty. It’s not even a real airport, just a hangar and a runway on some uber wealthy rancher’s property. He lets certain people, the ones who for various reasons want to stay under the radar, use it to avoid the major terminals.”

  “Well, then, it sounds like a good place for them to be landing. Give me the info so I can program it into my cell.”

  He was just setting it up to get directions when Kenzi’s cell rang with what he’d learned was Dana’s ringtone.

  Kenzi answered right away. “You all set? Good to go?” She listened, nodding her head. Then the muscles of her face tightened. “Wait. What? Speak up. Why are you whispering? But you— Did you— Okay, okay. We’ll be there before the plane lands and Trey will be with me, but let’s let that be our secret. Don’t worry. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay, that’s good. Remember, your bosses have their own agenda. Okay. See you soon.”

  She disconnected and sat there, nibbling on her lower lip.

  Trey frowned. “What’s the deal?”

  “She was calling me from her bathroom, whispering. I don’t know why she didn’t text like I told her to. She wanted to let me know they were getting ready to leave the apartment. I had told her not to tell the bodyguards we’d be there waiting for her. Well, you heard what else I said, about her bosses having their own agenda. I’m sure they want to keep her safe, at least until she finishes this investigation and the series of articles.”

  Trey nodded. “Still, I don’t trust anyone but people I know.”

  “Well, you can size everything up yourself when they land.” She checked the time again. “I need to call the office shortly and let them know I won’t be in this morning.”

  “What do you plan to tell them?”

  “That I have a family emergency, which is actually the truth. I just hope it doesn’t turn out to be a dire one.”

  He badly wanted to pull her onto his lap, rub her back and see if he could relieve some of the tension. He didn’t think, however, she was in any mood to be soothed. He fixed another mug of coffee for her, although he was pretty sure the last thing she needed was more caffeine.

  He finally coaxed her into the living room with him and onto his lap, where he sat with her until the ringtone on his phone went off just before seven. He looked at the readout.

  “Slade.”

  “Looks like everyone’s up early today,” she commented, her lips turned up in a hint of a grin.

  “Are you kidding? This is late for him.” He hit the Accept button. “Got something for me?”

  “Only that Mike Elliott says Gillette is a top-notch agency with an impeccable reputation. By the way, he was busy with a client emergency, which is why he just got back to me.”

  “No problem,” Trey assured him.

  “You’re going to be at the airport, right?” Slade asked.

  “Yup.”

  “Okay. I think I’ll ride into town with Kari today, drop her off at work and meet you there. Always helps to have another pair of hands.” He paused. “And a gun.”

  Trey’s tension eased a little. “Thanks, Lt.”

  “And just to be on the safe side, so we know what we’re dealing with, I’m going to call Mike back and ask him to have Gillette check on the two guys assigned to Kenzi’s sister today. You can’t be too careful.”

  He thanked Slade again, gave him the airport information and disconnected the call.

  “Well?” Kenzi was studying him, her brow lined with worry.

  He repeated the conversation to her. “That’s just who he is. And I’ll be glad to have him for backup. You know, just in case.”

>   “I just hope this all turns out to be just my imagination.”

  “You’re dealing with cold-ass killers here,” Trey reminded her. “You can’t leave anything to chance.”

  At eight o’clock Kenzi called her office, told them she had something in the nature of a family emergency, and she would not be in that morning. Maybe not even that afternoon, but she’d let them know.

  “Lucky for me Reed Calhoun is out of town,” she told Trey. “I can always bring the work home tonight to finish it if I need to.”

  Trey tried to get her to eat some breakfast, but the most she’d choke down was a piece of toast. Finally they showered and dressed, Kenzi in jeans, a T-shirt and blazer rather than one of her usual professional outfits, and they headed out to the airport.

  Mountain Ranch Airport was a miniscule facility just outside the city proper, right at the edge of the Hill Country. It was tucked into a parcel of land in the middle of the vast ranches that made up most of the area. According to what Trey had found out when he’d done a search for it, the facility was owned by a private corporation and only people who had the permission of the owner could land or take off from there. Arrangements had to be made in advance, although in cases of emergency, there was a special number to call. When Slade had checked it out with Mike Elliott, the man had told him it was mostly used by millionaires who had their own planes. Gillette, it seemed, had permission because they had once done a job for the owner.

  Trey headed out of the city proper on Interstate Highway 10. They passed shopping centers and residential communities, emerging eventually into the landscape of small Texas towns. They pulled off at the exit indicated by the GPS voice and followed a two-lane country highway bracketed on both sides by rolling pastures dotted with herds of cattle. At the next prompt they turned left and drove along a dusty road toward what looked like a Quonset-hut style hangar, with a long runway leading up to it.

  “It looks pretty deserted,” Kenzi murmured.

  “I don’t think they provide a welcoming committee,” Trey commented. “From what Slade told me, it’s pretty much come as you are. There should be a vehicle here waiting for them, but maybe it’s around the other side or inside.”

  He pulled onto the tarmac and drove around to the front of the building. Luckily—and unexpectedly—the door to the hangar area was rolled up, ready for the plane that was expected.

  “This way they won’t see us on their approach,” he said. “In fact, we’ll pull way into the back and with luck they’ll think the car belongs here.”

  “I saw an SUV parked out in front,” Kenzi said.

  “I’m assuming that’s the car Gillette ordered for the people on the plane.” He drove their vehicle to the rear of the metal building and parked it against the curve of the wall. Then he moved with Kenzi so they were partially concealed by the car, and settled in to wait.

  Five minutes later they heard the sound of another vehicle approaching, and a pickup pulled into the building and drove back to where they were. When Trey saw Slade’s tall figure unfold itself from the driver’s seat, he breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he wasn’t capable of handling this himself, but Slade was the best backup anyone could have. And if they had trouble, he had the contacts and the strings to pull. And he was, above all else, the ultimate leader.

  Kenzi was strung so tight she was almost vibrating, but she managed to smile at Slade and shake his hand.

  “It’s all under control,” he assured her in his deep voice.

  “That’s what Trey keeps telling me, but I can’t help worrying.”

  “And with good reason. But like I said, we’re good to go.”

  Trey settled his hand at the base of her spine and stroked his fingers against her taut muscles, even as he waited on full alert. Ten minutes passed, minutes that he was sure seemed like an hour to Kenzi, before he heard the faint sound of an airplane engine in the distance. “Someone’s coming in.”

  “That has to be them,” she murmured. “Right?”

  Slade nodded. “Unless there’s a runway around here we don’t know about, I’d say yes. Take a deep breath, Kenzi. We want them in the hangar and out of the plane before we let them see us.”

  Through the open door they could see the twin-engine plane touch its wheels on the runway and taxi up to the building. The pilot cut back on the engines as they moved closer, maintaining just enough power to get them inside and park the plane before he shut them down. In a moment, a door slid up on the side of the plane and a flight of stairs popped out.

  A tall man in a dark suit jogged down the steps then turned to help Dana, in jeans and a tailored shirt. Trey had expected her to be in business attire, but then he realized he had no idea what she’d wear to a meeting with a ‘source’. Right behind her was another suit, almost a twin to the first, walking more closely on Dana’s heels than Trey would have liked.

  The man in front stopped, held out his hand to help Dana down the last couple of stairs and waited until all three of them were standing on the concrete. Before they could head outside, Trey stood and eased out from behind the car, Slade right behind him. Despite him trying to push her back, Kenzi moved up, as well.

  “Hold on a minute,” Trey called, moving forward.

  All three people stopped, the men staring at him. Before anyone could do anything, the pilot appeared in the doorway to the plane.

  “Who are you people? This is private property.”

  The first man off the plane stared at Trey. “What the hell is this? We were assured no one else would be here. This is a matter of safety. Miss Bryant, you should get back in the plane, right now.”

  But Dana didn’t move, just looked at Kenzi and Trey as if waiting to take her cues from them.

  “We’re all good,” Slade added. “This is Miss Bryant’s sister. She wanted to surprise her.”

  “Yeah? Miss Bryant, is that right?”

  Dana nodded, and swallowed, visibly. “Yes, that’s right. And I know these men.”

  “I still want to see some identification.”

  Trey and Slade pulled out their wallets and flipped them open, showing their military ID cards.

  The lead man frowned. “Military, huh?”

  Trey just nodded and they stashed their wallets.

  “This is just a friendly gathering,” he told the men with Dana.

  Even at first glance there was something about these men that set off alarm bells. Theoretically, they were professional. Bodyguards. As such, they were sure to be armed, and neither he nor Slade was looking for a gunfight, if they could avoid it.

  “Then you should have made arrangements, not shown up here like this out of the blue. You’re lucky one of us didn’t shoot you. What the hell are you doing here, anyway?”

  “Miss Bryant wanted to surprise her sister,” Slade told them. “She hasn’t seen her in a while. It’s all good. I assure you, we’re as concerned for her safety as you are. She just wants to see Dana.”

  At his words, Kenzi, obviously unable to wait any longer, broke away from Trey and ran to her sister. The two women hugged, while the men with Dana moved to stand closer to her.

  “You just surprised all of us,” the lead man said, not looking any too happy about it. “Miss Bryant is under our protection, so I’ll have to ask you to step away while we get her to our vehicle.”

  “Hey, it’s just family,” Slade said in a relaxed voice. “We were part of the team that rescued Miss Bryant and the sisters haven’t seen each other since then.”

  Trey noticed that, at Slade’s words, the man standing closest to Dana tensed, just a bit and not noticeable if a person wasn’t looking for it. But Trey was on the alert for anything.

  “That’s right.” Kenzi glared at the man. “I know she’s in danger. That’s why I wanted to see her with my own eyes.”

  “We still have our orders,” the man insisted.

  “How about if you show us your credentials?” Slade still maintained that easygoing tone of voice, but he ha
d moved closer to the lead man, every muscle in his body on high alert.

  “We don’t have to do anything,” the second man said, his tone belligerent.

  Trey’s ears detected a hint of an accent in the man’s voice and his antennae were zinging away. Not that her bodyguards might not have an accent anyway, but with the Lopez Garcia cartel so front and center in this, it pricked his radar.

  “Show him,” the other man ordered. “Then let’s get the hell out of here. We don’t need amateurs screwing this up.”

  Amateurs? Trey clenched his back molars. If only they knew.

  The first man pulled out a badge wallet and flipped it open, showing his credentials. Trey moved closer to get a better look. The name on the Gillette Agency identification card read Paul Malone. The card, the badge and the wallet showed signs of wear, so not a new hire.

  “I’m calling the boss and reading him in on this,” the other man said. “He needs to be aware there’s a wrinkle here.”

  “Show him your damn creds first, so we can get the fuck out of here.”

  The other man reached into his breast pocket for his badge holder. Trey noticed idly that both men wore shoulder holsters. For easy access, he figured.

  “Here.” He held it out. “George Ashford.”

  Trey studied it, then nodded, but that trickle of unease wouldn’t go away. The man flipped the wallet closed and went to slip it back into his pocket. When he did, the sleeves of his jacket and dress shirt hiked up, revealing a tattoo that Trey was all too familiar with.

  Cartel!

  God damn it. Here? How the fuck has this happened?

  He stepped forward so his body shielded the women and whispered to Kenzi, “Grab Dana and run to the back where the cars are.”

  “What the hell?” Malone asked, whirled and grabbed his weapon.

  “Gun!” Trey yelled, registered that the women had done what he told them, and dropped to the floor.

  Malone’s bullet whizzed past him, but before the man could pull the trigger again, Trey fired twice. The sound of the bullets echoed in the vastness of the metal building as they both hit dead center of the man’s chest. Malone fell to the floor, blood welling on his upper body, his eyes blank. Ashford had his gun out and managed to get one shot off before Slade hit him in his shooting arm. He screamed as he dropped the gun, Slade already there yanking both of the man’s arms behind him.