As his mouth lavished the right breast, his other hand roamed down to her waist and eased under the tiny scrap of fabric covering her core. Jennie gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin.
“Jared?” She lifted her head.
“Don’t move. Your stitches,” he said, lowering her back onto the pillows. “You take my breath away, you’re so damn beautiful.” His hands stroked her hair, the silky strands slipping between his fingers. “Gorgeous, inside and out.”
“I’m not…”
He kissed the corner of her mouth, savoring her sigh. “Don’t argue with your husband. I know what I see, what I feel.”
Jennie captured his face in her hands. “So are you. Breathtaking. I never dreamed this could be possible, to be here like this with you, but Jared…”
“What? Tell me!”
“I’m not made of glass. I want, no, need to touch you, too.” She used his arms to pull up. With his hand at the base of her back, he pulled her into his lap. Her legs circled his waist, and she brought herself completely against him. Wrapping his arms around her back, he held her tight against him and tried to catch his breath.
“Yes, this is what I want—to feel all of you.” Jennie’s lips caressed the nape of his neck and over his shoulder, as her hands worked their way to his waist. “You are way overdressed. These come off now,” she said, yanking the button from its casing and pulling down the zipper.
Jared chuckled. “Your wish, always,” he said, slipping the waistband over his hips. He yanked one leg off, then the other, and tossed the pants on the floor. “Okay, new plan.” He shifted his hips, and his erection pressed closer to her core.
“What?” she whispered, her hot breath fanning his neck.
“I’m all yours. Take as much as you want. I’ll follow your lead. Just tell me what I can give you.”
She pulled him close; there wasn’t an inch between them. “When you kissed me in my apartment, it was as if you were branding me, like I was becoming part of you.” She stared at him. “That’s what I want now.”
“I was trying to take it slow—”
“Who asked for slow?”
Her demand broke through his reserve. He swiped away the thin material covering her, and nothing came between them.
Jared lowered his mouth to hers and murmured, “I adore you, Jennie McNeil. I belong to you, and you belong to me. No one can get through us now.”
He kissed her and sealed their connection.
Twenty-Nine
In the reflection of the bedroom window, Mendoza’s dark eyes mocked him. Beads of sweat dripped down his temple. Each heartbeat caused tension to simmer deep within him. He frowned at the unnamed naked woman in his bed. Pounding into her repeatedly had not eased his panic. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something had changed dramatically over the course of the evening.
He marched over to the bed and shook the woman until she woke. “Get out,” he ordered and returned to his post in front of the window.
Oblivious to her nakedness, she rose from the bed and ambled over to Mendoza, wrapping her arms around him.
“But Elías, I don’t want to leave you. Please come back to bed with me,” she whined, unaware of the fury about to erupt.
He yanked back the arms that dared touch him uninvited and roughly shoved her away. The darkness in his eyes must have penetrated her sleep-dazed mind. She took a step back.
“You have one minute to get yourself together before I throw you out. You can leave with or without your belongings, makes no difference to me.” He tossed a wad of money at her face before glaring into the night. She grabbed what she could find and headed for the door.
He poured a double shot of Scotch at the bar and gulped it down in one swallow. He pulled the phone from the inside pocket of his jacket and dialed. “Report,” he barked into the phone.
“Jefe, all is good.” The man’s voice quivered.
“Pendejo, you better have more than that, or I will deal with you myself.”
“The target is in her apartment. She hasn’t left all evening, and no one has entered. We will not lose her again, Jefe. You have my word.”
Mendoza disconnected the call and quickly made another, which was answered on the first ring.
“Is everything completed as I ordered?”
“It will go up like the Fourth of July,” Ivan answered.
“There better not be any mistakes this time, my friend.”
“It will work as planned.”
“I need you to check on Jennifer Marie. Those idiots you hired don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. Call me as soon as you have seen her for yourself.”
“And the boy?”
“Are you useless to me too, Ivan?” Mendoza snarled.
“No, Jefe, I’m on it,” he quickly replied. “Anything else?”
“Something has changed,” Mendoza muttered. “He is with her. I feel it.”
“Who’s with her?”
“McNeil.”
“That’s not possible. I watched her enter the apartment myself. We followed McNeil from the station to his residence, and my best man is on the street with the target in view. McNeil isn’t with the woman.”
“Don’t question me, you imbecile. Just get down there and see if she is alone. If McNeil is with her, bring him to me!” Mendoza hung up.
He poured the last of the Scotch into his glass and hurled the bottle against the wall. Leaning against the cold glass window, he stared out at the darkness.
“Wrong choice, mi querida.”
The crisp spring air in Baltimore was just what Father Anthony needed to clear his head, as he set out for his early morning run. The neighborhood called him the marathon priest. After stretching his muscles, he put in his earbuds, loaded his playlist, and jogged toward Inner Harbor.
Running had become as natural as breathing over the years. Little else but the music registered on his consciousness. But that wasn’t going to happen today. Was Jennie correct in her assumption that Mendoza would make his move on her today? If he did, was Jared McNeil as good as he thought he was? Could he keep Jennie safe? And the most basic question: how far would he allow himself to go to ensure his friends were safe?
The day he entered the seminary, he’d vowed he would never again take another life. Until this week, he’d never felt the need to ask himself the question. Sadly, no answers appeared out of the sun’s rays as he jogged through the streets of downtown Baltimore.
The light changed to red at the intersection. He slowed his pace and jogged in place. His cell phone vibrated in the pocket of his sweats. He dug it out and read the number on the screen. It wasn’t one he recognized.
“Father Anthony,” he answered, breathing easy after the two-mile run.
“I have someone you need to speak to,” an unidentified man said on the other end of the line.
“Who is this?” Anthony stopped in his tracks, and his body stiffened.
“It’s Michael. Don’t do anything they ask,” he heard Michael Sweeney yell, before the phone was pulled out of his reach.
“I assume you recognize the voice?”
“Who is this?” Panic hit Anthony in the gut.
“That’s not important. If you want to see your friend alive again, do exactly what you’re told. Maybe your prayers will be answered.”
“You kidnapped a priest from the Vatican? You had better start your own praying, if you know what’s good for you.” His eyes darted through the faces in the crowded street. This was Mendoza’s handiwork. He attacked Jennie’s godfather to hurt her. “Why don’t you tell your coward of a boss to come out of his stink hole and speak to me face-to-face?” Anthony roared.
He ignored the stares of the pedestrians who gave him a wide berth. Every grueling hour of his military training slammed home. His fist clenched as his muscles hardened. The priest slipped away; the deadly soldier, ready for battle, took over.
“Turn toward the store window behind you, Father.”
Anthony peered into the window.
“If you look closely, there’s an automatic rifle barrel sticking out of the third-floor window of the building across the street. You should see it in the store window’s reflection. My boss asked that you please consider your next words carefully.”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t have to tell a man of your unusual talents what will happen to the priest if you don’t follow every order to the letter. Nod if we are on the same page, Father.”
Anthony nodded.
“Good, toss your cell phone into the trash can behind you and walk across the street. You’ll be met by two gentlemen who will give you your next instructions. Nod again if you understand,” the man instructed.
Anthony did what he was asked, as he scanned the reflection for McNeil’s men in the street. Hopefully, Mendoza didn’t have a clue about their existence. For the first time in days, Anthony had no trouble focusing. Elías Mendoza had no idea what he’d unleashed.
Thirty
The warm body surrounding Jennie convinced her of one thing: Last night was not a dream. The delicate kisses across her abdomen didn’t feel like a dream; the warm hands that followed were real.
Jared had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. They changed to a different shade of blue, depending on his emotions. This morning, they were pools of deep sapphire, almost black, pure passion.
She melted into his embrace.
Once the kiss ended, Jennie broke the silence. “I wish we could just disappear where no one knows us and be like this forever.” She smiled as she stretched next to him.
Running his finger over the outline of her face, he said, “Name the spot and we’re there.”
His cell phone vibrated on the night table, and they scowled at it.
“I can ignore it.”
“No, you’d better answer it. Something has happened,” Jennie said, as she moved.
“McNeil.” He sat up. “When?” he demanded. “You have him in sight? How many cars do you have tailing him? Don’t underestimate them. They’ll know if they’re being followed. Switch off every couple blocks. I appreciate it. I’ll handle the situation here.” Jared ended the call and quickly pulled on his pants and shirt.
“Jared, tell me.” She could feel the panic radiating off him. Her own heartbeat pounded in her chest. Something was wrong.
“I will, Jen, just give me a minute.” Jared made another call as he buttoned his shirt.
“He made his move.” Jared paused and raked his hands through his hair. “What, when did this happen?” He faced Jennie. “Who’s on him now? Good, tell him to use whoever he needs to keep him in sight. This is our only chance. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Jennie’s coming in with me. She stays with me, or I’ll place her in a safe house.”
“Jared, what’s happened?”
He sat on the edge of the bed and drew her into his arms. “I need you to trust me now, sweetheart, and try not to freak out.”
“Just say it! You’re scaring me.”
“Mendoza has made his move. He had your godfather, Father Michael, picked up a couple blocks from his apartment in Rome and Father Anthony was—”
“No.”
Wrapping her tighter in his arms, he continued. “Anthony was picked up on his run five minutes ago, but we have people following them. You gave us an insight into Mendoza’s strategy, so we planned for this. Both men know what to do.”
The walls of the room began to draw in on her. She tried to beat back the panic, but it was swallowing her whole. “It’s like my father all over again. They took him away from us three blocks from where we lived. He will hurt them just like he did my father. Stop him, Jared. Call your team and order them to get them both back.”
“Listen to me. I will let nothing happen to either Michael or Anthony. But we have to play Mendoza’s game for the moment if we want to have any chance of finding him. Trust me.”
Jennie broke Jared’s hold and dashed toward the door. “He’s punishing me. If he can’t have me, I can’t have Michael and Anthony. I have to get them back.”
Jennie struggled with the lock, but Jared slammed the door shut as she opened it.
“Stop it, Jennie. You can’t protect them. Stop giving him the power to hurt you, damn it. If he can feel you, he can feel this! It’s what he wants from you. Trust me instead.”
She stopped struggling. His words shatter the panic. “You can let go.”
“No, Jennie, I really can’t.” He tightened his hold, drawing her close.
“Okay, I freaked a little. Sorry.” She buried her face in his shirt. “I do trust you. Just tell me what I need to do. I can help, let me help.” Heat rushed to her cheeks when she looked down and realized she was wearing nothing but Jared’s undershirt. “My God, I almost went out like this.”
“That’s my little warrior, going off to battle in a T-shirt big enough for three of you.” He picked up the clothing they’d worn last night. “We’re expected at St. Luke’s in ten minutes. Remember, Anthony is a one-man army. There is no one trained better than he is.”
“I have had the same nightmare for years, that Mendoza took you away from me. You’re my life. But I’m stronger than this. I won’t lose control again, no matter how bad it gets.” She kissed him slow and deep, then stepped away to get dressed. “There’s a seven o’clock Good Friday Mass scheduled at St. Luke’s. Father Anthony is supposed to be there, and I’m in charge of the music. I have to be at the school by eight.”
“You need to meet with the agent who stayed in your apartment last night and swap clothes. Then, you’ll do what you always do. Your routine can’t change. If you are on the schedule at St. Luke’s, Mendoza’s men will watch to see that you’re as oblivious as everyone else when Father Anthony doesn’t show up. If Mendoza tries to pick you up on the way to the school, the plans will be shot to hell, because no one touches you! While you’re at the school, I’ll be with you the whole time.”
“How are you going to do that without them spotting you?”
“The same way Scarvey watched you, Jennie. Your wing is in the oldest part of the building. Scarvey hid in the crawl space in the ceiling, which isn’t on any of the newer blueprints. He accessed your classroom from the ceiling in that deep corner near your desk. It’s also a blind spot on Raúl’s cameras. When you’re in your classroom, I’ll be right above you.”
Jennie positioned the wig on her head. “I’ll need a gun.”
“No,” Jared replied, placing his tweed cap on his white wig.
“I know how to use one. I’m a good shot.”
“Not only no, Jennie, but hell, no! You will not carry a gun into a school.”
“Fine, but as soon as we leave the school grounds, I’ll ask one of the other team members to give me one.”
“You’ll do no such thing, Jennie McNeil. No guns,” Jared growled. “I mean it.”
“You’re so cute when you snarl.”
“Jennifer, I’m serious,” he murmured, as he followed his wife down the corridor to the elevators.
To anyone watching, they looked like a middle-aged, overweight couple who had lived most of their lives together. Jared even carried a woman’s purse over his shoulder while wheeling a small overnight bag.
“Are you listening to me?” Jared clenched his teeth. She laughed in his face.
He stood staring out the window at the manicured lawn, hands clenched together at his back. Mendoza’s mind raced with the details of his plan. His pulse quickened; he knew something was off.
It had been years since he had doubted himself. Damned if he was going to start now. The plan was all that mattered. By this evening, one way or another, he would have dealt out the long-overdue vengeance.
Jennifer Marie would have her chance. He’d offer her the one thing he never offered another: himself.
She knows the rules. He would never accept seconds from her.
He considered the photo of her that he kept with him.
The minute he laid eyes on her, he would know if she betrayed him with McNeil. What happened next was her choice. If she dared throw his offer back in his face, he would destroy her. The extent of that destruction would be on her. Her pain. Her agony. Her sin.
“You try that again, Father, I’ll place a bullet here,” Ivan said, and rammed his fist into Anthony’s abdomen, doubling him over. “Now, let’s try it again, or would you prefer I use the boy? Just look into the camera and repeat the script I gave you.”
Anthony stared at his captor. He’d given up praying for the man’s soul an hour ago. He didn’t possess one. One look at Danny curled in a ball in the corner of the filthy apartment, with bruises covering his face, neck, and arms, transformed the priest into a warrior for justice. But Anthony had to calm down and remember who he was. Antagonizing the bastard wasn’t helping Danny. So far, Ivan had been careful not to strike his face.
“Let the boy go. You don’t need both of us.”
“Nice fairy tale you have there, Father,” he said, laughing. “But you’re correct. I don’t have any use for the kid.” He yanked the revolver from his waist and pointed it at Danny. “You believe in heaven, kid? Your priest suggested I send you home.” The bullet silent hit the wall a half-inch from Danny’s left ear, spraying bits of drywall down on him. He didn’t flinch or make a sound.
“Stop, I’ll do whatever you ask. Leave him alone.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” Ivan grinned as he moved behind the camera.
A man sat alone in a parked car, half a block from St. Luke’s Catholic Church. As soon as the target came out, he was on his cell phone.
“Jefe, she just left the church and is heading toward the school. What are your orders?”
“I want to know where she is, every minute. Let me down, you die.”
Mendoza ended the call and paced in his study. He couldn’t relax, despite bringing in his best people. His craving would be satisfied when he saw her. He hit the number one on his phone and waited for the call to connect.
In the Shadow of Evil Book 2 Page 18