Wanted for Life

by Allison B Hanson

  She was beautiful, and she was still here.

  His heart filled with hope, despite his mind’s attempts to protect himself.

  Pudge ran up to greet her, and she smiled and rubbed him behind the ears.

  “You’re outside,” Colton said as he walked closer.

  “I needed some fresh air and sunshine. If the feds swoop in and take me because I am out here, then so be it. It was worth it.”

  It was a perfect morning. It was still cool, but the sun made it comfortable. The sky was cloudless and bright blue.

  “Did you think I left?” she asked as she raised her hand to block the sun from her eyes.

  He decided to be honest. With a shrug he nodded. “Not at first, but then when you weren’t in your usual spot, I became…concerned.”

  “Concerned.” She raised her brow, then frowned. “What you should be concerned about is that I’m still here putting you in danger.”

  This again. He rolled his eyes and sat next to her, making her move her laptop out of the way.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” It was the truth, and not just because of the amazing sex, but for the sorely missed excitement she’d brought back into his life. “I’m going to go get us some breakfast. Do you have a request?”

  She shook her head and opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

  “You’d better be here when I get back, or I’m eating your cinnamon roll.” He pointed at her to emphasize his words as he turned to go back to the house.

  He knew the tough guy routine wouldn’t work, but he made himself get in the truck and head into town to pick up breakfast. He’d seen something in her eyes that made it a little easier to leave.

  Whatever it was he thought he’d seen, he knew she’d still be there when he got back. Some kind of affection? Or maybe she was just hungry.

  While he didn’t race to the café, he might have picked up the pace on the way back.

  She was back in her usual place at the coffee table when he returned.

  “What are you doing?” he asked as he dropped the bags with the breakfast pastries and a new box of condoms on the counter. “You have a devious smile. That’s either really good or really bad.”

  “I’m tired of waiting for this Jim person to make a move—assuming he’s the one with the stolen hardware. And I haven’t found a link to Redgamer3. So I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.”

  Oh, hell. That didn’t sound good.

  “How so?”

  “I’m pushing him into a corner.”

  “Ah.” He poured a cup of coffee, carrying it over to top hers off. He put their breakfast on plates and went to sit with her, knowing she was too busy to come to the table to eat.

  “Tell me about this corner. And please use real people words.”

  “I’ve been using Noah’s email to contact other tech firms, telling them what his brother developed, and how it was stolen. And if anyone buys it and tries to use it, they will be an accessory to murder.”

  “Have you ever tried meditation to help you sleep?” he asked instead of addressing her announcement. The woman was wound too tight.

  “I’m trapping the killer.”

  He watched as she sucked sticky sweetness from her thumb. His cock twitched, and for a moment, he forgot what they were talking about.

  “He won’t be able to sell the prototype, which means it will be worthless to him. He’ll have two options. Sell it to Noah, or kill Noah to shut him up. Either way, he’ll make a move, and I can grab him.”

  That brought Colton back from his lust-induced state. “You mean we can grab him.”

  “No. Not we. Me. Alone.”

  Colton laughed until he realized she wasn’t joking. “You honestly think you were going to tell me this plan and I was going to say, what? Good luck? Hope it works out? Are we going to exchange Christmas cards?”

  “You can’t get involved.” This was said with dead seriousness. She actually thought she could make him stay behind while she faced a murderer alone. Fuck the whole woman equality thing. He knew she was strong and capable. This wasn’t about him thinking she couldn’t handle herself, or him having a caveman complex.

  This was about protecting himself as much as her. If something happened to her, he wouldn’t survive it. He couldn’t sit there while she faced this alone.

  He couldn’t.

  But he also knew he wouldn’t be able to force her to relent if she was adamant in her decision. He’d have to reason with her.

  And if that didn’t work, he’d beg.

  “Wait a second. Originally, the plan was that I would help.”

  She put up a hand to stop him. “I know. But you’re safe here, Colton. I can’t risk you getting hurt or having your cover exposed to help me.”

  “Hold up.” He put his hands up in a stop gesture like hers. “Last year when you were protecting me, you insisted on walking in front of me every damn time we left a building. You were willing to risk your life for mine. But I’m not allowed the same courtesy? I’m not even allowed to help you?”

  “That’s right. It’s my job.”

  He could see by the way she set her hand on her hip, she actually thought this would work. It didn’t. Not even close. His plan to reason with her went to hell as anger took over.

  “This is ridiculous. You don’t even have a fucking job anymore. You’re a fugitive. Your only job is to hide out and not get arrested for murdering someone.”

  “But—” She wasn’t going to stop arguing. He would have to come up with a new plan.

  Giving up on words, he kissed her hard, hoping to communicate on a different level how important she was to him. When she was well and thoroughly kissed, he pulled away and looked down into her icy blue eyes, waiting for her to say something that would really make him lose his temper.

  To his surprise, she smiled. “You could have just said you’d like to come along,” she said.

  “That’s it.” He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Grabbing the bag with the condoms along the way, he took her back to the bedroom where he made love to her until she could only gasp and moan and not tell him he wasn’t coming with her.

  He wouldn’t let her leave him behind again.

  Not this time.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Angel was so spent she could barely move. The muscles in her legs—as well as other places—were still trembling. When Colton wanted to prove a point, he did a pretty thorough job of it.

  She might have protested when he’d picked her up caveman style and taken her back to his bed, except that’s where she’d wanted to go, and he had longer legs and walked faster.

  Then he’d stripped her down, kissing her with a desperation she knew was more than just sexual need. She’d scared him, and he was laying claim to her body, her heart, as well as her plan to catch a killer.

  When he slid into her, all her good intentions fell away. She couldn’t leave him. She wanted him too much.

  How could she walk away? Why didn’t she have the strength to do the right thing?

  She hadn’t been able to do it this morning. She knew it wouldn’t get any easier the longer she stayed with him. Even if it was for his own good. She was too selfish to leave. It didn’t help that he didn’t want her to go.

  Her thoughts broke into distracted fragments as pleasure ripped through her body. A surge of ecstasy wiped away any lingering doubts for the time being. There was no murder investigation or worries about her future. There was only this man, right now, in her arms.

  She gasped for air as he rolled to her side, his hand resting on her stomach in a possessive way she liked far too much.

  Eventually, their temporary bliss transitioned into reality. She let her head fall to the side so she could look at him as he kissed her shoulder.

  “We need to stop,” she said. It would be more difficult to make sense of their situation if they ended up in bed every time she didn’t agree with him.

  “I bought the
twenty-four-count box.”

  “Damn.”

  She couldn’t seem to help herself when it came to him. All her training and self-control went to hell whenever he kissed her.

  And somehow, it was even better than it had been a year ago. Maybe because she’d had a year to think about how great they were together. A year of missing him.

  “Promise me you’ll stick around long enough to use up the box,” he whispered as he looked up at her with those stormy eyes.

  She wanted nothing more but to make that promise and a million more. To wrap her arms around him and never let go.

  “You know I can’t promise anything. The SWAT team could be on the roof right now getting ready to rush in and take me off in cuffs,” she said, making light of the tense moment.

  “They’re not on the roof. Pudge would be barking.”

  “Maybe they came up with some kind of spray that keeps dogs from smelling them.” She wasn’t willing to give up yet.

  “Wouldn’t we hear them up there? Four two-hundred-pound men just strolling around on the roof?”

  “Okay. So maybe they’re not on the roof. Maybe they’re in one of those armored cars and they’re headed up the street, ready to crash into your house.”

  His brow rose. “It seems excessive for just you.”

  “But I’m The Mantis.”

  They laughed together and she realized she had never felt happier in her life. She felt at home here with him, even if she didn’t have a solid understanding of what home was supposed to feel like.

  “Am I allowed to call you—”

  “No. Only I can use that name.”

  Silence fell when the laughing died down. “Promise me you won’t leave unless you have to.” This was a different request, entirely. One she couldn’t hide from.

  She kissed his neck before moving to his chin, then his lips. Soon enough, he was moving on top of her, his request forgotten for the moment.

  God, she wanted to promise to stay. Her life with him was so peaceful.

  Until Pudge started barking.

  “Hell. If that’s the SWAT team, I’m going to be really pissed off.” He rolled off the bed and tossed her a shirt. “Go hide.”

  She tilted her head to listen. No footsteps on the roof. She hurried to the front windows to look out. The man in the SUV was almost to the front door when she recognized him.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Colton didn’t know what was going on, but Angel opened the front door and practically threw herself at their visitor before dragging him inside.

  Not only was it not a great idea for her to be exposed to people driving by, Colton didn’t like the way she smiled at the man while wearing nothing more than one of his T-shirts and her panties. She’d just jumped out his bed after making love, and now she was excited to see this guy.

  Except Colton knew the man. Deputy Marshal Justin Marks. His handler.

  Justin was the deputy who’d taken over for Angel after she left his detail.

  “Angel? What the hell are you doing here?” the man asked, looking between her and Colton in total confusion. Then he took in her ensemble and sniffed with a frown. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

  Now she was the one who looked confused. “But if you didn’t know I was here, why did you come?” she asked, her words slowing as if putting it together as she spoke.

  She turned in Colton’s direction at the same time Justin looked at him.

  Colton’s blood ran cold at the worried expression on both their faces.

  Justin let out a breath before dropping the bomb. “I’m here to speak to Colton. It’s about Viktor Kulakov.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  When Justin was seated, and Angel had changed into real clothes, she sat next to Colton and took his hand, ready to support him as he’d done for her so many times through her ordeal.

  “He knows?” Colton asked. Two words that needed no explanation. She and Justin both knew what he was asking.

  “DEA hasn’t been able to get another agent into his circle as deep as you were. Viktor’s been very cautious. They did have another agent in at a much lower level. He’s been there since before you were taken out.”

  It wasn’t unusual to have an overlap. It wasn’t even that strange that Colton wouldn’t have known about the other agent. It would be easier to play his part if he wasn’t looking out for someone else.

  “Is the other agent still in?” Angel asked.

  “No. His body was found a few days ago. From the looks of it, he’d been tortured.”

  The only reason Justin would be sitting on Colton’s sofa telling them this story was if this story had something to do with Colton. She tensed in preparation for bad news.

  She wanted to reach for her laptop and look up the file herself. She still had access into the federal network. Through a roundabout way.

  “Did the other agent know me?” Colton asked.

  “He didn’t know who you were, but he might have known you were planning to testify.” Justin clamped his jaw. “People can’t keep their fucking mouths shut, and people end up hurt.”

  “And Viktor knows the only way I’d be able to testify was if I hadn’t been killed when Weller shot me.”

  “Correct.”

  “So Viktor knows Colton’s alive.” She was the one to say it out loud. They all knew, of course, but it needed spoken.

  “There’s been some activity in your cover file,” Justin said, then turned his gaze to Angel. “The DEA did a damn good job of encrypting those files. Kulakov doesn’t have anyone good enough to get through. But he’s been looking. Maybe you’ll want to—”

  “Yes. I’ll make sure they’re impenetrable.” She reached for her laptop. This was too important to wait.

  “My family,” Colton whispered as his face went pale. She reached out and squeezed his hand.

  “I’ll make sure your real information is locked up. We can pile on more layers of protection if we need to. We’ll keep your family safe.” She would make damn sure of it.

  “The DEA is also working on it.” Justin turned to Colton. “I just wanted to make sure you are aware of what’s going on. I didn’t want any link from our office to your new identity, which is why I came in person.” He looked over at Angel again. “I don’t need to tell either one of you how important it is for you to keep a low profile right now.”

  Meaning, if Colton’s face was spread across the news as her accomplice, he wouldn’t make it to any trial.

  “If my profile gets any lower, I really will be dead,” Colton grumbled.

  “We have multiple plans in place. If we think he’s too close to figuring out your real identity, we can have every one of your family members to safety within an hour.”

  No doubt Justin thought an hour was impressively quick, but Angel knew a lot could happen to a person in an hour. From the frown on Colton’s face, it was clear he didn’t think an hour was good enough, either.

  “They’ll keep putting up more walls of protection as fast as he tears them down. I know moving your family isn’t ideal, but if it’s the only way, we won’t hesitate to do whatever’s necessary to protect them.”

  Colton nodded and let out a breath. “Thank you.”

  Angel had already launched her bore program to locate any fragments of information regarding Colton’s real identity. It would take a little while to run.

  Justin stood to leave. “I’ll stay in touch. If it looks like he’s on your trail, we’re ready to move you again, too. Stay alert.”

  “We’ve been on alert for the last few weeks,” Colton said.

  Justin glanced over at Angel with a look of annoyance. “Right.” He pointed to the back door. “Angel? Can I talk to you for a moment in private?”

  “Yeah.” She bit her lip as she followed him out to the backyard. She had a pretty good idea what he was going to say, and she had no defense. Justin was a huge guy. The only way she’d ever been able
to best him physically was when she’d figured out he was ticklish.

  He spun on her as soon as they were out of the house. “What are you thinking?”

  “I needed a place to stay, with someone I could trust.” This was reasonable, but she knew Justin—being Colton’s handler—wouldn’t care about what she needed. His job was to make sure Colton didn’t get exposed.

  “And there wasn’t anyone else that fit that description? You had to come here and wreck this guy’s life again?” He crossed his arms over his immense chest and stared down at her.

  Ouch.

  “I’m not wrecking his life,” she snapped, though she knew that was a lie. She’d known it since the night she first showed up on his back porch.

  But she didn’t need Justin’s attitude.

  “You weren’t there, remember?” he said. “I was. I was the one sleeping on his sofa the morning he came out expecting to find you. The morning after you ran off and didn’t even leave the guy a fucking note. I’m the one who saw that, and couldn’t do a damn thing. I don’t like to get sucked into the emotional shit, but that guy was broken when you left.”

  She swallowed, and opened her mouth to say something, but what was there to say? It was all true. She’d hurt Colton in the worst way, and she was in a situation to do it again, at any moment.

  “You and I don’t get to have this, Angel.” He ran his hand over his buzzed hair. “We knew when we signed up we were giving up our families, and a chance at a normal life. I tried to have both, but it doesn’t work. Not for those of us in Phoenix.”

  Justin had taken on the role of big brother for the entire team. He was always giving them advice and sharing his wisdom. It might have been annoying if it wasn’t so heartfelt and sincere. And usually right on target.

  “When I signed up, I didn’t have a family to give up,” she said. “But now…” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence.

  “There is no good way out of this for Colton. Whether you get picked up, or you go back home, he’s still stuck here without you.”