He slid inside her, slow and easy, not rushing the moment, but allowing them both to revel in the feeling of being joined as one. Nothing made Mia more aware of her the depths of her feelings for him than the way he managed to worship her body. He seemed to be in tune with her wants and desires almost more than she was, knowing when she craved him hard and fast.
Or when she needed him to be slow, sensual, and caring. When she felt vulnerable and fragile and the only way to calm her anxiety was to make love to her as if she might crack and shatter to a thousand pieces if pushed too hard. The emotions swirled and swelled inside her, rising to a fever pitch and sending her over the edge, and crying out Ben’s name.
His body convulsed and then went rigid as he pushed into her hard one final time. “Ahhh, god, Mia.” He dropped his forehead against hers and took a few deep breaths before kissing her. Rolling onto his side, he gathered her in his arms, and pulled her tight against him. She loved how his arms made her feel safe even when she was completely exposed and vulnerable.
“I will never hurt you, Mia,” he whispered, his breath labored and husky. “You are my world.”
She buried her head into the crook of his neck, her hand flat against his chest, the beating of his heart pounding against her palm.
“My own, Mia.”
Chapter Twelve
Riley pulled her buzzing cell phone out of her pocket and glanced at the screen. Her eyes narrowed as she read whatever message she received. She handed the phone to Lance. His eyebrows shot up, and he passed it to Ben. The message was from Flaherty:
Van found abandoned in a shopping center parking lot in Norfolk. No one inside. Wiped clean. Trying to get video from security cameras.
“I’m guessing Letz is getting the bogey-dope on the call he just received,” Ben said, placing the cell phone in Riley’s outstretched hand.
Lance nodded. “It’ll be interesting to see if he shares that info with us.”
They both looked at Riley for a response, but her gaze was fixed on the Truxton’s.
“Mr. Truxton,” Riley addressed the man, “where is your son?”
“He has nothing to do with this,” Truxton responded, his face a deep red.
Riley took a step towards the couch. “I didn’t ask you that—I asked where he is?”
“He’s on vacation with his girlfriend,” Mrs. Truxton answered.
“And what is her name?”
Mrs. Truxton cleared her throat. “Belinda Reeves.”
“They have nothing to do with anything that happened in DC,” Truxton reiterated a little more forcefully.
“When was the last time you saw your son?” Lance asked.
“He came by the house to let us know he was going away with Belinda for a little while,” Truxton said with a grumble.
“And he can just do that?” Riley asked. “Leave for an undisclosed amount of time? Doesn’t that interfere with his job?”
Truxton sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “My son is not quite cut out for corporate life, Ms. Bray.”
Riley nodded. “Do you have any business dealings with Russia?”
Truxton’s head flinched back as if he had been slapped across the face. The sudden change in the line of questioning had knocked him off balance, which Ben was sure was Riley’s objective. “No, nothing.”
“Ever heard of the Russian Revolutionary Army?”
Truxton pursed his lips. “Only what I’ve seen on the news lately.” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowed and laser-pointed on Riley. Ben noticed Lance stiffen in response, as if responding to a perceived attack on Riley. “I’m not sure I like where this is going. What exactly are you insinuating, Ms. Bray?”
“Not insinuating anything. I’m simply asking you questions.” She smiled at the man. “Your son—his name is also Russell?”
Truxton shifted toward his wife, turning his body inward and away from Riley. “He goes by his middle name.”
“And what would that be?”
“Kevin,” Mrs. Truxton said.
Kevin…Kevin…
Ben mulled the name over in his head. Why did that name mean something to him?
The answer hit him with the force of a cat four hurricane.
“Holy shit.”
Every eye in the room was on him. Stepping closer to the Truxton’s, Ben stared straight at the older man. “Your son knows Mia, doesn’t he?”
The man’s face paled and he clamped his lips together.
Ben looked at Riley. “You said the son was recently released from prison on an aggravated assault charge.”
Riley nodded, her eyes narrowed and head cocked slightly to one side. “That’s correct.”
“Your son—” he spit out, poking his finger in the air toward the couple on the couch. —“kidnapped Mia and tortured her. Beat her so badly, she spent weeks in the hospital trying to recover.”
Riley’s eyes grew wide. Lance turned a deep, angry shade of red, his hands clenched at his sides.
“You don’t understand. He was not well then—he was severely depressed. Mia strung him along and dumped him.” Mrs. Truxton’s voice was a high squeal. “He lashed out in an inappropriate manner, that’s all.”
Ben felt his blood pressure rise to the point of eruption. “Inappropriate manner? He nearly killed her!”
“That’s over,” Mr. Truxton said. “He’s moved on—has a new girlfriend. Things are getting back on track.”
Ben shook his head in disbelief of their ability to turn a blind eye. He wanted to pound some sense into these people and their lackadaisical parenting ideals. “Your son has been sending threatening messages to Mia. I had to step in and explain to him that it was in his best interests to leave her alone—so tell me again how he’s moved on and is in a better place?”
Lance stepped up next to Ben and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ben needed to step back before he went postal on the Truxton’s and lost the ability to get any more information out of them about Kevin’s current location and where he was possibly holding Mia.
Riley was typing furiously on her phone. “Where did your son and his girlfriend go?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything more—” Truxton said, bolting up from the couch.
His wife grabbed his arm and he glanced down at her. “Tell them, Russ.”
Truxton let out a long, loud sigh, his shoulders dropped in defeat. “He said they were going to Florida.”
“What part?” Ben asked.
“He didn’t say.”
“And you didn’t ask,” Riley answered.
Truxton shook his head.
“We’ll be back in touch,” Riley said and walked toward the foyer. Lance followed her.
Ben stepped closer to Truxton and looked him straight in the eye. “If Kevin does anything to hurt Mia, I’ll kill him.”
A small cry came from Mrs. Truxton, but Ben ignored her, and leaned in closer to the old man. “Then I’m coming for you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Kevin rapped lightly on the bedroom door. “Mia?” He opened it not more than a sliver. The room was dark and quiet. Poking his head around the doorframe, he glanced at the bed. Mia was curled up into a ball on her side of the bed. He smiled. She still slept on the right side, as she always had when they were together.
His nerve ending tingled. Destiny was upon them. All the risks he had taken had been worth it. He had painstakingly planned every detail of their reunion. Dreamed of this moment. And now they were here…
Together.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he watched the slow inhale and exhale that made her chest rise and fall. The moonlight streaming in provided enough light for him to see the slight smile that graced her gorgeous, perfect lips. Lips he desperately wanted to kiss. That would need to come later. He wanted to see her eyes before their reunion was consummated. He imagined she would be surprised when she first realized that he had been the one to take her. But he knew, deep in his heart, that she would come around quickly,
and be happy he had saved her. And would soon forget the cock-sucking Navy SEAL.
Careful not to wake her, he stroked her hair, the soft tresses making his groin stir to life. No woman made him feel like Mia did. No woman woke the animal in him the way she did—that instinct to protect. To keep forever—the most treasured possession he had.
She sighed in her sleep at his touch. He dared to slide next to her on the bed. Just for a moment. Just long enough to feel her heat against his skin. He wouldn’t take it any further than that. He didn’t want his identity known just yet. He had other things he had to take care of first. One thing—one person—in particular, needed to meet their intended fate. That needed to happen before Mia realized who he was and what he intended to do.
A breeze blew in, the briny scent of the ocean mixing with the sweetness that was all Mia. Bringing her to the island had been a brilliant idea. Her dark red hair would compete with the brightness of the sun. Her body adorned with the indigenous flowers would only enhance her beauty. The wind coming off the ocean would carry the sound of her laughter across the entire island. The sweetest melody. All for him.
Mia rolled over, placed her head against his chest, and draped her arm across his midsection. Kevin slowly wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tight against his body. His body was on fire, his mind reeled from the spontaneity of the moment. She was doing this of her own accord. No prodding from him.
He had been right, all along. Even when his parents had admonished him for loving Mia. Through the months of therapy where the shrinks encouraged him to let go of the fantasy that Mia loved him in return. He had done what he had to do to make sure they believed he was over her. But he would never be able to get her out of his system. And her embrace was all the proof he needed that she knew the same truth.
She wanted him—wanted his strength. Wanted his arms around her to comfort her. And love her. She was his. Always had been. Always would be.
A small, satisfied moan escaped from her lips. “I love you, Ben.”
Bright white flashes of light behind his eyes nearly blinded him. He clamped his eyes shut. A rush of rage flooded his vision. How could she do this to him? How could she ruin this perfect moment by mentioning that piece of shit who had tried to keep them apart? Had she really fallen for the SEAL’s lies?
Shoving her away from him, he jumped out of the bed. She lay in the middle of the bed on her back. Her eyes popped open, her gaze darting around the room. “Where am I?”
He slammed his fist into face, the long bone of her jaw pressed momentarily against his closed fingers before flying to the side. Either by force, or surprise, she rolled away from him. That just pissed him off more. He climbed on top of her, forced her onto her back and grasped her wrists in one hand. Lifting them over her head while she squirmed, he swung his free arm back. His fist struck her in the side. The crunch of ribs and the air bursting from her lungs was so satisfying. He reveled in her gasps as she fought to catch her breath.
He should just take her now. Teach her who was the better man. Remind her that he was the one who owned her body. It would be so easy to rip her clothes from her body. Use her to until she was broken. Warn her about what happens when she displeases him.
He wanted to…but he needed to win her over first. To win her back from the demon who had stolen her heart and lied to her about how she deserved better. He snorted, as if that could ever be true. No one was better for Mia than Kevin.
No one.
His fingers tightened around her neck just under the shock collar. She bucked against him. Leaning over, he placed his lips next to her ear.
“You are mine, my own sweet Mia.”
Pushing off of her, he took in a deep breath and held it. He counted to five and let it slowly slip out of his lungs. He had to keep a cool head. The SEAL had brainwashed her, and she would need time to recover.
The situation was worse than he had predicted. How could the bitch be so weak as to allow another man to turn her against him? Kevin stood and stalked to the door, slamming it shut behind him.
Chapter Fourteen
“The Truxton’s own a yacht moored at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club on Snell Island,” Riley said over the speakerphone as Lance raced down I-275 in Tampa, Florida. Riley had met up with Flaherty in DC and the two had returned to Newport to manage Mia’s rescue operation from there. “I’ll forward coordinates to your cell.”
“Anything come from the video surveillance from where the van was left?” Lance asked.
“Yes, it shows a man leaving the van and locking it,” Riley answered. “He gets into a car—Flaherty ran the tags and it came back as an Uber.”
“What did the guy look like?” Ben asked. Not that he had a clue as to what Kevin looked like. “Was Mia with him?”
“No, he was alone. It was hard to see him. He must have scoped out the cameras while he was waiting for the Uber, because he managed to keep his back to the camera—not that it mattered much. The footage is not the best. The camera is too far away to really see much.”
“So where was Mia during all of this?” Lance asked. “Are we sure she is with him?”
“Forty-five minutes later, a 2018 Lexus RC Sports coupe registered to Kevin Truxton, pulls up next to the van. The driver carried a woman from the van to the passenger seat of the car.”
“Carried her?” Ben’s heart pounded in his chest, blood roared in his ears. The bastard had better not hurt Mia.
“I’m assuming he drugged her, that’s why he felt comfortable leaving her in the vehicle for so long while he went to get his car,” Riley said.
“Okay, I’m turning into the Yacht Club,” Lance said. “What info do have on the yacht.”
“It’s a Leopard 32—I’ll forward a photo of what it looks like. The name is ‘Building a Dream’. Registered to Russell Truxton.”
“Roger,” Lance said and pulled into a parking spot by the docks. “I’ll keep you abreast of what we find.”
He turned off the car and both men stepped out into the bright sunlight. Ben looked around at the vehicles in the parking lot. It didn’t take long to find the black Lexus with Virginia plates. They had been there.
But were they still there? Ben’s stomach fluttered with anticipation. Was he moments away from finding Mia?
Lance’s phone beeped with an incoming text. He looked at the screen then turned it for Ben to see. A large boat with a SATCOM antenna filled the screen.
Lance pointed down a dock on the left. “I’ll take this side.”
Ben nodded and started down the dock to the right. Approximately twenty boats were lined up on both sides of the dock. Ben’s head swiveled back and forth, reading the names of the yachts painted on the back of each. At the end of the dock, he found the boat he was looking for. He sent a quick text to Lance letting him know he found the yacht and moved in closer. It didn’t appear to have anyone on board. The rear doors to the cabin were closed. No lights appeared to be on inside.
Ben stepped back and glanced at the bridge. He couldn’t see anyone there, either. He reached for the ladder on the port side and thought about taking a quick look aboard.
“Is that your boat?” a small voice asked behind him.
Ben turned to see the girl from the end of the dock looking up at him.
“No, it belongs to someone I know. Do you come here often?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, my grandpa works here,” she turned and pointed toward a dock house. “He takes care of all the boats. Why are you here?”
Ben took his phone from his pocket and pulled up a picture of Mia. “I’m actually looking for this woman,” Ben said. “Have you seen her?”
The girl scrunched up her face as she looked at the small screen. “Yes, she was with the mean man.”
Ben’s pulse quickened, his mouth suddenly dry. “You saw her? With a man?”
The little girl nodded.
“Where did they go?”
The girl shrugged. “I don’t know. The man scarred me, s
o I run into the restaurant to hide.”
“How did he scare you?” Ben tamped down his impatience as he wormed information from the child.
“When the girl got out of the car and ran away from him, he yelled at her, and told her he would hurt me if she didn’t go with him.”
Every muscle in Ben’s body tensed. The bastard had not only threatened Mia’s life, but also the life of a child. Ben hoped to hell he got the chance to beat the ever-living fuck out of the piece of shit. He clenched his jaw, barely able to speak. “And she left with him?”
The girl nodded.
An elderly man, tanned weather-worn face, and narrowed eyes walked up to them “Can I help you?”
The little girl stood next to the man and slipped her hand into his. “This is my grandpa.”
“Yes, sir, I’m looking for Kevin Truxton,” he said. “Have you seen him?”
“Not in some time,” the man responded. “What do you want with him?”
Ben showed him the picture of Mia. “I believe she is with Kevin.”
The man looked at the photo. “She was here, but not with Truxton. She was with another man.”
“Who?” Ben asked, his mind racing to figure out who Mia had been with if not Truxton.
“I have his name back in the shack,” he said, throwing his thumb over his shoulder toward the boathouse. “Chartered a boat for a couple of days. I’m expecting them back tomorrow.”
Lance met up with Ben at the boathouse. While the man was looking through the computer for the name of the man with Mia, Ben stepped away and filled Lance in on what he had learned.
“Name is Jamie Lannister, from Washington DC,” the elderly man called out from the other side of the room.
“I’ll call Riley and see what she comes up with on Mr. Lannister,” Lance said.
“I’ll be shocked if she finds anything more than he is a character from Game of Thrones,” Ben answered. He glanced at the man and said, “thanks for your help,” and followed Lance out the door.
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