For Passion

by Jeannette Winters

  Ellie didn’t bother arguing. She’d learned Turchettas were stubborn. Melissa was the female version, that’s all. She looked around one more time, trying to see if anyone on the so-called team was more visible. Still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Whatever that is.

  Getting up, she shook the sand out of the blanket before laying it back down. The last thing she wanted was to go back into the house, especially if she was alone.

  Before meeting Josh, Ellie never really noticed the difference. She used to be so comfortable in her own space and thoughts. But she’d never had so much on her mind either. It was her own thoughts she couldn’t outrun. After the chat with Melissa, she was more torn than she’d been before.

  Dropping down on the blanket, she smoothed out her white dress and lay back. She knew this quiet time wasn’t going to last long. She had a shop to run, and it was opening Tuesday with or without Josh’s permission. It’s my tomorrow, and I’m not giving up on it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Did he talk?” Josh asked Rafe.

  “Barry Night clammed up tight. But Gabe has been doing some digging into the guy’s background. He’s definitely guilty and won’t see the light of day.”

  “But . . .” Josh knew there was one; lately there always seemed to be a but.

  “His request to be put in a high security cell is a flag.”

  “You think he’s worried someone wants revenge on him?”

  Rafe said, “It could be that, or like Parker, he is yet another boss in what seems to be an endless chain.”

  That wasn’t what Josh wanted to hear, but he’d always known it was a possibility. There was always someone else. They’d learned that lesson years ago when fighting overseas. It never seemed to end, yet that didn’t mean you gave up the fight, and you sure as hell don’t just give up.

  “Do you think there is still a viable threat?” Josh asked.

  “Not for us. At least not any more than usual. Everything has been turned over to the FBI; I see no reason he would go for Ellie or Vanessa at this point.”

  Good. “Keep your ears to the ground on this. Let me know if anything changes.”

  Josh and Rafe had Gabe pull more information on Vino. Find out why a guy who had such a nice family turned into such a piece of shit, a murderer. It didn’t take long to find out. He’d been picked up on a “possession of marijuana with the intent to sell” charge. But before he saw any prison time, an agent from the FBI had intervened. Carlos Mabe. Mabe got the charge dropped by holding a deal over Vino’s head. Vino probably had no idea what price he would pay by accepting it. Probably everything you love. The pieces were coming together, but still more left unanswered.

  “Will do. Have you made it back to Newport yet?” Rafe asked.

  “The lighthouse is in view.”

  Rafe asked, “What are you going to tell her?”

  That was very simple to answer. “The truth.”

  “Good luck.”

  Sadly, he knew he needed it. Josh hadn’t spoken to Ellie since he’d abruptly left her after asking her to come away with him. He was a total ass. He knew that even before laying eyes on her. Apologizing for such behavior wasn’t his MO. At least not usually. But Ellie deserved more than that. He would do his best to explain, then answer any and all of her questions. With any luck, she’ll be receptive to what he had to say.

  Josh had given Melissa the heads-up that he was arriving. She’d told him exactly where to find Ellie. He’d been glad to hear she was out enjoying the beach. The woman worked non-stop. He was impressed by her drive, but everyone needed to take a break now and then. Especially after all she’s been through.

  As the chopper passed the lighthouse, he saw people, as usual, walking along the breakers. Melissa had told him Ellie was soaking in the sun almost directly in front of the beach house. That was good. Even though the danger no longer existed, Ellie hadn’t been informed of that.

  “Renzo, you’re clear. Thanks for keeping an eye on her,” Josh said as the chopper landed in a vacant parking lot not far from the house.

  “You got it. Wish I could’ve been there when you interrogated Vino. I hear you were a badass.”

  “No. Just an ass. Give me a gun, or hand-to-hand combat, but that psychological shit isn’t for me.”

  “Not so sure about that. Chris said you played Vino until he crumbled.”

  He had, but he wasn’t proud of how he’d done it. Even now it bothered him using Vino’s daughter like that. Even though he knew he’d never endanger Amber or anyone else, Vino hadn’t known it. “One time deal. It’s not happening again.”

  “Yeah, we’ve been watching over your motivation,” Renzo said.

  Josh wasn’t sure where the hell that comment had come from. “We’re talking about Vino.”

  “I know. Or haven’t you noticed the connection between you meeting her and your sudden. . .change?” Josh didn’t respond so Renzo added, “Ellie seems really nice.”

  “She is.” Probably way too nice for the likes of me. He was never going to be the sit home type of guy. Like the Marine’s, Turchetta’s Promise was his calling. Ellie deserved someone who could be home with her every night.

  Josh ended the call as he turned the bend and went around the beach house. He saw her right away, lounging on a blanket. She looked comfortable so he hated to disturb her, but he missed her. Hopefully she missed me a bit too.

  When he got closer, he could hear her speaking. There wasn’t anyone around so he stopped and listened.

  “Three cups of all-purpose flour. Two cups of sugar. Four eggs.”

  “I think it works better if you’re actually in a kitchen.”

  Ellie sat up and looked at him. “How? When?”

  “Just now. I wanted . . . was hoping you wanted to see me.” Josh wasn’t one who stammered, but he knew he needed to choose his words wisely. This couldn’t be about what he wanted. If it was, she’d already be in his arms and he’d be carrying her to the house to make hot love to her.

  Still on the blanket, Ellie asked, “Why wouldn’t I want to see you? You were out there doing something very dangerous. I’m glad to see you’re unharmed.”

  Not the warm welcome he’d hoped for, but at least she wasn’t yelling and screaming at him for dumping her there. Most people dream of having a private oceanfront beach house, but Josh wasn’t sure what Ellie’s dreams encompassed outside of the shop. There was still so much to learn about each other. Was she going to like the real him?

  Being around her felt like the real Josh Turchetta. But normally he wasn’t so calm and laid back. Was it possible that she’d brought out a side of himself he’d kept buried? It hadn’t felt like acting. If anything, he’d been happy when he was with her.

  Josh said seriously, “I promised you answers. I’m here to give them.” She still didn’t ask. Instead she turned her head back to the ocean in front of her. “You’re angry. And you have every right to be. I should’ve told you from the beginning what was going on. But we, I, hoped we could contain the danger and you’d never be the wiser to it.”

  That got a response, but not what he’d been looking for. Within seconds she was standing, hands on her hips, snapping at him.

  “Is that what you were doing all that time? Containing me?”

  Raising his hands, he tried to backpedal. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “It’s not what you meant to say but definitely what you meant. I get it; you hated being stuck in my shop and playing nicey-nicey with my customers. And that night you fell asleep on my couch . . . was that intentional or—”

  “I wasn’t sleeping.” He’d promised himself he wouldn’t lie to her, but damn, the truth made him out to be a fucking asshole. He’d pound a guy for treating his sister like that. “Sorry, this is coming out all wrong.”

  “It sounds like it.” In a softer tone Ellie offered, “Would you like to try again?”

  Josh couldn’t rattle off facts like this was a debriefing after a mission. She
needed a lot more from him, and he wasn’t sure he could give it. It required emotions he never visited. He was about to make a complete fool of himself. At least he didn’t have anyone listening in on their conversation this time.

  “Let me start from the beginning.”

  Ellie nodded. “Usually a good place to start. And be sure not to leave anything out.”

  No matter how much she begged, there were things he wasn’t about to divulge or admit. Like what I did to Vino.

  “We had been working with Frank regarding a man the FBI was very interested in. Certain information was brought to our attention, which led to the arrest of a man called Anthony Parker.”

  “I remember seeing that on the news. He was wanted in conjunction with dozens of murders and was missing.”

  Josh figured she’d have followed it since Parker lived in New York City, not far from Yonkers.

  “We turned over the evidence the FBI needed and Frank made the arrest. He and the others were in the process of transporting Parker when their convoy was ambushed.”

  He saw Ellie close her eyes and said, “And Frank was killed.”

  “Yes.”

  Eyes staring into his, she was struggling to understand. “But I don’t understand why I was in danger. If Anthony Parker was dead, shouldn’t it have been over?”

  This was one of those times he wasn’t sure how much to tell her. “At first, we had all believed it was a rescue attempt. We quickly realized we were wrong.” He wasn’t going to tell her Gabe and Rafe had not just witnessed it, but recorded the incident via hacking into traffic cameras as well as security footage from local shops. “Parker hadn’t been accidentally hit in the crossfire. When they ambushed the convoy, it was to take him out.”

  “A hired hit,” Ellie said, eyes wide open. “And Frank was—”

  “Standing in the way of shutting Parker up for good. That’s when Rafe realized Parker was only another piece of one ugly puzzle.”

  “But that doesn’t answer why they would come after me.”

  “These bastards are sick. They don’t only hurt the one they were after, they go for the jugular and hurt the ones they loved too. It’s how they control the people who work for them.”

  “My brother never would’ve worked for them. He despised people like that.”

  “I know, but his old partner didn’t have the same morals Frank did. He sold Frank out. That’s how they got to Parker.”

  He could see the wheels turning as she tried to piece it all together. “How did you find that out when the FBI couldn’t?”

  Josh knew how much that list meant to Ellie. It was something she treasured as a last note from her brother. No way in hell was he going to tell her it never was meant for her. It had been meant for the Turchettas. Somehow they had missed it.

  “My brother Gabe is a computer genius. He was able to track things others had missed. That led us to the leak in the FBI and then to the man who was behind all this.” Not everything, but enough that you don’t have to worry any more.

  “That doesn’t explain why you . . . you pretended to be . . . Heck I don’t even know what you pretended to be. You never said what you did.”

  “I was sent to Yonkers to watch over you, make sure no harm came to you.”

  “You could’ve just told me that instead of . . . all this other crap.”

  “Let me address one thing first. I had been monitoring things in Yonkers shortly after Frank had been killed. The only reason you ever knew I was there was because they tried to run you over.”

  “You mean that wasn’t an accident?”

  “No, Ellie. You had gone back to Frank’s, and they wanted to make sure you didn’t find anything they may have missed.”

  “Oh my God. They really meant to kill me?”

  “Yes. They would do anything to keep from getting caught.”

  “How did you know about me? That I would need your help?”

  “Frank used to talk about you to Rafe. I guess they promised to look after each other’s family if anything ever happened. Unfortunately, something did.”

  “Yes it did. So you were in Yonkers because Rafe sent you.”

  “I was. And then I could’ve left, should’ve left, once you saw who I was.”

  “Why didn’t you?” Ellie asked, meeting him straight in the eyes.

  That was the get-real moment he’d been dreading. He wasn’t sure what to say. Those type of words didn’t flow easily for him. Reaching out, he took her hand in his and tried not to think, just feel. Fuck, I have no idea what to say.

  “I couldn’t leave you. You might not have realized you needed me, but you did. What I wasn’t expecting was to find out I needed you too.”

  “You stayed because?”

  “Any one of the team could’ve done it, but I didn’t want anyone there but me. The time we spent together . . . that wasn’t part of the job. I was there because there wasn’t any place I’d rather be.” Just like now.

  “You are a . . . complex man. I can’t seem to figure you out.”

  Josh smiled down at her. “Consider me one of your toughest ingredients to work with.”

  Ellie stepped closer. Her honey-brown eyes and long lashes melted him. “No work required. You’re already the perfect combination of spice and sweet just as you are.”

  “No one’s ever accused me of being sweet.”

  “Good. I don’t mind if you save that side of you just for me.”

  “Ellie, I don’t know where this is going, but I hope you know . . . everything I did . . . it was because I . . . care very deeply about you.” Care was only a piece of what he felt for her. Love? Yes. He loved her. Those words had never entered his mind, let alone crossed his lips before. They would come when the time was right.

  “I know that. And I don’t want to live in yesterday. You’re here with me now, and I believe you invited me to Rhode Island so we could spend some alone time together, to get to know each other better.”

  “I did. So what would you like to do first? See the mansions? Take in a play? Go see the breakers?” Josh hadn’t planned anything. He hadn’t been sure how their conversation would go.

  Ellie reached out, wrapped her hands around Josh’s neck and said, “I have a strange feeling your sister isn’t returning. What do you say we just stay in today? Just you, me, and . . . this.”

  Even on her tippy toes, Ellie couldn’t reach his lips. So he bent and claimed her. His body tensed with the contact. The taste of her lips made him hungry for much more. When she moaned against his lips, he knew he needed to stop this.

  With her still held close to him, he broke the kiss and said, “Ellie, I thought you wanted to talk, to get the answers you were looking for? If you kiss me like that, I’m not sure I’ll remember my name.”

  “Josh, I did have a lot of questions, and you answered most of them. I guess there’s only one left to answer.”

  “What is that, honey?”

  “Is this real? What is happening between us, I mean. Because I couldn’t—”

  “Ellie, this is the most real thing I’ve felt in a long time. I can’t put it in words. What I feel for you, I’ve never experienced before.”

  “I feel the same way, Josh. But I’m not looking for a casual affair. That’s not the woman I am.”

  “That’s not the woman I want either.” Not any more, at least. Something in him had changed. “It’s as though you’re the secret ingredient I’ve been missing. I know it sounds corny, but that’s how you make me feel.”

  Ellie’s eyes glistened and she said, “Not corny at all. Very romantic. And exactly how I feel too.”

  Josh didn’t want to finish this conversation on the beach where there was a risk of someone passing by. As he bent and scooped her into his arms, a chopper flew overhead, most likely with Renzo and the others. Josh didn’t need them or the chopper. Not for what he wanted to do right now.

  While he carried her back to the beach house, Josh teased, asking, “You don’t happen to
have any of those Broccolicous cupcakes do you?”

  “I thought you didn’t like broccoli,” Ellie responded.

  “I don’t, but I thoroughly enjoyed licking it off you.” Ellie’s cheeks turned beet red.

  “I would offer to whip up a batch, but I’m sure there are other things we can do to occupy our time alone.”

  Oh yes there are. And they are all so tasty.

  * * *

  She’d been lying on the blanket, dreaming of Josh. How the chopper would hover high in the sky above her as Josh rappelled down the rope into her waiting arms. He’d tell her she was the moon and the stars and how he couldn’t stand being away from her another moment. Then he’d pull her into a never-ending embrace.

  It had sounded like the perfect scenario, until he’d snuck up from behind. There wasn’t any cheesy professing of undying love. Instead he did what he’d promised and told her what had happened. Once he started explaining, all the things she thought she wanted to know didn’t matter so much. Ellie was only glad he had come back safely.

  He’d been sent to protect her, yet she was worried more about him than herself. The voice in the back of her head told her she was falling in love.

  She easily could’ve walked up the beach on her own, but being in Josh’s arms wasn’t something she wanted to end. Heck, if he wouldn’t have broken that kiss when he did, she would have been tempted to try to pull him down on the blanket. Not that she could budge him, but coax maybe.

  Once inside the house, Josh stopped dead in his tracks as though he wasn’t sure where to go. It was kind of sweet that this giant tough guy still was unsure if he should make a move. You damn well better or I will. Her body was aching for his touch.

  Not saying a word, she ran her hands through the back of his hair and nipped his earlobe. That was all the encouragement Josh needed. He headed right to the bedroom, but not the one she had used last night. When he kicked the door open she realized this was definitely a man’s room.

  “Is this—?”

  “My room?” Josh answered. She nodded. “Yes. This is my house. One of them. I also have an apartment in Newport.”