by Tina Saxon
“I heard a story once,” Rex starts and I glance up from the file. “A guy was breaking into apartments by starting at one end and cutting through the drywall to get into the next apartment. I think his record was ten apartments.”
“That’s fucking commitment,” Hudson states in surprise. “It’s difficult and loud to cut a hole in a wall, with studs and all.”
“But doable. Especially if you know someone isn’t home. They don’t have to rush,” I say, already pulling up Stone’s number to send him a text. It makes sense considering Hudson checked the apartment. They probably had something covering the hole that didn’t seem out of place.
Me: Find out the lessee to the units behind and to the side of Syd
Stone: On it
We park around her building until we figure out a plan. I instruct Stone to stay put and keep watch after he gets the info we need. He tried to snap a picture, but his phone wasn’t quick enough. All we got was that she was a tall brunette.
I open the blueprints again, pointing to the unit behind Sydney’s. “Okay, this unit is empty so we’ll go through that one and see if that’s how they got in. Kase, I want you to fly Red Robin when Rex and I get in. Rex, can you open the sliding glass door quietly?” He gives me an incredulous glare. That’s what I was counting on. “Tell Hudson what you need, we might already have it.” The two guys get out of the SUV and open up the hatch in the back. “Kase, fly in front of Sydney’s unit first and count bodies.”
“Got it. You sure you can count on your brother? I mean, I could easily open it up too,” he whispers.
I slap him on the back and nod. “I know. But Hudson won’t touch Red Robin, afraid to crash it and Stone has to stay where he is. I need you to be our eyes.”
The guys come around and Hudson hands us our earpieces. “Hudson get as close to Syd’s door as you can, just in case they come out that way.” He nods, checks his gun and runs off.
My phone rings and my finger is over the answer button expecting it to be Stone. I pause when I notice it’s not him.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
Rex glances at it and smirks. “Tell ‘em I said hi.”
I answer. “Aiden.”
“If I wasn’t a couple thousand miles away, I’d kick your ass right now,” he growls.
“Now’s not the time, brother.” I lift my chin to Kase, directing him to get in place.
“I need you to tell me you’re in the right state of mind to be going in there.”
“Remind me to fire Stone.” I pace in front of the vehicle, staring up at the scattered clouds. “I’m in control. Can’t say I was an hour ago, but I am now.”
He sighs. “Don’t be mad at Stone. He’s worried about you and so am I. If you don’t report back in an hour, I’m sending in a unit. Starting now.” I’m not surprised to hear the beep of the timer in the background.
“I’ll get her, or I’ll die trying.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. Stay safe, Max.”
We hang up, and I tug on Rex that it’s time. “We have an hour before the Feds come,” I say into the mic.
“There are three bodies. One is laying on the floor not moving, two are sitting across from each other.” Icy fear works its way up my extremities, slicing my heart. If they hurt Sydney, no one will leave there alive. Thankfully, they still have a heat stamp, so the person lying on the floor is still warm. And alive, for now. I blow out a ragged breath, calming my racing pulse. I point to Rex and he climbs the first floor rail outside the patio and continues to the second floor. As soon as he clears it, I follow. Pure adrenaline pushes me up.
We wait on both sides of the door for the all clear from Kase. Once given, Rex does as he promised and we’re in the apartment within a couple minutes. The dark stale apartment is empty, except a few things on top of the kitchen counter. I flash my light on them. Alongside the food is a tiny empty vial. I pick it up and smell it, but it’s odorless. There’s a drop of white milky substance at the bottom. A nauseated dread burns my throat, suspicion on the drug and the effects means whoever is on the floor, won’t be alive for much longer.
Kase updates us that the people are in the living room. I motion to Rex that we’re moving. Sure enough, there’s a four by four hole in the wall. Nothing should surprise me, but this does. We stand on each side and listen. The only voice I pick up is a woman’s, and it’s faint so she’s not in the bedroom. I hold up three fingers and count down.
Crawling through the space, I lead with my gun drawn. When a muffled scream comes from the other room, I don’t wait for Rex.
“You bitch! You’ll drink this if it’s the last thing I do!” the woman seethes.
Running into the room, I see the woman straddling Sydney, holding a cup of something over her face. Sydney’s struggles help me slip into the room undetected and I tackle the woman, slamming her to the ground.
We both scream as the liquid splashes on my arm and on her. Adrenaline masks the pain as I pin her down and handcuff her. Her piercing screams hurt my ears. When I turn her over, her face is bubbling from the burns. I jerk my head in Sydney’s direction, afraid the woman poured some acid on her. Rex is busy unknotting her gag.
“Max,” she immediately screams. As soon as Rex has her all untied, she shoots out of the chair and I hold up my hand to stop her. “Max, you got that stuff on your arm.”
“Cover your mouth and nose. Both of you get out,” I demand, pulling my shirt over my nose, not knowing the exact acid used. I do a quick scan of her body. Thank god she seems fine.
“Not without you,” Sydney argues.
“Woman,” I grate out. “Now is not the time to argue.” I motion for Rex to get them out. Sirens sound in the background. Sydney stares at me and Rex pulls her to the front door.
“I will throw you over my shoulder,” he bites out as she fights him. She turns her icy glare to Rex, looking him up and down. “You’re a tiny thing, don’t think I can’t.”
She huffs, but ends up running outside with him. Within a matter of minutes, men in hazmat suits storm the room. I brief them on what happened and one of them leads me to the kitchen. We have to step over Brett to get there. I don’t even know if he’s still breathing. I don’t care. It irritates the fuck out of me that we weren’t able to catch him sooner. The woman looks familiar, too. I search my memory for where I’ve seen her. I sigh when it clicks. The night Sydney passed out on stage, she sang before her.
A small patch of skin on my left arm is flaming red. I’m instructed to keep it under the faucet for a good ten minutes. Leaning over the sink, I’m able to take my first breath of relief.
She’s safe.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sydney
“You’ve been quiet since we left the hotel,” Max says, twisting his body in his seat. I wince when I see the bandage on his arm. “Talk to me.”
My gaze meets concerned eyes. I suck in a deep breath and blow it out my mouth. Even though it’s been a week since everything happened, I’m tired of dealing with it. The media, the court dates, the phone calls about book deals or interviews. Everything. In a way, I wish Brett had died. That’s one less thing I’d have to worry about. Thankfully, he and Shanna are behind bars. Max’s fingers weave through mine. “I’m still trying to come down from everything that happened and you getting hurt. It’s been non-stop since you found me. Thank you for this.” I glance around the softly illuminated plane. I don’t know where we’re going. Getting away is all that matters.
“I told you a million times, I’m fine. My tats hurt more than this,” he says, lifting his arm. “And all you have to do is ask and I’ll take you anywhere.” A small smile curves my lips up as I lean over and place a gentle kiss on his cheek. The way he looks at me like I’m the only person who matters means more than he’ll ever know. His tough exterior is a stark contrast to the soft interior he shares with me. He brushes his hand through my hair, pulling me into his kiss to deepen it. “I wish there was a bedroom on this plane so I c
ould hold you,” he says against my lips.
Me too.
“Why didn’t we take your plane?” Still a private jet, it’s larger than his and not as many bells and whistles.
“The guys took it back home. But where we’re going, my plane isn’t meant to fly that distance.”
My eyes widen and I sit up straighter. “Where are we going?” I glance out the window into pitch black, not able to tell if we’re over land or water.
He hums and flashes a sexy half grin. “What’s it worth to you?”
“Oh, we’re gonna play that game, huh?” Slowly, I scrape my finger down his chest, my eyes never leaving his. I bite my lip as I reach the top of his pants. He stops my hand before I can get any further and lets out a groan. He takes his frustration out on my hand, biting it. “Ow!” I yank it back and hit him on the chest. “Don’t bite me.” His heady laugh fills the plane. It’s what I need right now. Laughter.
“That’s not what you’ll be saying later,” he warns, getting up out of his seat. He stands in front of me and leans down, placing a hand on each armrest. His face inches from mine. “Because I promise I’m going to bite, lick and suck every inch of your body.” He hasn’t touched me since we’ve been back. His excuse was I needed time to heal, but he has stayed by my side the entire week.
My nerve endings stir and tingle thinking about his lips all over me. The plane tremors a little and I’m almost positive it just had an orgasm too. The flush in my cheeks heat. I open my mouth to respond, but I’ve got nothing.
He leans down farther, nuzzling my ear. “That’s what I thought,” he whispers.
The captain comes over the intercom when the plane shakes again telling us to buckle up, we’re going through a small storm. My body is going through its own storm right now. Fierce and magnetic, the storm’s ready to unleash the impending surge of desire.
Max sits back down and reclines his chair. “Sleep. We’ve got a while.”
I stare at him with twisted lips. “You’re really not going to tell me where we’re going?”
He crosses his arms and closes his eyes as he shakes his head. I sigh, pulling out a magazine. And he says I’m stubborn. After what he just said to me, my body isn’t ready for sleep.
The orchid smells so sweet, I can taste a hint of spicy vanilla on my tastebuds as a lei is placed around my neck.
“Aloha,” the older lady says, smiling. “Welcome to Maui.” Her brown eyes gleam, filled with beauty and wisdom. She gazes into my eyes for a beat, like she’s searching for something.
“Aloha,” I reply when she leans in and wraps her frail hands around me, giving me a soft hug.
“Nana I Ke Kumu.” I pull back, tilting my head. Did she just say something? Her whisper was so faint, I wonder if it was just the wind. Her smile widens, and she gently nods her head.
“Ready?” Max says, coming to my side. I glance over, still preoccupied trying to figure out what she said. “Sydney?” I snap out of it and look back to the woman to ask her, but she’s gone.
I must be more tired than I thought. “Did you see the lady I was talking to?”
Please tell me I’m not imagining people.
“Yeah. She walked that way.” He points and I follow his direction. Still not finding her, I shrug it off. At least I didn’t imagine a person. “Are you all right?”
“Are you kidding? We’re in Hawaii. I’m just tired.” The flight here was long, and I didn’t sleep a lot on the plane. It’s hard to sleep when your insides are tied in knots from fear, anxiety and desire.
He weaves his fingers through mine and leans down, pressing a soft kiss on my lips. “Let’s get going then. Our ride should be ready now.”
The drive winds through lush jungle on one side and breathtaking cliffs on the other side. Max still won’t tell me where we’re going, but it’s obvious how he drives the windy roads with ease, he’s familiar with them. It’s not until we come to a road that winds through the thick jungle and is no wider than one car that I start to white knuckle my oh shit handle in front of me.
“Um, Max… please tell me this doesn’t last long.”
“It doesn’t.” He looks over and flashes a sexy crooked grin.
“Stop looking at me. Keep your eyes on the road,” I say, keeping my eyes glued forward. I don’t have to see him to know he’s getting a kick out of this.
We turn off on another dirt road, the jeep bouncing on the rough path going uphill. This just keeps getting better and better. It’s not until we clear the trees at the top of the hill that I loosen my grip.
“Wow,” I whisper. The truck rolls down the hill, the ocean right in front of us. The lush green drops off into turquoise blue, hiding the cliff somewhere in front of us. My eyes follow the dirt road we’re on and lands on the only house around.
I gasp. “Is that where we’re going?” I point to a house, sprawled out alongside the cliff. The isolated house is larger than any house I’ve seen in this small town by far. It sticks out like a person wearing pink in New York City.
“It is.” He downshifts as we hit the last part of our descent, rolling into the driveway. The house is one story, spread out wide but narrow. Windows are everywhere, allowing me to see right through it. Max grabs our bags and I wait at the front door, peeking inside, eager to see the place.
“Max, this place is amazing. How did you find it? It’s a little off the beaten path,” I say, glancing back up the hill, not looking forward to making that trek again.
He laughs as he opens the door. The sea breeze hits us as soon as we walk in and I do a double take. The entire back side of the house is wide open to the outdoors because of the sliding glass doors pushed to the side. Max watches me, staying quiet, as I look around. The modern feel of wood and metal create clean lines throughout the airy home. I’m drawn to the picturesque backyard. Palm trees line the yard and the infinity pool off the large patio looks like it drops off into the ocean. Seagulls sing above us, circling the air.
Arms wrap around my waist, the heat from Max’s breath tickles my neck. “Do you like?”
“Nope. I can’t believe you brought me to this dump.” I giggle, turning in his arms. “Seriously, how do you expect me to relax here?”
He picks me up with such ease and my legs wrap around him, my hands link behind his neck. “Who said anything about relaxing?” He wags his brows. Walking with me back inside, he carries me to the bedroom. “I brought you here so I’d have you all to myself. No concerts, no fans, no barriers. Just me and you. And lots of sex.”
“I like the sound of that.”
He lays me on the bed and I let out a wistful sigh. This bed is heaven. I need to leave a great review for this place when we get home. My body relaxes, the jet lag settling in. “How about a nap first?”
“Okay,” he gives in. “Only because you’ll need your energy later.” My laugh tangles with a yawn. He kisses me a couple times and rolls to his side, snuggling me against his strong body. His warmth and the enchanted sounds of the island lull me to a peaceful sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sydney
I wake to the sound of voices. Shaking the fog out of my head, I sit up and take in my surroundings. I was almost positive I had dreamt this place. It seemed too beautiful to be real. But it is. The bedroom’s wall of windows that looks out to the ocean is wide open. I pull in a deep relaxing breath, letting it out slow.
Voices in the other room remind me what woke me up to begin with. I drag myself out of bed, making a quick stop at the mirror to make sure I don’t look like a walking mess. Fixing my messy bun into a cleaner messy bun, I shrug to myself. “I’m not here to impress company, this’ll have to do,” I whisper to myself.
Max is in the kitchen with his shirt off and board shorts hanging low on his hips, cutting up fruit. I lean against the bedroom door frame, gawking at the gorgeous man. Steel-blue eyes catch mine staring. “Come here,” he demands. I push off the frame with my hip and saunter over to him.
; “I’m here.” My voice comes out more needy than I expected.
My body’s reaction to Max is undeniable. It succumbs to his commands without thought or restraint. The notion that I could just hand over all of myself to one man used to scare the ever living hell out of me. Now, it awakens places I never knew were inside of me. This is what I need from a man. This is what has always been missing.
He leans down, scraping his fingers up my thighs, grazing the bottom of my ass under my shorts. “This spot…” He runs his index fingers along the curve again. “Is one of my favorites. You have a gorgeous ass.”
He lifts me up on the counter and brings a piece of fruit to my lips, outlining them with its juice. I lick my lips and the sweet bite of guava fills my mouth. “Mmm,” I murmur. He does it again, but brings his lips to mine before I can lick the juice off. The taste of him mixed with the sweetness is intoxicating, it’s easy to let him pull me under. I squeeze us together with my legs, his hardness hitting my center. He groans into my mouth, his hand grips my swollen breast.
“Fuck. Why didn’t I wait?” He mutters to himself, pulling back. I tilt my head in confusion. Wait for what? Do I look like I want to wait? He looks behind me, so I twist my body around.
“Oh.” I forgot about the voices from earlier. Two women are on the patio, standing by massage tables, setting up. I suppress the disappointment that we have to wait again, knowing he set this up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a massage, but the building ache in my lower belly is becoming heavy from need. At least, I know I’m not the only one struggling. “Well… I guess you’ll for sure get a happy ending,” I say, turning back to him. His laugh echos in the open space.