by Cynthia Eden
They weren’t dancing any longer. They were at the edge of that too-small bed.
Tina’s hand slid down his chest, rested over his heart.
“Before I get my safe life back,” she whispered against his lips, “I want to be with you again.”
Nothing could have stopped him from being with her.
The bed groaned beneath them, the old mattress and springs buckled. He didn’t care. He stripped her, kissed her, caressed every silken inch of her body.
She put her mouth on his neck. Sucked. Licked. Made him shudder and ache.
He’d used all of his control before.
This time, in this moment, knowing that she was going to slip away from him soon...
There was no control.
There were frantic hands. Deep kisses. Clothes that were tossed to the floor.
He stroked her everywhere. Couldn’t stop touching her. He had to see all of her.
He tasted Tina. Every single inch of her. Her fingers sank into his hair and she arched against him.
When the first release hit her, he tasted her pleasure.
When the second hit, he was in her, driving as fast and as hard as he could. He’d pulled away from her only long enough to grab protection from his wallet, and even leaving her for that long had made sweat break out on his forehead.
Again and again he thrust into her.
The bed slammed into the wall. Her hips arched toward him.
His fingers were locked with hers. Their bodies moved in perfect rhythm.
Tina stiffened beneath him. Then her legs curled around his hips and she held him even tighter as pleasure flew across her face.
The release crested, thundered over him, and left Drew growling her name.
His heart thudded, racing too fast in his chest, and his breaths shuddered out.
Tina smiled up at him.
Such damn trust.
He was afraid he’d destroy it. The way he’d destroyed too many other things in his life.
I don’t want to destroy her.
Because she was coming to be the one thing in his life that mattered the most.
* * *
THE TRACKING SIGNAL had stopped. Devast had followed Drew Lancaster’s tracker all the way to the outskirts of the city. An old factory, one that sat, abandoned, boarded-up, with the faint light of dawn just touching its weathered roof.
No cars were outside. No vehicles of any sort.
Devast stared up at the factory. So this was to be the endgame location. Interesting choice.
Mercer must truly think that he was a fool.
You shouldn’t underestimate me, Mercer. That mistake would be fatal.
Anton would show his old friend.
He parked his car. He’d come alone. There was no sense losing any more men on this mission. Not when he knew exactly what he was doing.
Delivering a message.
Some messages were best delivered in person.
Anton headed toward the main entrance. This moment had been such a long time coming. Anton made sure that his steps were slow. Made sure to lean heavily on his cane. After all, he was frail. He was weak.
Very helpfully, someone had undone the chain that sealed that main entrance.
He heaved the chain out of his way. Deliberately, he wrestled with the chain as if it were a struggle to lift its weight. The chain fell to the ground. He pushed against the door. Once. Twice.
Then the door was sliding open. Anton waved the dust aside and entered the factory.
Silence.
Darkness.
“I know you’re here!” Anton called out. His voice seemed to echo back to him. “Why must we play these games?”
Footsteps padded behind him. In front of him. To the left— The right—
And they attacked.
A gun was shoved into his back. A knife put to his throat.
“Got you,” a man’s hard voice snarled.
Anton shrugged. “So it would appear.” But he wasn’t interested in talking with a flunky. He wanted to see one man. Needed to see him. “Where’s Mercer?”
Because he knew that Mercer would have been pulled out of his office. For a case this personal, there would be no sitting on the sidelines for him.
Lights flickered on in the factory. One after another, flashing on in rows.
Anton didn’t even blink at the onset of all that too-bright illumination in a factory that should have been without power for years.
I know how appearances can deceive. Hadn’t he been the one to first teach Mercer that lesson?
Anton’s gaze cut to the left. The man with the knife had short, dark hair and a gaze that said he’d seen plenty of death.
Good. Then there would be no surprises when he saw it again.
Anton pounded his cane against the floor. “I asked for Mercer.” He let his shoulders hunch inward. A frail old man was what he appeared to be. “I know...he’s here...” He huffed out a ragged breath. “Where...is...he?”
“Right here, Anton.” Mercer’s strong voice rang out.
Then he was there. The devil himself was striding from behind the old machinery and walking so confidently toward Anton.
You think you’ve won.
It was time for the man to see exactly what he’d lost.
Anton hunched forward even more. The knife was cutting into his throat, but he didn’t care. He’d never minded a bit of blood.
He wasn’t the squeamish sort.
But then, neither was Bruce Mercer.
He clutched his cane then jerked it up in a flash. Before the knife could slash his jugular, he drove the handle of his cane into the man’s side. The man stumbled back, but Anton was already attacking a second time.
He whirled around. Pushed the handle of his cane to deploy his own blade—
And he drove that blade into the stomach of the fool who’d pulled a gun on him.
The gun discharged. The bullet drove into Anton’s chest.
Good thing he’d been wearing a bulletproof vest.
He laughed when the second agent fell. He was still laughing when he turned to face Mercer—
And the gun that Mercer had aimed right between Anton’s eyes.
“Rachel?”
Ah, yes, that would be the agent with the knife—now he seemed to be desperately trying to save his partner.
Pity. Anton had sliced her nice and deep. Saving her might prove difficult.
“It’s over, Anton,” Mercer said, voice flat and hard. “You’re done.”
Hardly. “Actually, I’m just getting started.” But he dropped his cane and raised his arms as if surrendering. “Can’t just kill me now, can you?” Mercer and his code of honor. He wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man in the head.
Mercer’s gaze glittered. “Yes, I can.”
Anton lost his smile. “That would be a pity. Because then you’d be killing three innocent women.”
Mercer hesitated.
Right. The code of honor. It would be the death of Mercer. Just not at that moment.
Others had to die first. What good was revenge if your victim didn’t suffer?
“Where is Agent Lancaster?” Anton glanced around the factory. He expected more agents to swarm him.
They didn’t. Others were there, but they were hanging back. No doubt, by Mercer’s order.
“Shouldn’t he be here for this little party?” Anton asked. Lancaster had lured him there. The agent must have stashed Mercer’s daughter first, then headed to this factory.
Clever, but not clever enough. Anton would get to her, soon.
Mercer reached into his pocket and tossed something at Anton’s feet.
“We need an ambulance!” The other agent. Still so frantic. He must really care for the woman—hadn’t he called her Rachel?—dying in his arms.
Mercer tapped the transmitter on his ear and barked a command for help.
Ah, maybe Lancaster would come in with that aid.
Anton’s gaze slid back to the
object Mercer had tossed toward him. He squinted, then realized—
“Agent Lancaster isn’t here. He never was,” Mercer told him.
Anton laughed. “Well played.” Not well enough.
Footsteps rushed inside toward him. More agents came in the door and a few EMTs appeared with them.
He slanted a glance toward the injured agent. A pretty woman, but one currently bleeding out on the dirty floor. “Better get her to a hospital,” he advised, rather helpfully, he thought. “Or that will just be another death, on you, Mercer.”
Mercer’s fingers tightened on the gun. “You’re done, Anton. No more bombs. No more threats. No more deaths.”
Someone snapped handcuffs on his wrists. The metal bit into his skin.
Anton shook his head. “It’s a pity that Lancaster wasn’t here, but how about you deliver a message to him?”
Mercer marched toward him. When they were good and close, Mercer lowered his voice and said, “It was an accident. You know it was. Why the hell did you start on this path?”
Not an accident. A life lost. Payback. “Tell Lancaster that I know his price now.”
“Agent Lancaster doesn’t have a price.” Disgust thickened Mercer’s tone. “Get him out of here,” he ordered as he stepped back and motioned to his men. “Maximum security. We’re going to—”
“Three lives,” Anton said as hard hands grabbed on to him. “The first woman will die in three hours. The second in six, and the third in nine. One life, every three hours.”
Mercer jerked his hand in the air and the motion froze the agents who were trying to drag Anton toward the door. “What the hell are you talking about?” Mercer demanded.
Pleasure filled Anton. Oh, but he’d finally found a way to break his old friend. And he’d use the man’s own agent to do it. “Agent Lancaster’s price. I told him that I wanted your daughter. Instead of delivering her, he hid her from me.”
“I don’t have a daughter,” Mercer snapped.
“Of course, you do. Marguerite’s daughter. Beautiful Marguerite.” He could see her so clearly in his mind. “She died for you.”
“You killed her.” A muscle flexed in Mercer’s jaw. His eyes blazed. Ah, but the mask was falling away. The real man—the real monster—glared at Anton.
“You’re missing the point,” Anton said as the memories flared in his mind. Painful, dark memories. “And you’re costing Lancaster time that he doesn’t have. One woman, every three hours...”
“What women? Who are they?”
This was the fun part. The part that would set his plan into real motion. “Lancaster’s sisters. I have them. And my men will kill them, unless I get exactly what I want.”
Chapter Nine
“The music has stopped,” Tina said softly. She wasn’t even sure when it had stopped. She’d been too caught up in Drew.
In the pleasure that he gave to her.
They were in bed. Tangled together. His heart beat beneath her hand, and the steady rhythm made her feel safe.
But that was the way Drew always made her feel.
He says I’m going back to my safe life. But I am safe, right here. Right now. With him.
She pressed a kiss to his shoulder. Then a kiss to the scar that cut across his cheek. He’d gotten that scar on his first mission with the EOD. The first but not even close to the only battle wound he’d received.
He’d suffered. He’d survived.
His fingers brushed over her jaw. “Tell me this... Why the hell does a girl like you want someone like me?”
She frowned at that. Someone like me. “Because you’re a good man.” Strong. Brave. Sexy.
“You should be running as far and fast from me as you can,” he said, shaking his head. His hair looked so dark against the white pillow. “Not letting me touch you. Because, Doc, every time I touch you, I want more.”
Her throat seemed to go dry at that. “Good, because you make me want more, too.” Maybe—maybe they could have more. There had to be some way for them to work things out. Dawn had come. She could see the faint light trickling through the windows. Devast would be in custody by now. She’d be clear. Drew’s current mission would be over.
Maybe they could take some time together. She’d like that. Being with him... Yes. She’d definitely be game for more time with Drew.
A hard knock shook the door.
Tension slipped into Tina’s body. Their last few surprise visits hadn’t exactly gone well.
“It’s okay,” Drew said as he eased from the bed. “I didn’t bring a phone because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t traced. That’s Kelly from downstairs. She was going to tell us when we were clear.”
Right. Clear. The nightmare was over.
Drew pulled on his clothes. Tina didn’t want to be found naked in that room, so she fumbled to quickly dress, too.
The pounding came again. Harder. More desperate.
“Open up!” a woman’s voice shouted. “I’ve got orders— They need you, Drew.”
The Drew that had been in Tina’s arms moments before seemed to vanish. At the woman’s tense words, all emotion left his face as he hurried toward the door.
Tina yanked her shirt into place and hauled up her jeans.
Drew pulled open the door.
Tina caught sight of the pretty redhead who stood on the threshold. “There’s a problem,” the woman said. “A big problem.”
“Devast got away.” Drew yanked a hand through his hair. “I knew that SOB was tricky. He’s not getting his hands on Tina, though. I’m not going to let him—”
“They have Devast.” The redhead’s brown stare darted to Tina then slid back to Drew. “But Devast... He says that he has your sisters.”
Drew shook his head. He took a step back.
Tina reached for him. “Drew—”
He flinched away from her. “That’s not possible. The bastard is just bluffing. Playing another of his games.”
The redhead paled a bit more. “Mercer doesn’t think so. He wants you to come and meet him. The women...” Now her gaze held sympathy. “He says they are going to start dying soon, unless Devast gets what he wants.”
Tina glanced down. Drew’s fingers were clenched so tightly that the knuckles were white. “What does he want?” Tina whispered.
She glanced up at the silence that followed her question. The redhead was staring right at her.
“You,” the woman said. “If Drew trades you, then Anton said that his sisters will be let go.”
* * *
THE ELEVATOR DINGED, the doors opened and Drew stormed through the third floor of the Dallas FBI office. Tina was at his side, as if he would have left her with anyone else. His mind was a mess of chaos and fury, but one thought remained constant—must protect her.
Rage was building inside him, cracking through his surface. His sisters? He hadn’t seen them in more than a year. He tried not to bring his darkness to their doors because he knew that he had enemies.
He sent them money. Had been sending those checks to his family ever since his enlistment. Every month, just like clockwork. His mother had passed away a few years ago, but he hadn’t stopped his checks. He just wanted to help his family.
But now they might be in danger...because of me.
His fingers squeezed Tina’s even tighter. She seemed to be his only link to sanity right then.
Maybe he’s lying. That had been Tina’s response to Kelly’s dark announcement. You don’t know yet, Drew. Let’s find out what’s going on.
He’d find out all right.
Kelly had told them to meet Mercer at the FBI office. Mercer had pulled his strings—as usual—and taken over the third floor of the building.
Agents rose at his approach, their gazes suspicious. Yeah, he knew he probably looked like hell right then, and he wasn’t in the mood for any bull.
One FBI agent made the mistake of stepping into his path.
Drew tensed, ready to swing.
“Easy.” Mercer�
�s voice boomed out. “Agent Lancaster isn’t someone you want to tangle with.”
The FBI suit backed up.
Drew marched toward his boss. “Where’s Devast?”
Mercer pointed down the hallway. “We’ve got him in secure holding. Two agents in the room with him. Two at the door. He’s not going any place.”
“Does he have Drew’s sisters?” Tina asked, her voice soft and worried.
Mercer focused on her. “I’m sorry you were brought into this mess, Dr. Jamison.” He pulled her away from Drew. “Rest assured that you are safe now. Devast will not be threatening you again.”
But Tina shook her head. “Don’t ‘Dr. Jamison’ me,” she replied crisply, notching her chin up into the air. “We usually play that game, but not now. I’m not going to pretend—” She sucked in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Does he have Drew’s sisters?”
Mercer’s stare slid back to Drew. After a tense beat he quietly said, “We’ve confirmed that your sisters are missing.”
Drew fell back a step. Kim. Heather. Paige.
“We haven’t confirmed that Devast has them yet. He came to the factory, with no backup, no men in sight, and he said—”
“I want to talk to him.” Because Drew would find out in five seconds if Devast was telling the truth or if he was just spinning another web of lies.
Mercer nodded. He pointed down the hall. “The second room. There’s a two-way mirror in there so that—”
“Watch what happens, I don’t care.” Drew had to force the words past a tight throat. The darkness of his life should never have touched his sisters. Never.
Kim was planning a wedding.
Heather... Heather had just started a new teaching job.
And the baby of the family... Paige had entered college two months ago. He’d sent her some extra money, just in case she needed—
“Don’t kill him.” Mercer’s hard voice had Drew’s head snapping up. “Do you hear me, Agent? Do. Not. Kill. Devast. That’s an order.”
Mercer thinks Devast is telling the truth.
“Drew...” Tina stepped in front of him. “What can I do?”
“Nothing.” The rage was cracking the ice. “If he has them, I’ll find out where they are.” He’d get them back.