by L. P. Dover
We walk toward the barn and his phone rings. He pulls it out and his eyes widen. “It’s the detective.” I step away from him, so I can watch his reaction.
“Detective.”
I can hear a deep voice on the other end, but I can’t tell what he’s saying. Jake replies with a yes and a few no’s, but in the end, he lowers his head and huffs. “Thanks, Detective. We’ll be on our guard.” He hangs up and pockets the phone.
“What’s going on?” I feel the knots in my stomach return.
Owen walks out of the barn, his concerned gaze on Jake. “What’d he say?”
With a heavy sigh, Jake glances at us both. “Looks like his computer system was hacked. Whoever broke in will have the information on my flight. They’ll know that I’m up here somewhere.”
“Which means?” I ask nervously.
Owen clears his throat. “It means that this place is not safe. There’s a chance this person could find you.”
Groaning, I lean against the barn door. “Do we have to leave now?”
Jake shakes his head. “Actually, I think we should stay. If this person finds us, then let him. This shit needs to end.”
Owen nods and squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. “I agree with Jake. Let’s end this.”
They both wait on my answer and I can’t help but feel like it’s a mistake. “Okay,” I give in. “Let’s draw him out.”
Once our potato soup and salad dinner are consumed, we all sit in the living room. Jake hasn’t left my side for a second. He even helped me with the dishes. “Have you talked to your parents?” he asks, soothingly rubbing circles on my thigh.
I flip through the TV channels and settle on Miracle on 34th Street. It is almost Christmas. “I talked to them yesterday, to let them know I was okay,” I reply. “My mother’s terrified.”
“She has good reason to be.”
Snuggling into his side, I place a hand on his chest. His heart is racing. “I know. She’ll be even more terrified if I tell her the bad news.”
Jake snorts. “She’ll be on her way up here to protect you herself, if you do.”
I can’t help but laugh, even though it’s not funny in the least. “Exactly.” Sitting back, I stretch my arms over my head. It’s getting late. “I’m not far from going to bed.”
Jake wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my neck. “I’ll join you.”
Owen sighs and it draws my attention to him as he sits down in a gray leather recliner. He runs a hand over his face and focuses on Jake. “We might want to take lookout shifts tonight. That way, if somebody tries to sneak in, we’ll know. Want to take the first or second shift?”
Jake helps me up off the couch. “Second. It’d be nice to spend some time with my wife.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” I say, winking up at him. “I’ll stay awake with you when it’s your turn.”
Owen gets to his feet. “All right, it’s settled then. You two go get some sleep.”
Jake lifts me up in his arms. “I don’t think sleep is on the agenda right now.”
Cheeks burning, I smack his shoulder. “Jake.” I’m too embarrassed to look at Owen, so I hide my face against Jake’s chest as he carries me up the stairs. Once hidden behind the bedroom door, he sets me down and I smack his arm again. “Now Owen’s going to know what we’re doing up here.”
Jake shrugs. “You’re my wife. It’s no crime to want to make love to you after we’ve been separated for a couple of days.”
I throw my arms around his neck. “True. We just have to be quiet. I don’t want him hearing us.”
His lips pull back slyly. “I’m not the one who likes to scream.”
“Hey, that’s your fault.” We both laugh, and for the first time in days, I feel complete. “Now that we’re alone, do you want me to take the pregnancy test?”
Jake’s eyes light up. “More than anything.”
I hurry to my bag and pull out the test. Butterflies flutter in my stomach, but I try not to get too excited. It’s heartbreaking when you get negatives.
Jake pulls me into him and kisses me. “I’ll be right here.”
Taking a deep breath, I walk into the bathroom and shut the door. So many emotions war within me. I want to be pregnant, but not when a psycho killer is coming after me. If something bad were to happen and I’m taken, I don’t want my unborn baby to be negatively affected.
Once I’ve peed on the stick, I set it on the counter and open the door. Jake’s eyes light up. “Well?” he asks.
I shake my head. “We have to give it a minute. And maybe if you’re the first one this time, it’ll give us the answer we want.”
With the past tests I’ve taken, I’ve always done them on my own time, without him. He’s never seen the disappointment and heartbreak on my face. Taking my face in his hands, he kisses me softly. After a minute goes by, he slides past me into the bathroom and picks up the test. His expression is unreadable, and it makes my heart drop.
Fighting back tears, I back up toward the bed and sit down. He’s still in the bathroom, most likely not wanting to give me the bad news. “Jake, just tell me,” I call out, and he walks into the bedroom. “I don’t have to see it. Judging by your expression, it’s not good.” I turn my head away and the tears fall.
“I’m sorry, Ellie.” Jake sets the test on the bed right in front of me. Chest tight, I close my eyes because I don’t want to look at it.
“It’s okay, Jake,” I whisper, wiping away my tears. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
He bends down on his knees and turns my body toward him. “Look at me,” he murmurs.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I meet his gaze and it only makes me cry more. There are tears in his eyes and it breaks my heart. He grabs my face in his strong grasp. “I don’t think you understand me.”
“Oh yeah? Why is that?”
His lips pull back into a grin and he grabs the test, holding it up so I can see it. “I was saying I’m sorry because you’re going to be stuck with me for a long time. We’re having a baby!”
Either the breath leaves my lungs, or I forget to breathe. All I know is that one minute, I’m crying, and the next, I’m screaming with joy. “We did it,” I squeal, jumping into Jake’s arms.
He bursts out laughing. “We sure as hell did.”
“Everything okay up there?” Owen shouts.
“Yes, we’re fine,” I shout back. “Sorry!”
Jake kisses me. “We’re more than fine. This is just what I needed.” He leans down and kisses my stomach. “Something else to fight for.”
His words bring a chill to my spine. “Do you really think we’ll draw this guy out by staying here?”
Jake meets my gaze. “I have no doubt, but let’s not worry about that right now. This is our moment, our time. I’m not going to let anything spoil it.” He nuzzles my neck, pushing my hair out of the way so he can kiss his way up my jaw. Tilting my head to the side, I moan and close my eyes. “Nothing’s going to spoil tonight.”
Chill bumps race across my skin and I shiver, leaning against him to steal some of his warmth. He chuckles in my ear and presses his erection against my stomach, lightly thrusting it up and down. I hold him tight.
“I want more,” I breathe.
Kissing me feverishly, he picks me up in his arms and gently sets me on the bed. “I’m going to give you more, cupcake. Don’t worry,” he promises.
Sliding his fingers under my shirt, he lifts it up over my head and throws it on the floor. He moans deep in his chest when he gazes down at me with his sexy blue eyes, licking his lips. Kissing the mounds of my breasts, he lowers the fabric over one and begins to suck on my taut, sensitive nipple, while reaching behind me to unclasp my bra. He shoves it away, while keeping his lips enclosed over my breast. I want to feel him inside me, to satiate the craving between my legs.
Already, my body responds to his touch and I’m so achingly wet, so close to letting go. Fumbling with his jeans, I try desperately to get th
em undone, so I can wrap my fingers around his cock and feel it pulsate with my touch. Jake helps me by kicking off his jeans once I have them undone. Taking his length in my hands, I squeeze, pumping him from base to tip.
“Fuck, that feels good,” he groans. “I’ve missed this.”
“So have I.”
Harder and faster, I stroke him, enjoying the satisfied rumble in his chest. His fingers deftly unbutton my jeans, and he slides them down my legs. Now I know why they’ve started getting a little snug.
With his arm around my waist, he moves up the bed and spreads my legs wide with his knee. Keeping his gaze on mine, he kisses me gently at first, and then harder as he pushes his fingers inside me.
“Harder, Jake,” I beg, spreading my legs wider.
He does as I say, and soon after, I feel myself tightening around his fingers. He bites down on my lip and sucks as I cry out in pleasure, riding the waves of my orgasm. Slowly, he rubs my overly-sensitive clit with his thumb and swirls his fingers in the wetness between my legs.
Keeping his gaze on mine, he traces my nipples with my desire, leaving wet trails in his wake, and sucks them both greedily. I can feel his cock pressing into my opening, and as soon as he pushes the tip in, I gasp.
Plunging the rest of the way in, it’s a shock to my system and I revel in the feeling of being split wide open. “I love you,” he murmurs against my lips.
Tears fall down my cheeks. “I love you too.”
Twenty-Four
Jake
There’s no sleep for me tonight. I’m too wound up. I can hear Owen downstairs, pacing the floor. Ellie’s in bed, fast asleep, and I’m not about to wake her. She has a baby growing inside her, and I know she needs her rest. As quietly as I can, I unzip my suitcase and pull out my Sig Sauer MK25 and stick it in the waistband of my jeans. It’s almost time for the second shift of night duty.
Opening the door, I shut it gently behind me. Owen is in the kitchen, rolling a bullet back and forth on the table. He notices me and puts the bullet back into its chamber. “Sounds like you and Ellie had fun tonight.”
I sit down and set my gun on the table, propping my legs up on the windowsill. “We did. She’s pregnant. We had a lot to celebrate.”
“Damn, brother, that’s awesome,” he replies with a smile. “She hasn’t been sick, so that’s good.”
I snort. “I’m sure that’ll come soon enough, along with middle of the night ice cream cravings. You’ll have to deal with it too, sooner or later. That is, if you ever have kids of your own.”
His jaw clenches and he turns back to the window. “Doubtful. Kimberly’s gone and I’m here. Dating’s kind of not something that’s going to happen right now.”
“Have you talked to Kimberly at all?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Not a word. She was a little too high maintenance for me anyway. I say good riddance.”
Car lights beam up the street, so I stand by the window and watch them as they move past. “Ellie told me you bought this place. It’s really nice,” I say, glancing at him over my shoulder. “What made you want a house up here?”
He stands and grabs a beer out of the refrigerator. “Lots of things, I guess. I have land to hunt on and explore. Not to mention, I’ve always loved Canada. When I retire, I’ll get a visa, so I can live here permanently.”
I point toward the back of the house. “Speaking of land, anyone can easily hike over your mountain and sneak up on this place.”
Nodding, he takes a sip of his beer. “You’re absolutely right. That’s what I’ve been thinking about since we arrived.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll hike it and look around to see if I can find any tracks. Ellie can stay here and relax. I don’t want her out wandering around until the fucker’s caught.” I shrug. “Who knows? He might never follow through.”
Owen finishes off his beer and tosses the bottle into the trash. “What I want to know is, why can’t they trace who hacked into the system? It has to be Snyder.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I can’t help but be curious. “Why do you think it’s him?”
He shrugs. “He’s the perfect candidate. He has access to government files and he can hack into anything. If he can do that, I’m sure he can make anything look legit on the computer . . . even tampering with video surveillance footage.”
I look out the window and everything’s dark, except for the snow that glows under the moon. “Why didn’t you ever learn to hack like that? It’d really be useful about now.” I look at his reflection in the window.
“I was too busy chasing down bad guys to focus on that shit. Now, I wish I had.” He grabs another beer out of the refrigerator and starts toward the stairs. “I’m hitting the sack. See you in the morning.”
“See ya,” I call out after him. The night drags on and the sun comes up. I have a strange feeling this is all just the beginning.
Twenty-Five
Ellie
“I am so sorry I slept the whole time.” I pile eggs and bacon onto Jake and Owen’s plates.
Chuckling, Jake sits down at the table, while Owen stands and eats by the window. “It’s okay, Ellie. You’re pregnant. I want you to take it easy.”
Scoffing, I grab my plate and join him. “Seriously? I’m not a porcelain doll. I can still hike, run, and have fun.”
“Yes, you can do all those things,” he says with a wink, “but you need your sleep.”
Owen’s been quiet all morning. “What’s wrong, Owen?”
Brows furrowed, he takes a bite of bacon and then looks down at me. “I don’t know, Ells. Today doesn’t feel right for some reason.”
My body shivers. “I don’t like the sound of that.” Then again, it’s almost as if I can feel what he’s talking about. There’s a tension in the air; it’s dark and electric.
Jake finishes his food and clears his throat. “Which is why we need to be alert today.” He kisses my cheek and gets up to take his plate to the sink. “I’m going out back to check out the mountain. How long would you say the trail is?” he asks Owen.
“Not far. Probably around six miles.”
“All right.” Jake dries off his hands. “I’m going to get ready.” He hurries upstairs, and I’m left at the table, wishing like hell he’d just stay with me. I don’t want him going out there alone.
Owen sits beside me. “You look worried.”
I snort. “How can I not be? Jake’s a fighter, but I have no clue what he’ll be up against if someone tries to attack him. If he was in the ring, that’s one thing, but out in the wild is another. They could try to shoot him or come at him with a knife.” Jake’s boots pound on the stairs and I turn to watch him. He’s dressed in his thick, navy coat with a pistol in his hands. He tucks it in the holster on his pants and covers it up. “Are you sure you don’t want to just stay here?” I ask.
He nods over to the living room and I follow behind him. “Someone needs to go out there, Ellie. You’ll understand my reasoning soon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I look at him like he’s lost his mind.
His fingers brush the hair off my face. “I can’t explain right now. Just do me a favor and take this,” he says, handing me my Glock 19. “Don’t let it out of your sight. I’m serious.”
The cold metal seeps into my skin as I take it. “Jake, I—”
He cuts me off with a kiss. “I love you, Ellie. Don’t forget that. I promise I’ll be okay.”
My eyes burn, but I kiss him back before he walks out the door. I watch him trudge through the snow toward the mountain and disappear through the trees. Owen stops behind me and I can see his reflection in the window. “He’ll be fine, Ells. Jake’s a big boy.” He taps the gun. “It’s probably not a bad idea for you to keep this on you.” I nod and place it on the windowsill.
“Why is this happening?” I say, mumbling the words to myself. “I shouldn’t have to be here right now. What I don’t understand is what is this person trying to gain by coming after me? Y
es, they want me, but what would make them think that this is how they could get me to change my mind?” Squeezing my eyes shut, I can just picture what they’ll force me to do. “If something were to happen to you or Jake, I wouldn’t be able to live through it.”
“Hey,” Owen snaps, turning me around to face him. “No one’s going to take you away. I can promise you that.”
“Will you please go after him?” I beg. “I don’t want him out there alone. You both said it yourself, something isn’t right. What if someone’s out there?”
He shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you.”
I grab his arms. “Please, Owen. He’s not trained to be quiet and sneak around like you. And if Bryan is the one coming, he’ll be able to put a bullet in Jake’s head before he even knows Bryan’s there.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, he finally gives in. “Fine, I’ll go. You have your gun, so use it if anyone tries to break in.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, feeling the relief.
He rushes upstairs and comes down carrying a small, black gun case, before running out the door. “Lock it behind me,” he shouts. I lock the door and retreat to the living room. There’s an antique beige chair in the corner, so I sit there with my gun in my lap. This way, no one can sneak up behind me.
An hour passes and then another. My heart is racing, and I’m starving. Not to mention, I really have to use the bathroom. Placing a hand on my stomach, I smile. “You hungry, little one? It’s hard to believe I’ll get to see you in a few months. Hopefully, we’ll be in Arizona with not a care in the world.”
I have no clue how far along I am, but I know it can’t be more than six weeks. The morning sickness is probably not far from starting, but I don’t care. I’ll suffer through anything to be able to hold my own child and watch him or her grow.
Everything is silent as I look around. The sun is hiding behind a blanket of clouds, making everything outside gray. It’s ominous and eerie. Gun in hand, I hurry to the bathroom, before stopping in the kitchen. I slice up an apple and slap a heaping spoonful of peanut butter on the side of the plate.