by Piper Stone
Moving to a sitting position, she took his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. “Okay.”
He snorted and took a deep breath before easing the glass back on the nightstand. “I thought about what you said, that I’m a coward.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
Smiling, he rubbed his thumb across her cheek. “You did, and you were right. I’ve been a coward for a long time. I only realized after I was about to board a plane that the behavior had to stop.”
Dani nodded, shifting her head so she could kiss his hand. “Whatever you need to tell me, I won’t judge you. God knows you didn’t judge me.”
This time he chuckled, thinking about how much to tell her. If things went the way he thought they would, she’d hear about him anyway. He owed her as much truth as he was able to tell her. “Let’s start with something easy. Danger is my nickname. Had it since boot camp.” He hesitated before glancing into her eyes. “My name is Drake Stanton, Sergeant Stanton of the United States Marines. Dishonorably discharged.”
She inched closer, draping her leg over his. “There’s nothing dishonorable about you. Nice to meet you, Sergeant Stanton. Should I salute or simply call you sir?”
“Mmm... We’ll have to think about that,” he said, his pulse racing. “Everything I told you before was true. Unfortunately, I feel like a defector. I served my country, one that I love with all my heart, yet I unraveled after everything I saw in Afghanistan.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Yes, and no. I was trained for combat as well as imprisonment. I wasn’t trained for finding out things aren’t as they seem. I told my commanding officer what I’d discovered before being imprisoned and I honestly believe that’s why our group was ambushed. There’s no way I can prove it now or point fingers at anyone. I did try after I returned, even preparing to stand in front of Congress. I was discredited before I had a chance, various accusations were made against me. Then everything with Angelina happened and I couldn’t go through with it. Hell, I could barely get myself out of bed.” He remained disgusted with himself.
Dani squeezed his hand. “You had other things to deal with.”
“Yeah, but if I’d stuck to my guns, maybe your father wouldn’t have gone through what he did. I had what I thought was evidence at the time. I just couldn’t face up to my life. I destroyed everything, and I accepted the mercenary job. Stupid, but I’d read the papers, at least enough to know that no one would take me seriously. I will at least give my statement about whatever part I played in this.”
“Why is it so important now? I hope this isn’t because of what I told you about my father.”
“Yes, and no. I admit, it’s complicated.” He had no easy way of telling her what he’d been looking into during the last six weeks, knowing that he’d been nothing more than a pawn in the operation he’d been convinced to sign on for.
“Does this have anything to do with William Thoreau or the fact diamonds are the number one component for a weapons system?”
Danger narrowed his eyes, trying to comprehend what she said. “What did you say?” There was no way she could know about this. He was reeling but thought about her father. The man had been a powerful advisory.
Nodding, she gave him a sly smile. “I did my own investigation. William Thoreau used to work for the government as a scientist working on weapons systems, trying to create something that none of our enemies could fabricate, at least within a short period of time. While his top-secret clearance was kept private, those who knew him understood that he was dangerous, if not unhinged. Given the project itself was deemed classified, hidden from the majority of Congress, when Mr. Thoreau left, taking his research with him, you can imagine what consternation his disappearance caused.”
“How? I mean...” Fuck. Fuck!
“I talked to my father, spent time poring through certain documents he compiled starting almost ten years ago. I’d only been privy to a small portion and in truth, I have no idea why I kept the information. My father certainly tossed it out. What I wrote articles about and the people I tried to expose was just a tip of the iceberg. Or so I think anyway. I remembered I had a full box of his research. Then I was able to Google enough that I put pieces of the puzzle together. With the fact you were mining for diamonds for some elusive Mr. X, well, you can imagine where my mind went.”
His heart racing, he gripped her hands. “You have a box of research from your father?”
“Yes. My dad was a cunning man. I don’t think I ever gave him enough credit.”
Taking a deep breath, he’d never felt so shaken yet elated at the same time. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
“Not completely. Why?” Dani narrowed her eyes.
“This means we may be able to stop Mr. Thoreau before he sells his weapons system to the highest bidder.” He’d called in almost every favor he had with high-ranking officials and no one wanted to go on the record, but he was certain what he knew as well as what he heard meant the weapon could be on the black market within months. Then all hell had broken loose and he’d found himself behind locked doors. At least they weren’t prison bars. Yet. He fisted his hand, almost blurting out what he was dealing with. Not yet. They both deserved time together.
“Shit.” Dani shrank back, her lower lip quivering. “So, what my dad said is true?”
“Well, even your father only knew about a portion of the project, at least from what I read in your articles. Until I returned, I didn’t know that diamonds in their rough form was the last piece Mr. Thoreau needed. I was never privy to that information even during the time I was in the Marines. But everything started falling together, including the fact Wolf convinced me to become a part of this operation.” He could see fear in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Wolf. That day he let you know what he’d found out about me and you ran off, he threatened me, or least my job.”
“What?”
“He said he knew my current boss, Jacob Plank, and would make certain I never worked in the industry again if I hurt you. I asked Jacob and he knew Wolf from the time the guy was in college. Told me that Wolf Christopher is dangerous and that he turned rogue from the CIA. I did as much checking on Wolf as I could. The man disappeared not long before this operation you were on.” Dani’s words were stilted.
“Christ. What the hell.” Danger felt like a fucking fool.
“He lured you into taking that job. Why? To keep you quiet?”
“Maybe.” Danger had difficulty in believing that Wolf was behind the extortion attempt, but anything was possible. “I didn’t ask any questions and didn’t care. I was still in my sulking phase. I took the assignment for the money and the promise of erasing my past deeds, but honestly, mostly the money. Maybe I fell into some ploy Wolf had, but I find that hard to believe.”
“After I returned and after I wrote the first article, I thought I’d been threatened. With what I heard, I honestly thought Wolf was behind it.”
“What do you mean by threatened?”
Dani gave a half smile. “Don’t worry. A phone call with no one at the other end. A lone figure standing outside my office, all shadowy and dangerous looking. Sound familiar? I even thought someone followed me from the office to find out where I lived.” Laughing, she leaned forward, kissing his lips. “I allowed my father’s old fears to slide into my mind. I haven’t said anything about the diamonds in the articles so there’s no reason for Wolf or anyone to come after me. My father also alluded to the fact Wolf wasn’t a good man, so my wacky brain put two and two together.”
“I don’t like hearing that at all. Whatever is going on, if anyone had found out about the mining site, you can imagine what they’d do to get their hands on it, including murder. Everything I said about you being in danger is true. Now, that the entire world knows you were with us, anyone could come after you.”
“I hadn’t thought it about it that way.” Dani shuddered. “Someone could have been following me.
God. I was an idiot.”
“It’s possible, but you had no way of knowing what was going on. However, I do think you need to find a different place to live.” He needed to call his contact. This was getting out of hand.
“At least you’ll be with me. Right?”
Danger closed his eyes. “I’m not certain I can do that right away.”
“I thought that’s why you came here, because you want me to be with you.”
He pulled her fingers to his mouth. “I do, more than you know. I just have a few things to take care of and with everything I’ve just heard, I’m more convinced than ever that you’re in danger. We need to get you to a safe house.”
Pulling back, she shook her head several times. “I told you more than once. I can fucking take care of myself!”
Snagging her arm before she could climb off the bed, he yanked her against the heat of his body. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again. I’m sorry, baby. I just...” He didn’t want to tell her that there was a possibility he could be court-martialed. But he made a pledge to himself, as well as to the woman he loved. She would be by his side for as long as the United States government would allow.
“Danger, please trust me. We’ll get through this together. Okay? I’ll help you. I have my own sources that could be useful. I didn’t burn every bridge.”
Hearing the conviction in her voice, he envisioned taking her to the Caribbean, getting lost on some remote island. But this wasn’t what Dani was made of.
And neither was he.
“I do trust you, more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. I could use your help.” He fought tears threatening to give him away.
Her eyes flashed in the early light of morning, her expression one of love. “I’m right here. Right by your side. Let’s put the pieces together.”
He held his breath, thinking about Wolf as a correlation. “Wolf was the direction connection to the man we knew as Mr. X. The rest of us never talked to him. I knew Wolf was ex-CIA, but I never bothered to find out anything else. That’s why we used either first or nicknames only. Some of this isn’t jibing in my mind. We have to be right about this. We can’t simply make assumptions.”
“I know that too well. Maybe there are more answers in my father’s research. You’re welcome to look through the box.” She yanked at the covers. “I’ll be right back.”
* * *
Danger spent several hours going over the documentation. Dani’s father wasn’t a nutcase by any means. He’d been privy to enough data regarding the weapons systems, as well as the money being funneled into the project that asking a single question had created his downfall. What did surprise him was how far back the general’s collection had begun, almost twenty years. If only someone would have listened to him then.
The group of individuals spearheading the latest investigation would find the detailed reports very helpful. But was it enough? He’d been able to make contact with the man who controlled his life when Dani had been in the shower, giving limited information including about Wolf. A visit was impending, and his time was running out.
The array of information he’d heard about Wolf continued to trouble him. The dude was the wild card in all of this. Could he be working with Mr. Thoreau? If so, why not hire some of Thoreau’s men to dig the damn mountains instead of taking the chance? In his mind, Bronco was a more likely suspect given the fact he’d lost everything he’d worked for when he’d been fired from his government job. Nothing was making decent sense, but he knew in his gut, the piece was missing something significant. But he had no doubt that Wolf was a player in all of this. One way or the other, he was going to make certain Dani was protected, no matter what he had to do.
Hearing the blip of his phone, he took a quick look and sighed. The text was clear. A meeting in thirty minutes. “Look, I need to go out for a little while, just to make a few phone calls. Okay?”
Dani looked up from her coffee, nodding to the window. “What about the snowstorm?”
He chuckled before sliding out of the chair, walking in her direction. “I rented a truck, babe. You forget, I was the driver in the mountains.” Just breathing in her scent was enough to drive him wild. Touching her arm, he gave her a lust-filled look. “Then when I come back, I’m going to chain you to the bed.”
She gave him a waning smile. “That sounds nice.”
Danger kissed her lips, feeling her stiffen. She was still afraid. At least from what he could tell, no one was on her trail, but he had no doubt they soon would be. If for no other reason than retaliation. “Better be a good girl while I’m gone.” He grabbed his jacket, moving toward the door.
“How did you find me?” she asked quietly.
“How? I looked you up.”
“That’s funny,” Dani said as she eased the coffee cup onto the counter. “The apartment was rented in my boyfriend’s name. It hasn’t been changed.”
He studied her eyes. “Truth is, I asked around. It’s a small town. Folks started assuming I was one of the cavemen. They told me anything I wanted to know, including where you lived.”
“Hmmm... Interesting.”
Tension filled the air. He wasn’t entirely certain what she was getting at. “I have more to tell you and when I return, I will.”
“Sure. Okay. Whatever you say.” She moved toward the window, folding her arms.
He had no choice but to leave her. “I’ll only be an hour or so.” Opening the door, he felt like he was walking into an abyss.
“Danger?”
Hearing her voice, he stopped, his breath skipping.
“The other day when you called me, I had a feeling it was you. It was a beautiful day and I was standing staring at the mountains. All I could think about was you.” Walking past him, she moved into the bedroom, closing the door.
Why did he have the feeling he’d lost her again?
* * *
“Damn it!” Dani raised her fist, almost punching it against the wall. Everything was falling apart around her. What the hell was the man hiding? More important, why? Didn’t he trust her? Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to do any good. She had work to do, just like a good little girl.
Huffing, she swung open the bedroom door, yanking her laptop from the case and opening the lid. At least she could find out what kind of stories Jacob wanted her to write to take her mind off everything else, even for a little while. After a few minutes, she was in work mode, jotting down notes. By the time she glanced up at the computer, almost an hour had gone by. It was getting dark. Where the hell was he? She hadn’t noticed he’d taken his bag with him. Was he never coming back? She couldn’t think this way. Work. That always helped.
Maybe her mind was having difficulty putting certain things together or Jacob’s instructions weren’t clear, but she had no idea what the man was looking for in her investigative piece.
Grabbing her cellphone, she had to wait while it powered up. A smile crossed her face seeing that the same person who’d called had tried two more times. Danger. God, she missed him. Chuckling, she dialed Jacob’s number. “Hey, boss man. I have a few questions about the articles you want me to write.”
“You’re such a workaholic,” Jacob laughed. “Besides, I thought you’d be with that sexy guy of yours.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Danger came to see me.”
Dani slammed against the back of the chair. “What? When?”
“Yesterday. I thought you’d know by now. He begged me to keep it a surprise.”
“Danger came by the office?”
Jacob hesitated. “What’s going on?”
“What did he look like?”
“Tall guy. He’d shaved his beard and cut his hair so as you can imagine, I grilled the hell out of him. Still wouldn’t give him your address, only your phone number.”
Very slowly she got up from the chair, glancing at the unlocked door. “Jacob, what color hair did he have?”
“Um... Black, yeah. Dark eyes.
Cold eyes if you want to know the truth. Now, what is going on?”
“Nothing, Jacob. Just making certain. I have to go. Okay?” She ended the call and glared at her phone. She’d had it powered off before, but that didn’t mean someone couldn’t track her signal. Fucking Goddamn it. She slid it across the table, cupping her mouth with her hand. This wasn’t good at all. There was no way. How could he...
The noise was subtle but given there was no other sound in her apartment, she heard it—ice crunching as someone stepped onto her front porch. Danger would knock. That much she knew about him. As quietly as possible, she took several steps toward the door, her heart racing. When she heard the sound of metal being jammed into the lock, her instinct kicked in. The bastard was breaking in. The gun. Where had Danger put her gun?
When the door opened, she bolted for the bedroom, barely managing to slam and lock the door before a hard body was forced against it. But she’d caught a single glance at his enraged face. “Get out!” Danger, where are you?
A fist was pounded on the door. “Da-ni...”
The voice skittered down her spine, sending a wave of fear into her system. She’d shared intimate moments with the man. “Get away from me.”
“You shouldn’t have printed that article.” His gruff reply was followed by a deep laugh.
One laced with evil.
The knife. Fuck. It was in her briefcase, which was under the kitchen table. The shotgun. In her closet. She sprinted toward the closet door just as a cracking sound assaulted her ears. He was trying to break in. Every part of her was shaking, but she had to do this. There was no way she’d get very far in the storm if she jumped out the window. The second she wrapped her hand around the barrel, the wood splintered, the door bursting open.
And in walked the monster.
“Come here, sweet submissive.”
Boom!
* * *
Dani stood stoically as the light wind sliced across her face. She had no idea what to expect, nor could she even breathe. Flurries fell across Washington DC, a mild snowstorm predicted for that night. She was terrified, more so than when Cane had accosted her, trying to take her life. She would never forget Cane’s expression as he fell, the killing shot coming from Wolf’s gun only seconds before Danger and another man had bolted into her apartment. That had been a full week before, yet she continued to have nightmares.