by Stark, Cindy
“He was my friend.” A stronger sob escaped her.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I used to bake cookies for him, and we’d talk. He was the only person besides my brother, and now besides you, who cared about me.”
He hugged her tighter, grateful that she realized he truly did care. “I’m really sorry, Eliana. I had no idea.”
“I watched him die, Christian. I watched…” She paused to exhale a ragged breath. “I watched Lorenzo kill him and then walk away like it meant nothing in the world.”
“Oh…fuck.” That was some bad shit. “And then you had to defend him.” That must have been so unbelievably difficult for her. “I’m not sure I could have.”
“I had to.” She looked at him with wet eyes. “It was the only way to infiltrate Hardy’s group.”
“And now you’re feeling guilty.”
Her expression broke, and she nodded.
He gathered her into his arms. “Ah, love.” He stroked her hair and allowed her to release her tears. “This is going to be okay. I promise. Just rest now. You’re safe.”
Tomorrow, he’d call the guys and figure out a better place for Eliana to disappear. Somewhere far away from Hardy and his men.
Chapter Nineteen
Ethereal shivers of delight encircled and twisted through Eliana. Warmth. Love. Touch. Everything good and wonderful. She moaned from sheer pleasure, until the sound of her voice echoing through the room roused her from her dream-like state.
She blinked to find Christian lying next to her, raised on one elbow and smiling down at her. He drew a lazy finger around one nipple, drawing a sharp intake of breath from her.
“Good morning.” He leaned forward and kissed her, further clouding her mind with sensual thoughts.
She wrapped her arms around him, languishing in the feel of his naked body against hers.
“It most definitely is,” she said when he broke the kiss.
He held her gaze as his finger trailed past her stomach and lower. The physical and emotional connection decimated boundaries, leaving her in a state of wonder.
She arched involuntarily as he slipped a hand between her thighs and found her most sensitive spot. His fingers slid easily between her already-wet folds, and she gasped as he crested her bud.
“Oh, yeah,” he whispered as he gathered her in his arms and rolled on top of her. She didn’t have time to protest before he was inside.
He groaned with pleasure, and she tried to breathe through the sensation of pure rapture.
“God, love. You feel good.”
She wrapped her legs around him and held him tight. He seemed content to stay put, buried deep within her, but not moving. She tightened her muscles, causing him to chuckle.
“Felt that.”
“Did you now?” She smiled, thinking how absolutely wonderful it was to be with someone who wanted and cherished her.
“Mmm-hmm.” He moved out slowly, forcing her to experience each delicious inch of him before he settled inside her again.
“We have things to discuss, love.” He nuzzled the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
“We do?” His warm lips on her neck pushed away every rational thought.
He nibbled lower until he reached the curve of her shoulder. “When we’re done here, I’m going to drive you home.” He nipped lightly, coaxing another gasp from her. “You can pack some clothes and basic essentials, and then I’m getting you the hell out of town.”
She stopped as his words filtered through the haze. “Wait a minute. I’m not going anywhere. Not now that I’ve found my brother.” She pushed at his shoulders, and he raised his head to meet her gaze.
“I need you to be safe.” Hard determination rested in his eyes, but she wouldn’t be bullied by it.
“And I need to get help for my brother. We discussed this last night.” She lowered her eyebrows in concern. “You promised.”
He pushed up so he hovered over her. His biceps bulged while his cock still laid buried deep within her. “I’m not breaking my promise. I will help him. But you, my sweet Eliana, are going to be somewhere safe where none of them can touch you.”
“No.” She drew her forefinger along the sexy curve of his solid jawline. “I am not going anywhere. Not until I know my brother is okay.”
He frowned. “You don’t have a choice.”
She scoffed. “Oh, really? You think you can tell me what to do because we’ve slept together?”
He released a frustrated breath. “I’m not trying to own you, but if something happens to you, if you get hurt any worse than you have, I won’t be able to bear it.”
The sincerity in his eyes was an arrow to her heart. “What are you saying?” She needed to hear it.
He paused a moment, then cleared his throat. “I’m saying if something bad were to happen… Those guys are beyond dangerous, you know… Dammit, Eliana, if you were seriously injured or died, it would kill me.” His voice cracked on the last sentence.
Emotion clogged her throat as well. She wouldn’t have believed they could have become so close so soon, but how could she deny what was directly in front of her? He meant every word he said. How could she think her feelings weren’t as real?
“It’s the same with me, Christian,” she forced out. “You’re the only person who’s ever cared enough to understand me and what I’ve gone through.”
“Then you understand.” He lowered, putting the full weight of his body on hers. He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “I need you safe.”
“Well, I need you safe, too.” She spanned his shoulders with wide spread fingers and then lightly dug into his flesh. “I can’t lose another person I care about. I won’t. I refuse. When you’re safe, then I’ll be safe, too.”
“That’s not how it works,” he pressed.
“Who says?”
“Me, love. I say.” His expression was gentle as he studied her face.
“I appreciate your gallantry. I really do, but I’ve fought my battles too long to consider running and hiding while you put your life on the line.”
“I insist.”
She grinned then, her heart exploding with happiness. “Thank you for that, Christian. It’s a lovely gesture.”
“Good. So we’ll just…” He moved in and out of her again. “And then we’ll be on our way.”
“Except we won’t.” She covered his lips when he tried to speak. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a damn long time, Christian. I might not look it, but my street smarts were hard earned. You saw me at a low point last night. We all have them. But if you try to lock me away where I won’t get hurt and leave me to wonder if you’re okay, forget it. First chance I get, I’ll tell Gideon you’re a plant.”
“No, you won’t. You wouldn’t hurt me like that.”
“Then I’ll let him know I am.”
He punched the pillow next to her. “Fuck, Eliana. This isn’t a game.”
She took his chin between her fingers and met his gaze head on. “Do you think I don’t know that? I’ve lost one, potentially two people already. I won’t lose more. Not if I can help it. So, we can either work together, or both of us are going to give up what we’ve gained in this battle.”
His gaze clashed with hers for several long minutes. “I have half a mind to tie you up, drug you and send you in a crate to the old family in Ireland. Without a passport, you might not make it back here until this whole thing is done.”
She pushed against him, pressing until he allowed her to roll him over and climb on top. She straddled him, feeling him bump up against the very core of her. “If you send me away, I might never come back. I’ll find some strapping Irish lad to love me instead.”
Then she grinned, knowing she’d won even if he hadn’t conceded yet. “Working with me is going to be much easier than working against me.”
He slowly shook his head, his hand creeping up and caressing her breast in a tender touch. “Do what I ask, please, love?”
“No.”
Her smile grew bigger. “Begging won’t help. Nothing will. If you can’t handle a strong woman, then you shouldn’t have picked me.”
“Fuck that.” His mouth twisted into a grin. “You think I can’t handle you? Think again.”
With a quick movement, he tossed her over on the bed, putting her in the submissive position. “I’ll handle you, and then some.”
Her laugh turned to a gasp as he drove deep inside her. “We’ll see who owns who.”
Chapter Twenty
Saturday at the shopping center was a crazy, chaotic place. Eliana had done as Christian had asked and taken the bus, the train, and then another bus to get there. She’d left everything but simple clothing and her house key at home. No purse where a listening or tracking device might have been hidden. No phone where someone might be able to hack in and track her. She felt naked and vulnerable without ID and her phone, but she’d do what was necessary to get away unobserved.
She headed inside the planned department store and stopped to inspect a beautiful lavender blouse. She flicked quick glances to her surroundings to see if anyone followed her inside or if anyone watched her. No one seemed the slightest bit interested, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
She moved through the store toward the back, stopping occasionally to notice people around her. When nothing seemed amiss, she entered the customer service area at the back, arranged her features to look like she was nervous, and approached a young woman with long blond hair.
“Excuse me. I need your help. There’s a guy in the store, someone who used to stalk me. I don’t want to risk running into him. Is there another entrance back here that I could slip out?”
The girl widened her eyes in alarm. “Do you need me to call the police?”
“No.” Eliana adamantly shook her head. “I don’t want any contact with him whatsoever for fear that he’ll start his tactics again. If I could just go out the back way…”
“Of course. Follow me.” The young woman led her through the stock room to a back entrance where they accepted deliveries. “Here you go. I hope he doesn’t find you.”
“Me, too.” She glanced back over her shoulder to make sure no one had followed them. “If a man asks if you’ve seen me, please tell him no.”
“No problem. Stay safe.” With a nod, she closed the door between them.
Bright sunshine once again greeted Eliana, and she glanced around the back alley behind the store. Two dumpsters and a semi-truck occupied the area. Down the way, a silver sedan started its engine and pulled forward.
Eliana’s heartbeat escalated until the car was close enough for her to see a woman with blond hair inside. The woman lowered her window and smiled. “Eliana?”
Welcome relief washed through her when she recognized the driver. “Oh my God, Janie?” She hurried around to the passenger side and climbed into the car.
The blonde reached over and hugged her. “I had no idea you knew Christian. My husband and Christian are very good friends. Brothers, really. He’s also like a brother to me.”
“It’s such a small world,” Eliana said. “I don’t know how much Sam has shared with you, but I also know him quite well.”
Janie gave her a quiet smile. “I know that he once had a crush on you.”
“He did?” The knowledge that the attraction hadn’t been one-sided brought a smile to her face. “But he has you now.”
“He does.” She slanted a glance at her. “If you hadn’t helped to save my life, I might have to hate you.”
“What? Why?”
“No one wants their husband to have a gorgeous, still-single ex-girlfriend.”
“I was never his girlfriend.” Eliana laughed. “Trust me. Once he saw you, he never looked at me again.” Who could blame Sam? Janie’s brilliant blue eyes and friendly smile had drawn Eliana in immediately, too.
“Better duck down while we drive around the front of the store. Someone might be watching.”
Eliana tilted her seat all the way back. She’d liked Janie immediately when she’d first met her. At that point, Janie had been beaten pretty badly by her abusive, now ex-boyfriend, and Eliana had stepped in to help. The case had never gone to trial, so she hadn’t gotten to know her as well as she would have liked, but she’d admired her spirit. “Looks like you’re coming to my rescue now.”
Janie laughed. “Why can’t trouble find the bad people instead of the nice ones?”
“Actually, I went looking for it, hoping to find my brother.” She snorted, wondering if she was insane.
Janie’s expression dropped. “Christian said you did find him, except he’s still a little lost.”
That part killed her worse than anything. “Yeah.” After what he’d said to her and how he’d hurt her, she wished she could walk away and not care. But she couldn’t.
“Have faith. If these guys can save me from a crazed man, they can help you. I’ve seen them do it many times.” Janie glanced in the rear view mirror. “We’re clear now. I don’t think anyone followed us.”
“Thank you for doing this.” Christian hadn’t given her much information about his friends, other than they were people she could trust.
“Oh, heck. No problem at all. I like it when I can help.” She gave Eliana a quick glance. “Christian once took a bullet because of me. This is the least I can do.”
“He’s been shot before? When did this happen?” The thought alarmed her.
“Back, before. When Paul was after me. Paul worked for Hardy, too. Did you know?”
“No.” She shouldn’t be surprised, though. “God. Christian’s taken a bullet?” She couldn’t get past it.
A troubled look crossed Janie’s face. “I don’t like it, either, but I promised myself I wouldn’t bring my worries to Sam. Heck, he’s a cop. He’s in the line of danger every day. But he loves to help people. I can’t take that from him. I do spend a lot of time worrying though, but I’m getting better at it.”
Eliana had picked up enough hints from what Christian and Janie had said to haphazardly piece together this unofficial family that Christian claimed. “You said they were like brothers, and it sounds like they’ve helped more than a few people.” She could admire that. She’d done the same in her own way.
Janie nodded as she turned another corner. “Normally, I don’t talk about their activities to other people. It would put them all at risk. But since Christian seems determined to bring you into the fold, I’ve been told it’s okay.”
“It sounds like they belong to a secret society.” Eliana added a laugh because it seemed so absurd.
Janie shrugged. “You’re not far from the mark. There are only five guys: Sam and Christian. Xander who’s a financial analyst. He married Nicole who works at Christian’s bar. Ryan is ex-military. He lives along the coast in Seaside with Violet, and then Hunter who’s still sort of an enigma to me. Nice guy. Don’t get me wrong. But there’s a dark side to him, a wounded side I would say.”
Eliana lifted her brows. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”
“There is, and from what I know, it’s a sad one.” She briefly met her gaze. “Someone murdered his wife and child a few years ago. He blames himself and thinks he should have died instead, but life wasn’t so kind. Now, he’s sought solace in the form of vengeance.”
“That’s…beyond horrible.” Her life had been tainted by a loved one’s death, but she couldn’t imagine something as excruciating as Hunter’s pain. “I get the vengeance part though. Does Hunter believe Hardy was involved in his family’s murder?”
Janie turned onto a tree-lined street with an incline. “I believe so, Eliana. Though I don’t know all the details. From what I’ve pieced together, he and a man named Georgio Donati are the main reasons we’ve come together, how we’re all connected. They’ve destroyed so many innocent lives, and we’ve all been touched in one way or another. The guys are determined to bring them down.”
More pieces clicked into place. “So that’s why Christian was hanging
out with his brother, trying to infiltrate just like I was.”
“Yes,” Janie confirmed. “That’s also why I’m the one to pick you up today. As we speak, he’s at Gideon’s bar hanging out. He’s hoping to learn more information, but he also needs to be seen when you disappear for the day so it doesn’t appear he’s with you. You two can be lovers, but we don’t want it to appear more than just sex.”
Unexpected heat rushed to her cheeks. “Uh, awkward. Is our love affair common knowledge?”
Janie’s amused laugh filled the air. “Oh, honey. Love affair? Really? I’d say this has gone beyond a love affair.”
She released a small snort of surprise. “How so?”
Her friend pulled into the driveway of a gray rock house surrounded by pines. “If Christian is bringing you here to meet the group, that’s the equivalent of a full-blown commitment.”
Happiness and nerves collided inside her. “It is?”
“There are now nine of us, including you, who know about their informal vigilante organization. Nine. Five brothers. Three wives…and now you. What do you think that means?”
“Oh, shit.” Her heart thudded inside her chest. “I don’t know what to say.”
Janie gave her a kind smile. “I hope that’s good news to you. I would hope Christian has considered your feelings before dragging you into this.”
“We haven’t exactly talked about our relationship. I mean, I do feel this deep connection to him, and it strikes paralyzing fear into me when I think about losing him, but... I don’t know what else to say.” She needed more time to think about this, about him. She hadn’t considered a future because, up until the previous night, she hadn’t been able to see beyond saving her brother. Her choices and the resulting consequences could very well mean her life. What was the point in making future plans?
Janie opened the car door. “My best advice? If you love him, trust him. I think he’s determined to be the man you need him to be. He’ll help you save your brother, Eliana. Let him.”
A sweet feeling of hope exploded inside her, threatening so many walls of pain. She’d never had anyone truly on her side. A few people had cared about her, no doubt. The café owner from her youth and Howard. Obviously, her brother had at one point. But those were nothing like what this might be.