by J. L. Drake
“Cole—” He bites at my neck, giving my nerves another jolt.
“Do you have any idea how scared I’ve been these last twelve hours?” he hisses as he runs his hand along my stomach. “I want to handcuff you to me right now and drag your ass back to Montana.” His other hand grabs my ass, squeezing it and making my hand drop back against his shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I close my eyes as his hand slides in the front of my pants, running just shy of where I want him to be. “Because you would have said no.”
He whips me around, grabs my waist, and hoists me onto the bar top. He moves between my legs and clutches my lower back, hauling me into him. “Damn right, I would have. You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
He reaches over, clasping my chin, and gives me a rough but sensual kiss. By the time he pulls away, I’m nearly panting with built-up lust.
“Christ, Savannah, are you out of your mind? What if something happened to you? Then what?”
My mind scrambles to think clearly. “Cole, I’m fine. I’m meeting my father to get some answers.”
I feel his hands pull away from me, and he runs them roughly through his hair. He closes his eyes, muttering something to himself I can’t make out.
“Logan, we have eyes on the building, and we’re not the only ones.” Mark stands in the doorway. “Hi, Savi.” He smiles, raising one eyebrow, but his cheeky smile fades fast when he takes in Cole’s expression. Of course Mark is here.
“Which building? And who else is here?” I ask, looking from Mark to Cole.
“How many?” Cole’s voice is all business.
“Three.”
“Will someone answer me?” I try again. “Cole?”
Cole sighs as he thinks. “All right, double our men on theirs and have the snipers ready on my command.”
“Snipers?” I nearly shout. “What the hell is going on?” I can tell I’m not going to get anywhere with these two, so I quickly shift off the bar before Cole knows what I’m doing. I grab my purse and head for the front door.
“Where are you going?” Cole calls out to me, signaling for Mark to block the doorway.
I turn on my heel and find him right in front of me. “I’m sick and tired of people not answering me, Cole. Ask your man to move! I’m going to talk to Derek. At least he acknowledges me when I speak.” I eye up where Mark’s foot is, ready to stamp on it.
Yeah, I can tell he doesn’t like that comment, but right now, I don’t care. I feel like I am treading water with no end in sight. Everyone knows things but me, and it’s infuriating. I spent seven months with no control over my life, not knowing from one minute to the next what would happen to me, and I will not live like that again. I turn and stare Cole down, because at this moment, I am friggin’ angry, and I want answers.
Cole looks at me for a moment, his expression tight. “All right, Savi, hold on. As much as I’m against this—you meeting your father this evening—Frank felt it was about time we got some answers, and maybe this is the way to do it.” His jaw twitches. Oh boy, he is mad. “So, you and Derek will attend your father’s dinner, but with a wire and plenty of backup.” It’s not lost on me the way he says Derek’s name like it’s acid on his tongue.
“Wire?” I swallow. “Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
“Extreme?” he shouts, his hands flying to his hips. “Extreme is you running off to New York with Derek Rent to confront your father with the Cartel hot on your trail! Extreme is you not seeing what’s going on here!”
“The Cartel knows I’m here?”
“When will you get it, Savannah? They have eyes everywhere!”
“Christ, Cole, fill me in, then!” I shout, taking a step toward him. “Please, for once in my goddamn life, will someone tell me something? I’m tired of living in the shadows, only seeing the gray and black!” I take another step until I am right in front of him. “Don’t I deserve that much?”
“You deserve the world, Savi.” His whisper catches me off guard.
I shake my head and try to remain on track. “Don’t be sweet right now, Cole.” I pause. “Please,” I lower my voice, “don’t try to steer me off course. My father did all the time.”
“I wasn’t trying to.” His hands slip around my waist, pulling me in. “It just came out. It’s how I feel, and when all of this is over, I intend to give it to you.” His voice is low but still harsh. I can hear his frustration. “Look, baby, there are some things you need to know that are going to—”
“Logan,” Mark says. I forgot he’s still here. “We need to prep Savannah.” He opens the door farther, and in walks Keith.
Oh, fuck me!
“How mad is he?” I whisper to Cole.
“Let’s just say not as mad as me.”
“I am sorry, Cole.”
“Let’s just get through this.” He kisses the top of my head and turns me around to face Keith.
Keith is holding a small box. He stops in front of me and speaks quickly, not looking directly at my face. “This is your tracking device.” He opens the box and reveals a silver bracelet with a white stone in the middle. “It’s undetectable.” He quickly snaps it around my wrist. “Don’t,” his eyes finally meet mine, and they are cold, “take it off.”
“I won’t.”
“This is the wire.” He opens a second box from his pocket and shows me a matching necklace. “This will help—”
My stomach sinks. “I don’t want to wear that.” My voice caught in my throat.
“You have to,” Keith states firmly, but as he looks at me, I can see he has conflicting expressions playing over his face.
I clasp my snowflake pendant. “No, Keith, I haven’t taken this off since—” My eyes sting. It represents more than just Cole; it’s a little reminder of our baby too.
“Savi,” Cole whispers in my ear behind me, “just for the evening. I’ll hold on to it and keep it safe.” I hold myself very still for a moment then nod, not wanting to speak in fear I’ll cry. Cole moves my hair aside. I feel his warm hands move over my skin as he unclasps it. He reaches for the necklace Keith is holding and secures it in place. It feels heavy. I don’t like it.
“Testing, testing, one-two-three,” Keith says in a quiet voice. John pops his head in the door, giving a thumbs up.
Is Paul here too?
“No mention of the house, no mention of any of the guys being here, no mention of what you’ve been up to. Most importantly, don’t let them separate you from Derek,” Keith warns. “If anything happens and you need us, your safe word is what?”
“Blackstone,” I answer without missing a beat.
“Right.”
“Guys. I’m going to be all right. It’s my father who’s in trouble now.” I notice Keith glance at Cole. “Now what?”
“We leave in two minutes,” Keith says as he turns around.
“Keith,” I call, making him stop. “I didn’t run. I took someone with me and left a note. I was only trying to do the right thing, and I knew you and the rest of the house would never have let me come. Derek was my only chance to make things right.”
He turns fully to study me. “I know you were doing what you thought was right. I know you found out what Cole planned to do, so the fact that you wanted to protect him and all of us makes me understand why you did what you did.” He pauses. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not furious with you, and it doesn’t mean I’m not sticking a tracking device on your goddamn ass when we get home.” I see his eyes crinkle slightly.
“Deal.” I walk over and give him a hard hug. “I love you, Keith. You’re family. Thank you for understanding.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. I’m not normally, so take what you can get.” He gives me a little shove and nods at Cole. “I’ll meet you outside the door.”
I let out a long breath and try to absorb this situation.
“You ready?” Cole moves in front of me.
“Cole, is there anything I should know before I go in
there? Please don’t lie to me.”
He rubs his chin, thinking. “Know I love you and will do anything to protect you, and when this is all over, I intend to make you smile for the rest of your life.”
I roll my eyes. “That would have been incredibly romantic if you didn’t say it like I was going to war.”
“In some ways, you are.”
“What does that even—?”
He grips the sides of my face and kisses me with so much lust I nearly forget what I was about to do. I put my hands on his shoulders as I press myself into his solid body. As quickly as he came in for the kiss, he pulls away and takes my hand.
“I love you.” He pulls me toward the door.
“I love you too.”
Cole
Cole pulls her into the adjoining room where Paul is at the table testing out the pin camera.
“Hey, Savi.” Paul gives a tight smile and holds up the pin that is shaped like the New York state flag. “This will be our eyes.”
Cole takes the small pin from Paul’s fingers and pins it to Savannah’s blouse and waves his hand in front of it.
“All good,” Paul states.
“Ummm,” Savannah is biting her lip, “this is all a bit much.”
“No,” Cole answers simply, “it’s frankly not enough.”
“Okay, Savi.” Derek enters from the hallway. “You ready to go?”
Cole’s eyes narrow in on him. He is still furious at Derek and knows they will be having plenty of words after this is over. His instincts were right when it came to Derek Rent. He still doesn’t trust him, and he hates that he still has to use him at all.
“You keep her safe, Rent,” he says, pushing his finger hard into his chest, “or I’ll personally take you out.”
“Cole,” Savannah hisses, squeezing her body in the space between them. “Please, let’s just go before they decide to put any more devices on me.” She turns to look at Cole, trying to act brave, but he can see she’s scared. He wants nothing more than to take her home and lock her away in his bedroom and keep her safe from everything. “I’ll see you soon.” She kisses him on the lips softly, but he swipes his tongue inward, tasting as much of her as he can. She squeaks, making him kiss her harder. Finally, he pulls away and lets her catch her breath. “Cole?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re going to have to let go.” She glances down at his cast-iron grip on her hips.
“Right.” He steps back, watching Derek walk her out and unknowingly into the lion’s den.
“I don’t get it,” Keith says, appearing at his side. “I know we are under orders not to tell her anything, but are you really going to let her go in blind?”
“I know Savannah, Keith. If she goes in knowing who is behind all this, she’ll charge them like a pissed off bull. It’s safer for her to be her normal innocent self. They’ll be less apt to harm her if she truly doesn’t know anything.”
Keith huffs. “I sure saw it before she left. I should’ve gone with my gut and followed her.”
“No,” Cole shakes his head, “you did the right thing, and we were able to catch up with them.”
“Perhaps, but she’s sure as shit not known for her lying skills.”
“Certainly not, and I love that about her,” Cole admits.
“Me too.”
Suddenly, they both feel their conversation is getting awkward, and they start moving about. “Right, well, let’s get this over with.” Cole sits down at the table, watching the computer monitor.
“Well, fuck me,” Mark hisses from the window, staring down at the street, a pair of binoculars glued to his eyes. “Logan, you’ll never guess who’s here.”
Savannah
I walk nervously down the sidewalk, my arm looped through Derek’s, on the way to meet my father. It is starting to snow. I try to act normal, I really do, but after being surprised by Cole and the guys and being lit up like a Christmas tree with trackers, mics, and video equipment, I feel a nervous dance going on in my stomach.
“Maddison, my niece,” Derek starts, “she reminds me so much of my sister. She has these big brown eyes like the cat from Puss in Boots.” He laughs. “All that little girl has to do is look up at me, and I turn all mushy. I’m visiting her after we get back home, and I’m going to take her to Disney World. She loves Sleep In Beauty. I’ve ordered her that princess dress from the movie. I’m soon to be her favorite uncle.”
I can’t thank him enough for chatting. I know he is doing it for me. I even forgive him for messing up the Disney character’s name and manage to smile at him. I really need something to focus on because I do feel like I want to puke. The love he has for his niece is obvious. “That’s really sweet of you, Derek. I wish I had an uncle like you growing up.”
“Well, my sister and I were really close growing up. She practically raised me, as my parents worked a lot. I want to be a good uncle to her daughter. Besides, I doubt I’ll ever have a kid, so Maddison is about as close to a daughter as I’ll get.”
“Why would you say that?”
He shrugs. “I love my job too much to give enough time to a woman.”
“Oh, please, you just haven’t found the right one yet. When you do, things will change.”
He lets out a long breath. “You may have a point. I thought Logan was going to be a lone wolf up on his mountain until you came along.”
“I’m happy,” I smile up at him, “and you will be too someday.”
“All right, enough chick chat. It’s showtime.” He holds the door open for me. “No matter what happens up there, Savannah, I’m right there with you.”
“Thanks, Derek.” I squeeze his arm, happy to have him with me, and extremely happy now that Blackstone is watching and listening.
We ride the elevator up to the penthouse. The doors open, and there is my father wearing his usual black suit with a glass of scotch in his hand.
Chapter Seven
“Hello, dear. Come in, come in.” He gives me an awkward hug then takes my jacket. I see his hand run along the pockets.
“Father.” I nod, glancing around and noting that something is different. Our family pictures have been removed, and my graduation photo is gone from the mantel. Jeez, you would think he never had a family.
“Captain Rent, thank you for joining us this evening.” My father shakes his hand.
I try not to let it bother me that my father knows Derek’s rank. I’m guessing he did his homework before we came over this evening.
After my father makes us a drink along with his small talk, the doorbell rings, making my stomach drop into my lap.
“Are you expecting someone?” Derek asks, standing at my side.
My father rises and gives us a warm smile. “Actually, yes.”
I stand, glancing at Derek, who looks as worried as I am. I thought this was a private dinner.
“Savannah?” I hear her voice, and I nearly drop my drink. “Is that really you?”
“Lynn?” I can barely speak as she runs over and wraps her arms around me, embracing me in that familiar hug I missed dearly. She still looks amazing. Everything matches, nothing out of place. I start to wonder about my own appearance. I quickly stop myself.
Don’t go there, Savi.
“Oh my god, I thought you were dead! When your father called me to come over, I thought it was just for dinner, but when he told me you—” She pulls away and looks at me with tears in her eyes. “You look amazing!”
“Thanks, so do you.” I point to Derek. “This is my friend Derek. Derek, this is my longtime friend Lynn.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Derek’s voice is laced with discomfort. I don’t blame him; I wasn’t ready for this either.
“Well, well, well, look at you, spitfire.” Luka holds open his arms, coming into the room and granting me a large hug. “Never thought we’d see you again.”
“Luka!” I smile at him. “If you told me I would be standing here with you guys a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believe
d it.” I turn to Derek and make the introductions. Poor Derek. He does not like this.
“Okay, now, enough hovering, everyone.” My father beams. “We are all excited to have her safely home. Let’s get some food, and then Savannah can tell us everything that’s happened.”
Oh, lovely, a trip down memory lane.
Derek sits next to me, facing Lynn and Luka, and my father sits to my left at the head of the table. A massive, gaudy panting of him is hung behind his seat. He is in a red leather chair, nursing a drink. It looms over the room as if to prove he is high and mighty. Nice to know he had time to get a painting done while my life was turned inside out. I move my arms out of the way while the entree is served, and the questions begin.
“So, you were held captive for nearly seven months, and we understand you were rescued a while ago, but why are we only seeing you now?” Lynn asks, confused. “Where were you between then and now?”
Wow, jump right in, guys.
I see Derek shift ever so slightly. I’m not sure how to answer her, but I don’t need to because my father does it for me.
“She was in a safe house.” My mouth drops open.
“Where?” Lynn asks over the rim of her wine glass.
“I can’t say,” I reply, looking at my father.
“Why?”
“Rules,” I answer truthfully.
“Really?” She takes a bite of her salad. “So, are you and Derek dating?”
“No,” Derek answers quickly.
“No, she’s dating a colonel,” my father says calmly. “Colonel Cole Logan, correct?”
What the hell?
I’m shocked, dumbstruck, just staring at him. “Dad, how do you know that information?” I am completely blown away by his calm comments and knowledge of my situation.
“I’m a powerful man who knows a lot of things, Savannah. I know, for instance, that your boyfriend isn’t who he says he is.” My father’s eyes shift over to Derek’s. “Just like you, Captain Rent, isn’t that right?”