Tyler was a bit too trigger-happy when it came to following orders. There had been several occasions where he had not followed orders and had taken it upon himself to deliver the justice as he saw fit. This had not gone down well with Harvey in the past and James had been warned to keep a tight rein on him, something that James considered to be hard work when it came to Tyler. The man was a law unto himself but James was not going to take any chances where she was involved.
“Just make sure that you keep your gun packed, understand!” James said firmly.
“Well that’s not any fun,” Tyler said with a smile that James was unimpressed with.
James stared at Tyler, the threat evident in his eyes. A knock at the door had Tyler turning away, and James turned to pick up his jacket and bag. Tom stood at the door, swinging the keys to his SUV round his first finger.
“Ready to roll when you are,” he said, aware of the frosty atmosphere between the two men.
James walked from the room, shutting the door behind him and walked across the parking lot. It was still early and the heat was building rapidly as he opened the door to the SUV, stepping in and turning on the engine, immediately starting the air-conditioning. It was going to be a hot one today, and he was not just thinking about the weather. The other men got into the two additional vehicles they had driven there and waited for James to leave first.
James drove out of the motel and down the main street that led into town. It was quiet and only a few people were going about their daily business. There were not many stores here but it had the most amazing views of the ocean as he drove past the grocery store where Tyler said he had first seen her. He continued down the main road until he reached a smaller dirt track that lay to the right. Palm trees lined the track that billowed in the light breeze. He drove slowly as Tom followed, whilst the other SUV turned left and parked up on a bank. He watched out of his rearview mirror as Tyler and Harry exited their vehicle and disappeared into the trees. Hopefully Tyler would follow instructions and James would not have to bust his arse for doing something stupid. No way would he allow him to get within a mile of her.
James drove slowly past the boathouse that she had rented. It was a beautiful place to stay for a vacation and he respected her excellent choice to be so close to the beach. As he drove past the back of the house, he spotted another SUV parked a short distance away. He suspected that it belonged to him and that they must still be in the house. He drove on further and pulled up beside a large palm tree as Tom pulled up in front of him. Both men exited their vehicles and walked into the trees, moving back toward the house. Tom carried his rifle in his hand as James stared at him in warning.
“Make sure you don’t use that. I told Tyler this morning that Harvey wants them alive and I will deliver your arse to him on a plate if you so much as fire a single shot!” he warned him.
“No worries. boss, we can just use the sight to see inside the house,” Tom assured him, not wanting to piss James off. He understood the underlying threat that he had heard James make to Tyler that morning as he’d approached his room and he certainly didn’t want to have to deal with Harvey. The man was a mean son of a bitch when he got angry and not someone you wanted to cross.
Tyler and Harry searched the trees that led to the beach, looking for any signs that she had been visited. It was early and no one had ventured to the ocean yet, which was beneficial as the cleaners had been out and drifted the sand, leaving a clear view for any footsteps that may lead to the house. They knew that she would appear sooner or later. They just had to bide their time and wait, hidden until they knew they would get a clear shot at taking her. James had been adamant about her being taken alive, but Tyler knew that if he had the chance then he would take her out. James would be pissed but what the hell. He was perfectly able to make decisions for himself and knew Harvey would just have to find another way to get what he wanted. He wasn’t going to miss this chance for a little light firing practice. He enjoyed the challenge, and this one was going to be a good one as he spotted the boathouse to his left. He moved closer, stepping over the fallen palm leaves that lay scattered on the floor as Harry followed, careful to stay close but out of view of the house.
“Didn’t James say we had to search the beach area, not go near the house?” Harry asked, knowing that Tyler had other ideas about taking out the woman.
“Just going to take a closer look,” Tyler replied. He knew that Harry was just a follower and not a leader. He didn’t have the fighting edge that was needed for this kind of work. It had surprised him that James had taken him on. If it had been up to him then he would have kicked him out of the team a long time ago. No room for the weak in this line of work.
“But James told us to search the beach,” Harry said again.
Tyler stared at Harry with disgust. “If you’re that worried then go and search it yourself. Me, I’m going to see what I can find up near the house. Never know, she may be there.”
Harry shook his head. He knew how this was going to go down and he didn’t want to be in the firing line when James caught up with him. It was going to turn into a bloodbath if Tyler had anything to do with it, and he was getting tired of trying to convince Tyler to follow orders.
Tyler crept up to a large palm tree and bent down peering toward the house. He could see movement inside and caught a glimpse of the woman. She was a pretty little thing. Such a shame that he would have to hurt her. There were lots of better things he could spend his time doing with her. He knelt on one of the leaves and pulled his rifle out of its holder, lifted it to his face, and peered through the sight. Oh yeah, such a pretty little thing. He chuckled at the thought of holding her down and showing her who would be boss.
James and Tom continued to move through the trees until they stood a few yards from the house. James could see no movement inside but could feel their presence there. He took out the rifle and looked through the sight and spotted her walking through the living area. He froze, staring at her amazing auburn curls hanging over her shoulders and down her back, and watched as she walked into the kitchen. It had been so long and he never dreamed she had grown into such a beautiful woman. Her features sent memories flooding into his mind. She was so like the memories he held dear to his heart, memories he would never forget as long as he lived. His heart felt sorrow and joy in the same moment. Moving across the room, he saw a large male come up behind her and tower over her small frame. He was tall and broad with short dark hair and he touched her face. Emotions flooded though James as he watched them exchange a smile. He knew that she would be safe with him but it still hurt to know that this male was close to her and he wasn’t. As he watched, he suddenly saw a single red light shine on the wall next to her. He grabbed the radio from his belt.
“If you fire a single shot, I am going to fucking kill you myself!” James threatened into the mike, as he turned to see Tyler lying in the trees on the opposite side of the house, his rifle directed straight at her.
Chapter 9
Elijah had woken to a bright light shining straight through the glass of the wide bay fronted windows. The sun had risen quickly and he could feel the heat of the rays shooting through to the living area. It took him a moment to fully wake as he stared at the gleaming ocean that lay in the distance. It was a truly beautiful view. He had wanted to leave before it became daylight. He knew it would be safer to move her before the sun rose, but he’d fallen asleep late, listening to her turning over and over in bed. It had taken her a long time to drop off to sleep. He guessed that her thoughts must have been going round and round in circles from the information he had shared with her.
He sat up, his back aching from lying on a couch that was obviously made for much smaller males than himself, and stretched. He grabbed his shorts and vest-top and dressed, pulling on his trainers. If they needed to move fast, the last thing he needed to do was go searching for his clothes.
He walked toward the bedroom door and gently eased it open. Jasmine lay on top of the co
vers of the bed, sleeping peacefully. The beautiful curve of her hips and the firm roundness of her rear made him growl softly in his throat. He wanted to go to her, gently run the tips of his fingers across her smooth legs, follow the small indent of her waist, and move her hair back so he could kiss the smooth, supple skin of her shoulder. She was as sexy asleep as she had been walking back toward the house yesterday.
He turned to walk back out toward the kitchen.
“I’m awake. It’s okay, you can come in,” Jasmine said in a sleepy tone.
“I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful,” Elijah answered as he stepped into the bedroom.
“What time is it?” Jasmine asked as she sat up and rested against the plump pillow.
Elijah looked at her. Even though she had had a restless sleep, she still looked amazingly beautiful as she brushed her fingers through her tousled hair. “A little after seven. We must get going as it won’t be too long before we have company.”
Jasmine stared at him with sadness in her soft brown eyes. She climbed out of the covers and walked past Elijah toward the kitchen.
Elijah inhaled as she passed, closing his eyes at the delight that travelled through his body at the mere smell of her scent. He followed her, watching as she walked. She was so feminine and dainty against his huge size, and this made him want to pick her up and hold her tight against him. Jasmine walked toward the kitchen and leant against the worktop.
“Where will we go?” she asked as he came and stood directly in front of her.
Elijah brushed the side of her cheek with his hand as he stared at the beauty of her elegant oval-shaped face.
“I will take you to our compound. You will be safe there while we find out who wants to take you,” Elijah replied, suddenly seeing a red glint out of the corner of his eye. Anger grew like a volcano threatening to spill its furious wrath as he grabbed her and pulled her to the floor. He knew they had arrived.
“They are here!” he whispered, his tone sharp as he took a quick glance through the window at the front of the house. He saw a figure lying on the ground and watched as the red light flicked around the room, searching.
“Follow me and keep down. Get to the bedroom and dress quickly. We’ll go through the bedroom window,” Elijah instructed as he saw fear return to her face. Jasmine nodded, unable to speak as her heart started to pound furiously in her chest.
Jasmine scurried on her front to the bedroom, her hands shaking as fear flooded her whole body, making her feel sick. She dressed quickly in shorts and a T-shirt that she had laid out, and pulled on her pumps, desperately trying to tie the laces as she started to breathe rapidly in panic. She grabbed the bag by the door and made her way to the window at the side of the bed.
Elijah had followed her to the bedroom, keeping a watch on the front of the house for any movement. He reached for the latch, opened the window, and climbed out, glad that she had not rented a two-story house as his feet reached the dirt of the flower bed that lay just under the window. He helped Jasmine through the window and could feel her shaking as he grabbed the bag and picked her up to carry her to the path. As he gently placed her back down, a loud bang echoed around them like the sound of an explosion, making Jasmine scream out in terror.
She stumbled, landing on her knees, and cried out as pain shot through her knees.
Elijah grabbed her round the waist and pulled her up, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the back of the house. Another loud bang erupted around them as Elijah turned to see the male running in their direction. His rifle pointing directly at them.
“Stay here while I get the car,” Elijah spoke, knowing he had to get the car closer to shield her from the danger the bastards threatened.
“No, don’t go!” she pleaded, horror on her face at the thought of being left alone.
Elijah stared into her terrified gaze. He understood her fear, had been there a thousand times, and it tore him apart to see it on her face now as he closed his eyes and misted.
Jasmine furiously looked around, wishing she was anywhere but here, in plain open view. There was nothing she could hide behind, nothing that could protect her if they fired at her again. She was a sitting duck. Please God, let me get out of this alive she prayed.
As Elijah materialised inside the SUV, he cursed. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, not for a single second, and those fucking animals were going to pay for the pain they were putting her through.
He started the car and slammed it into reverse, skidding across the path as he pulled up beside the back of the house. He opened the passenger door and called out for her to get in.
She stared at Elijah, unable to move, terror rooting her to the spot. Her legs wouldn’t move as she shook her head from side to side. Panic coursed through her and she began to feel lightheaded as another loud bang deafened her. A bullet hit the ground to her right, making dirt fly around her. She cried out, unable to control the hysteria that was threatening to escape.
“Jasmine, look at me, just me. It’s okay, sweetheart. Just move forward, one foot at a time. Come on, baby, you can do it,” Elijah said softly, coaxing her gently.
“I can’t, I can’t move,” Jasmine spoke, her voice almost a whimper.
“Come on, sweetheart, just do it for me,” Elijah pleaded.
Jasmine took a deep breath. She knew she couldn’t stand there indefinitely. She would be shot at for sure. She slowly pulled away from the wall, her legs feeling like jelly.
Stepping forward, she grabbed the handle of the door and pulled herself into the passenger seat.
Slamming the door behind her, she pulled furiously at the seat belt and locked it into place.
“Hold on tight, sweetheart,” Elijah told Jasmine as he slammed the SUV into reverse again.
Stamping his foot hard on the pedal, he reversed at high speed, yanking the gears into second and pulling hard on the steering wheel, sending the SUV into a sharp arc. Jasmine was thrown against the side of the passenger door, making her wince as her shoulder made contact with the door handle. He pushed the brakes and clutch hard as he put the lever into first gear again and hit the accelerator.
Jasmine jumped, terrified at the sound of a sharp bang exploding though the SUV. A bullet ricocheted off the rear door, trying to penetrate the vehicle.
Elijah knew Tobias was going to be pissed at the damage to his precious paint job as he checked the rearview mirror. He saw the males heading to their vehicles.
Elijah turned and looked at Jasmine. She was pale and frightened, holding onto the door handle tightly, and he wanted to grab her and comfort her to take the terrified feeling away that must be coursing through her. It hurt him to think of the danger she was in as he gently laid his hand on hers. She turned to him, tears spilling down her face as he pulled out the cell from his pocket and dialled the number for the compound.
“Hey, boss, everything okay?” Jonah asked. He had been waiting for the call from Elijah, expecting his friend to say he was returning with news.
“Males have attacked the boathouse. They had rifles and attempted to kill her. Do a check to see if you can find out who they are. Maybe one of them has used a credit card or something. We are making our way back now,” Elijah explained as Jonah listened attentively.
“‘We,’” Jonah said calmly. “Do you have the female with you?”
“I’m bringing her in. It’s the only way to keep her safe,” Elijah stated, a little miffed at Jonah’s surprised tone. Of course he had her with him. She would always be by his side now. As far as he was concerned, she was his.
“Has she given you any details about the King?” Jonah asked.
“She doesn’t know anything,” Elijah stated. “We’ll be back later tonight. We’ll talk then. Just let me know what you find out about the males.” And he ended the call.
“Are they following us?” Jasmine asked as she looked out of the back of the SUV, still shaking uncontrollably.
“No, I think we can get well ahead of them. T
his baby packs some power and we can gain more distance once we hit the highway,” Elijah assured Jasmine. She still appeared pale as he glanced at her again. He smiled, hoping that it would ease some of the tension in her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around her legs she had pulled against her chest. Jasmine winced as she touched the cuts on her knees. Elijah growled at her injuries. She had gotten hurt and that was something he would never forgive himself for. He was the one who was supposed to protect her and he had failed. He was going to make sure that they paid heavily for hurting her.
He drove out of town and joined the highway.
The sun reflected on the long stretch of tarmac ahead of them as Jasmine stared out of the window at the trees rushing by. She had gone from relaxing in the sun and lying in the cool waters of the ocean to running for her life in only a few short hours. She had met a man that had fired her insides with desire and been shot at. She felt numb, shocked, and on the edge of losing the control she was desperately trying to keep hold of.
Elijah reached over and brushed her arm with his hand as if to reassure her that it would all be okay, but Jasmine just stared out of the window, watching the cars pass by. She felt like her life had frozen in time and she couldn’t think straight. Tears fell down her cheeks, tears that she could not stop falling as she laid her head down to rest on her bruised knees.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Elijah asked, knowing it was a stupid question. Of course she wasn’t all right, she was in shock, hurt, and frightened.
Jasmine couldn’t find it in herself to answer him. She sat there with her head resting on her knees, allowing the tears to flow. How could she answer him? She didn’t know if anything would ever be okay again. She lifted her head and stared at the road ahead of her. The sun was high in the sky now and she could feel the heat of it through the window. It reminded her of the heat she felt as she lay on the beach the day before. The peace that she had felt just lying there reading her book had been divine and now it was gone, gone forever. Life would never be the same.
Carlisle, Abbie - Elijah's Vow [The Order of the Mist] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 6