A breath shuddered through her. “It hurts, Lucas.”
“I know, love. I’m sorry. I wish I had told you before. I just wanted to get him out of your life.”
“Thank you for telling me now.”
His arms tightened around her. Silence followed. Wondering if she was gearing up the anger, he shifted so he could look down at her. Her eyes were closed and the shallow, even breaths told him she was deeply asleep.
Lucas dropped his head back onto the pillow and gathered her close again. Had it hit her yet that she no longer had to be afraid, no longer had to hide? For years she had been on the run. Had shut herself off from a real life and any kind of relationship. Now that she didn’t have to run, would she be content to stay still?
She woke the next morning to an empty bed. Rolling over, McKenna squinted at the clock, surprised to see it was almost seven. Noah and his team would be here at ten. She needed to get some clothes before then. Going to an LCR meeting in a robe didn’t exactly inspire confidence. And nothing in the world could make her retrieve that hideous wedding gown from the trash.
Wondering where Lucas had gone, she sat up and looked around. There was no sign of him. If she didn’t have the delicious aches on her body and the heady fragrance of uninhibited sex on the sheets and her skin, she could almost believe he hadn’t been here.
“Lucas?”
Since she had been furious with him when they’d checked in, she’d demanded a suite with two bedrooms. He’d apparently gone back to his room to shower. Grabbing the robe from the floor, McKenna shoved her arms into it and opened the door to the other room. Empty. A sinking feeling of dread filled her as she went to the bathroom across the room. He had been here not too long ago. Steam still lingered and the shower door was wet.
Turning back to her room, she worked hard not to be hurt. He had never made her any promises. He had achieved his goal of taking Damon out. Maybe he felt that since he’d done that there was no reason to linger.
No. He’d said he loved her. And you don’t just make love to someone like he did to her and then walk away. You just don’t. There had to be another explanation. Trust came hard for her; she’d learned some painful lessons. But she trusted Lucas. After the things he’d revealed last night, her trust had been shaken, but it was still there. Lucas would not abandon her.
She headed to the bathroom. After showering, she would work on getting some clothes delivered. She needed to be dressed for her meeting with Noah. She had a rescue mission to complete. No matter what she and Lucas faced, her job was priority one right now.
Still, the doubts lingered. Cursing her lack of faith, she turned the water to full blast and stood under the hot, hard spray. He wouldn’t just leave…he wouldn’t.
Lucas eased the door open, hoping he’d made it back before McKenna woke. The sound of the shower told him he hadn’t. Hell, he should’ve gone out earlier, but with McKenna finally in his arms again, he had slept so damn deeply, he’d had a hard time waking.
Placing the packages on the table, he picked up the phone. Neither of them had eaten last night. If they were going to meet with Noah McCall about rescuing this young woman Hughes had kidnapped, they’d need all the strength they could get.
After ordering a meal big enough for a large family, Lucas turned around. McKenna stood at the door of the bathroom, once more wrapped in the hotel robe. The expression on her face caught his attention. She looked stunned. Even though she tried to cover it up with a small smile, he’d seen the vulnerability. Hell, had she thought he had just up and left her?
His heart ached because he knew that was exactly what she’d thought. McKenna had been hurt and betrayed by so many. She was probably much more surprised when people actually treated her with kindness and kept their promises.
Figuring she was too proud to admit her fears, Lucas chose to pretend he hadn’t read her thoughts. At some point she would learn that not all people were snakes. He squashed the voice that reminded him she already felt he had betrayed her. Just because he’d opened up last night didn’t mean all was well between them.
“I ordered breakfast. You’ve got to be starving.” He picked up the bags holding the clothes he’d purchased. “The shops downstairs were good enough to open early. I think these will fit.”
When she didn’t move, he took her hands and dropped the clothing bags into them. Seeing that she had a hold on them, he stepped back and said, “I watched the local news while I was waiting for the salesclerk to ring these up. Looks like the authorities got to Hughes’s estate about half an hour after we left. The minister is telling quite the tale of how a beautiful blonde and her handsome companion kicked some bad guy’s ass.”
He meant for her to at least smile. Instead, she said softly, “I thought you had left.”
“I know you did. I’m not like that, McKenna. I don’t leave.”
She shuddered out a breath and then gave him what had to be the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “I’ll get dressed.”
Turning away from him, she dropped her robe to the floor. Lucas groaned and turned away himself. They didn’t have time for what his body wanted. It was going to be hard enough watching her eat without jumping her bones. Damned if he needed the extra enticement.
Thankfully, the food arrived before he could change his mind. As he set things out for them, she came back into the room, wearing the clothes he’d purchased. The slacks, blouse, and thin sweater appeared to be a perfect fit.
She gave him a small smile. “You’re very good at picking out women’s clothes.”
“Part of my Englishman’s training.”
“Really?”
He chuckled. “No. I’m embarrassed to tell you, but my third—no, she was my fourth—stepmother used to take me shopping with her. I was her clothes caddy.”
“That must have been boring.”
Grinning, he shook his head. “Actually, no. I sat and watched beautiful women walk out of dressing rooms and preen in front of mirrors. Several of them would ask my advice. I even got a couple of dates.”
Her eyes twinkling with amusement, she sat down at the table. He watched as she loaded her plate and was relieved to see that her appetite had apparently returned.
“This looks delicious.” She took a large bite of her omelet and sighed. “Heaven.”
Lucas swallowed a groan and filled his own plate. Dammed difficult eating with a hard-on, but he had no choice. McKenna plus food equaled extreme sexual arousal. They ate in relative silence for several minutes. Since they were both ravenous, the meal disappeared quickly, for which Lucas was thankful. Any longer and he’d be throwing McKenna back on the bed.
“Noah should be here soon.” She eyed him speculatively. “Are you interested in helping out?”
“If that’s not against protocol, I’d like to.”
“I assisted in two rescues before LCR even knew who I was.” With a small, impish smile, she added, “I’ll get you in.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Lucas stood and pulled her into his arms. Covering her mouth with his, he relished the taste of McKenna’s lips, flavored with strawberry jam and coffee. Weaving her fingers in his hair, McKenna moved in closer, rubbing her soft mound against his erection. He grabbed her hips and fitted her at the exact spot they both needed him to be. They moaned in unison.
A knock on the door had both of them moaning again, but for a new reason. Two seconds more and he would have been inside her.
Breathing out a sigh, he whispered against her mouth, “Later.”
“Definitely,” she softly promised.
twenty-five
Noah’s first glimpse of a seemingly healthy McKenna gave him enormous relief. Every LCR operative who knew McKenna and had heard about her abduction had been almost as concerned as he had been. Though he never rejoiced at someone’s death, there were few who deserved death more than Damon Hughes. And if the intel he’d received was correct, the horror of Hughes’s existence continued. Jamie Kendrick was in the
midst of hell.
Though the emotional undercurrents coming from McKenna and Lucas were thick and volatile, they did their best to hide it. Not that it did much good. Even the most clueless person could see there was something going on between the two. He hoped that once Jamie was safe and secure, McKenna got a chance at the happiness she deserved. And from the glances Lucas Kane was throwing her way, the man intended to be personally involved in seeing that take place.
Noah wished them both well, but first there had to be a rescue.
After introducing Dylan and Aidan to Kane, Noah sat on the sofa. “Dylan and Aidan were on assignment yesterday. While I waited for them to return, I was able to gather even more intel on Hughes.” He leaned forward as he revealed his findings. “The bastard was into almost every vile and illegal activity known to man. Though human trafficking wasn’t one of them, he was known to be generous with his male employees or business acquaintances if they pleased him. Or, if he tired of a woman, he might sell her at what he considered a bargain price.”
McKenna nodded. “I was only able to open one file on his laptop when I was snooping. I found a list of women’s names and dollar amounts. I’m assuming he sold them.”
Didn’t surprise Noah one bit. “When this is over and Jamie’s safe, I’ll make sure the authorities go through his records. There may be many more women like Jamie.”
“How did you get your information on Hughes?” Lucas asked. “My investigators came up with a multitude of his illegal activities but discovered almost nothing about the man’s personal dealings.”
Instead of answering, Noah looked at McKenna. “At the failed exchange, the young girl posing as Jamie…did you get a look at her?”
McKenna shook her head. “I saw the black hair under her wig and knew it wasn’t Jamie. But everything happened so fast, I barely got a glimpse of her face.”
Having seen more than his share of brutality and the aftermath, Noah nevertheless felt his gut clench as he said, “Her name is Lilly. She’d been Hughes’s prisoner for almost two years. Having been with him that long, she picked up an enormous amount of information about the man.” He shrugged. “Either Hughes wasn’t aware she was around most of the time or didn’t think she was a threat to him, because the information she gave us was incredibly detailed.”
“Where is Lilly now?” McKenna asked.
“Still in the hospital.” Noah ground his teeth as he explained, “When Jamie arrived at Hughes’s estate, Damon believed it was you. As a reward to the man who kidnapped Jamie, he gave him Lilly for the night.”
McKenna’s expression was one of sad acceptance. “How is she?”
“Let’s just say it was sheer desperation and guts that she was able to walk those few steps off the boat. As soon as the helicopter picked you up, she collapsed on the pier.”
“Will she recover?” Lucas asked.
Noah lifted a shoulder. “Physically, yes. She should be released from the hospital within the next few days.”
There was no need to explain anything more. Physical injuries could be determined and dealt with so much more easily than emotional ones. After the hell she’d been through, God only knew if that kind of mental torment could be overcome. Noah had seen it happen in others, but each person had their own strengths and breaking points.
“So what was she able to tell you?” McKenna asked.
“Damon had no real friends but did have several close business associates. One in particular seemed to get the most favors from him. Man named Stanford Reddington. Lilly told us she’d seen Reddington at Hughes’s estate half a dozen times. At least three times that she knew of, Damon gave him a woman as a parting gift.”
“Any idea if Reddington kept them for himself or sold them?” McKenna asked.
“Lilly isn’t sure. The man’s in his late forties and has one son who travels with him. Lilly wasn’t able to shed any light on him other than that.” Noah pulled a folder from his briefcase. “A couple of days ago, I sent out notices to several contacts to see if I could pick up anything on Reddington. Yesterday I received some interesting faxes from a source in Madrid. Apparently Reddington is a well-known and well-respected businessman there. Few know about his association with Hughes.”
“How does your source know about the association?” Kane asked.
Noah shrugged. Usually averse to giving details on how and where he received his intel, this time he couldn’t have explained it even if he had wanted to. Raphael hadn’t told him how he had obtained the information. However, he trusted the young man and believed its accuracy.
McKenna held her hand out for the faxes. Skimming them, she said, “So she could be with Reddington in Madrid?”
“Possibly. My contact has a description of Jamie. He may be able to verify whether she’s with him or not.”
Kane’s brow rose. “He’s that close?”
Noah nodded grimly. Raphael had a strong desire to work for LCR. Partly from gratitude—LCR had rescued him a couple of years ago. The other part was the sincere desire to do something good with his life.
Noah had encouraged the young man to finish college first and promised him they’d discuss it further once he graduated. Raphael had agreed, but when Noah sent out a notice about Reddington, he’d immediately heard from Raphael with this valuable information.
Noah was a man known to use almost any means necessary to get the job done; putting Raphael at risk wasn’t one of them. The kid had been through too much in his young life already. Any further assistance other than what Raphael had already provided wasn’t something Noah wanted. The kid had a stubborn streak a mile long, though. Ignoring Noah’s demand to step back, he had stuck his nose in even further. Noah only hoped he didn’t stick it so far that they ended up needing to rescue more than just Jamie Kendrick.
“He’s supposed to call within the hour. He mentioned that Reddington has a vacation place in Bustarviejo, just outside of Madrid.”
McKenna looked up from the information she’d been studying. “Your source is going there?”
Who the hell knew? Noah shrugged, unable to give a definitive answer.
As Lucas listened to Noah McCall, he kept a close eye on McKenna, trying to tell himself his worry for her would do no good. The three men from LCR looked like giants next to her, yet he knew from experience she could handle herself. That didn’t mean he didn’t want to pick her up and carry her away from all of this. She had been through so much. Problem was, it was a useless want. She felt responsible for Jamie Kendrick’s abduction and would do what she could to save her. Lucas bore a strong obligation himself. If he hadn’t killed Damon, what information could they have gleaned?
Turning to McCall, he said, “I’d like to help with the rescue.”
Black eyes narrowing in speculation, the head of LCR settled more comfortably against the cushions of the couch. “Help how?”
“I have some training,” Lucas admitted.
“What kind of training?”
Lucas glanced at Aidan Thorne and Dylan Savage, then back to Noah. “Specialized training.”
McCall shot a questioning look toward McKenna.
“He’s good. He’s got the moves of a trained operative and the shooting skills of a sniper.”
Noah McCall continued his speculative observation. “You care to share where your training came from?”
Returning the look, Lucas answered coolly, “No.” He wouldn’t elaborate or offer excuses. His help would either be accepted or not.
Another long hard stare and then McCall nodded. “Fine. We could use you.”
At the sound of a vibrating cellphone, everyone listened as they watched Noah answer with “What did you find out?”
Bustarviejo, Spain
Dressed in black, with a black skullcap to cover her hair, McKenna waited for further instructions from Noah. It was three-thirty in the morning. The mountain cabin, so well hidden it looked as though it was part of the forest that surrounded it, was dark and silent. They would go
in under the cover of that dark silence. Soon they would get their go signal.
Noah’s source had given this place as the most probable location for Jamie. McKenna still had no idea who the source was or how he knew so much. She only knew that Noah was sure enough of the intel’s authenticity that he’d contacted the Spanish authorities. And whatever he had told them convinced them to join with LCR in the operation.
According to Noah, his source was inside that house, meaning there was more than one innocent. Instructions were that no one was to be hurt during the raid if it could be prevented. LCR would rescue Jamie and take her away. The authorities would handle Reddington.
The entry would be a soft one. As long as no one saw them, panicked, and started shooting, it should be fairly simple—a routine rescue. Noah, Dylan, Aidan, Lucas, and herself together should ensure enough force to subdue and defuse any danger to Jamie or anyone else.
Working with Lucas should have felt awkward, but it didn’t. Not only had he proven himself more than capable, she felt a comfort with him she had never felt with anyone else. It was a degree of trust that pierced bone and went straight to her heart. She trusted Lucas on every level.
She had forgiven him for his deceit. How could she not? Yes, it had been a boneheaded thing to do, but he’d done it out of his love and concern for her. Even though it had screwed up her mission to get information on Jamie, she couldn’t be angry with him. Having him sacrifice himself, put himself in danger for her, went beyond what anyone had ever done for her. How could she resent anyone caring for her that much?
His confession that he knew about her past before she told him had stunned her, and she couldn’t deny the hurt. There was manipulation there, and though he’d done it to help her, what he had done stung. But she refused to hold that against him. Lucas wasn’t perfect; he was human. He’d done what he thought he needed to do because he loved her. A thrill of electrical excitement zoomed through her. Lucas loved her!
Last Chance Page 28