by M. Malone
She pulled back. "I can't. We can't just leave."
"Yes, you can. It's easy. Walk through that door." He gestured toward the laundry room holding aside the plastic door dividers. "You get in the laundry chute, you land in my basket, you get moved onto my truck, and I take you to safety. That's the plan. Simple. You think I exposed myself because I want to hurt you?"
"I don't know why you're here. I wished and prayed you would be alive. And now you're here. But I love Noah. I can't just leave."
He jerked as if he'd been slapped. "I knew he was watching you. But I didn't think you'd fallen in love with him. You're too young to know what he's capable of."
"I know what he's capable of. I know what you're capable of. He told me all about it. You trained him to be a killer."
Rafe winced. "I know. There's a lot to explain. But you can't trust him. He’s the reason I've been gone for six years.”
She shook her head. "I remember that day. I remember he shot you. Clearly you're still alive. But I remember how it happened. You stepped in front of a target. It wasn't like Noah sought you out and hurt you. You did that."
His dark eyes searched her face. "Lucia, there's so much you don't understand."
"I'm not leaving until I do."
His watch beeped. "Shit. We’re out of time. Go. Please, I’m begging you."
She shook her head. "No. It's time for me to go. If I'm not up there in a second, Ryan is going to come looking for me. And I don't want either one of you hurt."
He ran his hand through his hair roughly. "Are you kidding me? You’re seriously in love with the enemy?"
"I'm in love with Noah. He's a good man. And I can't just walk away.”
He checked his watch again. "Out of time. Let's go back.”
He took her by the elbow and his touch was gentle, but still dominant. He knew exactly where he needed her to go. Exactly which path would avoid any cameras. And then they were on the main floor again and he eased his hold on her, put on that smile again, as if they’d had the most pleasant stroll in the world.
"Well, thank you very much for a lovely tour, Miss DeMarco.” And then he leaned closer to her and whispered, "I'll find you again."
And then her brother was gone.
"Boss, we've got a problem."
Noah looked up from his computer and rubbed his bleary eyes. Being tired wasn’t anything new but the events of the past couple of weeks had taken him to a new level of exhaustion. Not to mention it was an adjustment being in a new place. They’d had all their stuff packed and brought over, but nothing was in the right places and he’d spent a ludicrous amount of time just searching for his mouse the first day he’d tried to use the computer. But in the end, they’d gotten their shit together. Their offices may have been shot up to hell but Blake Security still had work to do. They had open cases and clients who were depending on them.
"What's up, Matthias?"
He put his computer to sleep so he could give the kid his full attention. Matthias had gone back to work a few days after the attack, over Noah’s objections. He seemed fine, but there was something so cold and reserved about him. Noah had tried a couple of times to get him to talk about that night in the penthouse but he’d said he was fine. Whatever the hell that meant. If he didn't seem to settle in soon, Noah was going to pull him out of the field permanently. They were short staffed, but having a loose cannon in the field was potentially more dangerous.
"We've got a problem. One of the guests who logged in for Adriana Fashions today was using an alias. There were layers upon layers of background laid so on first glance, everything was fine. But like always, I kept the decryption algorithm running. Just in case. Around lunchtime, it started to pull back the layers. There were five or six. Which is why it took so long to see it, but Andrew Nelson doesn't exist. He's not real."
Noah's heart stopped. "Fuck. Fuck."
He pushed himself to standing then dragged his phone out of his pocket. The only thing swirling around his brain was Lucia.
Lucia, Lucia, Lucia.
"Pull the camera footage from the office. All of the goddamn cameras."
"Already done. They've been running on a continuous loop all damn day, since about 9:15 this morning. The bitch of it is I can't even see when they would've inserted that loop. The guy is good. Whoever it is, whoever did this—"
Noah tried to remember his training. Tried to stay calm and in control. He took a deep breath before he responded. It wasn’t the kid’s fault that he was about to lose his mind. "Find me some goddamned cameras that can see who went in and out of that building. Pull every camera from the surrounding buildings."
"Already on it. I'll let you know as soon as I have something."
That made Noah feel a little better. He should have known that Matthias would be all over this. He took any breach of security personally. Quickly, Noah called Ryan's number. And waited not-so-patiently as three rings went by.
When Ryan finally answered, he sounded out of breath. "What's up, Boss?"
"Where the fuck is Lucia?"
There was a pause before Ryan said, "She's right here. You want to talk to her?"
The bottom dropped out of his stomach. She was safe? She was okay? Noah's hands shook. He forced himself to drag in a deep breath. "Yes. Please put her on."
"Noah?" Her voice was soft. "What's the matter?"
Shit. Her voice was a soothing balm over the raw frayed ends of his nerves. "Oh, baby, I just needed to hear your voice. Did you have a good day?"
She hesitated for a moment. Noah’s internal radar went crazy in those few moments. What was she hiding? Was there someone there with her forcing her to respond a certain way? Well, no. He’d just spoken to Ryan. But could Ryan really be trusted? In the span of five seconds, his mind spun through a loop of worst-case scenarios until Lucia finally sighed.
"Yes. An average day. Are you sure everything's okay?"
Things had been tense between them since she'd made her confession the other day. She'd told him what she thought was going on and he’d reacted badly. She knew he didn't believe her. Noah cursed himself. He should have been more supportive and then worked her around to the idea of seeing a professional. Instead he’d been harsh with her and hadn’t taken the time to reassure her. The trust they'd worked so hard to earn, the groundwork for their relationship, was rotting at the edges and he wasn't sure what to do about it.
But he knew the truth. Rafe was gone. The longer she clung on to that delusion, the more worried he became. But for right now, he'd settle for her safety.
"Yep. I can't just call to hear my girl's voice?"
"Okay, if you say so. But why didn't you just call me?"
He sighed. She had him there. And then he went back to what he did best. He lied. "I was calling Ryan for a status update, anyway. Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone."
Lucia giggled. "Well, that's going to make the phone sex a lot more awkward. But if Ryan's cool with it, then—"
All Noah heard next was Ryan's voice. "Sorry, Boss. Not with my phone. You can call her later. I'm not letting you torture me by making me listen to that. It’s already bad enough that I walked in on you guys in the gym."
Noah winced. Yeah, he was going to have to work at a more private arrangement for all of them. This place might be more secure, but it was smaller than the penthouse. And sooner or later, it wasn't going to work anymore. Noah needed to figure out if they were ever going to go back to the penthouse. He had a lot of things to figure out.
He ran a legitimate business, and that business needed a base of operations. Right now this would do, but it wasn't a long-term solution. Nor was it a good home base for him and Lucia. Sooner or later they'd have to look at a good permanent option. Permanent. For once the word didn't scare him. Now when he closed his eyes and imagined the future, he could see it clearly. Him and Lucia together, with however many kids she wanted. He would do whatever he had to for Lucia to have everything she deserved.
But for n
ow, their downtown hideout would have to do. He would make it work until he was sure she was safe.
"Ryan, keep this quiet, but it seems one of the visitors to Lucia's building today was using an alias. Were there any anomalies that you were aware of?"
Ryan replied slowly. "No. I would have called it in. Everything looked good. Should I go route number two?"
After what had happened at the penthouse, they’d taken the time to map out various alternate routes from Lucia’s job back to their new home base, trying to take into account various scenarios and the possibility of traffic.
"Yes. And Ryan?"
"Yeah Boss?"
"Please bring her home safe."
chapter seven
As soon as Lucia walked in, Noah wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off the ground. She squealed at the sudden motion but her alarm quickly morphed into heat when his head nestled into the crook of her neck. She wasn’t even sure what he was doing, breathing her in? Whatever he was doing, it felt amazing. She tipped her head to the side to allow him better access to the soft skin of her neck which ignited under his caress.
A throat cleared behind them, and Lucia was reminded of where they were, in the entryway where anyone could see them. She turned slightly and caught Ryan’s amused smile as he walked past them to the kitchen. Lucia blushed. She hadn’t even taken her coat off. Embarrassment warred with desire as she glanced back at Noah. The man could make her forget her own name sometimes!
She pulled back and adjusted her clothing. “Wow, this is quite a welcome. What’s going on with you today?”
He held her tighter, resting his head on top of hers. It was so uncharacteristically tender that for a moment, she wondered if he knew. Could he sense her duplicity? Did betrayal have a scent?
Stop it, she chided herself. She wasn’t betraying Noah by not telling him about Rafe’s visit. The situation was complicated and she was only trying to make sure that no one got hurt. There was a long, tense history between the two men and it wouldn’t take much to set it off like a powder keg. If she wanted them all to be standing at the end, it was crucial that she handle things properly.
First things first, figuring out just what the hell her brother was up to and where he’d been all these years. It wouldn’t be easy to keep a level head in this situation. She’d wanted Rafe back for so long but she couldn’t ignore the many ways his death had changed her. She was no longer the innocent, naïve girl who accepted things at face value. Grief and loss had taught her what a bitch life could be, and she wasn’t ready to just accept Rafe back into her life without understanding his motives. Because now that she was older and wiser, she understood that everyone had an agenda, even her beloved brother. He’d come back for a reason. Why now? And why did she have the horrible feeling that his agenda was to hurt Noah and the rest of her new family?
“Nothing has gotten into me. Just missing my girl.” Noah kissed her forehead before setting her on her feet.
The sound of Ryan’s gagging behind them made Lucia giggle. Noah just raised both middle fingers before grabbing her arm and leading her down the hallway to their room. As they passed Matthias’s room, Lucia paused.
“Is he sleeping?”
Noah nodded. “He’s doing better. He’s been working every day but gets tired earlier than usual. Hell, I probably should have insisted he take more time but we need him too much.”
Lucia placed a hand on the doorjamb, torn between wanting to go in and see her friend and fear that he wouldn’t want her there. Not that she didn’t deserve his derision, but if she saw that look on Matthias’s face it would kill her.
It brought home everything she’d learned today in a whole new way. These men had put their lives on the line for her not knowing the whole truth. Would they still stand for her if they found out that it was her brother who was targeting them? The whole situation was her fault. Matthias wouldn’t have been beaten up if her insane brother wasn’t playing some sort of game. Whether she’d meant to or not, her curiosity, or stubbornness--whatever you wanted to call it--had brought this whole thing down on them.
“He’s going to be fine.”
She turned to see Noah’s knowing look. As usual he could read her mind. Though she was glad for once that he couldn’t actually read her mind, otherwise he’d know how much she was hiding from him.
“I know. Still doesn’t make it easy to see him like that. Especially since it’s because of me.”
Noah pulled her gently, steering her toward their room. Once they were inside, he shut the door behind him gently then flicked the lock with a twist of his wrist. Her pulse instantly sped up. She couldn’t even play it cool, not when her panties got instantly damp at the knowledge that she and Noah were now alone.
“Oh, now I see why you missed me.”
His lips turned up but he didn’t bother to respond. Just spread his fingers through her hair and yanked her toward him until their mouths clashed in a furious erotic clinch.
It was a shock to be treated so roughly, especially coming from Noah. Everyone saw him as such a badass but he’d only ever touched her with tenderness. He held her like spun glass or like a mirage that he was afraid would disappear at any moment.
Like she was a goddess and he was unworthy.
When in truth, she was the one who felt unworthy. Noah had many hidden layers but they were all out of necessity. Everything he’d ever done had been to protect her. Lucia tightened her arms around his neck and savored the slide of his tongue against hers. Would he still want her if he knew that she wasn’t as noble? The things she was concealing, was it for his benefit or her own?
Just who was she protecting?
“I’ve been waiting all day for this. Thinking about what I’d do. How I’d do it.” He spoke in jerky tones as he stripped her clothes from her body.
Lucia moaned when his teeth sank into her shoulder. She hadn’t even known that she could make these sounds, wild, wanton and completely untamed. Emotions roiled inside and amplified the desire until it was all she could feel. Guilt, lust and shame were a heady combination.
“Show me,” she panted. Their eyes met and something dark and dangerous sparked in his eyes. “Show me everything you imagined.”
It was obvious when his control finally snapped. Noah growled and hitched her legs around his waist. They’d barely made it onto the bed, pressing and humping against each other while standing before they fell in a heap onto the comforter, desperately undressing each other. Lucia gripped the linen between her fingers as his head dipped and followed the curve of her spine. When his mouth settled between her thighs, she reared up with a hoarse shout.
“Yes. Give it all to me.” He pressed her back down with a firm hand on her stomach and the sensation of being restrained sent her straight over the edge.
She came hard as he teased her clit with his tongue, staying with her as she squirmed helplessly against wave after wave of pleasure. When it ended, she was exhausted and wrung out. Then he sat up and slid in with one thrust, bringing her right to the edge again.
“Fuck. Nothing in the world will ever be better than this.”
Lucia grabbed at his hair, needing something to anchor her as he rode her hard. He was completely absorbed in her, rubbing his nose against her neck like he just needed to be connected to her from head to toe. She felt the same way, like she would take him into her soul if she could. Nothing should ever come between them and the knowledge that her lies could do just that scared her to death.
“I love you, Noah. No matter what happens.” She needed him to know how she felt. Because there was a part of her that was terrified he’d never understand what she’d done.
His head fell back while his face twisted with pleasure. She could tell he was getting close by the low, sexy sounds he was making and the bunch and tense of his muscles beneath her hands.
“Nothing is going to happen. Except you are going to come for me again. Now.”
She couldn’t deny him anything when he ras
ped it in that demanding voice. Desire curled through her veins, started low in the pit of her belly and radiating outward until she was crying out with every thrust. Noah tensed and then whispered her name, and that was what sent her over. She clung to him weakly as every one of her muscles seized, clenching around him like they never wanted to let go. Like they were afraid to let go.
As he finally fell to the side next to her, exhausted, Lucia could only hope that she would never have to. Or that he’d forgive her if she did.
As Noah rested, completely exhausted and sated, he should have been thinking of nothing except how amazing that had been. Instead all he could concentrate on was the nagging sense that Lucia was hiding something from him.
For one, she hadn’t looked him in the eye except for when she was reassuring him that she loved him no matter what. Why did she suddenly feel the need to make that distinction?
He pulled her closer, nestling against her back and absorbing the comforting heat of her body. She was always so cuddly after sex and although Noah wouldn’t have thought it possible, so was he. He loved sharing body heat with her and wrapping her in his arms. It was the time when he felt closest to her and after the day he’d had, he needed it.
Lucia apparently wasn’t in the same place. After wiggling around to get free, she sat up and stretched, the sheet sliding down to reveal the tips of berry nipples. “I have so much work to catch up on.”
Noah’s body responded with a predictable clinch. Damn she was perfect. Lucia either didn’t notice or care that her nipples had burst free because she was squirming and stretching without a care to the way she was arousing him. His eyes must have given him away because she gathered the sheets to her chest, hiding her breasts from his view. Her cheeks flushed, but he could tell she was pleased by the way her eyes crinkled at the corners. She’d come a long way in recent weeks, going from a shy, hesitant lover to slowly coming into confidence in her sexuality. It was an honor to be witness to her blossoming. It also made him want to drag her back under the covers and not let her up anytime soon. Since he knew she wouldn’t go for that, he tried desperately to think of something to distract him from the enticing bounce of her full breasts as she moved.