by Sandra Owens
It was his job, and she understood that. She also knew he thrived on going after what he called bad guys. She would never ask him to quit, but could she live with that? It was a question for which she didn’t have an answer, not when she was too tired to think clearly.
“Just promise to be careful, okay?” That was the best she could give him. If he wanted her approval, he wasn’t going to get it. And at that thought, guilt slammed into her. He was the good guy. The kind of good guy the world needed. To resent him for what he did was wrong.
“I always am.” He trailed the back of his knuckles down her cheek. “Don’t worry about me. Big bad Nate would never let anything happen to me.”
“I know.” She smiled, then lifted onto her toes, and kissed him. “See you tomorrow.”
“Alex and Madison will walk you down to my condo so you can get whatever you need for tonight.”
“Okay.”
He wrapped his arms around her again, until his body was flush against hers. “One more kiss,” he said.
When he pulled away for the last time, she forced her hands to let him go. “I want to go see my father and sister tomorrow,” she said as he opened the sliding glass door. Now that she wasn’t running and Stephan was out and on the loose, he needed to know what was going on. She wouldn’t put it past Stephan to show up at her father’s house.
He paused, glancing back at her. “Sure. Just don’t take off on your own. I’ll go with you,” he said, then walked away.
She had no intention of going anywhere on her own until Stephan was no longer a threat. Peter and Stephan had made her a prisoner, and she hated it. A misty rain was falling, but thunderstorms were forecasted for later. She stood under the overhang, wishing Court wasn’t out in this weather.
“How do you stand it, knowing Alex faces danger every time he walks out the door?” she asked when Madison joined her.
Madison leaned on the railing next to her. “He promised to always come home to me. I decided to believe him.”
If only it were that easy.
That night, she tossed and turned, punching her pillow in frustration when sleep refused to come. How was she supposed to sleep when Court was out there somewhere, doing who knew what, putting himself in danger?
As she drifted off, she smiled, remembering the first time Court had kissed her. He’d cradled her face with his big hands, stared at her for a moment, his black eyes warm and soft, and then had asked permission to kiss her. That he would ask did something funny to her heart.
She hadn’t wanted to leave him when their week came to an end, but he’d promised he’d come to Miami soon. She returned home, walked into her apartment, already missing him and anxious to call him.
“That’s a smile I haven’t seen in a long time. Who put it on your face, Lauren?”
Ice flowed through her veins. Run, her brain had screamed. Why was Stephan in her apartment? She tried to run, but he’d somehow trapped her arms and legs.
“What’s his name?” Stephan pointed to the corner.
She didn’t want to look. God, she didn’t, but her eyes followed Stephan’s pointing finger. She gasped. “No, Stephan. Please no. He’s no one. I swear.”
Tears slipped from Court’s eyes at her betrayal. He gave her a sad smile, then lowered his chin to his chest, not trying to escape the chair where Stephan had bound him. Stephan’s hand turned into a gun. Smoke puffed from the barrel when he fired it.
“No!” Lauren shot up, her heart jackhammering in her chest. “No,” she cried.
As she struggled to draw air into her lungs, she clutched the blanket in fisted hands. “It was just a dream,” she whispered. “Only a dream.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Because of the Kozlovs, you’re on our radar now,” Court said to Alexi Ivanov, the owner of Xander’s Bar and Grill. The bar was a hangout for Russian nationals, but the bulk of Ivanov’s income came from gambling. Court had made a list of everyone living in the area who’d had contact with Peter, Vadim, or Stephan through emails or phone conversations. He and Nate were paying each one they could find a visit with the intention of isolating Peter and Stephan.
Nate leaned on the bar, leveling a cold gaze on Ivanov. “It wouldn’t be in your best interest to offer assistance if either of the Kozlovs should ask.”
“I don’t appreciate being threatened by the cops,” Ivanov said as he wiped down the bar counter.
“Did you hear either of us say we were cops?” Court raised a brow at Nate.
Nate shrugged. “He didn’t hear that from me.”
“If not cops, what are you?” The rag in Ivanov’s hand moved faster over the same spot he’d been cleaning since they’d started talking. The man was getting nervous. Good.
“It doesn’t matter who we are. You’ll never see us again as long as you don’t get involved in something that’s none of your business. Not your monkeys, not your circus, and all that.”
Ivanov could think whatever he wanted as long as he didn’t give aid to the enemy. Court and Nate hadn’t blown their cover, hadn’t once implied they were the law. They were dressed in jeans and black T-shirts, with chains hanging out of their pockets and heavy motorcycle boots adorning their feet. They’d both let their black leather jackets fall open, giving a glimpse of the guns tucked into shoulder holsters. If they weren’t the law, Ivanov’s next best guess would probably be that they were some kind of biker outlaws. No one wanted to mess with those dudes.
Court put his fist over Ivanov’s hand. “You’re going to wear the lacquer off in about a minute.” He leaned toward the man. “Listen closely. You do talk to Stephan Kozlov, you give him a message from me. The girl is mine. He can’t have her because I’m keeping her.”
He’d delivered that same message on every visit they made that night, a dare for Stephan to come after him. Hopefully one of them would repeat his words to the bastard. The plan was to set a trap, herd the Kozlov brothers into a proverbial canyon with no way out. Rothmire had assigned agents to stake out Stephan’s mansion and two more were keeping watch on the house where Peter had taken Lauren. There had been no sign of the brothers at either place.
There were no more houses or buildings in either of their names, but they were holed up somewhere. It was possible Stephan would decide Lauren wasn’t worth the trouble coming down on them, but Court’s gut said the man was still obsessed with her and would try to get to her.
Over his dead body.
After stopping at an all-night diner for an early breakfast, they headed home. As much as he wanted to curl up around Lauren and get some much-needed sleep, he didn’t want to wake her. He shucked off his clothes and considered falling into bed, but he felt dirty. He detoured to the shower. Once clean, he did fall face-first onto his bed and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Sometime later, he awoke to a warm body pressed up against his back. Not opening his eyes, he smiled. “I think Goldilocks found her way into the big bad bear’s bed.”
She giggled. “All the better to eat you with.”
“Aren’t you getting your fairy tales jumbled?”
“The bear didn’t eat Goldilocks?”
“Mmm, now that you mention it, I think he did. And if he didn’t, he should have.” He flipped over, wrapped his arms around her, and stilled. He leaned his head away, grinning as his gaze slid down her body. “A very naked Goldilocks. I like this story much better.”
“I thought you might.” She put her palm on his cheek. “I was worried about you. You’re okay?”
He leaned his face into her hand. “All in one piece. Tell me you didn’t come home by yourself.” Home. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted his home to be hers until that had slipped out.
“Of course not. Alex played bodyguard and escorted me up.”
“Good girl.” He stroked a finger across her bottom lip. “Did you sleep okay?”
“No, I missed you.”
“Did you?” He walked his fingers up her side to her br
east, flicking his thumb over the nipple. “I think Goldilocks needs a little special attention.”
“She does.”
“You’re beautiful,” he said, and then lost himself in loving his gorgeous girl. Much later, he spooned his body behind hers. She’d wanted to hear the ocean, so he’d cracked the window. He trailed the palm of his hand down her side, to her thighs, and then back up, loving how soft and silky she felt.
Her body relaxed under his hand as she slipped into sleep, and he whispered, “I love you, Lauren Montgomery.”
Suddenly, she was facing him. “You do?”
So much for her being asleep. “I told you I did.”
“I thought . . . The only time you said it was on the phone when you were worried about me. I thought it was just something you said to make me feel better. You know, to keep my spirits up.”
“I’m an idiot,” he said, then kissed her. “I love you, and I hope that makes you feel better, but it’s not why I’m saying it.” She sniffled, and he slid a thumb across her cheek, collecting tears. “That’s not supposed to make you cry.”
“I don’t . . .”
“You don’t what?”
“Nothing. They’re happy tears.” She pushed a leg between his, nestling into him. “I love you so much, Court. So damn much. They were going to cart me off to Russia, and I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”
“Hush, G.G. I’d never let that happen.” He kissed away her tears, but the hesitation in her voice floated above him like a black cloud promising a coming storm.
Court was nervous. He’d never met a parent of a woman he was interested in before, and that he was in love with the one who walked up the sidewalk next to him made it even worse. Would her father think he wasn’t worthy of his daughter?
He and his brothers had risen above their environment, made something of themselves in spite of all the obstacles against them. But for the first time in years, he felt like the little boy who’d been shunned by his classmates because he was poor and always had dirt under his fingernails. He gave his head a slight shake. He wasn’t that kid anymore. He reminded himself that it was normal to be nervous meeting a girl’s parents for the first time, no matter your background.
“Is there anything I should know about your father?”
“I told you he was a minister, right?”
He nodded.
“Just don’t say shit, damn, or worse, and you’ll be okay.”
He laughed, his nerves suddenly calm. “Got it.” Her father could like him or not, and he hoped the man did, but it wouldn’t make a damn . . . a darn bit of difference. Lauren was his gorgeous girl, and no one and nothing was going to change that.
Before they reached the door, it opened, and a girl with the same golden-brown eyes as Lauren walked out. “I thought you’d disowned us.”
“You know better than that. It’s just been kind of crazy lately,” Lauren said.
That was putting it mildly. He stood by as the sisters hugged. The girl eyed him over Lauren’s shoulder, and he smiled.
“Who’s he?”
Lauren took his hand, pulling him next to her. “This is Court Gentry, my boyfriend. Court, my sister, Julie.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” he said. The girl was very pretty, and he wondered what Lauren had looked like at that age. Other than their eyes, there wasn’t much resemblance. Julie’s wheat-blonde hair almost reached her waist, and she was already taller than Lauren.
“Where did you guys meet? How long have you known each other? You haven’t said a word about having a boyfriend, Lore. You don’t tell me anything anymore. He looks like a movie star.” She eyed Court. “Are you? A movie star? That would be so cool.”
“Julie! Hush.” Lauren shook her head, smiling at Court. “I guess I should have warned you that she likes to talk.”
“Isn’t that what people are supposed to do? Talk?” Julie said, sounding serious.
Court grinned. He bet the girl was a handful. “I’ve always thought so. And no, I’m not a movie star. Sorry to disappoint.”
“Well, you’re as gorgeous as Nick Jonas, so I guess it’s okay if you’re not famous.”
“Thank you, I think.” He had no idea who Nick Jonas was, but apparently it was high praise.
“Julie, leave the poor man alone,” a man said from the doorway.
Lauren hopped up the steps. “Hi, Daddy.”
More hugs followed, and Court watched, fascinated by Lauren’s closeness to her father. There had never been any hope that he’d have any kind of normal relationship with his father, and he’d settled that in his mind a long time ago. But what about his mother? If she’d stayed, would they be close today? Impossible to know, but as soon as he made sure Lauren was safe, he planned to talk to Alex. It was time to look for her, whether Nate liked it or not.
“Court, this is my dad, William Montgomery. Dad, Court Gentry.”
“Mr. Montgomery, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand. As they shook, Court noted that although Lauren’s father wasn’t sending him a death glare, his eyes weren’t shining with warmth either. Who could blame him for being leery after the way his daughter had been treated by Stephan Kozlov?
“Come inside,” Mr. Montgomery said.
Court followed the family, expecting they’d go into the living room, sit around, and have an uncomfortable chat. As soon as he could reasonably suggest it was time to go, the ordeal would be over. He could handle that. Instead, they ended up in the kitchen, sitting on stools arranged around an island.
“Would you like something to drink?” Lauren’s father asked him. “I have tea, coffee, and orange soda.”
“Water will be fine, sir.”
“So, if you’re not an actor, what do you do? I know, you’re a model,” Julie cried before he could answer her question.
“Guess again,” he said, glancing at Lauren. He should have asked her how he should answer questions about himself. A bar owner likely would not be someone a minister would want his daughter dating. Court was willing to trust Lauren’s father with the fact he was FBI, but Julie was another matter altogether. She was young and excitable, and he doubted she could keep from whispering that secret to her friends.
“He owns a biker bar,” Lauren said, shocking them all, including him.
Especially him. Court wished he had a pin he could drop to see if it really was true that one could hear it when there wasn’t another sound in the room. He swallowed uncomfortably, clueless as to what to say.
“Like a motorcycle bar?” Julie screeched.
Did she not know any other way to talk? “Ah . . .”
“That is so cool.”
It really wasn’t.
She hopped off her barstool. “Can I go see it? I mean, I know I can’t go there when it’s open. I’m only sixteen.” She slyly eyed him. “But could you take me there when it’s closed? My friends won’t believe I got to go to an honest-to-goodness biker bar. Oh, please, please, please?”
Court glanced helplessly at Lauren, narrowing his eyes at her smirk. When they got home, he was going to spank her for being so amused at his expense.
Mr. Montgomery peered at his watch. “Julie, have you forgotten you’re supposed to be at the Haymores’ in fifteen minutes to babysit?” Lauren’s father said while looking at Court, finally sending him the death glare that he’d been expecting.
Lauren was torn between feeling sorry for Court and being amused by his discomfort. He’d borne up well so far in the face of Julie’s never-ending chatter and her father’s wariness toward him. She hadn’t meant to blurt out that he owned a bar, but sometimes being around Julie dulled her brain, as if Julie’s peculiar brightness dimmed hers. She loved Julie to the moon and back and didn’t resent that. It was just the way it always had been ever since her sister had arrived in this world.
She poked Julie’s arm. “No, you cannot visit his bar. Go babysit.”
Julie danced her way around the island to Court. “Never fear. I
’ll get to see your bar,” she said in a stage whisper, then twirled her way out of the room.
“Never fear? That girl scares me to death,” Court muttered, then gulped down half his water, wishing it was something stronger.
Her dad stared at Julie as she merrily danced away. “You should be scared. I know I am.”
That a teenage girl had reduced the two men Lauren loved most in the world to whining babies struck her as hilarious, and she couldn’t hold in her laughter.
“So not funny,” Court said, glaring at her.
“How do you think I feel? I’m the father of that one,” her father said.
Court clicked his glass against her father’s. “You have my sympathy.”
“You two are total wimps. She’s harmless, just a happy girl.” Although if she were Julie’s father, she’d be quaking in her boots, too, but she wasn’t about to tell them that.
“So you own a biker bar?”
At her father’s question, the room went silent again. She couldn’t bear her dad thinking badly of the man she loved. He could be trusted with the truth, and that was one reason she’d wanted to come home. So her father could meet Court and learn who he was. She also needed to warn him about Stephan, which she was dreading.
“Court has something to tell you, but you can’t tell Julie, okay? You and I both know she can’t keep a secret,” she said.
Her father looked from her to Court. “Tell me what?”
“It’s like this, sir. I do own a biker bar with my two brothers. The bar, Aces and Eights, is a cover, though. All three of us are FBI agents.”
Curious about her father’s reaction, she kept her eyes on him, and almost laughed at the shock on his face. “Didn’t expect that, did you?”
“No, I didn’t, but I have to admit that I’m relieved there is more to you than being a barkeep.” He studied them for a moment. “How long have you known each other?”
It was time her father knew her history with Court, and so she told him about meeting Court at spring break and why she’d broken up with him. Then she explained what was going on with Stephan.
“I knew his release date was nearing, but I naïvely believed he’d moved on.” Her dad lowered his head and closed his eyes as if in prayer; then he lifted his tear-filled gaze to her. “How were we so wrong about him? Every day I live with the regret that I didn’t recognize what he was capable of. I’m your father. I should have protected you.”