by Tee O'Fallon
“True,” Dom agreed. “Word is, Fatima may have been right-hand man, er, woman to the head of the Pyramid.”
“Don’t suppose you know who that is?” Discovering the Pyramid leader’s identity would be a huge step in taking down the organization.
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” Dom smiled slyly, and Gray didn’t doubt he really was working on it. “Right now the only thing I know is the leader founded and organized the Pyramid over a decade ago, then hand-selected his assassins.”
Gray shifted on the bed, grateful to find a position where the pain in his shoulder lessened to a dull throb. “The implications of what Fatima wanted from Alex on One PP,” he said, “combined with the intel on the recovered thumb drive, imply either an assassination or an outright terrorist attack. But everything we know says the Pyramid is not a group of terrorists.”
“Agreed.” Dom stopped talking when a hospital aide delivered Gray’s meal onto the bed’s rolling table. “They’re mercenaries, plain and simple,” Dom continued when the aide had gone. “Their goal is money, not specifically to kill Americans.”
“Then attacking One PP doesn’t fit their MO.” Gray rubbed his arm, still annoyed that he’d let his ass get shot. “We have to bring the JTTF in on this just in case. I’ll also notify the commissioner’s security team, along with the mayor’s and governor’s protection details.”
“Good idea.” Dom nodded. “Until we can decipher the meaning of what’s on that thumb drive, better safe than sorry.”
Gray glanced at Lt. Frye, whose snores were becoming loud enough to wake the dead. “That thumb drive intel is pure gold. Future marks, plus locations, schedules, it all reads like a carefully executed surveillance log for points all over the city. Arrivals and departures, but for who or what? There are no names attached to the schedules, but it looks like the Pyramid is breaking with tradition and using multiple assassins for whatever they’re planning. Hence, Fatima recruiting Abdullah to assist her. Whatever they have planned, maybe it’s too big for one assassin to take on alone. We need to dig deeper and figure this out before shit hits the fan.”
When Dom suddenly looked away, the hackles on the back of Gray’s neck stood at attention. He’d known for a while that his partner was hiding something from him, and he didn’t like it. What’s more, Gray had a bad feeling he knew what it was. “You have a way in, don’t you?” Dom didn’t answer. “Dammit, don’t bullshit me.”
Dom looked him square in the eyes. “It has to be done.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Gray stared fixedly at Dom, wishing he had the strength to throttle some sense into his partner. “It’s too dangerous. We’ll find another way.”
Dom sat back in his chair. “There is no other way.”
The determination on his partner’s face told Gray what he didn’t want to know. Whatever Dom was planning, it was already under way.
“There’s more.” Dom refocused on his cell phone and continued scrolling through messages. “Fatima was hand-picked by the Pyramid’s leader to lay the groundwork for a job the leader accepted for himself.”
Gray paused in the middle of examining the fluorescent cup of lime-green Jell-O on his tray. “I didn’t know the leader did his own jobs.”
“I don’t think he does. Normally.” Dom pointed to the Jell-O. “You gonna eat that?”
With his good arm, Gray tossed Dom the cup, then a plastic spoon. Dom pulled off the silver lid and began slurping up the green, jiggly Jell-O.
“Nothing about this whole thing with Alex was normal protocol,” Dom said between slurps. “The Pyramid was always comprised solely of Middle Easterners, but even that tradition is beginning to crumble. Remember, one of the two guys who followed Alex and Nicky onto the subway was American. Former Delta Force. That’s a first.”
“One of these days,” Gray said as he pointed to Dom, “you’re going to tell me where you get all this intel.”
When Dom smiled, Gray understood that his partner would never give up his spook sources. Not even to him.
Dom pulled an evidence bag from his pocket containing a cell phone. “What I can tell you is that someone texted Alex’s husband about Nicky. The text included a photo of Nicky and the name and address of his school. I haven’t verified the sender’s number yet, but I’d bet my last bullet the message was from Fatima. It was sent the day that barn went up in flames.”
Gray grimaced again, but not from pain. He hated hearing the shitbag referred to as Alex’s husband. At least the bastard would never hurt her or Nicky again.
Dom sent him a piercing look. “It really bugs you that she lied about being married.”
“Wouldn’t it bug you?” Gray looked at Dom like his partner was crazy.
“Hell, yeah.” Dom uttered a disgusted sound. “But I wouldn’t let it keep me from being with someone I knew damn well I was meant to be with.”
Gray snorted. “You should talk, buddy.”
Dom drilled him with an icy blue stare. “That’s different.”
Gray’s voice rose. “The fuck it is.”
“No.” Dom shot from his chair and began pacing back and forth in front of the window. “Where I’ll be going, what I’ll be doing… I don’t want Daisy anywhere near this. Shit, Gray, the woman rocked my world, but I won’t risk her getting hurt because of me. I can’t live with that again.”
Holy hell.
Gray caught Dom’s eye. Whatever his partner had in the works was so stupidly dangerous, he didn’t want Daisy caught in the crossfire.
“You know I hate talking about all this sappy shit.” Dom shoved his hands into his pockets. “But you have a chance at something good, so stop being such a by-the-book asshole and go after her. Assuming you still love her, that is.”
Gray shut his eyes. I do love her. And I don’t want to live without her.
He tugged the IV from his arm and threw back the bedsheets. He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. The moment his head went vertical, his brains began scrambling inside his skull. If it weren’t for Dom’s restraining hand on his shoulder, he would have slammed face first onto the floor.
“Dammit.” He grabbed the edges of the mattress for support. “Find me a wheelchair.”
Grinning, Dom bolted from the room. Five minutes later, he was rolling Gray past a snoring Lt. Frye and a very annoyed head nurse. Gray was not only thankful for Dom’s ability to conjure up wheels and pajama pants that kept his ass from freezing off, but for working his magic to charm the nurse into reluctantly allowing him to visit Alex and Nicky in the ICU.
Just as they were about to enter Nicky’s room, Daisy stepped out. When she caught sight of Dom, she gave him a dirty look. Without a word, she stepped aside so they could roll past. Gray could practically feel the hostility rolling off her in tsunami-size waves. Man, whatever happened between her and Dom must have been intense to get that kind of reaction. Like him, his partner was clearly an idiot where women were concerned.
As he caught sight of Alex asleep in a chair beside Nicky’s bed, his heart beat faster. He prayed he wasn’t too late, and if he was, he vowed to be there for her anyway. To help her through whatever happened next.
After rolling the wheelchair next to Alex, Dom discreetly backed out of the room, leaving them alone.
Intravenous tubes ran from clear plastic bags into Nicky’s arms. Every few seconds, one of the bedside monitors beeped. Though it had been hours since he’d laid Nicky onto the gurney and watched him rolled into the ER, his temperature was still at a hundred and six. Not a good sign. His heart went out to the little boy he’d grown so fond of in such a short amount of time.
Very gently, he clasped Alex’s hand. Her head rested on the back of the chair. Rosy pink lips parted as she breathed. He knew when she opened her eyes they would be red from worry and crying. His chest tightened as he continued watching her. She looked like a sleeping princess, serene and beautiful.
My Scandinavian princess.
If she would still have him
. The possibility that she wouldn’t was like a knife through his heart, and he realized then and there that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He would say or do whatever it took to convince her he loved her and they belonged together.
Make it happen, Yates.
He could do it. Presenting irrefutable evidence and solving the most difficult cases was what he did best. This was the most important case of his life. He’d convinced the toughest prosecutors that he had the goods, now he had to convince Alex.
Gray hated to wake her, but what he had to say couldn’t wait, and he wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. He gently touched his fingers to her soft cheek. When Alex woke with a start, he dropped his hand. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. As expected, her eyes were bloodshot and weary. She glanced at the monitor then hung her head, her disappointment obvious.
“What are you doing here?” She turned to take in the wheelchair. “Are you all right?”
He forced a smile. “I’ll be fine.” He held her hand, expecting her to tug it away. When she didn’t, a tiny ray of hope took hold.
“You still look pale.” She pressed her hand to his forehead. “You should be in bed recovering. I heard you lost a lot of blood.”
“I’ll make more.” He gently pulled her hand from his forehead, holding that hand, too. “I wanted to be here for you.”
“Why?” Her eyes widened in question, as if she truly didn’t know. “You made it clear two weeks ago that you wanted nothing to do with me.”
How could she think differently, numb nut? You abandoned her.
Now don’t fuck up what you came to say.
He took a deep breath and let it out. “I want to help you through this, and I want—no, need—to tell you some things. You, Cassie, Dom…you were all right and then some. Where trust is concerned, I can be unbendable to a fault. Never taking a risk, never doing anything wild and crazy. I needed to let go of my past.”
Alex gazed at him from tired eyes. “I’m happy you’re having this revelation, but I don’t really see what that has to do with me.” She tried to tug her hands from his, but he wouldn’t let her.
“It has everything to do with you.” He gave her hands a quick squeeze then released them. “You were right hiding Nicky from your husband, and you were right for not saying anything about being married. Everything you feared came to pass. It was dishonest, but I understand now why you did it and why you thought you could do it alone. You’ve been taking care of yourself and Nicky without any help for a very long time. More than anyone, I should know how hard it is to change habits and perceptions that have become so ingrained.”
“I guess you’re right.” She gave him a weak smile, then glanced again at the monitor and reached out to stroke Nicky’s hand. “We both made mistakes, and hopefully we can learn from them and move on. As soon as Nicky is well…” She shut her eyes, and Gray knew what she was thinking. If Nicky gets well. “After Nicky is well enough to travel, we’ll be moving on.”
No. Gray clenched his jaw, more determined than ever. I will not let you walk out of my life.
“I should thank you again for risking your life to get Nicky here.” Alex pasted on a forced smile. “I’m sorry you were hurt doing it. You should have let someone else take care of it.”
“Are you kidding?” He couldn’t hold back an incredulous laugh, then realized her response was dead-on accurate. After the hurtful things he’d said to her, how could she have expected him to lay his life on the line for her son? “I couldn’t trust anyone else to get Nicky here.”
“You were shot.” Alex rested her hand on his. “You should have let Shanahan or Grimaldi transport Nicky. You should have stayed in the other hospital and gotten treatment for your gunshot wound.”
“You still don’t get it.” He raised her hand to his mouth, dropping light kisses on her fingers. “What I did today was all about you. For fifteen years, I haven’t been willing or able to risk my heart for anyone. At this point, it’s not a risk at all. I’ve already lost my heart. It’s yours. It’s been yours.”
Alex’s tired blue eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Gray was afraid if he didn’t keep going and lay out all the evidence he needed to convince her, he’d never get another chance.
“I blew it with you. If I’d only told you how I felt sooner…that I love you…”
Ah hell. He hadn’t meant to blurt that out just now, not when Alex had more important things to worry about. Like whether Nicky would make it through the night.
Over their clasped hands, their gazes met. Alex’s red-tinged eyes never looked more beautiful to him.
“How can you forgive me?” Her voice and lips trembled. “I’ve lied to you so many times.”
“That you did.” He smiled, stroking her hands with his thumbs. “But I should have believed that you would never use me. That’s not who you are. It shouldn’t have taken Nicky getting kidnapped to make me realize it, and for that I’m sorry.”
“That must have been a big step for you.” Alex’s lips lifted slightly, and his heart softened. “What you did was very human. Trusting someone even though you might get hurt.”
“Yeah, it was,” he admitted with a grin. “You’re probably the only person I’ve ever done that for in my entire life.” Too late to stop now, he was on a full-fledged roll. “All I’m asking for is another chance with you and Nicky. I don’t know where this will take us. I only know how much in love with you I am. I think I loved you the first moment I saw you.”
A single tear rolled down Alex’s face. She laid her hand on his cheek. “I love you, too.”
He sucked down the lump in his throat and gently drew her face to his, kissing her gently, quietly. She kissed him back then clung to his shoulders. He drew her against him, ignoring the raw pain in his shoulder. What she needed right now more than anything was someone to be there for her. Professing their love for each other meant nothing if Nicky died, and they both knew it.
When Gray released her, he automatically glanced at the monitor. “One-oh-five.”
Alex turned and gasped. “Oh, thank God,” she whispered.
He dropped his arm over her shoulders, drawing her closer, and for the next three hours they eyed the monitor vigilantly, watching Nicky’s temperature lower degree by degree. When the boy’s temperature reached ninety-nine point eight, Gray breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes for the first time since entering Nicky’s room. The last thing he remembered before drifting off was Alex whispering in his ear, “Thank you for saving my son.”
Epilogue
Six months later
Alex woke to Gray nibbling on her neck, sending the most delicious shivery tingles to her toes. When she lifted her arms over her head to stretch, he clasped her hands, holding them there while he kissed his way down her neck.
After last night’s marathon lovemaking session, Alex didn’t think her lovingly abused body had another round in her, but the moment Gray began rolling her nipple between his tongue and teeth, her body sparked with need.
She gasped, arching into his mouth, locking her legs around the backs of his thighs as he pushed inside her.
With her arms still held over her head, Alex was unable to do what she loved most during these moments, to run her hands across the muscled contours of Gray’s powerful arms and shoulders, down his back to his incredible ass. As he began thrusting, she linked her legs higher on the backs of his thighs. He pushed deeper, tingling that special spot he’d found that she hadn’t known existed.
Rocking her hips against his, her breathing increased. Her pulse quickened. The muscles inside her womb tightened as Gray increased his pace until she felt her entire body clenching with the impending explosion.
“Come for me, baby,” he whispered against her mouth, rocking in to her. “I love to watch you come.”
His sexy words were the catalyst that sent her flying into the heavens. Alex arched her neck and cried out quietly, pushing her breasts against his chest as the powerful o
rgasm claimed her.
He pressed his lips to her neck and groaned, that deep, throaty sound he made when he came.
Afterward, they lay there, breathing deeply as their heart rates slowed. She loved these moments. There was no need for talk, just the feel of him still inside her, pulsing with the force of his orgasm, making her feel whole and loved.
Over the last six months Alex had lost count of all the times Gray told her he loved her and how much she turned him on. It still astounded her how a man she’d once thought to be so rigid and by the book could be so uninhibitedly inventive yet exquisitely gentle in bed.
“Much as I’d like to ravish you all day, I have to head out and get Nicky soon.” Gray eased out of her and kissed his way down the valley between her breasts to her belly button. “And as much as I love Nicky, I seriously loved being alone with you last night.” He waggled his eyebrows then began laving her belly button with his tongue.
“I do, too.” Unable to stop herself, Alex closed her eyes and gave in to the wonderful magic Gray’s talented tongue unleashed on her abdomen. “We have Raven to thank for that.”
When Gray laughed against her stomach, the vibrations tickled, making Alex laugh right along with him. “When I told him Raven was staying for a while at my folks’ house until Cassie gives birth, Nicky dropped that new baseball mitt I gave him and didn’t stop jumping up and down for a solid hour.”
Alex sifted her fingers through Gray’s thick, dark hair. “I think the only thing he loves more than baseball is that dog. I love seeing him happy and well again.”
It had taken a couple months for Nicky to regain his strength, but in that time, Dr. Maxwell’s experimental treatments were approved by the medical community, meaning that medical insurance companies would now cover most of the expenses. Nicky would still need treatment for some time to come, but the prognosis was good.
Uttering a groan, Gray tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. “I gotta jump in the shower and head out.”
Unabashedly, Alex’s gaze raked over Gray’s impressive, still-hard erection. Knowing she’d done that to him brought a little smile to her face.