by Grady, D. R.
“Of course you do, but that’s boring.”
O’Riley grunted. “Where’s the guy Janine subdued?” O’Riley stressed her name and Greg’s smile widened into a grin.
“She subdued him because she got to him first.”
“What were you doing?”
“Sleeping.” He saw Janine roll her eyes and grinned again.
At least he was having fun. Most evenings would have found him in anything but an amusing situation.
“She’s okay?”
“Yeah, she said she is. A weapon was discharged,” Greg replied and twitched his nose to see if he could still smell the scent of the gunpowder.
“What?”
“A weapon went off,” Greg replied, then turned to Janine. “Your weapon or his?” he asked her.
“His.”
“Okay.” O’Riley sounded like he sighed again. “You know, I could be enjoying a nice quiet night with my wife, but instead, I have to call all around the nation for you two.”
“We’re happy to help keep you busy, Admiral.” Greg kept his voice tongue-in-cheek, but knew O’Riley probably wanted to roll over him with a truck.
“I’m sure you are. Would you two please behave?”
“We’re trying. It’s harder to be a civilian than you’d think.”
“We didn’t invite this guy tonight,” Janine inserted in a huffy voice.
“Good point.” He nodded. “Janine would like to present to the court that we didn’t invite this guy.”
“I heard.” There was a long pause. “Did she invite you?”
“That’s still open to questioning.”
“Isn’t that considered stalking?”
Greg sighed this time. “I’ve already had this conversation.”
“With Janine?” O’Riley sounded interested, in a matchmaking way.
“No, and it’s not open to discussion now.”
“Right. It could be considered stalking, just so you know.”
“Yeah, but my intentions are good.”
“She’s a fully capable woman.”
Greg glanced at Janine. “That’s what she told me.”
“I’m sure she has – not even her brother knows how capable she is. Someone should be there within the hour to pick up your package.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure. Please, act like a regular citizen. And no stalking.”
“Right.”
Greg disconnected the call. “O’Riley promised someone here soon.”
“Okay.”
Again, he received the impression of unease from Janine. Did he make her nervous? He slanted a glance at her as they ambled across the driveway together. She didn’t appear awkward. Her face didn’t reveal anything.
Maybe he was the nervous one.
Janine stumbled beside him. He grabbed her arm and helped steady her. Her eyes widened. He swallowed, but her foot twisted in a hole and she knocked against him.
He tugged her into his arms, and because he couldn’t help himself, lowered his lips to hers. Greg didn’t think he could live the night without tasting her lips. He blinked before closing his eyes when her arms curled around his neck. She leaned into him and fastened her exotic lips to his. Like she wanted to kiss him back.
Euphoria erupted in his veins. Janine wanted him. At least she acted like she did. He tugged her closer and put more into the kiss. He wanted her to enjoy this moment as much as he was. Janine returned his kisses with feminine passion and persuasion.
Greg tugged her even closer and lost himself in this woman who haunted his dreams.
When she stumbled against Greg, Janine’s heart tripped a beat. She’d been fantasizing about him for so long, and now she brushed against him. The adrenaline rush was wearing off fast and making her clumsy. She despaired of ever getting a chance with this man. Even as that thought popped into her head, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her.
Lack of oxygen nearly made her pass out. She’d waited for this moment. Yearned to be in his arms just like this. Wanted it for so long, that understanding it was happening right now was amazing and wonderful and incredible.
He tasted just like she thought he would. Like pineapple and Greg. Two of her favorite flavors. One a long time favorite and the other a brand new one. What if this man became an addiction? She feared that could happen. But she closed her eyes anyway and clung. She pressed her lips to his, and told herself to enjoy the moment. Never before had she enjoyed a kiss like this. Like she needed him.
Headlights flashed across her eyes and Janine blinked. Greg’s arms eased from around her. She realized O’Riley’s man had arrived to pick up their visitor. Why had he come now?
How could he break up that fantastic kiss?
Janine suppressed a bad word as she reclaimed her arms and reluctantly moved out of Greg’s embrace. Words she didn’t normally use. She wanted that kiss to go on. And on. And on. But as usual, the job had to come first. They’d clean up this mess, then Greg would go home and she’d enter her house, where she could be alone. Never before had she despised the loneliness. What had once been her saving grace now left her cold.
She stood with Greg and watched the vehicle turn into her driveway. Oh but those kisses...
A man eased out from behind the driver’s seat and Janine recognized him.
“Hello, Philips.”
“Ah, Dr. Morris. So we meet again.” He offered his hand, which she shook. She didn’t recognize the other men who climbed out of the vehicle. They nodded then went about their business.
“This is Greg Gilmore, Greg, Jason Philips.”
“Philips.” Greg shook his hand, but Janine noticed he had melded with the shadows. None of the team would be able to recall much of Greg if beaten.
“We’re O’Riley’s cleanup guys,” Jason said as he nodded to Greg. Before they left, Greg would be able to offer every pertinent detail there was to know about Jason and the other men.
“Thanks for coming.” Janine led the way to her garage. She unlocked the door and braced herself in case the man had loosened his bonds.
Fortunately, he hadn’t even awoken yet. “Wow, Gilmore you hit this guy hard.”
“I didn’t.” Greg’s voice was low and steady. He remained a part of the shadows near the back corner. The garage light would provide too much illumination for him, she guessed. Janine resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Jason was on their side.
After Greg’s denial, Jason spun to her. “You did this Janine?”
She sent him a look of utter disdain. “Yeah.” Janine inserted attitude into the statement, like he shouldn’t have doubted her.
“Go, girl.”
She shrugged off his praise and helped him and his team stow their prisoner into the vehicle. Greg assisted, too, but Jason and his team still wouldn’t be able to clearly identify him. They would all be hard pressed to describe his voice, even. That’s probably why Greg had become a legend before his death.
He knew what he was doing. All the time. So why had he kissed her? Had their embrace been preplanned? She couldn’t imagine Greg doing anything spontaneously, but then he would have to be adept at adjusting to suit the circumstances.
The question burned her brain. She wanted to ask him, but definitely not with Jason around. He’d hound her until her dying day if he knew she was attracted to Greg.
Janine kept her face a smooth mask. Jason didn’t miss much, which meant she couldn’t let on how she felt about the silent, grim man with her. The one who understood darkness like it was family. She wondered what went through Greg’s brain. How she’d love to know his thoughts.
If she could read them at least she’d know exactly why he kissed her. Because something told her it hadn’t been premeditated. She thought, or hoped, he had been as caught up in the moment as she.
Did he intend to kiss her again?
Because if not, she planned to initiate the next one. Whether he liked it or not. One kiss from Greg Gilmore wasn’t enough. She’d only just starte
d to really enjoy herself when Jason drove up and interrupted them.
Agenda for tonight – first, get rid of Jason. Second, kiss Greg senseless.
Yes, she could work with that.
“I think that’s everything you need for now, Jason. Have O’Riley let us know what he wants us to do after you question the guy.” Janine kept her voice modulated and even.
“Okay. What was he doing here anyway? You’re retired.”
“Yeah, I know. Guess he didn’t know that.”
Jason jerked his chin to the shadows where Greg resided. “What about him?”
“He’s a civilian. Can’t you tell?”
“Yeah, right.” Jason’s voice indicated he thought she was a princess-turned-rock-star.
So they won some and lost some. She shrugged. “Ask O’Riley. He’ll tell you the same thing.” That effectively shut down Jason’s questions.
If Greg wanted a shot at normal life, he had to live a normal life. Her gaze slanted to the shadows. Evidently they had to work on coaxing him into the light.
“Bye, Jason,” Janine said with silk in her voice.
Fortunately, Jason caught the hint and with a wave, crawled into the vehicle behind his team. He fired up the engine and drove off.
Janine turned to Greg, and strained to see him in the darkness. “You wear the grimness and night well, Greg.”
“Yes,” he answered, but he didn’t step forward.
“You don’t have to live in the darkness any longer. Michael Lamont is dead.”
“Old habits die hard.”
“Maybe. But Greg Gilmore is an artist. He’s a painter and an uncle. No one is going to understand why he clings to the shadows like you do.”
“The shadows want me.”
That wasn’t reassuring. The picture of an underworld Lord, bound by the darkness of his realm, erupted in her brain. “They don’t have to bind you.”
“I don’t know how to be free of them.” She detected sadness in his voice and it nearly broke her heart.
“Live in the light.”
“How?” Hopelessness leaked from his very soul. Her heart twisted as her soul responded.
“All I can tell you is that normal citizens don’t favor the shadows like you do. They aren’t comfortable there. They don’t worry about movement drawing fire.”
“Janine, I’ve lived this way for so many years, I don’t think I can change now.”
“You have to.”
“Why?” His voice sounded thick.
“I heard about Agent Mallory. He decided to retire, but was lured back because he grew bored. Greg, he died because he couldn’t adjust to normal life. But you’re not Mallory. You can adjust.”
“Maybe.” He didn’t sound convinced, and Janine didn’t know if she was the right person for this persuasion job. “He also died the way all of us would prefer.”
Fear coalesced in her stomach. “You don’t have to die yet.”
“That’s not up to me or you to decide.”
“No,” she whispered because she didn’t know what else to say.
His fingers brushed over her lips. “I don’t want to go back to that life. I don’t miss it.”
“But?”
“But I’d like to finish this. Once I make certain the people I love are safe, then I can learn to live in the sun again.”
Okay, that sounded like a feasible plan to her. Knowing that, her heart lightened. Maybe she could even help to show him that living in the sun was a nice place.
“Would you like something to drink?” At least she could entice him into her house. Then she could jump him for their next kiss.
“Yeah.” He followed her inside. “I thought you went to bed when I saw your light go out.”
“I noticed someone out here, and knew it wasn’t you, because I might have felt you, but I wouldn’t have noticed you.”
He frowned. “What?”
“I figured you were here. I felt your presence, but this other guy, I noticed him because he couldn’t seem to sit still for any length of time.”
“He didn’t seem well trained.”
“No. He was rather noticeable. I didn’t like the idea of him on my property, so I decided to investigate.”
“Why’d you tackle him?”
“I watched him long enough to figure out I could take him.” She shrugged and removed a pitcher of iced tea from her refrigerator.
“Why did you take such a foolish chance?” Greg’s voice took on lecture mode and she darted an assessing look at him. Did he doubt her abilities?
“I have my own training.”
“Right.” He accepted the glass of tea she handed him. Janine considered dumping the glass contents over his head for doubting her.
“If you forget something that important so easily, you should be able to forget about your need for the dark world.”
Her statement came out a little more harshly than she’d intended but Greg didn’t appear to take offense. Of course, if he had, she might not be able to tell.
A very closed off man, Greg Gilmore.
A frustrating, sexy, amazing man all rolled into a package that tempted her like no other man ever had before. Too bad he didn’t seem to know what he wanted. Her?
Even if he didn’t want her, Janine decided with a hardened resolve, that was too bad, because he was going to kiss her again tonight. Greg took a sip of his tea then set the glass on the table. Janine placed hers beside his and launched into his arms.
She saw him grin before he took her lips and she lost control of the kiss shortly before she lost control of herself. Their lips fused this time and everything shut down.
If they could just practice this often enough, Janine knew they could get this living in the sun business perfect.
Chapter 22
What had possessed him to kiss Janine now? Of all the stupid things he could have done. But then, if memory served him, she initiated this second kiss. Not that he was complaining, but his life was complicated enough. Did he really want to add a woman to it?
Hadn’t he learned from the last woman?
Greg eased Janine from his arms. Her eyes grew wide and he saw vulnerability there for a moment before she squelched the emotion.
“Janine, I...” He couldn’t think of the words he needed.
“You don’t want to kiss me?” Her voice was soft, but there were traces of hurt.
He turned away. “It’s not that. Not at all. I’d like to spend my days kissing you. But I can’t, Janine. I just can’t.”
“Why not?”
Of course she called him on it. “Because if we become involved, I’ll have signed your death warrant.”
She cocked her head, watching him. “I’m not afraid of death.”
“Neither was the last woman who died in my arms.” His voice sounded harsh and uncompromising. But then he remembered very clearly the death rattle in Miranda’s lungs. Would never forget the fact that she never got to meet their son. Even though she labored to bring Ryan into the world, she died before she could hold him.
All because of the greed of man.
Greg had to give her credit, Janine didn’t take a step away from him, nor did he receive the impression that she withdrew from him. Instead she picked up her glass of tea, and waved a hand for him to follow her. He did so more out of habit than anything else.
She strolled into her living room, flipped on one light, and sank gracefully onto the sofa. He seated himself in the chair across from her.
“Tell me,” she invited. Greg had never shared this story. He didn’t know if he could. But when he looked up, Janine’s eyes held a healing light he craved. He wanted to be free of the nightmare of Miranda’s last moments.
“Her name was Miranda Roberts. She was a part of the cleanup team, much like your Jason tonight. Miranda was also a trained SWAT team member and probably some other things I wasn’t cleared to know. She wasn’t without skills. We met during one of my missions.”
Greg stopped and t
hought about that first night they met. “I stayed because there was one loose end I wasn’t convinced had been cleaned up. I couldn’t leave until I was satisfied.”
He appreciated that Janine didn’t break in to ask questions. “We met and connected that night. And the loose end I feared did show up, just not until months and several missions later. Instead, Miranda and I were well into a relationship by then. We saw each other whenever we could. She was soon pregnant.”
Janine’s eyes went bleak, and he thought she understood the pain he couldn’t express. His voice caught, but he kept talking. “We were together the night she went into labor. I didn’t even have time to race her to the hospital. Her water broke and it was everything we could do to prepare for Ryan’s entry into the world in our apartment. That’s when that loose end struck.
“Miranda was deep in contractions and screamed. There were eight of them. They shot her up because she’d made noise, but she held on long enough to give birth to Ryan. I managed to take them all out, but not before Miranda got hit multiple times.”
Greg shuddered as he remembered the sound of bullets ripping through her body. He again saw her blood arc across the walls and heard her cry of pain and disbelief as the pellets penetrated. All the while, she struggled to bring Ryan into the world.
“She never had a chance,” Janine whispered.
He shook his head. “Not even with me there did she have a chance. They came out of nowhere, with no warning, and fired before either Miranda or I had a chance to figure out what had happened.
“The worst part was that they didn’t even want her. They wanted me. But they killed her. Without thought or remorse. And I knew they’d kill Ryan if they could. Anything to make me comply.”
The dawn of understanding rose in Janine’s eyes. “That’s why you gave Ryan to KC.”
He nodded. “I buried Ryan as deep as I could. Then I gave him to KC. I played the part of the driftless painter, and refused assignments for a while.” He grimaced as he remembered all he’d done to keep Ryan safe. “I even went back to working docks.”
“Oh my.” Shock reverberated in her voice as she realized the full extent of his protection.