by Mimi Barbour
Kai knew what she referred to but figured that since they hadn’t had a ransom call yet, none would be forthcoming. But then Aurora hadn’t been home since Lily disappeared.
Driving faster than he normally would, they arrived before he could really get twisted over the tortuous thoughts bombarding him.
After he parked in her spot, he guided a silent Aurora to her front door and picked up the keys she dropped after pulling them from her pocket.
Once inside he hit the light switch and guided her toward the living room area. Before they went more than a few steps, her doorbell rang and a man’s voice could be heard calling her name.
Aurora wheeled around and rushed to open the door. “Jeff!”
A very distinguished good-looker scooped her into his arms and came very close to getting himself an extended stay in the hospital, courtesy of a very envious Kai.
A toxic jealousy he could chew began to weave its way throughout Kai’s body. The muscles in his stomach tightened into a fist that punched at his tolerance. He stopped the movement to reach behind for his weapon and instead clenched his fists. So this was his rival, the man no one wanted to talk about.
“I just heard on the news and flew back immediately, Aurora. I’m so gol-darn sorry, Pet.”
Gol-darn…? What a pussy! Kai backed away and crossed his arms, his back stiff and his thoughts dangerous.
Aurora burrowed in. Her words were hardly discernible. “Everyone believed Lily had been kidnapped by a member of a notorious Chinese gang. We got him, but he didn’t have her.”
Aurora’s voice sounded husky and so sad that it broke Kai’s heart. He tore his gaze from her and perused the other man. The putz’s shoes alone could cover the cost of all the clothes he wore, plus the numerous blue shirts in his closet that his mom insisted on buying for various presents.
Judging by his appearance, this dude had money and a lot of it. A mean streak surfaced and Kai pictured his fist connecting with the unlined cheeks on the other man’s face. He could already feel the satisfaction until Jeffie turned his way and… and winked. Fuck!
Then the dude extended his hand. “You must be Kai, Lily’s daddy. I’m a good friend of the girls, Jeff Waters.”
At first Kai wanted to pretend not to see the gesture but it didn’t sit well with his conscience to be a jerk. He shook Jeff’s hand, tightening his grip unnecessarily.
Aurora took a few steps back and she looked lighter, happier, less tired. “Jeff, I knew you would come.”
Jeff, not acknowledging Kai’s force, used the same crushed hand to push Aurora’s hair back over her shoulders in an affectionate way and said, “Of course I came. She’s my godchild. And you’re my pal. What can I do? Anything… you know that, right?”
“I do. But it’s all being looked after. We have every officer on her trail; every possible procedure has been set in place.”
Kai wasn’t sure if he liked that Aurora still held onto Waters’ hand; but if his being there would make things any easier for Aurora, he’d swallow the gathering bile and put up with it—and a whole lot more. He didn’t have to like it, but then there was a lot of stuff going on in his life right now he didn’t like.
When her phone interrupted, she moved off to the kitchen to answer it, leaving him alone with the guy.
Waters waved him toward the sofa as if he owned the place and Kai gritted his teeth and let him take the lead. As soon as they were out of Aurora’s sight, the prick turned on him.
“You asshole! Where the hell have you been? That girl needed you a long time ago. I outta shove your head up your ass for treating her so shabby.”
Okay, now Jeffie was cruisin’… “It’s a long story. And my friend, you don’t deserve a personal report.”
“You’re right. But Aurora does. So for your sake, I hope your defense cuts it. Otherwise you’ll answer to me. She’s my friend and no one messes with the people I care about without learning a lesson.”
Smug bastard! Kai noted that he’d called her a friend, not his
girlfriend or woman. Tension that had tied up his guts started to unravel. He took in a huge breath and relaxed tightened muscles.
“You two are friends?”
“Good friends. Really good friends!” Jeff’s snide grin hit a chord with Kai and it was all he could do not to grind the other’s dimples with his fist. This dude was really pissing him off.
“Don’t push it.” Kai’s temper hated the controls he’d set up.
Suddenly, Jeff turned serious. “What happened? The news report only said that Lily had been taken from the same doctor’s office where the Fulton baby had disappeared.”
Kai took a seat across from where the other man now sat. Leaning forward, he clenched his hands between his knees. As much as he hated telling this dude anything, he supposed the jerk deserved an explanation.
“Aurora took Lily for her checkup. The doctor’s office had rescheduled the one they’d missed when the first kidnapping had occurred. Seems a woman dressed as a nurse cane to take Lily to be weighed. Not expecting any problems, Aurora handed her over. Turns out she wasn’t a nurse and Lily hasn’t been seen since.”
“My God! How horrible for Aurora? She’ll be blaming herself.”
“Yes.”
“Look, I have some influence around Vegas, on both sides of the law. So if you can think of any way money will make a difference, just set it up. Anything!”
Jeff’s imperious attitude assaulted Kai’s pride and he hated that he had to sit and listen. On the other hand, Waters’ message came across clearly. If a ransom was eventually demanded, they had his support. Just because he disliked the man, didn’t mean he wouldn’t use him to save Lily. In this type of situation, he’d negotiate with the devil himself if necessary.
Aurora interrupted Kai’s rambling thoughts as she stepped into the room. Her face appeared even sadder if at all possible.
Kai moved quicker than Jeff and led her to sit down, then sat next to her. “Darlin’ you’re scaring me. Something is wrong.” He didn’t form a question because he knew.
Aurora patted his cheek and he understood it was an automatic gesture done without thought. “It’s wasn’t about Lily. My partner Lisa is in trouble.”
Jeff broke in. “Is she the one you’ve told me about? The gorgeous chatterbox who’s a fiend for athletic activities?”
“Uh huh! She had to go back to Seattle to find her sister, Carly. They always called each other every few days because they’d been planning for her sister and her sister’s little boy Noel to move here—with Lisa. Then Lisa got the flu. Between working double shifts and trying to keep up at the office, almost a week passed without them being in contact or her getting any messages. She tried calling and got nothing. So she flew there. Turns out when she arrived, she found her sister also had the flu and Noel, the child, had been left with a neighbor.”
As she talked, Aurora’s cheeks paled to where her face had no color at all. Kai slid closer and scooped her up on his lap so he could hold her while he massaged her back.
His action caused the man opposite to bristle. But screw him. Aurora was his woman and she needed his warmth and loving arms. Gently, he rubbed her arms and within seconds, she melted against him.
Using his most tender tone, Kai asked, “What happened babe?”
“Her sister’s condition worsened and she passed away yesterday. Lisa is frantic. She desperately wants to come and help us find Lily but she can’t leave just yet until all her sister’s affairs are dealt with. I guess she’ll be bringing Noel, her three-year-old nephew, with her since there’s no other family.”
“And you’re fretting because you can’t be there to support her?” Kai knew his darling.
Aurora dropped her head against his chest. Her sob sounded like a gun blast in the quiet room. “She’s my friend. Of course I’m heartsick.”
Jeff stood and moved to kneel down in front of her. He took her hand and gently caressed the skin. “What can I do?”
“She needs m-money for the funeral. I promised. I wrote her address and her bank account number on the pad in the kitchen. Jeff…” Her big eyes spoke the words she couldn’t.
“She’ll have it. Don’t worry anymore.”
“S-She needs a ride back to Vegas, with her sister’s things and the little boy.”
“I’ll fly down to pick her up tomorrow.”
Kai kept his mouth shut because he had nothing to add. Not an easy feat while another man befriended his girl. He’d give anything to be able to help her with this situation, but leaving Vegas right now was impossible.
Though he couldn’t force a smile to his lips, he dropped the attitude and just nodded when the other man stared a message that quite frankly said “be careful” before he left the room and then the apartment.
Chapter Thirty
Once Jeff left, Aurora knew she should leave the sanctity of Kai’s arms but she just couldn’t. Weak from being emotionally overloaded, she nestled closer and let the tide of relief wash over her.
She couldn’t have survived these last few days without this man near. His constant glances full of tenderness and messages of caring were all that kept her from falling completely apart. And from losing her mind so completely she might not be able to come back.
All the anger she’d nursed over the previous months had faded to unimportant and inconsequential. His arms mattered. His softly whispered words of encouragement mattered. And the flutterings of heat starting low in her stomach began to matter.
Oh God. Was she a skank, thinking of sex when only ice surrounded her heart? Fear had replaced her humanity and a strange blankness had taken over and corrupted her brain. Could she exist without any kind of natural emotions? Could passion kick-start her core? Help her recover?
Did she want to? The fear had become unbearable, all those horrible feelings that tied her into a mess of knots to where she couldn’t act like herself, or even think.
What if she let everything go? Experienced the magic he’d given her once before. Maybe it would help her sleep, give her some peace from the ghastly pain that tore and gouged and ripped her raw.
Purposely she moved her behind against his thighs and felt his instant response. She angled her head to let his roving lips move closer to the skin on her neck.
His hesitation spoke volumes. It had been understood that he’d only been comforting her. But right now she didn’t want comfort. She wanted hot, hard sex. Forgetfulness beckoned and tempted. If she could release this heartache for even a short while, it would be worth tomorrow’s remonstrations and guilt.
Her words came out husky, the yearning obvious. “Wanna have sex with me?”
He held her away from him, his hands crushing her shoulders. “I can’t ever have sex with you, Darlin’. You should know that.”
When she thrust away from him, he grabbed her back roughly. “Between us, it’ll always be making love. You want plain, ordinary sex; I’m not your man. But if you want me to love every beautiful, precious inch of you then just you nod and I’ll take care of everything.”
She searched his eyes, those slanted big blue beauties that had been her downfall from the first time they looked her way. Full of passion, his sultry stare worked its enchantment. Shivers began low forcing her to clench her leg muscles and jiggle to release the pressure.
“You’re killing me here.” His words sounded ragged and his uneven breathing a sign of how she’d affected him.
Other than a groan bitten off, her gallant idiot did nothing to try and affect her decision. All he did was wait patiently, the muscles in his jaw working, his eyes now narrowed to try and hide his powerful hunger. He couldn’t fool her. She suffered from the exact same longing.
Her hands seemed to reach for his beautiful face of their own accord. She ran her fingers through the long hair and smiled when words burst out from him. “I’ve been a bit busy lately baby, but I swear I’ll shave the shit off first moment I get.”
She smiled. Couldn’t help herself. The cheeky devil always had the ability to get to her. She moved her lips close to his and whispered, “Make love to me.” Then she lowered her mouth to his and gave over control.
Chapter Thirty-One
Gently, Kai lifted her and went to stand. Damned if his Sir Galahad act would work since he had no muscle power left. His shoulder and chest screamed their reluctance to be abused once again and he had no choice but to obey. So much for impressing her with my macho act.
He lowered her and put his forehead against hers. “Can you give this pitiful weakling a hand up?”
Gracefully she rose, making him feel like an old man. Smiling, she reached down to pull him to his feet making his heart flip upside down from her loving manner.
“Silly ass! You’re hurt because you pulled that stunt with the truck. You could have been killed.” Her voice was soft but the hardness in her eyes let him know she hadn’t liked him in danger.
Darned heart flipped again.
He found it hard to breathe. Could it be she still had feelings for him? Maybe even give him another chance? She seemed to accept his declaration of making love and not having sex. But did it mean she felt the same, or was she merely irredeemably lonely?
Might not be the right time to bring up his feelings but who says he’d get another chance. Wavering between choices, he let her lead him to her bedroom and in the dark, he hesitated.
Taking the lead, she wound herself around him, her arms fastening at the back of his shoulders while her ravenous mouth searched out the erogenous zones near his ears.
What had he been thinking of? Right, he needed to know if she loved him. Right…
Her tongue began licking his neck and he swore he heard her purr like a kitten. The noises she made affected areas already hardened with desire to a point of torture and his weakening legs threatened to give way.
He loved her sounds. Hell, he loved everything about this girl. Face it bud, you love her!
She whispered. “Who’s her?”
Christ he’d spoken aloud. Now what to do? Should he declare his feelings and get thrown out on his ass or take the chance?
“You’re her. I mean she’s you. Hell, I love all of three of you.” Now why in the name of heaven did he try to be funny at a time like this?
“You sure about that?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
She pushed back so he could see her resolve. “Good, cause you ever me leave me again, your wish will come true. I’ll shoot you right between those big blue dazzlers. You hear me?” She stared him down and he let her. Once the ice melted and passionate surrender reappeared, he let his hungry mouth, loving hands and hard body persuade her of his sincerity.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“I thought you said you’d take care of everything?” Lying naked next to Kai on her bed, Aurora stroked the hair on his chest and then had to smile at his sheepish manner.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had to worry about protection, I stopped carrying any with me. I might add; you didn’t have any on hand either.”
“Yes I noticed how pleased that made you.” At the time, he’d kissed her so tenderly her heart had turned to pure mush.
Kai still had the power to captivate her in the way he’d managed to do the last time they’d been together. And like the last time birth control hadn’t been available, they’d risked their luck against Mother Nature’s temperament. Depending on how one looked at it, they had lost their gamble—yes. But as far as Aurora was concerned, in the final count they’d won.
Her thoughts must have spirited themselves to him, because the rascal picked up on her instant sadness and his expression became serious.
“Aurora, I’m positive Lily is fine. You told me about the woman’s gentleness and from what you described, I have no doubt she’s taking good care of our baby.”
Aurora lay back and let Kai cover her and snuggle her closer to him. She stared at the ceiling, tears clouding her vision. When she turned h
er head and saw his gentleness, she broke.
“I want to be taking good care of her. S-she’s our baby—mine and yours. She belongs with us, not some sicko who’s decided she can take what doesn’t belong to her.”
She cried for a long time and let him soothe her. Gentle caresses helped but what finally calmed her were his words.
“When we find her, and Darlin’, I promise you right now we will, I’ll hold the sicko and you can shoot her. How’s that?”
“Works for me,” she said tiredly, before letting the hovering oblivion have its way.
If the phone hadn’t disturbed them, Aurora had no doubt they’d have slept till mid-morning. Each time during the night when one of them had woken, they’d reached for the other to soothe the nightmares. Now both were stressed from lack of sleep.
She reached across Kai and answered. Within seconds, she leapt from the covers. “That was Ham. They have a lead.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Faces gaunt from overwork, no sleep, and bad food, Ham and Cory were waiting for Kai and Aurora near where the evidence boards sat mostly empty. They’d taken down the earlier paperwork from the Chang-Lee brothers’ case. Now only Lily’s picture sat stark, utterly alone, a sad reminder that she was still missing.
Aurora rushed toward the two men, trying to read their expressions. Being that both were long-time cops trained to hide their feelings, it wasn’t easy. Except that she’d honed her instincts with these two over the past years. Instantly, she picked up on their fear. She had no doubt, the news would be bad.
“Calm down, Rory.” Cory’s hands reached for hers. “It could be worse. Let Ham explain before you go off the deep end.”
Kai moved closer to her and just his presence alone made her nerves ease up. “What have you got?” She squeezed Cory’s hands, let them go and braced herself.
Ham stepped forward with a picture in his hands and reached to pin it to the board. “Meet Jane Lelonde who we believe could be Lily’s kidnapper.”