RidingtheWaves

by Jennifer LaRose

  “Don’t cry, Annalee.”

  Telling her not to cry made the tears fall, and when he reached forward to brush them away, she grabbed his hand, laid it on the table and clutched it tightly. “Please forgive me, Brent. I didn’t mean to overreact. I’m being selfish and reacting based on what’s best for me. I’m letting my heart get in the way.”

  “I understand.”

  She placed her fingers over his lips. “I don’t think you do.” She paused to study him closely. His jaws were tight, brows furrowed, and those mysterious eyes were drowning in emotion. “I appreciate how passionate you are about your job.” She batted her lashes, releasing more tears. “I adore that trait in you. What’s so hard is, I’m scared to death I’ll never see you again. And…” she sighed heavily, “I’m falling in love with you.”

  His features softened and after kissing her fingers, he removed them from his mouth and pulled her onto his lap. “Baby, I wish I could make things easier.” He nuzzled his face in her hair while crushing her in his arms. “I would never expect you to adjust to my life at sea, but that doesn’t mean I won’t ask. You said you want babies and a man who comes home every night. Annalee, I’m not that guy, but that doesn’t mean I’m not as worthy of loving you or having children as someone who does come home on a regular basis. Christ, woman, you’re beating the shit out of my heart.”

  Such a bittersweet revelation. And she needed to accept the little pieces of him he’d offered. It was better than not taking any of him at all. Somehow she’d make this work—she had to. “Why don’t we just enjoy each other for now and see where it leads?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Baby, you’re a craving in my blood I can’t satisfy. Coming back after all these years proves you’re my weakness.” He squeezed her even tighter.

  She wiggled out of his arms, placed her palms on his bristled cheeks and looked him in the eye. The desperation in his expression brought on a fresh gush of tears that wouldn’t stop. And his voice, filled with so much emotion, stopped her heart. “As much as it opposes my ideal dream, Brent, I’d do anything for you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  I’m falling in love with you.

  Brent couldn’t believe the power those words held over him during the past six days. They’d been digging a trench in his brain since the night Annalee looked him in the eyes and disclosed her feelings. Love? He’d never considered it a possibility. Not her. Not the woman who’d nursed him back to health three times now without her even knowing he’d summoned her gentle touch.

  Once his mom’s disease went into remission he could’ve returned to a life in Ohio, but when Whiltby offered him the security job, he used it as an escape from Annalee. At the time, he thought the further he drifted out to sea, the further she would drift from his mind. But that wasn’t the case. It gave him a lot more freedom to think and dwell on the woman who’d infested his blood.

  He’d stopped by Ohio to see her, hoping to satisfy a craving that wouldn’t stop. But it’d grown worse and his insides came alive. And now that he’d made love to her and held her in his arms and watched her lie sleeping for hours with her head snuggled against his chest, he could never let her get away again. He’d blamed that prior mistake on his stupidity and poor judgment. It wouldn’t be repeated.

  I’m falling in love with you.

  That disclosure stirred a whole lot of confusion, and it was time to rethink his future.

  Rubbing the back of his neck, he approached the café entrance. He was giving Sterns one week to entrap the fucking pirate before he headed back to Ohio. He couldn’t cut the memory of Annalee standing in the airport drop-off area this morning, crying and blowing him kisses while he backed through the entrance to board his flight. Periodically he had brushed his hand across the tears she’d left on his shirt, asking himself why the hell he hadn’t backed out of the assignment.

  If not for a possible threat to more lives at Rashand’s hand, Brent would’ve told Sterns to shove the entire mission up his ass.

  Brent checked his watch, pulled open the entrance door to Morty’s Café and stepped inside. He wanted the entire mission done and over with, so Sterns had better not be late.

  Four or five people filled every table and booth in the dining area. Even the lobby was filled with guests waiting to be seated. He’d had one hell of a day and wasn’t in the mood for all the noise and commotion going on.

  “Delaney, over here,” someone shouted above the loud voices and laughter.

  Brent followed the voice through the crowded room. Sterns stood in the farthest corner, talking on a cell phone. He smiled at Brent and waved him back.

  Brent maneuvered through the narrow aisles, grinning at small kids who shyly glanced at him like he was some type of a monster. And in his current state of mind, he probably looked like one.

  After he joined Sterns, Brent shook his outstretched hand.

  “Hold on,” Sterns said into the phone. “Glad you made it, Delaney. I’ll be right with you.”

  After Sterns reseated himself and placed the cell to his ear, Brent pulled out a chair and sat.

  “How in the fuck did that happen?” Sterns shouted into the phone.

  Everyone at the surrounding tables shot him an angry look, including Brent. That bullshit was uncalled for. There were small kids everywhere.

  Sterns stood up. “Sorry,” he apologized, his face flushing while he glanced around the immediate vicinity. “Delaney, I have to finish this call. I’ll be right back.” He charged through the room, apologizing while accidentally bumping into chairs, then threw open the front door and stormed outside.

  Brent watched him pace back and forth in front of the window, stopping periodically to glance toward the sky while running a hand over his balding head.

  What the hell was his problem? The man normally contained himself when conducting business and didn’t let anything rile him. Maybe it was personal. In that case, he’d better hurry up and conduct it real quick. Brent had set aside his own personal issues for this fucking assignment, and he’d be damned if he’d waste time waiting on Sterns to fix his problems.

  I’m falling in love with you.

  Damn, he couldn’t shake that confession loose.

  “Hi, can I offer you something to drink?” a female asked.

  Brent unleashed Sterns from his gaze and glanced at the hostess. Long, dark hair spilled past her petite shoulders. In a sense, her size resembled Annalee’s. Hell, every woman he’d encounter on this trip would probably remind him of his baby in some form or another. “A cup of black coffee, please.”

  “Do you need a menu? Will you be ordering dinner this evening?”

  “No, thanks.” That was the original plan—meet Sterns for dinner to discuss the itinerary, but Brent talked to Annalee before he’d left the hotel and food was the last thing on his mind right now. She’d still been upset. And despite swearing she wasn’t crying, tears flowed through her voice, beating the hell out of him.

  The hostess nudged her head toward the front of the restaurant. “What about your friend?”

  “You’ll have to ask him when he returns.” Which had better be within the next few minutes, or Brent was walking. He wanted to call Annalee back. He’d waited too long to say things that needed to be said. Christ, he couldn’t think straight having her emotional state trapped inside his mind.

  “Okay. I’ll be right back with your coffee,” the hostess stated.

  He nodded and returned his attention outside. Sterns had disappeared from the window view. Where the hell did the SOB go? What bullshit. Well, he wasn’t waiting around.

  He reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of cash and threw a five dollar bill on the table for the hostess’s time. As he stood, Sterns approached, squeezed his shoulder then pulled out a chair and sat down.

  “Sorry, Delaney. I just received an earful of discouraging news.”

  “Everything all right?”

  “No.” He nodded at Brent’s empty chair. �
�Please, sit.”

  He dropped down on the seat. “Business or personal?”

  “Business. Always fucking business.” Sterns rubbed the bare spot on the top of his head. “I need to retire when this is all over.”

  That sounded like a damn good idea. “You have a better operating plan this time?”

  “Yeah, so I thought. How’s the leg?”

  “Fine.” Brent narrowed his eyes and studied Sterns closely. He still looked damned nervous and distressed for a man usually in control.

  “We thought Rashand had a hard-on for you, and I guess we were right.”

  “That’s how you originally convinced me to participate in this bullshit.”

  “Our current snitch José said the bastard wants to kill you himself. It’s what prevented his party boys from putting a bullet between your eyes when they’d had the chance. Fortunately we got your ass out of there before they took you hostage.”

  Annalee had called that right. “If he wants me bad enough, he’ll find me.”

  Sterns placed a fist over his mouth and cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, it’s worse than I thought.”

  Brent didn’t like where this was going. “I’m listening.”

  “He put a bounty on your head.” Sterns placed his elbows on the table and cupped a hand over a fist. “This tells me he’s getting desperate and will stop at nothing.”

  It wasn’t surprising. Brent never underestimated the Sadist. “I’m ready, Sterns. Tell me where and when this is going down.”

  “Well, I hope you haven’t unpacked your bags.”

  “Why?”

  “That son of a bitch slipped beneath our noses again.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Couldn’t these people do anything right? “I’m not chasing his ass all over the damn country. I said I’d meet you in Miami, now you’re telling me he’s not here?”

  “I’m not happy about it either.” Sterns reclined against the back of his chair and glanced around the restaurant. “I just found this out,” he continued, focusing on Brent. His jaw twitched. “Rashand’s been spotted in Ohio. He’s darting in and out of the Cuyahoga County area.”

  Brent stiffened. “When?”

  “This really pisses me off.”

  “How fucking long ago?”

  “A week.”

  “What! How in the fuck!” One week and no one knew? “I’ve been in Ohio the past week.”

  “Now it makes sense why he fled. You,” Sterns flat-out stated. “Damn it, Delaney, you’re supposed to keep us apprised of your whereabouts.”

  “I don’t need a watchdog.”

  “This is the kind of shit that happens when you leave no trail. I thought you were still in Seattle.”

  “If he wanted me, he’d have me by now. I wasn’t being cautious.” What the hell? Rashand’s hard-on for him couldn’t be too big. If he wanted to even the score… Holy fuck!

  Blood ran cold through Brent’s veins.

  Annalee!

  Oh Christ. If Rashand and his lackeys had been stalking Brent, they fucking knew about Annalee.

  He jumped off the chair, his heart throttling his chest. “I’m flying to Cleveland. If I can’t catch an immediate flight, you’d better hire a private jet to fly me the hell out of here.”

  “Calm down, Delaney. There’s no hurry.”

  “You said he’s getting desperate and will stop at nothing, yet he’s passed every opportunity to capture my ass,” Brent seethed quietly, his teeth clenched.

  “It’s possible he couldn’t pinpoint your location.”

  “Yeah right. He tracked me to Ohio. He knows exactly where I am. And if he wanted me bad enough, he could’ve gotten me prior to that while I was laid up in Seattle. If he wants to get even for killing his men…” He couldn’t finish the remaining thought. It blew holes in his gut. He slapped his hands on the table and leaned close to Sterns’ face. “My woman lives in Rocky River. Cuyahoga County,” he emphasized.

  Sterns’ eyes widened and he stared at Brent for a long moment before he slid a sluggish hand along his bald spot. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” he said, but alarm emerged in his eyes.

  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  “Do you know where she’s at now?”

  Brent checked his watch. “If she didn’t stop anywhere, she should just be getting home from work.” She never arrived any later than 4:50, and his watch read 4:45. “If your informant is telling the truth, this is the first time she’s been alone since Rashand’s been in the area.”

  “Why don’t you give her a call? Let’s get her out of there as a precaution.”

  Precaution my ass. The situation went beyond that. Brent dialed her number as he strode across the restaurant with Sterns on his heels. Hopefully he’d blown the situation out of proportion and was overreacting. Unfortunately his guts told him differently. “Answer, baby,” he said during the first ring as he marched out the door. It rang a second time. “Answer.” A third. “God damn it, Annalee, pick up the phone.”

  “No luck?” Sterns asked.

  Brent shook his head to the pitch of the fourth ring. “Come on. Come on.”

  “Hi,” Annalee said in a rush. “Sorry, I dropped my phone and it slid under the passenger seat.”

  He closed his eyes and released a breath. “Where are you?”

  “I just parked in my garage. Why?”

  “Close the door right now.” He laid a hand on the brick building and rested his forehead in the crook of his elbow, waiting to hear the motor grumble while the garage door rolled shut.

  “It’s already closed. I thought someone followed me home.”

  His guts dropped and he felt his skin turn white. He gazed at Sterns, hoping he was listening. “Just now you thought someone followed you?”

  “Son of a bitch,” Sterns mumbled. He yanked his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open.

  “Yes,” Annalee replied. “They drove past the house when I turned in though. I’m exhausted, so I could be overreacting.”

  Brent stood completely straight. “Listen to me.”

  “Okay,” she said, her tone flowing with uncertainty.

  Sterns laid a hand on Brent’s shoulder. “I need her address. The Miami police department is going to dispatch me to her local precinct right now. Tell her to get out of there and drive to the station. I’ll let them know she’s on her way.”

  Brent nodded, covered the mouthpiece of his phone and rattled the address. Knowing the cops would keep her safe provided some relief. Some. But not much. After all, Rashand had originally escaped while in the hands of the law, so Brent couldn’t help being somewhat skeptical. Were they even capable of protecting Annalee if the sadistic asshole and his lackeys initiated a mass attack?

  Jesus Christ, he couldn’t think about it, it started driving him crazy. He needed someone there he could trust, specifically Brody. Having him present would strengthen their odds.

  As soon as Brent finished his call to Annalee, he’d phone his brother. Hopefully Brody could catch an immediate flight to Ohio. And if Brent could fly out of Miami soon, they’d arrive within hours of each other.

  “It’s all set up,” Sterns said, holding his hand over the mouthpiece on his cell. “I’m talking to the sergeant at her precinct now. They’re expecting her soon.”

  Again Brent nodded acknowledgement. “Annalee, lock yourself inside your vehicle and get out of there. Drive to your local police station. They’ll be waiting for your arrival. We’re scheduling a flight out of here. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”

  “What’s this about, Brent? You’re scaring me,” she said, her voice rising in panic.

  He heard her vehicle engine turn over and the garage door roll open. “Don’t worry, baby. Everything will be all right.” Too bad he couldn’t convince himself of that. What a damn hypocrite.

  “Okay, now I’m worrying,” she murmured.

  Hell, he didn’t want to scare her anymore, but he’d probably intensified h
er fear by not explaining anything. “Rashand isn’t in Miami anymore.”

  “Oh God. And you think he’s coming here!” she exclaimed.

  “He’s already been spotted in Ohio.”

  A long pause hung over the phone.

  “Annalee?”

  Another thirty seconds of silence followed.

  “Annalee!”

  Still no response. His jugular thumped in panic. “Damn it, Annalee, talk to me!”

  “I’m here,” she mumbled, her voice cracking.

  She’s crying. He couldn’t handle listening to her cry. He still hadn’t gotten over this morning’s tears. “It doesn’t mean you’re in any danger. We’re utilizing caution by getting you out of there, that’s all.”

  “Promise?”

  How could he promise something he couldn’t guarantee was the truth? How could he tell her Rashand wanted to even the score and would probably stop at nothing to get her? He’d break down the doors, blast through the walls or raise the fucking roof off the house. God, tell me I’m wrong about this. But he knew he wasn’t. It wasn’t just a coincidence with Brent being alive when he should’ve been dead.

  Shit. He wanted her out of there now. Right fucking now. And if lying worked to calm her down, hell, he’d do anything. “Baby, you have to trust me.”

  “I do.”

  “Then relax.” How could he dictate actions while his nerves were in a cluster-fuck and ready to shut down? Retaining control demanded an immeasurable amount of strength he couldn’t grasp right now. Fear and anxiety were giving him the ass kicking of a lifetime. God, he wished he could reach through the phone and pull her to safety.

  Sterns tapped Brent’s shoulder. “Go get your bags. I’m reserving a private flight. I’ll meet you at the airport in twenty minutes.”

  “Fuck my bags. I’m on my way now.” Brent spun around and trotted toward the parking lot to his rental car. “Baby, I’ll explain everything when I see you,” he said into the phone, yanking keys from his front pants pocket. “Stay on the line with me until you’re at least out of the driveway.”