Gareth groaned as he thrust deep into her core, his body above her tensed like a bowed arrow before he dropped his weight on top of her.
She didn’t know how long they lay connected, but when Gareth raised his head from her shoulder and looked down at her, she saw tenderness, banked passion, and love in his gaze.
“Now do you understand why I won’t let you go?” Gareth hoped he had gotten through to Kira. Her declaration to leave him had rocked him to the soles of his feet, shaking him emotionally to his heart and soul. He needed her like he needed liquid to quench his thirst. He had to have her in his life. He would not be alive, even if he still breathed, without this woman.
“Yes, I do understand. Please understand, this is how I feel. I can’t lose you. I would die.”
“I know, and I promise to give you an answer after the Memorial Day celebration.” He hoped it would be enough to give her some peace. For now, he needed to do some soul-searching of his own. Changing his physical being was a decision he didn’t think he should make lightly.
Gareth took Kira’s lips in a hard kiss before leaving the bed and the warm, lusty scent of their joining. He would take himself to the den and try to figure out how to spend the next several decades.
“Where are you going?” Kira’s siren tone, although she’d never think of herself that way, curled around his member, reawakening the desire she always invoked.
“To the den.”
“Don’t go. Stay with me. I just want to fall asleep with you by my side. Then you can leave.”
He had no heart to tell her no. He wanted to watch her eyes close in slumber and know she rested without anxiety plaguing her.
“I’ll stay until you drift off.” He returned to his place at her side, pulled her close, and kissed her temple.
“Sleep, my love. Everything will be okay.”
* * * *
Aron waited until he knew the guard would be passing by his cell. As the clod of footsteps neared, he clutched his belly and yelled.
“Hey, what’s going on in there?” The guard’s voice sounded impatient, probably late for his break.
A rehearsed whimper passed Aron’s lips, along with several more groans. He heard the ping of the electronic lock releasing. The guard stuck his head inside the door.
“What’s wrong with you, Stewart?”
“My belly hurts really bad. I think there’s something wrong. It feels like it’s gonna burst wide open.” Aron hid his glee when the guard spoke into the radio penned to his shoulder.
“Security inmate 7224 is sick. I need someone down here to transport him to the infirmary. No, make it four guards, this man tried to kill President Hayes and his wife.”
Aron continued to moan until the stretcher arrived. The four guards flanked it as two orderlies carried him from the cell.
The whimpers he emitted caused the guards to look at him, but then they turned away. Good, he wanted them to think he was no threat.
Once inside the infirmary, two of the guards remained with him. The other two left. He hoped they were going back to their regular duties. Now, he needed to complete phase two of his plan. Aron groaned several times before allowing his body to go limp.
“What’s wrong with him?” one of the guards asked as the orderlies rushed around the room.
The other one started to leave and said, “Don’t know, but Dr. Addison will be right in.”
Aron bided his time until the doctor strolled in and pulled a rolling tray of instruments over to the examination table.
“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got.” He placed a stethoscope against Aron’s chest. The cold metal almost made him gasp as Addison checked his pulse.
“His vitals seem to be okay. When did he lose consciousness?”
“Right after we got him in here. Before that, he was moaning and holding his stomach.”
The doctor pulled up Aron’s prison-issued shirt and poked him hard in the belly. When he purposely did not respond, the man picked up a syringe.
“I’ll need to get some blood to see if I can determine what’s wrong.”
Aron waited until the doctor uncapped the needle before he acted. One move with his hand and the needle lodged in the doctor’s throat. Aron grabbed the instrument tray and aimed it at the guard’s head. The man crashed to the concrete floor.
Another swift reflex and he was on this feet. He grabbed the orderlies and banged their heads together. Once they lay unconscious on the floor, he stripped the doctor of his clothes and ID, changed into them, and moved to the door. The window opening revealed the absence of the other two guards. Good. He needed to finish the job of killing Gareth and his wife.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Dammit! How could this happen?” Gareth slammed an empty coffee mug down on the table, shattering it in the process. The sound did not help his rage.
Malachi frowned. “I don’t know. He had four guards on him. Two stayed in the infirmary with him.”
“Paint me a picture.” He growled the words.
“All I know is he took out a guard, two orderlies, and a doctor before waltzing out the kitchen door and hijacking a delivery truck. He’s disappeared,” Malachi growled back.
“Okay. What’s being done to track him down?”
“We’ve got a nationwide all-points bulletin out on him, and that means all the airports, borders, and anywhere he could get out of the country.”
“Good.” Gareth threw himself into his desk chair. “What are we doing about it?”
“You’re doing nothing. I’ll work with the DC task force and the FBI until he’s apprehended. Although it’d be suicide for him to come after you and Kira with law enforcement on his tail like a spider on a web, we can’t rule that out.”
“Well, for heaven’s sake, don’t let Kira know.” Gareth’s breath escaped in a rush of anxiety. No telling what his wife would do if she found out about Aron’s escape.
“Be reasonable. She’ll hear about it sooner or later. It’s going to hit the news sometime. You know how the press operates.” Malachi sounded as perturbed as Gareth felt.
Gareth wasn’t just troubled. He was angry. Aron was crazy. Anyone who took their revenge to a level they were willing to kill innocents deserved his wrath. His mistake was not killing Aron at the warehouse.
“I know, but I’d rather she learn later—not now.”
“Who’s she and learn what?” So absorbed in their discussion, Gareth didn’t notice Kira’s arrival until she was already in the room. By the look of shock on Malachi’s face, the vampire had also missed it.
“Nothing,” Gareth mumbled.
“No one you know.” Malachi dropped his words into the silence following Gareth’s one-worder.
“Hey, if you don’t want to talk about it, fine, but don’t lie. If it’s something major, I should know about it, don’t you think?”
Both Gareth and Malachi stayed silent.
“I can always read Gareth’s mind, you know.”
Damn, he’d forgotten that little tidbit. If they didn’t tell her about Aron’s escape, she would be livid. And by the look on her face, she wasn’t going to let this lie. She’d use any means to get it out of him.
Seduction rolled off his wife as she strolled to his desk.“You’re right, darling, we do need to get a move on. Come on, I’ll walk you to our room.”
Gareth took Kira’s hand and resisted the urge to pull her down into his lap. He didn’t need to stoke the fire in his groin—he needed to put it out.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Her soft but deadly question put the hair up on his arm. Maybe he could stall her. If she knew Aron was on the loose, she’d fight him fang and nail to keep him from going to the ceremony.
“We’ll talk about it later. We do need to get moving.”
After giving Malachi a meaningful stare, he stood to his feet and moved his hand to Kira’s bare arm.
“Did you eat breakfast?”
“Not yet, I thought
I’d have a salad before we left for the cemetery.”
Gareth encircled his other arm around his wife’s waist. “Sounds like a good plan to me. I think I’ll join you. We can have lunch and then get ready.”
Malachi’s lips twisted into a smirk as they moved past him.
“Malachi, don’t you have things to do?”
“Yes, but I thought I might join you for lunch first.”
“I don’t think so. Remember who signs your checks, old friend.” Gareth smirked right back at the vampire.
Together he and Kira took the elevator to the living quarters. “Now, wouldn’t you like to rest for a bit? You didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
“How do you know? Did you stay awake watching me?”
His wife’s incredulous stare galvanized his tongue into action. “Actually, I did.”
* * * *
His words penetrated deeper into the softness of Kira’s heart. No one had ever loved her this much. Not even her dad, mom, or brothers. Even Grandpa Jackson’s love was a faint residue compared to Gareth’s lock on her heart.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you loved me.”
“And you would be right. I treasure you more than my own life, Kira.” Gareth’s whisper only reinforced her belief he needed to be turned. Yet, he deserved to give her his answer himself—after the Memorial Day celebration.
“I know, ditto, Mr. President.”
Gareth took a step forward and halted. It was as if he wanted to take her in his arms, but something stopped him. Just like something stopped his and Malachi’s conversation when she’d entered the Oval Office.
“Is anything wrong?”
“No, why would there be?”
He sounded defensive. Something definitely was up.
“I don’t know, maybe because you and Malachi clammed up like a couple of conspirators when I showed up in your office.”
“Ah…well, that was nothing. We were just discussing men things.” The lie rolling off his lips threw up a giant red flag.
“You do know I will find out whatever you are hiding sooner or later.”
A groan parted his lips. “Kira, let it go for now, okay?”
She didn’t want to, but she didn’t want to ruin the day. Aron was behind bars, Caleb was at the Vampire Council, and she and Gareth made delicious love the night before. Things might not be everything she wished, but for now, she would try to be patient. Patience was definitely a virtue she needed until he gave her his answer about changing. For the moment, she would relish being with him until she knew if she had to leave him or not.
“All right, but I will ask again later.” Her understated warning hit its mark. Gareth’s eyes widened, and his nostrils flared. His lips drew into a tight line.
“Believe me, I know you will.”
* * * *
Tears stung the back of Kira’s eyes as she stood at attention next to Gareth. The awesome sight of thousands of American flags decorating the graves at Arlington’s National Cemetery was a touching tribute to the souls who had given service and their lives for their country and God.
The Flags-In Ceremony was performed every year by the 3rd U.S. Infantry, known as the Old Guard, prior to Memorial Day. Just seeing their hard work and dedication made Kira want to hug each and every one of them.
Gareth, dressed in a black suit, also experienced emotion. The faint sheen of moisture in his beautiful green eyes made her love him even more.
He strode forward, his hands holding the ceremonial wreath, and proudly moved to the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Malachi stood to her left as they silently watched Gareth place the wreath. He’d elected to ride in the limo with them, not unheard of, but a bit of a surprise.
With the influx of tourists to DC for the holiday, the ceremony had been moved to 2:00 p.m. After this, they’d be heading to a more casual barbeque on the South Lawn. The prime minister and Eve, along with any White House staff on duty, would be their only guests. The couple would be flying back to London the next day.
After another moment of silence, the band played “Taps.” Gareth returned to her side, caught her hand in his, and together they walked down the hill to the waiting limo. Gareth took several moments to wave to the tourists, the Veterans and their families, as well as the press.
When he was approached for an impromptu interview, he simply said, “God Bless America.”
Once inside the car, Malachi sat opposite Gareth and herself. Her nerves strung themselves into receptacles of anxiety. Not much longer and she would have Gareth’s answer. Although he’d said after the ceremony, she felt certain he meant tonight after the barbecue. She just needed to be patient. And if for some reason he vetoed the turning, she would have to decide to live with him or leave.
Yes, he said no divorce, but that would change once Kira was gone.
“You about ready for some real home cooking?”
His question just made her stomach knot up tighter. How could she eat at a time like this? Of course, he would know something was wrong when she turned down succulent pork, smoked in sauce, with all the rich sides.
“Sure, I can’t wait.” Kira just hoped she wouldn’t throw up afterward.
“Me, too. It’s been a while since I had barbeque.”
“Yeah, the last time was during the campaign.” Malachi piped up, and then his eyes went blank with concentration.
“What’s wrong?” Gareth asked before Kira could get it out.
“Not sure, but sounds like we’ve got a tire loose.”
Malachi rapped on the inner shield partition. “Scott, find a spot to pull over. We’ve got some loose lug nuts.”
A few moments later, the limo pulled into an alley. Secret Service personnel poured from the second limo that always followed in case of emergencies. They, in turn, directed traffic and the rest of the cavalcade away from the first limo.
“Why don’t you and Kira stand over there?” Malachi motioned toward the alley wall.
Kira checked it out and determined it was not a bad place to wait. With brick against their backs, in the unlikely circumstance of an attack, they couldn’t be jumped from behind.
“Sure you don’t need any help checking the wheel?” Gareth’s sarcastic question pulled a tight smile from Malachi.
“No, you two just stay put. I’ve got this.”
Malachi moved toward the front of the car, and Kira looked up at Gareth. “So, is the barbeque going to be casual?”
“Yes, thank God. It’s private, and we can kick back in jeans and comfortable shirts. Even go barefoot if you want to.”
“Hmmm…I think I’m going to like this less presidential side of you.” Kira slid a hand down Gareth’s dress shirt.
“As if you don’t see my other side in the bedroom.” Gareth’s teasing comment preceded a light kiss on her lips. Lord, she loved this side of the man.
“Gareth, Kira.” Malachi was back.
“We ready to roll?”
“No, we have a problem, Gareth.”
“What now?”
Malachi motioned both Gareth and herself to the front of the limo. The tire was off, and one of the agents had his head stuck up into the wheel well.
“There’s a bomb inside there, wired with enough C-4 explosive to blow the limo to pieces. We need to get you and Kira out of here.”
“Are you sure?”
Kira waited on Malachi to answer Gareth.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Mr. King?”
“What?”
The agent who’d been inspecting the device stood to his feet. “We need to evacuate right now. The timer just clicked. It indicates it’s going to explode in one minute.”
“Okay, get everyone out of here. Now.” Malachi spoke quietly but tersely. “Make sure all the civilians are out of the way.”
Kira could see where hundreds of celebrants were standing, cameras pointed, in hopes of getting pictures of Gareth. If the limo blew, it would give them more than
something to remember. It could kill and maim hundreds.
The alley opened into a side street at the opposite end. Malachi rounded on Kira and Gareth. “Let’s move!”
He grabbed them both by the arms and started hauling ass toward the back of the alley. They were halfway to safety when a giant boom shook the walls around them. Kira turned her head and glanced backward. Gareth stopped for a fraction of a second, and all hell broke loose.
The whooshing sound caught them unaware, sending flames shooting forth into the afternoon sky. Pieces of metal rained down in a fiery mass of danger and destruction.
Kira tugged at Gareth’s arm. They had to keep moving. Missiles of limo fragments were being tossed around like tree limbs in a storm.
“Keep moving!”
She didn’t need Malachi’s order to know they were not out of danger. As she watched, a piece of the car’s fender struck one of the agents. He hit the ground with a horrific thud.
Gareth jerked free of Malachi’s grip and ran back toward the burning inferno. Kira knew what he meant to do. She tugged her arm away and ran to stop her husband.
He was twenty feet away from the burning limo, and four feet in front of Kira, when a second blast rocked the alley. It must have been the second limo. Kira watched in horror as a hail of debris shot up and then out from the flames.
Fragments of metal flew toward them. Sparks singed their clothes and hair. Gareth stood motionless, staring at the fire consuming the agent’s body. Before she could snag his arm, a scrap of metal the length of her hand and the width of her wrist struck him in the chest.
Gareth looked down, and then over at her in disbelief. His body shuddered once, and then he collapsed on the ground.
Smith, Faith V. - Presidential Heat [Vampire Government Protectors] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 22