by Toni Jackson
Before he could do anything rash, Delgado caressed Tina’s cheek and left the room. Alex removed a screwdriver from his pocket and began to jimmy the lock on the window. He heard Tina utter a small scream when the window slid open.
“Alex?” she whispered.
He stepped through the window and pulled her close.
“What? How in the world did you get here?” she whispered. “You have to go. I’m not sure when he’ll be back. He’s crazy.”
“Shh. I’m going to take you out of here.”
“But...but how?”
“Through the window. We don’t have a lot of time.”
“But doesn’t he have guards?”
“Questions later. Go, now!”
Alex turned and silently closed the window once both of them were through. He glanced over the side to see Murphy and Jackson standing watch. He snapped his fingers twice to get their attention. They looked up and smiled when they spotted Tina.
He stooped down and picked her up. “What are you doing?”
“Trust me. And whatever you do, don’t scream.”
“What…?” She froze as he dropped her over the side and into the arms of his friends. The look she gave him when they sat her on the ground told him he would be in trouble later on. He didn’t care. All that mattered was her safety.
Jackson looked at him and tapped his watch, signaling they were low on time. Nodding, he swung over the side dropped to the ground. After checking for guards, they ran across the yard and into the woods. By the time they reached where Sean and McKinnon waited, they heard cars speeding down the road towards the house. Moving back a few more feet, they watched as DEA agents surrounded the house and called Delgado.
Gunshots echoed through the air until they heard someone yelling to cease fire. In the distance, Alex heard a voice yelling, “He’s dead.”
There was nothing left for them to do. Standing, they all walked back through the woods to their trucks. After her first few steps, Alex lifted Tina into his arms and carried her back to the truck. He thanked his friends and climbed in beside her, pulling her into his lap.
Sean’s voice was the first to break the silence. “It’s over. Tina, I’m sure my wife will be calling you tomorrow for all the gory details. Do me a favor and don’t answer the phone.”
Tina laughed. “You know as well as I do, that won’t stop Dani. She’ll show up Alex’s door.”
“Our door,” Alex added. “I’m moving everything from your townhouse tomorrow.”
He braced himself for an argument about her independence, but instead, found himself surprised when she just nodded.
Chapter 29
Alex carried her across the threshold, just not in the way he intended. Taking her upstairs to their bedroom, he laid Tina on top of the covers and placed a gentle kiss on her brow. She rolled on her side and wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her knees up to her chest. His heart ached the sight. Leaning over the bed, he rubbed her arms. “I’m going to run you a hot bath, ok baby?”
A slight nod was her only response. Alex moved into the bathroom and turned on the water, pouring in her favorite bath crystals. He stripped out of his clothes on the way back to the bedroom, leaving a dark trail behind him. Tina was sitting up on the bed by the time he came back, her eyes narrowed at his approach. A small smile curved her lips as Alex raised her arms and removed her top.
The rest of her clothes followed, his eyes darkening as they devoured the sight of her body. Taking her hand, he placed a gentle kiss on her palm before leading her into the bathroom. Cutting off the water, he stepped in first to test the temperature, then helped Tina into the sea of bubbles.
Suds rose up to nearly his chin as he pulled Tina down in front of him. Her smirk was her only indication that he may have gotten a little carried away with the bath. Alex shrugged and settled in, batting away bubbles to make room for her. She leaned back and settled against him, grateful for combined warmth of Alex and the bath. They sat that way, silent and content until the water began to cool.
Tina moved first, climbing from the tub and taking one the thick towels from the rack nearby. Alex followed, placing a kiss on her shoulder before grabbing the other towel. They returned them to the shelf and made their way back into the bedroom, Tina slid beneath the sheets first. Alex knew she wondered if he was going to make love to her, but tonight all was about comforting her and giving silent thanks he was able to get to her in time. Easing her against him, he whispered, “Sleep.”
After several minutes, she relaxed against him. Only then did he allow himself to drift off.
Chapter 30
Tina’s bladder woke her the next morning. A glance over her shoulder revealed Alex was still deeply asleep, the relaxed expression giving him a boyish look. Tina pushed at his arm not wanting to wake him, but needing to get out of the death grip he had around her waist.
Once she thought his eyes flickered, but they stayed closed, and he rolled over onto his back, setting her free. Tina heaved a sigh of relief and ran for the bathroom.
While washing her hands, she washed her hands and gazed at her reflection. Other than the dark circles around her eyes, no signs of last night’s adventure were visible. She stepped out to find Alex still lying on his back, his eyes inspecting her for any signs of discomfort.
“I'm all right,” she whispered, sliding into his arms.
“If you only knew how many years it took off my life seeing him that close to you. It took everything I had not to burst through the door.”
She traced circles across his chest. “Why didn’t you?” she asked, curious.
“It wasn’t my setup. Sean had arranged everything, including the DEA giving us enough time to get you out of harm’s way. All we had to do was go in and retrieve you, which was easy. My team’s specialty was retrieval.”
“I was wondering why Sean was there.”
Alex pulled Tina across him to lay on his chest. “Sean…is a very complicated man. In some ways, he’s almost scary. And his guy McKinnon.” He shook his head. “I’ve faced down some of everything, and I would hate to be on their bad side.”
“I know what you mean. One day, I’ll tell you how he really got with Dani. He’s determined, I’ll give him that. And besides, he had a score to settle.”
“He told me some of the situation. How Juan was the one to loan the money to Clayton, and he tried to kill Dani to get it?”
“By that point, I think he had decided he was going to die anyway, so he would go on his own terms. I can only imagine what kind of torture Sean would have put Clay through.”
Tina found herself on her back, Alex’s body sliding between her legs. Sliding one hand up into her hair, he leaned down until his lips almost brushed hers. “I want you to focus on us. On our commitment to each other, the life we’ll share, and the children we’ll have.”
Each of his words struck a chord inside of her. They had survived more than some couples went through in a lifetime and they were still together. Sliding her hands up his body, she twined her arms around his neck and brought him closer for a kiss.
He wanted to wake up every morning like this. In bed, with Tina, until he was too old to know who he was.
But he would always know her.
Epilogue
Alex stood on the raised platform, Sean at his side.
According to Sean, the private garden attached to the gallery was only used for private shows since it held special memories for him and Dani.
It made sense that it was used to make a new memory today.
The statue of Dani’s grandfather had been moved into the area, to oversee the proceedings. Alex was anxious and proud, while Sean stood beside him, an enigmatic smile on his face.
After all, it was only a little over a year ago that Sean found himself on his knees in this very place, confessing his fears and love to his wife. They both watched smiling as Dani walked down the aisle, holding Lily’s hand. Lily giggled while tossing white rose petals from th
e lacy apron tied around her waist.
He tensed as the string quartet played the first strains of the bride’s music. The small group of people invited to the intimate affair turned in their seats, watching as Tina walked down the aisle glowing, holding tight to the arm of her father.
Their relationship repaired, they talked every day. His treatments were going well, and they hoped he would be with them for a long time, at least for the birth of their first child, who Tina was already carrying. His mother sat grinning in the front row, happy she was going to get her daughter-in-law and grandchild. Someone would have thought that she arranged everything herself.
It didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that they would finally be together.
About the Author
Toni Jackson is an emerging author of Romantic Suspense and Fantasy. You and No Other is the follow up to The Only One for Me.
She has always dreamed of romance and mystery. A longtime lover of mysteries, she loves nothing more than trying to figure out the culprit. As a wife and mother of three, she knows that nothing ever happens as expected and uses that concept as a central force in most of her books.
She also loves writing sword-fighting fantasy under her pseudonym, Ari Drue with two book due out soon - Anterrian’s Heir and City of the Seven Tribes.
Would you like to drop a note, or maybe sign up to be a beta? Drop her a line.
@aridrue
aridrue
blackprizmpub.com
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