by Silver James
That got her pulled into his arms, her thighs straddling his and her face curled into the curve of his neck. “Because you’re fascinating.”
Peni didn’t struggle against him despite the hardness she discovered pressed precariously close to the very core of her—that part of her wanting Nick’s attention far too much. She carried on a useless conversation with herself before surrendering. Nicholas Karras was a dangerously handsome man and so far out of her league she should be the one mopping the floor behind him. But he didn’t make her feel that way. He went out of his way to ensure she didn’t. And every time she caught him looking at her—learning her, as he called it—she fell a little harder.
How was she going to say goodbye? Because the time would come. He’d put her and the twins in a plane, climb into the pilot’s seat and off they’d go into the wild blue yonder, just like the Air Force song. Then he’d drop her off someplace where she knew no one to start a new life—a life safe from Theodor Vasile.
“Deep thoughts, pretty lady, and no room for them tonight,” he murmured in her ear. “Tomorrow will take care of itself. As will the next day. Funny how that works.”
He shifted her, with ease, to lie beside him but he kept his arm around her and her head automatically cradled against his shoulder. He tucked his chin so he could look down at her. “I’m going to kiss you now. Okay?”
Yes, very okay, as far as she was concerned. He had a way of touching her—whether with a look or his hands that made her think of all sorts of things she never thought she’d find in her life. Things that, in the very secret part of her soul, she’d hoped she would. Nicholas was a fairy tale but she’d be the princess in the tower waiting to be rescued until she had to come back to earth and face reality once more.
****
FOR EIGHT DAYS, Nick had shared her bed. For eight days, he woke up with her in his arms. For eight days, he’d dealt with his erection in the shower. He had nothing to offer her and Peni Comanescu deserved every bright and shining thing a good man could give her. He was not a good man. Not only that, he was the wrong man.
Still, for eight days—and eight nights—life with Peni and the twins had been idyllic. So perfect in fact he forgot his mission. He forgot they would say goodbye in a few days’ time. He forgot this woman wasn’t his. On the ninth day, that all changed right after a leisurely lunch—one he’d actually fixed himself—and the afternoon siesta, a practice he and Peni had adopted during the twins’ nap.
The sun was headed toward the horizon as they meandered up to the main building, pushing the twins in the stroller. Nick had called for an early reservation at Junonia with the idea they’d eat, enjoy the sunset, and then head back to the villa.
They’d just entered the lobby from the beach side when a commotion at the front door caught Nick’s attention. Peni glanced up at the excitement and froze half a second before he did the same. A black limo was parked outside. Bellmen were hustling to offload luggage from the trunk. A lump of paid muscle stood by the back door of the vehicle while an impeccably dressed man oozed out.
Nick recognized both men instantly. He executed a 180 and hustled Peni and the stroller right back out the door before her gasp even escaped from between her lips—lips that had gone white with fear.
“Fuckfuckfuckfuck,” he chanted as he hit the call button on his phone, all but jogging now. He couldn’t pull his weapon but the spot between his shoulder blades tingled like a laser sight had zeroed in right there.
“Rossi. Leave a message.”
“Jesus H. Christ, Rossi. Get your ass here NOW. Vasile and his goons are checking into the resort. I’ve got to get Peni and the kids out ASAP. Fix this.” Nick cut the call and grabbed Peni’s arm as she stumbled. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. They didn’t see us. They couldn’t. We’re still safe. I’ll get you out and they’ll never know you were here. Just keep walking.”
The next phone call was answered. If Poppy had been listening, his cousin would have owed the Jamaican Church Boys College Fund a solid thousand dollars by the time he was finished.
“Can you get to the airport?” Dom asked.
“Maybe. Rossi is out of pocket. It’ll mean going back to the main building to retrieve the SUV.”
“What are we looking at in regards to civilians?”
“Our villa is the one farthest from the main building and set off a ways from the other villas.”
“Can we take you off the beach with a boat?”
Nick caught a voice in the background. “Full moon tonight, Dom.”
The male voice continued speaking but Nick couldn’t fully understand what he was saying. He caught a few words like “tropical storm,” “rough tide,” and “logistical extraction.” He knew what that last term meant and he wouldn’t be at the controls of the helicopter. Dammit. But his cousin would. That helped. Slightly.
They arrived at Caralluma and while Nick wanted to take the time to scout, he couldn’t leave Peni and the babies standing out in the open while he did so. “Dom, I’ll call you back after I clear the place.” He disconnected and shoved the phone in his hip pocket. Pistol in hand, he unlocked the front door and eased it open.
Peni maneuvered the stroller into the vestibule and bent to keep the kids quiet. He slipped from room to room making sure no one was hiding. The place was clear. The lock on the back door was intact. The pool area looked secure but he went out to check the keypad and exterior gate. They were good to go for the time being.
He returned to the villa and watched as Peni changed Luca’s diaper. That kid had no sense of timing and Nick almost laughed at the irreverent thought.
“How did he find me?” Peni didn’t look up from her task.
“I don’t know. Maybe he didn’t.” That garnered a quick glance. “Think about it. Cezar knew you were in Naples. Since you haven’t appeared on anyone’s radar, I’m guessing they think you’re still hunkered down in the area.”
“But why is he here, at Casa Blanca?”
“My guess? This is the most luxurious hotel in the area that’s not in the middle of things. I’m betting he had to wait to get here because he couldn’t reserve one of the villas before now. That’ll be important. He’ll want the autonomy staying in a villa will give him.” He saw her stiffen. “No, he won’t be in the one next door. I saw the couple who arrived there yesterday. Newlyweds.”
Her face lost what little color it had retained. “I don’t want to put them in danger.”
“Neither do I and I’m pretty damn sure that’s the last thing on Rossi’s mind—”
A sharp rap sounded on the door. The pistol was back in Nick’s hand and he was striding for the entrance while waving Peni toward the bedroom. He waited until she was out of sight and the door closed before he looked through the front door’s peephole. Whoever stood on the other side remained out of sight. He caught shadowed movement and another rap sounded.
“Mr. Karras, resort security.”
The phone rang—the landline that came with the villa. Shit. He backed away from the door so he could keep his eye on the back gate as well as the front entrance. He snagged the phone.
“This is Luke McBain.”
“Yeah?”
“We have a situation.”
“No shit. Where the hell is Rossi?”
“He’s…not on the island at the moment.”
“Figures.”
“This can’t spill out on the regular guests, Karras. I’m making arrange—”
“Do those arrangements include one of your men knocking on my door?”
His question was met with silence then McBain answered with a cautious, “Maybe?”
“I’ll take that as a no. I’ve made my own arrangements but you need to deal with the guy at my door and his boss until we clear the area.”
“Working on that. Do you have an ETA?”
“Not yet. At least an hour but I’ll keep you in the loop.”
****
NICK MOVED from window to window, checki
ng the perimeter. Nothing moved but the waves and clouds scudding across the full moon. There’d been the possibility of storms in the forecast but it wasn’t the wind that had crept around the house rattling window shutters, the front door or the back gate. They’d run out of time, despite some of McBain’s security forces doing sweeps. They could give him and Peni cover, but no one wanted a shoot out on the property and security or the police couldn’t move until Vasile did.
He made himself relax. A soldier couldn’t stay at combat ready indefinitely. Senses dulled, as did reflexes. Glancing over his shoulder, his breath hitched. Peni was hunched down between the couch and the granite coffee table. Her nimble fingers laced Luiza into some sort of soft carrier with straps. Luca was already installed in his. She had a real backpack at her feet—stuffed with diapers and necessary paraphernalia. Her face was set—determined and focused. Until she raised her eyes and met his gaze. She was terrified. Shit.
“Peni…” He didn’t know what to say, what to tell her. This was not the time for platitudes.
“Is it time to go?”
That was a question he could answer. “Not until I know for sure my guys are close.”
“What about Mr. Rossi? Or resort security?”
“Sorry, babe. I won’t get them involved beyond what they’re already doing. Too dangerous.”
“Are…is he out there? Waiting?”
Nick snorted. “Waiting? Probably. Out there? Hell no. He’s sent his thugs. He’ll be in his villa, feet up, and drinking the top-shelf booze while he waits.”
Clutching both children, she shuddered but her voice was strong as she declared, “He cannot have Luca.”
“And he won’t touch you or Luiza either, Peni. I promise.” He wanted to promise her all sorts of things but couldn’t until they were clear. Until Theodor Vasile was behind bars—or dead. Yeah, he really liked the sound of that. He wondered how much he’d owe the sniper his cousin knew for doing the job? Aw hell, forget that. If Nick was honest about this whole deal, he wanted to take Vasile down—and bury him six feet under. He’d dig the grave with his bare hands if they were coated in that bastard’s blood.
His phone pinged and he checked the text. “Time to go.”
“I’m ready.”
So was he. “Let’s do this.”
He shrugged on the backpack, checked his pockets for extra magazines for the Glock. He helped Peni sling the baby carrier straps over her shoulders. “I’d take one but I need both hands free.”
“I know.”
They crept outside and skirted the villa’s pool. His plan was to get them up the beach, away from the main part of the resort to avoid collateral damage. They could hide until the helo got there with his cousin’s team. He hated to involve them but those men did things like this for a living.
Nick stopped at the gate, opened it with aching care, surveyed the beach. Down toward the main resort, flames flickered. A bonfire. The opposite direction appeared devoid of people. He reached back, touched one of the babies then turned his head so he could connect with Peni. His fingers grazed her arm. Her eyes were luminous in the moonlight shining through the broken scud.
He leaned close and whispered, “I’ll cover you and the kids. Stay as low and as quiet as you can. We’re going to move up the beach, away from everything. Stick to the shadows.”
Peni nodded, eyes huge. Nick couldn’t stand it any longer. He closed the distance between them and kissed her. “I’ve got you, babe. You and the twins are mine to protect. Always.”
The air darkened as a thick cloud covered the moon. He wrapped his fingers around her biceps and tugged. “Go.”
Holding the twins close to her chest, she ducked through the gate, bending over as her feet hit the pathway. Moments later, they sank into sand and she headed the direction he pointed. Nick swiveled his head and body, attempting to cover Peni while watching for threats from every direction. He strained to hear the tell-tale whump of helicopter blades.
Faint laughter drifted to them from far down the beach. Then he caught a muffled curse. Dammit. Their enemies were closer than he’d anticipated.
Chapter 11
WIND TANGLED Peni’s hair as she curled around Luca. Nick, Luiza protectively cradled in one arm, leaned over her, sheltering all of them from the biting sand kicked up by the blades of the hovering helicopter. They’d sprinted up the beach without being seen but the helo would be a dead giveaway to any of Vasile’s men.
He glanced up, eyes squinted, and watched three men slide down ropes dangling from the craft. The first one touched down, a black shadow that detached from the line and filtered into the darkness. “I’ve got your six,” the man murmured.
The next two hit the beach simultaneously, unhooked, and the helo flew off. The whole operation had lasted seconds.
One of the men scanned the beach while the other approached. “Boss doesn’t want to chance an airlift with the babies. We’re here to escort you to the LZ. Between the moon and surf, we can’t take you out in a Zodiac.”
Nick gripped Peni’s arm, tugging her along as he trailed the second man. The third brought up the rear while the first remained invisible. “Where we headed?”
The man in front didn’t turn around. “A baseball stadium almost due east. The parking lot. Our ride will pick us up there.”
“How far?” He was reaching for Luca as he asked.
“Probably too far,” came the muttered response from the man behind him.
And that’s what Nick was afraid of. He didn’t know exactly how many men Vasile had smuggled onto the resort proper, and he damn sure didn’t want to involve civilians in this vendetta. He was determined to end Vasile’s hold on Peni and the twins once and for all—no matter what it took. And he was worried that Peni would falter before they got to safety, that they would have to make a stand out in the open.
His trained eye could just pick out the outline of the helo cruising off-shore, headed away from the ground party. A diversion. Nick hoped it worked. As much as he hated to give control over to these men, he had to trust them as his cousin did. He holstered his weapon and gestured for Peni to hand him Luiza as well. She was panting but stubborn.
“Sweetheart, we have to make time. What happens if you stumble and fall?” He was playing dirty pool to ask the question but he didn’t care. He had to protect Peni and her children.
With heart-wrenching reluctance, she surrendered her daughter. Like Peni had before, he slung both pouches across his chest. Using one arm to cradle them in place, he retained his grip on Peni’s hand to keep her moving.
Ten minutes later, covering ground at a pace close to running, Peni could barely breathe around the stitch in her side and the burning in her lungs. She wanted nothing more than to fall to her knees and curl into a tight ball until she could force air into her lungs again. Only fear—for her children—kept her putting one foot in front of the other. Her toe caught on something she couldn’t see and she stumbled. Nick’s grip on her hand tightened and he jerked on it to keep her upright but she knew that action alone wouldn’t keep her on her feet. Strong hands grabbed her waist, steadied her.
The voice belonging to those hands whispered behind her. “Alpha Two, Alpha One.”
“Wha—?” Peni belatedly realized the man was speaking into a microphone lying along his cheek. She also noticed Nick had glanced back and was now listening to the one-sided radio communication.
“Pursuit?” He listened. “Roger that. Alpha Two, Bravo One.” Silence again. “We need a closer LZ.”
Because of her. Because she wasn’t in the kind of physical condition needed to reach their destination. She started to tell them to go on without her then choked off both the words and the thought. Nick wouldn’t leave her. Not even to save the twins. He would give Luiza and Luca to these strangers and he would face Vasile at her side. No, she amended. He would face Vasile as her shield.
“Go Alpha One.”
The man leading the way suddenly veered to his left. Ni
ck followed and the soldier behind her urged her in the same direction.
The one leading explained in a low voice. “There’s a vacant lot not far away. Alpha One is securing the LZ and Bravo One is changing coordinates.”
None of this made sense to Peni but Nick nodded. He understood, at least, and that was good enough for her. Somehow, in the past two weeks, she’d come to trust him—with her life and most importantly, with the lives of her children.
They stumbled through the intermittent light. The moon was full but clouds drifted across its face, adding shadows to the landscape that both hid the refugees and impeded their progress. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep going—didn’t know how far they’d actually come. It could be a few blocks or a few miles. She had no conception of the distance they’d covered.
Like distance, time didn’t make much sense to her either but the group eventually stopped. A shack and some bushes gave them nominal cover. Peni tried her best to control her breathing, putting her arm over her nose and mouth to stifle the wheezing sounds she made. She heard the noise then, beyond her gasps.
The man in front disappeared around the corner of the shack. The man behind leaned in so both she and Nick could hear. “It goes like this. Two PJs are coming off the helo. They’ll take the babies. Keep your head low, make a small target, and run like hell. You’ll have help getting on board.”
It was then she realized the soldier—and he was every inch that—spoke directly to her because Nick already knew the drill. The thought of passing over her babies—
“They’ll be fine, Peni.” Nick interrupted her panic. “PJs are the Air Force equivalent of medics. They know what they’re doing and they’ll take care of Luca and Luiza. Okay?”
She nodded, unable to speak around the glob of fear clogging her throat. Before she could panic further, the helicopter came in low and fast. Its wheels barely touched before two men leaped out and, bent from the waist, ran toward them. Nick passed over the twins without hesitation. The men turned and sprinted back.
Nick pressed on her head, bending her over and urged her to run. She tripped, couldn’t stop her fall as she pitched forward and her knees slammed into the ground. Almost without breaking stride, Nick gathered her into his arms and ran. They were just a few feet away from the cargo door of the helicopter when Nick grunted and faltered. His arms tightened as he stumbled, regained his balance and he staggered the last few steps.