Unexpected Danger (Skyline Trilogy Book 2)
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Unexpected Danger
Skyline Trilogy # 2
Willow Summers
Hazy Dawn Press, Inc.
Contents
Copyright
Also by Willow Summers
Synopsis
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Unexpected Guardian (book 3)
Also by Willow Summers
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Willow Summers
All rights reserved. The people, places and situations contained in this ebook are figments of the author’s imagination and in no way reflect real or true events.
Contact info:
www.WillowSummers.com
Email: Books@WillowSummers.com
Also by Willow Summers
Skyline Series
Unexpected Hero
Unexpected Danger
Unexpected Guardian
Please Series
Yes, Please
Now, Please
More, Please
Forever, Please
Montana Wilds
Surviving Love
Conquering Love
Jessica Brodie Diaries
Back in the Saddle, Book 1
Hanging On, Book 2
A Wild Ride, Book 3
Growing Pains
Lost and Found, Book 1
Overcoming Fear, Book 2
Butterflies in Honey, Book 3
Love & Chaos, Cassie’s story
Check them out at WillowSummers.com.
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Synopsis
With a gunman on their heels, Jenna and Josh must seek shelter off the beaten track. But their time in safety is fleeting. When the gunman zeroes in on their location, the pair must fight to survive.
With Jenna's safety in his hands, Josh must finally brave the horrors of his past. Aided by his former Navy buddy and his father, the General, he'll take on the worst that organized crime can throw at them.
The question is, will it be enough?
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Prologue
“Jim, you got a minute?” Vinnie was leaning against the wall by the coffee machine in an expensive cream suit with one ugly crocodile-skinned boot crossed over the other.
Jim turned from his ledger distractedly. He was in the middle of inventory with his crew in the sweltering warehouse. No, he did not have a minute. Vinnie knew this. But losing his shit in front of his guys would only make them jittery. He couldn’t afford mistakes.
Jim straightened and prepared for bad news. It was the only reason Vinnie would be interrupting him. “What’s up?”
Vinnie motioned him on, leading him around the corner and into the air-conditioned office. Jim gritted his teeth as he glanced at the broken window letting all the cool air out. They might as well be throwing money in the streets.
“I don’t got time for this, Vinnie,” Jim said gruffly.
“We’ve had a setback in the revenge department.” Vinnie leaned against the wall.
Jim waited semi-patiently for the other man to go on.
“Our man missed the mark.” Vinnie ran a thumb across his jaw, an action he did when he was extremely angry. He did not deal with incompetence well. “He hit the wrong guy.”
Jim pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not need this shit right now. “Just so I’m clear…you sent your best guy to take out Don Jeffries’ head bitch, and failing that, one of two others, and he missed. He had a one-in-two chance of getting one of the targets—any one of them—and he couldn’t pull that off? That about it?”
Vinnie dragged his lips over his teeth. “Yeah, that’s about it.”
Jim slammed his fist on the desk. Nothing was going right when it came to that fucking goddamned motherfucking building. “Fuck!”
“I sent in Jeremiah,” Vinnie said. “He’s usually a good shot. Never shies away from a kill. Tenacious as hell, too. But he wasn’t experienced with the hardware. Had a hunting gun or some shit—said he couldn’t use nothing else with the woods.”
“And where is Jeremiah, now? Dead, I hope.”
Vinnie took a seat opposite Jim. “I’ve got two others on it, but they won’t be active for a couple of days. Jeremiah is still at it. For now.”
“Those broads on a flight home?”
“No. Still in Colorado. The main bitch is with some woods guide. Big fucker, but still—he’s a fucking woods guide. He won’t be hard to work around. They were all brought in by some small-time police sergeant. Shouldn’t have a tough time with him, either. We’ll get one or the other. Maybe both—not a lot of blockage in the boonies. The guy took off. Got on a plane to Texas. He’s out of the equation.”
Jim leaned back and blew out a breath. “Jeffries fucked up keeping ’em there. Makes it easier for us.”
“Yeah. I want to take advantage of it while we can.”
“Fine,” Jim said, standing. “Take care of it. I gotta get this shipment cut and sent out.”
He didn’t wait for Vinnie’s nod.
Chapter One
“I didn’t think you’d be one for a Hummer.” Jenna grunted in an unfeminine way as Josh hit a bump in the road.
They were on their way to Josh’s house, where he’d be hiding her until Don could smooth their plans out. All they had to do was lie low. Hopefully.
“It looks pretty because I’ve never had to use it how it’s made to be used. But mark my words, if we need to go cross-country, this baby will get us there. It’s got all the bells and whistles, and it’s a hell of a machine.”
“People don’t buy luxury automobiles to go off-roading.”
“That’s because they don’t have the money, or they’re idiots. One or the other.”
“But not you? Please remember that you are driving this very pretty SUV when you answer.”
“You’ll see what I did to the last luxury off-road vehicle I bought.”
They drove in silence for a while as Jenna tried to stay awake. Instead, she fell asleep almost immediately and woke up when they were parking in front of a moderately sized house in the woods.
“Won’t the guy know I came to your house?” Jenna asked as she surveyed the woods around her.
“This is a summer house that belongs to my family. They own a lot of property around here. There’s no reason why our guy would think you came with me. Even if he did, he would go to my house on the outside of town—not this one. We should be okay here.”
“If he was in the woods to shoot at us, I’m sure he saw us fornicating in the water.”
“Fornicating, huh? Well, if he makes that connection, which he might not, since you showed up with Lewis, then he’ll go to the other house. I have a neighbor staying there off and on, since I’m supposed to be in the woods on a tour. It looks lived in. It should do until the week is up. A week isn’t much time.”
Jenna sighed. “I hate my life.”
Josh had his arms around her in less
than two seconds. “The only easy day was yesterday.”
“That’s what Jack said.”
“There you go. We’ll get through this, okay? I will see you through.” His words were etched with fierce determination. The only problem was, he sounded like he was still trying to convince himself.
In addition to a master and two medium-sized bedrooms, the house had a living room with fireplace, a decent kitchen, a dining room, and an extensive covered porch. The furniture and appliances were on the older side, and there wasn’t much in the way of decoration besides some landscape pictures on the walls and some solid rugs, but it was…nice. That was about all she could say for it. Quaint, moderate, decent—all summed up as nice.
Through the master bedroom, Josh ushered her into the bathroom. “I’ll let you freshen up. I’ll bring in your pack and let you get settled. Do you need anything?”
“Uh.” She looked around. The layer of dust meant it was not being lived in at present, but it had once been a happy home. The oak bedposts were worn, as were the dressers and nightstands, but they were a matching set, probably expensive when bought. Besides her home, her wardrobe, her bed, and a glass of red wine, she didn’t need anything but running water. Jenna figured she’d find the last in the bathroom. “Nope. Thanks.”
Josh nodded and closed the door behind him. She half thought he was going to get all hot and romantic on her. She couldn’t say it would go amiss.
On the other hand, she was filthy, bloody—she shivered—and wanted to shut off. She needed oblivion. Sex was a great distraction, but not as good as unconsciousness.
Dreading what was going to come next, she stripped off her shirt. Clean skin completely devoid of dried blood greeted her. Surprised, she stripped out of her pants and looked closer. When Josh had dressed her—she assumed it’d been Josh—he’d cleaned her thoroughly. He’d taken care of her, just like in the woods, so she didn’t have to take care of herself.
No one had ever done that for her except Erika. Not even her family.
As she turned on the water, tears of relief filled her eyes. The emotion welled up then, leading to tears of pent-up stress. And then fear. Sobs racked her body, weakening her legs. She sank to the ground as the water beat down on her mercilessly.
The shower door clicked open. “Hey, baby, it’s okay. Shhh.” Nurse Josh to the rescue.
Naked, he stood her up and hugged her close before adjusting the cold water to warm. With delicate care, he washed her again, and then lathered her hair, cooing to her the whole time. He didn’t once tell her to be strong, or to shoulder the pain. He let her cry out all the fear and agony she was feeling. All the uncertainty over what lay ahead.
“Okay, here we go.” Josh shut off the water and stepped with her out of the shower.
She hiccupped a sob as he wrapped her in a large, fuzzy towel. That led to tears of gratitude.
By the time Josh had her dressed in one of her sexy nighties, which was silk and lacy and had no place in the tender setting they found themselves, she was hollow from raw emotion. He tucked her into bed and turned off the light.
Silence descended on the room. Shadows obscured her vision.
“Josh?” she asked, clutching the bedsheets.
He moved into the room immediately. “I’m here. Go to sleep. I’ll watch over you.”
“But aren’t you going to sleep?”
“I’ll sleep close by. I’ll be on hand if you need me.”
“I need you.”
His big body shifted in the shadows. He’d put on clothes for sleeping. Away from her.
Something about that thought tore her heart.
“What do you want from me, Jenna?” he asked quietly. “I will watch you and keep you safe, but I’m not a toy. I don’t like being used.”
“Please, Josh. I don’t want to be alone. Please.”
It was the please that did it. She wasn’t trying to manipulate him, or coerce him. She was lost and alone and afraid, and she spoke from the depths of her soul. That was what had him slipping into bed even as the please escaped her mouth. It was that which made him lie still as she draped her body around his, craving his warmth and protection. And it was that which made him consent to one more time. One more encounter that was about need and want and their bodies in the moment.
She knew it even as she kissed his full lips. Knew it from that one second he hesitated before he put his arms around her. That one moment of teetering before he let her suck him under, let her strip off his shirt slowly, looking into her eyes so she knew what he was doing for her, what he was sacrificing. He was giving himself, body and soul, and she was taking it all, consuming him in her need, crushing him.
Come tomorrow, she would be throwing him away, discarding him because of her fear and uncertainty. He knew it even if she did not, and he gave himself anyway. For her.
Jenna kept the eye contact so she would be responsible. She would remember this night. She would remember that someone had done something selfless for her despite the risk to themselves. She held his eyes in a lock as she stripped off his pants, and then stripped herself. He strayed from her gaze long enough to roam her naked body before his eyes came back to hers.
She bent back to him, kissed him, and rolled him on top of her, giving him the choice to be soft and tender, or rough and abusive. She craved one, but deserved the other.
Like the good heart he was, Josh entered her slowly with tender kisses and loving words. He held her tight as he moved into her, kissing her and loving her as they built together, experiencing a part of each other usually held back. He gave to her selflessly, revealing depths in his lovemaking she didn’t think a man could exhibit, and in turn, she gave everything she had to match. The sensations were almost unbearable, so sharp they cut, bleeding into each other, mixing and fusing. Their bodies strained into each other, demanding, needing, wanting, and giving, and finally, in an explosion with no sound, their labors resulted in a climax so hard it was only buffered by the sweetness of release.
When they were done, they rested. Then, to forestall the reality of morning and the hurt it would bring, they did it again. After they reached a new height, they decided without needing words that the night shouldn’t be wasted with sleep, and kept on until they passed out from fatigue as dawn encroached on the magic of the night.
Harsh light singed Jenna’s eyelids. With a moan, she moved her face away, feeling the heat slide across her face. Rolling, she reached out for Josh, smelling his delicious scent on the pillow next to her. Her hands met empty mattress.
Blinking her eyes open, and then wiping the sleep away, she stared at his empty place.
He’d gone.
The smell of bacon tickled her nose.
He’d made breakfast. Forgiven.
She arched and extended her arms, waking up. A dull ache stretched through her body from the glorious lovemaking of the night. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh forest air from the cracked window, remembering.
“Lovemaking” was exactly what it had been, for the first time in her life, and it had been truly earth-shattering. Absolutely unbelievable. She’d never been so open and honest with anyone, without walls or defenses. Every time she’d cried, whether from telling him something from her past, or from the emotion that tried to suffocate her, he’d kissed away her tears and cooed to her, calming her down. Saint Josh. She’d completely let go, and offered everything up for Josh to claim. Which he had, without reservation.
The man was stellar in bed. It should be illegal. Not that that would stop her.
With a small smile flitting across her lips, she swung her feet out of bed. As she looked over her options for the day, something else tickled her memory. Not only had she been unguarded in her emotions, she’d let her tongue run wild. She’d admitted things that she’d never told anybody, not even Erika.
Jenna ran her fingers over her designer pants and then a silky blouse. They weren’t woods attire, but they’d be fine for today. Except he now knew t
hat she never felt pretty. Not with all the hair products or makeup money could buy, and certainly not with expensive clothes. All of those things only masked her insecurities. They wrapped up a hollow shell of a person in a pretty package.
And now he knew.
She couldn’t resume her image of fearless, hard-ass bitch now—he’d mock her.
She pushed out a noisy exhale.
She had given him the upper hand in exchange for feeling needed for one night.
Last night it had been worth it.
Today she felt like she’d made a pact with the devil and been punched in the face with her own soul.
Without warning, everything from the day before came rushing in. The death, the threat, and the emotional assault. She tried to clear her raw throat.
She staggered and clutched the bedpost. More emotion welled up before she could bat it down.
She did not need this emotional stuff with Josh. She couldn’t deal with both the real world and the issues of her past at the same time. She wasn’t strong enough for that.
With that thought, she put on some jeans and a white T-shirt and tied her hair back. A moment later she entered the kitchen with a straight face and a raised chin. Unto the breach, dear friend.
Josh looked up from the table with a guarded expression. The noon light from the windows fell across his handsome face and illuminated his beautiful sunburst eyes, wrapped in jealousy-inspiring black lashes. It also lit up his budding scowl, which wasn’t so attractive. He didn’t approve of something she had or hadn’t done, it seemed.
“Good morning,” she said with carefully crafted indifference. “Coffee?”
Deep creases formed in his face from the strengthening scowl. “Morning. In the pot. I made breakfast.”
She paused, wondering if he would get a cup for her, or a plate. But as he sat there, watching her with calculating eyes, she realized that it was an every woman for herself situation.