He arrived in Vyborg shortly before three in the morning and quickly located the street that would take him to the safe house. The ache of his shoulder faded to the background and the ache in his heart—the one as a result of knowing Cassandra was within reach—was front and center. Did she make it this far? Walk this same path? Is she as anxious to see me as I am to see her?
The house was dark, an eerie shadow squatting in the dim moonlight. No glow of light peeked through the windows. That worried him the most. A sick feeling overwhelmed him. What could have possibly delayed her arrival? Is she in any danger? A new resolve solidified in his mind. If push came to shove, he would throw the damn plan and itinerary out the window. If she hadn’t arrived by noon, he wouldn't leave Russia. He would move heaven and hell to find her and take her home. Trevor rolled his sore shoulder and skulked to the back of the house. Following Cassandra’s instructions, he entered the memorized code. A soft beep sounded and a green light flashed, indicating the door was unlocked.
*****
As soon as the shadow crossed the threshold, Nathan rammed the barrel of his gun against the back of intruder’s head. The intruder froze in his tracks. The steady motion of his arm moving out from his body and his stance sent a surge of adrenaline like a drug into Cassandra’s blood, her heart thrummed out of control in her chest and, without any hesitation, she took off at a run toward them.
“Cass! No!” Nathan yelled, cocking the hammer of his gun.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Freakin’ Rabbits
“NATE, NO! DROP IT! IT’S Trevor!” Cassandra yelled, leaving her position and rushing toward the two men.
Trevor ignored the muzzle pressed to his temple and met her halfway, sweeping his arm around her waist and gathering her tight against him.
“A ghrá!” His voice was thick and unsteady as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“Trevor!” she sobbed, cupping the back of his head and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her gun still tightly clenched held in her hand.
“Fucking bullshit!” Nathan grumbled flipping the lights on. Taking the gun from her, he snarled, “Let me have that before you kill one of us.”
Cassandra felt the rapid beat of Trevor’s heart synching with hers as they thrummed out of control in their chests. She cupped his face and pressed her lips tight against his. The relief of ending the many days of separation burning the ties that had held her heart in a tight grip since the last day she kissed him goodbye flowed over her. His familiar musky scent invaded her, comforting, soothing her frayed nerves.
Within seconds, Trevor took control of the kiss, thrusting his tongue past her lips, exploring her mouth, drowning her in wave after wave of need and desire. She had dreamed of being crushed in his embrace again, and there he was, holding her, crushing her, the images of her dreams now a reality.
“Hell! Just get a room!” Nathan’s growl penetrated her consciousness.
They broke the kiss with a big sigh, resting forehead to forehead, eyes locked, both working at catching their breaths.
After a moment, Cassandra pulled back and took in his appearance—stained pants, his left arm bound to his chest under a shirt she didn’t recognize, the tightness around his mouth, the pain in his eyes.
She narrowed her gaze. “I heard dogs and gunshots. I heard you cry out. What happened? Were you hit? How’d you get here? Are you in pain? Is all that blood—” Cassandra snapped her mouth shut.
Trevor grinned. “Wow, I’ve missed even that.” He pushed the loose wisps of her hair behind her ear.
Her hand covered his and pressed it against her cheek. He weaved his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand as if knowing the effort it took her to hold it together. The gesture brought a smile to her face, the first in hours, days. “What the hell took you so long? Take the scenic route?”
Chuckling, Trevor kissed her knuckles. “Something like that.”
The smile faded from Cassandra’s eyes. “Shit, Trevor.” She gently placed her hand on his chest. “How bad is this?”
Trevor shrugged dismissively. “Meh.”
His scrunched face and the flare of pain in his eyes told a different story. An overwhelming need to check his injury for herself and take his pain away swept over her. “Nate, I spotted a first aid kit under the bathroom sink. Get it, will you?”
Nathan grumbled, “He’s survived this long.”
“Nate. Please.”
“Wuss!” he muttered as he stepped from the room.
Trevor muttered under his, “Someone had some recent exposure to gamma rays….”
“Trevor!” Cassandra shushed him, but couldn’t hold back a little smile from touching her lips. She led Trevor into the living room and gently eased him onto the couch. He sagged against it with a deep sigh before tipping his head back and closing his eyes. Cassandra took a seat on the coffee table across from him and placed her hand on his knee, the physical contact a way to reassure herself that he was really there, that it wasn’t one of her crazy dreams.
Trevor covered her hand with his, rubbing his thumb along the inside of her wrist, a simple gesture that swelled her heart and sent a rush of moisture into her eyes. Silence filled the room, but the unspoken words that flowed between them never quieted.
Nathan’s brisk step echoed from the hall. Cassandra brushed the corners of her eyes, fighting hard against the tears she refused to let fall. She took a deep, long pull of air and exhaled it slowly.
A deep frown furrowed Nathan’s brow as he barged in and tossed the kit at her. Cassandra caught it with both hands, ignoring his childish behavior as she set the kit on her lap. “Trevor?”
Trevor grunted in response. Unwilling to cause him more pain, she let him have his space. After a few more minutes of silence, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Okay mister. Stop stalling. Tell me what happened.”
He flinched and opened his eyes to gaze into hers. “It’s a long story. Got any popcorn? Beer?” Trevor tried to make light of the situation, but his wife wouldn’t have any of it.
Her whiskey-brown eyes fixed on him and her mouth formed a grim line. “Quit being a smart ass. I want to know what the hell happened. I lost years of my life yesterday.”
His smile faded as he searched her face, trying to reach into her thoughts, and his stomach tightened at the distress he had caused her. He knew Cassandra and, by the gleam that was flashing from her eyes, he would be on the receiving end of a good badgering once she had pulled the entire story, down to the smallest detail, out of him. God, I love her.
“This ought to be good,” Nelson sneered, leaning against the doorframe, his arms tightly crossed over his chest, a look of disdain coloring his eyes.
“Fuck off, Nelson.” When Nelson’s hands curled into fists, Trevor smirked. He returned his attention to Cassandra and began his recollection of the whole story, from the time they lost contact to the time he reached the safe house. As he unveiled each grueling chapter in his journey to reach her, Cassandra’s grip on his hand grew tighter and tighter. When he reached the chapter involving Deminov and Petrovna, Cassandra’s eyes grew wider and Nelson cursed under his breath. “And here I am,” he finished with a cocky grin, relieved the ordeal was behind him.
Aware of Nelson’s disapproving presence in the room, Trevor ignored him, focusing solely on Cassandra’s lovely face. The burn of Nelson’s gaze bore through him. Trevor turned to him and their eyes connected briefly. At that moment, Trevor realized that something had changed. Nelson’s body language and the old hatred in his eyes born on the day they met no longer carried the heat they once did. It wasn’t completely gone, but it wasn’t as prevalent either. In its place seemed to sit a painful acceptance. The marginally friendly look was quickly gone once he realized Trevor was well aware of it. The familiar pure, wholesome dislike was back in full force.
Cassandra rolled her eyes at them both. “Now what?”
Trevor returned his gaze to his wife’s. “I need a shower and a few
hours of sleep before we can even think of leaving.” He leaned forward, kissed the tip of her nose, and touched the soft silky skin of her cheek with his good hand. His thoughts were clear now that she was close to him. He was almost feeling like himself, his usual wickedness and good humor surfacing once in Cassandra’s proximity. “While storytelling and gift of gab is in this Irishman’s blood, I would rather be horizontal.”
Nelson groaned from where he stood at the door. Trevor ignored his outburst and studied Cassandra closely. His heart tumbled in his chest. Dark shadows circled her eyes and her shoulders curved under the weight of exhaustion. “You look like you could use some sleep too, Cassie girl.”
Cassandra held the hand he had placed on her cheek and nuzzled it before dropping a soft kiss on the center of his palm. The touch of her soft lips sent a flash of heat tearing through him and a pang resonated in his heart. During their exchange, Nate continued to study them. From the corner of his eye, Trevor saw him listening intently to their conversation and watching their interaction—the way they looked at each other, touched, and caressed as they talked. That was fine with Trevor.
Pushing from the doorframe, Nelson took a step further into the room and interrupted them. “Do you still need me to stay?”
Cassandra replied, keeping her eyes on Trevor, “Since you’re here, I was hoping you’d help us.” She paused before adding, “We can’t go back to St. Petersburg. It isn’t safe. The safest route would be across the border into Finland. From there we can find our own way to Prague.”
Nelson nodded; his face was closed and clear of all emotion. “Fine. We can talk in the morning before I head out.”
Trevor frowned, looking from one to the other. A strange vibe hung in the air. Something tense, unlike the usual friendliness and familiarity they displayed in the past. Trevor’s curiosity was piqued and he made a mental note to ask Cassandra about it later. The only things he wanted and needed were a hot shower and Cassandra in his arms. “Where is the shower?”
“I’ll show you.” Cassandra helped him to his feet and grabbed the first aid kit. As they walked past Nelson, she called over her shoulder, “Nate, you can take the bedroom at the end of the hall. I’m sure you can find pillows and blankets there somewhere.”
“No, thanks. I will make myself comfortable here.”
“It’s your call.” Cassandra could feel Nathan’s gaze drilling into her back as she led Trevor down the hall into the bedroom with the large armoire. Entering the room, she flipped on the light and set the first aid kit on the dresser while Trevor headed into the bathroom. Moments later, the shower kicked on.
She walked into the bathroom to find him fumbling one-handed with the buttons of his shirt and cursing under his breath. She brushed his hands aside. “Here, you stubborn Irishman. Let me do that.” His hiss of pain as she pushed the shirt off his shoulders gripped her stomach and squeezed it so tight she thought she’d be sick. She dropped a kiss on his lips. “Sorry.”
“Do that again,” he grinned.
She smiled softly at his attempt at humor and pressed her lips against his again. As the shirt dropped from her fingers to the floor, the full extent of his injury hit her. Her breath hitched and she cringed inside, her attention riveted on the stained dressing wrapped around his shoulder from front to back. Her hand hovered over the dressing. “You really were shot.” Her voice was filled with fear and accusation. “I heard the shot go off. But it didn’t feel real until just now.”
“I’m okay, Cassie. Friends helped me.”
Cassandra’s heart sputtered and her knees grew weak. “You’ve been shot,” she repeated, shaking her head, slightly dazed.
“It’s just a little sore.” Pain colored his tone and he grimaced again. “But hey, now we’re even. Later, you can show me your scar and I’ll show you mine.” He flashed a crooked grin and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Shit, Trevor! That’s not funny.” She pointed a finger at him. “That’s it, buster. No more wall climbing for you. First you fall on your back, and now you’ve been shot like a target at an amusement part. You’re bloody lucky you didn’t freaking break your neck!” Her eyes grew wide as she gently removed the dressing and stared at the injury just below his clavicle. “Holy shit! If it had hit you four inches down—” All of a sudden everything came crashing in. A sob crept up her throat and she swallowed hard, capturing it, preventing it from escaping her lips.
Trevor brushed his knuckle gently along the side of her face. The tenderness in his touch was more than she could bear at that moment. “It looks worse than it is. It hardly hurts now.” There was a softness in his tone as his eyes melted lovingly into hers.
Cassandra sniffed loudly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Yeah, yeah! So says you,” she whispered as she reached for the button and zipper of his pants.
Making quick work of them, she slid her hands inside, grazing over his hips and pushing the pants off to the floor. His warm skin tempted her, but she clamped down on her need. His came first. She turned and held back the curtain so he could step into the shower.
As he stepped in, her eyes swept over him and pain pierced her. The entire left side—front and back—was one massive bruise, and there was a slightly larger hole where the bullet had come out. Steam billowed above the shower, fogging the mirror in the small bathroom. Trevor raised his face to the spray, letting the water flow over him. His shoulders hunched over, as if weighed down by fatigue.
Disrobing, Cassandra stepped in behind him and slid her hands gently, possessively, up his back. His muscles twitched and rippled under her touch. She wanted to feel every inch of him, to reassure herself that he was whole, safe. How many times did she replay that scene in her mind while waiting for him?
“Hell, Trevor,” Cassandra whispered, kissing his shoulder as she eased her arms around him and pressed her length against his back. “Pure hell is where I have lived these past hours. When I heard your words and then silence, my heart…shattered.”
Trevor turned and wrapped his good arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his chest. “It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do a ghrá, but I needed to know you would be safe.” He brought his lips down to hers and kissed her.
His kiss was gentle and sweet. When they parted lips, she pressed a kiss on his chest and stepped back. “Shush. I don’t want to think about that now.”
She worked the soap in her hands and began washing every inch of him, concentrating on easing his pain and, at the same time, hers. She massaged shampoo in his hair and studied him closely as he rested his head against the tile, letting the water rinse the lather from it.
Cassandra’s heart beat wildly in her chest as her eyes traced the lines of his lean, battered body. Trevor’s shoulders no longer drooped so prominently, and the tension that had marred his face minutes earlier had eased. More than two weeks had gone by since she had last touched him like that. Cassandra reached up and brushed his hair back, rinsing the rest of the soap from it. Lulled by the heat of the water and her touch, his eyes grew heavy and dimmed with exhaustion. When the water’s temperature cooled, she shut it off. “Come on, Trev. It’s getting cold.”
Trevor didn’t want to move from the soothing heat and comfort he found in there, but he was struggling to remain upright. When he stepped out, Cassandra patted him dry, taking extra care of the area around the entry and exit wounds, before wrapping the towel around herself and herding him to the bedroom.
She sat him down on the edge of the bed and retrieved the first aid kit from the dresser. “We need to dress the wound and bind your arm again, mister.” She cleaned the damaged flesh with antiseptics and bound his arm while he watched her steady hands work on him. Trevor saw the strain in her features, the furrowed brow, and knew that she was hurting for him. The whole process stung him all over again, but he held it in as well as he could. He didn’t want to distress her even further.
Once done, he pushed the pillow against the headboard and leaned back aga
inst it gingerly, avoiding stress to the patch-up job Cassandra had given him. The effects of a clean shower and bandages left him relaxed and sedated all at once.
The room darkened when Cassandra turned off the switch, leaving them in the soft glow of the bathroom light. From under half-mast eyes, Trevor watched his wife as she released the corner of the towel tucked between her breasts. His cocked jerked in response when she tugged the towel from around her body and use it to briskly dry her hair before tossing it to the bathroom floor. His heart lurched, his pulse quickened, as his stark-naked wife joined him on the bed.
The weight of her head and the tickle of silky wet hair on his chest soothed him as she curved her body into his, her heat radiating through him like a furnace. He tucked her tighter against his side and Cassandra shifted into a more comfortable position, sliding her leg between his and gently resting her arm on his chest, fingertips caressing his bandaged arm.
Contentment for having her so close, skin to skin, invaded him in a rush, and Trevor released a deep sigh. Her scent permeated the room, filling his nostrils, and making him more aware of the time spent apart from each other, as well as the danger they both had faced.
He tightened his grip around her and rested his chin on her head. With Nelson standing guard in the living room, they both could comfortably surrender to a deep and restoring sleep.
*****
Lying on his back, Nathan tucked his arm behind his head and tried to make himself comfortable on the couch. His mind ran through all the information gleaned within the last hour over and over again. He had been wrong about many things. As hard as it was for Nathan to admit it, he now understood that what Cassandra felt for Bauer was not infatuation, but true love.
During their conversation before the Irishman had arrived, she’d had that crazed look in her eyes. The same look he’d seen on the faces of people who had lost loved ones in tragic circumstances. A look that he had hoped would register on Cassandra’s face should something ever happened to him. It had been there all right, only it had been for Bauer instead.
To Russia With Love (Countermeasure Series) Page 42