by Liliana Hart
“Mmm, Cade,” she moaned. “I could come just like this.”
“If you don’t move soon I’m going to spank that pretty ass until burns.”
“You promise?” Her smile was wicked, but she decided to put him out of his misery. Her own orgasm was too close to play any longer.
His hand moved between her thighs, rubbing her clit in slow circles, and her head dropped back on her shoulders as sensations rioted through her body. Then she began to move. Her hips lifting, until the head of his cock was barely inside of her, and then falling again. She kept up the steady strokes, using her inner muscles to milk him as she rose up and down. Up and down. His fingers flicked faster, and she tweaked her nipples until she could feel the spasms start in her womb.
“I’m going to come, love. I can’t hold back.”
His hands went back to her hips and he began to thrust up in to her with hard, fast strokes, until she was coming undone around him, crying out his name with her release even as he cried out hers. She felt his seed jet against her inner walls and her orgasm rolled into another and another.
She collapsed to his chest, their breathing heavy and erratic, and he pulled the covers over them and put his arms around her. Bayleigh was asleep before she could see the pain in Cade’s eyes.
“If I could love anyone it would be you,” he whispered.
Chapter Fourteen
The air shifted subtly, and the silence grew thick with the unknown—with danger. Cade woke from a sound sleep, his instincts humming.
Bayleigh had fallen asleep on top of him, their bodies still joined, and he disentangled himself and rolled her to her side gently—not making a sound to alert the intruder. He grabbed the Ruger he knew she kept in the nightstand and felt around on the floor for his own weapon before moving into the main part of the house.
He was naked as a baby, but it went unnoticed. Adrenaline surged through his body, his only thought protecting Bayleigh. He wouldn’t lose her, no matter the cost.
He stopped in the hallway and listened for even the slightest sound. There was none, but he knew someone was there. The smell of coffee had him slowing his steps and letting out a relieved breath. He saw Declan’s outline in the darkness of Bayleigh’s kitchen. The man didn’t make a sound as he prepared two cups of coffee and set them on the table.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Declan said, holding up the clothes Bayleigh had left lying around, his dark brows raised high in question.
“You didn’t,” Cade growled, grabbing the clothes and taking them back to the bedroom with him.
He pulled on his jeans before going back to meet with his brother. Dec wouldn’t have come unless there was an emergency, and Cade had a sinking feeling in his gut he knew exactly what he was here for.
“They found Becca Whitson’s body,” Declan said.
Cade sat down across from his brother and took the cup of coffee Dec passed him, drinking down the hot, bitter liquid with a long swallow.
“Was it like the others?” he asked.
“Yeah, with a few new additions to the scene.” Dec pulled out a file folder and slid it across the table. “Becca Whitson looks an awful lot like Bayleigh. They have the same coloring, though they’re built a little differently.”
“I’ve never seen the girl, but I know Bayleigh was fond of her. She’d been a client for a while, but she’d just recently gotten engaged. Bayleigh was designing a large trousseau for her honeymoon.”
Cade looked through the photos taken at the crime scene. There was no point in asking how Declan had gotten the photos and information so quickly. His brother had connections that boggled Cade’s mind.
“Shit,” Cade said.
His gut clenched at the sight in front of him. The soldiers Carlos had sent for Becca hadn’t been kind to her. But it was the pictures scattered around the crime scene that boiled his blood. He’d known they’d watched the morning Bayleigh had come to him in his garage.
The pictures showed them both clearly—Bayleigh pressed against the wall, her head thrown back in ecstasy while his fingers were buried inside of her. There were other pictures of her scattered around as well—pictures of her inside of her shop, going for coffee, and jogging around the neighborhood. Carlos couldn’t have made it any clearer that Bayleigh was his next target.
“I can take her in, Cade. Put her in a safe house until the cartel is destroyed. Carlos is coming after her. And the word came in from Homeland Security about an hour ago that Miguel del Fuego died from whatever drug was slipped to him. Carlos is in charge of the whole operation now. Let me protect her.”
Cade threw down the photos and stared harshly at his brothers. “No. She’s mine. I won’t trust her safety with anyone else.”
“You’re not thinking straight. I swear I won’t let anything happen to her. I’ll see to it myself. I won’t let anyone else you love be hurt. I didn’t get there in time to save Carmen, and I regret that every day.”
Cade raked his fingers through his hair and massaged the stiff muscles at the back of his neck. “There’s nothing you could have done. You’re not fucking Superman. And you’re wrong about Bayleigh. I don’t love her. It’s not like that. But I’m responsible for her. I knew from the beginning that anyone I was interested in would become an automatic target of the cartel. She was bait, plain and simple. Once Carlos made it clear that he had her in his sights, I didn’t have any choice but to draw her in closer to me. I needed to be able to keep an eye on her all the time.”
“So you’re saying you fucked her for her own safety?” Dec asked with a snort.
“Pretty much.”
***
Bayleigh clasped her hand over her mouth and hunched over as the pain of Cade’s words assaulted her. Her body jerked as if she’d received a physical blow, and shock kept her eyes dry even as her hands trembled.
Clear thought wasn’t possible. All she knew was that she had to escape. She couldn’t face Cade again. Not after she’d bared her soul to him. Not after he’d taken, no demanded, she give it to him.
She ran back into the bedroom as quietly as possible and pulled on a pair of black yoga pants, an old college sweatshirt, and flip-flops. The backpack in her closet held a change of clothes, extra keys and cash. Her brothers had made sure to instill the importance of always being prepared into her once she’d moved out on her own. She’d never thought she’d need it, but she was glad she’d listened to their advice.
The blinds of her bay window were pulled down thanks to Cade’s paranoia, and she raised them slowly, putting her hand at the bottom and guiding them up so no noise would be made. She pulled the latch to the window and pushed it open, slipping out in the space between their two houses and staying to the shadows under the eaves.
She’d heard Cade say that he had men watching the house, and she knew the cartel he’d mentioned also had people watching. Stupid didn’t even begin to describe how she felt. She’d been attracted to him from the start, and she’d gone into the affair with her eyes wide open, but that didn’t make his words hurt any less. She was bait to destroy the cartel who’d killed the woman he really loved. He’d told her what he could give, and she’d thought she could change him. Lesson learned. There was no one to blame but herself.
The trees seemed to close around her as she ran away from her home. Away from Cade. She used her cell phone to call a cab and gave the location she wanted to be picked up. It would take her another ten minutes to reach it at a jog, so the timing would be right.
She didn’t need either of the MacKenzies to protect her. She could protect herself. And if she felt she was in danger all she had to do was put a call in to her brother. Of course, if Brant and Cade were as close as Cade had said, then she was sure that Brant would give away her hiding place if Cade asked him to.
It didn’t matter. The only thing that was important was that she separate herself from Cade and whatever he was involved in. She wouldn’t be any man’s burden. And she wasn’t a victim. She’d had enough of me
n trying to tell her what to do in her life. Now all she had to decide was where she was going.
***
“Does it make you feel better to lie to yourself?” Declan asked. “You can’t sit there and tell me that you don’t love that woman.”
“Why are you pushing this, Dec?” Cade scooted his chair back and went to get another cup of coffee, not wanting to face the sympathy he saw in his brother’s face.
“Because you’re an idiot. And because you deserve to be happy. What are you really afraid of here, Cade?”
He braced his arms on the counter and lowered his head, knowing that he could keep denying what he felt all he wanted, but that didn’t mean it would go away.
“Dammit,” Cade swore, rubbing his palms against his eyes. “You want to know what the hell I’m afraid of?” he demanded, his voice an angry whisper. “I feel guilty because what I felt for Carmen doesn’t even come close to what I feel for Bayleigh. It makes me wonder if I even know what love really is. If I ever knew. What if I let myself love Bayleigh the way she deserves to be loved, and then she’s taken from me? I can’t even imagine the pain of losing Bayleigh, because what I feel for her is so much more.”
“Do you really think you have a choice of letting yourself love her?” Dec asked, leaning back in his chair on two legs, his gaze steady and sober. “If you didn’t love her already you wouldn’t be struggling with yourself. And telling yourself that you don’t love her won’t make the pain lessen if something does happen to her. It’s all about the time that you have and making the most of it.”
Declan dropped his chair to the floor and gathered the file, before standing to leave.
“So now that you’ve decided to stop being a dumbass, it still doesn’t change the fact that Bayleigh’s in danger. If you won’t send her to a safe house, the only other option is to use her as bait like you originally planned.”
Cade turned around and crossed his arms over his bare chest, his muscles tensing as the words were spoken aloud. He’d already come to the same conclusion, but having Declan say them didn’t make them any easier to swallow. It was time for Carlos and the cartel to be taken apart once and for all.
“Time’s wasting,” Dec said. “One of the men we captured finally broke and gave us some information. Let’s draw him out.”
He nodded once at Declan and went to get Bayleigh so she could hear Declan’s plan. But he knew as soon as he entered the bedroom that she was no longer there. The bed was mussed, sheets twisted, from where they’d made love only a short time before. And it had been making love. He’d felt it all the way to his soul with the way she’d moved over him, bewitched him and given him everything he’d ever desired.
“Fuck.” He looked into the bathroom and through her closet, but there was no trace of her. She’d run. From him. The feeling didn’t sit well.
He felt Dec come in behind him, his cell phone already pressed to his ear as he talked to some unknown agent, giving the details of Bayleigh’s escape and to alert anyone working the case to be on the lookout for her.
Cade pulled on his shirt and shoes and strapped on his weapon, grabbing his own cell phone and dialing Bayleigh’s number. But it rang once and then went to voicemail. Panic clawed inside him as he thought of everything that could happen to her. She had no idea what a man like Carlos was capable of. And if he lost her, there would be no one to blame but himself.
Chapter Fifteen
The farther she got from Cade, the more worried Bayleigh became. The urge to run back to him hammered at her skull until a headache pounded in her temples. Cade might not love her, but he’d sworn to keep her safe, and she was being stupid taking off if there was even a hint of danger. Her family had taught her better than that. But a mix of pride, anger, and heartbreak had clouded her thinking.
No matter what her situation was, she didn’t want to face Cade again. Her embarrassment was too great. But she knew she needed protection. Her only option was to call Brant and ask him for his help. And his silence.
The back of the cab was stuffy and she kept an eye on her surroundings as they made their way downtown. She didn’t have a ton of cash on her, just enough to get by for a couple of days, so she couldn’t stay somewhere extravagant.
Ring after ring echoed in her ear as she waited for Brant to pick up the phone. His terse voice came over the line, directing the caller to leave a message and she sighed in frustration.
“Brant, it’s me,” she said, wondering exactly how much to tell him. “I know you’re friends with Cade, but—” Her breath hitched at the mention of his name, and she had to fight for control. “I need your help. I think I’m in trouble, and you’re the only one I can ask. Just—call me back. Please.”
She hung up the phone and blinked her eyes rapidly as tears threatened. They were in a crowded part of the city, and she saw the familiar sign of a motel coming up, the nightly rate flashing in red under the logo.
“Stop here, please,” she said, pulling the cash from her bag and paying the driver.
Bayleigh paid cash for the room, and gave a random name to the girl behind the counter. Since she was paying in cash she didn’t have to leave ID or credit card, and she asked for a second floor room close to the front office, thinking the more exposure she had the safer she’d be.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, seeing Cade’s number flashing, and she pressed the mute button, cutting off his call. It was the third time he’d tried to reach her. Hopefully, he’d get a clue and stop trying. There was no way in hell she’d be talking to him any time soon.
The room was small and sparsely furnished—a queen-sized bed and a small desk and chair the only furniture—but it looked clean, at least on the surface. She made use of the coffee pot to warm her insides, hoping to soothe the uneasiness she felt at being out on her own.
Brant still wasn’t answering, and she tossed her phone on the bed as she went into the bathroom. She showered quickly, leaving her hair wet since a blow dryer wasn’t one of the room amenities, and she pulled on an oversized shirt. The phone on the bed showed she’d missed another call from Cade, but Brant hadn’t tried to call her back. And he would have if he’d gotten the message.
The heavy blackout curtains were pulled tight, but she checked them and the door locks again before slipping beneath the scratchy sheets. Her mind wouldn’t settle, and she tossed restlessly, trying not to think how empty the bed felt without Cade beside her. An uneasy sleep finally came over her, her body recognizing the need for rest even if her mind didn’t.
***
Bayleigh couldn’t say what woke her only a short time later. It wasn’t a specific sound. More of a movement that didn’t seem to belong in the stillness of her room. Her eyes popped open and she waited for them to adjust to the darkness. But they didn’t. To adjust there had to be at least a small amount of light coming from somewhere.
The room was black as pitch, as if she were inside a sealed tomb, and panic began to claw its way out as disorientation played tricks on her mind. Not even the heater made a sound as the silence covered her like a heavy blanket, smothering the shreds of her sanity.
“Good, you’re awake,” an amused voice said, his Latin accent smooth. “We have so little time together, I thought it would be best to get started right away.”
A match flared and her eyes were drawn to the flame as it lit the candles on each side of the bed. A burst of panicked laughter bubbled in her throat at the thought that her kidnapper was trying to be romantic, but he quickly set her straight.
“The second floor is on a separate fuse box than the first floor and the front office,” he said conversationally. “It wasn’t difficult to cut the electricity, especially since there are no other guests near you to complain.”
Her eyes made the quick adjustment to the meager light, but she couldn’t break her stare away from the madman in front of her. Carlos del Fuego would have been a handsome man if his black eyes hadn’t held so much menace. He wasn’t very
tall—a couple of inches shy of six feet—but he was solidly built, muscular enough that it was obvious he worked out. His black hair was cut short, and his clothes were expensive and well tailored. He didn’t look like a killer. Except for the eyes. Those eyes couldn’t conceal the kind of man he was.
God, she had to think, but terror was building inside of her like nothing she’d ever experienced, and she felt frozen, trying to remember the advice her brothers had given her. She’d never had to fight off an attacker before, and practice was a hell of a lot different than the actual event.
She squeezed her eyes closed and slowed her breathing, trying to gather her thoughts and decided what she should do.
“Now, now,” Carlos said, his chuckle grating across her spine. “Open your eyes, little one. I want to see your fear. It makes me hard.”
He sat down on the bed beside her and she didn’t take time to think as she rolled in the opposite direction, wanting nothing more that to put as much space as possible between them. Her shoulder bumped the bedside table, making the candle wobble precariously, and one leg slid to the floor, but he was too fast. His hands clamped around her arms, his fingers biting into her skin painfully, and she cried out as he jerked her back up to the center of the bed.
His strength was overwhelming as he restrained her arms as easily as if she were a small child. She fought against him impotently as he did the same thing to her legs, binding each one to the corners of the bed. She opened her mouth to scream, but he shoved a thick piece of cloth past her lips, quickly muffling her efforts.
She looked around frantically, trying to think through the panic, but she was completely at his mercy. The thick curtains had been taped down against the wall and down the seam so outside light couldn’t get in, and he’d re-bolted the door after he’d gained entrance. She had no idea how he’d gotten inside, especially since she hadn’t heard him make a sound.
“It is interesting to see all of your thoughts flash across your face,” he said. “You are wondering how I came to be in here.” His smile was sinister, the white of his teeth flashing between full lips that any woman would kill for. “All I can say is that there are perks to growing up surrounded by criminals. It’s an education you can’t get in normal surroundings.”