Tempting Zander

by Carole Mortimer

  All of which meant none of the Knight Security men would be able to accompany Kate into the building. Their original plan, once Kate had talked to the security guard on duty and gotten Taylor’s permission for her to go up to his apartment, had been for Zander and the rest of his men to move in. Then Kate could have done as she had promised she would and remained downstairs while they went up to Taylor’s apartment instead of her.

  Taylor waiting in the reception area for Kate meant he would see immediately that she wasn’t alone, and the guns would probably come out of his bodyguards’ holsters.

  But there was no way Zander was going to allow Kate to go inside without them either.

  Kate took great exception to this decision when the three cars were parked down the street from the high-rise apartment building and they could all get out and discuss the situation. The other two Knight Security employees had also joined them.

  “I have to go in,” she insisted, her fear, along with her resolve, visible in her face. “The hour Joey gave me is almost up. He’s going to hurt Bernie and Sophie, or possibly one of the children, if I don’t give him what he wants.”

  “Kate, I realize you’re upset—”

  “You have no idea how I feel!” Her eyes glittered with anger as she looked at Zander. “The Cooks are family. My family!”

  He nodded. “And I’m going to do everything I can to return them to you.”

  “And if your everything isn’t enough?”

  Zander didn’t want to think that far ahead. Having to accept he had only been fooling himself there could ever be any sort of future for himself and Kate was one thing. Having her hate his guts forevermore was something else entirely. “I’m coming in with you.”

  “Joey was pretty specific about not wanting to see you here tonight,” Kate cut in firmly.

  “I told you, he doesn’t get to dictate the terms.”

  “As we’re all out of other options, on this occasion, yes, he does,” she stated firmly.

  They were all out of other options, Zander accepted. He had hoped this would pan out differently, but—

  “I’ll go in.” Ethan spoke up. “I can enter the reception area immediately behind Kate, as if I’m visiting someone else in the building. I haven’t been here long enough for Taylor to recognize me. If I take out the head of the snake, then hopefully the rest of the body dies with him.”

  “You’re going to kill Joey?” Kate had absolutely no reason to care what happened to Joey, and she didn’t, but killing him seemed a little…extreme. Besides, he might be the only one who knew where the Cook family was being held.

  Ethan gave a hard grin. “I’m going to disable him. A bullet in the thigh is usually enough to do that,” he explained as Kate’s frown deepened. “It hurts like a bitch and guarantees he’ll go down.”

  Kate gave a shudder. “You sound as if you speak from experience.”

  He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Remind me to show you my scars sometime. On second thought, maybe not,” he mocked after a sidelong glance at a scowling Zander.

  Kate still wasn’t convinced about Ethan’s plan, and so far, Zander hadn’t added anything to this part of the conversation. It was almost as if he was waiting for something else to happen. Quite what that something was, Kate had no idea.

  She continued talking to Ethan. “Don’t you run the risk of getting shot too if his bodyguards retaliate?”

  He smirked. “I’m hoping the cavalry will have arrived before that happens.” He turned to Zander again. “As Kate says, time is running out, so if you have no other suggestions…?”

  Zander didn’t have a single one. In fact, his worst fear had happened. The assistance he had hoped for hadn’t materialized, and now his mind had gone completely blank with fear at the thought of Kate entering the apartment building with only Ethan to protect her.

  But they needed to get into that building, and Ethan’s suggestion was a good way for them to achieve that without resorting to an old-fashioned shoot-out.

  Zander nodded, decision made. “Ethan, when Kate enters the building, you stop in the doorway on some pretext or other, adjusting your shoelace or maybe you drop something, but in actual fact, you’ll be wedging something in the door so that it doesn’t click locked behind you.” His head began to clear the moment he started to give out orders. “Kate, the moment you see Ethan take out his gun, you hit the floor and stay there. Once we’ve entered the building, no one wants you to get hurt in any crossfire.” It was a simple plan, but hopefully it would also be effective. “If you have to shoot, then do so to disable and not to kill.” He looked at each man in turn to emphasize that point. “I agree with Ethan, none of us wants to see the inside of an American prison anytime soon.”

  Kate’s expression was pained. “Disabling half a dozen men by putting a bullet in them isn’t going to ensure that happens?”

  “Not unless Taylor senior wants his son’s misdemeanors splashed all over the front of the world’s tabloids,” Zander bit out. “Which I guarantee he doesn’t.”

  “But—”

  “Kate, you have to allow us to do our job and trust I’ll take care of the details later.” His voice had gentled, but his emotions remained detached. As they had to if he was going to ensure they all walked away from this.

  Kate was less controlled as she gave a choked cry and launched herself into his arms with such force, his only choice was to wrap his arms about her and lift her off her feet to stop them both from falling over. Kate immediately wrapped her legs about his waist. Something his cock instantly took an interest in.

  “You had better not die on me,” Kate warned, her face only inches away from his, her arms clinging about his neck as the evidence of Zander’s reaction surged against her jean-clad pussy.

  “I’ll try not to,” he mocked.

  “I mean it, Zander.” She glared at him. “None of you are allowed to die either.” She turned to include all the men in that fierce gaze.

  “I thought for a moment we were all expendable,” Ethan drawled.

  Kate gave a shake of her head. “I take it you’re the comedian of the family?”

  He shrugged. “Gabriel is serious enough for all of us.”

  “Kiss me. Not you,” she dismissed as Ethan would have stepped forward with that cocky grin still on his face. Her gaze concentrated on Zander. “You.”

  It was completely unprofessional and wouldn’t help Zander to keep a cool and logical head, but he wasn’t about to let Kate enter Taylor’s lion’s den without first kissing her either.

  “Check out your guns,” he instructed his men as he continued to hold Kate in is arms.

  “We already checked them,” Ian drawled.

  “Then check them again.” Zander held the other man’s gaze until Ian gave a shrug and turned away. Zander waited until the others followed his example before looking at Kate. “We already know you have balls, so you take no chances in there, you understand?” His arms tightened about her.

  “This is all my fault—”

  “This is all on Taylor,” he corrected grimly.

  “But—”

  “We don’t have time for this, Kate.” Regrettable but true. He bent his head to nuzzle his lips against the side of her throat, keeping his voice low so they weren’t overheard. “I’m sorry for being such a bad-tempered bastard earlier.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not.” He sighed. “I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

  She pulled back to look at him. “How?”

  “I’m going to spank your bottom when we get back to the hotel tonight.”

  Her eyes glowed smoky gray. “I’m already looking forward to it.”

  “So am I.” It was selfish of him, but Zander wanted one more night with Kate. He needed one more night with her. Twelve hours of the most pleasurable lovemaking of his life, and then he would do them both a favor and walk away.

  If everything worked out in the next few minutes, then Kate was no longer
going to need this extra security anyway and could finish the rest of her world tour without Taylor’s threats hanging over her and accompanied by her normal security detail. She could get her life back.

  A life in which Zander didn’t belong.

  “Where have you gone?” Kate curved hands about his cheeks as she looked at him searchingly, noting the shadows in his dark blue eyes, the unhappy downturn of his mouth. “It’s going to be okay, Zander.” She gave him a teasing smile. “I have no intention of missing having my bottom spanked again by you.”

  “Whoa, I’d pay good money to see— Maybe not.” Ethan backed away as Zander gave another one of those growls.

  Kate chuckled. “Ignore him. He’s just messing with you.”

  “Go away, Ethan,” he snapped.

  Kate waited until the other man had complied. “I’m going to kiss you, as you still haven’t kissed me.” She placed her lips softly against Zander’s, drawing out every sweet nuance of that kiss until his arms tightened about her. He kissed her as they were both engulfed in that explosion of passion that inevitably flared between them. Kate rested her forehead against his when they finally came up for air. “I have some things I want to say to you later,” she told him as her body slid down his until her feet were once more on the ground.

  His expression instantly tightened. “What sort of things?”

  “Nothing bad,” she chided his wariness. “At least, I hope you don’t think it’s bad,” she added less confidently.

  His expression was completely closed off now. “It’s time to move, Kate.” He gazed deeply into her eyes. “Once you’re inside, if Ethan gives you an order, then you obey instantly. If Taylor tries to take you somewhere before Ethan can act, do whatever you have to do to delay him. Once—”

  “I’ve got it, Zander,” she assured him softly. “When the shooting starts, I hit the floor.”

  He sighed deeply as he let her go. “I wish there was some other way…”

  “Well, there isn’t.” She smiled brightly. “Time for us to go, Funnyman,” she prompted Ethan before looking at the rest of the men gathered beside the cars. “Thanks for everything, guys. You’ve all been wonderful. I hope I haven’t been too much of a bitch,” she added ruefully, a comment instantly met with words of denial.

  “Kate—”

  “It’s okay, Zander.” The brightness of her smile was just for him. “Just do everything you can to make sure Bernie and his family are safe, okay?”

  “My lady.” Ethan held his arm out to her as if the two of them were going for an evening stroll together.

  “Sir.” Kate played along as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, deliberately not looking at Zander again as she and Ethan walked away in the direction of Joey’s apartment half a block away. She didn’t want Zander to see how frightened she was about the next few minutes.

  It took every ounce of willpower Zander possessed to stay put and not go after Kate and drag her back to his side where he could keep her safe. Instead, he waited tensely until she and Ethan were far enough ahead of them before signaling for his men to move out and follow.

  “We have company, Zander,” Ian murmured seconds later as he moved up next to him.

  Zander had been so concentrated on keeping his gaze on Kate as she and Ethan entered the building just ahead that he hadn’t even noticed the black SUVs drawing up next them. He took note of them now. Three shiny new vehicles with blackened windows so the occupants couldn’t be seen from outside.

  He drew his gun as the doors of all three vehicles started to open front and back, easily placing the first six men who appeared as bodyguards, his eyes narrowing as he also recognized the seventh man.

  “Apologies for our tardiness.” Silas Taylor spoke smoothly as he approached. “I was delayed collecting some friends of yours.”

  Zander barely had chance to absorb the identity of the other five passengers when the first shot was fired inside the building behind them.

  He didn’t think, didn’t hesitate as he started to run, only one word crying out inside his head.

  Kate!

  Chapter 14

  “Joey shot Ethan,” Kate said as soon as she opened her eyes and saw Zander looming over her.

  “Are you hurt?” Zander demanded, hands moving over her body, checking for any injuries.

  “He shot Ethan,” she repeated.

  “Kate.” Zander’s voice sharpened. “Concentrate, and tell me if you’re hurt.”

  She raised her hand weakly to her throbbing temple. “I think I fell and hit my head on the marble floor when Ethan pushed me out of the way. Where is he?” She struggled to sit up. “Joey shot him.”

  “You’re in shock.” Zander took her into his arms to stop her from rising. “Try not to move, love. The paramedics will be here in a few minutes to check you out.”

  Kate’s vision blurred with the burn of hot tears. “Please tell me Ethan is still alive.”

  “I’m still alive, pretty lady,” the man himself called out to her. “Good job the bastard is a lousy shot. He was aiming for Kate’s heart and hit my shoulder instead,” he added grimly.

  Kate slumped back in Zander’s arms. “Joey didn’t give either of us chance to say anything before he opened fire. I didn’t… I don’t…” She broke off, too shaken up to be able to continue.

  Instead, she glanced at the chaos around them. Zander’s men seemed to have been joined by several others she didn’t recognize as they lined Joey’s bodyguards up against a wall. There was an older man there too, talking softly to Joey as two more men held him captive near the elevators.

  “Who…?”

  “Silas Taylor,” Zander supplied economically.

  “How…?”

  “I called him earlier while you were taking a shower. I thought he needed to know his son was behind the shooting at the airport and guilty of abducting four UK citizens, as well as issuing threats and blackmail to a fifth.” He grimaced. “He wasn’t too interested in talking to me at first, but once we’d chatted for a few minutes, he agreed to meet me here. When he hadn’t arrived by the time we got here, I thought he wasn’t going to help after all. But it seems he knows Joey too well and had a good idea where he might be keeping the Cooks. Apparently, Joey has an estate just outside New York. A phone call to the staff there told Silas that’s exactly where they were, and he decided to go there first.” He raised his head and nodded to someone behind Kate.

  “Kate!” Sophie appeared at her side and dropped to her knees beside her. “Oh Kate!” She hugged her, tears streaming down both their faces. “I was so frightened when we arrived and heard the shots being fired!”

  Kate clung to her, hardly able to believe Sophie was here. “I’ve been so worried about you and Bernie and the kids.”

  “We’re all safe.” Bernie and the children appeared on her other side, the nanny hovering in the background. They all looked a little pale and disheveled as a result of their abduction.

  “They’re bad men, Auntie Kate,” Maggie told her solemnly. “Mummy kicked one of them in the leg.”

  “Did she?” Kate smiled through her tears.

  “My wife is quite the tigress when her family is being threatened.” Bernie smiled proudly at Sophie.

  Zander had released Kate and stepped back the moment she was surrounded by the Cooks, knowing there was no place for him there. He continued to stand aside as they all seemed to be talking and crying at the same time.

  Kate was safe, that was the important thing.

  Nothing else mattered.

  “Where have you been?”

  Zander forced himself to remain standing at the foot of the bed where Kate lay in a private hospital room. Not because he didn’t want to be closer to her, but because he didn’t trust himself not to gather her up in his arms and simply walk out of the hospital with her.

  The chaos earlier at Joey Taylor’s apartment building had finally settled down into some sort of order once the paramedics arrived, efficiently asses
sing the injuries before removing Kate and Ethan to the emergency room of this hospital. The Cooks had accompanied Kate in the ambulance. Zander sent Ian to the hospital with Ethan.

  He shrugged. “I was helping Silas Taylor sort out the mess his son has created the past couple of days.”

  To say Kate was hurting, not physically but emotionally, would be an understatement, first at realizing Zander hadn’t accompanied her to the hospital earlier. Secondly at the way he now seemed to be keeping his distance from her.

  What she really wanted was for him to hold her and reassure her it was finally all over.

  Those last few seconds in the reception of the apartment building kept replaying over and over inside her head like a silent horror movie. The triumph on Joey’s face that had turned to anger when he saw Ethan enter the building behind her. The gun he was pointing at her when he raised his hand. The forceful push she had received in her back as the gun was fired, causing her to stumble and fall.

  She must have blacked out for several seconds after that—which was the reason the doctor had insisted she stay in the hospital overnight—because the next thing she remembered was Zander’s face, her anxiety for Ethan, and then the appearance of the Cook family and their nanny. All safe, thank God.

  That had been several hours ago, and this was the first she had seen of Zander in all that time. The remoteness of his expression and the way he was keeping his physical distance didn’t encourage familiarity on her part.

  She moistened her dry lips. “And what did you decide?”

  “I talked it over with Bernie and Sophie, and they agreed not to press charges against Joey if Silas had his son committed to a private sanatorium for assessment and treatment. I made it a condition of our continued silence that he will remain there until the doctors say otherwise,” Zander added. “And even then I’ll want a second and third opinion, and Taylor senior’s reassurances his son will stay well away from you in future.”