~~
Chapter Fourteen
The old air conditioner, which did little more than act as a fan pushing warm air into the room, rattled in the window, pulling Nicole from a fretful sleep. Under her long hair, sweat beaded the nape of her neck. She stretched and peeled away from the damp sheet under her. Through heavy lashes, she noticed a boot tapping the air at the base of the single-sized bed and her heart shot into her throat. Clutching the sheet to her bare breasts, she rolled and scrambled to the opposite side of the bed, only to be pinned, faced-down onto the mattress by the intruder.
“Let me go.” She thrashed and kicked back, striking air. Her breasts squished into the mattress springs. She ignored the pain, reached behind her, and grabbed fists filled with the assailant’s long hair. With all her might, she yanked hard.
“Owww.”
She winced, her ear ringing with the attacker’s cry.
He dropped his weight from his elbows, forcing the air from her lungs. His fingers locked around her wrists and tried breaking her hold on him. “Damn, Katrina. Stop pulling. You’re ripping my hair out.”
Every muscle of her body went stark still, except for her eyes-they widened. “Will?” Over her shoulder, she peeked through her auburn strands and caught a glimpse of Will’s cheek plastered against her bare shoulder.
“Yeah. It’s me. Christ. Now let go.” His hot breath caressed her sensitive skin, sending tingles down her spine.
Nicole became aware of the softness of his hair between her fingers, his musty scent bombarding her nostrils on the cusp of each sharp breath she inhaled, and every inch of his hard body pressing against her backside. Warmth pooled between her legs and she closed her eyes against her body’s reaction to him. “You first.”
He let go of her wrists.
Nicole slid her arms close to her body and pushed against the mattress, trying to topple his weight from her, so she could roll over, but he kept her pinned in place.
The discounted, thin sheets she’d bought at the local Dollar-Mart and his clothing were the only barrier between his hot flesh meeting hers. The knowledge caused the room to grow warmer. “I let go. Now get off of me.” She bucked against him. A mistake. She laid still.
“Not until you tell me what were you reaching for?”
“What?” She glanced at him and then scanned the nightstand next to the bed. “Nothing. I don’t have a gun if that is what you’re thinking. I was just trying to get away.”
“Not until you promise me you won’t try to run.” Will arched up and bore his weight on his elbows. His strong thighs held her legs in place while his hard ridge pressed against her backside.
She fisted the sheet below her, trapped her lip between her teeth, and wrestled with the fire mounting low in her belly. Not to go dizzy with want, Nicole remained still. “I’ll scream if you don’t. My landlord has great hearing, and, he has a huge shot gun.”
“You don’t want to do that.”
She struggled to push up on her elbows again. “Why not?”
“I’ll have no choice but to flash my badge and haul your ass out of here, sheet optional.”
“Ha. Ha.”
“I’m glad you find the situation funny,” his warm breath caressed her neck.
She struggled against his weight and her desire for him. “I mean it. I’ll scream.”
“Go ahead. I doubt anyone will hear you.”
Brushing her hair from her face, she peeked over her shoulder and saw amusement dancing in his eyes. “Why’s that?” she asked between clenched teeth.
“Your landlords, Malcolm and Hilda Handwerk, they’re near eighty and both have hearing aids. Also, about twenty minutes ago, they left to go to the market and their closest neighbor is a half a mile away.”
“How do you know who my landlords are?”
“It’s my job to find shit out.” His warm breath tickled her ear. “Now, if you promise not to run, I’ll let you up. We need to talk.”
She sighed. Her breasts flattened against the lumpy mattress as she caved. “What choice do I have?”
“We all have choices. Take your time. I’m quite comfortable.”
Without seeing his face, Nicole knew Will grinned——from ear to dimple. Frustration should be what she felt, but with Will’s hard muscles pressed against her backside, frustration wasn’t the term she’d use to describe her condition. She’d never wanted a man before, but from the moment she’d laid eyes on Will she had wondered how delicious having him inside her would feel. If she rolled over under him, she could experience a man she truly wanted. She felt Will’s hard reaction to her and knew he wanted her too.
But doing so would cement the notion in Will’s mind that she was indeed a whore. She didn’t want that. She closed her eyes and took in the memory of his body on hers—that would have to be enough. “I promise. Now, please, let me up.”
“I knew you were a smart lady.” The bed springs creaked and the air surrounding her cooled as Will pushed himself up and stepped back off the bed.
Lady. Will had called her a lady. The opinion brought a smile to her lips. The sheet wrapped her body as she rolled over. She scooted up and reclined against the headboard.
The wooden chair he’d brought into the tiny bedroom from the kitchenette moaned under Will’s weight as he leaned back and crossed his leg over the other. His smirk hinted at his amusement while the razor sharpness of his blue eyes displayed his seriousness. “Now, should we start again? Good morning. Or, should I say good afternoon?”
Will looked somewhat rested. Had he grabbed a nap while waiting for her landlords to leave? “How did you get in here?”
“That lock wasn’t much of a challenge.” Will’s gaze dropped to her breasts and the embers in her lower belly glowed anew.
Nicole drew the sheet higher and tighter over her pounding heart and tucked the cloth into her arms pits before swiping her locks from her face and behind her ears. “How did you find me?”
A smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “I followed you home from the restaurant.”
Her hair tickled her bare shoulders as she shook her head. “Lisa saw you leave.”
He sat forward and the chair thudded against the old wood flooring. Will propped his elbows on his knees and dangled his hands in between them. “I went down the street and waited.”
“How did you know I was there?” She didn’t think Crystal would give her up, but she had to ask. “Did Crystal call you?”
“No. Truckers talk. I questioned a few yesterday in Northern Virginia and they told me they thought you worked at Gilligan’s.”
Damn. Who would have thought he’d be able to track her through truckers? “Then you knew I was there when you questioned Crystal?”
“Yeah. I spoke to a driver who was fueling his truck before coming inside. He told me you were there.”
“I don’t understand.” She shifted her weight on the mattress. “Why didn’t you just nab me then?”
“I was curious.”
“Of?”
“Seeing the setup you had. You know, to hide from Gorgon.” The air conditioner rattled again as if on cue in order to demonstrate her new standard of living. “Who did you tell Crystal I was anyway?”
“My husband. My OCD controlling husband.”
He smiled. “We have any kids?”
She knitted her brow together. “What?” Her cheeks warmed. “No.”
“Good. I hate when kids are involved in a marital dispute.”
His jest brought a smile to her lips.
Will’s blue eyes glistened with amusement.
Kids. Nicole yanked the sheet free from the mattress and box spring and swung her feet to the floor, clutching the thin material in her fists. As much as she could over the past few weeks, which had been a few sparse moments, she’d kept her thoughts from turning to Luka. However, seeing Will she needed to know about her son. “Where’s Luka?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Do
es it matter?”
She glared. “Of course it matters. He’s my son. I love him.”
Will’s right brow lifted quizzically. “If that’s so, how could you leave him behind without saying goodbye?”
Will’s words cut deep. Nicole fiddled with the cotton cloth covering her stomach and legs as she fought to keep her composure. Will thought she was a bad mother. At the time, she thought she was doing the absolute right thing.
Looking up, she let her heartache show in her glistening eyes. “Leaving was the only way I could think of to protect him.”
Will studied her for a few quiet moments before he sat back with a sigh. “Why don’t you get dressed and then we’ll talk.”
Without giving her a chance to argue, he rose and walked out of the tiny, paneled room, leaving the door ajar.
The urge to run rose in Nicole. She looked around at the faux-oak paneled walls. There was no way she could escape from this apartment without Will stopping her. Even if she did manage to slip out the bathroom window onto the garage rooftop and jump twelve feet to the ground without breaking her leg and without him hearing her, how long would it take before Will would find her again. Hell, she thought he’d never find her in this small town.
Nicole’s nerves prickled as she slid off the mattress and stood on shaky legs. Could she do as Will wanted and become his witness against the Novokoffs? How could she protect her family from Gorgon’s wrath?
Her choices were difficult. Either she gave up her family or protected her son.
Selecting a few articles of clothing from the small dresser, Nicole turned and with heavy steps entered her tiny bathroom. A few minutes later, dressed in jeans and tee shirt, she exited the bedroom and was met with the scent of fresh coffee. Sunlight poured through the front apartment windows that overlooked the driveway, casting columns of light across the square floral tiles of the kitchen counter.
Will’s hand dangled over the open refrigerator door. The floor board under her foot creaked and he glanced her way. “I don’t know about you, but no matter how hot the temperature is outside or what time of day, when I wake up I need my coffee.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“Good.” He smiled, flashing the dimple she’d love to tongue. “Do you take anything in your coffee?”
“Two sugars and a little cream.” She shook her head, clearing her mind and crossed the few feet to the bar that served as her table. She watched as Will moved around the captain’s kitchen like he owned the place, pouring the hot liquid from the coffee pot into two mugs and adding cream and sugar to one. He left the other black. Having someone take care of her was kind of nice.
“Here you go.”
Across the bar, she accepted the mug Will offered her and took a sip, feeling the sweet caffeine rush against her tongue. She gripped the cup tighter. “Please. Tell me. Where is Luka?”
Will swallowed a gulp of his coffee before he said, “Gary, my partner, his wife is watching over him.”
“His wife?”
“You don’t have to worry. Sharon was with the agency until she and Gary decided to have kids. They have twin boys about Luka’s age.”
“Oh.” Nicole stared out the window at the limbs of the maple tree and drank some more. The knowledge Luka was with someone who had law enforcement experience comforted her, but the thought of another woman caring for her son needled at her ego. “Luka has never been around other children besides his few cousins. Gorgon would not allow him to go to preschool.”
“He’s having a great time.”
Her heart jumped in her chest. “You spoke to him?”
“I call him every day.”
“Every day?” Why would Will take such an interest in her child?
“He thinks I’m his uncle’s best friend. Best friends do things like that.” Will stared into his mug. “The kid’s world has been toppled. Someone needs to reassure him everything will be alright.”
She knew Will hadn’t meant to hurt her but guilt struck Nicole’s heart, causing her to sit her mug down and slid onto the bar stool. Will was a good man. She was grateful he was the agent assigned to them. “Thank you for making sure he’s safe.”
He shrugged as if his actions were nothing. “You’re welcome.”
She rimmed the lip of the mug with her finger. “Where did you tell him I went?”
“I told him you and I were on a secret mission and would be back soon. He promised me he wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Nicole smiled imaging the sparkle in Luka’s eyes having a secret to keep. She studied Will’s face as she asked, “Why didn’t you just put him into the system?”
“That’s what you were hoping for?” His blue eyes narrowed, searching her for the truth of her actions.
“Yes.”
“You could do that? Not know where he was, who was raising him?”
“Anyone would be better than Gorgon.” Her mouth suddenly went dry and she swallowed another sip of coffee before saying, “I thought later I could learn where he was and watch over him from a distance.”
“Well, your plan wouldn’t work.”
“Why?”
“We can’t do that. He has parents.”
Her stomach clenched. “You’d give him back to Gorgon?”
He sat his mug down and taking a stance, feet planted apart, Will folded his arms across his chest. “What choice would we have? Gorgon is his father, right?”
“Yes.”
“If Gorgon wanted Luka back, we’ve have no choice but to comply.”
“No. You can’t.” She jumped to the edge of her seat. “Gorgon is a monster.”
“Unless we have concrete proof that Gorgon has hurt Luka, endangered him in any way or committed crimes, we’ll have no choice but to return Luka to his father.”
“I’m his mother.”
“But you abandoned him.”
“To keep him safe.”
Will’s hard gaze remained on her. He was right. In the eyes of the law, which he was, she had abandoned her son, even though in her mind her actions were just. If Gorgon lived, he could say she attacked him and took their son. Gorgon would get Luka and she would be locked away, never to see her little boy again. The pain she felt at the thought brought tears to her eyes.
“I know why you left, Katrina. I know what kind of man Gorgon is. I wouldn’t want my child raised by him either, but as of right now, we have nothing against him to prove he is not the upstanding citizen he claims to be.”
Nicole snorted. “Upstanding citizen.”
“Help me help you, Katrina. You know Gorgon’s operation don’t you?”
Her mind whirled. She had to make a decision. Luka or her family.
~~
Chapter Fifteen
Katrina’s soft body under him had Will’s libido jacked-up. Now, watching her, adrenalin kicked his psyche into overdrive like a smooth three fingers of aged whiskey. This was the moment he’d been working towards since he first saw Gorgon’s mistress. He had her. She was going to spill her guts and they’d be able to shut down the Novokoff’s operation and lock the bastards away forever.
Standing on the balls of his feet like a sprinter, he was all ears, anxiously waiting for the information he’d been searching for when Katrina’s tan faded and her features distorted into shades of green. The mug she held trembled in her tight grasp and concern overtook his glee.
The exact moment he made the decision to rush around the counter separating them, she inhaled and said, “I need to tell you something.” Her voice quaked.
Her eyes lowering disclosed that whatever she was about to tell him was huge. His gut knotted in anticipation and Will fought the urge to move toward Katrina, fearing he’d scare her into silence. “Go ahead.”
Her mug clicked against the tile counter. “If I do, will you promise me you’ll do everything possible to keep my family safe?”
If Gorgon and the rest of the Novokoffs were put away, there wouldn’t be a threat against Luka, but he’d go with t
he flow. “Luka, sure.”
“Luka too.”
What the hell did she mean Luka too? He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. As far as he knew, Katrina had no one else here in the United States, but then there wasn’t that much information on her in the file, other than she was Gorgon’s mistress for the past five or six years. Who was she referring to? “You have other family?”
Katrina’s eyes darted to the window. She seemed to stare a million miles beyond the quivering maple leaves outside for a long minute before answering, “Yes.”
“Here in the United States?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“You must promise me you’ll keep them safe. Gorgon will not stop until he has Luka back. He will kill them all.”
Will had no idea how many people he was promising to protect, but he had no choice. He needed to know what information she had. He was on the brink of shutting down Gorgon and his sick trafficking ring and there was nothing he wouldn’t agree to. “I’ll do everything I can.”
The whirl of the air conditioner filled the silence hanging between them while she twirled the strand of hair that had hugged her neck. His nerves sizzled under his skin, but he kept a cool façade while he waited for her to continue.
“My real name is not Katrina.”
Shoe leather slapped the floor as he dropped back onto his heels. Was this a con? Who was she going to tell him she was? He turned and sat his mug down into the apartment size sink before facing her. “Who are you?”
“Nicole Carson.”
The name sounded familiar but he couldn’t be sure. He’d have Gary run it first opportunity. “Nicole Carson,” He repeated just to make sure he heard right.
“Yes. Gorgon gave me the name Katrina.”
Will’s stomach rolled as a bad feeling settled on his shoulders. “Why?”
“I was abducted when I was sixteen.” Her pink tongue swept across her lips. “On my way home from my after-school job eight years ago.”
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