A Love So Strong

by Kathryn Shay

  “Nervous?” Logan asked the night before and they prepared for the mission

  “No, energized. You?

  “Excited.”

  “Is there something wrong with us, Logan, that we thrive on this?”

  “Who cares? We’re in it together. That’s all that counts.”

  He laughed. “That and how we help other people, babe…”

  But things had changed the third year they were together, when they started worrying about each other. They both tried to hide their concerns and never talked about their feelings of fear. She wondered if they should have. She had so many questions about her past actions.

  She grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles, then turned to look out at the city. "Why didn’t we ever quit The Organization and make a real life?" she asked.

  He waited a very long time before he answered. "I was going to talk to you about that when we got back from Barcelona."

  "I figured as much. It’s odd, isn’t it? If we’d talked sooner, we could have redirected our whole lives. We could be married now, with a child."

  Reaching over, he palmed her stomach. She could feel his heat through the silk. "Likely with another on the way, if I know us."

  She smiled.

  Setting his glass down on a small table, he disposed of hers and stood over her in the moonlight. The stars seemed to kiss his hair, sparkle in his eyes. "This operation just turned a lot more dangerous."

  His fingers gliding up and down her arm made her shiver. "Because I might be recognized?"

  "No, because of Martini. Simon gave me a file on him. He takes no prisoners. He’s also playing with us."

  Feeling an adrenaline rush, she smiled. "We’re up to the challenge. We’re a good team, Kane. We can take him, or anything else thrown our way."

  "God, Sachetti, you’re beautiful when you get that gleam in your eye."

  She recalled something then. The night before a mission, they’d always made exquisite love.

  He said, "You remember, don’t you?"

  "Yes."

  He moved in close. "I want you, Belle. More than I want to breathe."

  "I want you, too."

  "But—"

  She put her hand to his mouth. "Shh. No buts. I know being together again won’t mean you want me back in your life. I don’t care. I want to be with you, like we used to be, not like we were in the bathroom."

  The corners of his mouth turned up. "Oh, I don’t know, the bathroom was pretty damn good."

  She laughed, then sobered. "I want to make love, Logan. Not have sex."

  He smiled. "You’re on, babe." Gently, he swooped her up into a carry again and headed into the room. He waited while she pressed the button, plunging them into semidarkness. He turned on the bedside light. "I want to see you tonight. All of you."

  She kissed his neck. "Me, too, love."

  They undressed slowly, facing each other. Watching. She wrested off her camisole. He dropped his shorts. She lost her tap pants. They stood naked, not touching, just absorbing.

  Logan had a scar on his left shoulder. She moved in close and brushed her lips over the tiny flaw. She had one on her biceps that he’d kissed. Battle wounds, they called the marks.

  With pure Logan tenderness, he eased her onto the sheets that the maid had folded down. She stretched out like a cat. He lifted her arms over her head. He’d always done that, too, so he could look his fill, touch his fill—foreplay which drove them both crazy. "You are so lovely," he said, gliding his hand over her throat, her breasts, down to her thighs. "I’ve dreamed about doing this again."

  After a few moments, she whispered, "Logan, love. That feels so good."

  Staring down at her, Logan’s heart swelled at being able to touch her after all these months of sensual starvation. He reveled in their contact, continued the exploration, until she tugged on his arms. "Logan!" She was breathing fast, her pupils were dilated and a rosy blush had spread everywhere.

  Finally, he released her. She pressed him back into the mattress and took the reins. Closing his eyes, he let himself feel her fingers glide over his chest, her lips tease his nipples, her lower body meld into his. Her attentions went on a long time, until he angled her around to face him, both of them on their sides.

  He suckled her breasts.

  She massaged him.

  He ground his hand against her.

  She moaned. "Please, now."

  When he slipped inside her, and because it felt like coming home, he panicked for a second. But he was able to force the worry back. He began to move. She helped him, arching her hips, taking him deeper. They came together in a cataclysm so binding it blew him away.

  oOo

  "Who was the monk?" he asked impatiently, staring at a frozen frame of the videotape he’d just received. The shot showed the Kanes talking with the good priest. Seemingly innocent, but still…

  "Just a monk," the underling on the other end of the secured line said. "Telling them the history of the church."

  "Hmm." Martini wasn’t sure. He looked down at the knight on the chess board. Tried a few different moves until he got what he wanted. "I don’t like this. Stay where you are. I’ll be in touch."

  For a long time he stared at the screen and thought about changing his strategy with the couple who longed for a child. To that end, he picked up the phone.

  oOo

  Logan pretended to read from the guidebook, but he kept getting distracted by her. She was even more beautiful today. She always was, after a night of lovemaking. He tried to curse himself for what he’d allowed to happen, but he couldn’t regret their coming together again. When this mission was over, he’d have that memory of her, minus the bitterness. It would be better for both of them to part friends.

  "It says here that most people think the Trevi Fountain was always in Rome. But it wasn’t. It was built by—"

  "Honey, stop." She was fishing in her purse for coins, as water from the huge fountain splashed and plopped around her. "You’re taking the romance out of the legend."

  He continued to read. "Throwing coins in assures your return to Rome."

  She stamped her foot. "It does not. It means your wish will come true."

  "That’s not what the book says."

  She laughed. "Come over here. I have a coin for you." She held out a quarter. He took it and kissed her. Hard. Meaningfully. Then he turned, wished and threw the coin in the fountain where Neptune, flanked by two tritons, spewed water.

  Closing her eyes, she held on to her own quarter, wished and tossed it in the water.

  He was just about to ask her what she wished for when a shadow fell over them.

  And just like that, Logan knew they were in trouble.

  "Plans have changed," an ominous voice said. "Do exactly as you are told, and you will get the baby."

  "It’s two days early." Belle made her voice shake. At least Logan hoped the tremulousness was intentional.

  "Did you not know, Signora? Babies always come early." The man’s laugh was menacing.

  Logan glanced at her. She stared back at him. We can do this, his look promised.

  I know, hers said.

  He was glad they were in this together.

  It didn’t hit him until they were in the black Mercedes, destination unknown, that he and Belle had made love last night and hadn’t used condoms. Déjà vu, he thought truthfully. Once again, Belle could be pregnant with his child while they headed into an impossible situation that—given this new development—could very well go way south.

  oOo

  Belle called on every bit of expertise she had to sit still and pretend to be the pampered, suburban housewife who only wanted a baby. She worried the strap on her purse, bit her lip and fidgeted the right amount. The man across from her in the Mercedes stared hard at her. She said to him, "A–are you sure the baby’s well?"

  Dressed in a baseball cap and sunglasses with a beard that covered half his face, the guy growled. "You will see soon enough, Signora."


  She watched out the window as the city scrolled by. They were down in a section of Rome near the Vatican and took the winding roads, lined with big concrete buildings, at a fast pace, like all the Italians drove. Once she and Logan had been overtaken at the Trevi Fountain, the men had driven them back to the hotel and were mercilessly silent the entire way, until they reached the circular drive…

  Get the money. The guy handed Logan a sheet of paper. Meet us at this café. We will have the bambino.

  Come on, honey, Logan had said, holding out his hand.

  Per favor, signor. She stays with me.

  Not on your life.

  Then no trade.

  She scowled at him. He knew he had to leave, but his face told her that was the last thing he wanted to do. Bending over, he’d kissed her on the mouth.

  I’ll be there soon. Scared?

  She didn’t have to fake the answer. Yes.

  I love you.

  I love you, too…

  The car pulled to a stop in front of a huge warehouse. Oh, hell, just what they needed—more reminders of Barcelona. Her escort opened the Mercedes door, jumped out and drew Belle up by the hand. The nervousness came easily. "Where is she?"

  "Inside." The man grasped her arm and led her through a solid steel door into the semi dark interior. It took her eyes a while to adjust. The space rose up three stories, was filled with boxes and smelled like seaweed. Then she saw something about twenty feet away—over in the corner, a baby carriage. "Oh," she said clapping her hand over her heart. "Can I see her?"

  "Si." The man led her to the child.

  Belle’s heart practically stopped when she looked down. Cuddled in a nest of blankets, the baby was sucking on a pacifier. She had beautiful blue eyes. When she saw Belle, she waved her arms and kicked. The cover came off, to reveal a pink one–piece suit and small pink booties.

  "Oh, darling, aren’t you beautiful." She bent over and picked up the chubby six–month–old. Tears—real ones—fell from Belle’s eyes. "Someone’s been taking good care of you, haven’t they?"

  Another man came out of the darkness, but was still semi–concealed in the shadows. He stayed there so she couldn’t see his features very well. "Mrs. Kane. Good to meet you." His accent was Italian. Could this be Diego Martini? Belle couldn’t believe he’d be in on the actual drop.

  Her agent’s mind superseded her maternal instincts. She told herself to memorize details. He was over six feet. On the heavy side. Dressed in a suit. God, if they could catch the top man, no one would ever have to suffer the loss of a child at his hands again.

  Demurely, Belle lowered her lashes and nodded. "T–thank you for giving us this baby." You swine, she added mentally.

  "Prego." He tipped his chin to the man in the baseball cap. "Her husband? He knows what to do?"

  "Si. He will have the money. He will bring it to the café across the street."

  Martini looked at her. "You have the baby. We have you. When he brings us the payment, we will go. You will stay in the café for one half hour."

  All in a public place, Belle knew, so neither party could renege. All safe. God, she hoped so. She hugged little Susie so tight she began to cry. Belle forced herself to relax.

  Martini glanced at his watch. "It is time."

  Placing the baby back in the carriage, Belle circled behind and began to push. She and the bearded baseball cap guy stepped out into the sunlight and the other man remained in the warehouse. Belle had no doubt he was watching them.

  The carriage snagged on the cobblestone Roman road and the baby whimpered. Belle said, "Shh, sweetheart, pretty soon you can come home with mommy and daddy."

  The outdoor section of the restaurant was like most others in Rome—crowded tables, the bustling of waiters and even at midday, the sounds of an accordion down the street. Belle and the man found a table on the perimeter of the dining area, near the alleyway. Stupid move, she thought. If they were inclined, which they weren’t, the alley presented myriad opportunities to disrupt the trade.

  But Belle and Logan’s orders were clear. Get the baby safely. Agents who may or may not be in the area, now that the instructions had changed, could attend to the capture of Martini and his men.

  When Susie began to cry, Belle picked her up and cuddled her to her chest. "Shh, sweetheart. In a few minutes, it’ll be all over."

  oOo

  His heart beating like a drum, Logan grasped the briefcase which held a million dollars in marked money and drew a few bills out of his pocket. "Grazie," the cab driver said when Logan told him to keep the change. As soon as he exited the taxi, he saw Belle.

  For a moment, he was overwhelmed with relief. She sat primly in her little chic suit, holding on to the Granger baby like she’d been taking care of children all her life. Ruthlessly, he shoved the notion out of his mind. He needed a clear head here to keep all three of them safe.

  He was smiling like a goofy dad when he approached her. He merely glanced at the man sitting next to her. Diners around them paid them no notice, but Logan knew they were the key to safety. A simple exchange would be made. No one hurt.

  He would have preferred this to go down with both him and Belle armed—he had his Glock secreted away in the waist of his pants, but changing the time hadn’t allowed her to get her weapon. This surprise meeting, sooner than anticipated, could work against them.

  "Belle, sweetheart, are you all right?" he asked when he reached them. Leaning over, he kissed her head.

  "Oh, Logan, look at her."

  Logan smiled down at the baby. God, she was beautiful. "Hey, little one. How you doing?"

  Innocently, Susie batted his arm. Simultaneously, the henchman stood and took the briefcase from his hand. "Stay here, Signor, with your family, and no one will be hurt."

  "Of course." Logan sat down next to Belle. She was breathing fast, but that could be explained to the kidnappers as excitement. She laid her head on his shoulder as he slid his arm around her. "I can’t believe this, Logan. Finally, we have a baby."

  "It’s a miracle." Lowering his head, he let the child take one of his fingers and pretended to ooh and ahh over her. All the while, he observed…the man with the money got back into the Mercedes. They stopped in front of the warehouse and picked up someone else. Then the car sped off.

  Still he and Belle needed to play the part. They weren’t home free. Belle put her lips to his. "Martini was there, I think," she said into his mouth.

  He kissed her lightly. "Damn, I want him."

  Looking down at the baby, she cooed. "Me, too." She sighed. "At least we’ve got her. Don’t we, honey?"

  Belle played the loving mother as they stayed the requisite half hour. Finally, it was time to go. They stood, placed the baby in the carriage and headed out. The taxi ride back to the hotel was uneventful. They took turns holding Susie as they packed quickly. In under sixty minutes, they were headed to the airport. With any luck they’d be on a plane out of Italy inside of two hours.

  They chuckled over the baby as they made arrangements at the airport, cognizant that someone could still be watching them. Relief seeped into both of them as they got tickets to New York, and found the right gate.

  Belle smiled at Logan when they reached the waiting area. "I think she needs to be changed."

  "Go ahead." Logan sat with the luggage as he watched them walk to the women’s room. Now that most of the danger had passed, he allowed in the thought he’d been keeping at bay—he wished like hell that Belle really was his wife, and the child was indeed theirs. Chiding himself, he picked up his newspaper.

  And, for some reason, felt a chill go up his spine—the kind that he and Belle often experienced in the past when they’d worked together. Something was wrong. Ignoring the don’t leave your luggage unattended rule, he stood just as Belle disappeared into the restroom. He strode to the john, stared at the Signora on the entryway, thought, "What the hell?" and went inside.

  He was just in time to see the employee who’d been mopping
the floor bend over and take something out of her bucket. It was a gun, and before he or Belle could react, the woman raised it and pointed the barrel directly at Logan.

  oOo

  In the glass mirror ahead of her, Belle saw Logan stride into the ladies room. Puzzled, she pivoted to face him. His look told her something was wrong, so she clutched the baby to her chest.

  Before she could speak, the door to a stall opened and a small dark haired woman came out. She looked behind Belle and shrieked, "Oh, my God."

  Belle pivoted fast. The cleaner had dropped her mop and now held a black Beretta. Aimed at Logan.

  It all happened so fast. Belle thrust the baby into the poor spectator’s hands and the woman shrank back into a stall.

  Logan yelled, "Belle, don’t!"

  Belle lunged for the cleaning woman.

  A blast rent the air.

  The baby and the woman screamed.

  Logan swore.

  And pain exploded through Belle.

  oOo

  "You are the most maddening man I’ve ever met in my life."

  At the insult, Logan looked up over the bar to see Molly practically waddling toward him. He’d been back from Italy for two weeks. In the interim, her belly had popped out considerably.

  "What’d I do now?"

  She sat down and he put a glass of milk in front of her. "Just get more and more miserable. Tell me who she is. Tell me what happened. I can’t stand to see you like this anymore."

  Stripped of his control, of his willpower, by nights of sleeplessness and worry, he said to Molly, "I’ll tell you some." He kept washing glasses. It was easier if he didn’t have to look at her. "For the past several years, I worked …somewhere I can’t share with you. You don’t need to know what it was, anyway." Molly looked puzzled, but she nodded, so he continued.

  "I quit two years ago, but I still help out occasionally because a good friend of mine named Simon runs the place and I owe him. There was a woman, Belle, involved in the whole thing. When I went back this time, I saw her again and it was hard to leave her."