by Cynthia Eden
Alyssa didn’t stir. Her breathing remained nice and slow. Her hand was still over his stomach. She was soft and warm. Perfect.
Her scent was on him. His was on her.
“My best guard is watching the west area,” Dex groused.
Like that was supposed to impress him?
“And I engaged the upstairs alarm.”
“I got past the alarm earlier.”
“I activated some alarm functions that weren’t in place before because I knew you were on the way. No one will get to her without us knowing.” He heaved out a sigh. “You’ll just be right outside the bedroom door. I’m only asking for a few minutes.”
Sebastian’s jaw hardened.
“Go,” Alyssa told him.
His gaze immediately whipped down to her face.
“It will give me a chance to shower,” she added with a yawn.
“How long have you been awake?” He could have sworn she’d been sleeping the whole time.
“Since Dex came in and started his loud whispering.”
Sebastian felt his lips pull into a smile.
“I need to shower,” she muttered. “Go talk to Dex. Trust me, if anything happens, I’ll scream loudly enough for every guard to hear.”
“Dex, get the hell out. I’ll join you in a minute.” Not like he wanted Dex to watch her slip naked into the bathroom.
Dex hurried out.
Alyssa pushed up in bed beside him. “We’re going to catch this guy, aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
She eased from the bed. Wrapped a sheet around her body. Totally unnecessary. It was dark, and he freaking loved her body.
She hesitated. “What happens then? As soon as you get him, do I immediately go back to living my life? You know, I get to return to my business and my home and…everything else?”
“You get your life back.” He climbed from the bed. Hauled on his jeans. Zipped them. Snapped the button. “But, maybe…just to play it safe…you should keep staying with me for a few days.” He moved to stand in front of her. “To make certain everything is okay.”
“So…after the bad guy is caught, you want me to stay at your place?”
Stay or move in permanently…really, wasn’t that just semantics?
“For how long?” Alyssa asked.
Forever didn’t seem to be the appropriate reply. He wasn’t trying to scare her away, and Sebastian didn’t think she was quite ready for that step so he hedged with, “How long do you want to stay?”
The sheet rustled as she stepped back.
He realized she hadn’t answered him.
And she was moving for the closed bathroom door.
“Alyssa?”
“I think staying with you will be a good idea. For a few days, anyway. You know, just to make certain things are safe. But, of course, we have to catch the perp first.”
She opened the bathroom door.
“We’ll get him,” Sebastian vowed.
She flipped on the light. Looked back.
“I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.” This wasn’t the time to confess, but he did it anyway. “I hate that I hurt you on your birthday. You were the most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen, and all I wanted to do was have you smile at me.”
Her lips parted.
“I screwed things up then, and I’ve been screwing things up ever since. I tried to keep my distance because when you get too close to the thing you want so badly, it’s hard. Hard not to touch. Hard not to try and take what is right there.”
Her head tilted toward him.
“I don’t want to screw up with you anymore.” That was the last thing he wanted. “Call me on my bullshit.”
“You can count on it.”
He smiled at her. “Yell at me when I’m an asshole.”
“Okay.”
“Tell me to screw off when I’m a dick.”
“Will do.” Soft. Almost tender.
“But, just don’t leave me, okay? Because when you walked away in that hospital, it felt like you’d ripped out my heart.”
He heard her swiftly indrawn breath. “Some people would say that Sebastian Ridgeway doesn’t have a heart.”
“But we both know those people are wrong.” You have my heart. You have held it for years.
“Yes.” Even softer. “They’re wrong.”
His heart drummed so fast. “So you’ll stay? Because I need to make sure you’re safe.” It was so much more than that. If she would stay with him, after this shit was over, then maybe he could convince her to give him a real chance. He could show her that he had good points. He could wine her, dine her, and basically give her everything her heart desired.
“I’ll stay.”
Relief surged through him.
“Now go have your talk with Dex. And try not to pull a knife on him this time, okay?” She shut the bathroom door.
He stared at the closed door a moment. “No promises on that one.” Sebastian turned on his heel and stalked out of the bedroom.
Dex was waiting for him. Lounging near the wall. He wiggled his brows at Sebastian. “Took long enough. I was starting to think you’d joined her in the shower.”
Like that shit wasn’t tempting.
“Did you forget your shirt?” Dex asked politely.
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest.
“Is that a no? You were going for a deliberate fashion choice? Okay. Whatever.”
“Get to the point, Dex.”
“Right.” He cleared his throat. “You’re thinking of bailing.”
Sebastian stiffened. “The hell I am. I am not going anywhere until we catch the bastard who is after Alyssa.”
“Of course. Let me rephrase.” A nod. “After we catch the bastard, you think you are going to quit the spy biz.”
Yes, that was the plan.
“You think you’re going to get your fantasy girl, that you’ll turn your back on all the danger, and ride off into the sunset together.”
How was that bad? Sounded like an ideal situation to him.
“No? Yes? Any answer at all?” Dex pushed.
“You seemed to have all the answers. Didn’t realize my response was required.” Sebastian stayed close to the bedroom door. Not that he didn’t trust all of Dex’s security measures—oh, wait, he didn’t.
Dex strode closer to him. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“Then enlighten me about how things do work.”
“You don’t just walk away from the agency.”
“I think I do.” He considered the matter. “In fact, I’m certain that I do. I started working for your bosses when I was barely legal. I did all the work required of me, took more risks than I can count, but I was never in this for the long haul. Your agency isn’t my future.”
“Because she is?”
He shrugged. “Don’t really see where you need to know about that.”
“Once you’re in, it’s for life. You don’t walk away from this kind of job.”
Was that a threat? It had better not be. “Watch me,” Sebastian dared.
“Do you think she’d ever be safe with you?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“I get it. Trust me, I do. I see the others out there. Living their nine-to-five lives. Having families. Birthday parties. Singing their carols at Christmas even when they can’t keep pitch for shit.”
Sebastian lifted his brows.
“I hate to tell you, but you won’t ever have that. Because you will always be looking over your shoulder. Always wondering if someone found out what you did in the past. There is a reason that most of the men and women in our line of work don’t put down roots. We stay loners because when you connect with others, you put them in jeopardy.” A sad shake of his head. “The exact way that Alyssa is in danger now. If she stays close to you—if you do some dumb shit like move in with her or marry her—what message would that send to your enemies?”
“If we stop this bastard, no one else has to know abo
ut my past.”
“Oh, is that what you think?” Dex laughed. The sound held no humor. “There will be other threats. There always are. You’ll look over your shoulder for the rest of your life, and because of that, so will she. Is that really what you want for her?”
What he wanted was for her to be safe and happy. “Antony is involved in this, too. Because of him, because of her tie to him, doesn’t that already put a target on her?”
“It does. You know enemies will try to take out family members. Loved ones. It’s why she was the perfect target this time. She was important to him and to you. But, see, Antony hasn’t quite gotten his hands as dirty as you have.”
Yes, he knew that. Antony tended to play the game from more of a distance.
But Sebastian…
“You’re the secret weapon, aren’t you, Sebastian? The list of your enemies is a mile long. Those who want payback…” Dex exhaled. “Look, I’m not telling you this stuff to be a dick.”
“No? Could have fooled me.”
“I’m telling you because I like her. You stop this threat. Great. But, as long as you are with her, there will be others. You need to know that. So does she. And that is where she gets to decide. If she wants those risks, fine, her choice. She goes into the danger with her eyes wide open. But if she doesn’t choose that path, will you let her go?”
That wasn’t the right question. Because, hell, yes, if Alyssa didn’t want him, he’d never try to force her to stay. The real question…If I’m putting her in danger, can I ever ask her to stay?
His phone vibrated. Then pealed with a familiar alarm. An alarm that shouldn’t be sounding. Sebastian hurriedly yanked out the phone and glanced at the screen. “Someone is in my freaking office again?” On his computer? Two break-ins in one night? Hell, no.
“What’s happening?” Dex tried to peer at the phone’s screen.
“Someone is trying to hack into my computer. Again.”
“Is it Antony? Did he go back to your office?”
It could be, but it could also be—
Dex’s eyes suddenly widened. He motioned toward his right ear. “Comm link,” he mouthed.
Sebastian knew Dex was getting a message from his team. He’d figured they were all wired with Uncle Sam’s tiny tech—the better to keep tabs fully on the operation. He’d also known that Dex’s team hadn’t caught sight of him when he slipped inside…or else Dex would have been notified at the time via the comm link.
“Showtime,” Dex breathed with a nod. “Incoming.”
Sebastian’s mind immediately turned ice-cold.
“Spotted on the perimeter.” Dex tapped his ear. “Good. Keep eyes on him,” he ordered the agent on the other end of the link. “I want to draw the bastard in. Make sure he’s close enough for us to take out.”
Sebastian shoved his phone back into his pocket.
“Baylor?” Dex paced a few feet away and glanced out a window as he continued communicating with his team. “Check in, now.”
Sebastian took slow, careful breaths as battle-ready tension fueled him.
“I see movement,” Dex barked. “Anyone with eyes on Baylor? He’s not responding.”
Had Dex lost contact with one of his guards? It sure seemed that way. Sebastian knew Baylor. A good man, a good agent.
“Copy that,” Dex snapped. “Two of them. Detain with any force necessary. You get that bastard down there, and we’ll take care of the one coming up here.”
Wait. Wait. The one coming up here?
Dex pulled out his weapon as he turned toward Sebastian. “One of my men isn’t responding. Another saw movement on the side of the building. Guess you weren’t the only one with the idea to scale up to the second level.”
Sebastian shoved open the bedroom door. His gaze immediately swept the room. No sign of an intruder. Yet. He rushed for the nightstand and grabbed his gun.
The bathroom door opened. Steam drifted out as Alyssa stood there with her hair wet and a towel wrapped around her body.
At the same time, an alarm blared from below.
“Sebastian?” Fear flashed on her face.
He was already running toward her.
Chapter Sixteen
Sebastian caught Alyssa and pushed her back into the bathroom. “Consider the bad guys to be here.”
Yes, she’d rather been afraid he would say that. “What can I do?”
“Stay down. Stay out of sight.” He pushed a gun into her hand. “And if anyone other than me comes in this bathroom door, you shoot, got it?”
She knew how to shoot. Her mom had made sure of it. “Got it.”
He turned away.
She grabbed him right back. Kissed him frantically.
His hands locked around her shoulders.
She was pretty sure that she felt the towel fall. Because…of course. Her luck.
“Your towel fell,” he whispered.
She nodded.
“Any other time…” He kissed her again. “That shit happens, and I don’t leave you.”
She almost smiled. Would have, if she hadn’t been so terrified.
He bent and scooped up the towel. Gave it to her. “If it’s not me, shoot.”
Then he was gone. She shut the bathroom door behind him. Locked it. Then she backed the hell away from the door because if bullets started flying, they’d come through the wood and hit her.
She wrapped up in the towel. Wished she had clothes with her. A robe. Something else. And she held tight to the gun.
***
“What in the hell happened to your weapon?” Dex demanded.
“Alyssa has it.”
Dex grunted at him. “Stop this hero complex crap.” He bent and hauled a second gun from the holster on his ankle.
It was still dark in the bedroom because they didn’t want to turn on the lights and alert the perp, but Sebastian’s eyes had adjusted, so he could see easily. He took the backup weapon from Dex.
“The guy is taking one from your playbook,” Dex said. “He’s scaling the wall. Only he doesn’t quite have your stealth.”
“Who does?” Sebastian whispered back.
“I’m going to disable the secondary alarm.” He tapped on his phone. “See, if I’d had this on earlier, your ass never would have gotten inside. But did you thank me for letting you—”
“Do the freaking job,” Sebastian groused.
“It’s done. Now you go to the right. I’ll go to the left. When he comes through, we take him out.”
They both moved into position.
Sebastian flattened his body against the wall even as his gaze jumped to the bathroom door. No one will get to her. “You said there were two of them?”
“My team is taking out the second perp now. Still no freaking response from Baylor.”
Then there was a soft creak. The window began to open.
Things happened pretty fast after that. The dumbass aimed his gun at the bed. Just acted like he was going to fire from right there.
Dex caught the guy’s wrist. Twisted it. The gun fell, bones snapped, and the perp would have fallen his ass right back out of the window if it weren’t for the fact that Dex hauled him inside.
The perp twisted and rolled, then he came up, cradling a knife in his left hand. His right hand—now broken, or at least, the wrist was broken—hung near his side.
Sebastian stepped forward and aimed his weapon at the intruder. “Gun trumps knife, asshole. So unless you want me to put some bullet holes in you, you’ll drop the weapon, right now.”
He didn’t drop it. He did throw the knife. What in the hell? Sebastian jerked to the side, and he heard a grunt from Dex. Dex had been partially behind Sebastian so—
Hell. The perp had turned and was running, but not heading for the bedroom door. He was running straight for the closed bathroom door. The door that had a thin stream of light shining from the bottom, in that thin crack between the wood and the floor. The light that showed someone might be inside.
Alyss
a. The perp was going for Alyssa.
The hell you are.
Sebastian didn’t fire. The last thing he wanted was for a bullet to go through that door. He lunged forward and slammed his body into the perp’s. The guy’s head pounded into the door. But the punk didn’t stop. He twisted his body and came up swinging at Sebastian.
***
Alyssa jumped when something—or someone—slammed into the door. She’d wrapped the towel around herself and tucked the edge between her breasts. She crouched in the tub with the gun held tightly in one hand, and she kept her eyes on the door.
She could hear grunts. Thuds.
“I’m fucking bleeding over here!” That had been Dex’s bellow.
Then the wood of the bathroom door exploded in as two men—Sebastian and some fellow with sandy blond hair—came crashing inside.
The stranger hit the tile floor. He groaned. And Sebastian’s fist slammed into his face. “What in the hell did you do to Baylor?” Sebastian demanded.
“Wh-who?”
“The guard who should have been keeping a watch on this side of the building! What did you—”
“S-stabbed him…dr-dropped his body behind…dumpster…”
Sebastian swore. He leapt to his feet. “Dex, get your team to find Baylor, now!”
But the guy on the floor started to laugh.
She didn’t think laughing was good. Not at all.
Then his laughter stopped. “Boom,” he said.
Boom?
She pointed her gun at him. “Why did you say that?”
Sebastian’s head snapped toward her.
“I’m…the distraction,” the man on the floor said. He spit out some blood. “My buddy…he was wiring this place.”
Sebastian grabbed the perp by the shirtfront and yanked him to his feet. “We have your buddy. He never made it inside the building.”
She kept her gun aimed at the fellow.
Another rough laugh. “Didn’t…just come with one friend.”
She shook her head. Okay. She had to be misunderstanding. “He didn’t basically say there is a bomb in this building. That’s not what he meant, is it?” Don’t be what he meant.
Dex staggered into the bathroom and pushed past the chunks of broken door. “I’m cuffing the bastard.”