Chapter Seventeen

 

 

 

Ian pulled the car off the road, turned it around so they could leave quickly, then turned it off. It took Andy less time to take hold of his arm.

“Don’t be rash. Think. They’ll expect this!”

“Since when did you become the super-agent?” His tease fell short. Between them was a new feeling, a deeper connection and, with it, he could clearly see her fear. Tenderness filled him. He brushed his knuckles along the soft skin of her cheek and did it again because he could. The cut on her temple bothered him. The blood was a bright line of red on skin he never wanted to see wearing such a color. “Here. Let me get that patched up.”

“It’s fine.” She pulled his hand down and gave him her best glare. “Listen to me. If they want to kill you—”

“Men have tried to kill me for years. I’m still here. And now”—he pulled one hand gently free, and with a possessive hold on her neck, he guided her toward him—“I’m not about to go toes up.” He kissed her lips, a light caress because he wanted—needed—more. He wanted it all—her, everything he knew they’d have now. He pulled back and scanned her face.

She tried to smile, but it was a poor attempt. She was frightened.

“I got this. It’s what I do. I need you to promise me you’re going to stay here. Right here.” He took her hand and squeezed it for emphasis.

Her eyes flickered over his face and her brow wrinkled in worry. “But—”

“I have this. You wait. I want you in the driver’s seat, ready to go. How’s that?”

“You’re saying that—”

He leaned in and brushed her soft lips with his once more. She opened and reached around his neck to pull him closer.

“If you get hurt, I’ll hate you forever.”

He grinned, okay with that. “I’m not getting hurt.”

Her frown when she pulled back showed she wasn’t convinced. “It could happen.”

“It’s won’t.” She didn’t appear to trust him, but he could accept that. He leaned over and opened the glove box. A first-aid kit was there, and he pulled it out onto his lap. “That cut is going to bleed a lot. Head wounds do,” he told her, trying to keep things normal when all hell was breaking loose around them. “Here.” He took her hand and pulled her closer. The wound was shallow, but the temple had such thin skin that the cut was bleeding freely. He wiped it off, hissing when she did as the antiseptic on the little pad of cotton hit her open cut. He cleaned her then gently put on the butterfly bandage. He was startled to see his hands trembling. He pressed the white strips down carefully, trying to get his shit together.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she whispered.

He met her eyes at that and smiled. It was painful. Seeing her wounded made his stomach feel as if he’d swallowed a grenade.

“It hurts.” He kissed the palm of her hand and closed her fists. “Hold that.” He had to get out or make love to her again. Once he was outside, the cold dug into his chest but cleared his head. He ducked back down and motioned her over to his seat. “Turn it on and keep it running.”

She crawled over and sat down. It was difficult not to kiss her. Instead of starting that, he pressed the control to move the seat forward, so she could drive.

“Good?”

“Good.” She started the car.

He had no more excuses. He opened the rear door and grabbed his case.

“What’s that?”

“My rifle.” She’d see more of who he was now, but he’d already decided he wasn’t holding back. The rifle was a part of his life, but it was his past, not his present, and sure not his future. He’d been using one since he was old enough to shoot, but now, after years of service, it felt odd in his hand, especially with Andy watching.

She wanted the truth. Showing her this, he was giving it to her. Her eyes grew wide but she didn’t appear frightened. She did meet his eyes, searching his face for something—reassurance, maybe. He wasn’t sure what she saw, but she nodded and twisted to face the front again.

“I sit here and wait?”

He shut the back door then squatted so he could comfortably meet her eyes. “Wait for my signal. It’s going to be quick.”

A nod from her—more frightened, he thought—and a fragile smile, but he let it go. There was too much going on, too many moving parts to this for it to all be Devon.

They would have had to have used a satellite—or someone was feeding them information from the inside. If Devon had one thing, it was money. None of it was legal, none of it traceable and all of it to spend on what he wanted—Nicole’s empire. What Devon lacked was smarts. Did he finally hire someone who does possess enough intelligence?

The thought made the pit in his stomach deepen. What if the plan was to separate them? Take him out and gain her much more easily. Then it would be simple to force her to tell him the codes—better, write a new will and bing-bam-boom, everything Devon had always wanted would be his, including his wife.

If Devon was selling that modified Sentinel drug, he’d have much more money and the connections in Europe. Ian gave a fleeting thought to calling Dare, but he knew that right now his biggest issue was coming up that road. Afterward, when he had his wife secure, he’d call in the team.

Sweat beaded on Ian’s forehead, even as the freezing wind slipped icy fingers down his spine. Ian knew what would happen if Devon got hold of her. Not on my watch.

It took more effort than he liked, but he calmed his turbulent thoughts enough to wait out their pursuers. There could be no one coming. He could have lost them. He’d give them half an hour. If no one showed up, then the car in town was an accidental run-in. Nothing is ever an accident in this world.

Within a few minutes, he heard an engine that was taking the mountain pass way too fast. His body tensed, preparing him for battle.

It had to be them, which confirmed his biggest fear.

They have someone on the inside.

Someone deep, because he’d been off the radar since he’d picked up the car. Money did terrible things. The less some had, the more they would do to gain it. And if it was someone on the inside? Well, that would explain the intelligence. Why not tag us at the car? Why not kill me and take her when we were switching vehicles?

He settled on the rise, watching the bend in the road and controlled his breathing. The ‘why’ of things wasn’t his business, not now. Protecting his wife was. The car with her in it was still humming. She’s protected. Keep her that way.

The car barreling up the mountain road was coming on fast. Finally, when the sweat was dripping in his eyes and the sting of muscles straining too long began to wear on him, the reflection of the sun hit their windshield. He caught the driver in his crosshairs, held that split second, then he had confirmation, knew the face, knew the surety of his target and pulled the trigger. Blood splattered the driver’s side windshield. The car veered wildly. It dove off the side of the road in a loud crash that continued until it died with a solid thud.

Ian was at the drop-off within seconds, gauging the wreck for what it was—destruction. But is it only the one car…or are there more?

He waited for signs of survivors, but after several minutes, he knew that if there had been any, they wouldn’t be seen again. No one could survive out here with injuries, not this far up.

His wife was white as a ghost, but her eyes trailed him the entire jog back to the car. He replaced the gun, buckled the case then shoved it in the back, all without saying a word. He circled the car, got in the passenger side and shut the door before he turned to face her.

“Let’s go. We’re going to need a different vehicle.” Maybe even something a bit quicker. “How do you feel about motorcycles?”

She blinked a few times, stared at the road for a long while then met his eyes again.

“Did they survive?”

“I don’t know.” That was met with a slow frown that he knew was building up to something they didn’t have time for. “If they did, they’re no longer a threat. But someone is. Someone knows where we are and what we’re doing—and that you’re alive and kicking.”

“We knew that. The train—”

“Yeah, the train.” He took her hand. The small pressure and warmth helped him think. “They were on the train too soon. I’d only put two and two together a few days before. And even then, I was reaching for straws—a drowning man hoping he was going to survive,” he murmured. “That’s why I went. I couldn’t accept you were gone, but Devon?” He brought her hand up with his and scratched his chin. “Devon wouldn’t have had that motivation. He wouldn’t be that quick to jump on even the slimmest chance you’d survived.”

“Oh, Ian.”

He glanced over to see tears in Nicole’s—Andy’s—eyes.

“I love you,” she whispered and suddenly she was kissing him. It was more than a kiss. It was a gallows kiss, as if she feared he’d disappear. He pulled her to his lap and, as untimely as it was, he wanted her…again. “I love you so much. I’m sorry, sorry. I’m…sorry for everything.”

“Everything?” He smoothed his hand down her spine, cupping each cheek of her ass and kissing her again. “I love you so damn much. No one is going to ruin this now. Sure as hell not me…no chance.” He bounced her on his knee to get a smile. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I wasn’t there for you. I…” He sighed. “You have the worst timing.” He grumbled then let it out. “You were right. I should have told you. I’m not hiding a damn thing another second from you. So, either we get moving or I’m going to have to make love to you in this car, because your beautiful butt out in the cold once was enough for a day.”

She giggled then laughed so hard that he joined her. “I love you so much. Do you know why?” she asked.

There was a playful tease in her tone, but he still froze, wanting to hear but also terrified of what she’d say. She hadn’t been the only one hiding. If she said she loved him because he was so goddamn perfect—

“You’re so strong that you can’t see how much you need me,” she whispered, biting him on the jaw with a little laugh. “I’ll get off your very impressive hard-on, but tonight, I think I want to be in charge. Yeah”—she breathed into his ear—“tonight I want to show you how very, very hot you make me, doing nothing at all, other than just being you.” With that revelation, she sighed. “But I do like my butt out in the open with you behind it.”

“Nico—ahhh!”

She squeezed the head of his cock right through his jeans. “What’s my name?”

“Fuck. Andy.”

She laughed and sat back, looking as pleased as could be. “It’s cold. How can we, when the window’s broken? We’ll freeze.”

He blinked a few times, trying to get his brain off her bare butt bent over the hood, with his body powering in and out of hers.

“Ian?”

“Damn, you’re going to be hard to keep up with.”

That must have pleased her. Her grin sparkled it was so big. She sighed. “I think you’re a better driver.”

He gestured to the firm impression of his hard-on jutting up against the crotch of his pants. “Not like this.”

She smiled down at his hips then met his eyes with a twinkle in hers. “It will help. You’ll have to concentrate. And besides, I don’t like to drive, not a car with you in it.”

“But you want to drive me?” He couldn’t help but bring the talk back to sex. He’d never let her take the lead before. He couldn’t recall ever letting her take over. Maybe for a few minutes, but he’d been unable to keep his hands off his wife.

“Well”—she leaned over—“I want to once in a while, but not on an icy road.”

He laughed and hauled her over for another kiss. “I’ll drive today. Tonight, you can.” The idea had grown into something so wild that he was more than willing. He was excited about seeing what she’d do.

“Oh, I’m going to ride you until you let me drive more often, Ian. But yes, get moving. I’m freezing.”

In the end, he did remain at the wheel. It was either that or take her, and that wouldn’t do. He’d let enough time pass. She curled up close to him, and even though they were both freezing from the wind blowing in through the broken window, he thought he might always remember this moment with her on this wintery road.

“How did you know there was only the one car following us?”

He glanced over to see her watching him. Her nose was pink with the cold, but her eyes were clear and bright. “If there had been another vehicle, they’d have come together. No one goes alone, not after someone like me.”

He’d wrapped her up in a coat and blanket, but she’d insisted he bundle up, too. He reached over and tapped her pink nose with his finger. His gloves weren’t doing a thing to keep his hands warm. They had the heater on full blast, but the wind from the broken window offset it to the point that his balls were freezing.

She scrunched her nose up adorably. “They travel in packs?”

He chuckled. “That’s a good way to think of it. Cowards always do. But the lack of men means that whoever sent them wasn’t as smart as they should be.”

“No one is smarter than you. And now you have me, so we’re doubly intelligent.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, we’re so smart we’re freezing our balls off—”

“I hope not!” She reached over and rubbed his crouch, getting a low buzz from his sorry junk. “Oh, you must be cold.”

He shifted his legs wider apart and she kissed his jaw then his ear.

“That’s good. Keep that up.”

“If I do, then you’ll be back the way you were.”

“Is that a warning? Because my balls are freezing. We need a car.” He winced at her tighter grip. “A bit too tight, eh?”

“Oh, I forgot how big they are.”

“I doubt that.”

She kissed his cheek and caressed his junk gently. “No, I suppose I didn’t.”

Damn, he liked this Andy. She was bold and demanding. He lifted her hand when she had him throbbing hard and he bit her fingertips.

“Ouch! You’re hot and now I’m not needed?”

“You’re needed. Don’t you ever worry about that. How about a new car…with windows?”

“Oh,” she sighed. “Windows would be nice.”

 

* * * *

 

He ended up trading the Audi for a Jeep. It wasn’t the best SUV he’d ever driven but it got them to the next town. Andy fell asleep with her head on his lap. He was fine with that, though, because he needed the time to concentrate and plan their next moves. He found a hotel right when the sun set. Andy murmured when he turned in and jostled her.

He scanned the parking lot, doing a full circle of the hotel, front and back, before he parked. There were a dozen cars, but that couldn’t be helped. He needed a phone that couldn’t be traced and a room to clean Andy’s cut. He also needed to make love to his wife in a bed.

She shifted when he turned off the Jeep. “It’s okay. We’re at a hotel. Let’s go get a room, okay?”

“It’s night?” She was drowsy but quickly grew alert. “You drove too long. You’re tired?”

“Yeah, but no. Not a chance of me being too tired for you driving.”

“Ah, I bet you’re not.”

He grinned at her quick kiss. “I need to make a call and I need to make love to my wife, in a bed, possibly all night, then get you out of here…in that order.”

She blinked then smiled and sat so her chest was pressed to his arm and her hand was resting lightly against his dick. “Is that so? Well, I want a shower, food, then you, tied up on the bed.”

His semi-hard-on stiffened under her hand. She leaned closer and sucked his bottom lip. He thought he might go off. Her action was so damn possessive and so was the hold on his cock. She released his lip with a soft pop, smoothed her hand upward to his chest then on to caress the side of his face. Her gaze never left his. He was the luckiest damn man on the planet. Not only had he won the heart of this woman once, he’d done it a second time. He was going to ensure he always made her burn like this.

“How’s that sound, lover-boy?”

“I’ll let you do the tying up, but we’re making love before we eat and shower.”

“Huh. We’ll see.”

He grew harder at that, but she leaned back and stretched. “Room, Ian. Room first, then we can flip a coin for it—or Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

Laughing, he eased himself to the side then unbuckled his seatbelt after giving her a grin. She talked big, but when it came down to it, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He bet her pussy was already wet. “Sounds like a plan.”

She gave him a suspicious glance but smiled quickly. “Great. Let’s go.”

“Wait.” He got out, adjusted his weapon then walked around to open her door.

She got out, rubbing up against his hips when she did and gave him a sexy smile. “You’re such a gentleman. One minute you want to toss a coin to see if you can fuck me, then the next, you open my door.”

He grunted, louder, too, when she sneaked a hand around his ass and squeezed.

“It’s a good thing I like that about you. And, of course, you have the finest butt on the planet.”

“Baby—”

“I hope they bought me panties, because your sexy butt has ruined these. If not, I guess I’ll have to wash them.” She sauntered around to the rear of the car, leaving him with his mouth hanging open. Seconds later, she was trying to lift the suitcases.

“I’ve got those.” He hauled them out, unable to think of a thing to say. He wanted to see her panties hanging up in the hotel room, because he sure as shit did not want some company man buying her lingerie.

“Can we get room service?”

He nodded and followed her in, feeling as if the world had been turned upside down then right side up and he was still getting his feet under him. The trouble was, he liked it.

Andy gave him a dazzling smile at the reception desk when he asked for a room with a whirlpool tub. The things he was going to do to her… Things he’d only dreamed of teaching her but hadn’t because Nicole had been delicate.

He considered her for a moment, watching her chatter easily with the clerk, and knew it hadn’t been her that had made him hold back. It was me. I worried she’d turn me down. No, more than turn me down… Be frightened or worried… Now he was nearly bursting to get her to the room because, after years of waiting, he was done. Make the phone call, get this going then show her.

She stared over at him then, and something of his thoughts must have been visible. She pressed up to his side so her full breasts caressed his arm. With a beautiful smile, she gave his erection another below-the-belt caress. “Are we ready?”

For more than I’ve ever dreamed. “Yeah, we’re ready.”