He squeezed her hand. So much had happened in the past two days he was still trying to process it all. Hillenbrand had a string of lawyers backing him, but the man was never going to be set free. His bail had been revoked and he’d remain in prison until his trial. If it even made it that far. There was so much evidence against him, Tucker didn’t think it would.
The stolen drone had been found in one of Hillenbrand’s warehouses. So far two of the men who’d been with him during his attempt to flee the country had admitted that the RPG attack in the subway had been ordered by Hillenbrand and for two reasons. Hillenbrand had wanted Vane—a loose end for him—dead. He’d also suspected that Vane was setting him up and had wanted another distraction for his escape. And he hadn’t wanted to risk using his stolen drone with all the agencies on such high alert. He’d been planning to save it for later.
“How’s Ortiz?” he asked, wanting to know about the agent, who was also a good friend of Karen’s. They’d been to visit him and Freeman yesterday afternoon. Ortiz had suffered from a broken leg and concussion and Freeman had a broken arm and clavicle. Both men had seemed to be doing well, but he knew Karen was still worried.
“Good, he texted me today letting me know they’d be releasing him and Freeman both soon. It’s gonna suck for a while and they’ll be on desk duty even after they’re healed, at least for a couple weeks, but they’re alive.” Her voice was tinged with unmistakable sadness.
“I’m sorry about your agents.” Two of her guys had died in the attack. They’d been to both their funerals before going to the hospital yesterday.
Three funerals in two days was too much for anyone.
“Thanks.” She let out a ragged sigh, squeezed his hand.
After driving in silence for a while, he said, “After we have breakfast tomorrow I’ve got to head back to my place, see what a mess my people and the FBI made.” He didn’t like the thought of leaving her, but he hadn’t even been home since everything happened, so he had no clue what it looked like after the DEA and whoever else had gone through it. He and his team had been publicly exonerated—very publicly, with the media running feeds about them almost twenty-four/seven—and they’d been dealing with answering questions from too many people to count. Especially since they’d all killed someone. He’d taken more than one life in the line of duty, and killing Rayford Osborn had been a big deal. The media were going crazy over it, but he and his guys were all declining interviews. Turned out that Osborn’s boss, presidential candidate Clarence Cochran, had no idea what his right-hand man had been up to, but it didn’t matter. His political career was probably over. Anyone linked, even inadvertently, to this mess was screwed.
“I’ll help if you want.” Karen sounded almost tentative.
“I know you’re crazy with work right now,” he said as they came to a stoplight. He knew she’d have no problem coming with him, but he didn’t want to affect her job.
“Well . . . I talked to Wesley and he’s giving me the week off. I have so much vacation time built up over the last few years it’s a little sad. I figured it’d be a good time for us to get some downtime together.”
“I’d love for you to help.” He cleared his throat, glad he had to keep his eyes on the road. “I, uh, was thinking of heading down to Georgia to see my parents in a couple days. Once I’d straightened everything out at my place.” He wanted her to come with him.
“That’s great. I bet it’s been so hard on them. Plus, it’ll give you time away from the media storm here. They’re like vultures.”
“I want you to come with me,” he blurted out when it was clear she hadn’t realized that was what he meant. He shot her a quick glance at another stop.
Her eyes widened. “To see your parents?”
“Hell yeah. Unless you don’t want—”
“Yes, you silly man. I’ve never met parents before, though.” She bit her bottom lip then, his brave, brilliant analyst suddenly looking unsure of herself.
That thought alone made him want to laugh. “They’ll love you. Maybe not as much as I do, but close.”
She blinked once, twice. “What?”
Aw hell. He’d wanted to tell her in a better setting than this, with candles and romantic shit. After glancing in the rearview mirror, he steered into the right lane, then pulled into a gas station.
She was silent as he parked. He left the engine running so the heat would stay on, keeping her warm.
Feeling more awkward and unsure than he ever had, he turned to her. He’d rather be in a war zone dodging bullets than face her rejection. Their hands were still linked, so he squeezed hers gently. “I don’t expect you to say anything back, but yeah, I fucking love you.” He inwardly cringed at his choice of words but forced himself to continue. “Since I was in the Corps I’ve had to make split-second decisions, often life-and-death ones, on an almost constant basis. I trust my gut instinct in any situation and I love you. I’ve never been in love before, but I know what I feel for you is it. I also know it’s too soon for any sane person to—”
“I love you too.” A wide grin spread across her beautiful face as she said the words. “I’ve gone over this in my head a million times it seems, trying to tell myself I’m crazy to even contemplate it. The analyst in me says it’s too soon, but . . . I love you.”
He leaned forward, tangling his fingers through her hair as he crushed his mouth over hers. He definitely hadn’t planned to spill his guts to her at a gas station, but he didn’t care where they were, just that they were together. And that she felt the same way.
God, she loved him too.
Relief like nothing he’d ever known pummeled through him, battering his insides. This wonderful woman actually loved him. It was way too soon for future talk, but deep down he knew that his future was with Karen. Now that he’d found her, he didn’t plan on letting her go.
Epilogue
Six months later
Karen let her head fall back against the cushioned cabana bed. Tucker had pulled all the curtains closed and no one was on the beach right now anyway, but she still made herself stay quiet. The salty tinge in the air rolled over her, the sound of the nearby waves soft and steady. But all her focus was on the very sexy man who had his face buried between her legs.
“You like that?” he murmured, his tongue flicking lazily against her clit.
“Yes,” she whispered. She loved it, something he very well knew. He just liked to tease her. They were at his parents’ beach house in north Florida and had decided to take an early-morning walk. On the way back up to their home, Tucker had pulled them into the private cabana on their property. But it was right on the border of the public beach area.
“Louder.”
“Damn you, Tucker Pankov,” she whispered again.
Chuckling in that maddening way of his, he nipped at her inner thigh. “You get a pass for saying my whole name.” Then he returned to what he was doing, teasing her with that far-too-talented tongue until she was writhing against him and moaning his name. Screw being quiet.
She slid her fingers through his hair, holding his head to her because she couldn’t bear to let go of him. Her orgasm was sharp and intense, as it always was when they had sex in a semi-public area. Ever since that storage closet, she and Tucker had found interesting places to make love. Only six months had passed since they were together, but it felt like a lifetime. It was as if she’d known him forever and now she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
Before him she’d have never taken a mini-vacation, but having him in her life had made her realize there was more to life than work.
He lifted his head as her climax ebbed, the grin on his face pure wicked as he crawled up her naked body. She leaned up to kiss him, her lips meeting his as he settled his hips between her legs.
They were so attuned to each other now it stunned her. She’d never felt like that with anyone before. Arching her hips into his, she savored the way he thrust into her, his thick length filling and stretching her.