Taken by Tuesday

Chapter Twenty-Four



Rick encouraged Judy to shower, take a moment to decompress. The tension in the room ranked up there with his first days in the service.

Once Judy disappeared and the sound of the pipes opening up filled the vast emptiness of the huge house, Rick leaned his head back. “I care for your daughter, Mr. Gardner.”

Sawyer grunted.

Rick would have liked to tell the man the depth of those feelings but didn’t think Judy’s dad needed to hear those words before she did. With everything going on in their life, he didn’t want to add any more to hers. He wasn’t sure she felt the same and didn’t think the rejection would sit well with him. If he confessed his love, and she came back with some let’s be friends when this is over bullshit, it would gut him.

Their relationship was fragile on many levels.

“You care for her?” He didn’t sound convinced.

“Yes.” Rick didn’t look at the man, didn’t want him to see his deeper feelings.

“Marriage isn’t supposed to be temporary. I didn’t think I had to tell my children this growing up. Thought it was a given since Janice and I never considered separating.”

Even though neither Judy nor Rick said a thing about their marriage being temporary, seemed Sawyer already came to his own conclusions.

“I cared for her before our life grew complicated. There’s no guarantee anything is temporary.”

“What are you saying, Rick?”

Rick looked at his father-in-law, met his stare. “I’m suggesting you restrain your judgment. Judy’s been through a lot and doesn’t need the distraction of pleasing her father right now.”

Sawyer blinked a couple of times before tipping his beer back.

Rick’s phone buzzed. When he looked, he saw the video feed of Judy’s office light up. The motion detector on the one bouquet triggered the device to signal him.
     



“An important text?” Sawyer really wasn’t impressed and Rick realized just how difficult it was going to be to win the man over.

The cleaning crew was in Judy’s office, wiping down her desk and emptying the trash. Rick leaned over and gave Sawyer a glimpse of the phone. “I told you I was going to watch over her. This is her office.”

“You’re spying on her at work?”

Rick shook his head. “We think the guy who attacked her has access to her space. We’re watching for him.”

When Sawyer said nothing, Rick stood and started from the room. “Mind joining me, Mr. Gardner? I’d like to show you something.”

The room Russell and Dennis had taken over housed several monitors and recording devices. Rick flipped a few switches and let the monitors spring to life. The cameras outside the Beverly Hills home were obvious. The gate, the backyard, the front door. The feed into Judy’s office showed them both activity as a housekeeper pushed a vacuum around the office and then out in the hall and out of view.

Sawyer looked at the other feeds. “What’s all this?”

“You’ve met Neil.” He pointed to a set of feeds on one large monitor. “This is his place.” He pointed to another home. “This one is Malibu, where Blake and Samantha live. Zach and Karen’s place.” He flipped the feeds as he spoke. “And this is in Tarzana, my place.”

Sawyer found another location housing only one camera. “And this one?”

“The Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento. Not that we need to actually monitor that, but Carter and Eliza like to know that we can tap into their system if needed.”

Sawyer waved his hand at all the monitors. “What are all you afraid of?”

Rick actually laughed. “Nothing. The Marines taught me many things. Being resourceful and having the knowledge to protect those you care about is a priority for us. Blake Harrison is one of the richest men on this continent. Neil is married to Blake’s sister, and you already know some of the risks Michael faces.”

Meg walked through one of the feeds at the Tarzana house. A light indicated the signal of the alarm being set.

“And why is your home monitored? You look like a man who can take care of himself.”

Was that a compliment?

“Because normally all this is there. This is a temporary setup put in place when I was in jail.” It killed him to say that. “Once we capture the man behind the attacks, this will all leave your son’s home.”

“Are you sure you’ll find him?”

Rick leaned against the desk. “I will. I take my responsibilities seriously. Keeping my wife safe is my main priority.”



Hannah picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, sis.”

“Oh my God, Judy! You do realize that I’m now going to be placed in a chastity belt and forced to live my life in a tower because of you.”

Hannah was a typical overdramatic eighteen-year-old. If Judy was honest with herself, she knew Hannah’s life would be more difficult with the decisions Judy had made.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Hannah paused. “You really married him?”

“I did.”

“I always thought I’d be in your wedding. I was too young to remember much of Rena’s.”

“We signed papers, Hannah. There wasn’t a real wedding.” Judy glanced at the ring sitting on her finger and admired the shine.

“So it’s true . . . what Dad said about your marriage being a fraud like Mike’s was?”

No. Mike and Karen had only ever been friends. From what Karen told her, they hadn’t even slept together. Considering how attracted Karen was to Zach from day one, that was probably for the best. Rick was much more than a friend. “Everything happened so fast. I don’t know what’s going to happen or how things will end up.”

“If you stay married, you better have some kind of wedding eventually.”

“Careful what you ask for . . . I might ask you to wear some horrific dress that itches in all the wrong places.”

Hannah laughed.

“I need to talk to Mom. Is she home?”

Hannah said her good-byes and handed the phone off. “Make him go home, Mom. Please!”

Janice offered a soft laugh. “I would like to think I have that power over your dad, but making him do anything is always a balancing act. I told him not to go. I thought by my not getting on the plane he’d abort the notion of going to California.”

“Rick and I need to concentrate on us. I know that sounds selfish, but I can’t deal with Dad right now.”

“I understand, honey, but your dad has a mind of his own and feels it’s his duty to make sure you haven’t married someone just to keep him out of jail. Think about that for a minute.”

Judy sat on the edge of her bed talking into the phone and pinching her nose. “The only reason Rick was in jail was because of me. It’s not like he robbed a bank and I’m an airhead who shacks up with a lowlife.”

Her mom laughed. “No one is calling anyone names. I don’t think your father thinks Rick is guilty of anything.”

“Then why is he here? It’s like he doesn’t trust my judgment at all. He didn’t run here when Karen and Mike got married.”

“Mike is a son.”

“So?”

“It’s different with daughters.”

The conversation was making her head split.

“You’ll understand when you have children of your own. For now, you’ll have to trust me. Your dad and I love you, honey. We wanted to see you walk down the aisle when the right man entered your life.”

The next words popped out of her mouth without a filter. “Who says Rick isn’t the right man?”

There was a long pause.

“Well then . . .”

“Yes . . . well then.” Judy released a long-suffering sigh. “You have to trust that I know what I’m doing, Mom.”

“I’ve never doubted you, honey. Never.”

Judy ended the conversation with her mother and forced herself to join the men.



“I love him,” Judy said hours later when she and Rick retired for the night. “But I want to strangle him.” She flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure that’s the way to win him over.”

Judy growled.

“Look on the bright side,” Rick said. “My parents haven’t shown up.”

Judy glanced at Rick as he kicked off his shoes. “Have they even called?”

“My dad did.”

She rolled on her side and leaned on an elbow. “What did he say?”

“Asked if I was guilty.”

“Oh no.”

Rick didn’t seem fazed. “My parents think I’m crazy. Can’t blame them. I ran to the Marines and got out nearly as quickly. I end up in jail, in the news.”

“But if your dad thinks you’re capable of killing anyone . . .”

Rick paused and removed his sport jacket. Concealed in a holster was one of the guns he carried. “I saw active combat, Judy. I’m capable of killing.”

She shivered. “I never thought of it like that.”

He slid out of the holster and laid it on the dresser before stepping toward the bed. He crawled on top of the comforter with her, leaned his head next to hers. “I wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone hurting you.”

“That scares me.”

“I would never hurt you.”

His green eyes pierced her. “I know.”
     



He reached for her, pulled her close, and kissed the tip of her nose.

She placed a hand on the side of his cheek. “Do you realize we haven’t consummated our marriage yet?”

Those dimples doubled and his lips met hers. Soft kisses coaxed her open and onto her back. They’d had so many distractions, so many obstacles, they hadn’t spent nearly enough time in each other’s arms.

Rick wasted little time reminding her of how talented he was with his tongue, keeping her pinned to the bed without really holding her down. She felt safe with him close. His presence was a crutch, she knew, but as vices went, Rick was worth any hangover he might induce. The tips of his fingers ran inside the edge of her pants and she moaned.

He silenced her with a kiss, robbed her of breath. When stars started rolling in her head, she pulled away. “Oh, Rick.”

“Shh . . .” He kissed her neck, pulling another moan from her. “Much as I love the noise you make in bed, babe . . . making love within feet of your disapproving father would be better without the threat of him attempting to walk in on us.”

She froze and squeezed her eyes shut. “You did not just say that.”

He laughed as he unbuttoned her shirt and pressed his lips to her breast. “You like adventure.”

Her hands were on his shoulders, ready to push him away. “But my dad . . .”

Apparently, her father wasn’t a threat for him. He found the pert end of her breast and moved in to taste while his knee slipped between hers. “Oh!”

Rick laughed over her breast while he worked the clasp until she was free of both her shirt and her bra. His five o’clock shadow rubbed below her breast as he paid equal attention to both sides of her body.

Thoughts of her father fled and she sought Rick’s touch everywhere. The scent, the feel of his skin on hers doubled when he removed his shirt and sent it to the floor. Would she ever tire of the thick dips and curves of his amazing body?

“So soft,” he said as he nuzzled her hip once she was free of her pants. Hot breath moved in waves over her core. His intentions of tasting all of her smoldered in his eyes.

She shook her head on the bed, tried to control the tone in her voice. “I’ll scream,” she warned him. Keeping silent with a tongue-induced orgasm wasn’t in her.

He pushed aside her panties, left one side dangling from her ankle, and kissed up the planes of her naked body. “No. You’ll feel everything and keep quiet.”

His words brought moisture everywhere.

“I can’t.”

“Shh.” He leaned in, licked her inner thigh.

The need to moan tickled her throat, but she held it back.

“There you go.”

Rick moved one of her legs over his shoulder and nibbled his way around her, each taste a little closer than the last. She couldn’t hold still, the need for him to find her was so keen she nearly grasped his head to help him focus. Then he was there and Judy brought a fist to her mouth to keep from crying out. He was merciless, holding no prisoners and keeping nothing back as he teased and prodded. With her orgasm close, she pushed against him with an intensity she couldn’t ever remember being so powerful before this . . . before Rick. Before coming in silence as she writhed on the bed.

He was laughing at her as he crawled up her frame, shedding the remainder of his clothes en route.

“I’ll get you for that,” she promised with a smile.

“Promises, promises.”

Yet before she could make good on her words, Rick anchored himself between her lax legs and pushed himself home. So warm, so perfect. She wrapped her legs around him and took all he had to give.

She tasted herself on his lips. His kiss mimicked his hips.

He hesitated and looked down at her with concern. “Condom,” he said. “I didn’t—”

When he started to pull away, she held him tighter. “I’m on the pill. Last checkup was all good.”

“I’m good, but are you sure?”

She answered by pushing her hips closer. Sex without condoms wasn’t something she ever did. But making love to Rick without one . . . that felt perfectly right. “Too much talking,” she whispered. “Not enough moving.”

He laughed, rolled her around on the bed until she straddled him. When the bed squeaked they both froze and stared at the door.

She giggled and Rick moved her back under him, sealed his lips to hers and made love to her so slowly, so silently, and so completely, she heard angels sing.



Judy rolled over to find Rick missing from her bed. The clock at the bedside blinked five in the morning. With a smile on her face, she slipped into a bathrobe and found Rick huddled over her tablet with a cup of coffee in his hand. “Hey.”

She slid her arm around his shoulders, loved how easily they fit together. His morning kiss brought a blush to her cheeks. “Good morning.” He nodded toward the steaming coffeepot. “I made coffee.”

“Good in the bedroom and in the kitchen. How did I get so lucky?”

“Don’t ask me to actually cook anything.”

“Don’t blow my illusion.” She poured a cup, mixed it to her liking, and let the first taste slide down her throat with a moan.

She caught him staring at her and smiled. “What?”

He licked his lips with a look of hunger.

The female in her wanted to purr. His hunger wasn’t for coffee, and she knew it. “You’re bad.”

“I like your moans. Missed them last night.”

But he’d been right about the intensity of their joining without making any noise. “I think we’ll have an opportunity to moan again.”

He fidgeted in the chair and directed his attention to her tablet. The game she played was on display. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to see if there are any clues here. Any patterns.”

She moved to sit in his lap, and tapped the screen, collecting money from her virtual buildings. “Find anything?”

“Not really. This guy raided you a few times in the last couple of days, but then so did this woman.”

“It’s part of the game. Once you find a weak player, you tend to go back to them over and over to increase your stats. It’s nothing personal.”

“It is if the guy behind all this is playing this game. You said yourself there are diehards on here.”

She sipped her coffee and pressed revenge button over the players that hit her in the night. “Well let’s see if we can provoke a response off these people.” She bombed a few defensive buildings, making the player weaker, and then raided a building or two, stealing their virtual money.

“What are you doing?”

Judy explained her strategy and repeated it with two more players. “If they’re diehards, they’ll come back hitting. If they don’t care, they’ll just stay away.”

“And if they’re our guy, they might just try and wipe out your base?”

She shivered. “It’s a game. You can’t wipe out a base. But yeah, you can have a bully on the game. Eventually they get bored and move on.”

“Or they hunt down the player in real life and hurt them.” He squeezed her waist. “There are crazy people out there.”

She knew that now. Wouldn’t look at the game the same way again. If it wasn’t the only link they had to a possible suspect, she’d delete the thing now. “Any activity on my Facebook page?”

“Nothing. A few friends left comments about your red dress.”
     



She smiled.

“Love that dress.” He nuzzled her neck.

She pushed him away when her dad walked in the room and cleared his throat.



“I can take the morning off . . . drive you to the airport,” Judy told her father after she showered and readied herself for another day.

Rick was in their room, giving her time to talk to her dad alone.

“I rented a car,” Sawyer said, looking past her and down the hall.

“Still . . .”

He blew out a long-suffering breath and turned his gaze toward her.

He looked miserable.

“I’m sorry I’m disappointing you.”

He shook his head. “I don’t like some of the choices you’re making, but I’m not disappointed.”

“You look like you are.”

Her dad attempted a smile, sucked at it, and let the facade drop.

Judy found herself smiling.

“I like Rick,” he said. “I’d like him more if he’d told me his intentions.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one he talks about his intentions with?”

Her words wiggled into her father’s brain. “I suppose.”

Judy stepped closer to her dad. “I know you’re worried about me. But I’m OK. I really am.”

He nodded and opened his arms.

She hugged her dad and heard him sigh. “You need me . . . day or night.”

Emotion sat in the back of her throat. “I know.”

Sawyer kissed the top of her head and let her go. “You go . . . I’ll lock up when I leave.”

“Love you, Dad.”

“Love you, too, baby.”