Chapter Five
The storm wasn’t letting up. In fact, the rain pelted down even harder as Drew gazed out the window. His team was coming. He hadn’t used the landline to call them. Even in a place that was supposed to be secure... Well, he knew better than to take risks.
Risks would get a man killed.
Sarah had instantly recognized his code word. She would have gone into the back and made contact through a secure system. As a backup—because Drew always believed in backups—he had used his burner phone to check in with Dylan. Now that they were in the town, he’d managed to get a signal strong enough to make the call. His friend and team leader had given him an ETA of less than thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes, and then Tina would be gone.
That’s not enough time with her.
The bathroom door opened with a soft creak. He turned to look at her. Steam drifted lightly from the small bathroom.
A loud crack of lightning seemed to explode outside the motel room.
The room—the whole motel from the look of things—was immediately plunged into darkness.
“Drew?”
Even in the dark, he saw her form easily. Drew had always been gifted with excellent night vision. He stalked toward her. “Told you,” he said softly, “the storms come in and cause chaos in the town.” The lights might come back on in a few minutes or it could be a few hours before the electricity was restored. She’ll be long gone by then.
His fingers lifted and curled around her shoulder. Her bare shoulder. Her skin was like hot silk beneath his callused fingers.
In that one moment, before the lights had flashed off, he’d seen her standing in that doorway. She’d just been wearing a towel.
Desire, need for her, pulsed beneath his skin. He’d be sent back into the field. If not on this case, then out on another one. How long would it be before he saw her again?
Now that she was compromised, now that the crazies with HAVOC mistakenly thought that she was Mercer’s daughter, what would happen to her? She wouldn’t be able to go back to her old life.
Not with that threat hanging over her.
I’ll eliminate that threat.
“My clothes had blood on them,” she whispered. “I just... I hated to put them right back on, but I didn’t have anything else to wear.”
He motioned toward the bed. It was just a big, dark shadow. She probably didn’t even see his hand moving. “Sarah brought you some jeans and a fresh shirt.”
She didn’t move to get those clothes.
“I have a confession,” Tina told him softly. “I’ve...watched you.” Her voice was husky in the dark. “At the EOD offices.”
He’d watched her plenty, too.
Intrigued now, he waited.
“I know I’m not your usual type of...of date—”
“Oh?” He was even more curious now. “You think I don’t go for the smart and sexy women?” Because Tina was most definitely his type. His sleepless nights could attest to that.
“You live on the edge. You love danger and action. And I hide in the background.”
No, she tried to hide in the background. She failed at that job. A woman like her could never just disappear.
“I don’t want to hide from you,” Tina told him. Her hands rose and her fingers settled around his shoulders. She was so small, seemingly fragile in front of him. “I want to be with you.”
He stiffened as desire sharpened within him. “You should be very careful what you say.” Especially to a man like him. A man who’d lived for too long wanting things that he couldn’t have.
One of those things was right in front of him.
“It’s just us,” she said, and her voice was pure temptation. “No gunshots. Not even any lights. Just us. Alone in the dark.” She rose onto her tiptoes.
His fingers locked around her waist. “I warned you before about what would happen if I kissed you again.” Naked. Pleasure...
“I don’t want a warning. I told you, I just want you.” Then she kissed him.
The need, the raw lust that he felt for her, shot through him and electrified his whole body. Her kiss was tentative, and he needed more than that. So much more. He lifted her into his arms, holding her easily despite his wound.
Tina was right. They were alone. He’d been imaging her spread out in that big bed and, with the lights off, with the dark around them...
I’ll make her mine.
And when she was taken away from him, Tina would remember what they’d shared.
Drew knew he’d never forget.
Her lips were open and soft beneath his. His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she arched against him. Two steps and he was at the foot of the bed. His knees bumped into the mattress. He lowered her onto the covers, but he couldn’t make his hands let her go.
There was too much silken skin to touch and explore. The towel had come loose, and it barely covered her breasts. His fingers eased up her arms. Trailed over her shoulders then moved down her sensual curves.
He got that towel out of the way, yanked it aside.
His mouth followed the path of his hands. Drew kissed her shoulders. He inhaled her sweet scent—still strawberries. Even after everything she’d been through.
Her breasts thrust toward him.
Thunder rumbled once more.
He bent his head over her breast. Put his mouth on one tight nipple. She arched toward him and her fingers sank into his hair.
He liked the sounds she made when he touched her. But even more, he liked the way she was becoming wild for him.
His arousal strained against the fly of his jeans. He wanted to be flesh to flesh with her, to be as close as he could possibly get.
His hand slid down over the curve of her stomach. Her hips were still lifting toward him. His fingers eased between her legs.
“Drew?”
She was warm and responsive and so amazing to touch. He had to explore her. Every single inch.
The fantasy between them would end soon. But he’d take these moments. He’d hold them tight.
And she won’t forget me.
He stroked her, caressed her and made sure that her desire wound tighter and tighter with every press of his fingers. Her body trembled against his. Her breath came faster.
He found the center of her need. Right there. Right—
A cry of pleasure spilled from her lips. She held him tighter as she shuddered against him.
Hell, yes. And that was just the beginning.
He reached for the snap of his jeans.
And heard footsteps outside the motel room.
Drew tensed.
“Drew—”
He put his mouth on hers and kissed her deeply once more. He could taste her pleasure.
His own body ached. He wanted to drive into her more than he wanted his next breath.
But the footsteps were coming ever closer.
“Outside,” he whispered against her lips.
When she stiffened, he knew she understood. Their visitors could be his backup, or it could be the men from HAVOC.
Though it hurt him—so close—Drew slid off the bed. He handed Tina the clothes that Sarah had brought for her.
She dressed quickly.
He grabbed the gun Sarah had brought to him.
Drew eased toward the door. Tina’s heady scent still filled his nose. He could still taste her.
But their moment of reprieve was at an end. Too soon.
He pulled back the curtains, just a tiny space, and gazed outside. Darkness.
That was all right.
The darkness wouldn’t last forever.
Lightning flashed.
He saw the outline of two bodies.
A man and a woman. No weapons in their hands, but he could see the holsters for their guns.
He studied the two figures in that instant of light.
And the tension eased from his shoulders.
Drew opened the door. “As always,” he said to Dylan Foxx and Rachel Mancini, “your timing is hell.”
Dylan grinned at him. “Good to see you, too—”
Thunder blasted.
The hell that was thunder!
Wood splintered from the top of the door as Dylan and Rachel leaped inside the motel room.
Drew knew they’d also recognized that sound for exactly what it was—gunfire.
Drew shoved the door closed even as more bullets came flying through the air. “Anyone hit?” he demanded.
“Just a graze,” Rachel panted. “What a...jerk.”
The glass in the window shattered. The shots were coming so quickly that Dylan knew they were looking at more than one shooter.
“You were followed,” Drew said as he immediately took up a fighting stance. His gaze swept the room. Tina had ducked behind the bed. Good. She was safe.
Now to eliminate this threat.
“Bull,” Dylan snapped. “We know how to cover our trail.”
“Looks like you didn’t cover it well enough this time.” Drew hated being pinned in that motel room. The only way out would be through some back windows, and there might be men out there, waiting to take a shot at them.
“Let’s just hope all of HAVOC isn’t out there,” Rachel said as she checked her gun. “’Cause this could be one very long fight.”
A bullet ripped through the wood on the motel room door. “Tina!” Drew cried out as worry snaked through him. Innocents got hurt too easily in firefights. “Make sure you stay down.” Because when he rushed outside, the bullets would start coming twice as hard and twice as fast.
But there wasn’t a choice for Drew.
They weren’t going to stay trapped.
Dylan slanted a glance at him. They’d worked together for so long, the guy would know exactly what Drew was planning. “You sure about this?”
He rolled the tension from his shoulders. He’d gone from touching heaven to facing hell in five short minutes. “Just give me cover.”
Rachel eased closer to the window. She took aim.
Dylan took a position right next to her. They opened fire.
And Drew rushed out the front door.
* * *
DREW LANCASTER was insane.
The man had just run out into a hail of bullets. He had to be insane.
The thunder was pretty much continuous around Tina then. She could hear the bullets thudding into the walls. Hear the shattering of glass and—wow—the bedside lamp had just blasted into about a hundred small pieces.
You’d better be alive, Drew. Do not get yourself shot.
Tina stayed low. She didn’t have a weapon to use in this battle. She also couldn’t let herself become any kind of handicap to the agents. Her heart was racing, her hands shaking, but she breathed in and out, in and—
Silence.
Tina started to lift her head.
“I count two men down.” That was Dylan Foxx’s voice. Deep, rumbling, no accent at all. She’d seen Dylan plenty of times at the EOD office.
“There were at least four shooters,” Rachel Mancini said. Her voice was softer, and Tina had to strain to hear it. Usually, if Rachel was around, Dylan wasn’t far away. They always worked missions together.
Rachel and Dylan were still safe but...
Where is Drew?
“I’m going out,” Dylan said.
Great. Now two of them were rushing into enemy fire.
I can help. She crawled forward. Keeping her head down was a definite priority, but so was making certain that Drew was safe. She grabbed Dylan’s leg. He jerked toward her. “Give me a gun,” she said, gazing up at him and hoping that he didn’t notice her body was shaking. “And I’ll help cover you.”
He hesitated.
Fine. She yanked up his jeans, revealing his ankle holster. The guy always carried his backup. “I’ll just take this one,” she told him.
He blinked.
There was still no more gunfire. The silence out there was scaring her as much as the bullets. “Go find Drew.”
Dylan nodded. His gaze darted toward Rachel.
The dark-haired agent gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Then Dylan was easing open the motel-room door. He slid into the night.
Tina’s knees brushed across the broken shards of glass from the window. The rain still poured from the sky, and the darkness seemed so complete outside. The brief flashes of lightning lit up the scene, and every time it flashed, she strained to see—
“He’s got a gun!” The figure lurched up from the darkness and aimed right at the motel room.
Rachel fired.
Tina did, too. The bullets hit the would-be shooter, and the man stumbled back.
Her heart slammed into her ribs. The frantic beating was so powerful that she ached.
“Clear!” That sharp voice calling out—it was Drew’s.
She didn’t release her death grip on the gun.
“Four men down,” Drew shouted. “I need the doc out here!”
He was hurt. In an instant Tina was on her feet. She grabbed for the doorknob.
“Wait—” Rachel began.
No, Drew needed her. There was no waiting.
She ran from the room. Another flash of lightning illuminated Drew. He was on the ground. She could smell blood. “Drew?” Tina reached for him.
He turned toward her. Rain water dripped down his face. “I’m okay, Doc.” He pointed to the man on the ground. “He isn’t.”
Another flash of lightning showed her the face of the man who’d held her hostage. Drew had called him Lee. Lee. The man who’d used his phone to record her video proof of life.
The guy who’d callously ordered that her finger be cut off.
“The others are dead,” Drew said as the rain hit them. “Lee is the only one left alive out here.”
Lee was choking on his own blood. Bullet wounds lined his chest. His eyes were wide and stark, terrified.
This was the man who’d wanted to use her. To hurt her.
Tina sank to her knees. I need tools. “I have to get the bullets out.” Have to stop the blood. Have to try to stabilize him. His blood pressure will be dropping. And—
She heard the wheeze coming from his lungs. When she leaned forward and looked at his mouth, she could see the small mist of blood shoving past his lips.
“He’s got a bullet in his lung.” She grabbed Lee’s shirt and ripped it apart. The rain kept pelting down on her. She needed to get him inside and—
There were two holes in his chest. One bullet had hit his lung. One had driven in close to his heart. Too close.
A hard hand closed around her wrist, jerking on the bruised skin.
“Don’t even think about it, Lee,” Drew snarled in the same instant.
Lee had a tight hold on her. He was trying to sit up.
The man should have realized that he didn’t have strength to waste fighting her. He should also have realized—
Drew had his gun locked on the man.
“You don’t need that,” Tina said softly, sadly. Because unless she could get serious help to the injured man within the next few moments...
He’ll be gone. He won’t be able to hurt anyone.
“M-Mercer’s...daughter...” The words were forced from Lee’s throat. Blood dripped from his lips.
“You need to take it easy,” she told him. No one’s last moments should be filled with agony.
But Lee smiled at her. “Y-you’re gonna die...”
No, you are. In just a few moments. Had she done this? Had her shot hit him?
She’d seen brutal death just like this before. Her father had been hit in the chest with a bullet. Her mother had been hit in the heart.
The wrong place. The wrong time.
They’d gone into the local bank, so happy. They’d planned to close out Tina’s savings account right before she went to college.
They’d walked into death.
The bank robbers hadn’t cared about her family. The robbers had just panicked when Tina began having one of her attacks.
They’d killed her mother instantly.
Her father—it had taken him longer to die. His lungs had slowly filled with blood.
It wasn’t going to take Lee as long to die. Not with that shot so close to his heart. Had it nicked the heart? A valve? She glanced over at Drew. “His heart—”
“I can...feel it...” Lee muttered. “Know...what’s comin’...”
Her gaze slid to him once more. Under the flash of lightning, Lee didn’t look scared. He looked furious.
“Think you’re...winnin’...agent...” Lee’s lips twisted into a gruesome smile. “But he’s not...done...”
Drew pulled Tina away from the dying man. “Who’s not done?”
Footsteps rushed toward them. Dylan and Rachel.
“We checked the rest of the perimeter,” Dylan said as he closed in. “We’re clear.”
The rain eased up, dripping lightly over them instead of pelting down.
The thunder had stopped.
No more thunder. No more gunshots.
“Devast...wants...her...” Lee’s voice was a harsh rasp. “Won’t...stop...until he gets...her...”
“Devast won’t touch her,” Drew swore. “He’s out at the compound now, isn’t he? Your boss? I’m going after him. I’m going to—”
“Devast...won’t stop—”
A sharp breath slipped from Lee.
“Anton Devast?” Drew demanded as he bent over Lee. “I know how many lives he’s taken. He won’t—”
Tina put her hand on his shoulder. “He’s gone.” She’d heard that last, hard wheeze that had stilled in Lee’s throat.
“Damn it!” Drew surged back to his feet.
Tina leaned over the body. She felt for his pulse, just to be certain, but with the massive trauma to his chest...
Gone.
She shivered as the raindrops trailed down her body. The past and the present both slid through her mind.
You can’t save them. The cops on scene had told her that over and over again as she’d clung desperately to her parents.
Tina glanced at her hands. Even in the dark, she could see the blood.
“Get her inside,” Drew said to Rachel as his fingers closed around Tina’s shoulders. “Dylan and I will handle the cleanup.”
Cleanup. Because there were other bodies out there. Wait, maybe... “Are you sure they’re all dead? Maybe some of them are still alive.”
Drew shook his head.
She turned toward the motel room. The place looked totally trashed from the outside. Sarah was there, and Tina saw her edging toward them cautiously.
The chill of death seemed to permeate the air. Tina squared her shoulders. “I’m ready to go home now.” It was time to leave Drew’s bloody world behind.
Time to leave...him.
* * *
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Anton Devast slowly walked toward the waiting helicopter. The compound was being evacuated. The few men left were scattering.
This base wouldn’t be operational—not when the EOD agents swarmed. And they would swarm.
One of those bastards was here.
Mercer was smart, and his agents were smart. It had only been a matter of time until they’d infiltrated his network.
But it didn’t matter. He’d found Mercer’s weakness. Tina Jamison. He had pictures of the woman. Videos.
She wasn’t escaping from him.
Lee hadn’t checked in. That meant the man was either dead or running. If he had tried to flee, well, Lee would be dead in hours.
Anton stared into the waning night. He’d waited years for his vengeance. He’d bided his time, made powerful connections and planned so carefully.
He didn’t have many days left on this earth. The cancer that had ravaged him before was coming back. Before he died, he had to finish his job.
It wasn’t about destroying the U.S. government. Wasn’t even about taking down the EOD and the agents who thought it was their job to stick their noses into private affairs.
It was about Bruce Mercer.
About making the man suffer.
Bruce hadn’t agreed to trade his life for his daughter’s. That had been his mistake. He’d had an option. A chance.
There would be no more chances.
It wasn’t about a trade anymore.
It was about a life.
One life for another.
Vengeance.
Mercer would understand his pain now. He’d feel the same agony that Anton had experienced. But there would be no relief from that pain. There was never any relief.
“Burn the place to the ground,” he ordered as he left the ranch.
Thud. Thud.
The base had already been set to ignite. The first explosion detonated and the flames burst into the air. The scent of fire drifted on the wind. He didn’t look back at the flames.
He was too busy looking ahead—and planning for Tina Jamison’s death.