Storm Front (18 page)

Denuccio dived to the side. Whether he had intended to or not, he shot at her and Garcia.

Garcia groaned and stopped struggling. His body pinned her to the floor, and she couldn’t get enough leverage to move him off her. She was trapped and couldn’t see her remaining enemy.

“Ahh, now I have you, my pet.” Denuccio’s voice came from above her and to her right.

“I’m … not … yours, you freak.” Tessa still had the Ruger, in her hand and hidden by Garcia’s body. If he got within sight, she’d shoot.

“Ahh, but you are mine. You wear my mark.” He gloated.

“I have no mark. I’m not yours.” The mark had been gone for years. Only a tattoo of a phoenix existed where the brand had once been. And like the phoenix, she’d risen from the ashes. And she planned to stay that way and begin a new life with Earl.

She freed her hand from under Garcia’s arm, pointed her gun in the general direction of Denuccio’s voice and pulled the trigger.

“Bitch! You shot at me!” He screamed, a wild maniacal sound that chilled her to her bones. “You’ll pay, little slave. You don’t need a knee cap for what I want to do with you.”

His thudding footsteps came closer. When she turned her head, she didn’t have a shot. Couldn’t see him. He’d be on her before she could shoot. God, she was dead.

Then more pounding of feet came from the open doorway. She turned her head toward the new sound, the sound of rescue. “Earl! Watch out, he has a gun!”

Denuccio growled and turned away from her and headed toward the door.

God, no, Earl was a sitting duck. She raised her hand and took the shot she had, getting the bastard in the leg.

Denuccio turned and aimed at her. “Bitch. You’re dead.”

A shot and Denuccio fell to the floor next to her. Half his head blown away. Blood and unspeakable gore splattered Garcia’s body and dripped onto her.

Tessa screamed and screamed as she tried to get out from under the dead weight on top of her. Get away from the dead creature who would’ve enslaved her.

“Goddamn, baby. Fuck, just fuck.” The dead weight was suddenly gone. She was pulled against a warm body smelling of sweat, musk, citrus, snow, and Earl.

“Tessa. Baby. Shh. I’m here.” Rocking her in his arms, Earl’s voice finally broke through the image of what was left of Denuccio’s face.

Tessa sobbed and tried to curl into his body even more. He caught her up in his arms and stood in one fluid showing of strength. He headed for the bedroom. She buried her face in his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“God, sweetheart. I almost died inside. I couldn’t get here fast enough.” Earl rubbed his jaw over her hair. He held her as if he’d never let her go.

She could live with that.

Someone tried to pry the Ruger out of her hand. She half-whimpered, half-growled and held on to it. Keely’s “just in case” foresight had saved her life; she wasn’t letting go of the damn gun.

“Tessa, sweetie, give me the gun.” Loren’s voice sounded over the rapid beat of Earl’s heart where her head lay on his chest.

“Tessa,” Earl whispered against her ear. “Give Loren the gun, baby. I need to get you checked over. Cleaned up.”

She released the gun and then dug her fingers into Earl’s back. He didn’t complain a bit.

“Loren, you coordinate with the cops,” said Earl. “I’m going to take care of Tessa.”

“Take your time,” Loren replied. “Paul and I can handle the locals.”

After Earl carried her through the bedroom and entered the bathroom, he attempted to put some distance between their bodies.

“No, hold me.” She held on to him as if she’d fall into nothingness if he let her go.

Earl was having none of that. “God, sweetheart, I’m not leaving you. But you need to let me look at you.” He stroked a trembling hand over what parts of her body weren’t plastered against him. “Are you injured? Did he touch you? Baby, please let me look.”

His bordering-on-frantic voice finally penetrated the haze in her mind.

Tessa lifted her head, looked into his dark eyes, and saw his fear. Her strong man was scared for her.

“I’m fine.” Her breath hitched as she stifled a sob threatening to erupt. She stroked his face with blood-spattered fingers. “I’m fine. Denuccio didn’t get near me. I shot him.”

“So did I.”

Tessa saw a satisfied gleam in her man’s eyes. “Yeah, you did. Thanks.” She kissed his chin. “I hid and got away from Denuccio. But Garcia stopped me.” She swallowed as her throat threatened to tighten up on her again.

“Just take your time.” Earl turned on the shower, efficiently stripped her, and put her under the warm spray. He climbed in and stood behind her, fully clothed, and held her in his arms as he washed blood spatter off her. “How’d you get under Garcia?”

“I shot his gun arm. He came at me and we … struggled for my gun.” She stopped and took a couple of shallow breaths. “I fought him. I had to get to you. Then Denuccio came, and it all went to hell after that. God, he was going to shoot you. So, I shot him.”

“You did good, sweetheart.” He turned her to face him and kissed her. He muttered against her lips as he stroked her back with shaking hands. “Fuck, I couldn’t get here fast enough. I heard shots and noises and … fuck, baby.”

He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. “You did very, very good.” He kissed her again and then gently nudged her head onto his chest. He rested his cheek on the top of her wet hair. “You stayed alive. No thanks to me. God, I should never have left you alone.”

He was blaming himself? Why? He’d provided a guard and a secure place. No one could’ve predicted Garcia being in bed with Denuccio. It had only made sense to her when she’d seen the Fed’s face through the spyhole.

“I’m fine. We’re fine.” Tessa rubbed soothing circles on his back under his now sopping-wet jacket and kissed his chin. “This was where I needed to be. You did nothing wrong.” She angled her head to look at him and grinned. “Please note, I followed instructions to the letter. I didn’t open the door, and I didn’t leave the room.”

Earl half-chuckled, half-groaned. “So noted. Plus you were smart and held it together. The hotel security had already called the cops and the paramedics. We all hit the penthouse floor at the same time.”

Tessa shuddered. “Thank God you did. The man was crazy. He was going to take me with him at first, but when I shot him … he decided I wasn’t worth the effort.”

Earl growled. “Crazy fucker.” His fierce expression eased. “Sorry you had to see me kill him. But I couldn’t chance he might get a shot off at you. I had to go for a head shot.”

“No apologies. You saved me.” She massaged the nape of his neck. “I love you, Earl.”

“And I love you.” Earl kissed the tip of her nose. “Now, let’s get you dry and dressed before the authorities descend like locusts to question us.”

He turned off the water and helped Tessa out of the shower. When he would’ve wrapped her in a towel and begun drying her, she put her hand on his arm. “I think we need a bath … together. To relax us both.” She unzipped his sodden winter jacket which he shrugged off and let drop at their feet.

Earl shook his head and smiled. “You are amazing. You
will
marry me.”

She noted it was an order and not a request, but she didn’t care. She wanted to belong to this man.

“When?” She stopped unbuttoning his shirt at his words. Her heart pounding, she smiled through tears of joy.

“As soon as possible.”

“I’m good with that time table.” She threw him a naughty grin. “But after our bath, okay?”

“Deal.” Earl picked her up and carried her to the tub. He started the bath water and placed her in the tub. “Be right back.”

Tessa adjusted the water temperature and added some bath oil as Earl locked the door. As he walked back toward the tub, he stripped off his clothing. The man could make a living as a male stripper. He was yummy … and all hers.

A naughty grin on his lips and a gleam in his eye, he approached, his cock leading the way. “Ready for some clean relaxation, sweetheart?”

“Oh, yeah.” Tessa laughed and scooted forward so he could climb in behind her.

Earl aligned his legs outside of hers, his arms circling her waist, and then placed a kiss at the top of her spine. “We’ll fly to Vegas once the winter storm lets up. But tonight, I plan on getting an early start on the honeymoon.”

Tessa relaxed against him, surrounded by his scent and his warmth. “Sounds good to me, but I think we need to move to another hotel room. They might have to re-carpet this one.”

Earl laughed. “I’ll get right on that, baby, immediately after our
bath
.” He lifted her until his cock could enter her from behind.

She moaned as he filled her emptiness. “Um, is that what you’re calling this now?”

His breath was warm on her shoulder as he kissed her there. “I call it loving you, Tessa.”

As she settled even farther onto his thick cock, his hands urging her gently down, she whispered, “Yeah, love me, Earl.”

“Forever and ever, baby.” He whispered against her ear. “Forever and ever.”

The End

Monette Michaels is the pen name for a multi-published author of suspense/thrillers. She's been married to the love of her life for far longer than she cares to remember. Her home is in Central Indiana.