Men Out of Uniform

  Pain flashed through her. Be careful what you ask for, Sophia, you might get it.

  His hands ran down her back to her ass. “Did anyone ever tell you how special you are?” She shook her head. He reached up and kissed a petulant nipple. “How brave and generous you are?” He suckled her nipple deep into his mouth and tongued it. Then he pulled her lips down to his. “How fucking hot you are?” His cock thickened against the inside of her thighs. He rolled her over and slid into her. “How fucking tight you are?” Sophia closed her eyes and surrendered to him. “How sweet your pussy is?”

  “No,” she whispered.

  He cupped her breasts, pushing them together, sucking one nipple, then another. “God, I love your tits.”

  I love you, Colin.

  “I love the way your body responds to me.” He slowly undulated against her. “How you let yourself go. So trusting. So sensitive.” He thrust deeper into her. “So greedy for more.”

  Emotion swelled with the fierceness of a tsunami in her chest. It threatened to wreck her entire world. Colin Daniels tried to come off as a womanizer of the highest order, but he was a man who felt deep. She loved him more for it, even though he didn’t love her. Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her. “Colin,” she cried. “I’m afraid.”

  “Shhh, sweetheart. I will stand by you every step of the way.”

  And if it were against any other man than Angelo Gilletti, she’d let him. “Make love to me, Colin, like there is no tomorrow.”

  Chapter 8

  Colin woke to an empty bed. At first, he thought Sophia was just in the bathroom, but when he realized the sheets beside him were cold, he jackknifed to a sitting position. The room was completely dark. He fumbled around for a light. Finding a lamp on the nightstand, he turned it on. Her clean clothes were gone!

  He leapt from the bed and ran down the hall to the kitchen. Empty. The entire first floor was vacant. He ran upstairs, and before he got to the captain’s room, his two mastiffs were furiously barking.

  “Captain!” Colin said. “Tell me Sophia is in there with you!”

  The door jerked open and the captain was shrugging on a shirt, taking earphones out of his ears. “Huh?”

  “Sophia? Is she in there?”

  “Hell no!” He held up the earphones. Colin could hear music blaring. “I had to put these on because you two were so damn loud last night.”

  Panic tore through him. “She’s gone, damn it!”

  The captain laughed and pointed at Colin’s half-hard cock. “You probably scared her away with that monster pecker.”

  He had to find her! “I’m getting dressed. I’m going to look for her. I won’t say no to help.”

  Colin raced down the stairs to get dressed. The captain called after him. “Did you put a GPS in her with your dick? Otherwise, only pure luck will help you find her.”

  “I’m feeling lucky tonight,” Colin called back to him and ran to the bedroom. Why had she flown? Did she not trust that he would protect her? As he came out of the room two minutes later, the captain had both of his dogs leashed.

  “Spartacus and Caesar have the two best noses in this county. Grab something with her scent on it. The boys will find her.”

  Colin ran back into the bedroom and grabbed the towel Sophia had used and ran back to the captain. He let both of the drooling dogs sniff then said, “Find it, boys. Find the girl!”

  They put their noses to the air, then to the ground. They picked up her scent and went straight into the bedroom, then to the big bay window, and through it. Colin followed the captain through, and they were hot on her trail. The dogs kept their noses diligently to the ground in a crazy, haphazard trail. It was apparent Sophia had no clue where she was going. Twice she ended up at a dead end. And twice she crossed the road to the beach and ran through the water. But the mastiffs picked her scent back up. Almost two miles down the road, the dogs began to get excited. They led him to a van parked at the end of a dark driveway of a house that looked as if the occupants were on an extended stay.

  “Call the dogs off, Cappy. I’ll finish,” Colin said, striding angrily toward the van.

  Cappy backed off about fifty yards. Colin tried all of the doors. They were locked. Frustrated, Colin shook the van. “Sophia, unlock the door!”

  Silence.

  Fine.

  Colin pressed his fingers up and around each of the wheel wells, hoping to find a hidden key. No luck. He felt around the fender. Nothing. He lifted the hood of the vintage van and felt around the inside lip of the hood. Nothing. But she didn’t have to know that.

  “I found a key, Sophia.”

  Nothing.

  Damn stubborn woman! Didn’t she know she was in danger running alone? “Unlock the door. Now.”

  Finally some movement. She moved up to the driver’s seat, where he was standing. She rolled the window down a few inches. Tears stained her red puffy eyes. His heart broke for her. But more than that, euphoria swept through him. He would never let her go. Not now, not when he had just found her again. “Sophia.”

  She shook her head. “No, Colin. I’m not going back there!”

  “Open the door.”

  She sniffed hard and jerked it open. “You can’t force me.”

  “I won’t force you.”

  Her head jerked back. “You won’t?”

  “No. I won’t. But I want you to tell me why you don’t believe I can protect you.”

  She swiped her shirtsleeve across her runny nose. “I trust you! I know you would die protecting me! But I’ll never be able to live with him alive. And Colin”—she grabbed his shirt—“Angelo will get you. I care too much about you to let that happen.”

  “I care too much about you to let him hurt you. Or to let you run from me just because you’re afraid.”

  “You don’t understand! As long as he’s alive, we’re both dead!” She sniffed and dropped her bomb. “I’m not testifying. I’m going back to him.”

  Rage and terror swept though him. No! She would not go back to him. Never! Gilletti would destroy her. Colin would never allow that. “Sophia,” he calmly said, taking her face into his hands. He looked earnestly into her terrified green eyes. “Listen to me. You will never be able to live until you are free of Angelo. The only way to do that is to put him in prison.”

  “He’ll kill us both.”

  “Do you have so little faith in me?”

  “I know Angelo.”

  “And I know you.”

  “No, you—”

  “Yes.” Colin looked at her and said softly, “I once knew a brave girl who took on the biggest, baddest guy in town to save the people she loved. But before she sold herself to the devil, she gave herself to a man who didn’t deserve her. A man who never forgot her or the one night they spent together.” He smoothed the wisps of hair from her cheeks. “I went looking for you, Cinderella, but you were gone. Then I had no choice but to ship out.”

  His words knocked the breath from her chest. He knew! He went looking for her? Sophia’s heart thudded like a kettledrum in her chest. Her eyes stung with fresh tears. “You . . . remembered?”

  He kissed her damp cheeks. “How could I forget?” He kissed her nose and her lips. “And now that I’ve found you, Maria Sophia Castavettes, you want me to walk away?”

  “I—Oh, Colin. I’m so afraid.”

  “Trust me, please.”

  She took a leap of faith, and threw her arms around his neck and clung to him. “I do, Colin. I do.”

  Several hours later, they were headed for New York City on Captain O’Malley’s private plane, piloted by none other than the captain himself. Colin called the DA’s direct line, brought him up to speed, and discussed when and where to meet. He made it clear that the DA was not to inform anyone of their meeting time or place. No one. Colin was taking no chances.

  Sophia slept for most of the flight. An hour out, Colin roused her.

  “Cinderella,” he said with a smile, “I ne
ed to talk to you about a few things before we land.”

  She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and nodded. He handed her one of the cell phones. “Put this in your pocket and keep it on vibrate in case we get separated.”

  “Separated?”

  “I’m going to handcuff you to me the minute I get within reach of a set, but just in case, take it.”

  Reluctantly she did. “We’re meeting the DA in his office. I told him four hours, but we’re going to be there in less than two.”

  Chapter 9

  MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY ROSS’S OFFICE

  In three hours, Sophia destroyed what had taken the Gilletti family decades to build. She promised to back her incriminating declaration with documents, bank account numbers, and names. The DA was dancing on his desk with glee.

  Colin sat silent for almost the entire three hours, his pride and admiration for Sophia growing with each minute. She was the bravest woman he knew. And she was his. His stomach did weird rolls and flops each time he thought about how deeply he felt for her. In the three hours he sat beside Sophia, he had mentally rearranged his life so that he could have one with her.

  When they were finished, Colin stood. “If you’ve got everything you need for now, I’ll be taking Sophia to a safe house.”

  “We’ll be issuing a warrant for Gilletti’s arrest within the hour,” the DA said.

  “His lawyers will have him out before you fingerprint him,” Colin said. He took Sophia’s hand and gave her a reassuring smile. She looked exhausted. Hell, he was surprised she was still standing after all she had been through. He pulled her against him. “I’m taking Sophia off the grid. No known safe houses.”

  “Do you think that’s wise?”

  “Someone has been spoon-feeding Gilletti information. I don’t trust anyone.” And when he found the leak he was going to plug it. Permanently.

  “If you need protection, my office can provide it.”

  Colin shook his head. “With what, a couple of DA investigators?”

  “They’re all former or retired law enforcement. I had my secretary contact two of them right after your arrival. They’re arranging a safe haven as we speak.”

  Sophia stiffened beside him. Colin was furious. “That wasn’t part of our deal, damn you! Not knowing where the leak is, Gilletti has had time to set an ambush. We’re fucked.”

  Sophia squeezed his hand. “Maybe we should trust him, Colin.”

  Colin took her face into his hands and said, “Right now there are only two people in this world I trust: me and you, period. Thanks for nothing, Mr. Ross, but we’ll go it alone.” Colin took Sophia’s hand and led her from the office into the outer lobby and down the hall, his senses on high alert. Near the elevators, he could see a man in a suit, apparently waiting for the elevator, but when the doors opened and then closed, he didn’t get on. Before the man could turn around to see the two of them, Colin pushed Sophia ahead of him into an office. “Don’t question anything I tell you, just do it. Okay?” Colin said.

  “I will,” Sophia said, her voice trembling.

  It killed him that she was so afraid. It killed him that he had forced her here. He should have let her go.

  “May I help you?” a clerk asked from behind a counter.

  “No,” Colin said.

  “Did you two want to get married?” she asked.

  “What?” they answered in unison.

  The gnome of a woman smiled. “We’re temporarily issuing marriage licenses out of this office while the city clerk ’s offices are being painted. Did you want a marriage license?”

  “Oh, hell no!” Colin quickly assured her. Maybe too quickly. Sophia elbowed him in the ribs. “I mean, not today. Is there a fire exit from inside of here?”

  “Well, yes, but you’d have to—”

  “Where is it?” Colin was getting antsy. It was too quiet out in the hallway.

  “Well . . . through that office.” The clerk pointed to a door on the other side of the counter. Colin had already scanned the room and found no access through the counter. Scooping Sophia up into his arms, he slid her across the counter and then jumped over it himself.

  “Thank you, ma’am.” They hurried through the door and into a small corridor with a window, unisex bathroom, and a door with an Exit sign above it.

  Colin hurried to the door, dragging Sophia along with him. “If I’m right, we don’t have much time. In fact, we may already be out of time.”

  “Do you have a plan?”

  “My plan is the same as it was in the beginning: to protect your life.” Colin opened the door to the stairwell and they began a quick descent. “When we get outside, I’ll find us a car. I’ll bet my retirement your husband is on his way.”

  “Pray he isn’t,” Sophia said, then with a shaky hand, made the sign of the cross.

  At the bottom of the stairs, they halted momentarily. If they went through the door the alarm would sound. Colin looked down at her heeled shoes.

  “You can’t run in those. Take them off,” he said.

  “And go barefoot?”

  “Yes.”

  He caught her up into his arms and looked deep into her misty emerald eyes. “I love you, Sophia. We’re going to get through this. I promise.” He kissed her hard, then looked at the fire exit. “I don’t know what’s on the other side of that door. Whatever it is, we may not have much time to think or figure things out. When I say go or jump or whatever the hell I say, you need to be ready to just do it.”

  “I trust you, Colin.” She grabbed his chin and brought his lips down to hers and said, “I love you. We’re going to get through this. I promise.” She kissed him hard then pulled away. “I’m ready when you are.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Sophia kicked her shoes off and grabbed them. Colin slammed the door open. The alarm immediately began to wail. They bolted toward the parking lot. Colin quickly scanned the perimeters into the interior, searching for a moving vehicle to commandeer. Two rows up he saw a man, his arms full of files and a briefcase, making his way toward a car. Some schmuck public defense attorney, he thought. He grabbed Sophia’s hand. “C’mon.” And headed in his direction. From the corner of his eye, Colin saw a black SUV with dark tinted windows rolling their way.

  “Fuck!”

  “Is it Angelo?” Sophia cried. Her body was shaking so hard she could barely keep step with him.

  “Keep moving!” He urged her forward. The SUV was quickly moving toward them, and while they gained on the schmuck, he didn’t seem any closer to his vehicle than when Colin first spotted him. However, he still remained their most viable option. Whoever was driving the SUV had already figured out Colin’s plan and was bearing down on them. Clearing the last row of parked cars, Colin turned them to the right, away from the encroaching SUV and toward their hopeful getaway.

  “It’s getting closer!” Sophia shouted as she realized what was happening.

  “Your car! Which one is your car?” Colin shouted as he spun the man around.

  “I beg your ... ?”

  “I don’t have any fucking time for this!” Colin shouted. “I’m a cop! I need your car!”

  “Are you going to take my car? Like they do in the movies?” the idiot asked.

  “Your car, damn it!” The low rumble of the SUV was almost upon them. Colin snatched the car keys from the man and hit the unlock button. A low chirp answered.

  Colin ran toward it.

  “The red minivan, right there,” the owner shouted.

  “You need to go!” Sophia yelled at the man, pushing him in the opposite direction of the oncoming SUV. “Run, quickly! Don’t stay here, go now!”

  “Sophia!” Colin shouted. “Get over here!”

  Colin turned back to get her. She shoved the man back when he refused to run and turned into the driveway. And in that hesitation, it was too late for both of them. Sophia cleared the racing SUV but the willing Samaritan was not as lucky.

  “Sophia!” Colin screamed as his
view of her was blocked by the SUV pulling just past her. Shots rang out from the front window, dotting the minivan. Colin took cover behind the rear wheel and drew his weapon. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the SUV was in reverse making a quick getaway with Sophia inside.

  Colin’s heart pounded like a sledgehammer against his rib cage. He jumped in the van and fired it up. He quickly maneuvered the box on wheels and was soon right behind the SUV. They raced out of the parking lot and onto the city streets.

  Sophia’s heart rammed high in her throat, making breathing difficult. But she would not show Angelo fear. He fed off it. He shoved her against the window.

  Her husband’s dark features twisted with rage. “Sit still or I kill you right here!” he screamed.

  She kicked him in the shin. He backhanded her. She slapped him. Under any other circumstances, she would have laughed at his stunned face. “I’m not afraid of you, Angelo!”

  He laughed and raised his hand again. She slapped it away.

  “Your brief independence has changed you. Or was it that cop you were fucking?”

  “Fuck you, Angelo. You can kill me, but I gave the DA everything, including the safe-deposit boxes with all your dirty little secrets stashed away.”

  “A wife cannot testify against her husband.”

  “I’ll have our sham of a marriage annulled. I was never your wife. I was your money-laundering hookup.”

  The vehicle swerved, throwing Sophia against the man she would kill with her own two hands if given the opportunity.

  Angelo shoved her off him and looked out the back window. “Is that your boyfriend back there? Is that the man you’ve been fucking ?” He sneered.

  “At least he’s a real man and with a real cock.” Sophia spoke loud enough for Angelo’s henchmen in the front seats to hear her. She turned the screws. “He’s so big your prize stallion would be embarrassed to stand next to him. And he can fuck all night long! All. Night. Long! Angelo!”