Always Been Mine

  Sal handed Alex his cell, watching him, aware of Alex’s altered demeanor. “Planning what?” He hit the speed dial on his cell for Valerie.

  “Getting to Valerie at this seminar.”

  Alex felt the heat in his veins just as the line clicked on the other end of his cell. “Hello, Alex.” Bruce’s self-satisfied voice purred.

  Alex shoved the restaurant phone in Sal’s chest. He gripped his cell phone, barely able to contain himself. “Where’s Valerie?” His voice was so loud Angel rushed out of the office.

  “Oh, don’t you worry about her. She’s in very good hands, Alex. As a matter of fact these hands are getting ready to enjoy every inch-”

  The line went dead. He let out a loud roar from deep down inside as he hit redial. His vision blurred for a moment. He was going to kill Bruce. Sal was trying to tell him something, but the roar thrumming in his own ears was too loud. The call went to voicemail. Sal grabbed his arm jerking him momentarily back to sanity.

  “Romero needs to talk to you, man.” He held the phone in front of him. “Calm down and breathe. The cops are already there.”

  “Tell him to call me on my cell.” Alex nearly collided with Angel as he ran into the office to grab his keys from the desk and pulled the gun out of the bottom desk drawer.

  His phone started ringing as he rushed out.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Sal stepped in front of him. Angel backed him up. “You can’t just walk out of here toting a gun like that. What are you insane?”

  “Get out of my way, Sal,” Alex growled, the thought of Bruce man-handling Valerie nearly blinding him again.

  “No, Alex.” Sal pushed him hard in the chest. “Calm your ass, already. We’re not letting you walk out like this. You’re crazy.”

  Alex’s phone was still ringing. In the moment he took to consider answering it, Sal snatched the gun out of his hand. Some of the employees gathered around as if to assist Sal and Angel in taking Alex down if they had to. Alex gave up the gun without a fight and answered his phone.

  ***

  The phone flew out of Bruce’s hand as he stumbled, falling over the chair beside him. The heel of her shoe to Bruce’s temple with all the force Valerie could conjure up had done the job. Somehow, he’d known about the taser gun in her purse and had disarmed her the moment they stepped into the elevator. He’d even taken her cell phone from her. The only other thing on her person she had was her soft leather purse. She knew that wouldn’t make the impact she needed.

  From her past experience with him, Valerie knew that playing nice was the only chance she had to buy her time. She’d cozied up to him just as they entered the room. He’d been so spellbound when she seductively removed her shoes, he didn’t even catch that she held on to one of them. The moment he got busy being cocky on her phone with Alex, she took advantage of the distraction, struck him with it, and ran.

  Unwilling to take a chance and wait for the elevator, she was now running down the stairwell. Her heart threatened to pummel through her chest. The room had only been on the third floor. She was already halfway down to the first when she slipped and fell hard on her behind. It wasn’t until then that she even heard the footsteps coming down fast from the stairs above.

  “Valerie!” His voice was crazed. “Valerie I’m warning you! Moreno’s is going down if you don’t stop!”

  Her heart nearly gave out, and she was tempted to stop, but she thought of what Alex would want her to do in this instance. There was no other option but to run. Struggling to catch her breath, she reached for the rail and pulled herself up. She pushed the door open and ran right into the arms of a firefighter in full uniform.

  Startled and barely able to breath, she tried getting past him. She had to get to a phone and warn Alex about the danger at his restaurant. But the fireman stopped her from going any further.

  “You need to evacuate, ma’am. There’s a possible bomb in the hotel.”

  “I know who planted it! He planted another one somewhere else at a restaurant!” she said, realizing how frantic she actually was.

  The firefighter stared at her, wide-eyed. “Come with me.”

  *

  Alex tried calling Valerie several times as Sal drove them to the hotel. Romero had already arrived. He’d called Alex only to tell him he couldn’t get anywhere near the inside. They had the place surrounded with enforcement. There was no way around it.

  The only way Angel and Sal had agreed to let Alex leave was if Sal drove him. Even some of the cooks had stepped in to hold him from storming out of there, the damn traitors.

  The news updates on the radio about the hotel evacuation only served to further his anxiety. He still had no word on Valerie. The police had blocked off all the streets around the resort. Traffic was a mess. At this point, either he sat patiently or his only chance of getting close was to walk. Since patience had never been his virtue, even though they were in the middle lanes of the street, he opened his door and hopped out.

  “Where you going?” Sal demanded.

  “I’m walking.”

  “Damn it, Alex. Just wait.”

  “I can’t.” He closed the door behind him and leaned in. “Call me if you hear anything.”

  He hurried across the street and onto the sidewalk, cutting across a few other streets before dialing Romero. “What’s the word? Anything new?”

  “Nothing on Valerie yet, but…”

  “But what?” Alex shouted. This was no time to stall.

  “I just heard on the scanner, someone’s been shot.”

  Alex stopped sharply. “What?”

  “It could be unrelated, Alex. Don’t freak out. They haven’t even mentioned if it’s a woman or a man or how bad it is. I’m still listening.”

  The other line on Alex’s phone beeped. He checked to see who it was, Angel. He was probably just trying to get an update or to give him one about the wedding. He’d have to call him back later. Nothing else mattered anymore. All he could think of was getting to Valerie. If anything had happened to her he didn’t know what he’d do. He hurried almost to a run, the lump in his throat increasing with every stride.

  Someone else was calling now. A number he didn’t recognize. There was no way he was cutting the only connection he had to finding out about Valerie. He let the call go without answering.

  “It’s a male that’s down, Alex.” Romero said then added. “But there are others injured. Hold on.”

  Alex finally came to the barricade in front of the resort. They weren’t letting anyone in. There were dozens of police cars and several fire engines parked along the entrance to the resort. A ton of security and uniformed officers along with plain-clothed cops walking around. The press had arrived as well.

  “I need to get in there.” He loomed over the security guard at the barricade, still gripping the phone to his ear. “My wife is in there.”

  “I’m sorry sir, no one except the police and rescue workers are allowed in at this time.” Romero said something, but the siren of an arriving ambulance just behind Alex was so loud he couldn’t hear. Just as the ambulance flew by he heard the beep of his other line again. This time it was Sal. He couldn’t know any more than Romero.

  “Where are you?” Romero yelled.

  “Right in front of the place. They won’t let me in.”

  “I’m gonna answer my other line, Alex. It’s Angel for the third time since I’ve been talking to you. This might be important.”

  Alex didn’t bother to respond. He stared up at the resort, furious with himself. He should’ve never agreed to let her come to this. He’d known it was a huge risk from the beginning. He should’ve stuck to his gut even after hearing about Bruce’s bogus plans for Monday. His other line beeped again. That same number he hadn’t recognized earlier. Just then, Romero came back on the line.

  “Answer your other line. It’s Valerie. She’s okay.”

  Alex’s breath hitched, and he almost missed the button to click over.

  “Hello?” r />
  “Alex, I’m okay. I lost my phone in the hotel, and I couldn’t remember your number. I’ve never memorized it, so I called the restaurant…”

  The mixture of emotions he felt after hearing her exclaim she was okay was something he’d never experienced in his life. He’d hardly caught anything else she said after that. Something gripped his windpipe he couldn’t get a damn word out. He sucked in air, finally able to speak but he strained to get the words out. “Where are you, baby?”

  “I’m in the front by all the fire trucks.”

  A newfound emotion took over. His need to be by her side became overwhelming. Alex glanced around trying hard to gather the might to speak without choking up. “I’m here too, just outside the barricades at the front entrance.”

  He heard her say something to someone then came back on the phone, “Where? I’m looking for you.” Her voice broke. She must’ve been holding it together also, but she cried now. “They’re going to let you in.”

  Alex started to explain where he was when he saw her by one of the fire trucks, looking around. She had a phone to her ear and her a shoe in her free hand. She was barefoot and looked so small and helpless. Something gripped at his windpipe again. He waved and called out for her. When she saw him, she ran to him. He pushed past the guard, flicking him aside like a flea. As soon as she was close enough she jumped into his arms. Alex held her tighter than he ever had, burying his face in her neck.

  With a deep breath he pulled back to look at her face. The hot tears he felt in his own eyes surprised him but even more surprising, he wasn’t embarrassed. He didn’t care about any of that. All he could think of was how much he loved her and thanked God she was alright. He gulped hard, searching her face. “Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I got away when he was talking to you on the phone.”

  Alex slipped his phone into the holster on his belt easily holding Valerie still in the air with one arm. He brought his hand back to move the strands of hair away from her face. “Tell me the truth, baby. Did he touch you?” Alex remembered the rough way he’d tried to put his hand on her at the bar the night he knocked him out. If Bruce had so much as put a finger on her, Alex would hunt him down and kill him, himself.

  Valerie stared at him the tears beginning to subside. “No, he didn’t,” she whispered.

  He kissed the tip of her nose, still not loosening his hold on her even a bit. “Do you know if they got him?”

  She shook her head and leaned her face into the crook of his neck. “They haven’t told me anything, except someone got shot.”

  Alex inhaled her familiar scent. A scent so unique only to Valerie if he could bottle it he’d keep a bottle of it on him at all times. “Yeah, I heard about that to.” He decided he would worry about Bruce later. For now he was just eternally grateful that Valerie was okay and out of harms way. From here on, she’d never be out of sight until Bruce was caught or dead.

  His phone had been vibrating in his holster from the moment he hung up with Valerie. Reluctantly he put her down and answered it. He let Romero in on where he was and told him to update everyone. Then he and Valerie went back to where the detectives were waiting for her.

  ***

  That evening, Valerie came home with Alex. He stared at her as she slept, her face against his chest. For days, he had tossed and turned, his body yearning, starving for hers. Now all he wanted was to sleep next to her, hold her knowing she was safe. He figured she’d be exhausted and she knocked out almost as quickly as she’d cuddled up next to him. It had been such an emotionally draining day for both of them.

  Valerie told her story so many different times—first to him, then the detectives, then her father and Norma when they went back to his house. Alex had tired of telling it himself. Everyone had been concerned and eager to know what had happened. He’d also heard about the bomb squad evacuating the restaurant right in the middle of the lunch rush. Valerie told Angel about Bruce threatening to blow up the restaurant when she called to get his number. Before Angel could even decide what to do about it, she informed him that the bomb squad was already on it’s way. After searching for hours, they found nothing. It was a complete bluff. When questioned by police about it, Bruce denied ever saying anything of the sort.

  It turned out Alex wouldn’t have to hunt Bruce down. He’s been shot when he pointed a gun an officer. They weren’t even looking for him yet. The idiot pointed the gun when the officer tried to stop him from going into the closed-off area. In his crazed attempt to catch up to Valerie, he thought pulling a gun out in a middle of a hotel full of cops would somehow fly.

  It wasn’t life-threatening. The bullet just shattered his shoulder. Alex thought he deserved at least that much. After hours of interviews with Valerie, Luke and other witnesses, Bruce was not only going to need a doctor, but a good lawyer. The list of charges they slapped him with was as long as his rap sheet. He’d held Luke against his will, at gunpoint, gagging and tying him up in the suite’s closet, tried kidnapping Valerie, planted a fake bomb at the hotel, and pointed a gun at an officer.

  With Bruce still on probation and his criminal past, the detectives assured Valerie he’d more than likely be spending the rest of life behind bars. The nightmare was over.

  Some things were still unanswered. Alex wondered if he even needed to know why she kept her night with Luke from him all this time. He sighed, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. As long as she worked with him daily, it would gnaw at him. They postponed the seminar for another time, so she’d still attend with Luke eventually. He had to know.

  He was willing to do anything, make any kind of sacrifice for Valerie. But something like this would eat away at him until he got an answer. He let it go for now but once the time was right he’d bring it up again.

  ***

  Weeks later Valerie was still getting calls from detectives for more details about the case against Bruce. What they’d uncovered about Bruce was even more disturbing than some of the things Romero’s guy had told them. After being interviewed several times, it was obvious that Bruce actually believed Valerie owed him the intimacy he’d sought from her. What ’s more, even behind bars he continued to believe he would someday get it.

  Valerie shuddered just thinking about it. She was safe now. She had to remind herself of that every time she thought of Bruce. He was locked up, and they kept reassuring Valerie that with every incriminating interview, he was tacking on more and more years to his eventual sentencing.

  She had just hung up with the detective and was looking through Alex’s refrigerator when her phone rang again. It was Luke. She thought about sending it to voicemail but then remembered he might be calling with news about the interview. She answered.

  “Hey.”

  “You got it.” She could literally hear the smile in Luke’s voice.

  “What?” She closed the door to the fridge and opened the water bottle she’d grabbed.

  “They’re only calling two candidates back out of all the ones they interviewed, and you’re one of them. And Val, you were the youngest of all the candidates interviewed.”

  It had been almost two weeks since she’d interviewed. She’d been one of the first so she had to wait the longest until everyone else went through the process.

  She smiled, trying not to get too excited. “So, what now?”

  “They’ll call you to schedule the second interview. I can start coaching you on the main things you should know about second interviews and what they’ll be looking for tomorrow.”

  It was a good thing Alex hadn’t been there when Luke called. Although he was beginning to get used to her job being different from most nine to five jobs, he still got annoyed when she got calls in the evening. But it especially annoyed him when it was Luke.

  After hanging up with Luke, Valerie took a long shower. She thought about Luke’s coaching. Ever since Bruce’s arrest, Valerie had avoided being alone with Luke as much as possible.

  She felt t
errible about what Bruce had done to him, so she made sure things were amiable between her and Luke. But she kept her distance. Though Alex hadn’t asked anything about her night with Luke since the scene he made at the hospital, the mood always got tense when his name came up. Even if she got the position in the new office, the trial was still months away, and she’d see him constantly then.

  A couple of times she thought of just telling Alex about it. She hated the tension of Alex thinking she’d slept with Luke and lied about it. Each time she considered telling him and getting it over with, she chickened out.

  Alex got home just as Valerie finished dressing in one of his T-shirts and soft pair of cotton shorts—the kind she loved to go to bed in, but usually came right off within minutes.

  “Hey,” she smiled as he walked into the bedroom.

  She picked up her phone from the dresser to check if she’d missed any calls. Ever since her father had collapsed, she’d been paranoid about missing calls from him or Norma.

  Alex startled her by picking her up. With his arms wrapped around her, he growled as he took her mouth. He brought her to the bed and lay her down, never once detaching his very active tongue from her mouth. His kiss was hot and hungrier than usual, even for him. She felt the immediate erection against her thigh. Her own arousal began to peek. She arched her back, rubbing her hands over his hard shoulders, then his back.

  Her phone rang, bringing Alex’s kisses to a halt. “You wanna get that?” he asked his lips still on hers.