Pale and sweating, he managed a weak smile before touching Jack's chest, his fingers leaving a bloody mark. "Get them out of here."
Jack hesitated, and Kostya gently shoved at his arm. "Go. Take the women and your brothers and get the hell out of here. Tell Finn not to worry. I'll dig out that bullet."
Jack gave Besian's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before shoving to his feet. He hauled me up and reached down to grab Marley. Holding Jack and Marley's hands, I let him guide us out of there. Before we got very far, Marley's stepdad moved into our path. Though he was a hard man, he looked crushed by the very thought she might have been harmed. He opened his arms and she flew into them. "Daddy!"
"Sh," he whispered and rubbed her back. "You're okay, but we need to get out of here before the cops swarm the place."
"Your bike—"
"Don't worry about it."
As if these bikers practiced for a scenario like this, a truck and a cargo van screeched onto the lot. Men in leather and denim vests hopped out and recovered the shattered bikes. Marley and her stepdad made a run for the van and piled inside with the other bikers and Romero Valero. The van and truck raced away as quickly as they had appeared.
Two of the cartel henchmen opened the cargo door on the SUV Julio had wrecked. Dan and his son were bound and gagged and looked very scared. Even after everything Dan had done, I couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt. "Jack, we can't leave them here."
He shot me a disbelieving look. "Baby, those two risked your shop and your livelihood. They could have killed your employees tonight and damn near got Marley shot. They made their choices. Now they get to answer for them."
Tugging on my hand, Jack urged me to hurry. His brothers were already in Kelly's idling truck. The moment I was buckled into my seat, Kelly punched the gas and tore away from the scene of the crime like a bat out of hell. Gripping Jack's hand, I suddenly remembered the camcorder. "Jack! The camera!"
"I saw Lorenzo Guzman pick it up," Kelly said, his gaze fixed forward on the windshield. "Not that it matters now. The hitman and Julio are dead. It's done."
"Is it?" I searched Jack's face for the answer. "I don’t think Lorenzo or Romero are going to let any of this go."
"It's not our problem anymore." Jack leaned over and kissed me tenderly. "We're done with all that bullshit. It's finished."
Finding comfort in Jack's confident assertion, I hoped like hell he was right.
Chapter Thirteen
After a stop at a storage center to drop off weapons, Kelly drove to the museum district penthouse Bee had recently purchased. The RFID tag on his windshield gave him access to the private parking garage. He pulled into a spot next to Bee's sporty little car and killed the engine. Twisting in his seat, he pointed to the gym bag behind him. "There are some clean shirts in there. You both need to change before we go inside. Mattie will flip out if he sees all that blood."
I glanced down at my shirt and Jack's and spotted the smears of Besian's blood.
"Make it quick," Finn suggested. "We've got company."
Jack and I both looked back and spotted none other than Eric Santos crossing the parking garage. Kelly lifted up in his seat and swore. "We'll head him off but hurry."
While his brothers intercepted the detective, Jack dug around in Kelly's bag for clean shirts. He sniffed one before handing it over. I couldn't help it and laughed. "Really, Jack?"
"You don't know, Kelly. When he was a teenager, his socks would get up and walk to the laundry room. They were that rank."
I hastily peeled out of my shop polo shirt. After slipping into the too big T-shirt, I waited for Jack. He stuffed our soiled clothes into the gym bag and zipped it up tight. Sliding his hand along my jaw, he held my gaze. "Listen, Eric is going to try to rattle us. He probably suspects something but he doesn't have the facts or evidence to back up his hunches. I know he's your friend. I know you trust him, but we can't risk it, Abby."
I touched my forehead to his. "I hate lying."
"So do I, but I like breathing more," Jack matter-of-factly countered. "We caught a break. Let's not waste it."
I pressed my lips to his in a short kiss. I wanted so much more, but this wasn't the right time to reconnect. Soon…
Hand in hand, we joined Kelly, Finn and Eric. The detective gave us a long, hard look. "That's an interesting choice of clothing, Abby."
"We had an accident."
"So I hear," Eric said knowingly. "Is that how we're going to play this one, Abs? All these years we've been friends, and you're going to lie to my face?"
I gulped nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about, Eric."
"No? You don't know about someone shooting up Hadley Rivera's building? You don't know about three of your employees being found tied up and drugged in your office along with a dead crackhead? You don't know about a shootout near the meatpacking plant? You don't know about Besian Beciraj ending up in the trauma center downtown?"
I stared at him. "What do you want me to say, Eric?"
"The truth, Abby."
"I can't."
His jaw hardened. "Jack?"
My man shook his head. "She's right. We can't."
Eric exhaled loudly. "Off the record—what the hell happened tonight?" When none of us spoke, he said, "How about I tell you a story I heard? It's a story about a video that implicated a certain high-level dealer here in Houston in a hit that took out a biker and a missing stripper. It's a story about a thieving crackhead and a drug-dealing college kid who got in way over their heads. It's a story about a pawn shop owner shielded by friends in some very low places and her boyfriend who was willing to make deals with the same outfit that used his baby brother as a punching bag just to keep her safe." He paused dramatically. "Am I getting close?"
"Eric. Please…"
"Spare me the bullshit sob story, Abby." He backed away slowly and spun on his heel. Without even glancing back at me, he said, "Your security guards and Mark are being kept overnight at Memorial Hermann. If you give a shit, you should call to make sure they're all right."
Feeling lower than mud, I watched Eric leave. Turning to Jack, I said, "We have to check on them."
"You can call them, Abby. The hospital visiting hours are done for the night. You won't be able to get in until morning."
I didn't like it but accepted Jack was right. "Fine, but we have to go first thing in the morning."
"We'll go in the morning," he promised. Taking my hand, he tugged me along to the elevator where Kelly swiped a keycard. We stepped inside the small gleaming box but didn't speak as the elevator climbed to one of the top floors of the building. The doors opened onto a private hallway. There was only one door ahead, and it belonged to Bee.
Kelly unlocked the door and held it open so we could enter her home. The ultra-modern and sleek interior of the penthouse was exactly what I had expected. Bee, Nick Connolly and Mattie sat on the couches in the living room area and watched a comedy. While Mattie seemed totally relaxed and blissfully oblivious to all that had happened tonight, Bee and Nick were visibly tense and obviously relieved when they spotted us.
Bee leapt off the couch and rushed Kelly, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He laughed softly but didn't fight her when she covered his face with noisy kisses. Eventually, he took control, cradling the back of her head and kissing her into silent submission. It was the same way Jack often claimed me, his touch so gentle but commanding. Suddenly, I craved some privacy.
But Mattie needed me right now, and my employees deserved as much of my time as they required. My needs and wants would have to wait.
"You missed the pizza, Abby."
"Did I?" I sunk down onto the plush couch next to my brother and gave him a lingering hug. "That's okay. I'm not hungry." Thinking back to the night Jack had calmed him after the brick went through our window, I decided to follow his example. "Mattie, do you want to ask me anything?"
He played with the remote control while watching the television. "A
re you okay now?"
"Yes."
"And no one is going to shoot at us anymore?"
"No."
"Eric was here earlier. He asked me questions about the arts center."
"Did you answer them honestly?"
"Yes."
"Then you did everything right." I wanted to ask Mattie what he had told Eric but figured I would find out soon enough. At any rate, I was too tired to delve into the what-ifs. "Where are you sleeping tonight?"
"Bee says I can sleep on the pullout couch if I want."
"I'll bunk in here with you," Finn said, falling down on the other side of Mattie. "But you better keep that snoring to a minimum."
"I don't snore!"
"Yes, you do."
"No!"
"Yeah."
Smiling at them, I leaned over and pecked Mattie's cheek. "I'm going to make some phone calls and head to bed. If you need me, come find me."
"You guys will be in the guest room on the left," Bee called out. "It's the one with the blue door."
I made sure to give Bee a big hug and a thank you for opening her home to us tonight. She squeezed me tight and made sure I knew that we were always welcome. Nick reached out when I walked by the couch and grasped my hand. He gave it an encouraging squeeze that took me by surprise.
Ducking into the guest room, I rubbed my face between my hands and inhaled some long, cleansing breaths before digging my phone out of my pocket. An hour and three calls later, I had checked in with my security guys and Mark. They all sounded groggy but were relieved to hear Marley was okay. I didn't know what to tell them about Dan or Leonard and was glad that none of them asked.
As if he had been listening from the hallway, Jack entered the room just as I finished my last call. He slumped against the closed door and blew out an exhausted breath before holding out his hand. "Shower with me?"
Feeling grimy and dirty, I happily accepted his offer. We ducked into the en-suite bathroom and stripped. Jack pulled me into the walk-in shower and enveloped me from behind. Content to be held, I leaned into Jack's embrace and enjoyed the relaxing rush of hot water pouring over our naked bodies.
Eventually, Jack reached for one of the wrapped soaps on the corner shelves. He lathered up the small bar between those strong hands and spread the citrus-scented suds all over my skin. He palmed my breasts with his slick palms and slid them down my belly and along my hips.
Bending down, he nipped at my neck and nibbled my earlobe. The hard length of his cock rubbed against my lower back. Taking the bar of soap from him, I created a foamy lather between my hands and attacked his sinfully sexy body. I ran my hands over his sculpted chest and down his arms before sweeping them along the ridges of his abdomen. My hand glided lower, my fingers sifting through the nest of curls crowning his cock before they wrapped around the pulsing shaft that I wanted buried deep inside me.
Shuddering under my touch, he groaned. "I need you, Abby."
"Not in here," I said, worried we might get carried away and fall. "It's too slippery."
He grunted but didn't push the issue. Quickly stepping under the spray, he rinsed off his body and made sure to maintain as much skin contact with me as possible. He shut off the water and handed me a towel, shooting me a look that told me not to dally or else he was going to throw me down on the floor and take me right there.
Somehow we made it to the bedroom. Mindful of the others in the penthouse, we tried to be as quiet as possible. Jack guided me down to the mattress, covering my naked body with his and reminding me how powerful he was. Capturing my mouth in a sensual kiss, Jack caressed my breasts and toyed with my nipples. I loved the way he lightly pinched them, tugging just enough on the sensitive peaks to make my pussy throb. His head dipped and he sucked one of the dark buds between his lips. His tongue swirled around my pebbled flesh before he suckled me again.
My hips bucked off the bed, and my sex brushed against his leg. I widened my thighs and rocked my hips again, rubbing myself against him in a search for stimulation. Jack laughed softly against my breast and walked his fingers down the sloping plane of my belly to the juncture of my thighs. He cupped my mound and stabbed his tongue between my lips, tasting me and making my senses reel.
His fingertips carefully parted my folds. Already, I was soaking wet for him. He tested my entrance before gently sliding a finger deep inside me. A second one soon joined the first, curving just enough to stroke that spot that made my toes curl and my breaths come faster. He swirled his thumb over my clitoris, and I moaned his name.
He silenced my low whimper with another kiss, his tongue gliding against mine in the same way his fingers thrust in and out of my pussy. It felt so good to have his digits sliding deep, but I wanted more. I reached down and clasped his shaft, pulling him in closer. "Please, Jack."
"Tell me, sweetness."
"Your cock," I said, practically begging. "Make love to me, Jack."
"You want cum, Abby?"
"Yes." I did. I wanted to feel that blazing heat filling me. "Come inside me, Jack."
He growled and shoved my thighs apart, pushing up onto his knees and moving into position. Cupping the back of my head, he thrust into me, burying the steely length of him in my wet heat. I locked my ankles behind his back, refusing to let him move too far away, and peered into the green eyes that I loved so much.
Knowing my body as well as his own, Jack found an angle that made me shiver. He snapped his hips, driving into me harder and harder. I rose up to meet his thrusts, running my hands down his back and holding onto his shoulders as we rocked together and chased the promise of pure ecstasy.
"Jack!" My climax hit me suddenly, the power of it knocking the air out of my lungs. He watched my face as I came, his eyes shining with such love for me. After everything we had survived, it felt so good to enjoy such pleasure. It felt so good to feel alive.
Growling my name, Jack slid deep inside me and shuddered. His cheek touched mine as he pumped his seed into me, marking and claiming me as his. Though I wasn’t even close to being ready for that step yet, I silently acknowledged that when I was ready there was only one man in the whole wide universe I wanted to share that journey with—and he was right here with me now.
Smiling down at me, Jack nuzzled my cheek. "I love you so much, Abby."
I brushed my knuckles along his jaw. "I love you."
Jack carefully rolled onto his back. I snuggled in next to him, grinning at the way he gathered me close and kissed my forehead. His fingertips trailed up and down my arm as we enjoyed the afterglow of our lovemaking. "I know it's been a rough week, Abby, but it's going to get better. We'll get through this."
"I have a feeling it's going to get worse before it gets better," I remarked, thinking of the potential blowback from everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. "I'll be lucky if I'm not sued."
"If you are, we'll deal with it. We'll figure it out, Abby."
"We, huh?" I really liked the way that sounded.
"We. Us. You and me." He punctuated each word with a light kiss on my forehead. "Together."
I interlaced our fingers and let the heat of his love warm me. "Together."
Chapter Fourteen
Four Weeks Later
"Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter!"
Kicked back in the bleachers, I smiled as Mattie's voice filtered out of the dugout. He was riding the bench this inning and wasn’t about to pass up the chance to razz the opposite team. Eric's players were down four runs in the top of the ninth. Barring a miracle rally, Mattie's team was going to take this win.
"Is this seat taken?"
Surprised by the sound of Besian's voice, I nearly slid off the metal seat. "Oh my goodness! Come here. Sit down." I winced with sympathy as his jaw tightened when claimed the spot next to me. "Are you still in a lot of pain?"
He shrugged as if wholly unbothered by the obvious discomfort. "It comes and goes." Rather pragmatic, he added, "I'm alive. I'd rather feel pain than be cold and
dead in the ground."
"Fair enough," I murmured. "I came to see you in the hospital the day after I brought the plant, but they told me that you'd left against medical advice."
"They were driving me insane. How the hell is a man supposed to rest and recuperate when those nurses are coming in every hour to poke me and squeeze my arm?" He shook his head. "I was better off at home." Smiling mischievously, he added, "That plant you brought me looks fantastic in my office at the Wet, by the way."
I wrinkled my nose. "Ew."
He braced his stomach and chuckled. "That's the response I expected from you. Still turning up your nose at my establishment." He clapped when a young woman whacked a ball into the left field and waited until the noise died down to continue chatting with me. "How are things at the shop?"
"They're getting better." Business had nose-dived after all the trouble became public. Though the full truth about the hitman and the cartel hadn't become known, we had still suffered through a period where only our regular customers would visit. "In the last ten days, our loans are finally climbing back up to normal numbers. We'll recover but this won't be a record setting year."
"When people need money, they don't have a lot of choices. It's a nice shop like yours—or a back room like mine," he remarked. "You'll get your customers back. What about your employees?"
I had a feeling he wanted to know about one employee in particular. "The security guards all quit, and I had to scramble to find new guys. Kelly helped me find a new crew through the Lone Star Group. I had a couple of ladies on the day shift quit, but everyone else quit. Mark is our new night manager."
"Really?"
"He surprised the hell out of me asking for the job. I had expected him to hand in his resignation after he was discharged from the hospital, but he showed up at his next shift like nothing had happened." I didn't tell Besian that I wasn't going to make the same mistake Granddad had made with Dan by cutting him out of a partnership. In the next few weeks, I planned to sit down with Mark and talk to him about his future at the shop. He had been there for years, and I wanted him to know I appreciated him, even if we didn't always see eye-to-eye.