Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
A ugust cleaned up and returned to the bedroom with a warm, wet cloth for Gigi. Approaching her side of the bed, he stared at her sated form. Her dark tresses fanned over the white pillowcase, and she’d pulled up the thin white sheet to her chest.
“What’s that?” she asked, when he passed her the towel.
“So you don’t have to get out of bed.”
She smiled. “Thanks.” She cleaned herself, and he tossed the towel in the laundry basket when she was done. Then he climbed over her and slipped back onto the bed.
“Are you going back to sleep?” Uncertainty rattled her small voice.
He adjusted the blankets and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her back to his front. Damn, she fit him like a glove. It was as though a wall had been taken down. Or hell, maybe her body was just so relaxed she didn’t have any resistance in her muscles. Her soft, flowery scent reached his nostrils, and he inhaled as he splayed his fingers over the smooth skin of her bare belly. “Yeah, why? You want round four?”
She chuckled, the sound low and shy. “It’d be five if you count the elevator. And no, I don’t think I have enough energy to sleep, let alone go for another round.”
He nestled his jaw against her shoulder. “Then why’d you ask?”
She hesitated. Unease percolated in his chest.
“I—I didn’t know if I should go back to my bed.”
The tension dissipated like air leaking from a punctured tire. “I’d like for you to stay here.” He paused. “If you want,” he added, reluctantly.
She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes shone. Her lips lifted. “I’d like that.”
“Good.” He tucked her in closer. “Go to sleep, then.”
She wiggled her cheek deeper into the pillow. The action moved her hips, and he had to bite back a groan as his cock stirred. Stifling the fire that had been rekindled inside him, he forced himself to settle.
Brightness against his closed lids made August open his eyes. Gigi was still snuggled in his hold, her back warm and cozy against his chest. Flicking his gaze over the top of her head, he looked at the clock on the nightstand: 7:14 a.m.
Holy shit.
He’d slept a good eight hours. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept more than five. Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he gently peeled himself from Gigi. As he tucked the blankets around her, he glanced at her sleeping form.
Her dark eyelashes rested closed, her cheeks tinged pink, and her hair was loose and tousled. The fluffy duvet piled around her made her look even tinier than usual. Rubbing his fingertips together, he fought the urge to touch her kissable mouth. Instead, he backed away to the armchair pushed against the huge window, where he’d left his clothes.
The beautiful view spanned as far as he could see. Sleeping city buildings hid some of the ocean, but what he could see of the water was breathtaking. Did Gigi like the beach? Probably. She’d been tanned before going into witness protection.
He stepped into his joggers and pulled a clean navy-blue T-shirt over his head. Fitting his arms through the sleeves, he contemplated closing the drapes so she’d sleep better, but the noise would probably wake her. He picked up his fully charged phone from the nightstand and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
The coffee machine was already humming. Thankfully he’d set it the night before. He looked at his phone while the coffee brewed.
Shit. Lots of missed texts from Rami.
Dude, where are you? It’s important.
August hit the call icon, and the line rang in his ear. Rami answered on the second ring. “I was going to swing by. What the hell, man?”
“Sorry. I overslept. We’re fine. Gigi’s still sleeping.”
Rami grunted in an I-know-what-that-means tone. “I bet.”
August ignored that. No way he was commenting on his and Gigi’s relationship. Especially when he hadn’t yet figured out where they stood. “What’s so urgent?”
“Have you turned on the news?”
“Fuck no. Why would I watch that depressing shit?”
“Because Gigi’s old house was set on fire last night. Arson is suspected.”
August’s back tensed against the counter. “What?” His mind reeled.
“The place has been up for foreclosure since Todd and Gigi fled. Good thing it wasn’t occupied. I’d say our Mexican friends are sending us a message.”
“Christ.”
“Look, I’m going to do some digging and see if the police have any more information. Sit tight.”
“Lemme know.” August disconnected and rubbed his temple. Jesus. That was a pretty strong fucking message. His stomach twisted. Gigi’s old house. A home she’d shared with a man she’d loved. Would she be heartbroken?
The coffeemaker beeped. After filling a mug, he went to the island, his brain humming with activity. The smell of the black coffee filled his nostrils, waking him up further.
Now that he had Gigi safe, he had to get to the cartel and end this before they got too close. The attack on Gigi’s house was a show of power. They were making it clear they’d stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
And Todd, the cocksucker, was the bastard they wanted. Grabbing his phone, he called Taschen, who answered groggily. “Yeah.”
“Wake up, buttercup.”
“Fuck you,” he said mildly. “Is there a reason I’m hearing your cheery fucking voice this early?”
“I need your help.” He took a small sip of his warm brew. “We’re gonna need an army.”
Taschen chortled. “All right, you’ve got my attention.” The sound of blankets being thrown rattled through the speaker. “An army for what?”
“To draw out the fucking cartel and end this shit. The bastards set Gigi’s old house on fire.”
“So?” Taschen said, clearly still not firing on all cylinders. “She wasn’t in it.”
“It’s a message, dude. Get your lazy head out of your ass.”
“Hey. I was on a job that kept me out ’til 4:00 a.m.”
“Well, newsflash. Burning someone’s house down, whether they’re in it or not, is a threat.”
“Noted. So how we gonna draw them out? They could be anywhere.”
August smiled and took another sip. “We’re gonna bait ’em.”
***
Gigi stood at the doorway, frozen. Eavesdropping hadn’t been her intent, but August’s words had made her heart stop and her feet turn to stone. He ended the call and placed his phone on the counter.
Summoning her courage, she stalked into the kitchen. “Bait who?”
August glanced up as she approached, one eyebrow lifted. “The cartel,” he said, nonchalantly.
She folded her arms across her chest, not caring that the action tightened the material of his T-shirt across her nipples.
His gaze landed on her chest and his nostrils flared. Was he ever not aroused? And why did that realization excite her?
“That’s a terrible idea,” she said.
His smile was slow. “Wearing my shirt was a terrific idea.” He rounded the island, his hands reaching for her.
She held up a palm. “Ah, ah. Don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not changing the subject. There’s only one worth talking about—taking you back to bed.” He bent his head and nipped her earlobe.
She smacked his chest with a solid thwack , pushing him back an inch. “Um, nope. What’s going on?”
August blew a breath through his lips, and his hands closed around her waist. She wished she’d put on pants because she wouldn’t have enough resolve to stop him if his fingers wandered under the shirt.
Please, wander .
No, no, no. He was planning something dangerous and she needed to find out what. “August.” Her tone held a veiled threat. As if she could threaten him when he was more than twice her size.
He must have realized how ridiculous she sounded because his lips twitched. “I like it when you go all authority on me.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure what to think about that.”
“Think about you...” He brushed his lips over her jaw and captured her mouth. “On top.”
His fingers swept beneath the hem of her shirt, but she leapt out of his hold. “Hang on a minute. I haven’t even had breakfast. Or coffee.”
“Since when do you drink coffee?” He advanced on her like a lion ready to pounce.
She moved in a circle away from him. “Since someone kept me up late.”
He chuckled and held up both hands. “Fine. I’m not a monster. Have your coffee and then lose the shirt.” He reached into the cupboard and handed her a mug.
She accepted it and inched toward the coffeemaker. He folded his arms and stayed back. A silent truce. “One,” she said, as she filled her cup, “you are a monster. Monstrously big and scary. Two, you’re evading my question and I’m insulted you don’t trust me.” She took a sip and screwed up her face. August opened his mouth for rebuttal, but she held up her free hand to stop him. “Okay, three, this shit’s gross.”
“You’d probably like it with sugar and cream. That’s coming with the grocery order.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Stop trying to distract me. Four . This shirt isn’t going anywhere. Now let’s circle back to point number two. How about you tell me exactly what baiting the cartel involves.”
He rocked onto his heels then back to the balls of his feet. “All right. I was trying to distract you. I have something to tell you.”
Panic seized her heart. She lurched forward, and hot coffee sloshed onto her hand. She hissed and set the cup on the counter then turned to August. “What happened? Ivy—”
“She’s fine.” He caught her wrist and held her hand over the sink. “You burned yourself.”
Her skin sizzled, but all she wanted was for him to cut to the damn chase. “It’s okay.” She tried to shake him off, but he held fast.
“Lemme see.” He flicked on the tap and gently ran her skin under cool water. He smoothed his thumb along the top of her hand. “We might have some ointment.”
“It’s not bad. Please tell me what you were going to say.”
He sighed, wrapped her hand in a dish towel, then leaned against the counter still supporting her arm as if he expected her to fall over. Sympathy made the weathered skin of his forehead crinkle. “Your old house, the one you lived in with Todd... it was burned down last night.”
Gigi gasped. All the blood drained from her face. “Ohmigod. Did anyone live there?”
“No. It was vacant. Up for foreclosure. The cartel is sending a message. That’s all it was.”
Dread seeped into her pores and tears filled her eyes. She didn’t give a shit about the house, had never intended to return. And yet... at one point, it’d been her home. The attack was as personal as it got.
August’s knuckle caught her chin. “Hey, I’m sorry.”
She shook her head and tried to find an explanation for what she was feeling. “I—I don’t know why I’m upset. It was just a house. Wasn’t even mine, really.” She swallowed and searched August’s curious gaze.
Lines of trepidation creased the skin around his eyes. He seemed afraid. Perhaps worried that the news would unravel something. Feelings for Todd, maybe.
She circled her hand around his forearm. “I don’t care about my time there with Todd. I hope you know that. I just—It’s scary.”
August nodded, and some of the tension left his face. “I understand. It’s a pretty nasty message they’re sending.”
“So what’s your plan? How are you going to bait them?” Her stomach twisted, and the bitter coffee sat like swamp water in her stomach.
His knuckle remained under her chin, and he smoothed the tip of his thumb beneath her bottom lip. “I’m still figuring out the details. I need you to trust me on this until I know more.”
“Well, you must have an idea if you think you can dangle something in front of them.” Her eyes went big. “Me?”
His head reared back. “Fuck, no. They’re not coming within one hundred feet of you. No, babe,” he repeated, shaking his head. “But as soon as I’ve got something that’ll work, I’ll share more. Gimme a couple hours. Okay?”
She nodded and lowered her gaze. What choice did she have? Unless she wanted to walk into the cartel’s arms, she was stuck. On top of that, she couldn’t do anything to help. She had nothing to bargain with. Nothing the cartel wanted besides her head, and she really, really didn’t want to hand that over.
Everyone was trying to protect her—August, Rami, Ivy, the guys at Backcountry Protection Services working behind the scenes. She’d become nothing but a burden, and people were putting their lives on the line because she’d gotten into a mess up to her eyeballs.
The tears stinging her eyes started to spill out.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and shook her head. A current of anguish that rivaled the force of the river tugged at her knees.
August cupped her cheeks with both hands, his expression dark and earnest. “Honey, you have nothing to worry about. I’m going to take care of this. I fucking promise you.” His gaze roamed her face.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She swallowed the swollen ball of emotion in her throat. “You getting hurt because of me.”
He snorted. “I’m not going to get hurt. I’ve been up against far worse. I even faced the cartel a few months ago, if you recall. I’m still standing, ain’t I?”
Despair closed in around her. He was right. He’d been there all along. Fighting for her when he was fighting for Ivy because the man’s heart was so big he couldn’t stand the thought of her in pain even after what she’d done to him.
“What are you thinking?”
“That I don’t deserve you. That everyone’s risking their lives to fight these demons and I’m here”—she swept her gaze around the fancy penthouse—“living in the lap of luxury.”
She sniffed, and a tear rolled down her cheek to disappear in his massive palm.
“That’s not what this is.” August’s statement rang with finality. “But if you think for one minute that I wouldn’t protect you with my life, no matter what the circumstances, you’re dead wrong.”
She let out a choked, hysterical laugh. “Yeah, and I don’t want you to die!”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
She sucked in a shaky breath. “If they went through all that trouble to send a message, what will they do when they don’t get what they want?” Her voice was tiny but filled with larger-than-life fear.
August’s scowl deepened. “They’ll find the end of my gun, that’s what.”
He cradled her head to his chest, but his promise didn’t squash the agitation coursing through her veins.
The cartel would stop at nothing to get to her. And August’s plan—whatever that was—could get him killed.
There was no way out of this.