Fearless (33 page)

He cups my head gently in his hands and looks me in the eye, his warm, brown eyes full of emotion. “You are the sun that came out when I didn't even know there was something other than darkness. You are my strength and my weakness, all at the same time. You push me to the edge of control with your sweet combination of independence and surrender, and you challenge me to be the man who is worthy of your love and trust. I love your strength, and I love the way you let me strip away that strength until you are vulnerable to me, trusting me with all that you are.”

He loves me! “But you believed I would betray you,” I say with a pout, which he promptly kisses.

“I've never been loved by someone like you,” he says simply. “It's going to take me a while to get used to. As much as you like to challenge me, I'm expecting you to make sure I listen when you need me to.” He gently nips my ear and I snuggle closer to him. “I was upset at first, but I would have come around once I had a chance to think about it. I'd already bought a ticket to San Diego.”

“You did?” I say in surprise.

“I wasn't about to let you go that easily,” he says. He kisses me for real then, and I know I'm right where I belong.

A few minutes later the police arrive in a flurry of lights and sirens, along with an ambulance. Griffin fills them in on what happened while the EMT checks me over, despite my protests that I'm fine. Beckett refuses to leave my side, although he interjects in Griffin's conversation with the police from time to time.

While they're taking my blood pressure and shining lights into my eyes, I hear a commotion in the bedroom, and shortly thereafter several police officers maneuver Gavin, handcuffed, conscious, and spewing curses, out to a waiting police car. The paramedic who wraps my wrist, which is sprained, tells me that I probably also sustained a mild concussion and gives Beckett instructions on how to take care of me throughout the night.

“I'm fine,” I protest. “I can take care of myself.”

Beckett gives me that look that brooks any further argument and says firmly, “I will take care of you tonight Emma, whether you like it or not. Do you need further convincing?” He gives me a heated look that makes me blush.

“Fine,” I say with a dramatic sigh.

A female detective walks over to where Beckett and I are sitting on the couch and says, “Are you up for a few questions tonight or would you like to wait until tomorrow?”

“Tonight is fine,” I say. “I'm leaving first thing in the morning for San Diego.”

A look passes between the detective and Beckett.

“I'm going with her,” Beckett says to the detective. “I'll keep her safe.”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “No arguments,” he says stubbornly.

Griffin walks back into the room and leans casually against the wall as the detective sits down and briefly goes over what he has told her so far. “If I understand this correctly from Mr. Black, Ms. Hart is writing your father's memoir and had some confidential information that Ms. Penworth wanted, specifically some information regarding a plant that may hold the answers for a cure for cancer.”

Beckett and I both nod.

Looking at me she continues. “Ms. Penworth bribed your ex-husband, Tim Hart, into obtaining this information from your home, which he entered with your permission, and which she then leaked to the press.”

I nod again. “Tim told me that's what happened, yes,” I say.

Beckett jumps in. “Camille also confirmed this. We have a recording of her conversation.” He nods at Griffin, who pulls a small tape out of his pocket and hands it to the detective.

“Good work, gentlemen,” she says approvingly. “It would make my job so much easier if every victim I worked with had the help of a Navy SEAL.”

She smiles at Griffin and I stifle a groan. It seems there isn't a female on the planet who isn't immune to his charms. Except for me of course, I think with a sideways glance at Beckett, who in my opinion is infinitely better looking than his brother.

“Do either of you know the man who held Ms. Hart at gunpoint?”

“His name is Gavin Villareal,” I say. “Beckett has known him for a while through a mutual friend, and I met him and became friends with him after he helped me with a costume for a gala I attended with Beckett. He brought me home last night and insisted on coming in for a cup of tea to make sure I was okay.” My eyes find Beckett's. “It had been a rough night and I thought I'd lost the love of my life.” Beckett smiles at me as if we are the only two people in the room and I feel a tingle spread up from my toes, warming my veins.

“Then he demanded I give him the flash drive that held the information both he and Ms. Penworth were looking for. It turns out they are half siblings who decided to join forces after the death of their father to try to recover the inheritance that their father had invested in Coker Pharmaceuticals. They both believed that Dr. Black's information was going to make or break Coker Pharmaceuticals.”

Griffin and Beckett are both staring at me in shock. I continue.

“I told him the flash drive was in my bedroom and he held me at gunpoint and told me to get it.” My voice wavers and Beckett wraps his arm around me possessively, pressing me firmly to his side. As always, his touch steadies me and I take a deep breath. “I keep a gun in my night table drawer and I thought if I could get to it, I might have a chance.”

“That was quite brave of you, Ms. Hart,” says the detective with a glimmer of admiration in her eyes. “Stupid, but brave.”

“Probably,” I say with a sigh. “Especially since I missed. Anyway, he knocked me down and knocked my gun out of my hand and started kicking me when Beckett broke in through the window.” I look at Beckett, who takes over telling the story.

“He had a gun pointed at her,” Beckett says with lethal certainty. “I knocked him out. Griffin was just behind me in case I needed help, so when he arrived he secured the asshole and called you guys.”

“Why did you come here?” I ask Beckett. I've been wondering all night.

“I was coming over to say I was sorry,” he says. “And to try to make it up to you somehow for hurting you.”

“Oh,” I say, my heart melting. “You saved my life. I think you succeeded.”

“You saved mine first,” he says softly.

The detective clears her throat. “I think that's all I need for now. I have all of your numbers so I will be in touch. Several of the officers have boarded up your window for you, but I suggest you stay with a friend tonight,” she looks pointedly at Beckett, who nods and pulls me closer. She holds up the tape that Griffin gave her. “If this contains what you say it does, we have Ms. Penworth's confession, along with Mr. Villareal's prints all over the house and his weapon. Add in Ms. Hart's testimony and it should be a fairly open and shut case.”

“What about Tim?” I ask.

“It's entirely up to you, Ms. Hart, as to whether you want to press charges or not. Since you gave him permission to enter your house, he didn't technically break the law.” She looks at me kindly. “I understand your predicament. I'm a single mom also. If he is basically a good man who got mixed up with the wrong people, it might be in your daughter's best interest to have a long talk with him in the presence of your divorce attorney instead of pressing charges, if you know what I mean.”

“Thank you,” I say to her. She quickly packs up her things and leaves with her partner, who had been dusting the bedroom for fingerprints and taking notes while we talked.

“I'm taking you home with me, where you belong,” Beckett whispers tenderly. He picks up the suitcase I had packed for San Diego and we walk outside with Griffin. Beckett opens the car door for me and I turn to Griffin. “Thank you for everything,” I say.

“That's what brothers are for,” he says with a lazy grin, slipping the flash drive into my hand.

“Take good care of her bro,” he says to Beckett.

“Oh, I intend to take very good care of her,” Beckett says tenderly, placing his hands possessively on my hips. “Tonight and forever.”

Six weeks later

 

Nikki and I have been back from San Diego for two weeks, but this is the first weekend she's been with her dad and I've been missing her like crazy, even though I know she's fine with Tim and Rebecca. Although we had originally thought Tim had stolen my laptop, the police later found it in Gavin's bag; he'd apparently stolen it while he was at my house. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn't mentioned the flash drive. Would he have left peacefully and that whole horrible night would have ended there? I'll never know.

I suppose everything happens for a reason. In some ways, I can't imagine it happening any differently. Because of Gavin's actions, he and Camille Penworth are awaiting trial. Thanks to Camille leaking the news about the guanabana seeds, the National Cancer Institute, with the backing of an anonymous donor, has established a multi-million dollar grant in Dr. Black's name to reopen research and testing on graviola. Beckett has taken a leave of absence from his practice to oversee the work, although I'm pretty sure it's going to be hard to keep the elder Dr. Black away. He's been so excited about the new research he looks ten years younger.

It's been hard to forgive Tim for the part he played, but last week he and I met with our divorce mediator and he was truly sorry. His actions were petty and wrong, but I'm convinced he never meant to do anything but come between Beckett and me. Now he's bending over backwards to be civil and agreeable. It probably didn't hurt that our mediator told him I was completely within my rights if wanted to take him to court to rescind his custody rights. More importantly, Beckett apparently talked to him before Nikki and I got back home. Neither of them has told me what exactly they discussed, but whatever Beckett said to Tim has made him both scared of me and completely compliant to whatever I want. For now I'm content with my decision; it's best for Nikki to have a relationship with her dad.

The only negative development is that Beckett won't stop treating me with kid gloves. Not that he hasn't been his usual domineering, bossy self. If anything, he's been worse. He flew to San Diego with me and spent the first two weeks with Nikki and me at my parents' house. I loved him being there with me and exploring the world of my childhood with him. My parents adore him, and my brothers spent an entire evening regaling him with stories of what an obnoxious little sister I'd been while Beckett nodded knowingly. Of course, being my big brothers, they were in complete agreement with him that I need protecting, which is sweet but also annoying as hell.

Which is why I'm headed to my first Krav Maga class this morning. I like the idea of full combat self-defense and knowing that I can protect myself with a swift kick to the groin. Clearly owning a gun isn't enough, and while I appreciate Beckett's protectiveness, I like to know I can take care of myself. Still, the introductory video I watched before I signed up for the class was a little intimidating, with lots of punching and kicking and elbows flying everywhere. I'm excited, but nervous, when I walk into the gym.

We start with a quick warm-up jog, followed by some stretches and calisthenics before moving on to actual drills with a partner. My partner is a petite African-American woman, and we both try not to giggle as we try to touch each other's shoulders while avoiding our partner's attempts to touch ours. It looks like we're playing a game of tag.

After that, the instructor teaches us some basic drills and we try them out with our partners holding pads.

“What made you sign up for the class?” my partner Desiree asks me as I throw punches at her pads.

“I was held at gunpoint and I'm tired of everyone treating me like I need protecting now,” I say, panting with exertion. “What about you?”

“I hear you,” she says as we trade positions and she starts throwing knee and groin kicks. “My husband thinks I'm some exotic flower because I'm tiny. I'm gonna show him that girls can be bad asses too.”

We smile at each other in perfect understanding. We finish the hour long class by combining all of the skills we learned in one big fury drill where we yell at the top of our lungs. It's amazingly cathartic, and I leave the gym with the adrenaline still pumping through my veins.

I'm back home and just out of the shower when I get a text from Beckett.

I'm kidnapping you this weekend.

My heart rate increases and my body thrums in anticipation as I read his text. Our lovemaking over the last six weeks has been sometimes sweet and tender, sometimes eager and urgent, but with Nikki around and Beckett being so solicitous, I've been craving the edginess that pushes us both and makes me feel alive.

What should I pack?
I text back.

Nothing.

I sincerely hope that doesn't mean he plans on keeping me naked the entire weekend. Then again, that does have a certain appeal…. I'm going to die of anticipation wondering what he has in store for the weekend.

My body is on high alert, every nerve ending sensitive, when he arrives to pick me up at five. He looks gorgeous—sexy and dangerous—with a hint of stubble darkening his strong jaw. His eyes are unapologetically appreciative as he takes in the shorts and tank top I'm wearing.

Wordlessly he steps into my house, filling the hallway with his masculine presence. He wraps his arms around me, and his mouth meets mine with a hunger that tells me he's missed me as much as I've missed him, even though he came over for dinner with Nikki and me two days ago. He's wearing tight, faded blue jeans that hug his long legs, and I squeeze his butt through the jeans, enjoying the hard firmness of it.

“Are you ready?” he asks, and I can hear that sexy raspiness in his voice already.