Love & Redemption (13 page)

Gavin’s fingers abruptly stopped moving and he jumped off her. “You’re still cheating.”

Laughing, Shelley kicked off the sheet and sat up. “You were the one cheating that time, and don’t think I couldn’t figure it out.”

“Not entirely a cheat.” He ventured back over to sit beside her, taking her hand in his. “I
do
like you.”

“I like you too, Gavin. As much as I hate Terrance and Stephen being after me again and missing the opera and my vacation, I’m kind of glad you picked my opera box to crash.” She lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed his fingers softly. “We would have never met, otherwise. That would have been a shame.”

Gavin’s free hand hooked around her neck, sending shivers down her spine as he stared deep into her eyes. “It would have been a travesty.”

He pulled her close slowly, tilting his head to the side and closing his eyes as her mouth neared his. Shelley appreciated that he gave her time to put a stop to the situation—she knew that’s why he went so slowly—but she didn’t want to stop him.

Gavin held still, his lips nearly touching hers, not moving another muscle, though need radiated off him like a beacon calling her.

Shelley closed the distance. An electric bolt of joy flooded across her senses when their lips met, and she wrapped her arms around him, wanting him closer, wanting him to become a part of her.

She opened her lips at the gentle prodding of Gavin’s tongue and sucked him inside, reveling in the minty taste of their cheap toothpaste. He took his tongue back, instead nibbling on her lower lip as he ran his hands through her hair.

A deep groan came from his throat, and all Shelley wanted to do was whip away his pants and ride him until she fully sated her burning passion. She raked her fingers down his back and fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt, pushing it out of her way so she could get her fingers against his skin.

He broke off the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers, breathing quickly. “Wait, Shell. Let’s think for a minute.”

“I don’t want to think.” She continued tugging on his shirt, but Gavin reached behind his back and stopped her movements.

He pulled her hands between them, bringing them to his face to kiss the backs of both. “We
have
to.”

She took some deep, ragged breaths of her own, trying to slow her racing heart. “I sure hope you aren’t rejecting me, because if so, I’m awfully confused.”

He smiled, calming her fears. “I want you very bad, but not like this. Not in a mad rush, in your parents house. Not because you feel vulnerable after sharing your life with me today.” He shook his head. “You said something about waiting for true love, didn’t you?”

Shelley nodded slowly, not sure she wanted to wait any more.

“Let’s get out of this current situation alive and then date each other.” He closed in for another kiss, but broke it off before passion carried them away. “True love is worth waiting extra time for. Let’s see if we have anything worth the wait.”

Though her body shuddered with want and need, Shelley nodded. “Get your ass on the floor then, dear husband.” She pointed to his pile of blankets and quickly climbed under the sheet when he stood.

“No more back massage?” A grin quirked up his mouth, showing off his deep dimple.

“Hell no. Any more touching, and I won’t care about true love.”

Gavin turned off the light and rustling noises sounded as he settled onto the floor.

Shelley propped herself onto one elbow, staring down at the dark mass. He was hard to make out in the darkness. “Thanks, by the way. Not just for right now, but for the entire day.”

She rolled over and cradled her hands beneath her cheek, taking deep breaths and willing the sexual tension to drain from her body. As frustrated as she was in some ways, she also couldn’t be happier. She’d been ready to throw her goals out the window and have sex with him, ready to waste her three months of celibacy because Gavin was truly a nice guy and she wanted him.

Instead, he’d been strong enough for both of them. And did it in a way that hadn’t left her feeling as if he didn’t desire her. That was the best part. He wanted to date her. He wanted to court her. Never in her life had a man done that.

“You’re welcome, dear wife,” came softly out of the darkness. He chuckled. “I’ll count the seconds until I wake up and see your face in the morning light. And I’m only partially joking. Goodnight, Shell.”

Cheesy, but also romantic. Just want she always wanted.

Tony would definitely approve.

Chapter Thirteen

By Thursday morning, Gavin had to admit he felt restless. Rick started dropping hints Tuesday night they were overstaying their welcome, and even Janet asked after supper last night when they thought they would head back to the city. It was a good thing this tiny town didn’t boast a hotel, or they might have suggested by now that Shelley and Gavin stay at it. How would he then explain to her parents that their rich son-in-law couldn’t afford it?

At least since their talk Monday Shelley remained calmer around her parents. She no longer seemed so on edge when Rick opened his mouth. For Gavin’s part, he had an easier time keeping his own trap shut whenever Rick ordered his wife around or made a snide comment to his daughter.

“Help has to come soon, doesn’t it?” he asked Shelley while helping her put the comforter back on the bed.

“Tired of the floor?”

He kissed her cheek, but then shook his head. “You know it’s more than that. Your parents are starting to wonder if we’ll ever leave. Janet cornered me last night while you were in the bathroom. I didn’t know what to say. I ended up telling her we planned to visit the whole week, just to give Nick more time.”

Shelley tucked the blankets beneath the mattress. “Honestly, I’m starting to worry.” She paced the small confines of the guest room, chewing her bottom lip. “What if something happened to Carlie, and that’s why Nick hasn’t sent help yet?”

Over the last few days, Shelley had shared how important her relationship with Carlie was; how Carlie was the closest thing to family she’d experienced in a long time. She also shared why she got shot a few months earlier, trying to correct the horrible mistake she’d made by turning Carlie over to Paul Billings and the other S.A.T.O. agents, thinking they worked for the government.

“Carlie’s surgery went fine,” Gavin hurried to assure her. “You said Nick paid extra to schedule it when the office was usually closed, and he hired the top surgeons available. They took great care of her.”

“Stephen burned her in that building, and I could have stopped it.” Shelley ran her hand over the top of her head and rubbed her neck. “She wouldn’t need surgery if I’d just warned her.”

So much for Shelley staying calm. Worry for her friend had totally undone all the progress Gavin thought she’d made. He grabbed her in a tight hug.

“You thought she was a terrorist because Paul Billings lied to you. We aren’t living in the past anymore, remember?”

She nodded and took some deep breaths. “I know you’re right. Carlie always says the same thing, but she’s a very forgiving sort of person.”

“Then follow her lead. Forgive yourself.” Gavin released her, and she promptly resumed pacing. “I’m sure there’s some other reason Nick hasn’t contacted us, but I’m starting to think we should have your dad drive us to Essex so we can call your friend at the FBI.”

“My dad will ask questions about driving us to make a call. He wants us to catch a train home when we go into town. Besides, I hate making too many calls.” Shelley’s voice was low. “No one knows about my parents. Grandma’s name stayed on everything as my legal guardian, and people assume my parents are deceased. I’ve never corrected the impression. As much as Rick pisses me off, I don’t want to lead S.A.T.O. agents to him and Mom.”

That made sense. Gavin didn’t want to lead killers to Shelley’s parents either. “How much money do you have left?”

“Around eighty bucks.”

“Not enough for train tickets.”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Well, if Nick hasn’t come through by tomorrow, we’re going to have to come up with plan B. We can’t stay here much longer.”

Shelley looked at their suitcase in the corner. “We could pawn a couple diamonds to get money. I don’t know how happy Nick would be about it, but at least they wouldn’t be in Paul’s filthy hands.”

A pawnshop wouldn’t give them nearly what they were worth, but Gavin didn’t think he could find any connections out here to pay a fair price. Besides, if they sold the entire bag intact, that left opportunity for Paul to retrieve them and carry out his plan. It was better to unload a few at a time and break up the set.

“Okay,” he agreed. “Let’s give Nick one more day.”

***

The knock they’d waited for finally came after dinner that night. Shelley had curled up in Gavin’s lap while they watched a Bruce Willis movie with Rick for the fourth night in a row. Gavin wondered if he watched the same movie every night to encourage his unwanted guests to leave.

Janet answered the door and a gruff voice said, “Delivery for Petunia Golden.”

“I’m sorry,” Janet faltered, glancing around the living room as though to search out Petunia before turning back to the man. “You have the wrong—”

“It’s me!” Shelley leapt from Gavin’s lap and ran for the door. “I’m Petunia.” She patted her mother’s arm while simultaneously pushing her out of the way.

Gavin really admired the art of Shelley’s motions as Janet stepped back, confused but with no complaints.

“I’ve got this, Mom. Don’t worry.”

It was hard for Gavin to see from his position on the couch, but the man handed a package inside and Shelley accepted it. He rumbled something about a car, and Shelley nodded emphatically.

“Hallelujah!” She cried. “I could kiss you. Thanks for bringing it by.”

Gavin was pleased when she didn’t actually kiss the stranger.

“Call Nick, immediately,” the man said clearly enough for Gavin to hear.

Shelley nodded and closed the door, flashing a victorious grin at Gavin before ripping into the package. “Mom, Dad, please excuse us a few minutes. We’ve been hoping to have this new car delivered, and we need to thank the friend who made it happen.”

Taking his cue, Gavin rose and followed Shelley to the bedroom. It surprised him that Nick sent a car, but he wouldn’t argue. As long as the man had a plan to get them safely out of Vermont, Gavin didn’t care how he did it.

By the time Gavin closed the door, Shelley was already pulling things out of the small cardboard box. Several credit cards, new identifications, and a large wad of cash were followed by two cell phones and chargers.

“Did you peek out at the car?” she asked.

“You didn’t give me a lot of time.”

She laughed. “Well, it looks like a hot rod. It’ll be fun driving home in that.”

“Better be, since he made us wait so long.”

Shelley nodded and pushed the power button on the grey phone, passing the black one to him. “I’m anxious to check in on Carlie, and then I say we give my parents hugs and kisses and go find a hotel room to stay at tonight.”

Gavin turned on his phone. “I won’t argue about getting a bed to sleep in.”

“If someone could keep his hands off me, he could have shared this one.” She winked.

“Hey, I’m not the one with a problem.”

He pulled up the contacts. Programmed into the phone were numbers for Nick and Jenessa Jones as well as an entry for Carlie’s Creations, but Shelley already had the other phone to her ear.

“Nick!” she said happily. “Thanks for finally rescuing us. I can’t wait to get out of here. Can I talk to Carlie?”

Gavin smiled, happy Shelley could finally have her fears calmed. It was hard to feel quite as joyous as she seemed to, however. Once they left here, it was possible S.A.T.O. would find them again. Also, the world would come rushing back in on them. He’d kind of liked having Shelley to himself these past couple days.

“No!” Shelley sat abruptly on the bed, scattering the cards and money. “What does that mean?”

“Is it Carlie?” Gavin whispered.

She shook her head, but then stood as abruptly as she sat. “What channel?”

It was killing Gavin not knowing what happened, but he followed as Shelley stalked into the living room.

She snatched the remote from the arm of her father’s chair, ignoring his protests when she turned off the movie.

“On any channel?” she asked in a shrill voice. “That’s bad.”

A news program appeared on the screen. The first thing Gavin noticed, besides the grim-looking brunette in front of the camera, was the main entrance of Queens Center behind her. Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars blocked the street. Clusters of crying people stood in the road. No traffic was moving anywhere.

A sick lump cramped Gavin’s stomach. “Why’s the biggest mall in New York surrounded by cops, Shell?”

She turned up the volume, ignoring him.

“The problem, Peter,” said the reporter, “is many people were trampled in the stampede to escape. Ambulance crews are trying to get to them, too, as well as the other victims, but the police aren’t sure whether the people responsible are still on the premises.”

“And I understand SWAT is inside right now,” said a male voice that must be Peter, “but EMS personnel are also trying to reach the people in the jewelry store most affected by the gas?”

“Jewelry store?” Gavin asked.

“Fortunately, most people are recovering from the gas exposure.” The brunette looked over her shoulder as the camera zoomed in on a stretcher. There was a black body bag laid out on it. “But sadly, not everyone survived this horrible day.”

Peter’s face flashed on half the screen. “Are the cops saying whether this is a sophisticated robbery or some sort of terrorist attack?”

“No one’s talking so far,” the reporter answered. “It’s too early to speculate.”

Shelley’s hands shook so hard Gavin feared she’d drop the phone. She sank to the couch. “Gas in a store that sells diamonds? Please don’t tell me Terrance aerosolized MG-37. That would be a disaster.” She paused for a moment, apparently listening to Nick’s response. “Shit! Yes, you’re right. Gavin and I will head there. What’s the plan?”