Trusting Love (34 page)

“You see, this situation, you, the older formula, all of it is a problem for me. You have something that I want, and you don’t need. But I think you also have something, or shall I say,
someone
I don’t want but
you
need.” He let that settle in and Robert tried hard not to shoot the man at the threat he heard to Kris. “I had considered offering you a place among my team. Up until I walked in and realised that you don’t merely want to kill me, but destroy my work. Much as you did to this man,” he said, gesturing to Walters. “But I don’t think you’ll chance that, not without the drug’s help. You’re a man, Mr McNeil, while my men are, shall we say, a bit above that now. I think the only solution is for you to walk away. Leave the disk and I will let you and her both live.”

“It’s that easy?” Robert asked. “We just walk away and leave the disk.”

He nodded. His men were still aiming their guns directly at him and at Kris. His wasn’t moving from the shot to the man’s heart.

“Yes, like I said, you are a man. No longer on the drug, so no longer a threat. You could kill me, this is true.” He waved that off as if the idea was ridiculous. “But then, she would die. My men would shoot her and you. Such bloodshed over information that I will have, or someone else will have, sooner or later, seems a waste, don’t you agree?”

The man made it sound so easy. As if he could reason his way through this, and if not, that wouldn’t be a problem either because he could kill Robert and still win.

It was never that easy.

Robert had more than enough experience with the corrupt and sick bastards of the world to know that it never was. He’d have to break a rule with Kris but he knew they’d both survive.

The one flaw all of the rich and powerful possessed was they never expected people to fight back when they were outnumbered and in this case, so far below them in ability. It was a risk, but Robert couldn’t walk away from the disk now and have it do its work. The bottom line was that the bastard couldn’t live. He would come after Robert and anyone and everyone that Robert cared about for his revenge. It was the way of the powerful in this world. They threw tantrums when they lost their toys.

“This little talk isn’t keeping you alive much longer, sir.”

Duke tossed his groomed head and laughed heartily as if they were discussing something entertaining over Martinis at the club.

“Ah, Mr McNeil, I will live a great deal longer than you, I assure you.” The laughter died suddenly and he nodded to the closest man. “It’s too bad, Mr McNeil, I would have liked to see how your body handled the drug I’ve altered. But I see you’re a man of conviction.” He turned to one of the Hollywood soldiers and said, “Kill him.”

Robert didn’t dive into the fight.

The blast of gunfire nearly burst Kris’ eardrums, but she stayed curled up under the desk. She tightened her wounded arm to her chest and wrapped her other around her knees to get even smaller as the gunfire continued. She shook from head to toe and knew from the way the room was blurring that she was crying but she couldn’t seem to stop the flood.

Robert lunged over a couch and took it with him to use as a shield. The cushions exploded in a mixture of foam and dirty material and all she could think of was that the couch couldn’t possibly stop the bullets and keep Robbie safe.

Seconds later he was up and she held her breath as he aimed his gun and shot at someone right above her. A loud thud broke the silence after his shot, then more shooting burst through the room.

He was amazing. So fast, so sure of every move it was like watching a choreographed action movie, not the man she loved risking his life. His confidence was absolute.

So much for that jerk saying Robbie didn’t stand a chance against them! He is kicking butt.

And no wonder. She thought they’d talk forever when all of a sudden he’d attacked. She’d watched him dive into a man, topple him down out of sight, and had to bite her lip hard to keep in the need to yell at him to be careful. It had been so fast, she hadn’t had time to process that one minute they were going on and on talking about stupid stuff and the next everything went nuts.

A man suddenly fell down on his knees in front of her then sprawled at her feet, blood spreading out in a slow pool from under his lifeless body.

Kris tried not to throw up and tried to move backwards away from him but the back of the desk stopped her. She squeezed her eyes closed and pulled her knees up closer to her chest, trying to be as small as possible. The blood pooled closer and when it was within an inch of her shoes, she had to go. The desk was open on both sides, but since it was set up in a line with several others, she wasn’t exposed, except for the front. She also had a way out that would shield her from the fight.

Something hard hit her cover and scraped it backwards. She went with it, scooting as fast as it did so she wasn’t exposed. She quickly tore her sling off her arm and crawled frantically to the open side and out and under another. As quick as she could, she turned around. A gun lay near her and she held her breath and made a dive for it. Her hands trembled but she got it. Behind her she heard something and turned.

A man faced her, one of the huge guys who’d walked into the student lounge as if they hadn’t a care in the world, right after Robert had just shot the men down right in front of him.

Time seemed to slow down and she watched, mesmerised as he lifted his gun. He had an evil face, like a big bully, someone who was used to hurting others so much he toyed with her now. She swallowed, the fear making her tremble.

Robert was several feet away, struggling with a man who knocked the gun out of Robert’s hands. Two dead men were crumpled over a couch and the young college student was across from her, his eyes wide in his face as he huddled under a desk.

“Oh, God,” she managed, focusing on her opponent as the world sped back up again. The gun felt warm in her hand, the weight too heavy for her injured arm, but she held it up and put her finger on the trigger.

The guy narrowed his eyes as if he couldn’t quite believe she wasn’t screaming in fear. The next second, a shot fired through the room again.

She gasped and squeezed the trigger, nearly getting hit in the head when the gun backfired into her face.

“Kris!”

Robert’s yell was followed by the bully facing her falling forward in that odd slow motion. He landed on his knees first, gripped his stomach and stared down at his hand, a confused expression on his ugly face, then he fell down on his side, with his bloody hand landing near her feet.

The world blurred after that and suddenly Robert was there, his scent and warm body making the panic rising up in her stomach tighten to a hard knot. What if he’d been hurt? What if he’d died? What if she’d died? She never wanted to put Robert through that kind of pain. Never wanted to feel such agony again either, but now, holding him as tight as she could, she knew no matter what, she’d have these moments and many, many more. Every one of them filled with his love. That’s what he’d given her. She only hoped she’d given him the same.

“Kris, let go a bit so I can get you off this floor,” he said, sounding so concerned, she nodded, trying hard to loosen her grip.

“That’s it,” he murmured, pulling her up from the floor and holding her gently in his arms as though she was a child. She hugged him harder around his neck, pressing her face to his sweaty one. He was breathless, but safe and whole in her arms.

The gun in her hand fell to the floor and she gasped. “Oh!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I never want you to hold a gun again, understood? I don’t think I could live through that again. No more guns.”

“No more guns,” she agreed, cupping her hands on his jaw to stare into his light eyes.

He smiled briefly and bent to touch his forehead to hers. “No more guns.”

“Oh, God, Robert,” she whispered. “I was so scared you’d be hurt.”

He grimaced and pulled her head to his shoulder, simply holding her in his arms. She trusted him. Trusted him enough to let him love her even if he was taken from her—she trusted him to do his best not to let that happen.

“Robert?”

“God damn I thought you were shot, Kris. I saw that man shove the desk and shoot and I thought—”

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here,” she whispered. Maybe she could teach him to trust her as well, she thought with a smile. “Wait, were you shot?”

He lifted his head at that and shook it. “Not a scratch. Thought I’d break that rule already but I squeezed by with a broken finger, I think.”

“A broken finger!”

“Not a scratch, though.”

She hugged his handsome, smiling face and pressed kisses to his cheeks and jaw. Happiness, something she was going to grow used to feeling, blossomed so hard in her chest she had to swallow a few times to keep the happy tears at bay.

Robert set her down and immediately grumbled at her, his frown back in place. “You took your sling off.”

“I did, that man shoved the desk almost on top of me. I had to crawl out then there was a gun and I just grabbed it.”

“You didn’t kill him. I did, darling. I did.”

She stood on tiptoes to kiss him tenderly on the lip. He had a cut there, on his bottom lip, but he also looked like he’d have a black eye. He’d been more than scratched, she thought with a shake of her head. “I don’t want you to have to do that anymore, Robbie. No more, okay?”

He nodded and pulled her against his warm chest. They stayed like that until his breathing had steadied out, and her heart had slowed down to a normal, more reasonable pace. “I love you, Kris.”

“I love you too. So very, very much. Can we go home now?”

“Not quite,” he murmured, laughing softly. “I have a wedding to go to.”

She frowned at that and his smile grew.

“I have to walk Mandy down the aisle, but if you would do me the honour,” he murmured, then stunned her by going down on one knee, “of being my wife, I’d like to walk you down an aisle instead. Marry me.”

Her breath caught at the intensity in his light eyes. “Marry you?”

He grinned, and lightly squeezed her hand. “I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world, Kristen. Trust me, trust in love.”

“Oh, Robbie!” She flung herself at him, tears she knew he’d hate, but ones she couldn’t hold in, making the room blur. “I love you.”

“Is this a yes?” he asked after letting her cry for a second. “Cause, I was hoping for a yes, since I’m on a knee and—”

She grabbed his face and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him so deeply, she forgot where they were, what they were doing, and how close she’d come to losing him. “Yes,” she breathed when she finally let him up for air. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

The smile he gave her made her throat hurt, but her heart filled with such peace, she smiled back at him, simply holding his shoulders and watching him with the knowledge that this man, this wonderful, amazing man, loved her.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Robert turned to face the full-length mirror, frowning at his reflection. His tie still wasn’t cooperating and they had a wedding to get to in less than two hours. He’d wanted to go see about getting Kristen a dozen roses before they walked down to meet Mandy and Mac. “What do you mean, he’s not dead?” he asked, cradling the phone on his shoulder as he gave the tie another go.

“I mean, there was no body. We cleaned up the scene, and Walters was there, but your shot didn’t kill him. He was taken in. Once at the hospital he disappeared.”

“Carson, I’m at my sister’s wedding. I’m getting married next weekend. I’m living in Wyoming. I’m starting a new life, and I don’t need to hear this shit right now.”

“Look, Tazz—”

“It’s Rob, or Robert, or if you need to McNeil, but I’m not under your command any longer, Carson, and I don’t appreciate an update from you. I want—”

“And I want you to have it. You deserve your happiness and I wish you well with Kristen. But I need to know what happened with Sonya, Walters and hell, everyone else on that team. Your report. I need your report.”

Rob lowered his hands off his tie and rubbed his head. “I get it. I know you do and I reported in on what I knew. I don’t know what happened with Sonya. If you’re asking me…” he let that hang and Carson snorted.

“I’m asking you.”

“Someone has something over her, or she was working her own angle. No way did she switch sides. Think about it, she’s top of her game. She wouldn’t miss a shot like that. And she had to be the one feeding this guy information and giving me Walters to kill.”

“Which you didn’t manage to do.”

He held in the immediate response to that and settled for waiting Carson out. The man was in a tough spot, he gave him that. He was a good man, a hard fighter, and one hell of a commander, but the Sentinels weren’t for Robert. Not any longer.

“All right, all right. I get that you were compromised—”

“I wasn’t compromised. The drug needs to be destroyed. All traces of its development are now gone, correct?”

“Correct,” Carson said. “But there are too many loose ends now. What about this drug created by Duke? That’s still out there. What about Sonya? She’s in danger—?”

“Not my concern,” Robert said flatly. He’d died for his country. Taken shots that would kill other men and he’d killed men without questioning his orders. He no longer could do that. “I’m done. Sonya’s done. If I know her, you already have your report on what happened. Go ask her if you need more, but I suggest letting her, and this, go.”

Silence met his outburst, but he held strong. Sonya wasn’t like Walters. He knew her. Knew that the nonchalance, don’t-care-about-anything attitude was all a sham. She would never switch sides to work for a man like Duke, but she would use her connections to ferret out the bigger fish in the ocean. Most likely she already had and more, had already reported on what she had found. “Right. I’ll just find an ex-spy that knows more ways to disguise herself than a Hollywood hottie.”

Robert grinned. “Well, sir, it’s been my experience with Sonya that if you need her, she always turns up. Why not let it out that you need her. As her former commanding officer she might actually care enough to come help you out.”