Twice as Hot (37 page)

I
watched, wide-eyed, knowing that must have been what had happened to Rome.

A
few minutes later, Jean-Luc reappeared in the exact spot he’d left, looking as
if he’d just read a newspaper.

“I
didn’t take anything,” he told me as if reading my mind. “I just peeked at the
last few days. Rome is in the room next door. They drugged him with his own
sedative.”

Uh,
what? “Say that again.”

“Next
door.” Unhappy, he motioned with his chin. “I swear. Drugged but alive.”

Too
easy,
my brain screamed.

He
read my thoughts on my face. “You’d think it was a trap, but no. Matthew was
rushed, scared of being caught by PSI and unsure of what to do. He decided to
keep him close.” Jean-Luc stared over at the connecting door through narrowed
eyes.

“For
my peace of mind, keep a gun on him,” I told Jean-Luc. I jumped to my feet, my
knees almost collapsing, and approached the connecting door. I half expected it
to be locked, but the knob turned easily. Shaking, I palmed one of the knives
I’d brought.

Nervous
as I was, it iced a little.

Gulping,
I pushed open the door. Hinges squeaked. I entered the darkened room, stepping
only inches inside before pausing and listening. My ears twitched at the sound
of deep, even breathing.

I
kept the knife raised as I felt the wall. Finally I encountered a light switch
and flipped it on. And then Rome came into view. Though my knees threatened to
give out again, I managed to lumber to the side of the bed and drop down beside
him with a whimper.

His
wrists and ankles were bound, as they’d planned to bind mine, so I hurriedly
cut the ropes away. He slept through it all. Still, I dropped the knife, my
eyes closing as relief washed through me. A tear even slid down my cheek. He
was alive. He was alive!

“Thank
God,” I breathed.

“You
still love him,” Jean-Luc suddenly said from behind me. Not a question, but a
sad statement.

Gradually
my eyes opened, but I didn’t look up. My gaze locked on Rome, on his chest
lifting, drawing air into his lungs. “Yes.” I couldn’t deny it, didn’t want to
deny it. I’d almost lost him.

“Why?
He’s okay-looking, but he’s arrogant and demanding. You deserve someone who
will worship you.”

In
sleep, Rome’s features were relaxed, his lips soft. Kissable. Earlier, I’d
thought about the fact that we had nothing in common but sex. I’d thought our
relationship in serious jeopardy. But now, having almost lost him, I couldn’t
make those things matter. For whatever reason, we just fit.

If
nothing else, the battle with The Multiplier had made me realize how
desperately I wanted Rome in my life. I didn’t care that Lexis had had a vision
of me marrying someone else. I didn’t care that I might not be the love of his
life. He was mine. I would fight to make things work.

“Rome
excites me, challenges me. And he might be demanding and arrogant, but he’s
also protective and loving.”

“
I
can be protective and loving.”

“But
my heart will always belong to this man.” I traced a fingertip along his
jawline, the stubble tickling my skin, and glanced at Jean-Luc. “There’s
someone out there for you. I know it. You just have to find her.”

He
didn’t reply. I looked away, too afraid to watch his expression change from
sadness and hope to determination and anger.

“All
my life,” he finally said, “I’ve wanted the kind of love my fathers had for
each other. I was looking for it, too, before I was captured several years ago.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to fall in love with a woman when I can
find out every damn thing about her? When I know exactly what she wants to hide
from me?”

“Here’s
a solution. Don’t invade their minds. Leave their memories alone. Boom. Done.
I’m a miracle-worker.”

“And
let them betray me? Hardly. That’s how I was captured. I trusted a girl, told
her what I could do. She called me crazy, so I proved my ability to her. In
return, she told others and they told others and that’s when OASS came after
me. For my own protection, I
have
to know the people I’m dealing with,
so I have to invade their minds. But with you, I already know and love
everything.”

“I’m
sorry for your past. I am.” So very sorry. “But…Jean-Luc…you can’t—”

“Memories
of you made me laugh and ache and dream again. I had to have them. I can’t give
them up, Belle. And after everything I endured in captivity, I deserve them.”

Do
not stomp your foot, do not stomp your foot.
“But they don’t belong to you.”

“They
do!”

“No,
they don’t. You didn’t live them. He did. And just as your will was ignored
when you were caged, you have ignored his. You have ignored mine.” I forced my
balled fists to open and ran them over Rome’s face, gentle, tender. He moaned.
The sound jolted through me, bringing a wave of excitement, and I straightened.

Jean-Luc
was forgotten as I leaned down and kissed Rome’s lips. “Wake up, baby. Wake up
for me.”

He
gave another moan.

“Belle’s
here. Show me those beautiful baby blues.”

Slowly
his eyelashes fluttered open. His lips curled into a frown. “Belle?”

This
was the third time in our relationship that I’d had to watch him wake up after
a life-and-death experience. It hadn’t gotten any easier, but neither had my
joy lessened upon realizing he was going to be okay. “Right here.”

“Where
are we?” He scrubbed a hand down his face, then stiffened. “Shit. They got me
like I was a damned rookie, tackling me, injecting me with my own night-night
cocktail when I tried to use it. They get you, too? Are you okay? Did they hurt
you?” The more he spoke, the faster and angrier the words emerged.

“I’m
fine. I swear.” I showed him my wrists, free of rope. “Just here doing a little
rescue and recovery.”

A
moment passed in silence, his body going stiff. Then, “You saved me?”

“Yep.”
I couldn’t help it. I grinned. “The bad guys are deactivated. Or, to use your
favorite word, neutralized. Looks like Wonder Girl saved the day, huh?”

“How?”

“Is
that important?” I wasn’t ready to tell him I’d had help. “We won.”

His
head fell back against the pillow. “Shit, this is embarrassing. And what do you
mean, we?” His gaze moved through the room until landing on Jean-Luc, who was
glaring at him, murder in his dark eyes.

Oops.

Rome
jolted upright.

“He’s
a good guy,” I said, flattening my palms on his chest.
For the most part.
“And he’s a damn good wing man.” No question.

“Exactly
who is ‘he’?”

I
purposely didn’t answer. A fight would break out, and we didn’t have time for
that. But what shitty timing. This was the first time the two men had been
together since the “incident,” and we couldn’t go knock-down-drag-out until
everything was made right.

“I
don’t know why you’re embarrassed about being captured. You’ve had to save me a
thousand times.”

His
eyes never left my “helper.” “Yeah, but you’re the girl. I’m the guy.”

“I’m
going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

“Why?
It’s true.” He reached up and caressed my cheek. I leaned into the touch,
eyelids closing. “I’m glad that you’re a girl.”

“You
guys might want to continue the reunion later,” Jean-Luc suddenly piped up. He
sounded pissed as hell. “Agents will be showing up any moment, and I can’t be
here when they arrive.”

The
two men shared a look as Rome pushed to his feet. He swayed but managed to
remain upright without any help. What kind of silent communication passed
between them, I didn’t know.

Then,
in unison, they said, “Let’s do this.”

They
shared another look, this one surprised, before we all jolted into motion.

“I
don’t like him ,”
 Rome
told me the moment we were alone. We’d rented
another
motel room, a
bigger one but no less run-down, and he paced the length of the shag carpet.
“And I sure as hell don’t trust him.”

Sighing,
I tossed my purse on the bed. “Well, he helped me save your life, so I think
he’s a pretty cool guy.” When he wasn’t being obstinate. Jean-Luc had come with
us to check in, but had left before we actually reached the room. Maybe because
he’d seen the way I’d looked at Rome—words he could deny, but a lingering,
need-filled gaze, no way—and didn’t want to see that again. He’d said only that
he needed time to think.

I
hated that I’d hurt him. With all the crap he’d endured throughout his life, I
didn’t want to be the cause of more. I just wanted what was rightfully mine.

I
don’t know how it had happened, but Jean-Luc had done the impossible. I’d
despised him, but he’d made me like him. I was coming to realize that while the
memories he had of me were not his, he truly was sincere in his affection. It
was not faked, as I’d assumed. With or without them, he wanted the best for me.

Rome
pressed his back into the white wall, his arms across his massive chest. He
glared over at me. “Who is he, anyway? A recruit of John’s?”

“Uh,
not exactly.” I sat on the edge of the bed and stuffed my hands into my
pockets. My clothes were damp from the most recent ice bath. My hair hung in
tangles and the black dye was dripping down my face and shoulders. I probably
looked like I’d been beaten up, dragged through a gutter and left out to dry.
“Listen, he knows Desert Roach. He told me she’ll have a breakdown if we
destroy her pride. And like you taught me, when an enemy has a breakdown, they
start making mistakes. They’re easier to pick off.”

A
moment passed as Rome thought that over, his head tilting to the side. Then he
grabbed his phone, pressed a series of buttons and faced me again.

“What’d
you just do?” I asked.

“Texted
John to hunt down her bank so we can freeze some of her accounts. Should have
done that already, but…” He shrugged. “He may be able to do it, he may not.
Depends on her connections, and where her money’s located.”

“How
does that destroy her pride?”

“Without
funds, she can’t pay her associates. Not only would that embarrass her, if she
truly cares about that kind of thing, but it will keep scrims from coming after
you for that one mil you told me about.”

“Oh.”
Why hadn’t I thought of that?

“Now,
no more stalling. Tell me about Jean-Luc. Yeah, you finally gave me his name on
the way here, but I want more.”

Now
or never, I supposed. I braced myself for a major freak-out, fingers clutching
the edge of the mattress. “Well, you kinda sorta just met—” my shoulders
hunched, as though trying to protect my vital organs “—Memory Man.”

Rome’s
mouth dropped open, and I suspected he’d been rendered speechless. For a long
while, he just stared over at me in astonishment. Finally, a stunned “Let me
get this straight” emerged from him.

Oh,
no. He was using
the voice.
The one that proclaimed trouble was on the
way.

“You
trusted a known enemy, someone who helped destroy my life
and
yours, to
save my life. More than that, you trusted a known enemy, someone who helped
destroy your life,
with your goddamn life.
”

I
gave a weak nod. “Yes, that about sums it up.” As I spoke, my cell phone
vibrated in my pocket.

Rome
took a step toward me, but I held up one finger as I moved the phone to my ear.
“Hang on a sec. This could be important.”

His
eyes bugged. To my surprise, though, he did stop in his tracks.

“This
is Belle.”

“Hey,
Viper.”

“Tanner?”
My lips curled into a wide smile, and my gaze met Rome’s. He was still
frowning, more fiercely than before, so I turned my back on him.

“The
one and only. How are you?”

“Don’t
tell him where we are,” Rome said, clearly still pissed.

I
ignored him, gasping in excitement. Tanner sounded normal, as if he’d never
been hurt, never scared ten years off my life. “Who cares about me? Oh my God.
How are you? I hated leaving you, I hope you know that, but I—”

“Stop.
You did the right thing. Besides, guilt isn’t a pretty emotion on you.”

“Have
I told you recently that I love you? So really, how are you? When’d you wake up?
Tell me everything.” I could feel Rome’s gaze boring into me, probing deep.
Imagining strangling me? “No matter how long it takes.”

A
growl escaped Rome.

“I
woke up yesterday, and I’ve grown stronger by the minute,” Tanner said. “Word
is Sherridan and Lexis have been taken by Desert Slut, and that Rome found
where she’s hiding them.”