Unbridled Pursuit (Novak Springs Book 2) (17 page)

Vitoria sat back and leaned her head against the seat, resigned to her fate. Arguing and discussing anything would be futile. She’d never have to avoid Wes ever again because she didn’t have a chance in hell of making it out of this alive.

She didn’t know why Miguel left Wes breathing, but she was grateful he wouldn’t be caught up in this mess. Maybe, if they were lucky, they’d find a way of escaping. Vitoria wasn’t going to hold her breath waiting for a miracle. For now she’d conserve her strength and keep an eye out for a chance to flee.

Water fell over his face jolting Wes up sputtering. “What the hell…”

“Rise and shine, princess.”

Wes wiped the water dripping from his eyes and looked over. Shock filled him as he stared at his best friend. In his hand he held a small cup, probably originally holding the liquid currently dripping all over his face. He rubbed his eyes attempting to clear them. “I have to be seeing things.”

“Nope, I’m really here,” Eric reassured him.

“I don’t understand—how is this possible?”

“It’s a long story, and one we don’t have time for right now.” Eric stood and held out his hand. “You need to get up, we have something to take care of.”

It slammed into him like a bolt of lightning, sizzling though him with perfect clarity. Eric was alive, and he’d purposely stayed away.

He let him believe he’d died.

How could his friend have done that? Just as quickly he remembered how he’d ended up on the floor with a knot on the back of his head. Miguel Santiago kidnapped Vivian and Vitoria.

“Tori…”

“Yeah. Miguel has both of them. We need to get them back.”

Wes jumped up. He had to find Tori. He couldn’t lose her… Eric knew something. His not so dead friend was going to spill what he needed to know.

“How?”

“I have a plan, but I need you to come with me or else it won’t work.”

Right, a plan. Wes snorted. Like the plan to apparently fake his own death. How had he not seen this side of his friend before? He’d detested Tori for her supposed role in his death, and the asshole didn’t even have the decency to stay that way. He’d been such an ass. What a pair they both made. Eric’s dickhead move compounded by Wes’s equally asinine one.

“Why should I trust you?” Wes asked.

“Because you always have—you know me. Please Wes, help me.”

Eric didn’t understand. How could he place his trust in him? When he lied, he’d destroyed an important element in their friendship.

“I don’t know if I can.”

“I know you have feelings for Vitoria. Do you want to allow him a chance to hurt her?”

“Why do you care?” Wes asked.

“Vivian. I love her. I thought if I stayed away, Miguel would leave her alone, I was wrong.” Eric paused, scrubbed his hands over his face. “I have to get her back.”

Wes understood—he would do anything for Vitoria. Including trusting Eric one last time to make sure Vitoria made it out of this mess alive. After Vitoria was safe—he wasn’t so sure he’d want to count Eric as a friend. For now though, he’d set that aside for the greater good.

“Okay what do we do to get them back?”

“Do what I say. Come on. I know where he took them. I’ll explain the plan on the way.”

So Eric expected him to follow him blindly? Wes wasn’t so sure if he could do that.

“Why don’t you tell me first? I’d like to have some idea of what I’m getting into?”

Eric groaned. “We don’t really have time for this.”

“Make time,” Wes demanded.

“Wes, please, I’m begging you. Just come with me.”

“Fine, but I don’t like it. You’d better tell me everything on the way.”

“I will.” Eric nodded.

Wes followed him outside and got into the passenger side of a black Ford Escape. Eric put it in drive and squealed out of his parking space. They drove in silence for several minutes, but Wes couldn’t stay that way for long. He had too many questions.

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“What?” Eric asked.

“That you were alive.”

“No, I didn’t plan on ever coming back. I got wind of what Miguel was up to a few days ago.”

“Where have you been all this time?”

Eric sighed. “I’ve been working for the CIA. I haven’t even been in the states. Please understand, I can’t tell you more than that.”

What had happened to his best friend? When did he decide to join the CIA? The little bit of information Eric shared only gave him more questions. He also knew the chance of getting any real answers from his friend were not very high.

“Fine, I won’t ask. As long as you understand I still have questions and would like for you to one day volunteer the answers.”

“If I could tell you I would…”

“Don’t start. Just explain to me how we’re going to save Tori and Vivian.”

So many things made sense to him now. Vivian wasn’t any more responsible for what happened to Eric than he once believed Vitoria had been. The blame sat firmly on Eric’s shoulders—he made the decision to disappear and make Wes believe he’d died.

For that, Wes hated him.

He’d wasted so much time fighting with Vitoria when they could have had so much more. Once he knew she was safe, he would tell her how much he needed her.

“I know a guy on the inside. I have other agents on standby, but they can’t get there for an hour at least. Once we get the women out, they’re going to storm in and arrest Miguel.”

“Sounds too easy.”

“I hope it will be, but I don’t think it will be as simple as it sounds.”

Eric pulled down a side street and parked his vehicle. He killed all the lights and stared at a house in the distance.

“Is that where they are being held?” Wes asked.

“Yeah.”

“What are we waiting for?”

“A text signaling it’s okay to go in.”

As he spoke, Eric’s phone began to vibrate. He nodded to Wes and opened his door. Wes followed him out joining him on the sidewalk.

“All right, this is what we’re going to do. I’m going to go in and distract Miguel. You’re going to go to the bedroom Vivian and Vitoria are being held in and get them out. Bring them back here and drive away as fast as possible.”

Wes stopped and stared at him. “Wait. What? I’m not leaving you here.”

He might be mad at Eric, but he didn’t want him to truly die. Wes would at least like the opportunity to forgive him—after he beat the hell out of him for his betrayal. It was only fair.

“I’ll be fine. I have backup coming in remember?”

“I don’t know…”

“Just do it, okay? I need you to make sure Vivian makes it out of there. Please, I’m begging you, don’t argue with me, Wes.”

Wes nodded in agreement and followed Eric into the house. They entered from the back. The man Eric had in the house gestured for him to follow. Eric went in the opposite direction toward the front of the house.

Wes went up the stairs and into the room the man gestured toward. He opened the door and found both women sitting on the bed hugging each other, tears streaming down their faces. Tori glanced up at him with surprise filling her blue eyes. She rushed forward and threw her arms around him. Her tears fell even harder as she rested her head on his shoulder.

She released him and took a step back. Tori wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and stared up at him.

“Wes, what are you doing here?”

“I need you both to follow me. We need to move fast.”

“But—”

“Don’t argue, sweetheart. It isn’t the time.”

Vitoria nodded her head and pulled Vivian’s hand into hers. They both got up and followed Wes out the door. He looked down the hall and found it clear. He gestured for them to go ahead of him. So far so good. Now to get out without any incident or anyone noticing they were in the house. They eased down the hallway as quietly as possible. They didn’t get too far before they heard a male voice from behind them.

“Who are you?”

Wes closed his eyes as a sinking feeling of dread filled his gut. All color drained from Vitoria’s face. Vivian eased closer to them both. Looked like they had a small problem on their hands…

Wes turned to stare at the guy behind them. He had a hard look in his steely eyes. A gun rested in his right hand, pointed at the three of them.

“Let us go, man.”

“I can’t do that. Why don’t the three of you follow me into the boss’s office?” The man waved a gun at them gesturing them to move in front of him.

They walked down the hallway and entered the room at the very end. When they entered the room they found Miguel and Eric in the room. Miguel sat at a desk, a gun in his hand. He had it directed at Eric. His friend didn’t turn when they entered. He kept his own gun focused on Miguel.

“Found them trying to escape.”

When the man spoke, Eric turned his head. His displeasure was apparent on his face that they’d not escaped as he’d hoped they would. Eric’s face hardened at the sight of them. Wes failed in his one assignment. What were they going to do now?

Before he knew what was happening Eric jumped over the desk and tackled Miguel attempting to knock him out. They were in the midst of a struggle over Miguel’s gun. Wes didn’t wait for Miguel’s goon to jump in and help. He elbowed him in the nose and fought him for his gun. They wrestled over it for agonizing seconds. The gun fired, the sound of the shot echoing through the room.

Vitoria’s screams followed soon after.

A sharp pain began to spread through his shoulder. Wes ignored it. If he didn’t subdue the man before him, something worse could happen. Tori could be harmed. Wes grabbed a heavy stature and clocked the guy in the head. The man he’d been fighting with fell in front of him, his head bouncing off the floor with a hard thud. The room began to spin—Wes swayed as he studied the man on the floor.

Wes hit the floor next to him, the pain becoming more excruciating in his shoulder.

“Oh God, Wes, are you okay?”

“You worried about me, sweetheart?”

Tears were falling down her face. She wiped them away with her hands. “Why’d you have to go and scare me like that?”

“I’m going to be fine. It’s a scratch.”

Wes held his hand over his shoulder, blood dripping through his fingers. He could hear everyone moving around him. The room didn’t look right, everything was off center and fuzzy. Something wasn’t right—and he had a sneaky suspicion it had to do with his injury. He didn’t want Tori to worry about him though. She was okay, and that’s all that mattered to him. He glanced up and saw his best friend hovering over him.

“He doesn’t look good.” Eric frowned.

Wes didn’t really feel all that great either. Everything sounded so distant, but he could still understand everything being said.

Eric was on the phone demanding an ambulance.

He turned to look at Vitoria. She was so beautiful. He ran his fingers across her cheek and wiped away a tear falling over it. In a short amount of time, she’d come to represent his whole world. She was his everything. Wes had to tell her how much she meant to him. It might be his only chance.

“I love you, Tori.”

Worry filled her eyes as she stared down at him. He could feel his eyes try to close as he fought consciousness. Tori patted his cheek, but it didn’t help him focus. She had to be worried. Wes wanted to stay with her, but it didn’t look like he was being given a choice.

“Wes?” Tori’s voice sounded far away, an echo in the distance.

Wes tried to hold on, but he couldn’t. The world went black. The last thing flashing through his mind was images of Tori.

Chapter Thirty

“An ambulance pulled up. They are going to take Wes to the hospital. It looks like the bullet went through his shoulder.” Eric laid his hand on Tori’s arm. “I have Miguel and his associate in handcuffs. They’re both going to go away for a very long time.”

“Good. They should,” Tori replied. She turned to look at Vivian crying on the other side of the room. “What the hell is this all about?”

Eric shook his head. “This isn’t the time to talk about all of this. We need to get Wes to the hospital.”

“Yes, we do,” Tori agreed. “I’m not letting you off the hook though. He has a bullet in him because of your incompetence.”

“Leave him alone, Tori.”

Vitoria stood up and turned toward her sister. “You tried to warn me?”

Vivian nodded. “I did.”

“You didn’t try hard enough.” Her words filled with bitterness. “I was in danger, and all you did was leave a few messages. I always knew you didn’t really care about me. It’s disappointing to find out how little I do mean to you.”

“It’s not like that—”

“No, it’s exactly like that.”

The paramedics came into the room in a rush. They pulled a stretcher along with them. “Where’s the injured individual?”

“He’s over here,” Vitoria replied.

They went to work on him. Once they had an idea on his condition, they hauled him onto the stretcher and wheeled him out.

“Wait, can I come in the ambulance with you?” Tori asked.

“Are you family?”

“No—but…”

“Sorry ma’am, you’ll have to meet us at the hospital.”

Tears began to spill out of her eyes. Up until that moment she’d held up all right. What was she going to do if something happened to Wes?”

“I’ll take you to the hospital, Vitoria.” Eric grabbed her arm. “Come with me, I have a vehicle outside.”

Vitoria yanked her arm out of his hands and seethed, “This is all your fault. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Don’t be stupid Tori. You want to be with Wes, and Eric’s giving you a way to get there,” Vivian coaxed.

Vivian had a point. Wes needed her. She couldn’t be choosy about how she got to the hospital. If something happened to him… No, she wasn’t going to consider that ever being a possibility.

“Fine,” she agreed. “He can take me to the hospital.”

“I’m glad you’re seeing reason,” Eric replied.

“Yeah, I’m still not going to forgive you anytime soon. In fact, you two can call his brother and ruin his wedding night by informing him of Wes’s condition.”

Vitoria didn’t want to be the bearer of the bad news. Dallas would be livid—and as worried as she was. Good grief, what a way to end a wonderful day. Their wedding had been so beautiful and absolutely wonderful. Now Wes was being taken to the hospital with a bullet wound.

“I can do that on the way to the hospital.” Eric turned to Vivian. “You’re coming with us.”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“I want you both to get checked out,” he replied.

“You can go to hell,” Vivian retorted. “I don’t have to do anything you tell me to.”

“Viv…”

“Don’t even start, Eric. I’m really pissed off at you right now.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not about to forgive you because you bat your pretty eyelashes at me.”

“This has nothing to do with forgiving me.” His eyes hardened as he stared at her. “I don’t expect you too.”

Vitoria could see the hurt filling her sister’s eyes. Eric was an ass. She was starting to see why he and Wes seemed to get along so well. They were both destined to make a complete mockery of the women they claimed to love.

“Right, how stupid of me.” Vivian rolled her eyes. “You didn’t bother to tell me you were alive. Why would you want to seek any kind of absolution? It’s clear you never loved me.”

“Viv—that’s not it at all.” Eric reached for her.

“Come on Tori, let’s go outside and wait for his royal jackass to come out to drive us to the hospital.”

“I can come with you now—”

“Don’t rush on our account.” Vivian glared at him. “I know you have better things to do with your time.”

Eric remained silent. Vitoria allowed Vivian to lead her outside. Her spurned lover followed closely behind them. He clicked his remote and unlocked his vehicle. Tori sat in the backseat. She really didn’t want to talk to anyone. She heard Eric make the dreaded phone call to Dallas.

All the way to the hospital, she didn’t say a word. Silence was her friend. If she didn’t talk about what was on her mind, everything would be fine. Wes would be waiting for her at the hospital with a charming smile. He’d call her sweetheart and pull her into his arms. Of course he would be all right. Vitoria wouldn’t accept anything less.

When Eric put the car in park outside the hospital Vitoria leaped out and ran inside. She halted in front of the information desk.

“I’m looking for information on Wes Novak?”

“Are you family?”

She’d learned her lesson the first time. Of course she was family if it got her into see him.

She nodded her head. “Yes”

“Hmmm let me see.” She began to press her fingers against her keyboard. “Ah yeah he’s in surgery. Once he’s out of recovery he’ll be moved to a private room.”

“Where can we wait?”

Vivian and Eric came inside and stood beside her. She really didn’t want either of them there.

“You can wait in the family waiting room on the fourth floor. It will be where he’s moved to when he’s taken to his room.”

“Right, so we can go up there now?”

Dallas, Ginnifer, and Emma rushed into the room. Emma’s face was stark white. Dallas’s was the opposite, a bright red, and displayed angry worry.

“Where’s Wes?” Dallas barked out.

Tori turned to see his face filled with worry. “He’s in surgery. She was about to tell me where the waiting room is.”

The woman stared up at them and nodded her head. She cleared her throat. “Ah yes, um right. Fourth floor. Take the elevator over there,” she pointed her finger, “make a right once you exit the elevator. The waiting room will be all the way down the hall on your left. I’ll leave a note for the doctor to come see you once he’s out of surgery.”

They didn’t bother to thank her. All six of them walked toward the elevator and headed to the fourth floor.

“What the hell happened?” Dallas demanded.

“A crime lord kidnapped me and Viv,” Tori explained. “Wes and Eric came to save us.”

Dallas pinned his stare on Eric. “I thought you were dead.”

“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Eric replied dryly. “It’s a long story.”

“One I’d like to hear someday. When I’m not so worried about my brother.”

Ginnifer wrapped her arms around Tori. “When did things change between you and Wes?”

Tears pooled in the corner of her eyes. “I don’t know for sure. A few weeks ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tori bit her lip. “I couldn’t—I was afraid to jinx it. Things were going so well…”

“I understand. Once this is all over though, we’re going to have a long talk.”

Vitoria nodded and fought to keep the tears from falling. They got off the elevator and walked to the waiting room. Where Tori did nothing but pace until the surgeon finally came to update them.

“How is he?” Dallas asked.

“He’s going to be fine. He’ll be asleep a little while longer, but he’ll make a full recovery.”

“Can we go see him?” Emma asked.

“A couple of you at a time. I don’t want to overwhelm him tonight.”

“What room is he in?” Ginnifer inquired.

Once the doctor spilled the information, Vitoria ran out of the room and down the hall. She had to see for herself that he was all right.

She skidded to a halt outside the room.

The doctor said he’d be fine—a full recovery. Tori’s heart beat heavily in her chest. She’d rushed to his room, and now she was afraid to walk in.

“You should go in.”

Tori glanced behind her and saw Eric.

“I want to.”

“What’s holding you back?”

“I don’t know.”

Eric nodded. “I get it. You’re afraid the doctor was lying and he isn’t going to make it. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Go see him.”

Vitoria stared up into Eric’s eyes. He’d given Vivian up to save her. She could see that now. The man actually believed Vivian be better off if she’d believed he’d died. Men were so stupid.

But in one thing he was right. Vitoria opened up the door and walked inside to look at Wes.

His face was pale, yet peaceful. She raised her hand and caressed his cheek. The man was so beautiful—and she loved him so much. Foolishly she’d let her fear get in the way and hadn’t told him.

His eyes fluttered open.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“If you’re trying to get my attention, this wasn’t the way to go about it.” Vitoria folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

Wes laughed and then coughed. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be,” he squeezed her hand. “I love you.”

Vitoria glared at him. “You’re such an asshole.”

“I tell you I love you and you insult me?” Wes shook his head, disbelief clouding his eyes as he stared back at her.

“Yes, you don’t do that.”

“What? Admit how much I adore you?”

Wes didn’t get it. How to explain why she as so mad? Simple terms were probably her best options. Vitoria sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, glancing down at him.

“You shouldn’t have to get shot to admit you love me. Why couldn’t you have told me when we were alone and having, I don’t know, a nice romantic dinner? This is not how I imagined telling you I love you, damn it.”

“God, I didn’t think you’d ever tell me you loved me.”

“Me? Do we have to revisit it took you getting a bullet in your shoulder to admit your feelings?”

“It didn’t, I always planned on telling you tonight. You kept avoiding me.”

“I didn’t—”

Wes interrupted her. “Yes, you did.”

“Glad to see you’re going to be all right.” Eric laughed and turned to leave.

Vitoria had forgotten he was in the room.

“No Eric, wait,” Wes called.

He walked over to the bed. Misery was etched across every inch of his face. It appeared as if Eric held himself responsible for what had befell his friend.

“I’m sorry, Wes. I thought you’d be able to get Vivian and Vitoria out unnoticed. I didn’t intend—”

“It’s fine, Eric. You don’t need to apologize to me. I think you have someone else you need talk to.”

Eric stared at him. “What do you mean?”

Wes grinned. “Vivian.”

“Yeah, I have a lot of explaining to do.”

“No time like the present to start,” Wes said.

Eric nodded and left the room. Maybe they’d be able to work things out between them. Vitoria had seen how her sister looked at Eric.

“She loves him.”

Wes nodded. “He loves her too.”

“Do you think they can come out of this okay?”

Wes shrugged his shoulders and grimaced in pain. “I don’t know. Time will tell. I’m more concerned with where this leaves us.”

What he said—how much he wanted her—it depended on this one moment. If they were going to make it, be more than they were before, Tori needed him to want to be with her always. She wanted everything he could give her. As long as he was willing to give it to her, she intended to take it.

Vitoria bit her lip and glanced down. “What do you want from me Wes?”

“Forever.”

She hid a smile. Looked like she was going to get what she wanted, but not without a few negotiations first. Everything would work out fine as long as he needed her as much as she did him. The rest were tiny details.

“I’m willing to consider it. On one condition.”

He raised his eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Promise me right now no matter what, we will talk about everything. I don’t want to hold anything back ever again. Doubts have no place in happily ever afters… I want us to be have a life so filled with bliss we breathe it like the air surrounding us.”

Tori was going to love Wes forever. Nothing and no one would change how much she worshiped him. They’d made a lot of mistakes along the way, but Tori knew falling for Wes wasn’t one of them. The best thing she’d ever done was open her heart to him.

“I might be able to do that,” he replied.

“Don’t go all out on my account.” Vitoria glared. “I’d hate to make you do something you don’t want to.”

“Sweetheart, I love you. When are you going to get it though that thick skull of yours?”

“It might take a while for me to be able to fully accept it.” She paused. “It’s not easy for me to believe in love. Even when it’s smacking me in the face. How can you be so sure?”