Under Control (2 page)

Why was it so important to release her of the blame? It wasn’t her pretty face and anybody could fake it with those big baby blues. But the idea she was victimized by some bastard in her past really riled him.

He gently closed his fingers around her upper arm. “How are you feeling?”

“I think I’m okay.” Her voice wavered slightly.

Pressing closer, he said, “I need you to tell me everything about your ex. Beginning with the bomb and ending with if he is going to come after you.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “After me?” she repeated. “Oh my God, I never thought of it.”

“We need to. He sent you on a suicide mission, sweetheart. I take it you’re on bad terms?”

“I hadn’t spoken to him in months and then he called me and asked to meet. Said he wanted to apologize, and…well I wanted that validation, I guess. So I can move on, you know?” She blinked up at Gabriel, and his chest constricted again. “We talked for a few minutes and he asked which direction I was going home. I told him and he asked if I’d just drop this at the firehouse for the chief.”

“A setup.” Gabriel rubbed his finger under his nose, wanting to do real physical damage to the fucker who would have this woman do his dirty work. A man like that was dangerous.

In a flash, Gabriel’s mind was made up. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight, and there was only one place that she’d be totally safe—his house.

That meant invading Joey’s life too, but what choice did he have?

∙•∙

Jayla couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. Confusion was a black, smoky cloud in her mind, enhanced by her dimmed sense of hearing. The medic had said it could take a few weeks for the damage done to her eardrums to heal—at least that’s what she
thought
he said. She’d never had to read lips before.

Now she stared at the policeman in front of her. She had no idea how to answer the questions he asked. Did she know who gave her the package? Yes. Did she know why? No. How did they find her ex? She had no clue. Sometimes the police officer looked at her with a crinkled brow and a question in his eyes, and she realized she sounded as befuddled as she felt.

Only the fireman’s presence at her side kept her upright. She wanted to climb into bed and sleep for a month. Right after her teeth stopped chattering, that was.

Gabriel adjusted the blanket the medic had given her around her shoulders. His solid heat at her back helped her find the strength to stand. God, when would this end? Damn her ex for putting her through this hell. And the fact he’d given her something meant to explode…

Did she feel safe? Absolutely not. And there was no place she could hide from him. Even going to her sister outside the city wasn’t a good idea. Blaine would know where to look. He knew everything about her life, right down to how she flossed obsessively and which drawer she kept her sex toys in.

Her mouth was so dry. She ran her tongue over her lower lip, but it did nothing to help. Gabriel’s heat left her back, and she twisted to see him cross the parking lot. If her mind wasn’t so hazed over, she might admire the lines of his strong body. He looked as if he’d stepped off the pages of a fireman calendar.

The officer asked her a few more questions before a big hand appeared in front of her face holding a bottle of water.

Her gaze latched onto the hairs sprouting on his wrist. When she didn’t reach for it, he uncapped the water and brought it to her lips. Jolted into action, she wrapped her hands around the cool plastic and drank.

Everything was a blur. Uniformed men. FBI vans, reporters and a white room where she was held and drilled for information about the package she’d brought. Not to mention dozens of questions about her relationship with her ex. God, what had she done?

She had to call work and let them know she wouldn’t be in today—or for a week. Her insurance investigator position was more flexible than some, but still…

“My ex’s name is Blaine Brown. I-I hadn’t seen him for months,” she told the man seated before her. After a few more questions, another man replaced him, and she felt as if she had to start all over again. Where was Blaine now? She had no idea. How could he have done this to her?

“No, I’m not afraid of him.”

“How did the package come into your possession?”

“He casually asked me to drop a package on my way by the station and I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Has he threatened your life in the past?”

“No.”

“Where does Blaine work?

“At Pacific Pools.”

“Does he have access to the chemicals there?”

“Yes. Why does that matter?” She felt as if she were underwater and very far from the boat that would take her back to solid ground. She floundered with more questioning.

Jayla stared into space. Her mind couldn’t wrap around what this all meant for her. “I didn’t know. I don’t know anything,” she kept saying until finally some nice FBI agent sighed and said, “I believe you, and so does the fire chief.”

She was questioned some more. Where was Gabriel? Would she ever see him again?

The raised voice made her look up. Gabriel’s face was red and a vein pulsing heavily in his throat as he spoke to the officer questioning her. Whatever had been said, she’d missed, but apparently Gabriel was taking offense.

“She is the victim here and needs protection. What are you going to do for her?” A muscle fluttered in the corner of Gabriel’s jaw.

Jayla stared at the officer but his words were lost in the sirens around her. Then Gabriel grabbed her. With his big arm around her waist, he got her on her feet and hurried her through the crowd. The uniforms of emergency personnel blurred in her vision.

“Jayla, stay with me. I need you to walk.”

She snapped back to herself. Jeez, her mind was seriously shocked. She wasn’t this airheaded woman being forced to walk. Her brain was a spinner on a board game, though, revolving in place and always pointing to what Blaine had asked her to do.

She could have killed so many people. She could have died too.

From the black pool of pain, she surfaced with a gasp. She dug in her heels and Gabriel stared down at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked. His cell started blowing up with buzzes and then a ring tone of an old power ballad. He placed a hand over it and silenced it.

“Blaine is going to come after me. He intended me to die in that explosion, but I didn’t.”

“I know, sweetheart. So does the FBI. Just keep walking.” He put his arm around her middle again and led her through the crush of onlookers and media people. A block away, they were in the clear. The scents of onion rings wafted from a restaurant and turned her stomach.

She swayed. Bent over and puked. Gabriel didn’t jump away—he kept his arm around her waist, letting her hang there with his support. As he bundled her hair off her face, tears burned her nose.

“Oh Jayla. Come with me. A few more steps to the parking garage and my truck.”

She blinked back her emotion and swiped her hand over her mouth. Where had the bottle of water gone? Maybe she’d dropped it. She was such a mess.

The next few minutes were a blur, and she didn’t realize she was seated in Gabriel’s truck until he clicked the seatbelt at her hip. She looked up into his face and saw genuine concern there.

But he’d suffered the same thing she had. All of a sudden, she lifted a hand to his angled jaw, cupping it as she searched his eyes. “Are you okay?”

His features shivered, and he covered her hand with his big one. “I’m fine. Hearing’s a little fuzzy, though.”

“Mine too.”

“It’s going to be okay, Jayla.” He withdrew and closed the truck door. Several minutes later she noted their direction—they were leaving the city and heading into a suburb. The long bridge over the river seemed endless, and the cliffs rose high on either side. If she rolled down the window, she could hear the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing not far away. Not that she would be able to hear them in this state, but the sound had always soothed her.

A few minutes later she roused at the sound of male voices. She was locked against Gabriel again. He ushered her into a home decorated in a simple modern style.

“She’s in shock and she has no safe place to go, Joey.”

“It’s fine, Gabe. Bring her into the guest room.” Footsteps moved ahead of her. She was so tired, her limbs so heavy. Big hands on her body—too many hands to just belong to Gabriel. Her head sank into a downy cushion so heavenly, she let her eyes slip closed.

“She needs to sleep. We’ll watch her.”

“You’d better tell me what the hell is going on, babe.” The unfamiliar voice burrowed into her psyche, and she wanted to open her eyes and see the man who called Gabriel babe.

“You know I’d never keep anything from you. I’ll tell you everything, but right now I just want to look at you. It’s so damn good to see you, Joe.”

∙•∙

Joey pressed his lips together at Gabriel’s expression of utter love. He yanked his lover into his arms and held him for a long, breathless moment.

Gabriel’s jaw, rough with beard, scraped over his own. “Not here,” he whispered at his ear.

They went into the hallway and quietly closed the door on the mystery woman. As soon as they were truly alone, Joey brought his lips down on Gabriel’s. This was no soft, seeking kiss. No, he needed to show his lover that he couldn’t worry him like that, calling and saying there was an explosion and he would be in touch as soon as he was clear.

Joey had sat in front of the news and worried himself to the point of insanity. Each time Gabriel went into the world to battle fires and other unknown threats, Joey had to stifle the fears inside himself. The guy was a fucking hero.

Pulling away, he looked into Gabriel’s eyes, noting the lines of relief around each. “I’m okay. Are you?” Gabriel asked.

“No, goddammit. You need to provide better information when you call.”

“I’m sorry. I had no time. The place was crawling with cops and medics and guys from other fire companies.”

“Isn’t there an automated voicemail you can send me next time? ‘Hey, Joe, shit’s blowing up in the city and I’m alive but I’m bringing a strange woman home with me?’”

Gabriel’s dark eyes crinkled and his lips turned up. The snort of laughter sent relief sputtering in Joey’s veins. This was the man he loved—the one he’d gone after and won. And he was safe and whole.

“Let’s go into the living room,” Joey suggested. He turned and walked away, knowing Gabriel was at his back. His lover went straight to the mini bar and uncapped the vodka. Raising a thick brow, he held up the bottle in question to Joey. He gave a nod, and Gabriel poured two tall drinks.

Carrying one in each hand, he approached Joey with that delicious, rolling walk that had sent Joey’s hormones into overdrive from the beginning. “I figured you needed one as much as I do.” He placed the glass in Joey’s hand, and they shared a long look.

As one, they tipped back their glasses and swallowed the shots. The liquid fortification bloomed with heat in Joey’s stomach, and he breathed easier. At least for the moment—there was still the question of the woman in their guest room.

“So who is she?” he prompted.

“Sit down.” Gabriel sank to the leather sofa. Joey sat close enough to feel his body heat but with enough distance to keep from being distracted by his need to kiss him, to feel Gabriel’s hard form under his hands. Under his body.

He needed another drink.

“She carried the bomb into the station.”

Joey jerked. “She—she’s the one they’re talking about on the news.”

He nodded gravely.

“Why bring her here? She’s the threat.”

“No, she’s as much of a victim in this as every man at East Street is. She was meant to deliver that package to the chief and they’d both die in the blast. She says her ex is responsible, and that means we know who the arsonist is, and—”

“Wait.” Joey held up his hands. “I don’t follow this.” He’d never seen his partner so rattled. He’d seen him battle through losing a victim to a house fire. He’d soothed Gabriel through the hours following a horrific twenty-car pileup on the bridge one foggy night. Then Gabriel had been a fucking rock. But his lover’s hand shook when he raised it to his hair.

Joey caught his hand and crushed it in his own. “Tell me slowly, Gabe. It’s just us and there’s no rush.”

They both shot a glance at the bedroom. They weren’t alone in the house, but the woman—whatever her name was—probably slept. Joey’s mind wandered over what he knew of her. Nothing besides she was the ex of a terrorist, obviously in danger or Gabriel wouldn’t have brought her here, and gorgeous.

Thick, dark hair that looked so soft and touchable. The tips were dyed a sultry red that suited her tawny skin. And the smudges of fear under each of her eyes had tugged something deep in the well of Joey’s being. He didn’t want to think about what that sensation was—not with Gabriel sitting in front of him.

He turned his full attention on Gabriel as he began to relay the entire experience. When he told Joey about throwing the woman to the floor, Joey’s breath was punched from him.

Shaking his head, he said, “God, Gabe. You’re such a fucking hero.”

“What choice did I have?”

“None. I would have done the same thing.”

“You know I want you at the firehouse with me. You can be trained in a few months.”

Joey shook his head. “I’ll stick with pouring shots to drunks at the bar.”

“And to all those pretty girls.” Gabriel’s eyes twinkled. It was something they talked about once in a while—especially in bed. They both loved cock and hard, muscled bodies, but they each missed the softer sex at times. How often had they discussed finding a woman to bring into the bedroom with them, even for an occasional romp?

“You’re the guy bringing home women. Who is she? What’s her name?”

“Jayla.” Gabriel stuck his finger in his ear and wiggled it. When Joey arched a brow at him, he said, “Sorry. My hearing’s funny after the blast.”

“Jesus. What can I do?”

“This.” Gabriel shifted, tipping over and laying his head in Joey’s lap.
Right where he belongs.

He stroked his hair and stared at his lover’s face, his heart pounding with love for Gabriel. His very own superhero. But he’d brought home the woman he’d rescued, and that made them both edgy. He felt the subtle hum of it running beneath the warm steel of Gabriel’s body