Wicked Intentions (Steele Secrurity Book 4) (25 page)

Robin leaned into Heather, placing her head against Heather’s chest. Heather lowered her head until her forehead rested on top of Robin’s head, the two bonding and blocking out the rest of the world.

“Babe, this is Tim. He’s Robin’s handler, and he was out there helping, too. Tim and Robin were the key to my sanity out there.”

Heather looked up at Tim. “I can’t thank you enough, Tim. It’s humbling and overwhelming when I think about how you and the others voluntarily put your own lives in danger to save complete strangers.”

“We enjoy helping others. It gives us a sense of purpose, really. I have to tell you Robin has never bonded with anyone like she has the two of you. She has acted like she was in mourning for the last few days. Now that I see her with you, I know she was. She’s claimed you as her family.”

Rebel and Heather exchanged glances. “Are you saying you want us to take her?” Heather asked.

“If you’ll love her, give her a good home, and treat her like family. She wouldn’t have attached herself to you if she didn’t sense you were good, honest people.”

“I’d love to take her home with us, Tim. But I’d feel guilty taking your dog from you.”

“She is a great dog and I love her, but she’s not my only one. As sad as she’s been lately, I really think she’d rather be with you.”

“Then she’s welcome to come home with us,” Rebel replied. “I don’t know how to repay you for this.”

“You don’t owe me anything. Give your love to Robin and we’ll call it even.”

The men shook hands then Heather stood and threw her arms around Tim’s neck. “Thank you so much,” she choked out. “Thank you.”

Rebel collected Robin’s things from Tim’s vehicle and took his two ladies home to rest.

L
ater that evening
, Rebel and Heather were alone in their home, drained from the emotional toll the day had taken on them. Heather was stretched out on the couch with her head in Rebel’s lap while he lovingly massaged her head. Robin had stretched out on the love seat, content and cozy in her new home. Within minutes, Heather was sound asleep, sleeping better than she had since the whole ordeal began. Her breaths were even and her muscles were relaxed. For once, she wasn’t having nightmares, reliving being buried alive, existing in fear.

Her eyes fluttered and she opened them, looking up at Rebel. Her hand followed her gaze, cupping his face in her palm and running her fingers through the stubble of his beard. “I’ve missed you, Brax.”

“I’m right here, baby. I haven’t left.”

She pushed up on one hand, only wincing slightly at the pain in her side. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

She covered his lips with hers, teased them apart with the tip of her tongue, and then claimed ownership of his mouth. She moved cautiously, minding her injuries, and straddled his lap.

“I mean like this,” she purred. “This is how I’ve missed you.”

His fingers threaded through her short black hair before gripping a handful and holding it tightly. He tilted her head to the side, exposing the sensitive area of her neck, before he voraciously feasted on her succulent skin.

“Yes,” she hissed in ecstasy. “I love how that feels.”

He moved lower, removing her shirt and tossing her bra on the floor. He covered her breast with his mouth and sucked her hardened nipple between his teeth. The slight pain from the graze of his teeth mixed with the pure pleasure of his tongue was a recipe for bliss. Before she realized it, she was flat on her back, the clothes on the lower half of her body had been removed, and Rebel was working his mouth down her stomach.

He pushed her legs farther apart, flicked his tongue against her clit, and thrust his fingers deeply into her. She moaned loudly in pleasure, and her fingers gripped his head. She writhed underneath him as the warmth of his tongue started from the bottom edge of her wetness and made its way up to her clit. When he sucked it into his mouth, the sensory overload had her screaming his name.

“I want to taste you, baby. Come for me,” he demanded, then eagerly dove back in, resuming his exploration of her body, relishing in the taste she left on his tongue. “Damn, you taste good. I need to be inside you now.”

“Take me. Take what you want.”

He grasped both of her legs, his cock poised at her entrance, and she held her breath and waited for him to surge into her. His welcome intrusion into her body caused sensations to roll through her entire being, stretching and filling her in the most erotic and pleasurable way. He leaned forward, covering her body with his, and sealed their intimate connection. He allowed his feelings to pour out into her through his eyes, through his touch, and through his heart. She accepted his love and returned her own through every kiss, every caress, and every tantalizing breath.

Their bodies slick with sweat, their hearts pounding against their chests, they made love for hours. Rediscovering one another. Reconnecting after a harrowing event. Reestablishing the connection that had carried them through so many happy and sad times throughout the years.

Their love was stronger than the blast that had rocked their world.

It was more powerful than the terrorist who had threatened their existence.

It was more consuming than the fear that had tried to tear them apart.

It was alive.

O
ver the next few weeks
, Rebel watched Heather become stronger and seemingly more like herself, until the sun went down and darkness covered the world like a heavy blanket shrouding the light. Her external wounds were healing, but the psychological injuries were still taking a toll on her.

He’d waited until he was certain she could manage without him continuously being at her side. Then he arranged for Brianna, Chaise, and Amelia to keep her company while he went out to finish his job. When Brianna suggested the whole family spend the day together to initiate a return to normalcy, Rebel heartily agreed.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. There are a couple of loose ends Tucker and I need to wrap up.” He sealed his promise with a kiss while he lovingly stroked her cheek. “Introduce Robin to Amelia while I’m gone.”

“All I want is for you to be careful and come back home to me. Say it. Promise me.”

“I promise. I will be careful, and I will be back home with you before you even know I’m gone. Our house will be full of people, and they’ll keep you very occupied. I have to go meet Tucker now, babe. I love you.”

“I love you, Brax.”

He opened the front door to leave and was greeted by a large group of their friends and family. “Look, babe. Some of our guests are already here to see you. I’ll be quick.”

“Oh, good! I’m glad they’re here.” Heather walked to the door to greet their friends, but Rebel felt her eyes boring into his back until he was out of sight.

* * *

R
ebel drove
to their rendezvous point, parked his truck, and walked in silence alongside Tucker over the last two blocks to their final destination. Rebel opened the front door, walked inside, and quickly assessed the scene. Tucker inclined his head toward Rebel and closed the door behind him on his way back out. Rebel moved around the small, dilapidated house, arranging the supplies and perfectly setting the stage.

“You’re probably wondering what the fuck is happening right about now.” Rebel paused when he realized Rashad was awake, and he looked down directly into Rashad’s eyes. “I’ll be glad to explain it to you. We don’t have much time, though, so I’ll have to talk while I work.”

He walked to the freezer and removed the vials of TATP Rashad had already made. He carefully set them up in a row on the small end table beside where Rashad lay on the couch.

“You are about to blow yourself up with your own devices. Yeah, I know it’s a little shocking since you can’t move at all right now. But it’ll make sense by the end of this story. Try to keep up with me.

“My wife is the best person I know. She’s a nurse, as you well know since you followed her around the hospital and took pictures of her. She takes care of people who are very sick and fighting for their lives. As an oncology nurse, she’s seen her fair share of tragedy over the years. But she keeps going back, she keeps trying to help, because there are always those patients who defy the odds and beat the cancer growing inside them. She’s an amazing person.”

Rebel rearranged the furniture in the small room as he talked, moving everything away from in front of the front window so there was nothing obstructing the view into the living room. When he was satisfied with the setup, he turned back to Rashad.

“You can’t imagine the rage and fury I felt when I learned that my wife, the love of my life, the one person I can’t live without, was buried alive in that explosion you created in the port. For nearly forty-eight hours straight, I did nothing but move rock, concrete, metal, and garbage, desperately looking for my wife.

“One thing you probably don’t know about me is I’ve always been known for being very level-headed, always considering all sides of the equation before making a final decision, playing devil’s advocate to get others to think differently.

“But not that night.

“That night, you changed me, Rashad. What you did to my wife flipped a switch in my brain, and the only thing that kept me focused during that forty-eight-hour journey through hell was meticulously planning every detail of how I’d kill you. And Rashad, I have a great plan.

“That plan brings us to today. You are a coward, plain and simple. You’ve been in hiding since the bombing, thinking you got away with it all. Thinking I didn’t know exactly where you were and what you were doing every minute of every hour of every day. But I did. The only reason you’ve been alive the last few weeks is because my wife has needed me with her.

“Imagine my surprise when she told me she can’t get past the fear of knowing you’re still out here, roaming free, and could possibly hurt her again. She needs you to be dead to feel safe. I’m paraphrasing here for the sake of time. The bottom line is you’ll be dead in just a couple of minutes because my wife comes first. Always.

“You may be wondering why you can’t move a muscle, but you’re fully aware of everything happening to you. As I mentioned, my wife is a nurse, and we’ve always shared every detail about our days, no matter how mundane it is. Turns out, something she mentioned a long time ago suddenly became very useful to me today.

“You can’t see him because you can’t turn your head, but your cohort Bill Smith is here with you. After my buddy Tucker knocked you over the head and brought you back here along with Bill, I gave each of you a shot. The medical name is long and very scientific sounding, succinylcholine, so most of the medical personnel just call it ‘sux’ for short. When you think about it, that’s very fitting for this situation because it definitely sucks to be you right now.

“Anyway, ‘sux’ is a paralytic, but it allows you to remain alert and fully aware of everything happening to you and around you. I couldn’t give you the full dosage because that would make your diaphragm stop working and you’d quit breathing. I don’t want you to die too early. Remember I mentioned that you buried my wife in a tomb of concrete and metal? She was conscious during that whole ordeal, just like you’ll both be when this house blows up with you in it.

“You’re going to stay right here on this couch, and your little invention will be right here at your head. By the way, your head will be the first thing you lose when this blows, in case you haven’t figured that out yet.

“Maybe you noticed I just moved some furniture around in here. That’s because I need a clear line of sight to shoot these vials of TATP beside your head. When they explode, you’ll be fully awake. You’ll hear me leave the house. You’ll hear the door latch behind me. You’ll wait while the clock ticks, one excruciating second at a time. I’ll take a stroll down the street to my vantage point, set the sights of my rifle on your bomb materials right here by your head, and I’ll squeeze the trigger.

“When the force of my bullet connects with the temperamental nature of this compound you made, there will be nothing left of you or Bill or this house. For all intents and purposes, what little specs of DNA are left will indicate you blew up your own damn self while playing with the Mother of Satan. You’ll be out of our lives forever. No ghosts. No shadows. No looking over our shoulders for psychos hell-bent on revenge.

“Speaking of psychos with a need for revenge. Yes, I shot and killed your father. But to be fair, I was rescuing hostages he’d taken from us. He shot at my friends and me first. I simply returned fire while trying to leave his house with the people who didn’t belong there. Technically, he brought all that shit on himself.

“Like father, like son, I guess. I’ll leave you to sort that out in the few seconds you have left alive. It’s time for me to get home to my wife. Plus, that shot I gave you will start wearing off any time now. Can’t have you moving around too much before the house blows to hell and back, can we?

“This is the part of the story where I’d normally tell you to bend over and kiss your ass goodbye, but you can’t move. So feel free to just envision yourself doing it instead.”

Rebel picked up his rifle, walked to the door, and didn’t look back until he was in his spot a block away. He casually lifted his rifle to his shoulder, set his sights on the glass vials that held the volatile concoction, and squeezed the trigger with ease. The resulting explosion was so severe, it not only obliterated everything that had been in the old house, but it also knocked down the condemned houses surrounding it.

He smiled to himself. “Not a trace of evidence left.”

Rebel exited through the back door and hopped into the waiting car.

“Feel better now?” Tucker asked.

“Much better. It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it? Let’s head back to my house now. Everyone is already there with Heather for our little get-together. We don’t want to be late joining the party.”

* * *

R
ebel and Tucker
pulled up to the house and found the driveway was completely full of cars.

“Shit. We’re late. Everyone else beat us here.”

“Will Heather ground you for it?” Tucker smirked, enjoying busting Rebel’s balls.

Rebel cut his eyes sharply toward Tucker. “You know I just killed two men.”

A broad, shit-eating grin crawled across Tucker’s face. “Of course, I do. I helped.”

“Now I know why Shadow enjoyed working with you on that case in Dallas so much. You two are so much alike.”

They climbed out of the car and walked into the house, the sounds of laughter and chatter filling the air. When Rebel stepped into the living room, he immediately sought out Heather. Relief flooded him when he saw she was safe, sound, and laughing as she chatted with Liz and Becca. He walked around the room and greeted everyone individually. Becca approached him with outstretched arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It’s so good to see you again, Brax. I always know when you’re home because Heather absolutely glows with love. Thank you so much for never giving up and saving my best friend.” She wiped an errant tear from her eye when she pulled away.

“I said no crying today,” Heather teasingly chastised her.

“Who’s crying?” Becca challenged with a sly smile.

“Believe me, there was no way I would’ve left that site without my wife. Thank you for taking such good care of her in the ER. I’m surprised they didn’t toss you out of there on your ear with all the demands you made.” Rebel replied.

“They couldn’t. I wasn’t working–I was there as a visitor. Plus, they know me and they know they’d have to deal with me at some point later.” Her devious smile and devilish laugh left no doubt Becca would’ve followed through on her veiled threat.

“If you two will excuse me, I need to speak with the boss for a minute.”

After a kiss to Heather’s cheek, he easily weaved through the many people celebrating Heather’s recovery. When he reached Noah, he held his hand a second longer than normal when he shook hands. With a pointed look, he delivered a hidden mission update in his innocuous greeting. “It’s a beautiful day for a celebration. There was a big gust of wind earlier, but it blew over in no time.”

Comprehension lit in Noah’s eyes. “Sometimes a nice breeze can make your whole day.”

“It most certainly did that.”

When Noah rejoined Brianna, Heather approached Rebel from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pressed her face against his back and inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent that was uniquely his. With his hands on her arms, he lovingly caressed her while remaining cognizant of her healing wounds. He took her hand in his and tenderly pulled her around to stand in front of him, changing places by wrapping his arms around her waist protectively.

“You must have missed me this morning.” He smiled against the side of her head and pressed his lips to her hair. “I missed you, too.”

“I did miss you. Not that I haven’t enjoyed our company, but it’s always better when you’re here with me.”

“I’m here now. Just had to wrap up some loose ends this morning. How’s your mom holding up?”

“Subtle change of subject, Brax. She alternates between a complete nervous breakdown and saying she’s fine.”

“And how are you holding up?”

“I alternate between a complete nervous breakdown and saying I’m fine.”

He turned her in his arms to face him. “If it’s too soon for everyone to be here, just say the word. They’ll understand.”