I’m going to spend the rest of my life being grateful that I was kidnapped by the most inept kidnapper in the world.
At least she would if she managed to get out of this mess.
Closing her eyes, she put her hands back on the window frame once more, gathered her strength, and heaved upward, a steady push that made her arms tremble with effort and her headache pound anew.
Did it move, just a little? She thought she’d felt just the tiniest give, and had heard just the littlest bit of friction, wood on wood.
Crap, if only I had a knife or something I could use to break the seal…
Julia’s thought drifted off as she looked down at the handcuffs. The heel of the restraints each had a small, square piece of metal jutting out. She had no idea what the heck for, but maybe, just maybe, she could use that.
Since the protrusion wasn’t very long it wouldn’t be able to penetrate the space between window frame and casement very deeply. But it might be enough.
Julia looked over her shoulder again, just to be sure the door was still mostly closed. She listened and yes, there was that soft snore.
Good
.
She used her left hand and fit the piece of metal between frame and casement. It just barely wedged in. Slowly, she drew it down, wincing at the rough chewing sound, but determined to do this.
Hurry, hurry, hurry!
Julia had no idea why her instincts were screaming at her. She simply listened to them and worked as quickly as she could.
Finally she’d run the metal along the entire window edge, even the top. She prayed it would be enough.
Getting into position one more time, hands on the frame, feet braced, she inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and shoved for all she was worth.
Spots formed behind her closed eyelids as she kept up the pressure, pushing, pushing, until she thought she just might pass out.
And then the window moved. Julia stopped and rested for one moment. No longer caring how much noise she made, she pulled the window down, then resumed her hard upward thrust.
It moved again, rising slowly, slowly, before it stopped. Julia stood back and examined the gap.
Not enough for her to go out feetfirst, but headfirst she might be able to manage. It would be tight, but she had no choice, she had to go now.
She looked down at her chest.
Sorry, girls, this is going to hurt
.
Hands out the opening first, she stretched up on her toes, ducked her head under the edge of the wood and levered herself up. She winced as her breasts became scrunched in the small opening, but wiggled herself, gaining an inch at a time. She meant to keep her hands outstretched, but impatience had her grabbing the casement, pushing against it to finish the job of escaping.
She wiggled once more, and the moment her hips were through the opening, her body fell out.
Julia just barely got a hand up to protect her already abused head.
Free. Thank God
. Now all she had to do was run.
She got to her feet, took one last look inside the room she’d just escaped.
The sound of a vehicle approaching accompanied by the sweep of headlights on her right startled her. Before she could turn and run, an arm slid around her and grabbed her hard, and a hand clamped tightly over her mouth.
Chapter 14
They’d decided to take turns as they waited for news, waited for Dev and Drew to rescue Julia. Adam had insisted on taking the first shift. Morgan was stretched out in the other hangar, making use of the sofa in the waiting area. Henry had returned from dropping the SEALs nearly an hour before and was busy checking over the helicopter, making sure it was ready to go at a moment’s notice.
“Thought I’d keep you company.”
Adam looked up and met his brother Jake’s gaze. “Appreciate it. I pulled a double last night and today so Matt and Steven could take Kelsey to Dallas for a minivacation, thinking I’d crash when Jasper came on duty at six. So I’m glad to have you as backup, now.”
“You could have called him.” Jake pulled a chair over and sat next to him.
Adam watched him as he swept his gaze over the map they’d left tacked up, then down to the phone and the special shortwave receiver. When Dev and Drew were ready for pickup, they’d use their cell phones if they could, or their GPS emergency signal if they could not. Adam knew Jake recognized all the equipment they’d set up, recognized it and knew how to use it all. Like most of the men in the families, he’d spent some time in the military. In Jake’s case, that was a few years in the National Guard.
“Matt would have come back if he’d known he was needed here.” Jake gave Adam a level look. “Knowing Matt, he’ll be pissed that you
didn’t
call him back.”
“I know.” He did know and had actually considered making that call. “But they’ve not had a lot of time together away from work, just the three of them since they got married. I can be a little tired for one day. It’s no big deal.”
“A little tired? Hell, man, you look ready to keel over. I’ve seen dead men who looked better than you do right now.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, if you think I look bad, you should have a gander in a mirror, brother mine. You don’t look so hot there, yourself, Ace.”
“Well boy howdy, listen to the two of you go on! Just the way I imagine Benny would be if’n he had a brother—and he’s only six years old.”
Adam turned in his chair. He smiled slowly and bit back the urge to make a smart-ass comment.
There, just inside the door and holding a large covered container, stood their sweet Ginny Rose. She had her hair pulled back and up in a perky ponytail. Stray wisps of hair had escaped her attempt to tame them, curling around a face that glowed with health and a light coat of perspiration.
Adam didn’t have to make eye contact with Jake to know his brother sat feeling just as tongue-tied and enamored as he. They were both of them totally, completely, and forever head over heels in love with Ms. Virginia Rose.
Waiting for Ginny to gain her starch enough so that they could begin to do something about it was the hardest thing he or Jake had ever had to do.
“Hey there, Ginny. What are you doing out here so late at night? And what do you have there?” As ever, Adam made sure he moved cautiously. He got to his feet, smiled, and walked slowly toward her.
In his capacity as sheriff, he’d been the one to take Ginny’s statement after she’d escaped from Deke Walters, when he and Matt and Kelsey had brought her safely back to Lusty. He’d probably never know why in those turbulent hours she’d allowed him that close to her. She’d certainly been skittish of him ever since.
Adam knew he would never forget the sight of those angry red welts covering Ginny’s body. The cop in him had been meticulous in documenting the assault. The warrior in him had simply wanted to avenge her.
He hadn’t fallen in love with her right away. He’d watched the shy, fragile woman grow in confidence. He’d seen the shadows of fear recede with each day she lived in his town. As he’d taken in her absolute devotion to her son, he’d realized the feelings he had for her were more than friendly, and more than anything he’d ever felt for any woman before.
He’d been pretty certain she was meant to be theirs. When Jake had met her and then fallen for her almost instantly, Adam had known without a doubt that she was.
“I heard about Julia, of course and I…” Ginny shivered. “I wanted to do something. Peter told me that you and Jake were likely here, monitoring the radio, waiting for word. It’s not much, but I thought I could at least bring the two of you some dinner.”
“Thank you, honey.” Jake relieved her of the container and then lifted the lid. “Spaghetti and meatballs, and it smells heavenly.”
Adam reached out and took her hand and drew her closer. A pretty blush kissed her face, just as he longed to.
I’ve waited long enough
.
He thought Ginny must have read his intention on his face, because her eyes widened suddenly. Yet the entire time he continued to gently pull her closer, she didn’t resist him.
“That was very thoughtful of you, sweet Ginny. I’m looking forward to tasting the dinner you brought us. But not nearly as much as I’m looking forward to tasting
you
.”
She was close enough now that Adam was able to slip one arm around her. He felt her trembling, and he understood that she felt a little bit afraid. Oh, not of them. But of the way she felt when she was near them.
“Will you let us kiss you?”
She looked down, and Adam sensed she was battling an inner demon. As much as he wanted to wage that war for her, he understood it was her battle, and he had to respect her enough to let her fight it.
He felt Jake move closer, and knew Ginny sensed his closeness, too.
She licked her lips, then raised her head. She met his gaze, then Jake’s, before turning her attention back to Adam once more.
“I was never going to even look at another man, ever again. I’ve made two mistakes. The last one nearly killed me.”
Adam felt his heart break for her, not just for what she’d been through. She judged herself too harshly, he thought. So he kept his voice gentle. “We know that, sweetheart.”
“And then I came here, and here you both are and I…” Her eyes reflected the entire range of emotions Adam felt certain must be going through her.
“Just let us kiss you, baby,” Adam said. “Give us one taste. We won’t ask for more than that tonight.”
“We won’t ask for one damn thing more than you’re willing to give us.” Jake moved his hand slowly down her back, his touch as gentle, Adam knew, as his words had been.
“I do want to kiss you. I want to kiss you both. I just—”
“Shh.” Adam touched her cheek, a one-finger caress meant to reassure her. “Wanting is reason enough. Give me your mouth, sweet Ginny. I’ve dreamed of this, it feels like, forever.”
Ginny trembled once, and then sent him a look he had no trouble interpreting, a look that made his blood heat and his cock harden.
She kept her eyes open as his mouth settled on hers, a singularly unique experience that told him she considered herself a full partner in this moment.
Her flavor teased him, her lips soft and moist, and trembling, he’d bet, with a combination of nerves and desire. His gaze never leaving hers, he let his tongue slip out and caress the soft seam of her lips.
Ginny sighed softly. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she leaned just that much closer to him, giving him her weight.
Adam wrapped both arms around her and took his kiss deep. He drank from her, taking her nectar into himself and nearly groaned aloud with the joy and the pleasure that flooded him.
Finally
. She was all he’d imagined and so very, very much more.
He wanted all of her. Adam longed to ease her down to the floor, uncover and kiss every delectable inch of her, and then plunge into her again and again and again.
Soon
. He knew that time would come, and before too long.
Forcing a serenity he didn’t feel, Adam ended the kiss, his lips hovering close to hers. He brought his arms from around her and gently cupped her shoulders with his hands. When Ginny opened her eyes and blinked, he smiled, kissed her nose, then nudged her toward Jake.
“What a sexy look you’re wearing,” Jake said. Less restrained than Adam, Jake kissed her, his mouth appearing ravenous on hers. Ginny groaned, and Jake eased up. Weaning his lips from hers, he kissed both her cheeks, then stepped back, so that he stood even with Adam.
Ginny opened her eyes and looked from one to the other of them. “You’ve short-circuited my brain.”
“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Jake said.
“Mm, it is,” Adam agreed. He reached out, one hand, to lightly stroke her right arm. “We’d never hurt you, Ginny. Swear to God.”
“I know.” Her gaze went soft. She reached up, caressed Adam’s cheek, and then Jake’s. “I don’t know much else at the moment, but I
do
know that.”
She pulled away, and they let her go. For a long moment she simply looked at them. Then she tilted her head to one side. “Miz Bernice came over earlier, sayin’ she needed her Benny fix. I don’t want to abuse the favor of her staying with him while I brought your dinner over. I best be getting on back.”