Melee traveled in a car with the blond man called Justin. He’d promised to drive Solada to the hospital, but who knew whether his word was good or not? She couldn’t take the chance. Armed with the knowledge of what had befallen some of the other girls who’d disappeared from her area, Melee had decided to stay beside her friend.
She looked out of the window at the dark world and felt closed in and terrified. He could do with her as he wanted. No one knew where they were. The other men had scrambled the girls into a van and left so quickly, it made her head spin.
“Those men who took the others, where are they going?”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. They’re safe now and will be looked after.”
Since she was the only one who’d stuck with Solada, the only one who’d cared; she hugged her little friend closer and prayed.
The man spoke to her, his voice kind. “Do you know of a girl called Mai Cruz?”
Melee had never heard of her. What should she say? Scared to tell him no, she almost admitted to a friendship, but at the last moment, honesty stopped her. “No. I don’t think so.”
The man called Justin turned to her. “We’re almost there. Keep trying to give her sips of water. Not too much.”
Melee had questions. Should she ask? Would he stop the car, drag her from the back seat and beat her? She didn’t think so. Taking a deep breath, she hesitated a few more moments and then began. “You said we were safe. But what will happen to us?”
“My boss, a nice lady called Nellie Foster, owns a huge security company. She’ll make arrangements with a government agency and get all of you the visas you need to return home. And it’ll happen quickly. Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Melee believed him. Her heart raced with thankfulness and she accepted that his sincere words were true. “Thank you. I’ve been so scared.”
“I’m sure you were…Melee, is it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, young Melee, you have nothing to be afraid of from now on. You will be taken care of.”
***
The black SUV that smashed into his trunk was as unexpected as the scream from the child sitting behind him. Stupid bastards obviously hadn’t heard that the game was over. They were still after him. Shit!
He floored it at the same time as yelling at Melee. “Get down on the floor and pull your friend with you, small as you can get.”
“What’s happening?” Fear made her voice break.
“These fellows have a problem with me, honey, not you. Don’t worry. This car can outrun anything on the road.” Proving his words to be true, Justin hit the gas and the phone switch on the steering wheel at the same time. When the voice asked him who he wanted to talk to, he gave it a number.
“Yo, Justin. What’s up?” Nik sounded like he was in the car sitting beside him.
“Hey, sugar. I have a car on my tail trying to climb up my backend and need some help if you have any handy.”
Maya’s voice came on instantly. “Where are you?”
While he maneuvered the car around the corners on the highway they were traveling, Justin gave her the directions. Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot of traffic because the jerks in the SUV behind were playing for keeps. They wanted him—preferably dead.
“Okay. We’re close. I’ll head over your way and meet up with you at the next junction. I’ll put out an APB to see if there’re others in the neighborhood who can help. Hang in there.”
“Just cruising along, honey. But don’t take too long. I have a sick girl with me who needs a doctor.”
Within seconds, Maya pulled her usual tricks, flying down an embankment, cutting through a highway lane going the wrong way and hitting the other side on two wheels.
“Jesus save me from crazy female drivers!”
“Max used to say the same thing.”
“I said it out loud? Sorry.”
The appreciative laughter in Maya’s voice made him grin. “He used to say that too. We’re pretty close to Juli…I mean, Justin; the intersection will be coming up in a few minutes. Can you hit that button there on the radio and say what I tell you?”
Finished with the call-in, Nik tried to relax and not watch the other cars that were looking like they were standing still. The siren got most of them moving to the right. But there were always a few stragglers, and Maya took care of these by angling onto the shoulder and speeding past.
Relaxed in her seat, she handled the wheel with a casual flair that had him feeling envy and pride entwined with his panic. Her hands didn’t grip the wheel but slid along it as if it were a living thing and she was stroking it, loving it. The machine did her bidding and she, in turn, paid homage.
Heartbeats ramping up, he looked away. The full moon was high and glowing in the middle of the front window. It was pretty.
Just think about the damn moon and breathe before you pass out
.
“There he is, just making the turn.”
Nik looked to where she was pointing and added. “Both hands on the wheel, please. I see him” He was proud that his voice didn’t waver with the anxiety he’d been fighting.
She laughed and had the audacity to wink at him before she pulled a crazy stunt and hit the grass. They drove across the barrier and cut off the SUV forcing them into the ditch. Managing to control
her
vehicle, the driver of the other wasn’t nearly as good behind the wheel as Maya. The SUV flipped twice before landing on its hood. The wheels spun, grass flew in every direction and the motor roared with disapproval for the treatment.
Slowing and turning off her siren, Maya returned Justin’s honk before he sped away.
“Careful. Someone might be waiting for us.” Before she got out of their vehicle, Maya drew her gun, waiting for Nik to do the same.
She circled around to the left of the upside-down mess while he automatically took to the right. Crouching, caution uppermost in his mind, he moved quickly, wanting to get there before Maya approached. He could barely make out two passengers, both hanging, seat bags deflated and falling in front of them. Not taking any chances, he approached with caution and waved her back. “Hold it. One of them is moving. Stay there.”
He heard an oath as one of the passengers released his seat belt and dropped. The car rocked as the man tried to get his feet under him. All of a sudden, he heard an unmistakeable sound and dropped to the ground as the bullet whizzed past. Wishing he’d taken the same path as Maya, he called out, “Honey?”
“I’m fine.”
Nik crab-crawled closer to the smash-up and roared, his voice harsh with command. “Stop that shooting, you idiot. We’ve got you covered and the cavalry is coming. Listen.” Sirens could be heard in the distant screaming their warnings. “Just throw out your gun.”
Another shot rang out, this time smashing through the windshield.
“Hey, Nik,” Maya called out. “Can you smell the gas?”
Picking up on her thought wave, Nik smiled with pride and answered. “Yeah! Wouldn’t want to be trapped in that car if it catches. If we return fire, as we have every right to do, the whole mess could blow up. Boom!”
“Boom! My thoughts exactly.”
Suddenly, a gun flew through the broken window and landed in the grass about two feet from the car. “Okay, okay, I give up. Get me out of here.”
Maya answered. “Is your partner alive?”
“Who cares, he’s my driver. Just get me out.”
Nik circled around quickly and came up behind Maya. He called softly, “It’s me.”
“I know. Or should I say my body knows. It’s the craziest thing.”
Nik pointed toward the screamer in the car. “He’s a sweetheart, isn’t he?”
“We’ll leave him for the police to deal with. I just want to go to Nellie’s and then go home with you.”
“To sleep, right?”
“That too.”
By the time Nik and Maya got to Nellie’s, she had all the girls organized, beds set up in various rooms and had just opened the door to her second-in-command.
“Justin, good, you all got here together. I’ve been going crazy. What’s happened? How did you eventually find the girls?” She led the way into the kitchen and took cold beer and water from the fridge to place in in the center of the table so they could all choose what they preferred.
Maya gratefully reached for a beer at the same time as Nik. “Justin, you start.” She was anxious to verify her assumptions as to the role he played in saving the hostages.
After he drank down a good half of his beer, he agreed. “Okay. First of all, I got a call from Paul with the container information Doug had passed on. We showed up there before the others and got the girls out quickly. We sent them here, all but Solada and Melee who, as you know, are now in the hospital.”
“And…” Nellie drilled him.
“They’re both fine. Solada has heat stroke, but she’ll recover. And that Melee… what a little trooper? She sure kept it together during the excitement. In fact, she worried about her little friend more than herself. In the end, she opted to stay with her at the hospital so I made the arrangements.”
“There was trouble?” Shrewdly, Nellie picked up on his meaning.
“Nothing that couldn’t be handled with the help of the Feds.” He grinned at Maya and Nik. “I’ll fill you in later, boss lady.”
“Fine. What about the boys?”
“Okay, don’t get upset, but the gang members made Doug go back with them to give the bad news to Smith. From what I understand, the crazy old prick shot him. But he’s going to make it.”
Maya had to ask. “Who are Doug and Paul?”
Justin answered, “Two of our operatives who’d infiltrated the gang a while ago. They were quasi-dock workers and paid off by the Mosleys to look the other way during certain consignments. This was the first time Doug was used in one of their special shipments. Damn shame he had to get shot. Guess the others knew what to expect from their crazy-ass boss and none wanted to be the bearer of bad news.”
Nik added. “The EMT’s had him in the ambulance, said his pulse had strengthened. It really looked like he’d make it.”
Nellie turned to Nik. “Okay, your turn. What happened at the Smith’s office?”
Dreading having to tell his mom about Max, Nik gently took her hand.
“I promise you he’s fine now, but Max took a bullet for me…”
“Max…”
He caught her just in time.
Lying in bed together after an incredible session of lovemaking, Nik cuddled Maya close. He stroked her arm, his fingers feathering her soft skin which smelled wonderful. Loving the perfumed soap she used, he sniffed her neck and then licked the baby-soft skin.
“You like that?” he teased.
“I like everything you do.” Man, her voice was sexy when she was aroused.
He kissed her hard. “Even this?” He kissed her again.
As soon as he let her speak, she answered. “Oh, yeah!”
“How about this?” He stroked her pale breast, visible in the darkened room.
“Uh-huh! I love that. A lot.”
He let his hands travel down her stomach, sneak under the cover and search out the moist area he’d recently just visited. He inserted a finger, gently, rubbing the favored spot with his others. “And this…”
Her moan of excitement ripped at his control. His breathing quickened as once again, his body hardened, readying itself for another dip into pure, unequivocal delight. Man, he couldn’t’ seem to get enough of her.
She obliged by undulating her hips and rapping her warm arms around his back. Surprising the hell out of him, she flipped over and changed positions. Now, she lay, draped over his body, chest to chest, stomach to stomach with his hardness nestled close to her sweet spot.
With a little maneuvering, she joined them and then sat up. Riding him gently, her probing kisses adding to his pleasure and her breathing quickening with his, she muttered.
“Your turn. You like this?”
“Oh, God! More.” He moaned. “Please. Don’t stop.”
The next day, Nik and Maya were called to Nellie’s to celebrate the case and they both couldn’t wait to share their news with the one person who they knew would be the happiest for them.
“Hi, Mom.” Nik said the words and hated the trickle of apprehension that still existed from the scared little boy hidden deep inside the man.
Nellie opened the door wider and waved them in. As if she sensed his desperation, her loving gaze directed his way settled his fear. Hugs shared, she asked, “Want to sit out on the porch for a while? It’s cool there at this time of the day.”
“Sure.” Nik and Maya sat on the swing and Nellie settled into her chair. “Where’s Justin?”
“As far as I know, he’s gone to the hospital to check on Solada. At least he said he would be at the hospital. The girls’ paperwork is coming along fine and we should be able to send them back to their homes by the end of the week. In the meantime, we’ve got some of the crew taking them around to the tourist spots.”
“That’s great news, Nellie.” Maya couldn’t help reaching across to the older woman and rubbing her arm in gratitude. “It makes me happy to know those babies have such a wonderful champion.”
“When people can, they should. That’s the motto I live by. You two are looking pretty silly, beaming at me, a secret at the tip of your tongues and no one willing to say what it is. For heaven’s sake, tell me before I burst.”
Nik laughed. “You still looking for a manager to help at Harkins?”
“Nope.” Nellie turned sly, her face serious. “Never was looking for a manager.”
Nik swung his gaze to Maya, his eyebrow rose when he saw the smile lighting up her face.
What’s she so happy about? His world had just blown up.
“Nik,” Nellie took his hand, “I want someone to replace me as
the
CEO
. I’m offering you that position and I hope with all my heart that you’ll make an old woman happy. It’s time I started watching soaps and eating bonbons.”
He waited until they both had their eyes on him and then he answered, “Nope.”
Two could play the same game
. Nik watched their expressions topple and this time he wore the stupid grin.
“The only way I’d ever take on that position is if I was trained by the incredible woman herself who built up the company. There’s plenty of time later for being a lazy old woman. Is it a deal?”
Laughing, relief obvious from both of the ladies, one nodded and the other beamed.
Before they could say anything more, a car pulled up with a squeal of tires and a blonde woman jumped out, fury engraved over her features.
Nik stood, the knots in his stomach forming hard and fast.
The intruder stomped up the short path, flew up the steps and smacked Nik hard, right across the face. Both Maya and Nellie surged to his side.
“You bastard! Think you can get me pregnant and then take off, leave me high and dry after I’ve taken care of you for over a month? Well, it ain’t gonna happen, darlin’, you hear me?” Her voice rose and tears cascaded.
Linda!
Everyone stood, stunned. No one uttered a sound.
“
Max!
Do you hear me?”
Nik reached out just in time.
Nellie dropped right into his arms.