Read Touched by a Thief Online
Authors: Jana Mercy
He grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be trying you time and again, but I’ve got to go back and make sure Kincaid doesn’t slip through our fingers.”
“I’m going with you.”
“The hell you are. You and the Degassi are going to stay put, Monty. Promise me you’ll wait for me here, that you won’t follow or disappear.”
“Why should I do that? I don’t even know who you really are?”
“Yes, Monty, you do. You have always known who I really am. I’m the man who loves you and will be back for you. Wait for me. Lock everything and stay hid until I get back.”
And before she could stop him, he disappeared, leaving her alone to digest his words.
The man who loves you.
He didn’t love her.
He’d only said what he thought she wanted to hear in effort to keep her put. Because he’d left her with the Degassi. Why would he do that? Or was the gem even real?
She studied the jewel at her throat. The necklace had apparently exchanged hands so many times who knew who really had the real Degassi at this point.
Stay put. She’d never really been a stay put kind of girl.
“McGowan,” the acrid tones of Gerard’s voice washed over Ian. Ian’s undercover colleagues, led by Robert, had already taken General Chang into custody. They’d gained access to the codes to deactivate the gem and satellite, gained information on where the satellite had originated from and even now his colleagues were on their way to lay siege on the facility in North Korea.
However in Ian’s absence in getting Monty to safety, Kincaid and his goon Butch had escaped through a secret passageway.
Butch now lay out cold on the hard concrete floor, a victim to well placed blow to the throat from Ian.
“Kincaid.” The squared off against one another, sizing the other up. Ian knew Kincaid was a worthy opponent, knew he was capable of delivering a deadly blow if he wasn’t cautious.
No doubt the man carried a weapon, just as Ian’s on Glock was nestled at his waistband.
“You have my woman. I want her back.”
“Your woman?” Ian tsked, taking a cautious step toward Kincaid and surreptitiously taking in their surroundings. There wasn’t anything to duck behind should Kincaid shoot. If either of them drew their gun, one or the other would die. Or both. “Does she really count as yours if you had to lock her up to keep her here?”
“Does she know who you are, McGowan? That you’re no more than a common jewel thief who got caught and made a deal with the government in exchange for her?”
That was a way overly simplistic summary of who he was, but he wasn’t going to enlighten him.
“You think she loves you? She doesn’t love anyone except the thrill of the steal.”
“Then a common jewel thief would be more up her alley than an illegal weapons dealer, wouldn’t you say?”
Kincaid laughed, looking way too comfortable for a cornered man, which meant he knew something Ian didn’t or he was bluffing. Either way, Ian kept his senses on guard.
“You’re a dead man, McGowan. A walking dead man.”
“Dead men don’t walk, Kincaid.” He stood less than six feet from his enemy. So close he could almost grab him, yet one wrong movement and he’d be that dead man.
Having returned to the suite of rooms Gerard had kept her locked inside, Monty grabbed her jewelry bag, clutching the gems tightly to her chest. She could use them for passage out of the country if necessary, but would hopefully be able to get them to her charity organization.
Now, did she return to where Ian had advised her to wait, did she leave the building altogether, or did she go in search of the man she desperately wanted to question.
How dared he say he loved her and then disappear?
Which answered her question of where she was headed. To find Ian.
Kincaid had pulled his gun, had it aimed at Ian.
That’s when Ian realized his gun wasn’t really nestled in its holster. Had Monty lifted it? When? Damn, but the woman had sticky fingers. She’d been naked a good part of the time.
Just where the hell had she hidden his gun?
And how the hell was he going to get Kincaid’s away from him without getting shot? Because the moment Kincaid realized Ian didn’t have a gun, he’d blow his brains out with that automatic rapid-fire pistol aimed at his head.
Knowing this wasn’t the worst situation he’d ever faced and lived to tell about, Ian twirled his hips, kicking the gun free from a surprised Kincaid just as it went off.
The bullet missed and the gun slammed into the hallway wall, sliding across the concrete floor ominously.
Kincaid launched into action, returning blow by blow as they battled against one another, each trying to get to the gun, but thwarted by the other.
It wasn’t until Kincaid flung some type of powder into Ian’s face, momentarily blinding him, that either of them made it to the gun.
And it wasn’t Ian.
Kincaid laughed and despite the fact his world had gone black, Ian knew the gun was pointed at him, that any moment he was going to feel the hot rip of bullets piercing his chest. “You’re good, McGowan, but not good enough.”
Ian stood his ground. There was no point to running and he’d never been a coward. Except perhaps with the only woman he’d ever loved. And with Monty, he had been a coward. He’d not told her how he felt all those months ago, hadn’t taken her into his arms when he reconnected with her to tell her how damned much he’d missed everything about her.
Hadn’t told her how much he loved her until he’d been walking out the door, not even waiting for her response.
Yeah, with Monty he’d been a damned coward.
“Any last words, McGowan?” Kincaid taunted. “Perhaps you’d like me to give your regards to Monty when I slide into that hot wet pussy of hers?”
It was all he could do not to lunge at the bastard.
He sensed Kincaid’s fingers moving, braced himself to stand strong even as the loud shot echoed throughout the hallway.
It took him a few seconds to register that he was still standing, that the wild pounding of his heart was sending gush after gush of blood from his body. Still, he had to run his fingers over his face, his chest. Nothing. No sticky hot life fluid leaking from him.
A noise sounded from a few feet from him. Kincaid falling to the floor.
Then someone moving toward him.
“Monty.” And then the powder that had blinded him did what Kincaid’s gun had failed to do.
Ian collapsed to the floor.
Monty clasped Ian’s fingers in hers, cradling his hand and thinking nothing more precious than the man she held. Nothing.
“I told you to stay put.”
She sighed. Yes, she knew the moment he started feeling better they’d get to that. Still, thank God Ian’s colleagues had found them, had known exactly what she was talking about when she said Gerard had shot powder into Ian’s face from a ring on his finger.
It made sense that a weapons dealer would use unconventional types of chemical weaponry. But the man called Robert had placed a call and another man had shown up within seconds, a briefcase in hand that he’d opened, rifled through, and quickly withdrew a syringe and jabbed it into Ian’s neck.
Monty had started crying. Something she couldn’t recall the last time she’d done. Perhaps at her father’s funeral although she wasn’t certain she’d cried even then.
Men had tried to take her into custody, but she’d resisted, insisting she stay with Ian and Robert had called off the men, allowing her to stay once she’d handed over the Degassi.
“I’ve stayed put. I haven’t left your side. Not for one moment in this God forsaken African hellhole except when you asked me to leave so you could talk to Robert.”
“He told me you gave him the Degassi. He didn’t know you had the real one, you know.”
“I realized that after I gave it to him, but it didn’t matter. Only you mattered.”
Although his color hadn’t returned to normal, his grin lit his face, made her heart thump. “Does that mean you forgive me?”
“For?”
“Every mistake I’ve made.”
“You were just doing your job.” She paused. “Doing both of your jobs which seemed to both involve me.”
“I work for a secret organization that’s sole purpose is to keep the world safe from men like Kincaid and Chang.”
“And I just got pulled in because of Kincaid’s fascination with me?”
“Who could blame the man for wanting you, Monty? Certainly not me.”
“I thought you’d just used me.”
“I did use you,” he admitted. “But I also fell in love with you, Monty.”
She closed her eyes, letting his words sink in. “Tell me again.”
“I love you.”
“Again.”
He laughed. “You’re such a greedy little wench.” He tugged on her hand, pulling her to him in the hospital bed. “Kiss me, Monty. Like you love me back.”
She started to tell him that she did love him back, but his mouth had covered hers, was kissing hers with fervor.
She kissed him back, because really, when his mouth was next to hers, what else could she do?
Nor did she protest or stop kissing him back when he pulled her into the bed with him and slid his hand beneath her blouse, brushing his thumb across her puckered nipple.
Vaguely she wondered if she should be lying on top of him, wiggling against him, wondered if those monitors attached to him would start beeping and send a slew of nurses into his room.
But then he lowered his head to her throat and blew warm breath against her neck, sending goosebumps over her flesh.
“Ian.”
She felt his lips curl against her. He was smiling. “What is it, baby? You want me ‘in’?”
Monty smiled back. “Oh yeah, I want you in, but you can’t.”
“The hell I can’t.”
Vaguely she was aware of a nurse poking her head into the room, of Ian pointing a finger for her to get the hell back out.
But mostly what she was aware of was Ian.
Of his hands on her body. His mouth against her body. His cock pressing up against her belly.
Oh yes, she wanted him in.
“I love you, Ian.”
“You love me ‘in’?”
“That, too.” Her hand circled his cock. His very hard cock. She instantly went wet. “I definitely want you in.”
His hands pushed up the khaki skirt, bunching the material at her hips and guiding her onto him, letting her control the depth, the movement of their bodies.
After she’d collapsed, lying in his arms next to him on the hospital bed, Monty sighed in contentment. “I do love you, Ian, but I’m going to have to leave now.”
Because her freedom was in jeopardy. She’d given the Degassi to Ian’s colleague not to the man who’d sent her to Gerard. She had to disappear. For good.
“Leave?”
“I can’t go back to jail.” She’d rather die. She would die. She knew she’d never make it back behind bars. One way or the other she’d die. Probably from a hired hand from Gerard because she didn’t fool herself that he wouldn’t have access to her even behind bars. He had too much power, too many contacts.
Ian laced his fingers with hers, lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. “Join me, Monty.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, join my organization. I’ve talked to Robert and he agrees you’d make an excellent operative. The pay sucks compared to what you currently take in a year, but it’s mostly legal and the benefits are killer.”
“The benefits?”
“A constant adrenaline rush. Me.”
But her charity… “I can’t.”
He regarded her for a few moments, then nodded slowly as if he understood, but she could see he didn’t. That’s when she told him about the children she’d encountered during one of her military stints, about the orphanage she’d helped established and solely funded.
“Money is why you said you couldn’t?”
Was it? Could she give up her extracurricular activities? Looking into Ian’s dark eyes she knew she could. Being with him was a constant adrenaline rush.
“You understand why I can’t.”
“Money isn’t an issue, Monty.”
Of course money was an issue. Although she’d invested well to fund the trust for the charity, it wasn’t self-sustaining. Not yet. Maybe if she made a few big takes she could pull back, be with Ian without letting those counting on her down. Her time in jail had hurt her plans.
He leaned forward, whispered in her ear, causing her eyes to widen. “You think that would be enough for you to ‘retire’?”
“You have that much? You never told me you had money.”
“I never told you a lot of things. Like what my real name is.”
“True.” She waited expectantly.
“Padric Van Coeur.”
“Van Coeur? As in…?”
He nodded. “Yes, that Van Coeur. Money really isn’t an issue, Monty. I want you with me. Always.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him, but she’d remember something she’d forgotten. The bag of jewels Gerard had given her. “I won’t take your money, Ian.” At the tension lines that knotted his brow, she ran her finger of his forehead. “But I would like to hear more about this job offer and you wanting me always.” She cupped his face, stared into his eyes. “I’d like to hear a lot more, because that sounds like an offer this girl can’t resist.”