UnderFire (2 page)

The older man puffed up. “Are you threatening me?”

Is this guy really thinking about taking on Jake?

A totally immature part of Kathleen wanted to see Jake clean
the floor with Bob.

“I’d do what he says,” Mike said to Bob in a nonchalant
tone. “My guess is he’s been trained in all that killer stuff.”

Bob’s eyes widened as he considered Mike’s words. “Ridiculous.
He wouldn’t hurt me. He’d be arrested after this is all over.”

“I dunno. It might be worth going to jail,” Jake said, his
tone as mild as that of a man heading to the store to buy milk. “Look, let’s
not get all Rambo here.” Jake waved one hand in a dismissive gesture. “Flex
your muscles after we escape.”

The man pointed at Jake. “God is telling me to do this.”

“Yeah, right.” Charity’s soft voice broke in.

“I don’t know if you have a direct line to God or not. But
if we open that door the shooter could hear and may come gunning for us. I’m
not putting anyone’s life in danger playing stupid macho games,” Jake said.

Bob’s face went red again. He turned away, hands still on
hips, and muttered under his breath.

“Everyone stay calm,” Jake said. “The cops will get us out
of this situation. Take a load off.”

As if Jake directed troops to stand down, everyone
responded. Kathleen surprised herself by sinking to the floor in the small
space. Jake settled to her right, his back against the corner. Silence covered
the group for some time. Mike’s phone made a shrill sound and he answered it. From
the conversation it sounded like it was his wife. Kathleen tuned it out. She
didn’t like listening to people’s personal conversations for more than one
reason. Jake’s solid, warm presence took her down memory lane to the times before,
when he’d stood up for her in high school.

Who am I kidding? It’s impossible not to go down memory
lane this entire week.

She couldn’t believe so many years had passed since she’d
last seen Jake, when it felt like yesterday. Maybe the trauma of the shoot-’em-up
was messing with her mind. Jake brought his knees up and propped his arms
across them. He looked unflappable but she’d seen a hint of worry in his eyes a
couple of times. She appreciated his coolness under pressure, and his concern
about the others impressed her. Damn him. Always the hero, he seemed made of
granite.

Mike cleared his throat after he finished his call with his
wife. “My wife said the mall shooting is all over the news and the internet.”

Bob, who’d never sat down, leaned against one of the
shelves. “My church will send people over to minister to souls when this is all
over. Something has to be done about the godlessness in this town.”

“What’s that got to do with the mall shooting?” Mike asked,
looking puzzled.

Bob turned a patient expression toward Mike. “If everyone in
this town would only turn to God, things like this wouldn’t happen.”

Kathleen felt her blood pressure rise. Part of her almost
said something inappropriate and snarky. If it were any other time or place she
could have ignored the man. She’d worked hard for years to not overact to every
zealot but this man plucked at her last nerve. She knew where her anger came
from and thought she’d conquered overreaction. Apparently not. Before she could
blurt out something inappropriate, Jake reached across and touched her hand.

She jerked in surprise as his big hand curled around hers.
He squeezed gently, those intense eyes connecting with hers again. She read the
message.
Just hold on and we’ll be out of this soon. Ignore Blowhard.
She drew in a big breath and let it out slowly.

If Becket expected a reaction, no one gave it to him. Even
mild-mannered Charity looked bored with Bob. A short time later her phone rang
and she dug it out of her hobo bag. She tucked her hair behind her ears before
answering, her gaze darting from side to side in a nervous fashion.

“Shane,” she said quietly. “No, I—” She frowned as the other
person on the line must have cut her off. “Shane, I can’t get out of here. I’m
not lying. I’m in the mall like I said before. Turn on the news.” Charity’s
voice went higher and more strident. “No. I’m not with Dougie. I told you, I’m
finished with him and those other people. I don’t do that anymore.”

Kathleen couldn’t ignore the strain in the other woman’s
voice. Jake squeezed Kathleen’s fingers again and released her. She longed for
the comfort of his touch but banished the notion a second later. She couldn’t
afford what happened in this room to make her think there was more between them
than old acquaintances temporarily reconnecting in crisis.

Charity disconnected the call and jammed the phone into her
bag with a sigh.

“Everything all right?” Kathleen asked.

Charity shook her head. “It’s my boyfriend, Shane. He thinks
I’m messing around with my ex, Dougie.” Charity dropped her hobo bag and the
cell phone fell out onto the floor and cracked. “Shit!”

“No need for that language in here,” Bob said.

Charity glared at the man. “Screw you.”

“Whoa.” Mike held up his right hand. “Can we not do this? It
isn’t helping a thing. We’re all strung tight.”

“He’s right,” Jake said. “We have to keep it together. We
don’t know how long we’ll be stuck in here. Fighting each other won’t help.”

“Sorry.” Charity’s meek expression returned as she gathered
her broken phone and stuffed it back into the bag. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
“It’s just that Shane is so controlling and…” She glanced around, then said, “Never
mind.”

Mike frowned. “Shane’s controlling you?”

“He’s been bossing me around since we got engaged two months
ago.” Charity started to cry. “He’s telling me what to wear and what to say and
who I can call and…” She shook her head.

Kathleen rummaged in her purse and handed Charity a tissue.
Old wounds surfaced inside Kathleen that had lain dormant for years. She gritted
her teeth and made a vow to keep her nose out of the girl’s business.

“Sounds abusive,” Mike said.

Charity took a deep, shaky breath. “It is. I decided just
this morning that life is too short to marry someone like that. I’m dumping
him.”

Kathleen smiled. “Good for you.”

Bob laughed, the sound harsh and short. “You see, that’s
wrong with morals today. Women think they can just—”

Kathleen’s decision to stay impartial disappeared. “What do
women think?”

Bob’s bulky form towered over everyone. He pointed at
Kathleen. “Women need to learn to stay home and take care of the kids.”

Charity stared at the man as if he’d sprouted antlers. For a
second Kathleen wasn’t even sure she’d heard him right.

Charity shook her head. “I don’t have any kids. You need to
mind your own damned business.”

Bob crossed his arms, not an ounce of contrition on his
face. “Perhaps if you were at home where you should be rather than gallivanting
around town your life would be better. Black nails? Black clothes? Are you a
devil worshipper?”

Charity’s mouth fell open. “I don’t even believe in the
devil, you stupid bastard.”

“You should.” Bob’s tone was condescending.

Kathleen’s trouble radar switched into high gear. She knew
they needed to stop this roller coaster before it jumped the tracks. At the
same time, she couldn’t fault Charity for standing up for herself.

“You women should heed what I say. You’re being led down a
dangerous path,” Bob said.

“Are you serious?” Kathleen was at the end of her rope with
this guy. “What year is this anyway? Nineteen twelve? Last time I looked, women
had a right to move about freely, without a man’s permission. If I want to be
led astray I’ll be led astray, thank you very much.”

Bob harrumphed. “Well, we’ll see about that. Things are
about to change around here if I have anything to say about it. Constitution is
full of good women who know their places. We’re going to change the face of
this town when I get elected mayor.” He pointed at Kathleen again. “You’re even
worse. I can tell by looking at you. You have rebellious written all over you
and it should be controlled.”

Kathleen saw red but she drew in a deep breath to restrain
herself. Just barely. Jake made a disgusted sound and she knew he planned to
say something biting to the asswipe.

She clasped Jake’s arm and shook her head. “This one’s mine.”

He nodded, and satisfaction ran through her like fine wine.

She knew she should ignore Bob’s brand of ridiculous but he’d
touched a place deep inside she’d left buried for a long damn time. Memories
surfaced and dug into her skin like birds’ talons. Any other time, any other
place, and she would have walked away. Trapped in this room with this creep and
facing possible injury or death had stripped away a layer of her tolerance.

Holding back was no longer an option.

She stood slowly and took the few steps necessary to reach Bob.
“Well, guess what? You don’t control Charity and you don’t control me. Right
here and right now you don’t have a damned thing to say about what we do, when
we do it or how we do it. So do me a favor and don’t speak to either of us
again.” She glanced at Charity. “That all right with you?”

Charity smiled widely. “More than all right with me.”

“Ditto,” Mike said.

“Works for me,” Jake said.

Bob’s mouth opened and closed and a few seconds later he
walked around the shelving and headed to the door.

“Where is he going?” Mike asked even though it was obvious.

“Damn it.” Jake hissed the curse and headed for Bob. “Bob,
get back here.”

Kathleen followed. “Let him. He can’t move that shelving on
his own.”

Bob discovered he couldn’t move the shelving, and the rest
of them watched as he struggled. He soon gave up and retreated to another
corner nearby.

“Let’s return to where we were,” Jake said.

They retreated to the back of the room. Without Bob there,
Kathleen thought the air seemed easier to breathe. She relaxed as Jake settled
beside her. Kathleen closed her eyes and tried to believe this would all be
over soon.

“I think I know what I’m going to do when I get out of here,”
Mike said.

Charity swept her feathery hair back. “I’m going to dump
Shane and celebrate with an adult beverage.”

“Adult beverage sounds really good right about now.” Jake
threw a smile Kathleen’s way. “A whiskey maybe.”

Kathleen returned his smile. “Absolutely. Or a merlot. And a
plate of fries. I’m starving too.”

Mike said, “Chocolate cake. Or cheesecake. My wife makes
awesome desserts. Something with about seven hundred million calories.”

Bob appeared at the end of the bookcase. Kathleen wanted to
tell him to return to his part of the room.

“Is your woman a housewife?” Bob asked Mike.

Mike’s mouth popped open but for a moment he couldn’t seem
to formulate an answer. “No. She’s a secretary.”

Bob planted his hands on his hips again. “Well, I don’t
suppose it’s that bad. You must have to keep an eye on her, though.”

“What?” Mike’s eyes widened and he took his glasses off and
peered at Bob. “Are you serious, man?”

Bob huffed. “Of course. A woman out in the workplace can’t
always be trusted.”

Kathleen must have tensed again because Jake leaned in and
whispered in her ear, “Ignore him.”

She gritted her teeth and turned a glare on Jake. But she
didn’t say a word. When Bob didn’t get a response, he returned to the front of
the room.

What seemed like forever passed by before a text from Lena
came over Kathleen’s phone.

Are you guys doing all right?

Kathleen texted back.
We’re okay. What about you?

Fine. Glad Jake is with you. You’ll be out soon.

Crossing my fingers.

Looks like S.W.A.T. is taking down the bad guy now. They’re
coming in.

Loud noises echoed around the building, including shouts.

“Something is going down,” Charity said, slowly standing up.

Jake’s phone received a text. “Rick just texted me that
S.W.A.T. is on the move. Should have us out in no time.”

Suddenly from the front, Blowhard started calling out, “We’re
in here! Here!”

Jake grimaced and cursed under his breath. “Shit.”

Kathleen, Mike and Charity followed Jake as they left the
back area and approached the front.

“Hey, dude, the authorities know where we’re at. They’ll get
to us.” Mike’s voice was filled with exasperation.

Not much longer and S.W.A.T. contacted them by shouting
through the blocked door.

“Police! Anyone in there?” a man’s voice called from
outside.

“We’re here!” Bob yelled. “Get us out of here now.”

Kathleen took a deep breath of relief. Soon she could go
back to her hotel room in town. She didn’t know what she wanted to do at first
but then a thought came to mind. Maybe she needed to get Jake Frasier out of
her system once and for all. She thought maybe she knew how to do that.

Snow fell steadily as Jake stood with his brothers Matt and
Rick outside the mall. Despite the hum of police activity, Jake’s adrenaline
still ran high. He’d tackled situations in the desert during war that had
rattled him and he’d dealt with them as best he could.
You didn’t handle the
mall situation as well as you could, Frasier. Not well at all.
He knew why.

Kathleen McSwain had turned him upside down this week. When
bullets started to fly, his first thought was to reach Kathleen and protect
her. His first and only thought. Hell, it didn’t make any damn sense. Sure, he’d
want to protect a woman in danger, or anyone for that matter. With Kathleen the
drive had been almost painfully acute. He hadn’t seen her in years. He’d been
in the army since he was eighteen, with no time to mull over his teen years. He
gritted his teeth. He’d made serious mistakes when they were adolescents and he
didn’t care for how he’d handled meeting her again at Danelle and Patrick’s
party last weekend. Seeing her hammered one reality home—she made his blood run
hot. She’d been a tomboy with short russet-brown hair, thin and gangly with
gorgeous blue eyes filled with challenge. He wanted to sink his hands into the
mass of curly hair that hung to her mid-back. He wanted to touch her smooth
skin and gather her slim but curvy body against his. Christ, he wanted to kiss
her. If not tonight, sometime before he returned to work, he’d get that kiss.

He shoved aside thoughts of tasting Kathleen’s pretty mouth
and paid attention to current events. S.W.A.T. had arrested Teddy Xavier as the
single shooter. Xavier had shot up the place because he was pissed that he hadn’t
been hired for a security job. He’d wounded his ex-girlfriend but she’d
survived. Trapped in a unisex bathroom, Matt, Melanie and the shooter’s ex-girlfriend
had stayed safe. Lena and Rick had kept a vigil outside the mall. Police
questioned everyone separately over a two-hour period. The crime scene wasn’t
wrapping up but the police had told them they could leave a couple of minutes before.

Jake’s brothers looked different but he couldn’t say why. He
knew the mall shooting had affected him but not in the way he’d expected. He
didn’t want to feel watchful and worried for Kathleen but when he’d put his arm
around her numerous times during the ordeal, she’d leaned into his touch.
Regardless of what had happened between them in high school, her acceptance
made his desire to protect her even stronger. He was disturbed as much by her
capitulation as he was by his willingness to give comfort.

His gaze found Kathleen as she stood with Lena and Melanie.
Lena sat on the tailgate of Rick’s truck. Her sprained ankle was wrapped with
an elastic bandage. Charity’s boyfriend Shane had come to the mall and picked
her up, and Bible-thumping Bob had left a minute ago.

“Who the hell was that guy in the suit again?” Rick asked.

“Mr. Obnoxious.” Jake had already explained Bob’s religious
fervor. “I was tempted to kick his ass more than once.”

Matt laughed. “That bad?”

Jake didn’t know where to begin. “You have no idea. Kathleen
was having a hell of a time. I could tell she wanted to tear him a new one.”

Rick said, “Can you blame her?”

They all knew Kathleen’s background and why she’d wanted to
punch Bob Ceno. Jake didn’t mention it because it reminded him of his own
culpability. Yeah, he’d screwed the pooch way back then and hadn’t supported
her the way he should have. Was that the reason he’d wanted to protect her so
fiercely? Because he hadn’t all those years ago?

“You guys okay?” Jake asked.

Rick smiled and looked a bit sheepish. “Lena’s refusing to
have her ankle looked at but I’m taking her home.”

“She drove, right?” Matt asked.

Rick shrugged. “Yeah, but she needs someone to talk to right
now and I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“Uh-huh.” Jake had a feeling all three of them were headed
into dangerous ground but didn’t have a damn clue how to stop it.

“Would you look at that?” Rick said.

Jake looked over and saw Lena, Melanie and Kathleen in a
group hug. “Women.”

Matt chuckled and his eyebrows went up. “What, you don’t
want a hug?”

“Fuck off,” Jake said playfully. “Come on, let’s take care
of the ladies.”

Matt walked over to talk to Melanie and Jake had a feeling
they’d end up together tonight. Rick asked about Lena’s ankle. She tried to
brush it off but Rick lifted her into his arms.

When Kathleen’s gaze met Jake’s, he saw raw need flare in
her eyes, a longing for something he couldn’t define. He reached for her hand
and walked away with her.

“We’ll see you later,” he said to Melanie and Matt.

“Where are we going?” Kathleen said as he led her toward his
rental sedan.

“I’ll take you to your hotel.”

She smiled at him but there was something uncertain in her
eyes. Maybe she wasn’t that different from when she was a sixteen-year-old. She’d
always had an interesting combination of vulnerability and bravado. She’d shown
both of those attributes in the storage room tonight.

“You hungry? We can pick up some food,” he said.

She sighed. “I’m dying for a hamburger and fries.”

“We’ll swing by the burger place on the main street. They’re
open until really late.”

They climbed into his sedan and as she tried to buckle her
seat belt, it defeated her. He frowned and reached for the belt.

“I’ve got it.” She snapped the words as she recovered and
closed the belt. “I’m just a bit tired.”

“I can see that.”

She threw a glance at him but this time it had apology
written all over it. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m…”

“Jumpy?”

“Yeah. What about you?”

“I’m a bit jumpy too. I say we have those burgers and raid
your minibar. That’ll take the edge off.”

Surprise filled her eyes but then she smiled. “You’re a bit
wild these days. When you were seventeen you never would have raided anyone’s
minibar.”

He laughed. “You would have.”

She sighed, and he heard the resignation and the teasing in
her voice. “Yeah. I would have, Major Frasier. Your parents must be proud of
you and your career.”

He shrugged. “Mom is unimpressed.”

“I still can’t believe that. She was in the marines. That
should count for something with her, that all three of her sons are in the
military.”

He grunted. “You’d think so.”

His mother was a piece of work, no denying it. She’d been a
marine for twenty years, hard as nails and lacking motherly tenderness. Their
father, though, had picked up where mom left off. He’d been a house husband
most of twenty years and suffered the prejudice that went along with it. But he
was a brave, good man and had given Jake and his brothers an excellent
foundation.

Jake started the engine and soon they’d pulled out of the
mall parking lot and onto the street. “You all right?”

“I don’t know. I think so.”

“You did good in there.”

“In the storage room?”

“Yep.”

She made a doubtful sound. “Bob got to me.”

He glanced her way and saw a deep frown touching her pretty
mouth. He ached low, his groin reacting with brutal intensity. If he could
taste that mouth, he’d take away her frown.
Damn. Calm down, boy. You aren’t
getting any tonight.

He wanted to ease her mind. “I don’t blame you. Bob is
offensive and condescending. I’m sorry you were subjected to that.”

She drew her thick hair back away from her face, stuffing
her fingers into the mass of curls. His fingers itched to explore the soft
strands and feel them brush across his body. An erotic image popped into his
head of that hair touching his chest as she kissed her way down to his cock.
Jesus, he had it bad.

He swallowed hard. “It’s a trigger for you. It’s
understandable.”

“I don’t want it to be a trigger. I thought I was over this
stuff.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. You were trapped in the room with
him. If you could have walked away it would’ve been different.”

She unbuttoned her long trench coat and he caught a flash of
black leggings, black boots up to her knees and a fluffy pink sweater. She
looked good enough to eat.

“Thank you for…” She hesitated. “For watching out for me.”

“Anytime.”

“Considering how things ended between us all those years ago,
I wouldn’t think…” She trailed off once more.

A craving started inside him but this one had nothing to do
with sex. “Look, if you want to talk about it—”

“There’s the burger place.” She pointed to the local joint
they used to eat at as kids.

Okay. So she didn’t want to discuss their past. Their very
rocky, stormy past. Maybe he didn’t want to either. He’d buy her dinner, take
her back to the hotel room and…leave her there to sleep.

They made it through the drive-through in record time and
she let him buy her the biggest combo. As they drove away, she clutched the
food bag on her lap as if it was a lifeline, her gaze pinned somewhere in the
distance. She didn’t speak on the way to the The Dixie. The Dixie was two
stories of old-style hotel. One street off the main drag, the hotel had few amenities
enclosed in its old building. She directed him to the end of a row and her
first-floor room. He brought the sedan to a halt.

“Come inside,” she said.

Not much longer and she sat on the king-sized bed trying not
to spill fries and messy burger all over the dull yellow comforter, and
wondered if she’d lost her mind.

I freaking invited this hot, totally ripped man into my
hotel room.

Now that she was here with Jake nervousness had taken hold.
He didn’t have the demeanor of a man interested in a night of sex. He sat at
the desk, munching fries and taking a big bite out of his double burger. He ate
with enthusiasm, as if he’d never tasted anything better in his life. She
watched without remorse. Yeah, she’d told Lena and Melanie she wanted a one-night
stand with this man and part of her really, really did. The other part wished
she’d never invited him. Not because she feared him. Hell no. She knew without
a doubt he’d never hurt her. In fact, she knew he’d protect her with his life.
Maybe that was what was wrong with her. This mouth-watering soldier had flipped
her libido into overdrive when he’d taken care of her in the mall. An equally
defiant part of her reared its head. She didn’t like a man taking care of her,
making decisions for her.
But he hasn’t.
He’d waited and watched, been
there when she needed but never intrusively.
Damn him.
Could he be any
sexier? She didn’t think so. Maybe naked.
Yeah. That.

As a teen he’d been good-looking with that hint of the man he’d
become. Girls had drooled over him, including her. At thirty-one he’d grown
into tall, rugged, delicious man who fired up all her female needs.

“Something wrong with your burger?” he asked.

She looked away, realizing she’d been staring like she’d
been starving and he was a piece of meat. “No. It’s great.”

Before she’d decided to eat, she’d stripped off her boots
and coat. The Spartan room wouldn’t impress anyone but she’d been too cheap to
sign up for a week at the more upscale Monterey Hotel down the street. This
place would have to do. Although it was only Sunday night, she felt as if she’d
aged a year. Now the noise, confusion and fear had drained away she felt weak
as a lamb and hated it. She dove into her burger with gusto.

They ate in silence, and then she realized that if she
planned to seduce him she’d better get into the bathroom and brush her teeth.
She smiled.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, shoving the remnants of burger
and maybe a half dozen fries into the bag.

She sure as hell wouldn’t confess to what she’d just been
thinking. “If anyone had told me yesterday that I’d be with you in a hotel room
eating a burger, I’d have told them they were full of crap.”

He chuckled and his rugged features transformed from scary
handsome to charming and approachable. She blinked, afraid he was a mirage.

“I don’t think I would’ve believed it either.” He turned the
desk chair toward her and sat with his long legs sprawled out. He clasped his
hands at his waist. “So, McSwain, I hear you’re a graphics designer with a film
company. You like the job?”

People expected her to say yes. She knew Jake had heard
where she worked when they’d been at Danelle and Patrick’s party this weekend.
She knew he was only making polite conversation.

But she would be honest with him. “No.”

His eyes widened. “Really?”

She took a long sip of diet cola. “Really. I live in Los
Angeles and I’m starting to hate the smog and noise and… You get the idea. The
film company I work with is full of self-important twits. My boss has decided
that since no one else in the office wants to do their jobs, he’ll just ask me
to do it all.”

“Oh man. I’m sorry about that. You got a line on a new job?”

She drew in a deep breath and chewed a fry before answering.
“No. I decided last week I need to, though.”

“Staying in L.A.?”

“I have some friends in the area but I don’t know if I want
to stay there. What about you? Are you going for twenty years in the army?”

“Yep. I love my job.”

“Even the war?”

“No. No one with half a brain wants war.”

Worry touched her. “You’re all right, though? Did it…affect
you?”

“You mean did I come back with PTSD or something?”

“Yes.”

He shook his head. “I’m all right.”

“You’re sure?”

He smiled. “I’m sure. Not everyone comes back with PTSD, you
know.”

She polished off another fry and topped it with a swig of
cola. “I know. Lena works with a lot of vets with PTSD. It seems like it’s
rampant.”

His eyes were dark and serious. “A long war damages a lot of
soldiers. Not all of it’s visible on the outside. More than ten years of war
makes a hell of a mess.”