Lucky SEAL (Lucky Devil #2) Page 14

  As much as Jennifer wanted to stay with Rourke, the retelling of her nightmare with Evan only drove home how dangerous being with her was for anyone. She was doing the right thing. Jennifer had to get out of Vegas and away from the people she cared about quickly now that Evan had nearly caught up with her. Jennifer knew she wasn't paranoid. Evan was still on her trail.

  NINE

  “Oh, you’re leaving the church tonight, but you aren’t going far.” Rourke would not let Jennifer slip through his fingers again. He was determined Jennifer would be his woman for real, and he would do whatever it took to not only make her safe but to secure his position as the man in her life, forever.

  Jennifer didn’t know it yet, but she was his everything. First, he needed to take care of her stalker. Then, when Jennifer was safe, Rourke would talk to her about their future. She had far too much fear and anxiety crowding her brain for him to ask her to make a life-changing choice now. It wasn’t fair to broach the subject when her world was so overturned. Even if he did want to throw the woman over his shoulder and carry her away.

  Rourke kissed the top of her bent head to soften the steel in his dictatorial proclamation. He didn’t want Jennifer to think he was another Evan, forcing her to his will. Rourke would never force her to do anything. Judging by the way she melted into his arms and stayed there, Jennifer was just as caught by the unexpected emotions coursing between them as Rourke. It was a good foundation for Rourke to build on when Jennifer was ready. He just had to take care of that fucker, Evan. He had to set her free of the fear looming over her before Jennifer could make any real decisions that would involve the rest of her life. A life Rourke wanted her to spend with him.

  Rourke was going to kill the son of a bitch who put so much terror into his woman. Jennifer trembled in his arms after relating the events that lead to her being installed in the church kitchen. At first, he believed Jennifer was about to share an all too common tale of domestic abuse. Then, things took a sharp turn. Abusing a woman, or anyone for that matter, was bad enough, but this was a completely new level of fucked up. She’d been, for lack of a better term, possessed by this Evan prick. He plucked Jennifer out of her life and forced her into his world. A world of organized crime and violence.

  Rourke kept his cool for the most part, as he listened to Jennifer’s story, but internally, he was beating his chest with triumph. Jennifer didn't love the asshole. She hadn’t even cared much for the prick who’d held her prisoner. She hadn’t fucked him either, not even after weeks of dating. Yet, Rourke and Jennifer had helplessly fallen into each other arms the day they met. This went a long way to calming Rourke’s anxiety over Jennifer not wanting to be shackled to a military man, especially when she could have a wealthy man if she chose, but she was with Rourke, trustingly snuggled into his arms.

  When Jennifer finished, they both lapsed into silence, both lost in their own heads for a time. Rourke was enjoying holding Jennifer in his arms and stroking her smooth skin while he worked out a plan of action. The gradual building of tension in Jennifer’s body forewarned Rourke that she was about to say something he wouldn’t like. He waited patiently for her to get up the nerve to say whatever was on her mind. He was a SEAL. The SEALs could outwait anyone. So he didn’t feel the need to press her to speak.

  “I can’t allow you to become involved in this mess, Rourke. It’s too dangerous. You mean too much to me to let that bastard hurt you. I’d rather go back to Evan, myself, than to let him ever touch you.” She was back to trembling. The quaver of sorrow in her voice reignited Rourke’s rage.

  With every word she spoke, Jennifer’s body became tenser. She was genuinely afraid of this man. The fury expanded and grew in Rourke’s guts until he couldn’t sit still any longer. He dislodged Jennifer from his chest and climbed out of the broken bed. It was time for action. He jerked on his underwear and pants. All the while, he was trying not to look like the demon he could be when in a temper. Grown men with military training would run when Rourke lost his temper. The last thing Rourke wanted was to scare Jennifer off. He had to play it cool until he had a deserving target for his rage.

  Jennifer reached over to right the toppled lamp and turned it on. She pulled the sheet they’d been laying on top of up over her breasts and sat up with those lovely, lean dancer’s legs tucked up against her chest. She looked like a frightened kid instead of the graceful woman he knew Jennifer to be. It made Rourke want to punch someone in the worst way.

  “Are you leaving?” Jennifer asked with hurt in her voice. “I was hoping you might spend the night.” She squared her shoulders and firmed the lusciously full lower lip that had begun to quiver. “You’re right, of course.” She nodded, blinking back tears. “For your safety, it’s better that you go now. I’ll be leaving tonight, too. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t.”

  Jennifer was trying to let him off the hook. It was laughable. His tiny dancer was attempting to relieve him of the burden she felt she was to him. She turned her head and covertly wiped away a tear that had escaped her control. Rourke smiled, but Jennifer didn’t see it. She hadn’t yet realized that he didn’t want to be free of her, not ever. The connection between them grew stronger by the minute. Jennifer didn’t want him to go. Rourke never wanted to leave her.

  Rourke climbed back onto the crumpled bed and pulled Jennifer onto his lap. He brushed the smooth, honey gold hair out of her face and kissed her slowly and sweetly, with infinite care so she’d know his anger wasn’t with her, but that fucker he was going to take apart from the ground up. “I’ll have to leave for a short time, but I’ll be back to get you after I’ve consulted with Luc. I meant it when I said you’re mine. I’m not letting go.”

  “But Rourke . . .” She looked so worried, for him, and Rourke loved her even more for it. He loved Jennifer. There was no denying it. He loved Jennifer, and he’d do anything to keep her by his side.

  “No, there is no argument here, baby. I’m not walking away from you. We need this situation resolved so we can move on to things that are more important. Do you understand me? Once I take care of Evan, you and I are going to have a serious discussion about the future. I’m not letting you go.”

  “There’s more. He’s still searching for me.” Rourke raised a quizzical eyebrow. “I know I'm not paranoid now. I know for sure that he’s still looking. They almost got me today.”

  “What?” Rourke didn’t mean to shout the question in her face, but she’d managed to surprise him. He thought she’d been safely hidden.

  “I put on those men’s clothes and went to my apartment today. I needed to get the money I had saved before I’m evicted. I also needed some clothes.”

  “What happened?” Rourke could feel his temper rising again.

  “Evan convinced my neighbor we’d had a lover’s quarrel. He told her I was away visiting my family. He wanted her to give him a call when I got home so he could come make amends. He made it sound very romantic.”

  “So she called him?” he asked.

  “She did. I was packing a bag when I saw the black sedan. A herd of men poured out, and I knew they were there for me. I ran from my apartment and just made it into the laundry room in the hall before they kicked in my apartment door. Marcy, that’s my neighbor, she felt terrible. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have gotten away. I had stuffed my savings in my pocket, and Marcy gave me her savings to help me get out of town.”

  “That’s where that wad of cash came from.” He was thinking aloud.

  “Yes. I was just returning to gather my meager possession and change before I went to the bus station. So you see, it’s still a dangerous situation. I have to get out of the church before he finds me here. I have to get out of Vegas before he finds me period.”

  “You’re not leaving Vegas. At least not without me, and not before I find a way to be sure you’ll be safe. We’re going to my place. I will protect you. Evan will never get you.”

  Jennifer’s ocean blue eye’s resonated hope when she pe
ered up at Rourke. He wanted to have her look at him that way every day. Like he was the answer to all of her prayers. If he played his cards right, Rourke’s life would change forever. In such a short time, he turned from a career military man who never wanted a real commitment, to a man who wanted nothing more than to belong to this one woman and come home to her every night.

  Rourke kissed Jennifer again, more passionately, and he was gratified to know that she was just as susceptible to the heat between them as he was. He had to break away from the kiss, or he’d be stripping out of his clothes again. Jennifer sighed and relaxed against his chest with her head on his shoulder.

  Rourke was working through all the possibilities in his skull. Things were beginning to make a lot more sense now. Evan appeared to have a significant role in the Vegas crime syndicate. If this asshole were working for the local crime lord, Rourke would have a tougher job on his hands than he initially anticipated. Rourke would have to be careful not to bring retribution down on Luc. He needed to do some serious recon before taking action.

  At the same time, Evan’s connection to organized crime would make this a much cleaner operation. Rourke was an operator. He could get in and out leaving only corpses in his wake before anyone could sound an alarm. It would look like a hit had been carried out. It would be an entirely acceptable motive for the deaths in the eyes of the local cops in Evan’s pockets. They knew exactly the kind of shit Evan was dealing.

  One way or the other, Evan MacGraff was a dead man. Rourke had killed men in the line of duty. He hated it. There were nights he couldn’t sleep for remembering the dead eyes of men he’d killed. The war was over, but the horror still continued in other parts of the world.

  Selfish, power-hungry men like Evan ruined lives around the globe. Rourke wouldn’t allow him to destroy Jennifer. If Rourke and Luc couldn’t find another way to end her torment and make life safe for her, whether she chose to be with Rourke or not, then Rourke would kill Evan and anyone who got in his way. He would swallow the guilt and suffer the nightmares. What he wouldn’t do was let the woman he loved go on living in fear, hiding and disguising herself as if she were the criminal.

  “I’m going to make things right for you, Jennifer. I swear it. I’m going to see Luc. I want to ask what he knows about Evan and fill him in on the full details. Once I have a plan of action, I’ll return to pick you up. We’re going to my place. You’ll be safe there, and the Davis’ will no longer be involved. Okay?” Rourke asked for her agreement with his plan and prayed she’d fall in line because if she if she ran again, he would lose his mind.

  “Okay, I’ll stay here and wait for you,” she agreed a bit timidly. Her cheeks were flushed, and her fingers knotted the sheet in her hand.

  Rourke didn’t know what was running through her pretty little head, and he didn’t have time to pry it out of her. Jennifer agreed to go home with him, and that made Rourke feel ten feet tall. The more time he had with Jennifer, the easier it would be to show her that he was the man for her.

  “Do you promise you’ll stay and wait for me to return to you?” Rourke wanted to hear her promise because she wasn’t the kind of woman to break a vow.

  “I promise to wait for you.”

  Rourke was so pleased with her easy acquiescence, he kissed her again. This time, it was a scorching wet kiss that Jennifer returned with all of the passion flowing between them. He didn’t mean to take it any farther than a kiss of gratitude for her trust in him. Kissing led to touching. Touching resulted in tasting. Before Rourke knew it, he was naked again with Jennifer’s welcoming body pressed beneath him as she shouted her pleasure to the ceiling. Rourke buried himself deep and let go of his crumbling control. His release was so intense it left him senseless for longer than was manly in Rourke’s opinion. There was nothing like the heaven of Jennifer’s body.

  Jennifer had power over Rourke that was difficult for him to admit to himself, but Rourke now understood this was a part of that fairytale condition known as falling in love. Jennifer made him simultaneously weak and impossibly stronger than he ever could have been without her in his life. Rourke never believed it would happen to him, but love had found a home buried in his cynical, world-weary chest.

  A short time later, Rourke separated himself from his drowsy beauty and promised to return as soon as possible. He nibbled her neck and kissed her delicate cheek. Jennifer giggled and sleepily rolled over. The tension in Rourke’s chest released just a bit. Her smile would change his life. Rourke would spend the rest of his days trying to earn those smiles.

  Rourke reluctantly left Jennifer dozing to go meet with Luc, who readily agreed to see him. Luc’s return text eluded that he had news to share with Rourke regarding his investigation of Jennifer. It was a little late now that Rourke had found her hiding under his nose, but Rourke was hopeful Luc had uncovered information about Evan that would make locating the fucker easier.

  He hailed a cab and was in downtown Vegas a short time later. The ride gave him a chance to review everything Jennifer told him about Evan MacGraff. The things that piece of shit had done to Jennifer were unforgivable. Rourke was sure there was a lot Jennifer hadn’t said to him. She was haunted by those dark memories and not yet ready to share. For Jennifer, the nightmare wasn’t over. Evan was actively hunting for her, and he now knew she was still in town; thanks to Jennifer’s well-meaning neighbor, Evan had almost found her.

  Rourke’s temper built steam by the time he paid the cab fare outside of The Inferno. He needed to tame his rage before speaking to Luc. Calmer heads would prevail, and Rourke planned to succeed.

  Jennifer had seen death, and it affected her deeply. Rourke knew the signs, had seen it many times in the military. After escaping captivity, Jennifer had run with no destination in mind. She imagined everyone was working for Evan. She had been in shock. Rourke was sure Jennifer suffered from some level of post-traumatic stress. A staggering number of military personnel suffered from the disorder. It could have long reaching effects on a person. Rourke planned to get Jennifer into counseling as soon as he was able. With help, she would recover from the mental trauma. He prayed it wouldn’t be a permeant scar on her psyche.

  Rourke had to admit, it was hypocritical to want to get Jennifer into counseling as soon as possible when he had refused to seek help for himself over the years. Admitting to post-traumatic symptoms could get an operator pulled from duty for psychological evaluation. Rourke didn’t have any major issues, but nobody could see the things he had and not have the occasional nightmare. Hypocritical or not, Rourke would get Jennifer all the help she needed. He would insist on it after what she’d been through in the last months. The mental state she described after her frantic getaway.

  Rourke was entering the elevator when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing that it was Pastor Davis calling, he ignored the call. Rourke was sure the pastor wanted to talk about the odd jobs that needed to be done around the church. Those tasks would need to wait until after he made Jennifer safe. Rourke and Jennifer could make a pit stop to speak with the pastor and fill him in before going home to Rourke’s apartment.

  That thought brought a smile to his usually rigid countenance. Rourke liked thinking of Jennifer in his home again. It would be her home as well. Rourke would need to move in the near future. Jennifer deserved far better than the one-bedroom box of an apartment where he stored his things when he was down range. It was time to be thinking about sinking his savings into purchasing a house.

  Rourke’s cell vibrated again in his pocket, but he didn’t pull it out. It wasn’t the familiar series of vibrations and pauses that alerted Rourke to a call coming in from his senior chief. So whoever it was could wait. Being called back to duty right now would be a disaster. Rourke needed more time with Jennifer to solidify their relationship. For that to happen, he needed time to deal with Evan.

  Luc’s new secretary wasn’t guarding his open office door when Rourke stepped off the private elevator. Luc had to replace the last secretary a
fter she was caught authorizing key fobs to people who hadn’t passed Luc’s security checks or paying the substantial fee to gain membership. She’d been collecting her own fee for the service. Now she was unemployed.

  Luc’s disembodied voice could be heard barking directions from within. Rourke cursed whoever had raised Luc’s ire. By the sound of things, the meeting Rourke was so eager for would be delayed.

  “I need two teams now. One team here in my office to meet with me, and the other at the church. Where the fuck is Rourke?” Luc raged.

  “I’ll continue trying his cell for you, Mr. Christianson,” the new secretary, a bright-eyed blonde who looked at Luc like the sun rose and set over his perfectly quaffed head, was jotting down notes. Luc was on his phone. Rourke’s phone was once again vibrating in his pocket when he stepped into Luc’s immaculate office.

  “That won’t be necessary. I’m right on time,” Rourke looked at his watch. It was twenty-two hundred hours on the dot. He looked to Luc, who was impeccably dressed no matter the time. “I hope whatever has your panties in a twist won’t delay our meeting, Luc.”

  Luc ended the call and dropped his hand. “If you learned to answer your phone you’d already know about my fucking panties, Rourke.”

  “Now who has the mouth of a sailor?” Rourke smirked.

  “Dammit, Rourke, I’m serious. Come sit down. We have a problem.” Luc fell into his throne of a leather chair.

  “What kind of problem? We need to deal with Jennifer’s issue first. She’s my priority.” Rourke sat across the massive, gleaming desk from Luc. A painting he didn’t recall seeing on past visits to Luc’s office caught Rourke’s eye. It was a black and white depiction of a blindfolded woman in a corset standing before a grandfather clock with angels above and demons below. It was gothic but beautiful.