“Love me.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
Jessa stopped, her laughter silenced, but Cole wouldn’t take the words back. He was done being scared, being weak. How could he get what he wanted if he didn’t ask for it? Maybe he wasn’t good enough for her, but he could be. Loving Jessa had changed him already. He was better, and he would be the man she needed. If she didn’t love him anymore, he’d work day and night until she fell for him again. He wasn’t going to let his fucking uncle win for the rest of his life. He wasn’t going to be the same sort of miserable prick Martin had been.
She sniffled and got out of bed. “Cole, I don’t know if I can do that. I think the wounds run too deep.” She reached for her bag and pulled on her underwear. “I’m not the same girl I was when you met me.”
No. She was even more beautiful. Being a mother had made her stronger. “I’m not the same man.”
She worked the hooks on her bra and started to put on the jeans Hannah had given her. “I think you are, Cole. I don’t think a man like you changes. You need adventure. I can’t give you that.”
“You think I like getting shot at? Let me tell you something, baby. It sucks. It hurts, and I’m getting way too old for it. I would rather hang up my guns and spend the majority of my time playing Mr. Mom while you paint. But Jessa, there is one thing on this earth I am good at, and that’s tracking down people. Burke and I are the best. We’ve used our expertise to track criminals and terrorists, but we found a calling in finding missing persons. I don’t know if I can give that up, but I can promise that we’ll stay in the States, and we’ll always come home to you.”
She smoothed the sweater down, her eyes still wary. “I don’t…”
The door to the bathroom banged open. Burke rushed through, laptop in hand. He put it down on the desk and started shutting everything down. “Cole, get dressed. We have to get out of here. Hilary is in on this. She’s in on everything. And she put a tracking device in my laptop.”
Cole absorbed the information. It computed instantly. Fuck. Why hadn’t he considered that Hilary was their leak? She was a cold bitch. He hadn’t pegged her as the type to sell her beloved Burke out for money, but apparently he’d been wrong.
Jumping out of bed, Cole crammed his legs in his jeans, listening as Burke talked.
“The PI was on the up and up. I found his initial reports. There’s nothing about her marriage. He simply states she came back from Scotland and adopted a cat named Angus. He gives updates on the progress of her pregnancy. He did a good job. And Hilary hid it all.”
“Bitch. You know I never liked her.” Cole had always felt her disdain for him.
“It’s obvious from that one phone call I overheard that she wants Burke,” Jessa said, rushing to get her meager belongings together. “So she made sure I was no longer ‘available.’ I’m sure when Delgado made his offer, she didn’t hesitate. She wants Burke alive and me dead.”
“Fucking bitch. I will deal with her,” Burke promised, his face flushing a violent red.
“We’ll deal with her,” Cole replied, pulling his shirt on. “But right now, we’re leaving. We have to dump the equipment. If she put a tracking device in your computer, she may have put one in something else we’re carrying. And it’s almost six o’clock. Our time is nearly up. We leave now with nothing but the clothes on our backs and the cash. Let’s go.”
He had to get Jessa out of here.
His hand was on the door when it blasted open. The door exploded inward, hitting him directly in the head, sending him reeling.
Then chaos ruled. The moment the door fell away to reveal a gaping hole to the winter, something flew in. Cole caught sight of it. A cylindrical black object. Fuck. Flashbang. Cole leapt for Jessa, trying to cover her with his body, but he couldn’t quite reach her. She stood by the bed, her eyes wide with terror.
The stun grenade went off, deafening him. The sound shook the room, and his eyes shut to try to keep out the blinding flash of light. Heat and sound and fury all in one little package. Jessa screamed. He felt his brother beside him. Both tried to protect Jessa.
“Oh, Mr. Lennox, I don’t think you need that gun.” A smooth voice could barely be heard over the ringing in his ears. “Gentleman, take those two down.”
Cole turned to the sound, trying to focus long enough to get off a shot. And then he lost all control as twin darts bit into his skin, sinking into his flesh and sending fifty thousand volts through his system.
Fucking Taser. Every muscle in Cole’s body jerked and spasmed in a chorus of agony. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t scream. He couldn’t do anything. He registered that his brother was beside him, body also jerking. In this, as in all things, they shared the pain.
The horrible cracking sound cut off, but Cole knew it wasn’t over. Even his body couldn’t take a military grade Taser and leap back into the fray. He tried to make his arms move. Nothing. Fucking nothing.
“Gentleman, this was far too easy.” Marco Delgado came into view. He was dressed in an urbane suit, his hair perfectly cut, wearing a wicked little smile on his face. “I expected more. I suppose this means I win. I doubt you’ll let it pass, but I want to remind you that I kept my word about the boy. I’m not a monster. Just a son looking for revenge. And now I have it.”
He flicked a hand, and one of his goons walked forward, carrying Jessa’s body. Fuck. She wasn’t moving. His heart seized up. No! If she was dead, he wouldn’t be far behind. Jessa. God, what had he done?
“Ah, there’s the panic I wanted to see. I knew I was right about her when I bribed your secretary to send me the private investigator’s files. I saw the adoration on your faces that day at the Waldorf. I knew for certain she was the proper instrument for my vengeance when I realized you were paying a fortune to keep tabs on her.”
“Leeetttt heeerrr goooooo,” Burke groaned, his arms jerking as though he wanted to get his hands around the man’s throat.
Delgado scoffed. “No. And to answer the question in your brother’s eyes, no, she’s not dead.” Delgado put a hand on her back, sliding it down her curves. “She’s taking a little nap. In fact, I’m not going to kill her right away. That would be far too easy for all of you. You cost my father his life and the consortium I inherited, along with its good name in the business. I intend to get it all back, and your lovely lady will help me. Redheads are so hard to find, and they do so well in the more exotic places of the world. I’ll sell her. Imagine that as you search for her. Imagine all the men who will enjoy her body and her pain against her will. I know I intend to. Good night, gentlemen. I expect the next phase of our game will be challenging for you.”
And then it began again. Just as he managed to move his fingers with the slightest bit of purpose, the two men who stood over he and Burke, flicked the switch again. Fire lit through his system and he jerked. Angry tears he couldn’t stop blurred his eyes. His head jerked, striking the floor over and over.