Alexis (The Love Family Series Book 6) (7 page)

Stone Face shrugged. “There’s nothing to indicate it was anything more than a stove fire. They’re still processing the scene.”

“Nothing besides me seeing someone in my house.”

“Listen…” Stone Face started and reached out, placing his palm on her arm. “I know this is hard. You feel violated, and you didn’t ask for any of this. From what I can tell, you’re a good person, maybe a little weird, but still, a good person, and I’m hardly ever a bad judge of character.”

“Well, that’s something.” She gave a strangled huff.

“I think you and Cole should leave the island while we hunt Crompton. Cole seems quite taken with you, and you’ll both just be in the way if you stay. I think you both should just go run and hide while the big boys take care of your problem.”

Alexis snapped her gaze to the commando who was telling her to leave the island. It was as if he’d punched her in the gut and called her weak. She rose from her place on the couch, shoving the blanket off her shoulders, and stood, planting her hands on her hips. “I’m not leaving my island, and there isn’t a damn thing that you can say to make me.”

She narrowed her eyes and leveled him with her glare, holding him to the spot. “Now you listen and you listen good, you…you…G.I. Joe wannabe. I don’t take orders, from you or from anyone else. I never have and I never will, and if you try to stand in my way, I’ll rain hail down on your parade and make sure it knocks you unconscious. Do
I
make
myself
clear?”

All talking had stopped in the kitchen, and she was aware they’d moved within sight. She didn’t care.

Stone Face slowly rose to his full height, and his lips twitched into a full-on smile. “He told me you were feisty and had fire in your eyes.” Stone winked. “Now that you’re back in the land of the living, how about you join me in the kitchen for a donut? You can put your two cents into the conversation and help us catch this asshole.”

Alexis’ mouth parted, and Stone stared at her. “What? You didn’t think I could light a fire under your ass?”

“No. I didn’t think you knew how to smile.”

The tension in her face eased, and she about croaked when Stone Face laughed out loud. Actually out loud, for everyone to hear.

Stone placed his arm around her shoulders, and they headed toward the gawking onlookers. Smiley, crumbs at the corner of his mouth, held out a fresh donut. “I didn’t eat them all.”

She snatched the donut out of his fingers and moved into the kitchen to find Reed sitting at the table with Avery standing behind him, her hand on his shoulder. “This doesn’t look good, honey. We tracked Crompton to the island, along with everything else you asked us to look at, but it was like he disappeared when he got here. There are no charges to his accounts for lodging, food, nothing.”

“What about his cell? I’m sure even G.I. Joes use cell phones.”

“Records indicate he has one, but it’s not turned on,” Reed answered. “I’m monitoring it for when it pops back on the grid.”

“Did you run your facial thingy through the island’s security grid?”

“If you mean facial recognition, then yes.” Reed grinned. “I went back to when he stepped foot on the island and tracked him wherever there were cams. I already saw where he was in the park and in your salon. From there, I spotted him heading down the road to the springs and I lost him.”

“You did all that in less than a day?” Stone Face asked his gaze intent on Reed.

“Of course. I’d do anything to help Alexis. We all would.”

“I’ve got APBs out with his pictures, and we’ve warned the hotels that a storm is brewing,” Declan said, grabbing a slice of cold pizza from the box.

Cole came up to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. Tourist had pulled out a map, and they’d made grids on the island. Reed and Declan pointed out all of the places covered and the ones that weren’t.

“We don’t need to look for him,” she said in a soft voice while the others continued to talk.

“Sure we do, baby,” Cole whispered in her ear.

“No.” She raised her voice to get everyone’s attention. “We don’t need to look for him.”

The talking stopped, and they all turned toward her.

“Of course we do,” Declan announced, before taking another bite of his pizza.

“Crompton wants one thing and one thing only. He wants revenge against Cole, and he’ll use me to get it, so we give him what he wants….me.”

Cole’s arms tightened around her waist. “No. That’s not happening.”

She glanced up at him. “Yes.”

“It’s a tactically offensive move. It could work.” Landon glanced at Avery. “And between all of us, we can set the trap and wait for him to enter.”

“You’re talking about my sister here,” Jackson interjected. “She is not bait.”

“Make him think he’s got the upper hand.” Avery grinned and nodded.

“You sure you guys are related?” Tourist asked. “You’re willing to sacrifice her to get Crompton?”

“No,” Cole said in a deep, commanding voice.

Arguments erupted around them. Cole left her side to argue with Avery and Landon, the only two in the room who thought her idea would work.

The decibels in the room went up, and they each got louder, stating the pros and cons of her plan. A plan they obviously thought she didn’t have a say in. 

Alexis put her fingers between her lips and whistled, getting everyone’s attention. When they all turned to her, she clasped her hands in front of her. “Okay, so here’s the deal.” She held up her hand to stop anyone from interrupting her. “Two days. Stone Face, Smiley, and Tourist have two days to see if they can locate Crompton. Reed, you’ll use your facial thingy. Declan, you’ll check the streets, and you’ll all work together and exchange information. If, in that time…” Cole opened his mouth, and she snapped her fingers, stopping him. “If, in that time, we can’t find him, I’ll make myself an easy target, and we’ll see if he takes the bait. We’ll flush him out of the woodwork, and you guys can do your thing and take him out, take him down…whatever. Something that doesn’t include me sinking this island and drowning his sorry ass.”

“You cannot think that I’d be okay with this harebrained plan.” Cole growled and took her elbow. “Excuse us.”

Chapter 11

Cole led her up the stairs into his room and shut the door. She reached for him and pressed her lips hard against his. She melded against his body, calming him and catching him off guard.

He gripped her hips, tight and sure, and kissed her back.

She broke the kiss and stared into his darkened eyes.

“You did that on purpose.” His voice came out gravelly and full of lust.

“Why do you think I gave them two days?” She smiled, and her eyes softened.

His brows dipped, clearly still not happy, even with the promise of sex.

“You aren’t doing this,” he countered. “This is between Crompton and me.”

“Until I let you touch me at the hot springs. That changed things. We both know it.”

“Alexis, baby.” His gaze softened. “Please, don’t do this.”

“Kiss me.”

He searched her eyes and shook his head. “No.”

“Touch me.”

He released his hold on her. “No. I’m not going to drop my guard, no matter how much I want to spank your ass for suggesting you’d put yourself in harm’s way.”

“One week,” she countered. “I’ll give them a full week of searching.”

Every nerve in her body told her this conversation they were having was a defining moment in their relationship. This would either make or break any chance they had. He had to show her compromise, or none of this would work. If he still refused, she’d be left to deal with everything by herself. Alone, she could take this asshole. His refusal to see it, or believe in her, could shatter things before they started. It was better to find out now. She liked Cole, and investing her heart in him would be easy, too easy.

“You’re being unreasonable.”

Not the words she’d hoped to hear, and his response answered any lingering questions she held, and squished her growing feelings for the fireman.

“It’s been nice knowing you. I’ll see you around.” She patted his chest and moved to grab her toiletries out of the bathroom.

“You can’t be serious.” Cole stormed after her, took the bottles out of her hand, and set them back.

“What makes you think any of this is a joke?” Her veins began a slow simmer, and she took a deep breath to calm the growing anger. “I’m tired of hiding. I’m tired of letting some asshole control my life, and why?” She threw her hands up and moved back into the bedroom. “Because I thought you were sexy. This stops now, Cole. I don’t care if you like it. I don’t even know you, and it’s obvious you don’t know me. Believe in me or not...this stops NOW!”

Thunder clapped outside, and light rain hit the windows.

Cole advanced on her and pulled her into his arms, holding her like a man struggling with inner demons and she was his only light. He leaned back and cupped her cheek in one hand.

“I don’t know you. Not like I want to, and if something happens to you, I’ll never know you. It’s not that I don’t believe in you or think you can’t handle yourself. It’s that I’m scared I won’t be able to save you, just like I wasn’t there for Victoria. So while you’re sitting here judging me and getting angry, you need to remember the reason why I’m acting this way. I care about you, Alexis. With each moment, with each new surprise you throw my way, I’m falling harder, so forgive me for not wanting to let that go.”

“Protecting me isn’t your job, Cole. It’s mine. It’s my life; it’s my heart, and it’s my soul. Believe in me because… without that… we have nothing and we’ll never have anything.”

His eyes searched hers. “You’re stubborn.”

“You’re bossy,” she countered.

“You might die,” he whispered against her lips.

“I have an endless supply of one billion volts of electricity on my side. I think the odds are pretty good that I’ll survive.”

He pressed his lips to hers again, and the rain subsided.

“Do we have a deal?”

“Only if it includes endless dates when this is all over.”

She chuckled. “There you go, using blackmail again.”

“You know…I’ve got to seize the moment and all.”

“One date, and if it goes well, then we’ll see.”

“Sex afterward?” He wiggled his brows.

“Required.” She laughed and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before stepping out of his arms. “Now, let’s go tell the others. One week or I’m officially bait.”

She pulled the door open. “And someone needs to take me to see my house before I sneak out and go alone.”

“Food first. I’ll take you in the morning.” He took her hand and squeezed, leading her out of the room and down the stairs.  

All eyes turned to them as they walked hand in hand into the kitchen. Avery was still standing behind Reed, reading over his shoulder.

“I told you they made up.”

“So what’s the plan?” Landon asked.

“One week of you guys searching, and after that, I’m easy bait.”

“You’re serious?” Stone Face asked.

“As serious as the donut I eat every morning.”

Declan moved to the map and started barking orders on the best and worst places to search. She ignored them all, went to the bag of donuts, and pulled out another. Moving to the double doors that led outside, she stood watching as the moon rose high into the evening sky.

He was out there. She knew it. They all did. He’d be watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Cole moved in behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his head on top of hers. “You’re not thinking about making a run for it, are you?”

“And miss a full week of hot monkey sex?” She tsked and shook her head. “I was thinking he’s out there, probably watching us right now with his little camera.”

“We could give him a show; kick the others out.”

“That got us into this mess, but I have an idea.”

“Another one? Why couldn’t you have been a dumb blonde and let the men handle all the hard lifting.”

She chuckled and smiled up at him. “You wouldn’t have given me the time of day.”

“True.” He kissed her cheek. “I like you just the way you are. Fire and all. So tell me about this plan of yours.”