Byron-4 (23 page)

“Taylor, you’re fine. Donald is here for your protection and he is—”

“He’d better be here for yours if you don’t fucking tell me what’s going on. Now spill it or I’m calling your mother! I know she’ll make sure I know.”

“Damn it, why is it that whenever there’s news to be...Paul Freedom is still out there. The Feds, oh, pardon me, the FBI is afraid he’ll come back and finish the job. He tried to access the money, but of course couldn’t. He may be under the assumption that you have it.”

“Why would he think...the account. He thinks because my name was on the account that I took it from him. And I don’t suppose the newspaper had explained that the Feds have the money and not me.” The agent had the good sense to look away. “I see.

They’re using me as bait. And when he comes here to ‘finish the job,’ am I supposed to just let him waltz in and shoot me or does someone have a plan?”

“The plan is to keep you safe and we will. Hello, sweetie. How are you feeling today?” Devin. The reason she was in this shit.

“Just peachy. You know, you’re the reason lawyers have a bad reputation. I came to you in good faith and you feed me to the wolves. I want to go home. I don’t care how you do it. I want to go home.”

She burst into tears and pulled the blanket up over her head and sobbed. She didn’t care if they stayed or not. She was having a hissy fit and they could damn well deal with it. She must have dozed off again.

When she opened her eyes this time, she wasn’t alone in the room. Cait and Morgan were sitting in the chairs and Ronnie was on the couch holding her baby.

“Was it the tears or the fit that had them calling you guys in? And where’s Agent Fed? He scared too?” Ronnie laughed and Morgan grinned. Cait just sat back and looked at Taylor.

“Both, I think. I know that Devin hates tears. Damon is pissed that he couldn’t tell you anything and refused to come back until we let him explain. Don’t you care where Bryon is?”

Yes, she did. Every time she woke up, she wanted to ask, but didn’t know how. He would be there if he wanted to be and apparently, he didn’t.

“I’m not his keeper and he’s not mine. I’m sure he has plenty to do that doesn’t involve me or my little problems.” Taylor looked over at Ronnie when she snorted.

“Sure. I believe that like I’m going to not have a fight with Devin today. Byron is so head over heels in love with you it’s scary. He’s at home setting up a security system.

The guys needed him there to make sure they did just what he wanted. He was supposed to be here by this afternoon, but they ran into a problem with the townhouse.”

Security system? “Did someone threaten him? What does he need security for? I’ve been to his house; it’s like Fort Knox now.” All three women laughed. Taylor wished they’d let her in on it or go home.

“It’s for you, you dork. He’s having the system put in so you’ll feel safe at his home.

I think he’s even having one put in the studio.”

“I’m not staying at his house! I’m going home as soon as doctor stick in the mud lets me. I think the airline is going to let me reuse my ticket under the circumstances and I’m out of here.”

The agents from Devin’s office came in just as she was telling the women she was leaving. Agent Fenton looked like he’d just eaten lemons. She wondered if the man knew how to smile.

“We can’t allow you to leave, Ms. Bennett. There are quite a few things we need to clear up first. And there is a killer on the loose who could be coming back—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard, come back to finish the job. I played my part and you know he’s guilty. I’m done with you people. I don’t know how much more I can be helpful. I don’t know where he is. I don’t even care anymore. I’m not a human popsicle and I have all my toes and fingers. If you need to complete some sort of test to file with your paperwork then by all means, ask your questions. I’m really tired and I just don’t have the energy to deal with this anymore.”

~CHAPTER 23~

By the time they left, Taylor was barely hanging on. She was exhausted and her head hurt. The only good thing out of it was that the insurance companies had decided to give her a finders-fee of one percent of the money she found. Thirty-two hundred dollars would go a long way to setting her up in a nice apartment and maybe enough left over for a car. She was sound asleep when she felt the bed shift and startled awake to find Byron getting into bed with her.

“What do you think you’re doing? You’ve been gone all day and now you come here thinking to sleep. I don’t think so, buddy. I’ve had a shitty day and you are so not going to get to cuddle with me.”

“I’ve missed you. And if you let me lay down with you, I promise to give you a treat—a nice one too.” He held up a bag of her favorite chocolate candy bars, the tiny snack kind too.

“I can’t have them yet. Damon said I needed to be able to hold down my dinner and they haven’t brought it yet. Can I keep them for later? I’ll let you play with my nipples if you say yes.”

He laughed at her and pressed her back against the bed. “If you let me suckle at your nipples, I’ll tell Damon you already ate and you didn’t have a bit of problems with it.” She groaned when he cupped her breast and when he rubbed his thumb over her hard peak. She arched up into his hand.

His hot mouth covered her nipple and he nipped at it none too gently through the material of her gown. Stars danced behind her eyelids and she wanted to strip him down and ride him.

“Please, Byron. I need you to touch me. Heat me, please? I need you so much.” She heard the snaps release at the arms of the gown and suddenly his tongue was lapping at her nipple, nipping at the peak and worrying it with his ring. When he settled between her legs, she wrapped her ankles around him and was so glad that they had removed the catheter earlier that day.

“I know you’re tender, baby, and I’ll try to be gentle, but I need to be inside of you.

I need to feel you around me. Please, tell me it’s all right. Tell me you want this too.”

“Yes. Hurry, please. I’m so wet and needy, I won’t last long.” When he sat up on his knees between her legs and began working at his pants button, she slapped his hand away and pulled the tab down herself. Reaching into his pants, she was surprised to meet flesh and not his boxers. Wrapping her hand around him, his hiss made her realize he was just as needy as she was. When she leaned forward to take him in her mouth, he stopped her with his hand in her hair.

“No, no time. I want to be inside of you now. I need to feel you wrapped around me.” Lifting her gown up, bare beneath, he reached between her spread legs and slid his fingers into her pussy. “Wet. Wet and hot. I thought I could be gentle, but not now.

I’m sorry, baby, but I don’t think I can hold back.”

“Shut up and fuck me. Please, Byron, just come inside of me and stop talking about it.” His chuckle made her groan and when he leaned forward, he entered her in one long, slick movement.

He filled her. The walls of her sheath grabbed him and she could feel it adjusting to his size. The pain was so slight that it was gone before she could complain, not that she would. Then he started to move, slowly as if he had all the time in the world. Her body wanted more and she reached down and grabbed his ass and pulled him into her while she tilted her hips. He was deeper; she could feel his balls touch her ass and when he pulled out to the tip and slammed back in, she nearly cried out with it. Everything, all of her, was focused on him and what he was doing to her. When he pulled her nipple into his mouth again and bit her, she came apart. She was sure if he hadn’t put his hand over her mouth gently, she would have had a lot of explaining to do. But when he roared into her, and she came again, she couldn’t stop the small scream that spilled from her mouth.

Immediately, the pounding at the door had them scrambling to right their clothes and the blankets. She knew that the door was locked when the agent on the other side yelled he was going to shoot the lock off is someone didn’t “fucking answer him right fucking now.”

Byron pulled his pants together and went to the door. Taylor had to put a pillow over her mouth to keep from being heard when Byron tried to hide his just laid look from the guard.

“We’re okay. I just...I startled her when I got in bed with her. My...umm, my hands were cold. You know how women are when you touch them with cold hands. They get all jumpy. We’re all right, agent, I swear.”

When the door shut and the lock was turned again, Taylor couldn’t stop the laughter. Her body ached with trying to hold it in and more so when she had let it out.

Byron stalked back to the bed and removed his shirt before sliding in beside her.

“You know the least you could have done was quit laughing. I’m sure he was wondering what the hell was so funny. He looked ready to shoot me, I’ll have you know.”

“Cold hands, indeed. You have the warmest hands I’ve ever felt. Besides, I’m pretty sure he knew what we were doing anyway. You’re very noisy when you come, did you know that? I’ve never known anyone who roared like a lion when they came. Now, you’ve worn me out and I’m very tired.” She turned to her side and pulled away from him. In seconds, she was pulled back to his chest and wrapped in his arms. Warmth spread through her quicker than the warmed blanket had earlier.

She woke to feel him leaving the bed. When she turned to see him, he was getting dressed again. She wanted to ask where he was going and realized it was none of her business. And if he wanted to only have sex with her then she was fine with that. Or at least she’d try to be. When he kissed her good-bye with a quick, “I’ll be back later,” she barely made it until he shut the door again before she started crying.

When she woke up later in the morning, Jamie was sitting in the chair. His smile went a long way to making her feel better. And the real breakfast he’d brought her did so much more.

“You can eat it. I picked it up when Damon said you could have real food. Byron had me order it for you. He said to tell you he’d see you at noon and he’d bring you lunch. How you feeling?”

“Fine. I’m going home soon, I hope.” She told him about the insurance money and how excited she was about being warm again. He gave her the same odd look Damon had given her the day before. Shrugging it off as a brother thing, she ate with gusto.

“I wanted to talk to you about when you were hurt before. I was—”

“Don’t, Jamie. Forget it. We’re friends and friends fight.” He leaned forward and took her hands in his. His kiss on the bruises on her wrist made her wince, not from pain but because he noticed them and knew where they had come from.

“I’m glad we’re friends, Taylor. I’m sorry about the way I treated you. I was an ass.

I have—no let me finish. I have felt horrible about it for weeks and I wanted to thank you for sticking to it and not writing me off.”

“I couldn’t write you off, Jamie. You’re like a really expensive bra to me. And I know expensive bras.”

“You wanna explain to me how I compare to a bra? I’m glad it’s an expensive one, but a bra, Taylor?”

“Sure, you’re supportive when I need you to be. You lift me up when I’m down and I don’t want to throw you away at the end of the day because you pinched me in all the tender areas. See? An expensive bra does that and more.” He laughed so hard he had tears streaming down his face and had one of the nurses come in to see what was so funny. When he told her, she looked at him with such a serious expression and said, “Well that’s a hell of a compliment.” He started laughing again. He went to the bathroom to blow his nose and cool off his face. The door opened again and this time, it wasn’t a nurse.

This time, when the door opened, it was Paul Freedom. And he was pissed beyond words and he had a gun. A gun that was pointed at her.

~~~

Byron saw the cruisers as soon as he pulled into the lot. Nine of them lined the front of the hospital and all the doors were still open. His heart started pounding even before he was told the elevator was down and the hospital was on secure alert. Damon was paged and came down to meet him in the emergency room. A cop came instead.

“Taylor! Is she all right? What’s happened? Is she all right?”

“I don’t know, sir. I was told there was one dead and that the FBI guy had been drugged.” They were on their way up the three flights of stairs when Byron had to stop and bend over to stop from passing out. Taylor, he’d not protected her.

They burst through the door of the stair well when Damon and Devin came rushing at him. He could tell by the look on their faces that something had happened. Captain Tucker was close behind them.

“Boy, I need you to put this in your pants. Put it in the back and agree with every word I say or hell will be paid. Understand me?” Captain Tucker was Cait’s boss and he suddenly noticed that she was standing there too. She took the gun from him and slipped it in the waist band of his jeans. The cold metal made him shiver.

“Taylor, is she all right? Please, someone has to tell me what’s happened.” He was nearly sobbing now. Damon grabbed him, sat him in one of the chairs, and pushed Bryon’s head between his knees as he spoke.

“They’re both fine. The Feds won’t let us in until they’re done taking pictures, but they’re both fine. If not, I’m going to rip that Agent Fenton’s ass open with my hands.”

“You’ll have to stand in line,” Cait mumbled. “Byron, Jamie killed Freedom. He came into the room demanding where his money was and he fired at Taylor. Jamie killed him. That’s all we know for now.”

“I don’t understand, where did Jamie get a gun? I didn’t think he even knew how to fire one.” Byron sat up as he spoke. “You know, there are very strange things going on around here lately. I think I might need a vacation.”

“Maybe a honeymoon? Jamie’s been taking lessons at the college and I helped him qualify for his Concealed Handgun card. Here come the Feds.” She stood in front of him and Byron laughed.

“Mr. Grant. That little girlfriend of yours, she’s a spitfire, isn’t she? I told her she needed protection. I just didn’t know her protection would be coming from one of your brothers. You carrying?”

“Yes.” Byron stood up, pulled out his wallet, and handed the agent his own card and drivers license. “I have a Glock on my ass and another on my ankle, both loaded both hot. There’s also a card there that has my attorney’s name on it. I own a club, Agent Fenton. I’d be stupid not to carry a gun. I want to see my ‘little spitfire,’ as you called her. Right now.” They both turned to look at Cait when she burst out laughing.