Impossible End (Unchecked Book 3) (5 page)

“I know how to drive a boat.”

I looked over my shoulder. The wind in her hair, the determination on her gorgeous face, my wife took my breath away. “I know all about what you can drive.” I went below before I changed my mind about dropping anchor and made my first call.

The phone rang five times before it was picked up.

“No other clients call me in the middle of the night, Layna.”

Fucking asshole. “It’s not Layna.”

Barrett cleared his throat. “Johnson.”

“We’ve got a situation.”

“Thus the phone call. What’s going on?”

“An attempt was made on Layna’s life tonight.”

“
What?
”

“There was a sniper and two hired guns. The sniper and one of the guns disappeared, but the third one is in custody.” Despite client confidentiality, I wasn’t about to tell him what happened to the sniper and the asshole on the boat. “We need to link him back to Maldonado, legally.”

“Jesus. Because?”

“Because he was hired by Maldonado. He’s the one who issued the hit.”

“You’re certain it was him?”

Fuckhead. “Yes.”

Barrett sighed. “You’re not giving me much to work with. Maldonado will deny all knowledge. The state’s attorney will have nothing to go on and then it’ll be dead in the water.”

“Call Luna. His men have the hired gun. They’ll make him talk.”

“All right. I’ll do my best but no promises. Where can I reach you?”

“You can’t. I’ll call you in a few days.”

Barrett dropped the attitude and his voice turned human. “She okay?”

“Yeah.”

“I know you’re trained but I have to ask because I feel responsible. Can you keep her safe for now?”

I hated the guy. I hated any man who looked at Layna but I respected him for feeling responsible for his client. “She’s safe.” I’d die before I let something happen to her.

Barrett exhaled. “Okay. Talk to you in a few days.”

“One last thing, the hotel we were staying at was shot up. André’s men covered our tracks. The Coast Guard won’t find the sniper or the other hired gun but there’ll still be questions. Can you run interference with the authorities for us for a few days? We weren’t registered under our names but I suspect they’ll figure out soon enough we were there.”

“You’ll have to give statements eventually.”

“We will, once I know it’s safe for her to surface.”

“As your counsel, I have to advise you not to take matters into your own hands. I know what you and your Marine buddies are capable of, but don’t do it. Give me a little time to make something stick to Maldonado.”

“Do what you have to do.” I wasn’t waiting.

“Jesus, Blaze.” Barrett lost the controlled edge to his voice. “You know this will point back to her. Don’t be stupid. This is going to be bad for both of you. Don’t put her in that situation.”

“
I
didn’t put
my wife
in any situation.” His interest in Layna was really starting to piss me off. “Do your job, I’ll do mine.”

He sighed. “Fine. Tell Layna the paperwork she asked me for is complete.”

I momentarily stilled. “What paperwork?”

“Ask her.” Barrett hung up.

I stared at the phone a few seconds before I dialed André.

“We good?” I asked as soon as he answered.

“Hold on.” I heard muffled voices then it got quieter. “Yeah, we’re good for now. Where are you?”

“Southeast, open waters, but I’m swinging back north and heading up to Neil’s place in Key Largo. What happened with the Coast Guard?”

“The usual, they demanded answers. I bought us a little time by handing over the one guy still alive.”

“Was he talking?”

“Oh, he was talking all right.” André snorted. “Guess he wasn’t too fond of Tyler and Collin.”

“He know anything?”

“Not that he claims. Said he was picked up in Miami in a bar and offered cash by a guy he’d never met and never saw again. Got transported to Key West where some other guy put him and the asshole in the white t-shirt on a boat, gave them guns and told them to go hunting on Sunset Key. They had a picture of Layna but that was it.”

“Was the guy who put him on the boat the sniper? Did he describe him?”

“Not unless the sniper aged backwards forty years before he got hit.”

“The contact was an old guy?”

“Yeah. Mr. Mangroves said he was in his sixties, white guy, no accent, but rode hard with lots of tattoos.”

What the fuck? Maldonado didn’t work with Caucasians. He stuck to Cartel assholes and they were always young and stupid. What the hell was going on?

André didn’t wait for me to reply. “I can hear you thinking. I thought the same thing, but I got nothing. I don’t know what Maldonado’s playing at or who he has in his back pocket. All I got was that Mr. Mangroves said Grandpa drove off on a motorcycle after he gave them the boat.”

Fuck, a biker? “And neither of the hired guns saw or knew about the sniper?”

“Negative.”

Shit. “I don’t like it.”

“Me neither. I’m driving up to Daytona to talk to Talon. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

Fuck. “Who you leaving me with?”

“I’ll have Tyler meet you in Largo.”

“What about Collin?”

“He’s reassigned.”

“You didn’t let him go?”

“I’m keeping him close ‘til we see this through. He could be the connection for all I know.”

“I thought you screened.”

“I do. I triple check then I sit on them and watch for a holding period before I check them again. He’d looked clean through the whole process. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean he is. I’m not the only security firm who screens this way. He could’ve figured it out and played the part. But trust me, I’ll find out what’s up before this is over.”

“Copy. Let me know what you find out from Talon.”

“Will do.”

“One last thing. I talked to Barrett. He’s going after Maldonado from his end. He’ll be calling you. Make sure the hired gun talks, but not about us.”

“Not my first op, Gunny.”

“I’m not your Gunnery Sergeant anymore.”

“You’re sure as shit acting like it.” André hung up.

I rubbed a hand over my face, wondering why Maldonado would hire a biker.

I
EASED THE COBALT UP
to Neil’s dock just after sunrise. Layna was curled up next to me, drifting in and out of sleep. I carried her up the steps, used the code to unlock the door and deactivated the alarm to Neil’s vacation house. After laying her down on the master bed, I reset the alarm and closed all the shutters. She watched me but she didn’t say anything.

“I’m taking a shower, be right back.”

She nodded.

I closed the bathroom door, turned on the shower and pulled out her cell. I sent a quick text to Tyler.

Me: We’re here

He instantly texted back.

Tyler: Watched you dock. Perimeter secure.

Me: We’re going to sleep, call if there’s any problem

Tyler: Copy

I got in the shower and two minutes later I was back in the bedroom, setting my 9mm on the nightstand. I didn’t think she was going to fall asleep that fast, but she did. Curled in a ball, her breathing too even to be fake, she looked like an angel. I almost didn’t want to disturb her but I was feeling selfish.

I dropped my towel and pulled back the covers. She breathed in deep but she didn’t move. I cupped my hand under her head.

“C’mon, baby. Let’s get you out of these clothes.” I gently lifted her.

Her eyes fluttered open and my heart took a hit. Every second of last night was written all over her face and I was suddenly back in that damn church the night I met her. I wanted to wipe the fear from her eyes then, and I wanted to do it more now. I wanted to kill the sniper all over again. Hell, I wanted to walk into that jail and kill Maldonado with my bare hands.

Tension radiating through me, I pressed my lips to her forehead. “It’s okay. I just want you comfortable.”

She nodded but she didn’t speak. She looked off into the distance and I knew she was retreating into her own mind as I pulled her shirt over her head and stripped her jeans off. I wanted her naked but she looked so damn vulnerable in her bra and underwear I couldn’t do it. I lay down and pulled her into my arms.

Settling her back to my chest, I stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. “What’s this about?” I asked, keeping any intonation out of my voice.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re pulling away from me. Why?”

“I’m right here.” Her voice was too quiet.

“You know what I mean.” I kissed her shoulder. “Talk to me.”

She sighed. “Is it always going to be like this? One step forward, twenty steps back?”

I should be glad she was referring to last night as backward steps instead of a catastrophic event, but I knew how shit could brew into a storm for her. “No.”

“That’s it? Just a
no
?”

Morning light filtered through the blinds as I pulled the soft weight of her hair through my fingers. The sunlight, as drawn to her as I was, picked up on the strands and made them shine. “Do you trust me?” I asked quietly.

“Yes, of course, but—”

“Do you believe I’m capable of taking care of you?”

“Blaze, this isn’t about what you can or cannot do.”

“This is exactly that.” I gently stroked down her arm.

She turned to face me. “I don’t need to be taken care of.”

I loved how determined she was. I loved that she was a fighter but she deserved to be taken care of. “Protection, safety, shelter…those are the things you need and that’s what I’m going to give you—now, and every day for the rest of your life.”

Her big brown eyes stared at me. “When will it stop?” she whispered.

She was so damn pretty it hurt to look at her sometimes. “Maybe never.” I couldn’t lie to her. “But Maldonado is being taken care of, the sniper is handled and we’re going to wait it out here a few days while André does his job. After that? I can’t say what other fallout is going to happen because of your father but I’ll handle it.” I took her face in my hand. “You are not alone.” I kissed her once. “You’re mine and I love you.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “Eight.”

She counted every time I gave her those three words but I’d never told her she was off by one. I simply wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. “You need sleep.”

She filled her lungs with air and let it out slowly. “Okay.”

Three minutes later, her breaths evened and her muscles relaxed.

Reluctantly, I closed my eyes. The IED flashback never came. Instead, the bullet piercing the snipers skull replayed in a slow motion loop until exhaustion won and I fell asleep.

The sound of ringing pulled me from sleep and had me instantly alert. I scanned the sparse room for anything out of place as I answered, “Yeah?”

“Shift change,” Tyler said. “You want some takeout before I catch forty?”

“What time is it?” Neil didn’t even have a damn clock in his place.

“Just past noon.”

Shit, I felt like I could sleep another six hours. Layna rolled over and stretched. I ran my hand down her thigh and rubbed my thumb behind her knee. “Who’s taking over for you?”

“Two men. Carlos and Davis, both solid. Davis is your contact. Use this same number if you need him. I’ll bring you food?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Going out to eat was too risky.

“Give me twenty.”

“Copy.” I hung up and pulled Layna into me. “Good afternoon,” I whispered, kissing her ear.

Chills broke out across her arms. “Mm.” She arched her back and rubbed her tight ass against my hard dick.

I gripped her thigh. “You doing that on purpose?”

“Mm hm.” She did it again.

Christ. “You better?” I wanted to take her so hard I couldn’t concentrate.

“Better than what?”

I loved the raspy sound of her voice. “Last night.”

“I always want you. That never goes away.”

Thank fuck. I stripped her underwear, put her on her hands and knees then pulled her ass up. Fisting my dick, I stroked through her folds once then slammed home. “Fuck, you’re so wet.” And tight, and hot, and so fucking perfect I could’ve come in seconds.

“
Blaze
,” she cried out.

I fucking loved hearing her say my name. I leaned over her back and dragged my tongue and my teeth along her neck to her shoulder. “Fast and hard, baby. We don’t have much time.” I pinched her already hard nipples and moved one hand to her clit. She jerked against my touch and her pussy tightened like a glove.