Landon (The Love Family Series Book 5) (5 page)

“No.” Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. “This is perfect.” She slid out of his arms and paced the kitchen, following the same path that Landon had paced just moments ago. “This guy knows where I am. Hell, he even knows who I’m with. I don’t think he wants to hurt me, or he would have by now.”

“You don’t know that.” Landon grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. He was right. She couldn’t be 100 percent sure about the man’s motives, but she wasn’t dumb. It wasn’t as though she was asking anyone to trust him.

“He called to warn us, Landon. Even if we can’t trust him, we can trust that he knows what the hell is going on. He seems to be the only one who does.”

“We don’t even know who he is.” Landon’s voice grew in agitation as he moved to the French doors and rested his hands on his hip. She’d never be able to convince Landon to try and understand. It wasn’t the rest of
his
life that was on the line; it was hers.

“He went to great lengths to give me the information about the babies. And following me here of all places. We’re looking for a man with means and motive. That shouldn’t be so hard. We figure out what he has to gain by giving me the information and tracking us and then we figure out who the hell he is.”

Landon spun to face her. “And how do you propose we do that? Place an ad in the paper?”

Alice grinned. “I was thinking more like an interview on television, but an ad might work since we know he’s here. This guy said he knows who I really am. Don’t you want to know who I really am? I sure as hell do. I
need
to know what my part is in this twisted game.”

“I know who you are. You’re Alice Page. An exceptional doctor, a tinkering engineer, and the woman who is trying to get herself killed.”

She gave a small shake of her head. “I need answers, Landon. We all do if we’re going to stop this.”

Chapter 8

After an exhausting hour arguing with Landon, Alice went to her bedroom and closed the door. Her reasoning was sound, even if her execution needed some work. They needed a plan, and not just any plan would do. They needed a way to draw this guy out while staying inconspicuous to the would-be killers that might be on their way. Landon was right about one thing. It was time to leave the tropical paradise she was growing accustomed to.

Wind rattled the shutters on the house, and she moved across the room to pull the curtains closed. She glanced down at the tree line. A man stood near one of the large trunks. Her breath hitched and she blinked several times making sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. She closed her eyes and opened them again. Nope, he was still there and he was watching her. He pulled something out of his pocket and held it to his ear. Within seconds, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, answering it without taking her eyes off the man below. She knew it was him.

“Hello,” she snapped with the frustration building in her body.

“We’ll meet tomorrow, Alice. You look tired. Get some sleep. No one will get close enough to harm you tonight.” He lifted a purple flower into the air and crouched to set down against the trunk of the tree.

“Edward—”

“I’m impressed.” She was met with silence. She glanced at her screen and when she looked back out the window to where the man was standing, the space was empty.

Alice held the phone to her chest, replaying his words in her mind. The purple flower, the man from the hospital, and the car that had followed them. Edward Best was the man who had the answers. With a heavy sigh, she turned and headed back downstairs one more time to tell Landon. Maybe after she met the guy, her need to flee might disappear as quickly as he’d done in the forest.

As expected, Landon reacted exactly as she’d thought, although this time he’d called in reinforcements. Avery and Reed appeared fifteen minutes later, calling out their sign that the coast was clear on the intercom so she could leave the safe room where Landon insisted she stay.

Alice jogged down the stairs and came up short when she found Landon’s brother, Declan, standing in the living room, a holster with two guns strapped around his shoulder and his sheriff’s badge attached to his belt.

“Any luck?” she asked, glancing around the determined faces. “Was he still out there?”

“Did he threaten you?” Declan asked.

Alice shook her head. “No. He said I looked tired and that we’d meet tomorrow.”

Declan, Avery, and Landon shared a concerned glance.

Alice stepped into the living room. Her arms hugged her waist. “He said I was safe tonight. That no one would get close enough to harm me.”

Declan’s brows dipped as he turned to Landon. “Are you sure this guy is a foe? Everything you’ve told me indicates that he’s trying to help. Did he do anything I can charge him with?”

“You can pick him up for trespassing,” Avery answered.

“You got proof? Was he on your security feed?”

Avery and Landon exchanged a worried look. Avery hesitated before answering. “He’s not on the feed.”

Declan ran his hand over his face.

Landon rested his palms on his waist and lowered his head. “Alice, pack your bag. We’re leaving.”

“But—”

Landon’s gaze shot to hers, his face stone and the mask he wore only when he was angry stared back at her. “No buts….” He gestured with his head to the stairs.

Avery rose from her seat. “I’ll go start packing.”

“You aren’t going.” Landon glanced over his shoulder. “Reed and you have a wedding to plan.”

“You aren’t doing this by yourself.” Avery leveled him with a glare.

“Avery.” Landon crossed the room and rubbed his palms up and down her arms. “Reed and you have a wedding to plan. I can’t ask Reed or you to come with us. I’ll call in other agents to help. You do your thing and keep Reed and the family safe. I’ll take care of Alice.”

“You’re leaving?” Declan’s voice lowered. “That’s going to kill Mom.”

“We can’t stay, Dec. Not without knowing the threat that’s potentially coming.”

Declan lowered his head and shook it. “Bring her down to the station in the morning. Give me time to find him and I’ll have him picked up for questioning. At least find out what you’re dealing with so you can make an informed decision before you go running off again. God only knows when you’ll come back. Just let me help you this once.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Of course I do. I’m your big brother.”

Alice lifted her hand to her chest and held her breath. Even if Landon didn’t recognize the gesture, she did. She might not have known Declan long, but in that one small gesture, she knew this was his way of trying to mend fences. Alice couldn’t ask Landon to leave, not when he was close to getting his family back. She wouldn’t strip him of that. She couldn’t. “Let him try, Landon.”

“Declan, you said yourself you have nothing to charge him with.”

“Yes, I do.” Declan’s eyes narrowed. “Potentially breaking my mother’s heart.”

“I don’t think that will stand up in court,” Alice mumbled.

“I don’t need it to.” He glanced over at her. “I just need a reason to question him. This island isn’t big enough for him to hide from me.”

Declan stomped over to the table and picked up the purple flower before he stomped out the front door.

Chapter 9

The moment they were alone, Alice stood in front of him looking up into his eyes. “Stubbornness runs in your family, doesn’t it?”

“You could say that,” Landon mumbled.

Alice gave a knowing nod and then reached for Landon and hugged his waist. He might not realize he needed the hug, but right now, she did.

Landon’s arms were slow to wrap around her. His hard body was unyielding. She didn’t care. She squeezed him tighter and laid her head on his chest. How long had it been since he let someone get close?

“This is where you’re supposed to hug me back,” she whispered.

His body shook in a silent chuckle. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s so.” She smiled against his chest.

A second later, his arms wrapped around her. His fingers ran a soothing motion over her back.

“Alice, I know you want to stay…but it’s not safe.”

“I know.” Her words came out a whisper. “I’ll call the hospital and make arrangements. Knowing someone is coming to kill me kind of puts things in perspective. I don’t want any of my patients to get caught in the crossfire.”

Landon’s fingers trailed a slow path up her back and sifted into her hair. “Always thinking of others”—he smiled and leaned back to look down at her— “when you’re the one in danger. That’s who you are, Alice. No matter what we find.”

She gave a small smile, knowing his words were meant to comfort her. He pressed his lips into her hair. Her heart raced in hopes that he’d kiss her anywhere but there. “Get packed and then try and get some rest.”

“We’re leaving regardless of whether or not your brother finds Edward, aren’t we?”

“They should have never picked this place for me to protect you.”

Right. How could she forget? He was being forced to be there, to spend time with her to keep her safe. Her heart clenched, and her body deflated. His words weren’t meant to hurt her…yet the truth remained. She was his job.

Alice dropped her hold and took a tentative step back. First one and then two. “I’m so sorry, Landon. I didn’t mean to do this to you.”

“Alice, you didn’t do anything.” He started to close the distance between them, and she held up her hand, stilling him.

“Landon, I’m tired. I’m just going to pack and try to get some sleep.” She gestured with her thumb toward the stairs.

He didn’t try and stop her, not that she gave him a chance. She jogged up the stairs and stepped into her room. Shutting her door, she leaned back against the wood and closed her eyes. She had to leave, but that didn’t mean Landon had to go with her. She’d ask to be reassigned, hoping he stayed on the island. Maybe, just maybe, she could lead the danger away from his door, away from his island, and away from him.

Alice took a shower and changed into a pair of shorts and tank top to wear to bed. Grabbing her toiletries, she dropped them into one of her bags and began pulling clothes out of the closet and the dressers and shoved those in her suitcase, leaving out one change of clothes she’d wear in the morning. She turned off the light and moved to the window, staring outside at the beauty the island had to offer. All that promise she’d yet to explore. Her gaze moved to the spot where she’d seen Edward. A shiver skirted down her spine as she remembered his words. Bigger fish and a contract on her head. Her time was limited. She could hear it in Edward’s voice, and she knew it in her heart. Her world had crumbled in a matter of a month into the tatters of something unrecognizable.

She heard the light knock and the creak of her door opening and turned just as Landon stood under the threshold. His gaze scanned the bed before it landed on her. “I thought you were asleep.”

She shook her head and turned back to the window. “I can’t sleep. I was trying to memorize how beautiful it is here.”

Landon stepped into the room and moved over to her, repositioning her to the side of the windowsill. “You shouldn’t be near the window. He might still be out there.”

Alice rested her back against the wall. “Do you know what I realized from all of this?”

Landon remained quiet, his gaze assessing. Could he tell she’d cried in the shower? Was there evidence in her face, in her voice?

“A future is a luxury that I don’t have. It was stripped away from me the day I got the thumb drive.”

She gave him a brave smile, even though her heart was cracking into a million pieces. She was going to miss him. She was going to miss all of them.

“You aren’t giving up.” His words were quiet between them. He moved closer and rested his hands on her hips. “I won’t let you.”

Her brows dipped. He’d spoken as if he’d read her mind. Maybe she was shit at covering her emotions. Maybe the mask she thought she had in place had slipped.

“I’m not giving up,” she lied. “I’m being realistic.”

“I don’t believe you.” He pressed her into the wall, his body plastered against hers. His hands still gripped her sides. “Don’t do this.”

“I haven’t done anything.” She held his gaze and watched the mix of emotions cross his face.

“I know that look,” he said, lowering his head so that he could whisper in his ear. “I see it every day in the mirror. You think this is your fault.”

Alice’s breath hitched. The pounding of his heart was steady and pressing against her chest. “It is my fault.”

“No, baby, it’s not,” he whispered against her neck before he pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot. “Stop living in your head and talk to me.”

Alice’s heart raced a mile a minute from Landon holding her in a lover’s embrace. His excitement was pressed against her belly. There was no denying the desire she could see so clearly in his eyes. The fire and heat that he felt toward her matched hers in every way. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Landon’s lips twitched; his fingers caressed her sides making a slow path up her torso until his thumbs rested right below her breasts. “You’re demanding.”

“You were warned as I recall.”

“What do you want, Alice?”

Alice visibly swallowed in her hesitation. Should she dare tell him what she’d been thinking for the last month that she’d been around him?

“Tell me,” he demanded.

Her eyes softened as she stared up at him. “One night, in your arms, without having to worry if someone is going to kill me.”

His lips tilted at the corners as he lowered his head. His lips hovered over hers when he whispered, “Consider it done.”

He kissed her like a man starved. His lips, playful at first, turned hungry and heated. His fingers slid beneath the hem of her tank top, and she thought she’d die feeling his skin against hers. He moved up her stomach gut-wrenchingly slow, heating her skin and awakening every nerve in her body. His palm cupped her breast, and he gave a gentle squeeze, rolling the nipple between his fingers.

He swallowed her moan that slipped free before he moved his lips to her neck.

“This is your last chance to back out.” He pulled his lips away from their assault.

“Not on your life,” she whispered and cupped his erection beneath his jeans.

His grin grew. “You and me, one night, no one killing you.”

She nodded and rubbed his erection.

He cupped her ass and lifted her off her feet. She locked her legs behind his back and giggled. “Where are you taking me?”

He yanked the closet door open and punched in the numbers on the keypad. The door slid open and he stepped inside with her, not letting her feet touch the ground until the door slid closed. “You’re safe in here.”

The safe room was smaller than her bedroom, but not by much. It held a queen-sized bed, a small couch, a fridge, a small bathroom, and a storage area. The walls were lined with video cameras that surrounded the property, not to mention a phone on the wall that could be used even if the lines were cut.

“This is a bad idea. You know that, right?” He reached for the hem of her shirt, slid it up her body, and then dropped it to the floor.

“The worst,” she breathed on a sigh as his lips found her breast. He walked her back to the bed, never breaking contact.

“I could lose my job,” he countered, as if trying to talk himself out of it. He slipped his fingers inside her panties, not stopping until he found her mound. He ran his finger over her desire and she moaned again.

“I could lose my life,” she countered. “I think mine trumps yours.”

He slipped a finger inside, and she thought she’d come undone. She was wet and wanting, and there would be no denying it now. Ever.

“Ahh.” He sighed with a smile on his lips. “So wet for me, baby.”

Alice took the pleasure of slipping her shorts and thong down her legs without losing the finger he stroked her with. She needed him, and she needed more. She widened her stance, showing him exactly what she wanted.

“So demanding.” He kissed her lips again with determination. Each thrust of his tongue matched his finger. He slipped another one inside, and she held on, hoping her legs didn’t give out.

Landon eased her down to sit on the bed before he dropped to his knees in front of her. Running his hands up her thighs, he kissed a trail from her lips, down her neck, and over her stomach, only stopping above her mound. He eased her legs open wider, and Alice fell back on the bed. He slipped his finger inside her slick folds and stroked her again. Her eyes were hooded as she watched him, feeling everything as if it were her first time.

“You ready, baby? I’ve only got one night to blow your mind until this thing is resolved.”

“Better make it count.” She winked.

Landon twisted his finger and found her G-spot the moment his lips descended down on her. The combination of the spot and his mouth working her sent her into a frenzy. She gripped the comforter and lifted her hips to give him better access, and within minutes, she felt the tightening of her walls, and her toes curled to stave off the pressure. She didn’t want her release to be so quick. She wanted to savor every moment. She held on, fighting against what she knew would be the hardest orgasm she’d ever had.

“Give it to me, Alice.”

She shook her head, and he continued his torture.

“Baby, you’re so tight. I can’t wait to be inside you, to feel your sheath sucking me in.”

She couldn’t hold it any longer. His words, coupled with his tongue and his finger, pushed her over the edge into full-blown sensation. She screamed his name as she dug her nails into the covers, afraid if she let go she would float away.

Landon slowed his movements as she came down from her high. He kissed her once more between her thighs before he rose to stand in front of her.

Pulling out his wallet, he took a condom out and tossed it on the bed. He held her gaze as he pulled his shirt above his head and dropped it to the floor. Landon was amazing. His abs were riddled with tiny scars she could only assume were from his time in the military. His toned body held a promise, and she couldn’t wait to touch. She sat up and lifted her hand to his chest, running her fingers over his muscles. Her gaze zeroed in on his fingers working the button on his jeans. The sound of the zipper going down gave her a fresh wave of wetness between her thighs.

He pushed his jeans down and kicked them off. He was commando all right. His erection sprang forth, his girth and length teasing her with the promise of pleasure she’d yet to experience.

Alice held on to his thighs and leaned in for a taste. She licked the head teasingly before she took him into her mouth. Landon’s hand shot into her hair, holding her in a grip.

He moaned. “Damn, Alice.”

His words spurred her on, and she started moving, her tongue gliding along the smooth surface. She sucked him, trying to give him back the pleasure he’d given her.

“Fuck.” He groaned while slipping his cock deeper into her mouth before he pulled free. “I need to be in you, Alice.”

He slid up her body, easing her back to the middle of the mattress. He sat back on his thighs and rolled the condom down his shaft, never taking his intense gaze off her. He leaned down and positioned himself between her thighs, and without another word, he pushed home, sending them both into a world where they spent hours in nothing but pleasure and ecstasy.