Mine to Hold (34 page)

He gurgled and reached for the screen again. Luc held him back with a big hand across his little belly.

“This kid is strong,” Luc commented. “He likes spinach, too.”

“And sweet potatoes.”

Luc grinned. “Did you know he loves Cheetos? He ate nearly a whole bag of Chloe’s little munchies when he was supposed to be napping. I shouldn’t be surprised that he crawled out of the playpen and remembered where we’d stored the stuff.”

Tyler smiled like he was proud. “Sounds like something I would have done at his age.”

It did. Del grabbed his hand. Then she realized there wasn’t much left to say. “Kiss him for me, please.”

Luc nodded. He looked like he wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay, but no one could assure her of that. He simply nodded and placed a soft kiss in Seth’s pale hair, patting his little shoulder. “He knows that you love him.”

“Tell him I love him, too,” Tyler asked, then swallowed. “I’m going to try to update everyone when I can. If you haven’t heard from us by four o’clock your time . . .”

Tyler didn’t finish that sentence. He didn’t have to.

With a nod, Luc wrapped protective arms around Seth. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Pray.” Del’s voice trembled.

“Absolutely.” Then Luc looked at Tyler. “Take care of you and yours.”

With a nod, Luc was gone. After the screen went blank, Del desperately wanted to collapse into Tyler’s arms. But now wasn’t the time. They had barely over an hour to get ready, plan, and cross town.

Stiffly, she rose and made her way across the hall, into the bathroom. When she started the shower and pulled off her clothes, shivering, Tyler eased into the bathroom behind her and pulled her against the solid warmth of his body. He was naked, too, and every inch of his hard frame blanketed her back.

Threading his arm around her waist, he kissed the top of her head. “We’ll get through this together, angel.”

Having him close was such a comfort. Funny how a few short days ago she was certain that Tyler would be another drive-by in her life. She’d drop Seth off, solve all this herself, then pop back in and pick up her son, no muss, no fuss—and above all, no emotions. Now, she couldn’t imagine facing this danger without him. By herself, she wasn’t sure she had any chance to survive. Tyler would move heaven and earth to keep her safe.

Delaney more than loved Tyler Murphy; she’d wrapped her heart, soul, and life around his so quickly. Even with this black cloud hanging over them, she relished the feeling of connection to the one man she’d never forgotten.

She opened the shower door and eased in. Tyler climbed in right behind her. Wordlessly, they embraced under the spray, a long moment filled with warm water, beating hearts, and utter stillness. They were saying good-bye to one another, just in case the worst happened. No words necessary. They both knew. They both felt the solemn moment and didn’t spoil it with chatter.

A moment later, Del backed against the cold tile wall and held out her arms to Tyler. He came to her silently. Maybe the look in her eyes told him what she needed. He just nodded and lifted her, holding her thighs over his arms and bracing her against the wall. With steam rising from the hot spray and their deep breaths filling the space, Tyler probed her pussy with the blunt tip of his cock. The moment he found her open and slick, he pushed her down, surging up into her tight walls.

One thrust became another, then a dozen, then she lost count. The only thing she knew was Tyler’s deep penetration, the burn of his flesh against her already sore sex, but she welcomed the sensation. It reminded her that she was alive, could hurt and need. It reminded her that she could feel.

Del wrapped her legs around his hips and used whatever leverage she could to wriggle and bounce. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Her mouth found his, slanting over that hard slash to invade and silently tell him that she’d never wanted anything or anyone more than she wanted him.

His thick fingers dug into her hips, and the sensations spiraled. A heavy ache settled behind her clit, mixing with the pleasure-pain of his possession, scraping up her swollen channel and the friction of his flesh rubbing her little bundle of nerves repeatedly. It was too much—the pleasure, the love, the need to experience this moment to the fullest. Del crested over the edge, careening into a dizzying ecstasy that made her cry his name, into a significant love that utterly reshaped her.

With a long, low groan in her ear, he followed her into pleasure, and she felt the warm spray of his semen jet deep inside of her. Del closed her eyes. She hoped she lived long enough to find out if all the unprotected sex they’d had in the last twenty-four hours brought them another bundle of joy. It had only taken once before, and suddenly she wanted to have Tyler’s child again, experience everything from morning sickness to college graduation with him.

Slowly, Tyler disentangled himself from her and placed a reverent kiss on her shoulder. “Let’s clean you up.”

She nodded, but every time she reached for the soap or loofah, he slapped her hands out of the way and washed her himself. Long, soft sweeps of his palms over her abdomen, lingering low where he felt the few stretch marks she’d gotten from carrying Seth.

“I’ll bet you were so pretty pregnant. I wish I’d seen it.”

Del wished he had, too. She wished she could have both shared the experience with him and had someone to lean on. But rather than dwell on what she couldn’t change, she tried to lighten the mood. “Only if you like a beached whale.”

His gaze was so green and intent, it almost hurt, especially when that look admonished her. “You’re beautiful, no matter what. To me, you always have been.”

Probably not 100 percent accurate, but Del smiled at his kindness. Then he set her under the spray. With the utmost care, he proceeded to wash her hair, his strong fingers rubbing her scalp, easing away last night’s grime and a bit of this morning’s tension. Del melted against him.

“Have you always been like this with lovers?” Because that wasn’t how she’d heard it.

He paused. “I didn’t act like I cared about any of the other women because I didn’t. It took me doing without you for two years to realize how much I loved you.”

“I’ve been numb for two years. I feel like I’m finally alive again because of you. Even if today doesn’t end well, I want you to know how much that means to me.”

Finally, they couldn’t stall anymore and left the shower, drying slowly, both lost in thought. Tyler pulled his clothes on first, just as someone pounded on the front door.

“Showtime,” he sighed. Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead, grabbed one of the guns Xander had given him the night before, and headed to the front of the house.

Del put on the rest of her clothes with trembling fingers. By tonight, she’d either be a free woman or dead.

***

TYLER
wrenched open the estate’s heavy front door. Xander stood wearing something clearly
GQ
and designer, looking perfectly unconcerned and unruffled. Behind him, a big motherfucker straight out of a
Rambo
-esque movie stood as still as a statue, black hair military cut, blue eyes scanning his surroundings, on the lookout for any sign of trouble.

Xander looked Tyler over with a critical eye. “Nice. You’re going to a major sting wearing a T-shirt that says ‘Cops have bigger guns.’”

“I’m probably going to end the day killing someone if I’m not killed myself. So I don’t really give a shit if I meet with your fashion approval.” Tyler stepped back.

Xander and the stranger entered the house, the former looking around for Del, the latter just looking for threats.

“Del okay?” Xander asked, staring down the hall.

“Almost ready. She’s nervous.”

With a nod, Xander strolled into the living room. “Understandable. How’s she going to hold up?”

“She’ll come through. Del is tough.” Tyler would bank on that.

“Good.” Xander turned to the big guy behind him. “This is Decker McConnell. I told Del about him on the phone. I’d give you a full list of his credentials, but then I’d have to kill you.”

Tyler stared at the soldier. He looked like he’d seen his fair share of action. “You packing?”

“Always.”

“Seen combat or been in a firefight?”

“Yep, on four continents.” McConnell had a voice that sounded more like a deep rattle of gravel. Under that neck-to-toe black and Kevlar, he likely had more than a few nasty scars.

“Hand-to-hand?”

“Black belt in three martial arts, former military boxing and wrestling champion.”

Impressive. “Nervous? You seem jumpy.”

McConnell cut cold eyes over to him. “Anxious to stop the fucking pillow talk and get on with the action.”

Tyler heard that. He looked back at Xander. “Yeah, he works.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” McConnell said like he didn’t give a shit. “You got a plan?”

“I’m going to go in with Del. We need to have some sort of recorder. Plan A is that Eric gives us the flash drive and we go away. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I believe Eric is dirty as hell, and I’m expecting company. I want to catch anything he might say on audio or video and see if we can use it to build a case against Carlson. If you can sneak into the house and watch our backs, our chances of survival go up immensely.”

“I figured you’d say something like that,” Xander drawled. “Hi, Del.”

Tyler turned to see her coming down the hall. She wore jeans and her gray tank top, a pair of sneakers, almost no makeup. She still managed to look stunning. He turned back to the other men. Xander wore a comforting smile, one Tyler hadn’t believed the bastard had in him. McConnell looked at her with a seemingly flat stare, but Tyler sensed the guy’s interest. It didn’t set well with him.

It was probably high school of him, but he brought Del close and threw his arm around her waist. “You ready?”

She hesitated, then nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

Damn, she looked nervous. Tyler swore he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.

“I’ve got something that might help you, Del.” Xander turned and looked expectantly at McConnell, who shrugged a black backpack off his meaty shoulders and foraged inside until he withdrew a gorgeous buttery leather Coach bag.

“Wow.” Del’s eyes widened. “I saw that bag in a catalog. It was ridiculously expensive. You can’t keep giving me gifts.”

Annoyance curled through Tyler’s gut. “She’s taken, shithead.”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Such a caveman.” He faced Del and explained, “It’s special. I bought it and had it outfitted with the tiniest surveillance camera the technology division of S.I. Industries, my corporation, makes. It’s installed in one of the grommets. See?”

When he pointed to one of the purse’s studs, Del leaned down and stared. Tyler did the same.

“I don’t see anything.” Del sounded confused.

“Me, either.”

“That’s the point.” Xander beamed like a kid who’d put one over on his teacher. “It’s got a tiny wireless transmitter sewn into the lining. It’s almost a real-time feed of whatever you’re filming to my laptop. If Eric or anyone else says anything incriminating, it’s going to be captured on film instantly.”

Del reached out and took the satchel-style bag in her grasp. “Which way do I need to point it?”

“As long as you keep this side pointed away from your body, you’re good.” Xander pointed to the purse’s side with the Coach insignia mounted.

Tyler didn’t like any of this, but as much as he hated to admit it, Xander had a good idea.

“Anything else?” the billionaire asked.

Del looked Tyler’s way, and he would have given anything to take that look of fear from her face. Instead, she just shook her head.

“You take the Audi in the garage,” Xander instructed. “I’ll ride with McConnell in the black SUV we brought.”

Another good call. “That way if Eric is watching, he doesn’t see uninvited people in the car.”

“Exactly. Let’s go.”

They all hopped in their respective cars, and Tyler tried to ignore the silence, so thick with tension. Instead, he held her hand and ran the plan through his head over and over, looking for any way in which this day didn’t end without him killing Eric or Eric killing him. So far, he hadn’t been able to find one.

A few minutes before ten, they entered Eric’s kitschy little neighborhood. Del grew visibly more nervous, and Tyler squeezed her hand. “Angel, you’re going to have to calm down. Eric will take one look at you and know that something is up.”

She blew out a deep breath and shook her head. “I know.”

Tyler parked the car just past Eric’s house, where no one could watch them through the windows. “All you have to do is keep your wits about you and that purse pointed toward Eric. Ask him a few leading questions. I’ll do the rest.”

“What if he’s not alone?”

Yeah, Tyler suspected they could be walking into a den of killers, bent on shooting them right between the eyes in the first thirty seconds. “I think I’ve got an idea. You let me worry about that, okay?”

Del nodded. “I trust you.”