Primal Passion (13 page)

Over and over, he pounded into her until her
sex clenched, her orgasm forcing him to fall off the cliff as
well.

Jets of come erupted, and still he thrust,
moving until every last drop was squeezed out.

When he opened his eyes, regained his senses,
Gunner was there, standing next to them. Price couldn’t look away
as Gunner stroked his own cock harder, faster.

Denise lay still beneath them, and then she
reached down to cup her breasts, holding them up, offering them.
“Come on me,” she pleaded.

Her words claimed another causality. Gunner’s
free hand flew to Price’s shoulder, clinging to him for support as
he climaxed, his come covering Denise’s breasts, her stomach.

It was the hottest thing Price had ever
seen.

Neither of them moved for a few minutes, then
Gunner pulled away and dragged his pants up without bothering to
refasten them.

“How many rooms are in this house, Price?” he
asked.

Price shrugged. “Christ. I don’t know.
Dozens.”

Gunner grinned at him, slapping Price on the
back. “Well, we just initiated the first one. What do you say we
tackle the shower next?”

Chapter Six

Gunner walked into Price’s office early the
next morning and dropped a folder in front of him.

Price looked up from his computer screen.
“What’s this?”

“Read it.”

Price opened the file and began to scan it.
His expression grew darker. Twice, he mumbled the word, “fuck,” but
he continued reading the information.

Finally, he looked up. “Where did you get
this?”

Gunner gave him a crooked grin but didn’t
bother to reply.

“It would appear the Reverend is a bit more
dangerous than your friend at the FBI led us to believe.”

Gunner shrugged. “The FBI isn’t exactly known
for offering full disclosure. Young wasn’t going to share all the
details with you and Deni.”

“But he was willing to give you this
dossier?”

“He was. I think it’s safe to say Deni has
caught the attention of a psychopath. Our inside source says the
man’s sermons are almost exclusively focused on stem-cell research
these days, and how it’s murder and the prelude to some doomsday
end-times. Prior to his run-in with Deni at the library, he seemed
inclined to spread his venom around to multiple groups—condemning
abortion clinics, homosexuals, as well as other misguided souls.”
Gunner put air quotes around the word misguided. “The man genuinely
believes he’s a prophet sent here to clean house. If he fails, he
promises hellfire, damnation and basically everything else
mentioned in the book of Revelations.”

“So he’s the precursor to the four horsemen
of the apocalypse?”

Gunner nodded. “Something like that.”

“What I don’t understand is how this man has
found so many followers who will buy into this bullshit. According
to your file on him, he’s acquired quite a bit of wealth from the
generous donations of his congregation.”

“People are afraid these days. Turn on the
news, for God’s sake. Between what’s happening in the Middle East
and new, deadly diseases being found every day, folks are in panic
mode. They’re afraid of dying, and the good Reverend is offering to
sell them salvation. Clear out the riff-raff and all will be well.
Get rid of the baby killers and homosexuals and we’ll buy ourselves
a few thousand more years on the planet.” Gunner leaned against
Price’s desk. “The Reverend is a gifted speaker with the ability to
read people’s fears. He preys on that.”

“And he’s determined that Denise is public
enemy number one?”

Gunner frowned. “It would appear so.
Apparently she engaged with him in a mini-debate at the end of her
talk at the library. He’d come to protest and Deni actually thought
she could make a crazy man see reason. My source says the Reverend
has held up a picture of Deni at their religious gatherings, called
her the daughter of Satan. It’s like he’s gathering a lynch mob.
Scary shit.”

“I don’t like this.” Price slammed his hand
on the file. “Dammit. This man has to be stopped.”

“Agreed, but he hasn’t technically done
anything wrong. Deni could probably slap him with a slander suit,
but that would only fuel the fire.”

“The man has to be doing something illegal
that we could have him arrested for.”

Gunner sighed. “If there is, law enforcement
hasn’t found it yet. The Reverend’s been on their radar for a
little over a year now. The man pays taxes, files the proper
paperwork for his gatherings, and he’s entitled to freedom of
speech under the Constitution.”

“What about the crimes Young said he’d
committed? The arson, vandalism?”

“The Reverend already had his day in court.
Paid his fines, served a few nights in the local jail, then he
returned to the pulpit and quoted scripture about the persecution
prophets of the past had suffered at the hands of an unjust
government and blind sinners.”

“I don’t like this.”

Gunner agreed. “My source says the Reverend’s
become more manic in the past few months, more outspoken, outwardly
agitated and aggressive. He truly seems to believe the end is near
and he’s running out of time. His followers have picked up on that
and they’re in panic mode as well.”

Price rubbed his forehead wearily. Gunner
knew he hadn’t slept well the night before. After their interlude
in the living room, they’d climbed the stairs and dropped into
Price’s big bed. While Deni had slept soundly, he and Price had
done more than their fair share of tossing and turning. He
suspected neither of them would rest easy until Deni was out of
danger.

“Do you think some of these followers are
freaking out enough to kill?”

Gunner’s chest tightened. “Yeah. I do.
Someone shot Curtis and I’m pretty damn sure he wasn’t the intended
target. Whether it was the Reverend or one of his believers remains
to be seen. Given the information we’ve uncovered so far, I’ve
called my boss in D.C. and requested that I be allowed to stay in
Boston to work on this case. Incredibly enough, he agreed. I
thought I was going to have to put up more of a fight.”

Price’s smug face told Gunner he wasn’t
surprised by the news he was staying in Boston.

Gunner narrowed his eyes. “Looks like I’m not
the only person privy to insider information. One of these days,
you’re going to have to explain to me how a person works their way
up the ranks of the Trinity Masters’ organization.”

Price turned away and reached behind him for
a magazine. “That saying is still in effect even if the FBI didn’t
coin it. Tell you, kill you. I was actually on my way to find you
and Denise when you brought in that file.” Price tossed a copy of
The Bostonian, a local magazine on top of the dossier about the
Reverend. “Denise appears to be her own worst enemy right now.”

The magazine showed a smiling Deni standing
at the counter in her lab, surrounded by test tubes, Petri dishes
and a large microscope. The headline read Scientist Making a
Miracle?

Gunner closed his eyes and sighed. “Great.
Why doesn’t she wave a red flag in front of the bull?”

Price nodded. “She’s definitely thrown
gasoline on a wildfire. What are we going to do?”

Gunner had spent most of the morning asking
himself that same question. “I’d like to tie her to the bed and
keep her there until the threat is gone—preferably nude.”

Price laughed. “I like your thinking, but I’m
fairly sure that’s not going to fly with our little bride. She’s
bound and determined to continue her research.”

“I know. I suspect the police will lock down
her lab for a few days since it’s a crime scene, so that could help
us keep her out of the public eye for a little while.”

“Maybe we could stretch the truth on how long
their investigation is taking.”

Gunner frowned. “Are you suggesting we lie to
her?”

“No. Not really. I mean…yeah, maybe. Dammit.”
Price ran a hand through his hair, his frustration growing. “I want
her safe, Gunner.”

“I understand that. I do too. But I’m not
sure I’m comfortable lying to her. It feels like a bad way to start
this…” His words drifted away as he tried to figure out what to
call this. Gunner realized Price and Deni had done the same thing
he had. They’d eschewed normal relationships, content to let the
Trinity Masters determine their path. As a result, the three of
them were struggling with the basics involved in making a
commitment to someone.

“Until we decide about that, I’d rather not
tell her what we know about the Reverend. She’s still upset about
Curtis. I don’t want to scare her. Maybe we could find some way to
stress to her how important it is that she not put herself in
harm’s way. I’m going to encourage her to move her research
here.”

Gunner nodded. “That would certainly make her
easier to protect, but I’m not sure she’ll go for it.”

“Hey. What are you guys up to?” Deni walked
into the office.

Gunner grinned, wondering when the sight of a
woman in SpongeBob pajama bottoms, a T-shirt that said “Black Holes
Suck” and a messy ponytail started inspiring instant lust in
him.

“We were looking at this.” Price handed Deni
his copy of The Bostonian.

“Oh, hey, I forgot about that interview.
Crap. I hate that picture of me.” Deni turned her nose up at the
sight of her smiling face on the cover.

Price shook his head. “I think you’re missing
the point, Denise. We’re trying to lay low until the threat against
you is removed. Plastering your picture all over a popular local
magazine isn’t particularly smart.”

Deni frowned. “First of all, I did that
interview a couple months ago. It was actually my lecture at the
library and the run-in with the Reverend that caught the reporter’s
attention.”

“Great,” Price muttered.

“Did you read the article?” she asked.

Gunner shook his head, but from the scowl on
Price’s face, he could tell the other man had read it.

“The reporter asked me about the
protestors.”

Gunner knew he wasn’t going to like what was
coming next. “And you said?”

“I may have made some comment about people
protesting without getting all the facts. That a lot of their
complaints weren’t accurate.”

Price crossed his arms. “I recall reading
something about ignorance playing a role as well.”

Deni looked chagrined. “I was still pissed
off at the Reverend at the time.”

Gunner rubbed his temple. “Jesus, Deni.”

“It honestly slipped my mind given all the
stuff that’s been going on lately. Now I realize I should have
remembered, should have asked the magazine to pull the story.”

Gunner put his arm around her shoulders and
tugged her closer. “It’s okay. I think we can all agree it’s been a
crazy few days. We’re just worried this article is going to stir
the pot. It could make things even more dangerous for you.”

“Yeah. I know. And I’m sorry. I understand
you’re both worried and I promise I will be very careful. I just
got off the phone with the lab director and he’s put the building
on lockdown until the police catch whoever shot Curtis. It’ll be so
much safer now than—”

Price pounded his fist on the desk as he
stood. “Dammit, Denise. You’re not going back to work.”

“So I’m under house arrest? A captive
again?”

Price’s voice was loud, angry. “If that’s how
you want to look at it. I have no problem with that. I’ll do
whatever is necessary to keep you safe.”

Gunner closed his eyes and prepared for the
inevitable. Somehow he’d need to instruct Price on the concept of
catching flies with honey rather than vinegar.

Deni’s back stiffened, her eyes narrowing
with anger. “Keep me safe? Screw that. There’s no way I’m spending
the rest of my life swaddled in bubble wrap just for your peace of
mind. I told you both that I have to go back to—”

“Deni, you’re not going to be able to return
to your lab for a few days. The police have it cordoned off as a
crime scene. I doubt they’ll allow you in right away.” Gunner hoped
his calm logic would work.

“I know that. I was going to see if they
would let me move some of my things to the lab next to mine. I’m
good friends with Dr. Madigan and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind
if—”

“They won’t let you take anything out of the
lab.”

Deni walked to the desk and sat down in
Price’s chair. Gunner hated the defeated look on her face.

“I need to get in there.”

Gunner knelt in front of her. “I know that.
What if I talk to the police and see if they’ll allow me to
transport some of your stuff here? You could give me a list of what
you need—”

Deni shook her head. “Some of my samples are
fragile. This isn’t like packing up books and dishes. It would be
better if I could work at the lab.”

Price turned away from them, walking to the
window. “You can’t.”

“I told you—”

Price whirled on her. “I know what you said,
but it’s simply too dangerous.”

Deni sighed. “Then he’s won.”

Gunner stood up but remained close to her.
“Who’s won?”

She looked down at her hands, clenching them
together. “Whoever is after me. A lot of my work is time sensitive.
If I stop now, I may as well throw up the white flag and surrender.
It will set me back years. Without Curtis there to keep things
rolling…” Her words drifted away.

Gunner pulled his cell phone out of his
pocket. “Let me make a few calls. I don’t want to rush things
though. Price is right. The danger surrounding you is very real.
Can you give me two days to figure out an answer, a way to get you
to your research or vice versa?”

Deni jumped up and hugged him. “Yes. Two days
will be fine. I actually have some data I can sort through until
then. My lab director is sending someone over with a loaner laptop.
He was able to download most of my current research to a flash
drive.”