This Time (13 page)
Authors: Ingrid Monique
“Good. The baby's kickin' like crazy; I hardly slept last night.”
“This isn't exactly how I want to spend my vacation, locked away from yu'.”
“I know,” Lori said, disappointed.
They talked for the next half hour before saying good night.
Kelee took a shower and changed into a sleeping shirt and went to bed. She was about to fall asleep when the phone rang. It was Sean.
“Yu' OK?” he asked.
“Yeah, if I was home and not here,” she snapped.
“Yu'll be home soon, I promise,” he said in a gently soothing tone. “It's late, get some sleep. We'll talk soon.”
“Sean?” she started but the call ended.
Chapter 14
“Kelee OK?” Jack asked.
“She's upset,” Sean said. Jack laughed and shook his head.
“Kidnappin' her was a bit extreme,” Jack said.
“I know,” he said. “She wouldn't talk to me when I tried to call her an' I didn't have time to explain 'tings to her.”
They were watching the loading docks from the jeep parked in the shadows. They had gotten a tip that the boat was coming in at this dock tonight. While this was the designated dock, Sean wasn't about to leave the other docks uncovered. He wasn't taking any chances. Besides Jack he had ten other undercover cops in various locations with him. Six covered the docks with him and Jack and the other four were just off the main road that led away from the docks. He also had the coast guard on standby, with others to take the boat if it tried to leave the docks.
An hour went by as Sean and Jack watched the dock through night vision binoculars. It was almost three
A.M.
and nothing. Sean called the other four locations that were under surveillance. They reported nothing.
A.M.
and nothing. Sean called the other four locations that were under surveillance. They reported nothing.
“'Tink they know we here?” Jack said, rubbing his temples.
“Maybe, maybe not.” Sean rotated his neck. He was getting tired and that was when he heard it. It was the low hum of an engine. Jack heard it, too. They looked at each other. Sean informed the others, then he and Jack got out of the jeep, guns drawn.
From a safe spot they watched as a small luxury yacht docked. Moments later Kurt emerged with six heavily armed men. Kurt looked around the dock. Sean had instructed the men not to do anything until Kurt and the drugs were off the boat. They watched as two men emerged with an oversize tub. Just then a large black van came roaring onto the dock. The van came to a stop and a man jumped out. Sean didn't recognize the driver. He told his men to lie back. He wanted the drugs off the boat before he made a move. He watched as Kurt stepped off the boat and greeted the man. The men doing the unloading placed the tub on the dock, then went back down only to emerge with an identical tube. That done, they moved to load the first tub into the back of the van and that was when Sean called in his men. In a matter of seconds they had them covered from all angles.
“Don't move!” Sean told them, his gun trained on Kurt. When Kurt saw him, his face took on a deadly expression. Sean knew he wasn't going down without a fight, and he was about to give him one. Suddenly Kurt drew his gun, firing at him. Sean took cover by the side of the van, returning fire. Then all hell broke loose as both sides fired at each other. Sean could see Jack opposite him behind a post as he fired at the boat. Jack signaled to him, to cover the other end of the van. Sean spun and went around the van, taking down the driver as he came at him firing like crazy. From where he was Sean could see Kurt making a run for it down the dark side of the docks. He went after him. Sean glanced back to see Jack not far behind. Kurt stopped firing at him. Sean took cover. As he glanced back at Jack, he saw a man coming up on him. He signaled Jack, who turned, taking the man down. Sean was up and after Kurt as he watched him disappear into the warehouse ahead. Sean followed with caution. Inside the semidark warehouse, moonlight streaming through the high large glass windows gave him some visibility. Barrels and crates of all sizes filled the room. Sean glanced behind him to Jack. He signaled for Jack to cover the other side.
Sean could feel his adrenaline rise as he ventured farther inside. Suddenly he heard the rumble sound and looked up to see a barrel falling towards him. As Sean dove out of the way, Kurt came out from hiding, firing at him. Sean slammed hard into a crate. A sharp pain ripped through his shoulder, but he was up and firing. He saw Kurt running and went after him. Kurt fired blindly as he ran. Sean chased after him, dodging the wild bullets as they came at him.
“Freeze!” He aimed his gun at him, firing a warning shot. Kurt didn't stop. Sean could have killed him, he had a good enough shot, but he wanted him alive. Kurt kept going. Sean shot him in the leg. Kurt went down screaming. Jack came out to cover Kurt. Sean gestured for Jack to stay back. Kurt had a gun on him. And from his curled up position on the floor, there was no telling what he might do. He was still screaming and holding his wounded leg.
“Don't move!” Sean warned. Kurt let out strings of curses, spitting at him.
“Let me see yu' gun,” Sean demanded.
“Yu' dead!” Kurt screamed at him. Kurt was sweating. Sean could see the blood flowing through his fingers over his wound. And that was when Kurt went wild. He growled like a madman, pushing himself up, firing at him. Sean fired back, hitting him in the chest twice. Jack also fired, hitting Kurt in the back. Kurt went down, dead. Sean walked over to him. He lay on his side, eyes wide open. His gun was still in his hand. Sean kicked the gun out of his hand. He didn't want it to end like this, but Kurt had given them no other choice.
“Yu' OK?” Jack asked, looking at him.
“Yeah,” he said, looking at Kurt's body.
Jack walked over to him and took his arm, looking at it. He felt the pain in his arm and looked down at it. He'd been shot. From the look of it, it was only a flesh wound. One of Kurt's bullets must have hit him when he slammed into the crates. He pulled out his handkerchief and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. They had the drugs and had taken Kurt down but he still wasn't satisfied. He wanted Mike; however, more than that, he needed Kelee.
Back at the docks Sean gave his men specific instructions about securing the drugs, the boat, and the arrest of the men they hadn't killed. Sean then called his cousin Sue, who was a doctor, asking her to meet him at the safe house.
Jack looked at him and smiled. “Guess I'll drive.”
Chapter 15
Kelee came awake suddenly. Disoriented, she looked about the room, recalling that Sean had her locked up. She closed her eyes and that was when she heard the voices. She threw off her covers and jumped out of bed, slipping her feet into her bed slippers. She headed downstairs. She heard a few male voices and a woman's. She walked into the living room to see a small pretty woman hovering over a shirtless Sean. She was doing something to his arm, but she couldn't see what.
“Yu' should know better,” the woman scolded Sean, who moaned. Kris stood nearby watching whatever the woman was doing to Sean. Kelee saw Jack coming out of the kitchen with a couple of stouts. Jack saw her and cleared his throat. Everyone looked at her. Kelee's eyes met Sean's. He looked like he was in pain and that was when she saw what the woman was doing to him. She was stitching up a nasty-looking gash on his left arm. She also saw bloody gauze in a bowl on the sofa and her heart sank. He'd been hurt. Fear gripped her. He'd been hurt, was all she could think of.
“Kelee?” Sean said. She looked at him, afraid. “I'm OK, it's a flesh wound.” He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Keep still!” the woman warned, finishing her stitching. Kelee remained frozen. She found that she couldn't speak.
“Kelee, this is my cousin Dr. Sue Harrold; Sue, Kelee,” Sean introduced them. Sue looked her over.
“So yu' the reason he didn't want to go to the hospital.” Sue smiled at her. “I can see why,” she said. “Just don't do this again; next time yu' might get an infection,” she warned and finished her stitching. She cleaned his wound and put a dressing on it. Then she pulled off her gloves and packed her small doctor's bag. She pulled out some fresh dressings, leaving them on the sofa.
“Yu' need to change the dressin' once a day,” Sue told Sean.
She walked over to Kelee and looked her right in the eyes.
“Take care of him; he needs it,” Sue told her and left. Jack and Kris left the room also.
“Sorry we woke yu',” Sean said, moving over to her. She stared at his naked chest; he had such a fantastic body. She suppressed her desires; there were more important things to address. Like how he got wounded. She could still see the bloodstain on his jeans. It was his blood and it made her heart race with fear. Kelee stared at him, not knowing what to say.
“Have yu' been shot before?” She couldn't recall seeing any scars on his body, and then again, she hadn't seen every inch of him.
“Yeah,” he admitted.
“Where?”
“In the thigh, another flesh wound,” he told her with a smile. She didn't find it funny. He lived a dangerous life. His work was dangerous. Being with him was dangerous. She wondered if him getting shot had anything to do with the kidnapping.
“What's really going on, Sean? I need to know.” She heard her voice tremble. She was scared.
“Don't be frightened,” he told her, taking her into his arms, holding her tightly against him. It felt wonderful to be in his arms, but also scary.
“I want to go home,” she told him, trying not to cry.
“I can't let yu' go, not yet,” he said, kissing the top of her head. She looked up at him.
“Why?”
“Yu' safer here,” he said. She could see regret in his eyes.
“From who, Sean?”
His eyes held such conflict that Kelee trembled. Was it that bad? Whatever it was, she needed to know.
“Please, Sean, I need to know,” she said and pulled away from him. He looked at her, torn.
“Come with me,” he said, taking her hand. He led her upstairs and into the room adjacent to hers. The room was a little bigger than hers and had the same kind of furniture.
Kelee watched as Sean got out of the bloody jeans. He wore boxers; she went hot at the sight of him. He had great muscular legs. She reminded herself that she should be mad at him, but looking at him she felt relieved that he was OK. She sat against the headboard and wrapped her arms around her knees. She watched him as he washed up in the adjoining bathroom. He returned, wiping his face with a towel. He sat on the edge of the bed and gazed at her with that torn expression again. He looked tired.
“I'm sorry for lyin' to yu'. I never meant to hurt yu',” he started. “This isn't the way I want 'tings between us. I especially don't want to keep yu' locked up here, but yu' safety is important to me. I don't want any'ting to happen to yu'.” His sincerity touched her. She wanted to touch him, kiss him, but she was too scared.
“I've been after this dealer name Mike Curve for about three years. He's a ruthless businessman and a killer,” Sean said. “He uses his business connections to traffic drugs. Every time we get some'ting on him, he slips by us. But this time, I've got him and I'm goin' to take him down. He has eyes everywhere. That's why we haven't been able to get him. That guy Tyce who came to yu' rescue is one of Curve's men.”
Kelee covered her mouth with her hands, trembling. “Oh my God!”
“I'm sure he arranged yu' gettin' robbed that day.”
Kelee thought back to how it had all went down that day and realized that Sean was right. The whole idea of Tyce watching her and pretending to be her friend disgusted her. She had almost played right into his trap, especially back at the west coast. She felt like a fool.
“Don't beat yu'self up about it. I just found out who he really is.”
Kelee smiled, grateful for Sean and the fact that he was protecting her. She looked at his wound and wondered how hurt he was.
“How did that happen?”
“I had to take down Curve's brother tonight.”
“Is he dead?” She was almost afraid to ask.
“He gave me no choice. That means 'tings will be dangerous until I get Curve. That's why yu' here. His people have seen us together and I don't want any'ting to happen to yu'.” He took her hand. She moved to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She knew she'd always be safe with him.
“I understand now,” she told him.
“Forgive me.” He pressed his lips against her cheek.
“When this is over I expect yu' to do some major apologizing, especially for this kidnapping bit. Yu' scared the hell out of me.” She gazed into his beautiful eyes.
“Sorry; so can I start apologizin' now?” he asked with his sexy smirk.
“Yu' hurt,” she reminded him, looking at his wound.
“Not where it matters.” He gestured to his crotch. She looked down to see him bulging out of his shorts. She smiled and giggled like a schoolgirl, touching him. He was warm and hard in her hand. He moaned at her touch, pulling her towards him, kissing her. She melted under his kiss. He pulled her down under him, never breaking their kiss. His hand found and caressed her breasts through her silk PJ top. Her body trembled with her need for him. She moaned, tightening her hold on him, careful not to touch his wound. He pulled back, admiring her. She looked at the open bedroom door, and he got up, closing the door and turning the light off. The bright moonlight illuminated the room. She sat up and started to unbutton her PJ top. He sat on the edge of the bed watching her. He smiled as she tossed the top aside. He reached for her PJ bottom and pulled it off. He ran his hand up her leg and up her inner thigh to rest on her pelvis. His touch elevated her desire as she trembled under his touch. He pulled her underwear off, admiring her body. He got up and pulled off his underwear and reached for a condom in the drawer before rejoining her on the bed. She opened her arms and legs to him. She welcomed him inside her, and into her heart. Their lovemaking was a slow exploration that left them spent. They fell asleep in each other's arms as dawn crept into the skies.
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