Wild on You (18 page)

Gil returned, and maybe she was a bit delusional, but she swore he looked almost apologetic. “I know you think this is extreme, but once the Taser wears off and you stop wanting to kill me, you’ll see why I had to take this desperate action.” He leaned closer, his nose almost next to hers as he stared into her eyes. “So I’ll explain now.”

She finally got her mouth to work. “You lied about the lab activity to lure me here.” Her words were slightly slurred, but she thought they were intelligible.

“Yes.” He released a contrite breath as he pulled the other chair close and sat down facing her. “You stopped answering my e-mails.”

Whaaa?
What did that have to do with Maynard wanting her dead? She decided to play along. “You sent me four a day. I told you I don’t have time to chat.”

“Just a page or two about your day would have sufficed. But all I got at the end was a
hi
. I wrote you ten-page letters, and you spared me
one
word. What am I supposed to do with that, Addie?” He awkwardly pulled her bound hands into his. “I missed our time together. So when you asked, yes, I fibbed about there being activity. Maynard doesn’t even work here anymore. He left two months ago.”

Risk had been right. Gil liked her.
Liked
her. But in an insane kind of way. “And you planned to kidnap me all along?”

He laughed as though that were the most preposterous idea he’d ever heard. “Of course not.”

“No, of course. How silly of me to think it. That came later?”
Keep him calm and
talking
. She surreptitiously searched the kitchen for something she could use as a weapon. What looked like a cast-iron pan sat on the stovetop. Now to get loose.

“When I saw your boyfriend, I was heartbroken. Big, handsome, not at all the kind of guy I thought you’d go for.” He gave her a disappointed shake of his head. “Then I saw that Mr. Steroids was a bully. He had you under his control, kowtowing and scared. When you looked in my eyes, you were pleading for my help. Since he wouldn’t let you out of his sight, I had to get creative.” He gave her a brilliant smile. “Smart, huh?”

She dropped her head for a moment, relief rushing through her. “
Smart
isn’t exactly the word I’d use.”

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you the plan in advance. I’m sure I scared you.”

“
Scared
, also not the word I would use.” At least not without
shitless
attached to it. She blew out a breath, dislodging the lock of hair over her eye. “I wasn’t pleading for your help, Gil. Risk isn’t really my boyfriend. He’s my bodyguard. The boyfriend story is our cover because I don’t want to go around telling everyone I have a bodyguard.”

Gil blinked as he tried to assimilate that. “He’s … your bodyguard.”

“Yes. Someone is trying to kill me. And at this moment, you are suspect number one. You need to get me back. Now.”

Panic fluttered across his face. “He’ll kill me. You know those steroid guys—a bodyguard, oh geez—he’ll go berserko on me.”

She wouldn’t mention his military background. “He doesn’t take steroids. He just looks big compared to you. But you did Taser him. Maybe if you take me back right away, apologize, and explain …”

Gil lurched to his feet so fast, the chair fell back. “I made him look like one of those gun-wielding wackos.” He rubbed his forehead as he paced. “When he pulled his gun, I screamed. Everyone’s so on edge with all these campus shootings.”

Addie tried to wiggle her hands free. The thought of Risk being held at gunpoint, maybe getting shot by some paranoid campus cop, froze her. “Let me call him, so we can set the record straight.” She wanted to tell Gil how nuts, not extreme, this had been. But instinctively, she knew that would panic him. “Gil. Look at me, Gil. It’ll be fine. Risk is a
good guy. He’ll understand.” The first part of that was true. “But the sooner we can get this cleared up, the better.”

He nodded, then went digging in a kitchen drawer for a pair of scissors. When he returned, he stood in front of her with the points facing her. “Addie, you know I only did this for your own good, right?”

“Yes, Gil, you’re a very nice person.” Damn, that was hard to say.

“I’m going to get into big trouble, aren’t I? I didn’t think it through, really. When I saw you and him, something snapped. I thought you were in danger.”

“Gil, cut me loose already!” She couldn’t do the gentle thing anymore. She needed to get back to Risk. God, he must be freaking by now.

Gil snipped the tape at her wrists, then freed her ankles. She lunged out of the chair, grabbed his arm, and hauled him out the door. “You’re coming with me so you can explain yourself, because no one’s going to believe me.”

She navigated toward the flashing blue lights as soon as she entered the campus grounds. Two regular police cars were parked where this had all started. Gil cringed at the sight. She came to a stop when she saw Risk with his hands cuffed behind him, two cops flanking him. Risk spotted the van, and his dirt-smudged face visibly changed to relief. He shouted something to the cops and started toward her.

She got out and ran toward him. Her body collided with his, her hands going to his face. “Are you all right?”

“Addie, you were Tasered and hauled out of here by that”—his gaze found Gil behind her—“freak and you’re asking if
I’m
okay?”

“I’m fine.” She stalked over to Gil and hauled him over to the gathered group of officers. “This is Gil Sanderson. He has some explaining to do.”

Risk caught only glimpses of Addie at the police station during the hours when they were separately interviewed. So he knew she was all right. Shaken up, yes, but in one piece. He wanted to do more than just see her. He wanted to touch her, put his arms around her, and make sure she was all right inside.

He’d really bungled this whole bodyguard thing. Keep his client safe: big fat fail. He’d lost her twice. Stay objective and uninvolved personally: shot to hell. Because he didn’t want to hold her.
Be honest, buddy. You
need
to hold her
.

The need pulsed through him. Made his fingers curl over the arms of his chair so hard that he looked for dents in the plastic. For the record—two of them.

The detective who was questioning him didn’t seem to notice. Poor guy was trying to untangle the facts. They’d consulted with the detective assigned to Addie’s near-hit, which muddied the waters even more.

The local detective shook his head. “It’s certainly interesting. I’m going to have your statement typed up. Then you can sign it and be on your way.” He headed out to the hallway. “Please stay here, Mr. Yarbrough. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

At least Risk wasn’t cuffed anymore. That had been beyond humiliating. It had been frustrating as hell not being able to do anything. He hadn’t felt that hamstrung since the mission before last, when they’d been deployed to rescue a hostage and then been held off. Made to wait. Then ultimately shipped back home only to learn that the hostage had been murdered. This situation had been far worse because of his personal involvement, his hostage with a beautiful face, a big heart, dimples—

“Risk.”

Wow, he could even hear her whisper in his head, so clear and real—

“Risk!”

He jerked around to see her standing in the open doorway. Two of the detectives
stood behind her, discussing something. Risk launched out of his chair and nearly tripped over his own feet trying to get to her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, squeeze her tight against his chest. The moment he got near, she said, “Your boss is here.”

He could hear the screech in his head as he turned in the direction where Addie was nodding. Chase strode down the hallway as though he ran the place, conversing with the man who probably did run it.

Risk took a moment to soak in the sight of Addie, looking disheveled but smiling.

At him. “You all right?”

“I’m okay,” she said.

Risk tore his gaze from her and focused on Chase, who didn’t look pissed or disappointed, though he had to be both. He must have flown here on his private jet, no doubt ready to fire Risk. The replacement was probably here. He hoped it wasn’t Saxby. On second thought, he wanted one of his boys on the case. He trusted them with his life. And Addie’s.

“Yes, he’s one of mine,” Chase said to the man next to him. He flashed Risk a smile. “Having fun yet?”

Risk snorted. “A ball.” Once he’d signed the statement, the police captain thanked everyone for their cooperation and released them.

“Where’s Sanderson?” Risk asked.

“He’s in the holding cell,” the captain said. “Ms. Wunder has decided not to press charges, given his motivation for kidnapping her.”

Chase clapped his hand on Risk’s back. “Glad to know my operative has been overbearing, controlling, and … What was his other accusation?”

“A bully,” Addie said. “Gil imagined some scenario where I was silently pleading for his help.”

“Guy’s got a hero complex,” Risk muttered. He’d seen it in the military, men out to avenge something or another; 9/11 was the biggest motivator. Or a comrade’s death. One guy’s brother had been a Marine and was killed in action. A good motive was fine as long as it didn’t blind you to reason. Which it had for Sanderson.

“We’re going to keep him for as long as we can, give him time to think about his actions. Ms. Wunder has already chewed him out royally.” The captain’s mouth quirked. “I think that was more punishment than being arrested.”

Addie’s smile held an edge. “My adrenaline rush kicked in. I let him have it.”

Risk chuckled. “Oh, buddy, I wish I’d seen that.”

He got his Glock back and holstered it as soon as he stepped outside the station. He tried to keep his focus on Chase, not Addie. It was too hard to look at her and not gather her in his arms. “I’m sorry you had to fly up and deal with this mess, Chase.”

“It was my choice, and hey, any time I can use the jet. I’m working on getting my pilot’s license.”

“You’re being way too easy on me.”

“I told you, I stand by my team. And I find it helps to discuss things face-to-face. Why don’t you two come back to Miami with me?” He took them in, sympathy clear in his eyes. “Looks like you could both use a couple of days to decompress. We can discuss our next steps.”

It didn’t sound like he was getting fired, but Risk wasn’t betting on it. Chase wouldn’t explode and make a decision off the cuff. From what Risk had seen of the guy, he was methodical. Thoughtful. Unemotional. The way Risk should have been.

Risk’s gaze involuntarily went to Addie. “Sound good to you?”

She nodded, the strain of the night—hell, probably the last few days—showing around her eyes and mouth. Again, he struggled to keep his distance.

“I’ll have to call Shirley and arrange to get the van back to the ranch,” she said.

“How’s your girlfriend handling all this?” Chase asked.

Addie blinked, giving away her surprise at the question. “Actually—”

“They’re not partners-partners anymore,” Risk cut in when he sensed she was about to come clean. Already on thin ice, he really didn’t want Chase to pick up on the chemistry between him and Addie; better that he think there was no chance anything was going on. “We’ll need to get our overnight bags from the van.” And Risk’s kit, with his backup weaponry.

Chase crooked his hand, and a Lincoln Town Car sidled up to them. “We’ll go to the van and then the airfield.” Artemis stepped out to open the door and gave them the subtle greeting Risk now expected.

Once they were all inside the car and on their way, Chase leaned toward Artemis. “Please find someone to drive Addie’s van up to Virginia.”

“On it.”

Chase settled in to the backseat and checked his phone with the practiced hand of someone who was never out of touch. He was probably already making arrangements with the operative who would take over Addie’s case. And that was a good thing.

Addie sat beside Risk, her thigh brushing his. Maybe she was aching to touch him, too. He applied the slightest pressure back and met her gaze. Those baby blues were filled with need, much worse than flaring with desire. He was so screwed.

Two tortuous hours later, Risk still hadn’t been able to pull Addie into his arms. They sat on the jet at the little table, going over the events leading up to Addie’s capture. She even drew a diagram of the building.

Risk shook his head. “It was a goat fuck.”

“You mean a goat rope,” Addie said. “That’s how I escaped from him,” she reminded Chase.

“No, this assignment has been a goat fuck.
I
fucked up, Chase. There’s no point in sugarcoating it. I lost my client twice. I learn from my mistakes, but I’ll understand if you pull me off the case. Or even if you fire me.” There. He’d laid it out there because he couldn’t take any more waiting and wondering.

Addie shook her head. “Don’t do that, Chase. You should see how diligent he is. He slept on my porch so he could hear anyone coming up to the house. He didn’t leave my side at my father’s charity function.” Her cheeks got a little pink. “And he was on to Gil right from the start. Not the fact that he had plans to kidnap me, but he saw right through Gil’s devotion to my cause.”

Her praise warmed Risk. “I could tell the guy was fixated on her. As much as I’d like to attribute it to my razor-sharp instincts, it was pretty obvious.”

She slumped back in her chair. “Not to me. But then I’m not used to men being interested in me like that.”

“I think it’s more like Addie is too focused on her mission to even notice,” Risk said. No way could there be a lack of male interest.

Chase sat back in his chair, drawing the knob end of his pen across his lips as he seemed to consider the situation. “Given the scenario you laid out, Risk, there’s no way you could have foreseen what this guy was going to do. You cased him for a gun, but a Taser is smaller and looks more like a cell phone. He would have taken any of my people by surprise, even the most experienced. You didn’t fail.”

A wave of relief crashed over Risk. “Good to know” was all he said. “But there was the goat rope, too.”

Chase grinned. “I did warn you that this wasn’t going to be an easy job. But I might not have made it clear enough. You couldn’t have expected her to ditch you like that.”