Deadly Secrets (Hardy Brothers Security Book 11) (14 page)

“What is that ringing?”

Jake shifted Ally’s naked body so he could hold her close and reach for his phone at the same time. He groaned when he saw Cara’s number pop up. “I’m going to kill her.”

Ally lowered her eyes and started to pull away, but Jake snapped her body back to his before answering. “What do you want? It’s the middle of the night.”

“I … you have to come over here.” Cara’s voice was low, broken almost. “He was here.”

“What? Is he still there?”

“No. Come now.” Cara disconnected.

Ally’s eyes were worried when Jake looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Cara said he was there and I had to come home.”

Ally stiffened. “Is he still there?”

“She said no.”

“Let’s go then.” Ally was already moving in the dark, shuffling toward her dresser and tugging a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt out.

“Ally, I’m not sure … .” Jake broke off. He was scared to rock the boat.

“I’m going with you,” Ally said. “Don’t bother arguing.”

Jake swallowed his protest and searched the floor for his own clothes. He was reluctant to get back into them, and not just because he’d been envisioning a lazy Sunday in Ally’s bed. He’d been wearing the same clothes for two days now.

“I have some of your stuff fresh in the closet,” Ally said, as if reading his mind. “There are some jeans and shirts. I think there were some boxers in there, too.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t burn everything I had here,” Jake said, moving toward the closet.

“Do you really think I’m that petty?”

“Of course not. I … .”

“I am that petty,” Ally said, cutting him off. “I didn’t have any lighter fluid.”

Jake reached for her, pulling her tight so he could grace her with a smoldering kiss. “I’m so sorry for all of this.”

“I know you are,” Ally said. “It’s okay. Let’s just get this over with. I was hoping we’d have the day just to ourselves. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.”

“Ally, I’m going to find a way to make that happen,” Jake said. “I promise. I know it’s hard, but please try to have faith in me.”

“I have faith in you.”

Jake hoped that was true.

“WHAT
happened?”

James walked into Jake’s house without knocking, a disheveled Mandy at his side. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were glassy, but she looked relatively relaxed despite the fuzzy
Hello Kitty
pajama bottoms and
Jaws
T-shirt.

Jake was surprised to see them. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Ally texted Mandy.”

“You did?” Jake studied Ally worriedly.
Did she call Mandy so she would have a way to escape?

“You need help,” Ally said. “If the two of you put your heads together on this, it will be over with faster.”

“I … .”

“Where is Cara?” James asked.

“She’s in the bathroom,” Jake said. “We just got here three minutes ago.”

“Have you seen her?”

Jake shook his head.

James shifted his attention to the living room, taking in the overturned coffee table and general mess. “Well, it looks like there was a struggle.”

“Do you think she made it up?” Jake asked.

“I have no idea until we see her,” James said, throwing himself in the armchair and pulling Mandy onto his lap. “Get her ass out here. I want to go back to bed. I wasn’t joking about wanting twenty-four uninterrupted hours with my wife.”

“I know the feeling,” Jake muttered. He gave Ally’s hand a reassuring squeeze and then moved into the hallway. He could hear Ally and Mandy murmuring to one another, and he could only hope it was a happy conversation. He couldn’t take one more tear – from Ally or himself.

He knocked on the bathroom door, fighting the urge to roll his eyes as he heard Cara sniffling in the other room. He was trying to be patient, but she’d caused so much trouble it was hard to muster a lot of sympathy. “Come out into the living room.”

“Just give me a second.”

“Come out now,” Jake said. “It’s the middle of the night. Everyone is exhausted.”

“Who is everyone?” Cara opened the door, and Jake took an involuntary step back when he saw her. Her lip was split, and her cheek was already darkening with what was sure to be a nasty bruise.

“Are you okay?” Jake asked.

“I’m alive,” Cara said. She opened her mouth to continue talking, but Jake was already heading back in the direction of the living room so she had no choice but to follow him. “Thanks for coming. I’m sure you didn’t want to leave the hotel but … .”

Cara froze when the three additional faces in the living room shifted in her direction. “I … wow … I didn’t know this was going to be a group activity.”

“Tell us what happened,” James said, rubbing idle circles on Mandy’s thigh as she rested on his lap. “And keep the story short. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days.”

“I’m sorry my emotional turmoil and beating have ruined your life,” Cara snapped.

“Apology accepted,” James said, not missing a beat. “What happened?”

“I was asleep in the guestroom,” Cara said. “I thought I heard something outside. At first I ignored it. I thought it was your neighbors again.”

“Why would the neighbors be making noise so late?” James asked.

“They’re college kids,” Jake explained. “I also think they sell pot. There are people going in and out of there at all hours of the night.”

“Ah. Continue.”

“I ignored it, and then I realized the noises I was hearing were inside the house,” Cara said. “I got out of bed, and I came out into the living room. I thought maybe you had come home, but then I saw the blanket I put over the broken window flapping. It was open.”

“I need to get that fixed,” Jake said.

“I would offer to pay for it, but I don’t feel like it,” James said.

“He was already in the house,” Cara said. “I sensed him before I saw him, and by then it was too late. Once he had his hands on me, it was all over with. He hit me, and I almost lost consciousness.”

“What did he want?” Jake asked.

“What do you think he wanted? He thought you were here.” Cara was angry.

“What did you tell him?” Ally asked.

“I told him I had no idea where Jake was,” Cara replied. “That turned out to be true, didn’t it? I thought you two broke up. I thought you were in a hotel room … pouting. Instead, while I was getting my ass kicked, you were having the time of your life with your girlfriend.”

“I’m not apologizing for being with Ally,” Jake said. “If that’s what you’re hoping for, get over it. I am sorry this happened. Cameron wouldn’t even know who you were if it wasn’t for me.”

“That might mean something if you hadn’t purposely left me here alone and vulnerable in your house when you’re his prime target.” Cara was obviously on edge.

“You could leave,” Ally suggested.

Jake reached for her wordlessly, pulling her to his lap as he regarded Cara. “You helped create the situation we find ourselves in right now,” he said. “I don’t want to hear your crap.”

“She can’t stay here,” James said. “Cameron has obviously found her. It’s not safe for anyone to be in this house right now.”

“Okay,” Jake said, rubbing the back of his neck as he rested his chin on Ally’s shoulder. “We’ll put Cara up in my hotel room. I paid for the entire week.”

“That’s good,” James said. “You should pack up all the stuff you’re going to need to wait this out.”

“The hotel room has two beds, right?” Cara said. “That should appease Ally.”

“I’m not staying in the hotel,” Jake said. “I’m staying with Ally.”

“Oh … that’s what I thought you meant,” Cara said, lowering her eyes.

Ally slipped off of Jake’s lap, her eyes trained on Cara. “We should probably fix up your face before you go to the hotel,” she said. “Mandy, can you grab some supplies from the bathroom?”

Mandy left the room wordlessly, returning a few minutes later with Jake’s first aid kit. The two women led Cara to the kitchen table, settling her there before going to work on her face. Not one of them said a word.

“What do you think?” James whispered.

“I think the world is obviously coming to an end.”

“I’ll watch them to make sure they don’t stab her when no one is looking,” James said. “Go and pack your stuff. I’ll fix the blanket over the window, too. We should be able to get someone over here to fix the window Monday.”

“There’s nothing valuable here,” Jake said. “Everything valuable I have is at Ally’s house, including Ally.”

“What about the bike?”

Jake shifted his head, considering. “I hadn’t thought about that. I can take the bike over to Ally’s and let her drive my truck. Unfortunately, that means Ally is going to have to drop Cara off at the hotel.”

“We’ll drop Cara off at the hotel,” James said. “I don’t think Ally can take the drama of being alone in a car with that woman right now.”

“Can Mandy?”

James furrowed his brow. “She’s probably going to be mean to her. I’m not going to lie.”

“Cara has it coming,” Jake muttered.

“She’s also taken a beating tonight.”

“Is it wrong that I’m finding it hard to work up any sympathy?”

“I was just wondering that myself,” James admitted. “Go pack your stuff. I’ll handle the window. If you hear any screeching, hurry your ass out here to help me. I don’t think I can wrestle both of them down. Ally pinches … and bites.”

“Sometimes that’s a good thing.”

“Don’t talk filthy about my baby sister,” James warned.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

WHEN
Jake returned to the living room, a gym bag in hand, he found Mandy and Ally finishing up their task under James’ watchful eye.

“Any fireworks?”

“They haven’t said one word to one another.”

“You know we can hear you, right?” Mandy snapped. “We’re tired, not deaf.”

“I’m going to tire you out some more when we get home, wife,” James said. “Just prepare yourself.”

Mandy ignored him while Ally inadvertently giggled.

“What’s so funny?” James asked.

“You two,” Ally said. “You’re like walking hormones. I mean … look at Mandy’s hair. It looks like you’ve been rubbing it on the carpet like a balloon. Did you try to stick her to the wall?”

“Have you looked at your own hair?” Mandy shot back. “Jake’s fingers have obviously been busy.”

“Not just in my hair,” Ally said.

James cleared his throat. “Stop talking about this.”

“I agree,” Cara said, making a face. “No one wants to hear about your sexual exploits.”

“Hey, I would totally want to hear about them if she wasn’t my sister,” James said. “You mind your own business.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Cara asked. “You’re putting me in the hotel and then what?”

“Nothing today,” Jake said. “You need to rest. Don’t leave the room. You can order room service. I’m spending the day with Ally, and I have a feeling James isn’t leaving his bedroom for anything other than paying the guy who delivers the takeout.”

“You’ve got that right,” James said.

“We’ll start fresh on Monday morning,” Jake said. “I’ll text you the directions to the security office. You can meet us all there.”

“You can’t be serious,” Cara said. “I’ve been … beaten.”

“I noticed,” Jake replied, his tone dry.

“Instead of making sure I’m safe, though, you’re going to … what … fornicate with your girlfriend all day?”

Jake was nonplussed. “Actually, I’m taking her on a motorcycle ride and then for a picnic. That reminds me, angel. You need to drive my truck to your house while I take the bike. James and Mandy are dropping Cara off at the hotel.”

“What?” Cara was furious. “You’re not even taking me to the hotel?”

“No.”

“But … .”

Jake ignored her. “Can you take the bag with you, angel? I’ll meet you at the house in fifteen minutes. We can pick up where we left off.”

Ally took the bag, and the smile she sent him was the widest one he’d seen in days. They had an audience, but he didn’t care. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her passionately, leaving her breathless when he finally pulled away.

“Hurry up,” Jake whispered. “I’m not sure how long I can wait to get you back in my arms.”

“This is just so … disgusting,” Cara grumbled.

“Go and get in the back seat of the Explorer,” James said. “I’ll slow down in front of the hotel, but I can’t guarantee stopping. My wife needs some attention, and I’m desperate to give it to her.”

“Really disgusting,” Cara said, openly glaring at the four other people in the room. “You’re all assholes.”

Ally’s face was serene in sleep, and Jake was perfectly happy watching her do just that eight hours later. She hadn’t stirred in hours, her breath coming out in wispy sighs as she dreamed with her face snuggled tight against his bare chest.

I love you.

It was a fervent whisper in his head. They were words he’d never spoken to anyone except his parents and sisters. Now those words tugged at his heart and fought to escape his closed mouth.

He’d wanted to tell her for some time, but something always stopped him. It was fear. He knew that now. He should have told her yesterday. He should have told her that first, before the story of his past with Cameron Mitchell, before she forgave him. He should have opened his heart and officially given it to her.

Now wasn’t the time. He’d missed his opportunity, and now he wanted to make it special. Sure, he was taking her on a picnic, but that didn’t seem special enough. He had to wait until this was all over with. The second Cara was gone, he would take her out to a nice dinner at her favorite restaurant, and then they would drive out to the beach for a moonlit stroll. He would tell her then. He would make it perfect.

She shifted in his arms, lifting her face to find him staring at her. “Good morning, my angel.”

“Good morning,” Ally murmured, stretching languidly. “What time is it?”

“A little before eleven.”

“Wow. We slept late.”

“We don’t have anywhere to be,” Jake said. “We can sleep all day if you want.”

“I thought you were taking me for a picnic.”

“If that’s what you want,” Jake said. “I want whatever you want today.”

Ally rolled her eyes. “When have I ever said no to a picnic?”

Jake smiled. Picnics were one of her favorite activities. They had been since the first time he’d taken her to his special place by Lake St. Clair. He’d offered her the first motorcycle ride of her life, reveling in the way she clutched at him out of fear at first – and later excitement. Now they picnicked as often as they could, each one offering an afternoon of nirvana. “Well, I was thinking I would take you out to breakfast first.”

“Aren’t we going to eat on the picnic?”

“We are. You don’t have anything here, though. I thought we could shower and get some breakfast, and then go out to our spot. We can pick up sandwiches and put them in a cooler before we go.”

“I am a little hungry,” Ally admitted.

“I know. Your stomach has been growling for hours.”

Ally’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry.”

“For being hungry? That’s silly, angel. I’m starving, too. I haven’t eaten anything in days.”

“Why not?”

“I haven’t had much of an appetite,” Jake said. “Food wasn’t very appealing when I didn’t have you.”

“I haven’t eaten either. I did drink some calories in chocolate martinis yesterday, though.”

Jake grinned. “So breakfast?”

Ally nodded. “Can we take a shower first?”

“Sure.”

“Can we take it together?”

“I thought that was a given.”

“I’ll race you there,” Ally said, starting to move.

Jake grabbed her around the waist before she could build up any momentum. “No racing today, angel. We’re going to live life slowly and I want to enjoy every single moment of it.”

“I LOVE
this place,” Ally said, doing a cartwheel and landing hard on her bare feet.

Jake watched her, amused, loving the way her hair fanned out as she cavorted. He spread the blanket out, shoving the cooler onto the corner of the blanket covered by the shade of a nearby tree. He kicked off his shoes and socks and settled on the blanket, smiling as Ally tumbled around.

“Were you a cheerleader?”

Ally stilled her movement. “Why do you ask that?”

“You know how to do a lot of different cartwheels. I was just wondering if you were a cheerleader in high school.”

“I wanted to be,” Ally said. “In fact, I made the team, but I ended up quitting.”

“How come?”

“Mandy and I wanted to do it together, but she has absolutely no coordination.”

Jake smirked. “So, because Mandy couldn’t make the team you had to quit? I can’t believe she made you do that.”

“She didn’t make me quit,” Ally said. “I quit because it was no fun without her.” Ally skipped over to the blanket and laid down next to him, tracing the hand that automatically went to her hip lightly. “We only did it because we wanted to wear those short skirts to school on game days.”

“Ah,” Jake said, rubbing his nose against her soft cheek. “Do you have photos?”

“Of course.”

“Do you still have the uniform?”

“No. I might be able to buy one, though.”

“I think that sounds like a lot of fun.” The soft kiss Jake planted on Ally’s cheek caused her to shiver. Jake lifted his hand and cupped Ally’s chin, turning her face so he could study it. “Are you okay, Ally?”

“I’m good.”

“Are we okay?”

Ally nodded, somber.

“I’m scared,” Jake admitted.

“Of Cameron Mitchell?”

“Of losing you.”

“We’re okay, Jake,” Ally said, kissing his thumb as he ran it over her plump lips. “I … I’m not upset anymore.”

“Yes, you are,” Jake said. “I see it in your eyes.”

“I’m getting better. It’s going to be fine once Cara is gone.”

“I hope so, angel. I don’t like it when you’re sad.”

“Who says I’m sad?”

“Me. I can feel it rolling off you when you think I’m not looking.”

“It’s only been twenty-four hours,” Ally pointed out. “How often have you really looked at me when I thought you weren’t?”

“I haven’t taken my eyes off you unless I had to.”

Ally stilled. “You’re really sweet.”

“No. I’m the man who hurt you. You’re the sweet one. I wish I could take it all back and do it over again so you wouldn’t be torn apart.”

“We can’t go back in time, Jake. We can only move forward. I mean … if that’s what you want to do.”

Jake tightened his fingers as he pulled Ally’s face closer to his. “That’s all I want.” The kiss was soft but insistent when it landed, Jake desperate to show Ally just how much she meant to him. Ally returned the kiss with vigorous enthusiasm, and when her tongue darted into his mouth, Jake groaned.

He pulled her on top of him, tangling his hands in the long waves of her hair as he deepened the kiss. Before Ally, Jake never knew it was possible to lose himself in another person. Now that’s all he did every time he held her.

Ally’s hands slipped under his shirt, tweaking his nipples playfully as they made out. She wanted to have a good time; that much was obvious. Their lovemaking the night before had been so sweet it bordered on soft. This was something else. This was pure need and desire. This was passion. This was two hearts joining on the basest level.

Ally pulled herself up to a sitting position, her eyes never leaving Jake’s as she stripped her shirt and bra off. Jake reached up to palm her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over the hardened nipples as the light breeze wafted over them.

The first time they’d picnicked together the outing had led to sex, and Jake had been worried about exposing Ally to prying eyes. In the years he’d been coming here, though, he’d never seen another soul. Now they always made love when they visited, and he’d long since stopped worrying about someone spying on them. Even if someone happened upon them, the only thing they would see was how much he loved her.

Ally tugged on Jake’s shirt, and he elevated himself off the ground so she could pull it off. She turned her attention to his jeans next, lowering her mouth to the lip of them and slipping her tongue underneath and rubbing it against the soft flesh hidden there.

“Ally,” Jake groaned, leaning back and resting his head on the ground.

After a few more seconds of teasing, she unbuttoned the jeans and pulled them from his body – taking his boxer shorts with them – and leaving him completely bare under the midday sun. Ally’s smile was coquettish as she rubbed his thighs, her fingers delicately wandering over them and causing him to tense up.

She walked her fingers up his inner thigh, stopping just short of the one thing he really wanted her to touch, and then she walked them back. She did it over and over again until Jake’s breath was coming out in ragged gasps. “Ally.”

She ignored the plea and lowered her mouth so she could suck him inside, rolling her tongue over him and relishing the way he quivered in her mouth. Jake wanted to hold on, but the game she played to get him to this point was too much and he orgasmed quickly, whimpering as he exploded.

Ally was smug when she returned to massaging his thighs. After taking a few minutes to recover, Jake shifted his eyes from the clear sky and focused on her. “That was pretty interesting.”

“I like to think I’m always interesting,” Ally replied, batting her eyelashes.

“You’re the most interesting thing in the world, my angel. Now come here.”

Ally shook her head, swallowing her upper lip with her lower one as she leaned back over him. Her erect nipples brushed against his thighs, and Jake was done waiting to shower her with affection.

He sat up quickly, capturing her wrists in his hands and flipping her over. “I see you’re all about torture today,” he whispered, licking her lips as he pinned her hands above her head. “You know that’s a two-way street, right?”

“I can take anything you’ve got.”

Jake loved a challenge. Even as she shifted her hips, urging him without words to remove her denim shorts, he resisted. Instead, he shifted both of her wrists into one hand and kept them above her head as he proceeded to tweak her nipples with his other hand.

After a few minutes of heaving breaths and dark looks, Jake lowered his mouth and sucked one nipple into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth and causing her eyes to roll back into her head. “Jake.”

He gave the second nipple the same attention, and by the time she was begging him to make love to her he was hard again. He released her wrists and yanked her jean shorts off excitedly, all gentleness gone as he spread her thighs and entered her with one, swift stroke. Ally reared up, surprised at the sudden invasion, and she gripped him around the neck tightly as she moaned.

Jake held her tight against him for a moment, holding himself still inside of her and kissing her with an insistent mouth and determined tongue. He moved his hands down so he could support her hips, and then he started moving inside of her.

He used a circular motion, grinding against her sensitive nerve bundle as he pumped inside of her. His mouth remained joined with hers, and she cried out her release just as his hips started to stutter.

He collapsed on top of her, nestling his face next to hers and licking her neck.

“My Jake,” Ally murmured, rubbing her fingers through his hair as she closed her eyes dreamily.

“My angel,” Jake whispered.
My love.