Waiting for Him (8 page)

“Stay here a sec.” She jumped up and disappeared into the bathroom. Boomer heard water running and then she returned with a wet washcloth. He was shocked when she sat beside him again and began to wipe the sweat from his face, neck, and shoulders. His muscles froze, and as cool as the cloth felt against his sizzling skin, he wished there was nothing between her hand and his flesh. Goosebumps popped up everywhere and his dick twitched. Swallowing hard, he watched her face as her gaze followed the cloth gliding down his arms. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to touch her. Kiss her. Own her. He’d deal with the fall-out later.

Reaching up, he cupped her chin and she started, her eyes flashing up to his in surprise. He was in awe of her and his voice came out as a raspy whisper. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, Kitten.”

Her jaw dropped at his statement, and he took advantage of it. Rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip, he inched his head forward. He gave her time to back away. But when a small gasp escaped her and her breathing increased, all the reasons why this was a bad idea flew from his mind. Drawing her closer, he tilted his head and replaced his thumb with his mouth. Oh, dear God in heaven! He’d dreamed of this moment, a moment he’d been certain would never happen again. She tasted of wine, roses, and sunshine, and everything else poets compared women to.

Boomer leaned back and pulled her with him until she was draped across his bare torso. Holding her head in place, he plunged his tongue into her mouth, tasting and savoring. His other hand skimmed down the T-shirt she’d worn to bed and clutched her ass cheek through her cotton shorts. He shifted and grinded his hard shaft against her mound, causing her to moan and shiver. Mouths melded, teeth clashed, and tongues dueled as she buried her hands in his hair.

Flipping her on her back, Boomer followed, never taking his mouth from hers. His hands were everywhere at once. Her hair, breasts, waist, and hips. Skin, he needed to feel skin. Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he began to tug it upward and felt her stiffen.
What the fuck? She wanted him to stop? Fuck, she did have a boyfriend, didn’t she?

He ripped his mouth from hers and sat up. Trying to get his breathing and cock under control, he stood and paced the room while running his fingers through his tousled hair. “Shit, Kat. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…I mean…you must have a boyfriend, right?”

“No.”

Boomer screeched to a halt and gaped at her. “No?”

Swallowing hard, Kat shook her head. “No. I don’t have a boyfriend.”

No? Then why did she freeze when he tried to take things further?
Because you haven’t seen each other in twelve years, you ass-hat. You’ve only known she was still alive for about thirty-six hours and you’re ready to rip her clothes off. She deserves better than that.

“Oh.” He ran a hand down his face. “Well, I’m still sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped you like that. We should…” He cleared his suddenly dry throat. “We should get back to sleep. We’ve got to get up in a few hours, because I want to be at the bank when they open.”

* * *

Kat bit her lip and nodded before moving back to her own bed. She watched as Ben made a quick run to the bathroom, then lay back down. His eyes were avoiding her and he shifted onto his left side, facing away from her. She sighed inwardly.

Her heart was still pounding, her blood still boiling with arousal. The dampness and tingling between her legs was proof she hadn’t wanted him to stop. She should have told him she’d never…but she hadn’t been able to. He’d felt and tasted so good. His body, his touch, was what her own had craved for the past twelve years. A few more minutes. She’d wanted a few more minutes in his arms. For the first time since she’d kissed him as a teenager, she wanted more. She wanted him. All of him. A few more…

He was right, they needed sleep, not…not what they were just doing. But damn, she hadn’t wanted to stop. Maybe when this was all over, if she was still alive, they could pick up where they left off. Turning on her side, she closed her eyes, but it was a long time before sleep overtook her once more.

“You see anything, Reverend?” Boomer spoke into his cell phone. It was ten after eight in the morning and Jake had been across the street for the past hour, scouting the area.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. No one lingering except a bum in the alley over this way. I checked and he’s sleeping off a bender. You’re good to go.”

“K. I’m putting my phone on vibrate, if you need me.” He disconnected the call and scanned the bank’s parking lot one more time before getting out of the rental they were using. On full alert, his head swiveled as he walked around to the passenger door and opened it for Kat. He hurried her across the lot and into the large brick building which housed the Wells Fargo Bank. There were a few occupants, but no one paid them any attention as they strode past the tellers and approached the only desk of three which didn’t have a rep already assisting a customer.

The man stood and gestured for them to take the seats across the desk from him. “Good morning, my name is Brad. How may I help you today?”

“My friend’s father passed away and we found out afterward he had a deposit box here,” Boomer told him as they all sat down. It was a small lie, since they weren’t positive this was where Mr. Maier had opened the account. “We don’t know the box number, but we do have the key along with his death certificate.”

“Okay, I’ll need a proper form of ID and then I’ll look up the account to see if there are any restrictions on it.”

Kat handed the man the certificate and Florida ID which an FBI agent had dropped off last night. It was the first time in twelve years she’d had a driver’s license in her birth name. The picture was one Ian had snapped two nights ago at the office and then emailed to his contact in the federal agency. Since she hadn’t been wearing her wig in the photo, they’d left it in the car. Boomer had been nervous about it, but they didn’t want to make anyone in the bank suspicious.

Her knee began to bounce as the banker studied the document, then began tapping away on his computer. Boomer reached over and placed his hand on her thigh, stilling her nervous movement. The contact sent tingles and heat up his arm, and a quick glance at her face told him she also felt the electricity between them. Giving his brain a mental shake, he focused on Brad across the desk from them.

The banker stopped typing and frowned. Kat’s muscles clenched under his hand as Boomer asked, “Is there a problem?”

“Uh, no, sir. I was just surprised to see the box hasn’t been accessed in over twelve years. But it was paid in full for twenty, so there’s no problem. The joint box-holders included Ms. Maier here, as well as an Alexei Maier and Sylvia Maier.”

Kat eyes filled up. “Alex was my brother and Sylvia was my mom. They’re both deceased as well.”

An expression of sympathy crossed the man’s face. “I’m sorry for you loss, Ms. Maier.”

“Thank you.”

He stood and skirted the desk. “If you give me a moment, I have to retrieve the bank’s access key from my superior.”

“Sure,” Boomer replied. “No problem.” He watched as the banker walked toward a closed door labeled ‘Branch Manager’ and knocked.

“So we lucked out, right?”

He couldn’t see into the now open door from this angle, but kept it in his peripheral as he turned back to Kat. “Huh?”

“No court order needed.”

“Right.” He gave her a tentative smile, scanning the faces of the bank occupants as the two of them waited. The hair on the back of his neck raised in caution. His inner alert system was telling him something was wrong, but he couldn’t see anyone or anything out of place. Pulling out his phone, he shot off a brief text to Jake, however, the ‘all clear’ response did nothing to ease his sudden anxiety.

About two minutes later, Brad returned with a large key-ring. “Sorry for the wait. If you’ll follow me, it’s right this way. We’ll retrieve the box and you can examine the contents in private.”

Leading them into the security box vault, the banker quickly located the long-ignored box, number 522, and placed his key in one of the two slots. He then stepped back to allow Kat to do the same. After it was unlocked, he slid it from the wall and handed it to her. “You can use the room on the right outside the vault. I’ll wait here until you’re done.”

“Thank you.” Despite her calm outward demeanor, Boomer knew Kat’s insides must be a bowl of Jell-O. Whatever her father had hidden here in the bank, it was something people wanted to kill for. He followed her into the room and shut the door behind them. The space was the size of a closet and there was nothing in it except a shelf and an overhead light. Her hands shook as she set the box down.

The tension rolling off her was doing nothing to calm his thoughts that something wasn’t right. “Do you want me to open it?”

Kat bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “No. I’ve got it.” After taking a deep breath, she lifted the lid and stared at the contents in confusion and disappointment.

“That’s it?” he asked over her shoulder. It couldn’t be it.

“I don’t understand. My father had a security box all these years for a…a picture?” She picked up the old, three-by-five color photo and studied it. “This is my dad when he was a kid. He’s what, about four or five years old here?”

Boomer checked the box for anything more and found it completely empty. He took the photo from Kat and turned it over, but the back was blank. No name, date or message. Strange. Flipping it back over, he examined it. “Looks like it. Any idea where it was taken? Is that his childhood home he’s standing in front of?”

“I’m not sure. If I remember correctly, they moved twice before settling in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, when my dad was eleven or twelve. But I don’t know where they lived before that.” Her eyes flashed to Boomer’s face as a thought must have occurred to her. “My aunt would know. Last I heard she was still alive. Chris told me that about…I don’t remember. A year ago, I think.”

“Where does she live?” he asked as he replaced the lid and picked up the box.

She tucked the photo into her purse. “In Murfreesboro. She still lives in my grandparent’s old house. It’s just over an hour from here. It’s where we were going when…”

Not needing her to finish her statement about the tragic day so long ago, he took her hand and headed for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

“It’s Glen Patterson, from Wells Fargo? You told me to call when anyone accessed the Maier deposit box….A guy and a girl…I don’t know his name, but her ID says she’s Katrina, uh, I mean, Katerina Maier…They’re in there now, but I’m sure they won’t be for long…A license plate? Yeah, I can probably get it…My office window faces the parking lot…After this, we’re through, right? I don’t owe you anything anymore…Good… I’ll text you the plate and car info.”

The bank manager disconnected the call, relieved the last of an old debt was paid off. He’d sworn off gambling several years ago after his wife threatened to leave him and take the kids. It’d taken a while, but he’d finally repaid all his monetary debts. This last ‘information’ debt was the only thing he still owed. Now all he needed to do was one more thing…he parted the window blinds and waited for the couple he’d seen follow Brad into the vault.

Fifteen minutes later, they were back in their motel rooms and packing their things. The plan was to head to Murfreesboro to talk to Kat’s aunt, and wasn’t that going to be a jaw-dropper for the older woman. As far as she knew, her brother and niece had died twelve years ago and she had no other family left. Kat’s grandfather had died when she was seven and her grandmother passed away four years ago, never knowing the true fate of her son and his daughter.

While Jake was next door, collecting his stuff and the FBI files, Kat came out of the bathroom with her toiletries. Boomer winced at her pale, pinched face framed by the wig she was once again wearing. “You okay?”

She tossed her things into her duffel and sighed. “Yeah. I’m just wondering where this is all going. I mean, what if we don’t figure it out? And on top of everything, I’m about to shock the shit out of my Aunt Irina. What am I supposed to do, knock on her door and yell surprise? Look how well it turned out when I did it to you. You fainted, so the poor woman will probably have a heart attack.”

Her rant was stopped when Boomer grasped her arm and pulled her into a comforting embrace. “Shhh. It’ll be fine. She’ll be shocked, but then I think she’ll be ecstatic to know you’re alive. Yes, I fainted…” He grabbed her chin and forced her gaze upward. On his face was a teasing frown. “And don’t ever repeat that to anyone else. Ian is already blackmailing me with shit assignments for the next year.” She smiled as he intended. “But now I’m past my shock and I’m thrilled you’re alive, Kitten.

It hadn’t been his intention when he first pulled her into his arms, but he couldn’t resist her. Bending forward, his lips caught hers and his cock sprung to life. He teased the seam of her mouth with his tongue and rejoiced when she opened, granting him access. Last night, he’d been spouting poetry at the taste of her, but now, she must’ve just brushed her teeth again because she was minty fresh and delicious. Poetry was the last thing on his mind.

One of his hands went to the nape of her neck and his fingers spread out to hold her head in place. His other hand clutched her hip, pulling her flush against him and his bulging erection. They moaned almost simultaneously when he shifted his head and the new angle allowed him to plunge his tongue deeper. Her tongue tangled with his as her hands slid up his shoulders and into his hair.

“Ah, shit. Sorry, but we need to get on the road.”

They jumped apart. Kat’s face turned red before she spun around and began throwing the last of her stuff into her bag. Shit, Boomer thought. What the hell was he doing? If it wasn’t for Jake’s interruption, he would have forgotten the danger Kat was in and thrown her on the bed for a hard, fast, and sweaty rutting.

Adjusting himself, he acknowledged his teammate over his shoulder. “Yeah. Give us a minute. We’ll be right out.”

“No prob.”

A few seconds later he heard the door to Jake’s room open and close again. He’d be getting the car started for their trip and Boomer hurried to grab the last of his stuff. He glanced around the room, making sure they weren’t forgetting anything before taking Kat’s bags for her. Pinning her with an intense stare, he told her, “We’re not done, Kitten. Not by a long shot. Just wanted to let you know. Once you’re out of danger, we’re picking up where we left off and there will be no interruptions. Understood?”

She bit her lip and nodded, but her gaze lowered from his face to his chest. Convinced she knew he meant to have her in his bed soon, naked and sated, he turned and headed for the door. Because his hands were filled with their bags, Kat hurried around him and opened the door.

“I can carry my stuff if you want.”

“Not,” he snorted. She may be used to doing things on her own after all these years, but that was about to change. It went beyond wanting to be her Dom. His parents had raised him to be a gentleman, and Kat deserved to be treated like a lady.

Jake was standing by the open trunk while the sedan was running. “Radio says there’s an accident on the highway and traffic is backed up for miles. We’ll have to GPS around it.”

“K.” As Boomer tossed the bags into the trunk, an SUV came squealing into the lot and both men’s heads turned.

Drawing their weapons, they backed up to use their rental car as cover and stood in front of Kat, protecting her. Four large men climbed out of the Escalade and each had a semi-automatic in hand, but didn’t point them at the trio. It was the only reason Boomer and Jake didn’t open fire.

“Give us girl and you can valk avay.”

What the fuck?
From the accent, it was obvious the Russians had found Kat, but how the hell had they known where she was? Jake would have spotted anyone casing the bank, so the info had to have come from someone inside. Brad, maybe? It really didn’t matter how they’d been found, the point being it was four guns against two, with one unarmed woman. And since the guns weren’t blazing, Boomer knew they wanted Kat alive…for now. He eyed the man who’d spoken. The cocky bastard was the smallest of the group, but that wasn’t saying much since he was about six-three and built like a brick wall.

“Not going to happen. Why don’t you take me instead?” Boomer heard Kat’s surprised gasp behind him, but ignored her. His mind was too busy assessing the threat and trying to figure out how to eliminate it without getting Kat, Jake, or himself killed in the process. Both of their motel room doors were now closed and locked, and even if they weren’t, the three of them would’ve been trapped inside with a small window as their only hope for escape. Their rooms had been at the far end of the motel, so around the side of the building was their closest large cover. An unoccupied minivan parked next to their rental would also provide an obstacle to hide behind. They had to avoid a public shoot-out unless it was absolutely necessary. Boomer didn’t want to risk a hail of bullets flying around the motel possibly hitting an innocent bystander, although at the moment, they were the only seven people in sight. He reached back and grabbed Kat’s arm, never taking his eyes off the foursome. They would only get one shot at this and he needed to be ready.

The lead Russian narrowed his eyes at them. “Vhy don’t I shoot you dead like dog, and take vhat I vant?”

It was time to bluff. “Because if you shoot me, you’ll never get what you’re looking for.”

“Vhat you mean?”

Boomer took a small step to his left, keeping Kat behind him and the rental car between the threat and them. He was confident Jake knew his intentions and would be right behind them. But first, he needed to get the focus off Kat. “It means, Ivan left a series of clues and I’m the only one who knows what he was talking about. I’m the only one who knows how to find the treasure.”

At the mention of ‘treasure’, recognition gleamed in the Russian’s face. Bingo! If they thought Kat was of no use to them, it would be easier to protect her.

“Then you and girl come vith us and ve let friend live.”

Shit! Boomer opened his mouth to respond, but sirens sounded nearby and the Russians’ attention flashed to the parking lot entrance. The cops might be on their way, however, they were still too far to help. But it was the break Boomer had been waiting for. Without a moment’s hesitation, he took off to his left, pushing Kat in front of him, knowing Jake had his six. Shouts, followed by gunfire, filled the air. He blocked Kat’s body from the threat of flying bullets as best he could as they rounded the building at full speed.

As they cleared the corner, Jake was on their heels and returning fire. “Fuck! God-damn it!”

Boomer didn’t slow, but checked over his shoulder. The sirens were getting closer and the gunfire came to an abrupt halt. Shouts in Russian reached his ears, but he had no idea what was being said. “What?”

“Nothing, keep going!”

Skirting the back of the motel, Kat stumbled. If Boomer’s hand hadn’t been around her arm, she would’ve face-planted. A screech of tires came from the front of the building as he plastered her between his body and the rear wall. Jake stopped next to them, breathing heavily, and peered around the corner. “Sounds like they’re taking off. I think we’re good.”

There was something in the other man’s voice which caught Boomer’s attention. When he glanced over, what he saw had his heart rate surging again. Blood was pouring from a wound on the left side of Jake’s pale face. “What the fuck!”

He watched in horror as Jake slid to the ground and Kat’s scream pierced the air.