Stone
M y chest heaved as I cradled Serenity against me, the last vestiges of pleasure shuddering through my body. Her ragged breathing brushed against my skin and I held her close, an unfamiliar tightness in my chest. I’d loved hearing my name pour from her lips as she’d climaxed. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to hear it again and again and again.
After all that had happened in the last couple of days, I suddenly realized that there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep Serenity safe. Nothing. I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but the truth of it burned in my heart.
I didn’t want to think about the car barreling toward her tonight. It had scared the shit out of me. But it wasn’t just that. The last few days with her had changed me. Even though I’d balked at being saddled with her, I’d also enjoyed every minute of it .
I hadn’t wanted to admit that I looked forward to her comments and reactions. The way she wouldn’t put up with my bullshit, but still looked at me like I mattered. She added a new dimension to my life that I didn’t know I was missing. She brought light and joy into my heart, those simple things I’d lost after my mom died.
To lose her would be like losing something unique and precious, and that scared me even more. I hated being vulnerable, but I’d come to trust her. I knew if she ever broke my heart, it would be because I deserved it, not because of anything she did. I’d just have to make sure that never happened.
Serenity snuggled closer, a shiver running over her cooling body. “Let’s get you under the covers. I’ve got to clean up, but I’ll be right back.”
Her languid gaze met mine, and she nodded while I helped her pull the comforter back. After she climbed between the sheets, I tucked her in and hurried into the bathroom.
I came back a minute later and slipped in beside her. I thought she was asleep until she scooted close and flung her arm over my chest. Her deep breathing came a minute later, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of her soft body against mine.
Sharing her bed felt right, and it wasn’t long before my eyes drooped shut and I slept.
∞∞∞
The sound of a ringing phone invaded my sleep, and I stirred, opening my eyes to the dark room. A soft, warm body curled around my back, reminding me of where I was and all that had happened .
My phone quit ringing, and I relaxed until it started up again. Slipping out of bed, I stepped down the hall and into the living room where I’d left my clothes. Digging my phone from my pocket, I swiped to answer.
“What?”
“Hey man,” Razor said. “Where are you?”
I checked my watch. “Shit. I’ll be there soon.” I didn’t wait to hear his curses, and disconnected. It was four in the morning, and I was supposed to be at Razor’s place twenty minutes ago.
Picking up my discarded clothes, I hurried into the guest bedroom and found the black clothes I’d brought. I debated waking Serenity, but she’d been through so much lately, I wasn’t sure she needed to come. I’d be fine without her. Of course, she’d probably hate that, so I’d better wake her up after all.
I checked my gun and slipped it into my shoulder holster and looked for my leather jacket.
“Going somewhere?”
My breath caught, and I turned to find Serenity leaning against the door jam, a short, silky blue robe wrapped around her. With one brow cocked, and her lips pursed, I knew I was in trouble.
“Razor called. We need to go. How fast can you get ready?”
“Were you going to leave without me?”
I stepped toward her and she stiffened, so I got real close to her and lowered my voice. “I thought about it. But no. I was going to wake you up.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders relaxed, but only slightly. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”
I folded my arms. “Babe… do you think I’m stupid?”
Her lips twitched. “You really want me to answer that? ”
Growling, I reached for her, but she dodged my hand and scurried into her bedroom. I followed behind, but she slammed the door in my face. I didn’t hear the lock turn, so I could have gone in, but I let it go instead.
If I went in there now to exact my revenge, it would be morning before we made it to Razor’s shop. I’d just have to wait. Thinking about how I’d make her pay sent a smile across my lips. Oh, I’d get my revenge all right, and I looked forward to every minute of it.
Unsure how long she’d take, I ambled into the kitchen and warmed up the coffee, knowing it would be morning before we came back, and I needed a jolt of caffeine.
Just as I poured a cup, she hurried out, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a black cap on her head. She was dressed in a black, long-sleeved shirt, and some kind of black exercise leggings that hugged every inch of her long legs. Shit. How was I supposed to concentrate on work when she looked like that?
“Something wrong?”
“You should put on a coat. Or a sweater. It’s probably cold.”
Her brows rose. “I’ll wear my leather jacket. It’s right by yours.”
I huffed out a breath. “Sure. Let’s go.” I grabbed her keys and stepped to the door.
“What about your coffee?”
“It’s fine.”
“I have a thermos I can put it in. Give me a second.” She pulled a gray bottle out of the cupboard and filled it with coffee. “You want it black?”
“Sure.” While she screwed on the lid, I unlocked the door and stepped into the connecting garage. “You mind if I drive?”
She shrugged. “Not at all. ”
Soon, we were backing out of the garage. “We have to stop at the office for the camera equipment, but it shouldn’t take too long.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Did Razor sound mad?”
“Yes. He’d been waiting for a while.” I shook my head. “For some reason, I forgot all about our appointment.” I glanced her way and she flushed.
“Yeah. Me too.”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the parking garage and parked close to the elevators. My car and motorcycle were the only vehicles there, along with one other car I didn’t recognize.
Before I opened the car door, Serenity grabbed my arm. “Wait. Give me your hand.”
I held it out and she took it, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. A few seconds later, she shook her head. “I didn’t get anything, so we must be good to go.”
“Good. Let’s hurry.”
Using my pass-key, we made it to the twenty-sixth floor in short order. The equipment was in the security office in a large closet. I got three cameras and a controller, and locked everything back up.
Soon, we were on the road to Razor’s shop. After arriving, instead of parking in front of the shop, I pulled around to the back entrance. The main garage door was open with a lone light in the back by the desk.
I couldn’t see Razor anywhere, and tension flooded my shoulders. Where was he? From the shadows, Razor stepped to the door and waved at me to come in before disappearing back inside.
“One more time.” Serenity held out her hand and I took it. This time her eyes widened and she stared blankly ahead. Damn. She must be seeing something. She gasped and blinked several times before coming back to herself .
Her brows drew together, and her gaze turned toward the building. “Razor’s in trouble.” I moved to open the door, but she stopped me. “Wait! You can’t go in there. You’ll die.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a trap. We have to drive away. Now.”
“But what about Razor?”
She lowered her gaze. “It’s not good, no matter what we do.”
“If we leave, will he die?”
She glanced at me, her eyes wide, and nodded.
“Shit. There has to be another way.”
She closed her eyes. “This is what I saw. Razor’s sitting in his office. The guy… Johnny… is sitting by Razor and holding a gun. As soon as you walk inside, he shoots you and then kills Razor.”
“Okay. So he’s waiting for me. That means I can still draw him out. I have a plan. I’m going in.”
She grabbed my arm. “Nate.”
“I can’t leave Razor to die. I’ll draw Johnny out and shoot him first. He doesn’t know that I know he’s there. It will work.”
“Fine. Then I’m coming, too.” She pulled her gun from her purse and loaded it.
“Sen… I don’t know.”
“I do. You need my help. I’m here, and I’m coming with you.”
I let out a breath. “Okay. This is what we’ll do. I’ll go in through the garage, but I’ll stop just inside the door. I’ll drag a ladder or chair or something to make noise, and yell at Razor to come out and help me. That should draw Johnny out, and I’ll be ready for him.”
She nodded. “Okay. While you’re doing that, I’ll skirt around the car that’s on the platform and take cover behind it. I’ll be able to see everything from there. If anything goes wrong, I’ll have a clear shot.”
I raised a brow. Would she really shoot him? Her determined gaze settled it. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Leaving the keys in the ignition, I slipped out of the car, and we hurried to the entrance. Serenity quickly ducked the other way around the car and crouched behind it. I stepped further inside and found a ladder. Quickly taking it down from the wall, I pulled it across the floor.
“Razor! I know you’re mad, but can you at least come out and help me?” Hearing nothing, I called to him again. “Razor. Come on man, are you really gonna make me do this by myself? It’s gonna take twice as long.”
Not getting a response, I realized Johnny wasn’t falling for it. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” I started dragging the ladder outside the entrance and set it up in front of the garage door.
Just as I got it open, Razor stepped from the back room. He didn’t move past the doorway, so Johnny had to be holding a gun to his back.
“I need to show you something, first,” he called. “Why don’t you come on back, we can get the cameras set up after that.”
“If it’s about Joint, I’m not interested.” I twisted to pull my gun from my holster.
“It’s not. But I think I figured out who set you up.”
“You mean it wasn’t Cash?”
“Oh, Cash was involved, but you’re gonna want to see this.”
“Fine. But can you grab that drill for me? It’s right there, next to that car.”
Razor didn’t hesitate and dropped to his stomach. He rolled under the car beside him, exposing a man with a ball cap crouching behind. The man rose to his full height and fired at me.
I’d been expecting it, and had already taken cover behind the car. I took a shot at Johnny, and he jerked back, grabbing his arm. He roared with anger and quickly ducked back into Razor’s office.
I started toward the office, but another shot came from Serenity’s position. He must have been waiting for me, and she shot at him to scare him off. It must have worked, because the sound of breaking glass reached me. Had he gone out the office window?
Rushing back to the garage entrance, I ran to the side of the building, hoping to catch him. He’d already sprinted down the alley to the front of the shop. I started to follow, and he turned to face me. As I took another step toward him, he lobbed a small object that looked like a grenade my way.
“Shit!” I pivoted back the way I’d come and took a flying leap, hoping to make it out of the way before it exploded. The blast sent me flying, and pain lanced through my left calf and lower thigh muscles. I rolled on the ground, coming to rest behind the relative safety of the building.
The brick wall where I’d been standing began to crumble and fell in a heap, just inches from my body. Coughing from the dust, I quickly rolled to my stomach and shoved to my feet.
Pain lanced through my leg, and I went down on one knee. Somewhere along the way, I’d lost my gun. As I scrambled to look for it, footsteps sounded on the broken bricks. Was he coming to finish the job? Where was my gun?
As I rolled back behind the remains of the wall, Serenity reached me. Before she could say a word, we both heard footsteps closing in on us. Her eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to the edge of the wall. Raising her gun, she crouched low and swiveled around the corner, taking a quick shot before taking cover again. The footsteps made a hasty retreat, and she moved into position for another shot. Rising to her feet, she took aim, but held back.
“He’s getting away.” In the distance, a car door slammed, and the car took off down the street. “I missed.” She turned to me, noticing that I hadn’t moved. “You’re hurt.” Dropping beside me, her hands roamed over my chest. “Where?”
“My leg. It’s not too bad.” I groaned. “Just some shrapnel.”
“What should I do?”
Before I could answer, Razor rushed to stand beside us. “Shit. He was gonna kill me.”
Serenity turned to him. “Nate’s hurt. Do you have a first aid kit? I need to stop the bleeding.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Serenity’s brows drew together. “Show me where you’re hurt.”
“It’s in the back of my thigh and my calf. Just help me up, and get me to Dix. He can take care of it.” I managed to stand, keeping my weight on one leg, and holding onto the side of the building.
“Sure, but let me at least wrap it.”
Razor returned, opening the pack. Serenity grabbed a pad and placed it over the wound on my thigh. “I can still see the shrapnel, so it’s not too deep, but I’m leaving it there.” Using some stretch tape, she wound it around the pad. Next, she did the same thing for the wound on my calf.
“That should hold it,” Serenity said.
“Good.” I turned to Razor. “What happened? ”
Razor shook his head. “I have no idea. One minute I’m alone, and the next, he’s standing there with a gun in my face. I never said a word about it, I swear.”
Sirens sounded in the distance. “We need to go.” I draped my arm over Serenity’s shoulders and limped toward her car. “Don’t tell them I was here.”
“I won’t. I know what to do.”
“Oh… and find my gun before they get here. It’s in the rubble somewhere.”
Razor started in that direction, and Serenity opened the passenger door. I slipped inside, hissing at the sharp pain. She hurried around to the driver’s side and drove out of the lot. “Where am I going?”
“There’s an all-night urgent care on Third West and Main. I’ll call Dix, and he’ll meet us there.”
“Okay.”
I found my phone and put the call through. Dix picked up right away and said he’d be there in about fifteen minutes. Whatever Vanetti paid him was totally worth it. I let out a sigh and disconnected, grateful Vanetti had a doctor on call.
Closing my eyes, I laid my head back. “How did he know? No one knew we were going to be there except Vanetti and Razor.”
“Maybe there’s a bug in Razor’s office? Cash could have hidden it. We’ve been there enough times that Johnny would know what was going on. And you’ve called Razor while he was in his office, too. That has to be how he found out.”
I shook my head. “I should have checked.”
“Hey. You didn’t know. Besides, I think you may have hit him with your shot. He jerked to the side, so he’s probably wounded. That should slow him down.”
“Yeah. But it wasn’t enough to stop him from throwing that grenade.”
“Is that what it was? Where would you get something like that?”
I shifted in my seat and grimaced. “I know a few places. Maybe we can get a lead on him from them.”
Serenity nodded. “There’s the urgent care.”
“Good. Pull around to the back, and we’ll wait for the doc.”
“Okay.”
We were only there for a few minutes before Dix pulled in. He used his key and opened the back entrance. After slipping inside, he held the door open for us. Leading us to a curtained area, he stopped beside an exam table. “What have we got?”
“There’s shrapnel in my leg from a grenade.”
Dix’s brows rose. “Okay. Let’s get the bandages off.” He glanced at Serenity while he went to work. “How’s the head?”
Her eyes widened. “Good. I forgot all about it.”
He chuffed. “I’ll bet.” He motioned to me. “You’re going to have to drop your pants and get on the table. There’s a drape you can cover yourself with. I’ll be back in a minute with what I need.” He left, and Serenity took his place.
“Here, let me help.” She unlaced my boots and helped me slip them off. I took off my jacket and handed it to her. Unbuckling my belt, I carefully lowered my pants over my wounds. I wasn’t a novice when it came to shrapnel, but I’d forgotten how painful it could be.
Serenity helped me finish taking them off, and her face went pale. She took a deep breath and frowned. “That looks like it hurts.”
I slipped onto the table to lay on my stomach, and Serenity put the drape over my ass .
“You’re not wrong.”
Dix came back in, took a long look at my leg, and shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it, but you’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Only a couple places that need stitches, and I can pluck out the rest.”
He glanced at Serenity. “I’ll be done in about half an hour. You can sit over there if you want, or wait in the waiting room.”
She swallowed, and I remembered how much she hated the sight of blood. I fully expected her to leave, but she stepped over to the chair and took out her phone. “I’ll stay.”
The doc got to work numbing each wound. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he enjoyed stabbing me with that needle. At least I couldn’t feel it when he started digging out the shrapnel.
He was right. Considering how close that grenade had come, I was lucky to have found cover in time. Lucky Stone… and I didn’t even have that rock in my pocket.
Shit! So much for my plan to draw Johnny out. I had a feeling that I knew him from somewhere, but I couldn’t put it together, and it had been too dark to see his face.
Good thing Serenity had scared him off. Too bad her shot hadn’t hit him, but I’d take what I could get. She thought I’d hit his arm, so it wasn’t a total loss; still, it frustrated me to no end that he’d nearly succeeded… again. What the hell? Was I losing my touch? Without Serenity, I’d be dead.
So far, nothing had worked. Even his tattoos had been a dead end. If things didn’t change soon, my luck just might run out. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Just like my days in the army, people around me tended to die. Razor had gotten lucky because of Serenity. But now I had to worry that, because of me, she could be next.