Deadly Abandon (20 page)

A few minutes later, she stared through the ICU window. Cody, Micah, and Law were still unconscious, their beds lined up against the far wall. With Micah and Law hooked up to oxygen until the effects of succinylcholine—a muscle paralyzing agent sometimes used on animals—wore off.

The drug was probably stolen from her clinic on the night of the fire. She had missed inventory but assumed it was destroyed by the blaze. The medication was dangerous if given at high doses.

“I can’t believe the bastard got the jump on Mic and Law.” Hawke scowled. Pressing a cup of coffee into Breeana’s fingers and a comforting hand on her shoulder, he steered her to a chair in the waiting room. “Even if he was disguised in hospital scrubs, they should have known something was up when he came into the room.”

“Why would they?” Breeana argued. “When I saw him, he looked like he belonged here, right down to an ID badge. They had no reason to suspect him, and probably assumed he was Cody’s doctor making his rounds.”

“In our line of work, we don’t
assume
anything. More to the point, how the hell did he manage to nail both of them with syringes?” Anger fueled Reece’s words. “All I can say is he must be one hell of an actor. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he’s invisible.”

The chief resident pushed through the ICU doors and joined them, wiping sweat from his brow with a hairy forearm. He was built like a linebacker. Breeana thought he’d look more at home on a football field than in a hospital ward. “The worst is over and the men have stabilized.”

“Can you be more specific, Doc?” Reece demanded from his position by the door.

“It means they’re breathing fine on their own and their hearts are beating at a normal rhythm, although we’ll keep them sedated until the drug is completely eradicated from their systems.” He turned his attention to Breeana, a smile creasing his lips. “Your son is doing fine, by the way. It seems he slept through all the excitement. Don’t worry, he should be up and around in a day or two.”

“Thank you.” Breeana turned out of the waiting area and made a beeline for the nearest bathroom, tears of relief streaming her face. She rounded the corner, with Hawke close behind her, and thought she saw Cody’s hockey coach up ahead. In a flash, Ben Prewitt disappeared into the stairwell at the far end of the corridor.

Impossible.
She must be seeing things. Ben couldn’t have known about the attack on Cody. There was no other reasonable explanation for him to be here. Exhaustion must be playing tricks on her, making her see things that weren’t really there.
God, will this nightmare ever end?

****

A military transport helicopter lifted off from the hospital parking lot at five the next morning. Breeana watched from the ground along with Sully, Hawke and Theo. A lot of strings were pulled between the police force and the military to set the plan in motion. A flight crew, doctor, and full contingent of passengers were onboard. Sully said no flight plan was filed. And no one knew the final destination of the passengers, not even the flight crew assigned to their transport for this leg of the journey. Once the chopper landed at a predetermined location, the passengers would be met by other members of Sully’s military unit and would be relocated to an undisclosed location.

Reece and Hunt were on the helicopter. They would guard Jack and Cody until Micah and Law were once again up to the task. It could take another few days, according to the flight doctor who was now responsible for their recovery.

Breeana watched the take-off with a smile on her lips.
Find Cody and my father now, you sick freak!

A few minutes later, she and Sully were seated in the restaurant across the street from the hospital. Sully pointed out the obvious with a raised eyebrow. “You have to eat something. Starving yourself isn’t going to help matters.”

The waitress topped off their coffees as Breeana continued to push congealed eggs around on her plate. It was only five-thirty but the café buzzed with early risers. She knew she looked a mess and didn’t need a mirror to tell her. Her clothes were still damp from the storm, her skin clammy and cold from the air blasting out of ceiling vents. Her make-up and hairstyle were yesterday’s memory. She felt like a dishrag after mopping up kennel spills. All things considered, she thought herself lucky to be still vertical and not sliding under the table to catch a few winks.

She glanced Sully’s way and her abdomen scrunched into a ball of heat. He looked sinful in taupe jeans and a T-shirt with a gun clipped to his waist beneath a loose, black linen jacket. How could the man be so unflappable and yummy after he had whisked Cody to emergency, then challenged The Shepherd to save her son’s life? Not to mention overseeing evidence collection and the investigation into Cody’s poisoning and attempted kidnapping.

“I’m hungry. I just can’t seem to get the food past the lump in my throat. I miss Cody and Dad already. I’m worried sick about them.”

Sully tugged her hand across the table and squeezed her fingers. “You don’t have to worry about your family anymore. They are beyond The Shepherd’s reach now, and Cody has nothing but time on his hands to recover. You heard what the doctor said. He’ll be bouncing out of bed and nagging the rest of them in no time flat.”

“I suppose.” She managed a wan smile. “Kids always recover faster than the rest of us. He’ll go postal when he finds out he’s been whisked away from the action though. At least I won’t have to deal with the fall-out.”

“See? There’s always a silver lining if you search hard enough.” Sully winked, reached for his wallet, and threw some bills on the table. “If you’ve finished playing choo-choo with your food, let’s go.”

She grabbed her purse and slid from the booth. “I have time for a run with the dogs before clinic hours. The fresh air will wake me up.”

“Do you have to open the clinic today?” He grasped her elbow as his gaze scanned the crowd in the diner. “Don’t you have an emergency number listed when the clinic is closed?”

“Don’t go there,” she said, tossing the curls in motion around her head. “We agreed it would be business as usual until The Shepherd is caught. I expect you to honor our agreement.”

“I’m willing to do it. I’d just like you to catch some sleep before you croak from exhaustion. Does reasoning with you always have to feel like steering a course blindfolded through a minefield?”

She ignored his sarcasm as they hustled to the Tahoe, and he unlocked the doors. “Why do I need to rest? You didn’t get any more sleep than I did last night. I don’t see you wanting to go to bed.”

“Ouch. I always want to go to bed with you. I’m hard just thinking about it. As far as sleep goes, I’m used to taking catnaps from my military training.”

He paused to shoot her a sexy grin. “Theo and Hawke can run the dogs. How about snoozing when we get back to the house? I’ll wake you in plenty of time to get to the clinic. Or, we could have wild chimpanzee sex. I’m ready to do my part.”

That
gave her something to think about. Would she be able to sleep? No, definitely not. She needed something, someone, to help her forget. She wanted Sully—his strength and the comfort of his body—to get her through this nightmare. Confusion ran neck and neck with desperation and the knowledge she wanted the man on so many levels. He was her sanity. She was already halfway in love with him. And yes, soon he would be her lover. He just didn’t know it yet.

“Hey, I’m only teasing you about the sex, trying to lighten the moment a little.” He hugged her waist and smoothed a kiss against her temple. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

Chapter Thirteen

The walls of the beach house closed in around him. He couldn’t breathe. Tears of anger and disgust blurred his vision. The Shepherd sank to the floor, hugged his knees to his chest, and rocked back and forth. He focused on steadying his breathing.

How can everything be so messed up?

Breeana, a whore who didn’t respect God’s word, was alive. The Lord had called her home, trusted The Shepherd to send her on her way. And yet, she still breathed.

Why can’t I get the job done?

He gulped in air, hung his head in despair, swiped a sleeve across his runny nose, and crawled to the side of the bed. Clasping his hands together, he heaved his elbows to the mattress, planted his knees on the hardwood floor, and prayed for guidance.

Eventually, it came to him—the reason for his failure.
It’s the Devil’s work.
He wants to keep her for himself.
The Shepherd prayed fervently for Breeana’s eternal soul. He also implored God to give him the tools he needed to snatch her away from Satan.

After all, he couldn’t use her family anymore. The cop had moved her son and father out of reach this morning. Heaven help him, he’d seen the helicopter take off from the hospital and had almost blasted it out of the sky. But, he couldn’t follow through, not with so many innocents on board. They didn’t deserve killing. Maiming? Sure, if it taught Breeana a lesson. But he wouldn’t kill an innocent…not unless she forced his hand.

It was far better to keep his anger focused on his quarry.
Yes, Breeana must die soon
. The list of women who didn’t know their place kept on growing. God needed his help; he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t go to the next name on the list, not until Breeana was sacrificed.

Above all else, he had to be careful. No more hidden cameras tracking back to him. And last night at the hospital was lousy planning. He’d almost had a coronary when Sauvage popped out of the elevator with the bitch riding shotgun. He barely had time to escape, and he’d ditched his disguise—another dumbass move. What if the cops found it? They could lift his prints off the eyeglasses and hospital ID. Or maybe they’d find hair follicles, or skin cells on the hospital scrubs.

No more mistakes
.

The end game for Breeana will come soon. The Lord has ordained it, and the Lord is never wrong!

****

“Bree?” The house was so quiet Sully could hear a pin drop, and Breeana was easing down on his bed. He must have dozed off the second he hit the pillows. He thought he was dreaming at first, before he hauled himself into a sitting position and caught her naked silhouette against the backdrop of closed louvers covering the windows.
What the hell is she doing?
When she threw back the covers and slid the protection over his erect member, he knew.

“Did anyone see you come in here?” he croaked, sweat breaking out on his body as he moved to Red-Alert mode.
God, she is beautiful
. Everything he wanted. Everything he shouldn’t have. It wasn’t right. He wanted to take her hard and fast. He knew she deserved better.

She shook her head and whispered in his ear. “No, Hawke and Theo are still out with the dogs.”

Shit.
Sully was so wide awake now his body parts argued for control with the sane part of his brain that knew he should push her away. Breeana climbed on top of him, her teeth scraping his neck as her hands roamed further south to circle his equipment. He stilled her furtive movements, his palms gliding down her slender arms.

Her sweet musk engulfed him. The honeyed scent clung to him like a homing device. It tempted. It teased. Not good. Breeana needed the comfort of his embrace right now, not him ramming himself into her.

She also deserved church bells and bouquets, while he was the poster boy for love ’em and leave ’em. Nothing would change because they exchanged body fluids. He craved her, but was he man enough to keep her?
It had to stop before he did something stupid. Like take what she offered, and say to hell with tomorrow.

He tried to move her off him. She clung like Velcro around his neck.
God, I am only human
. He wanted to shove his tongue into her amazing mouth until he stroked her tonsils. But, he had no business seeking redemption with a woman like her. “Go back to your own bed. Get the hell out!”

She steadied herself on his lap and met his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“If this is your way of thanking me for keeping you alive and saving your son, you can forget it.”

“Sully, I…”

“Shh…hear me out.” He cupped her face with his hands and almost lost himself in the emerald hurt of her eyes.
Lord have mercy.
“I’m a lone wolf, cookie. I always will be. While I want to know you better, I’m not sure I can give you what you need. If you want rough and meaningless sex, then I’m your man. If it’s a long-term relationship you’re after, you are in the wrong bed.”

“I’m not afraid of you.” She looked him straight in the eye and feathered kisses across his jaw. “What I
need
is for you to get down off the soapbox and make love to me. I’m so hot, Sully, so very, very hot. I’m burning up. You’re the only one who can help me.”

Point taken.

He could feel her pulsing heat as she positioned him beneath her and slid herself down his rock-hard shaft, inch by agonizingly slow inch. Her body arched, her small hands dancing across his chest.

Hell, he wasn’t a saint. He was locked and loaded with a round already in the chamber. He latched onto her creamy breast, nipping and suckling every delicious inch. One hand cupped her sweet ass and squeezed, his fingers parting the indent there. His other hand circled the bull’s-eye shielded beneath her auburn curls. He penetrated those curls and stroked her delicate nub, already slick with moisture. Joining the rhythm of his busy fingers, his penis thrust itself home.

“Come for me,” he groaned. Breeana trembled and mewled. He tongued her breasts again, licked his way from one pointed peak to the other while he caressed the swollen silk of her sex. The scent of her fiery heat drove him to a frenzy. He gentled the kiss and eased off on the tension. He had to slow down, back way the hell off. She was delicate and small to his hard and mean. He didn’t want to hurt her. “Tell me what you want, Bree.”

“Damn you for stopping.” She hitched in a ragged breath, her head falling forward as a sob racked her lips. Her hands stilled on his shoulders. “I want you! Now!”

No woman had ever made him want like this. He was torn between her fragility and his need to take himself home inside her. The need to protect her from his big, bad self battled the need to lose himself in her softness. It tore at his heart. But, pleasure won out. He gave up the fight and rocked his hips against her. Breeana moaned, her muscles clenching around him. Together, they rocketed into another dimension.