Firefight in Darkness (15 page)

He got to his feet slowly and approached her, his eyes never leaving hers. Placing a hand on her bare shoulder, he watched the awareness flash across her face.

“Get some sleep, Blythe.” He murmured, twining his fingers in the damp ends of her vivid red hair, the urge to touch more of her almost overwhelming. Her body stayed perfectly still, but he heard her breath quicken as his fingers roamed down the back of her neck. “Leave the worrying to me for the night.”

Entranced, she felt her eyes close as her head tilted towards the palm of his hand, his fingers softly kneading the curve of her neck.

“You really do have nice hands.” She sighed as he pulled away from her, her eyes fluttering open to watch him. “You look real beat up about something, cowboy. What is it?”

You, he wanted to say. But he knew that neither of them could use that complication. Before he could respond, his phone started to ring. He frowned when he saw Rian’s name on the caller ID.

“Yeah.” He answered, moving to sit back down on the bed. Blythe reached for a third slice of pizza and sat beside him, trying to listen in.

“
I just got off the phone with the Enforcers. Looks like a human highway patrolman pulled over a silver Mercedes Benz SL600 traveling southeast on I-10 near the border of Arizona and New Mexico. A red flag went out when the description matched the stolen vehicle we know Dante has been using, but because the plates didn’t match he got away. But the name on the license matches one of Dante’s known aliases.”

“Well, this is convenient.” Jax rubbed his chin as he considered the new information. “Dante just left us another note. Said he was heading south.”

“
I’ve never been down there, where does the I-10 go to?”

He knew where it lead, alright. And a sinking feeling of dread and fear came over him as he began to wonder if this whole game wasn’t just about getting to Blythe. It was about getting to him, as well.

♦ ♦ ♦

“El Paso? What’s El Paso?” Blythe scrambled to her feet as Jax said goodbye to Rian and suddenly stormed towards the door, the look in his eyes frightening.

“Pack up your stuff, we’re leaving.” He ordered as he swept from the room and slammed the door behind him.

If she hadn’t been so uneasy from the utter fury she’d seen in his eyes, she might have stormed after him, demanding he apologize for being so rude. But even she knew better than to confront the bull when it was in the mood to charge. So she packed up her things as quickly as she could and met him in the corridor.

He had his phone to his ear as they walked to the lobby, and when it didn’t pick up he shut it off angrily and tried again. After three tries, he shoved the phone back in his pocket.

Within five minutes they were checked out of the hotel and climbing into his car. When he started it up and pulled onto the highway, Blythe decided it was time to ask for some semblance of an explanation.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves as they merged onto I-10. It was just past nine o’clock and he was at least pleased to see very little traffic. Hopefully they could make it in five hours. He had to pray they had that long.

“The I-10 leads straight to El Paso. El Paso in Spanish means ‘the step’, and the Rio Grande, or Big River, runs right through there on its way to the Gulf.”

Blythe glanced down at the letter. “I’ll be stepping swiftly on down south, where a big river passes on its way to the sea. Well, well, another lucky guess. You should be happy we have a direction again.”

“Not when that direction is leading right to my hometown.” His lips pulled back in a sneer as his hands clenched tighter on the steering wheel.

“You live in this El Paso place?”

He nodded solemnly, his face stonily blank now. “My mother’s ranch is there. She isn’t answering my phone calls. If he’s hurt her, you won’t get your chance to kill him, because I will.”

“I’m sorry, Jax.” She reached over to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, true fear and remorse in her eyes. “We will get there in time, I promise.”

♦ ♦ ♦

By midnight they’d reached Lordsburg, New Mexico. They pulled into the local gas station, and as they stopped, his phone rang.

Blythe watched his expression go from tense to relieved, and knew that it was most likely his mother on the line. Smiling, she patted his arm and headed inside the convenience store to get something to eat.

When she came out a few minutes later with two cokes and a couple of sandwiches, he was busy filling the car with gas.

“Everything okay with your mom?” She leaned against the side of the car as she handed him the food.

He set the sandwich aside and popped open the top on the coke. “She’s fine. I told her to keep her shot gun next to the front door and to not let in any strange men, and she reminded me that the shot gun is always by the front door, and that she only lets in strange men who bring her flowers.”

Blythe grinned. “Sounds like my kind of lady.”

“She can handle herself, but I still worry.” He leaned against the car beside her, setting the coke on the roof before crossing his arms over his chest. “I want to stop in on her, give her a picture of Dante so she knows who to look out for.”

“How much does she know? About your job, I mean?” Blythe asked curiously.

“Nothing about demons…she thinks I’m just your old fashioned bounty hunter.” He tilted his head to look down at her, his lips curving slightly. “I’m gonna have to figure out how to explain why I have you with me.”

“We’ll just tell her that I’m helping you on this particular case. It’s not really a lie so much as an omission of key information.”

“True.”

“Besides, I’m excited to see that porch you were talking about. It sounds nice.” She took another swig of soda before setting it aside, amused at the doubt that flashed over his face.

“It is nice, but probably too boring for your taste.” Instinctively, he reached out and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear that had blown free in the wind. She reached up and held his hand there, cupped against her cheek.

“Tell me what your dog’s name is, cowboy.” She bit her lip as she watched him, suddenly aware they were so close their hips were touching. She angled herself closer as her hand trailed down his arm, and felt her own resistance crumbling. She was only fooling herself by pretending she didn’t want this, want him.

He watched her eyes light up and her lips curve in that distinctly feminine grin that had his gut clenching and his control shattering. Damning the consequences, he shifted until he was pressing her up against the car, his hands fisted in her hair, his mouth inches from hers. Her eyes held his, the heat in them scorching.

“Cooper. His name is Cooper.” He inhaled sharply as he crushed her mouth with his, nearly groaning as her hands instantly came up to rake her nails down his back. The heat he felt from her consumed him until he felt like he was diving into a pit of flames, but he didn’t care. On the contrary, he’d never wanted to burn so badly in his life.

The thrill shot straight through her like an arrow as she pressed against him, her mouth cruising skillfully over his. Never had she felt so much power, or felt so powerful, just from a kiss. But he was nothing like the others she’d had. He took what he wanted without apology, and nothing had ever turned her on more.

He pulled away from her, fighting for air as his forehead rested against hers, his hands now gripping her waist. His eyes were closed, so she took the opportunity to skim her lips over them, and over his entire face, soothing and sensual. The effect it had on him was like gulping down cool water after a blistering hot summer’s day.

“Christ, girl.” He murmured, leaning back slowly to look at her. Her answering grin was just cocky enough to remind him of who he was dealing with, and the dangers that were inherent with what they had just done. It also struck him that it had all been worth the risk.

She touched her fingertips to her lips as she leaned back against the car, watching him curiously. He had that dark, dangerous look again, and she wondered briefly if he was considering assaulting her senses one more time. Part of her sincerely hoped he would.

“That was interesting.” She mused as she reached behind her for her sandwich, unwrapping it slowly without taking her eyes off of him. She took a tiny bite and chewed.

“We should get going.” Jax said gruffly, tearing his eyes away from her to put the nozzle back into the gas pump. From the flatness of his tone and the systematic way he moved, Blythe could tell that the moment had passed.

Shrugging, trying not to feel disappointed, she grabbed her soda and skirted around the front of the car to climb into the passenger seat.

He said nothing as he got in beside her. Instead he flipped on the radio, and George Jones tenderly crooned about wine colored roses as they continued on to El Paso.

♦ ♦ ♦

The next thing she knew, she woke up in a soft, comfortable bed with smooth cotton sheets and mountains of pillows with the early morning sunlight beaming in from the window. She instinctively burrowed into the warmth and comfort of the bed, sighing contentedly. Then it occurred to her that the last thing she remembered was being in Jax’s car.

Jolting awake, she stared around at the strange room, her eyes sharp and questioning. She noticed her duffle bag resting on the chair beside the bed, and a doorway leading to what she assumed was an adjoining bathroom. Slipping out of bed, she tip-toed towards the only other door in the room, and opened it slightly so she could peer out.

Just outside the door was a long, wood paneled hallway, and at the end of it she could hear two sets of hushed voices. One was a woman, and the other she recognized as Jax.

Realizing that she was probably in his mother’s home, she hurriedly shut the door and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Hell if she was gonna meet his mother looking like a train wreck, she thought as she glanced at herself in the mirror and groaned.

After her shower, she dressed in jeans and a faded red t-shirt and attempted to tame her hair into a less unruly state. As she began to dab on blush and mascara, her hand paused halfway to her cheek. Her eyes widened and she stared down at her hand incredulously.

What am I doing? She thought curiously, looking up at her reflection. Since when do I care about making a good first impression?

But she knew the answer. It came to her as instinctually as putting on the simple make up had. This time, everything was different. This was Jax, and his mother, and for some reason she gave a damn what they thought of her. Knowing that, accepting it, she finished putting on the makeup and briskly left the room, partly ashamed at the odd feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

She shut the bedroom door quietly behind her and padded down the hallway towards the voices.

When she emerged into the kitchen, she saw Jax sitting at the dining table with a beautiful blonde woman. They were both smiling, and she immediately felt as though she were intruding on some special moment.

He glanced up when he saw her, and the way his eyes sharpened ever so slightly reminded her of how he had looked at her just hours before. And then, just like that, the naked desire was gone and replaced with cool concern.

“Good morning, Blythe.” He got to his feet, and as he did so his mother whirled around, her smile bright.

“Oh, honey, would you look at that!” The woman jumped to her feet and rushed forward, planting her hands on Blythe’s shoulders. “Aren’t you just the prettiest thing?”

She was a good five foot nine at the least, with generous curves and a slender waist. Bombshell blonde hair curled around her face and down to her shoulders, pristine and perfectly in place. Her eyes were the same vivid green as Jax’s, but softer and friendlier, set in a face that was movie star beautiful, and skin that had been meticulously maintained all her fifty years.

Blythe stood, stunned, as the woman lushly kissed both of her cheeks, leaving what was sure to be two giant red lip marks. Like any good mother, the woman fondly brushed at the rouge on Blythe’s skin and smiled.

“Jax has been telling me all about you, sugar. I’m his proud mama, Loretta Murphy.” She backed away and held out an expertly manicured hand covered in glittering silver rings.

“Pleased to meet you.” Blythe shook Loretta’s hand and grinned. “Thank you for letting me stay last night. Cowboy didn’t tell me we would be imposing on you like this.” She angled her head to wink at Jax, who simply raised one eyebrow at her and smirked.

“Darlin’, I don’t think a bomb could have woken you up.” He retorted, even as he tried to forget how it had felt to lift her into his arms to carry her inside, and how she had curled against him. It had been one of those rare moments where he had been given the chance to take care of her, where she had let him witness this vulnerable side she kept so rigorously under wraps.

“Honey, you must be hungry!” Loretta said suddenly, her hands fisting on her hips as she eyed Blythe’s trim figure skeptically. “Has my boy been feeding you right? Let mama fix something up for you. Come on now, sit down and tell me all about yourself. The stuff Jax doesn’t want me know.” She added with a wink as she turned and headed towards the fridge.

Blythe eyed Jax apprehensively as she sat down at the table, wondering what the hell she was supposed to say. He just shrugged and sat across from her, leaning back comfortably in the chair, interested to see how Blythe handled his mother’s questions. He’d seen her handle herself under pressure before, but could she handle this?

“Well, Loretta, I was born in…” She bit her lip as she tried to remember names of cities in the United States. She rattled off the first one that came to mind. “Miami, but grew up in the Keys. My dad was a fisherman, and my mom a waitress at this diner that served the best key lime pie you will ever taste. I have an older brother, Liam, and a younger sister, Capri.” She winked at Jax, who was watching her with laughter in his eyes. “When I was four, my parents died in a car accident, and so my siblings and I were raised by our uncle Lucian. He’s the greatest man I’ve ever known.”