Nauti Intentions (2 page)

protect her. He had protected her. She had to protect Natches.

She reached the dresser, hung on tight, and made herself move. She was gripping the corner when the door opened and Nadine stood there.

Surprised. Surprised and amused.

“Wel , hel o there, baby girl.†The sound was a hiss of evil as she smoothed her hand over her dress.

Janey watched her, that bile rising again. Wouldn’t Nadine just hate it when Janey puked al over her perfect white carpet?

Nadine moved to the chest by the door and pul ed out a drawer. Janey’s breath caught on a sob.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
If they were going to

kil her, it wouldn’t do any good to cry.

“Come on, sweetheart.†Nadine approached her, and she couldn’t run.

She stumbled, trying to get away from the old hag. Nadine was surprisingly strong. Her arm hooked around Janey’s neck, choking her as she

hauled her up against her.

“You feel good, Janey,†Nadine breathed at her ear. “Come on, let’s go see if Natches is going to be a good boy. If he is, then you’re

nice and safe. Otherwise . . .†She laid the barrel of the gun against Janey’s neck as she forced her from the room. “Otherwise, I get to pop your

little head just like that bastard popped Johnny’s. I have a feeling I’l get to pop your little head, baby.â€

Janey stumbled and received a vicious pinch in her side. By the time Nadine pul ed her to a stop, the fog was so thick, mixed with sickness and vertigo.

She heard Natches, but she couldn’t find him. She blinked at the window across from her. Blinked and fought to focus. There was the tiniest crack

in Nadine’s curtains. Just a little one in the sheer panels.

She focused there. She could hear Natches talking now. His voice sounded so heavy, so resigned. It was her fault. She blinked. Al her fault. If she had

just thought.

She blinked again when something moved. Focused on the curtains, she almost smiled at her flight of fancy. Those drugs her father had forced down

her throat after they arrived last night were some damned good shit. Because now she was having hal ucinations.

Alex.

Alex was on the roof of the house that she could see. And Alex didn’t climb roofs. He didn’t lie down on them. She watched, knew him. He was

too far away for her to see his features, but this was her hal ucination; she knew who he was.

He lowered his head and she imagined their eyes met as he rested it against his arm. Like she dreamed of sometimes. That he was lying beside her,

staring at her with those dark gray eyes of his.

Pop!

She heard the sound, felt something splatter against her, and she was fal ing. Fal ing. Crumpling to the floor as an enraged scream seemed to echo

around her.

Her nails dug into the carpet and she smel ed blood. Was it her blood? God, she wouldn’t know if they cut her head off right now.
Don’t do

drugs.
Now she knew why. This was some serious fucked-up shit. And she had to figure out what the hel was going on.

She tried to shake her head, but she couldn’t move it. She lay there, the feel of Nadine behind her like a sick weight. Bitch. Someone needed to

pop her little head. She was like a rabid dog, always determined to bite something. Or someone.

A sob lodged in Janey’s throat, the memory of Nadine’s bites searing her mind again.

If she puked, she was going to kick that bitch when she had a chance. Janey hated throwing up. Hated it. She dug her nails into the carpet and tried to

pul herself away.

Glass crashing, enraged yel s, grunts, groans—they cascaded around her. She could hear sirens, see shadows. Maybe if she closed her eyes, just for

a minute. Just for a minute . . .

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Major Alexander Jansen stepped through the hal way to the two fal en women. Nadine Grace was dead. The back of her skul was splattered around the

area. Her arm was stil locked around Janey Mackay’s neck, the gun lying to her side.

He kicked the gun aside, sparing a moment to check Natches’s progress in the fight against Dayle Mackay. The younger man was winning; the

house was surrounded and law enforcement officials fil ed the entrance to the room. This was contained.

Dayle Mackay had betrayed his family and his nation. A homegrown terrorist who had aided in the hijacking of four missiles and the death of the soldier

transporting them. He had conspired to sel those missiles to terrorists and, along with the group he worked with, conspired against his own government

in a plot to strike against the nation’s capital.

There was no remorse in Dayle. There never had been. Bringing him down and tearing apart the organization he was a part of would be the highlight of

Alex’s career, simply because he hated the bastard. But what Alex felt for the daughter was nothing resembling hatred.

Janey.

Fuck, his hands were shaking.

He knelt beside her and checked her quickly for any broken bones or wounds, before lifting her into his arms.

Ragged pain twisted his guts, surged through him. She was so tiny. Barely five-five, al that long black hair flowing around her, splattered with blood. Her

face was white, eyes dazed, but they were open.

“Alex.†She whispered his name. Did she try to burrow closer?

He’d seen more death than any one man should have to see in his lifetime, but nothing, at no time, had ever pierced his soul as the sight of Janey

pierced it now.

He checked the room quickly, his gaze meeting one of the federal agents. Chaya Dane, Natches’s lover. She was cal ing for a car for immediate

transport to the hospital.

Alex turned and rushed through the back of the house. Clasping Janey to him, feeling emotions he didn’t want to feel. Anger, grief, loss, fuck this,

loneliness. Because he’d let this happen. He should have made certain she was at school. He should have checked on Janey.

A car screamed to a stop in front of the house as Alex loped across the yard, the sniper rifle slung across his back, Janey in his arms.

“Major. Here.†One of his men jumped from the front of the car and raced to the back passenger door.

Throwing it open, the other man took the rifle and rushed back to the driver’s seat as Alex slid into the back, holding Janey.

One hand pressed her head to his chest. She was weak, unable to hold herself in place.

“I have you, Janey.†He pushed the hair back from her blood-splattered face, checked her eyes. They were dilated. Dazed.

“My hal ucination,†she slurred.

“Okay. It’s al yours,†he murmured, checking her pulse, the weakness in her limbs.

“You kiss me.â€

Alex froze. His eyes lifted to the foggy depths of hers.

“What?â€

“My hal ucination.†She stumbled over and slurred the word. “You kiss me. This is mine. You just said.â€

The sergeant was racing through town, a siren blaring from the car, rushing her to the hospital.

“Janey.â€

“Mine.†Her eyes fil ed with tears. “It doesn’t al have to be ugly, does it?â€

Ah Christ. His heart was breaking apart. He was fearless. Tough. Yet this one tiny, almost-broken young woman was stealing his soul with the simplest

request.

“Al yours, Janey.â€

He ignored the sergeant. He cupped her face, stared at those perfect, pretty lips. Pale pink, her lower lip lush and tempting. He touched it with his

thumb, then lowered his head to give her something that wasn’t ugly. Something that wouldn’t hurt her.

His lips whispered across hers, and he realized this would never be enough. The memory of this would never be enough. He wanted to sink into those

beautiful, warm lips and feel her moving with him, against him, as hungry for him as he was for her.

She sighed against the light caress, her lashes fluttering open to meet his gaze. Sleepy, drugged. The light green of her eyes was nearly overtaken by

the dilation of her pupils. Whatever they had pumped inside her was too powerful, too much. She was too fucking tiny.

“Sergeant, you’re moving too slow,†he snapped, pul ing Janey to his chest again, realizing his voice was a rough rasp, unlike the cold, hard

tone he normal y used. “Put some lead in your fucking foot.â€

“We have traffic, Major,†the sergeant warned him, but he pressed his foot to the gas and began shooting around the cars ahead of them.

“Hurry, Sergeant.†He stared down at Janey. Her eyes were closed, her breathing more shal ow. Her pulse was weaker. “Ah God,†he

whispered, more to himself than to the sergeant, who he knew was already pushing the limit. “Hurry.â€

He’d waited too long. He’d watched her from afar. He’d helped Natches protect her, not because Natches was his friend, not because his

sister, Crista, was married to Natches’s cousin Dawg. He’d watched over her, because watching her was something he couldn’t stop doing

anyway. Because he was depraved. A bastard. He was obviously more warped than he had ever believed he was.

Because he’d been watching her since she was seventeen, aching for her, and he knew, God help him, he knew, if she survived this, he might not

be able to stay away from her the next chance he had to touch her.

She was twenty-three years old. He was thirty-seven. Older than her brother, nearly old enough to qualify as her father. And he was sick. Because there

was nothing paternal, nothing brotherly, friendly, or otherwise platonic in anything he felt for her.

And it terrified him.

Janey could touch him. And that was something he hadn’t al owed anyone, outside his sister, to do in too many years. No one was al owed to touch

the heart of Alex Jansen.

Until Janey Mackay turned those pretty green eyes up at him six years ago, and pouted a kiss across the distance. Her normal y somber expression

had turned teasing, dancing with laughter and life and fun. And Alex had known then, just as he knew now. He was a dead man.

Because Natches would kil him.

ONE

Six Months Later

Janey stood in front of the hostess station, her expression careful y bland, her body control ed. She’d learned a lot about control in the past five

months. And it had prepared her for this night, she was certain.

Alex Jansen.

It took more strength than she’d ever imagined she could have to look him in the eye, to smile.

“Alex, your table is waiting.†She smiled her bland smile, deliberately met his gaze, then nodded to his companion. Some slinky blond thing

dressed as though she were in New York City rather than Kentucky. A black calf-length silk gown? Give her a break. Where did he find this one?

It was anger. She knew it was. Facing Alex again, after the events that happened six months before, wasn’t easy. It was damned hard.

“Janey, you’re looking wel .†His sensual, wide lips quirked at one side. Ful lips. Did he even remember touching those lips to hers when she

al but begged?

“And you’re looking like you’re healing wel .†She col ected two menus.

“I’m taking very good care of him,†the Marilyn Monroe wannabe cooed with pouty red lips.

“Good.†She shot them another cool, polite smile. “If you’l fol ow me, I’l show you to your table.â€

“You did reserve us one of the private tables, didn’t you, Alex, honey?†If the blonde’s purr got any better, then she would be lapping up

cream.

“They were already reserved, Catherine,†Alex murmured. “I believe I mentioned that.â€

The sound of his voice stroked down Janey’s spine. And it shouldn’t have. She shouldn’t have any reaction at al to a man she couldn’t

have.

“Al it takes is the right tip.†Catherine laughed, a silky, smug sound, as Janey turned at the smal table marked for Alex and his date.

“Your server’s name is Tina. I hope you enjoy your meal.†She smiled at them, let the curve freeze in place, and tensed as Catherine’s

finger touched her wrist.

“This table won’t do,†Catherine murmured as she slid a fifty against the back of Janey’s hand. “Could you fix that for us?â€

Janey glanced at the fifty, to the woman, then to Alex as he watched the scene silently, his brows darkening.

“I’m sorry.†She drew back from the other woman’s touch, stifling a shudder. “This is the best we have. Enjoy your meal.â€

“Perhaps we should find another place to eat, Alex.†Catherine’s smile was cold.

“You’re welcome to that option.†Janey nodded at Alex. “I’l even waive the cancel ation fee, Alex.â€

“Catherine can do as she pleases.†He shrugged his wide shoulders. “I’l be staying.â€

Catherine pouted, but as he pul ed her chair out, she huffed and took her seat before casting Janey a glare from beneath her lashes. Her blue eyes

spat anger.

“I’l send Tina over.†Janey nodded. “Enjoy your dinner.â€

“She’s uppity for the daughter of a traitor,†Janey heard Catherine murmur.

Janey kept going. Shaking inside, feeling something crawl into her chest and rake at it with ragged claws.

“Tina, I need you to—â€

“We won’t be staying.â€

Janey swung around at the touch of Alex’s hand on her arm. He looked furious. His gray eyes were darker than normal, his brows lowered and

nostrils flared. Janey’s gaze moved behind him. Catherine was flushed, furious.

“If she means so much to you, then perhaps you should stay, Alex,†the blonde sneered. “Though I’d have chosen better for a man of your

rank. Patriotism is to be applauded.â€

Alex’s jaw clenched. His hand snapped out, encased Catherine’s wrist in firm fingers.