Pure Temptation (20 page)

"You again. I was hoping you’d show up so I could shoot you and get your frigging stash." Brian raised the gun to his shoulder and took aim at Luke, but before he could pull the trigger, Emma stepped up behind him and hit him with a hammer she had brought from her toolbox. Although it seemed like everything happened in slow motion, Brian fell hard to the ground, knocked out cold, the gun falling and bouncing awkwardly against the wooden floor boards. Reacting out of instinct, Luke hit the deck and covered his body over Michelle’s to protect her. I covered my ears, anticipating the gun might accidentally go off and pulled my body away from the window.

Releasing my hands, I heard the sweet sound of silence. I looked in the room to see Emma frozen in place, her mouth hanging open. She snapped it shut and rushed to Michele, her arms opened wide.

"Mom," Michele cried out and she jumped into Emma’s embrace.

Luke reached out his hand and helped me climbed through the window. Emma came over, holding Michelle on her hip. There were tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "You can call the police now."

"I already did." I leaned down and joined in the hug.

Luke slipped over to where Brian laid and checked Brian’s neck for a pulse. He looked up and said, "He’s still alive."

Emma sighed. "I was hoping I’d seen the last of him."

"Oh, he’ll be locked up for a long time because of this. I wouldn't worry if I were you," I said.

Michelle was clinging to her mother’s side. “Emma, why don’t you take her out to the other room?” Emma nodded and moved the two of them toward the door. I hoped Michele wouldn't be traumatized after seeing all this.

Luke stood up and brushed his hands on his jeans, nodding towards Brian, “I …I, uh, suppose I should go see if there’s any ice for his wound.”

“Luke wait,” I …I just want to thank you.” I stepped away from where Brian laid and over near the window. I felt as if the fresh night air on my face would feel pretty good right now. He followed me and stood facing me. “Luke, what you did here tonight …was awesome. You’re like a hero, you saved Michelle’s life.”

He looked down at me with deep blue sparkling eyes. “Not just me. You saved her too. You were so brave.”

I blushed. “I just can’t believe these last weeks. I mean, I was on a bus on my way to Charleston, stopping for lunch and …well, look at me now.”

He picked up my hands in his and with our palms facing each other’s, interlacing our fingers. “I know. I hadn’t planned on meeting someone as amazing as you while chasing down a gambling bet gone wrong, that’s for sure.” He twisted my hand around and lightly pressed his lips to the back of my hand.

I shrugged and dipped my chin to my chest.

“So does this mean you trust me? That we’re okay with each other now?” He peered into my eyes pinning me to the wall with his gaze. How could I resist those cobalt blue lasers? His strong fingers were still on mine, rubbing and caressing as he waited for the answer.

I gazed up to the ceiling and exhaled. “Yes, of course. When you look at me like that…” He leaned in and our lips met for the soothing kiss. Oh yes, absolutely. Everything is oh so okay.

I heard the police cars roll up outside the cabin with the sound of gears being thrown into park and the engine left running. Blue lights flashed in through the small windows of the cabin, illuminating it and the dark woods around it.

After we all had given our statements, and Brian was coming back from unconsciousness, seemingly okay, except for probably a concussion. They arrested him and he was taken away in an ambulance. He would likely be charged with kidnapping, assault and attempted murder. Emma had seen the last of him for a long time, I hoped.

Packed into Emma’s pickup truck, she drove us all home. Michelle fell asleep before we got to the highway.

When Emma’s truck stopped in front of Luke’s house, he slid out of the seat and paused. I moved over and he reached in and tugged on my hand. I stared at him for a moment and blinked. There were still a lot to discuss and now was as good a time as ever.

“Um, Emma, I think I left my sweater at Luke’s. I’ll catch up with you later.” I jumped out of the truck and into Luke’s arms.

“See you later, girl.” Emma said with a smirk and shifted into drive.

The sun had been up for hours by now and I couldn’t’ believe we were just getting in. The lazy activities of the beach town day had already began but all I wanted to do was sleep.

“Aaargh. I can’t believe how long I’ve been up.” I flung my purse on the floor and plopped onto Luke’s couch. He took his wallet and keys from his pockets and tossed them on the kitchen counter top and joined me on the couch. He put his arms around me and pulled me in close to his rock hard body. I closed my eyes, tipped my head against his chest and inhaled. He smelled like the woods and the ocean mixed together.

"Thank you for helping. It means a lot to me," I said as we settled into each other’s arms.

"Anytime. I'm glad that asshole can't ever touch Emma or Michelle again."

"Me too." I gazed at Luke. He looked just as tired as I felt. I leaned into his chest and closed my eyes. For the first time in a long time, I felt completely safe. No more lies. No more secrets. Everything was out in the open. In this moment I knew this was where I belonged, in Luke Romero’s arms. I trusted him more than ever.

He twirled a lock of my hair between his fingers. "What do you think Brian meant when he said he was hoping he could get my stash?"

"No idea. Who knows what that moron thinks?"

Luke was silent for a moment then said, "I’d like to know. It’s bugging me now. Maybe I can talk to him. I'll call the sheriff."

"Call him later, baby," I said and reached up to trace my finger along his perfectly kissable lower lip. "You have a more immediate request to fulfill first."

He smiled, tipped his head down and those perfectly kissable lips were mine.

Luke and I walked into the meeting room, or interrogation room as it was officially called, at the police station and my stomach clenched. As usual, Luke showed no signs of anxiety. His jaw was set rigid with pure confidence. The walls were bare and the room was sparingly furnished hosting only a table and three chairs. Luke and I sat down next to each other on the far end of the table and waited for Brian to be brought in. The sheriff had agreed to let us talk to him. It was the least the department could do, the sheriff had told us. After all, we had saved them a lot of police work yesterday.

We waited about five minutes before they brought him in. The moment he saw us, he rolled his eyes. He was placed in the lone chair on the opposite side of the table and the officer handcuffed his wrists to a solid metal bar bolted to the table top.

He spit on the floor. "What the hell do you two want?"

I couldn't look at him but Luke spoke with a clear voice and faced him straight on. "I'll get straight to the point here. Yesterday, you mentioned something about getting my stash. What did you mean by that?"

Brian started laughing. "You are so fucked and you don't even know it."

Luke leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "Why don't you enlighten me a little?"

"Why the fuck should I do that? I don't give a shit about you." He slumped back in his chair and looked away as if trying to get the attention of the guard. I could see it in his eyes. As far as he was concerned, this meeting was over.

"You’re not going to dismiss me that quickly. I have a proposition. Maybe you would like us to keep quiet about your assault on us the other day. It could easily add another five years prison time to your conviction if the prosecutor knew about it. If you tell us what we want to know, the police don’t have to hear about any of that."

The handcuffs clanked as Brian came to attention in his chair. The long deep look we exchanged sent a cold chill through me. This guy was pure evil as his mouth curved into an arrogant chuckle. He waited for a moment and then snorted. "Okay, what the hell. You are probably fucked anyway. If you really want to know, I’ll tell you."

Luke nodded. "Go on." His voice was quiet but held an undertone of cold contempt.

"Ever since I first saw your sorry ass a few weeks ago at The Bar, I knew I had seen you before. I just couldn't pinpoint where. It wasn't until two days ago, it hit me. I was watching some boxing event on TV and I remembered. You are that kick boxing dude that got banned from all fights last year for almost killing a guy in a bar. Brian pointed at Luke and my breath burned in my throat. I was getting that nauseous feeling again.

 
"Anyway, I figured that it was strange that a Kung Fu fellow like you would hang around here for so long, so I put in a call to an old cell buddy of mine. He used to help out with some fights in New York and knows everything and everybody connected to the fighting scene. He was quite interested in hearing about you. He told me everything. That you are still fighting in the underground league, but now you were looking for a lot of gambling money that had gotten stolen. A quarter of a million. So, I put two and two together and I figured you had gotten to the money and was hiding out here until it was safe to go back. That's why I followed you the other day to your little rendezvous at the bar. When I saw you, I pretended to be drunk and stupid so I could get you alone. Beat the shit out of you and your little girlfriend. Make you tell me where you stashed the money.”

I flashed him a look of disdain.
Pretended
to be stupid? I don’t think so. I felt myself sinking further and further into my chair as the reality of what he was saying hit me.

“Everything was going great, except I underestimated your speed. I know that Kung Fu, Mumbo Jumbo is a bunch of bull. You just got fucking lucky." A nasty laugh snarled his lips and his chiding tone made me angry.

That arrogant bastard actually believed he could take on a professional MMA fighter? He was even dumber than I thought. But worrying about Brian's lack of brain cells wasn't exactly my top priority right now. Maybe Brian’s old cell buddy had told Bruno, the promoter, that Luke were here. What if he came here? The knots in my stomach twisted again, and I gripped the hard, cold arms of the metal frame chair. I had no idea how powerful this kind of network could be, but I had seen enough gangster movies to know that we could be in serious trouble. I licked my lower lip and managed to quell the wild ranting’s of my imagination for the time being. A moment later, an officer came into the room to let us know our time was up. Oh, it could be …literally.

I threw a last hostile glare at Brian as the guards took him out and while I followed Luke out to his bike, my mind raced with possible future scenarios. What if they were coming for Luke? Would we be safe or would Luke and I end up like some kind of modern day Bonnie and Clyde, lovers on the run?

Neither of us said a word on the ride back to Luke’s house. The day was sunny and bright as we rode along a picture perfect vacation day in Summerville, the quaint town where people came to get away from the stress of their lives. How come mine wasn’t so peachy?

We walked into his house and I stood in the living room, blankly staring as Luke set down his helmet. He threw his keys on the coffee table and slumped on the couch. He seemed lost in thought and I was still standing in the same spot, when I finally broke the silence.

“Luke, what should we do?”

Luke leaned forward resting his elbows on his bulky thighs. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and finger. “I think we should take a trip. You never got to Charleston. Let’s go there for a week or so. It would be best for the safety of everybody, Emma, Michelle and Eric. Once Bruno finds out we are gone, he would assume we have left and try to find us elsewhere. After that, we can go anywhere. Come back here or maybe even go back to New York. Try to somehow get out of this mess. But we can’t stay here. It’s too risky. Bruno could use Emma and Michele to get to us.”

“Would he really go to all this trouble for a quarter of a million?” I asked incredulously.

Luke bore a serious gaze straight at me. “Trust me. He would go to all this trouble for a lot less than that.”

“What if we gave him the money back? I still have most of it.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that. He would still want to make an example of us. If he let us get away with something like this alive, others may try to steal money from him.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around that, but I trusted Luke completely.

He reached out his hand, palm up. “Come here, baby.”

I moved over and took his hand. He pulled me down to the couch next to him and put his arm around my shoulder. My eyes lifted to Luke’s face. I needed to see the certainty in his eyes that this could work. His face was so handsome, serene and soft with anticipation. I could look into those eyes forever. My heart fluttered and in that moment, I knew I could do this. Emotions welled up inside of me, strong like a rising tide and I wanted to unleash it all. I wanted to fall into his arms an kiss him, revel in the warmth and protection he provided me.

I leaned my head on Luke's shoulder and he circled both arms around me. I ran my hand up his muscular arm, tracing along the definition in his skin. I leaned over and kissed the bulk of his muscle where his bicep popped up, then laid my cheek on it and closed my eyes. His hand stroked my hair. “Dani, I’m glad I found you.”

I giggled, and rubbed my cheek, like a cat brushing her whiskers against his solid arm. “You’ll have to thank Hanna for introducing us.” I snuggled into his chest and though I couldn’t see his face, I could tell he was smiling. He always made me feel safe.

He played with my hair and continued, “When I told you I’d fallen for you, I really meant it. You’re beautiful, warm, caring and it just feels right being with you. If I have to be on the run with anyone, I’m glad it’s with you.”

He took my face in both of hands and pulled me to his lips. My heart jumped and my pulse quickened. I parted my lips and sucked in those delectable lips, twisting into the kiss, unleashing all the emotions I had squelched before. I pulled back from the kiss trembling and threw my arms around his neck, burying my head in his shoulder. My long hair pooled forward, and I was glad it shielded him from seeing my tears.

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay.” He drew me back and held my face again, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

“Okay.” I squeaked. Time to suck it up. I exhaled and cleared my head.

“We will leave tomorrow morning. You should pack lightly. I'm afraid we won't be able to fit your suitcase on my motorcycle, only your backpack.”

That was okay. I would just leave my stuff with Emma. I smiled and whispered to Luke, “Sounds good, baby. I'm nervous but excited.”

“That’s my girl.” Luke said with a smile and his warm lips found mine again. My heart pounded in my chest as we rolled back onto the couch, our bodies stretched out the length of it, entwined in a passionate embrace. A week with Luke in Charleston sounded like a great vacation.

* * *

“Can't you stay a little longer?” Michele begged. "I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I'm going to miss you too, sweetie. Don't worry. I'll come back soon.” She jumped down off her perch on the kitchen counter and threw her arms around me in a big hug.

Goodbyes were awkward for me. They always felt stiff and unnatural. During the last few weeks, I had come to know and love these beautiful people so much. Emma’s crazy floral designs ended up making me feel like part of the family, even though I was a guest at her Bed and Breakfast.

Emma handed me a paper sack. “I made you lunch.” Oh no, Emma’s lousy home cooking. That I wouldn’t miss. “Be careful what you eat down there in Miami. I hear they have mostly spicy Cuban food.”

I chuckled. “I'm sure they have other food than just Cuban. Don't worry. I'll be good.” I couldn't tell Emma where we really were going, in case some thug from back home came around inquiring about us.

We said our lasts goodbyes as the doorbell rang. I opened the door to Luke’s smiling face.

"Ready?" he asked handing me the helmet.

I nodded and slung my bulging backpack over my shoulder. I waved to Emma and Michelle on the porch and watched them go back into the house.

Luke noticed the expression on my face as I took one long look back. He kissed me lightly on the lips and said, “Don't worry. Everything will be great.”

I put on the helmet and planted my butt on the back seat of his bike. This time I had on proper protective riding boots. I bought them with some of the money from Franco’s suitcase. Just as I adjusted my chin strap, Luke's cell phone buzzed.

“Ahh, two seconds,” he said, and checked the number glowing on his phone. His expression hardened when he saw the name of the caller.

“Fuck.”

He put the phone to his ear. “Mr. Costello, what can I help you with?”

Oh no, that was the promoter.

Luke listened for a second then replied, “Sorry, I’ll have to decline that request. You see, I’m going on a little road trip.” Luke was smiling but suddenly his face froze. He turned his back to me and walked away. I strained to hear the conversation but he was out of range. Damn it, he did that on purpose. My heart started beating so fast, I was afraid it would jump out of my chest.