Sinful Seduction (14 page)

Blue was so damn proud of her. He’d seen grown men lose their shit when staring down the barrel of a loaded weapon. Not Mina.

The man—Jesse Rendon, the name finally clicked into place from one of the files Blue had read—glared at Mina, his jaw tight. Finally he gave a sharp nod. “Fine, he comes with us. But you cuff his hands behind his back.”

By the subtle shift of her feet, the aggressive stance, Blue could tell she wanted to argue, but he nodded. “That’s fine. Cuff me, Mina.” Even if his hands were secured, he could use the rest of his body as a weapon. He just needed to get close enough and wait for the right opening. He turned to the side so the man could see her do it. He tensed his muscles, making his wrists slightly thicker as she put them in place. It was a trick used to get out of metal handcuffs, but it likely wouldn’t work with flex cuffs. Still, he had to try something.

“I’m sorry, Alex,” she whispered.

“Don’t be. We’re going to get through this.” Blue’s phone buzzed again, but he ignored it as he watched Rendon. “Jesse doesn’t want to hurt us, do you?” he asked the man, intentionally using his name. It was a small way to humanize the situation, and even though Blue knew it would do little to stop this guy from killing them, he was going to use everything he had available in his arsenal to get them out of this.

Wariness flickered across the man’s face. But he didn’t respond. Just stepped back from the opening of the closet and motioned them in. “You go first,” he said to Blue. “I’ll keep the gun on your girl. You try anything, I’ll shoot her in the spine.”

Ice slithered through Blue’s veins, hating this bastard more than he’d hated anyone. As he took a few steps forward, ready to take the lead in what he guessed was a hidden walkway of sorts, there was a sharp knock on the door before it started to open.

Rendon turned, likely on instinct, and when he did, moved his weapon off Mina and Blue. Knowing it might be the only chance he got, Blue rushed forward on a burst of pure energy. He bent and rammed his shoulder into the guy’s chest.

Rendon shouted in pain as he slammed back against the wall. But he didn’t lose his weapon. As he started to raise it, Blue hauled back, ready to slam into him again. He’d use every available body part to keep this guy down.

Before he’d taken a step, something flew by him. A vase smashed into Rendon’s face. He screamed when his head snapped back. As he dropped the weapon, Blue rammed him again, using his shoulder to pin him to the wall. It felt like a damn eternity had passed, but he knew only seconds had ticked by as the Red Stone team poured into the room.

As Rendon slumped against the wall, moaning in pain and holding his face, Vincent grabbed the man, flipped him over and secured his hands behind his back. Once Blue was sure the man was down, he turned to Mina and rushed to her. Even though he couldn’t hold her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight.

She buried her face against him, her grip fierce and protective. “I thought I’d lose you,” she said on a sob.

“No way in hell.” Before he could turn to ask someone to cut him free, a hand landed on his wrist.

“Don’t move,” Harrison said.

A second later his hands were loose and he pulled Mina tight against him. Keeping her close, Blue turned to view the madhouse of their room. Vincent and another man were hauling Rendon from the room, but Blue kept his focus on Harrison. “What the hell is going on?”

“One of the kidnappers in Key West flipped on Rendon to make a deal. Told the police that he was their contact, not Ivan Mitchell. Looks like Rendon set Mitchell up, using the other man’s phone to make some of his phone calls. When we went to retrieve Rendon, he wasn’t in his room. And when you didn’t answer your texts, we thought something might be wrong,” Harrison said.

“Secret fucking tunnel!” Grant shouted from the closet, drawing their attention to him as he stepped out of the walk-in closet. The former detective looked pissed. “The entrance is seamless. It’s not on the house plans but we should have known about this.”

Yeah, no shit.
Blue turned to look at Mina. “You okay?” he murmured.

Face pale, she nodded and tightened her grip around his waist before looking at Harrison. “Is this over now? Are there possibly more people involved?”

Harrison shook his head, his expression dark. “Not that we know of. But I recommend you let your father’s security team go and replace them. It doesn’t have to be with Red Stone, but you should start fresh.”

Without pause, she nodded. “With the exception of Ivan, I want everyone gone. I don’t know any of these guys anyway. They were only with my dad the last year. I’ll give them all generous severance packages, but I want them gone now. As in right now. Can you guys make that happen?” She sounded so fucking exhausted Blue wanted to take her somewhere insulated from the world even though he knew that wasn’t possible.

Harrison smiled, though it looked like more of a baring of his teeth, as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of the other team—probably because of the secret entrance oversight. “Consider it done. Mitchell will be here within the hour and I’m sure you’ll have a lot to go over with him.” He looked at Blue. “A couple detectives from Key West PD are coming up too and they want to talk to both of you. In light of what’s happened with Miss Hollingsworth, they’re making an exception and letting you both make your statement here.”

Thank God.
Blue nodded. “What about Rendon?”

Harrison shrugged. “We’ll let Miami PD and Key West PD figure out who gets to take him in. Personally I don’t give a shit. I just want him gone.”

“Me too,” Mina muttered.

Harrison gave her a polite nod, then jerked his head that he wanted a moment alone with Blue. Though he didn’t want to let Mina go even for a second, Blue squeezed her shoulders and she stepped out of his embrace. “I’m going to change in the bathroom anyway,” she murmured, giving him and Harrison privacy.

“What is it?”

“I know you’ve got a lot of shit to deal with over the next week, but once the dust has settled, I want a private sit-down with you Monday. Not tomorrow, next Monday,” he added, when Blue was about to tell him that tomorrow would never work.

“Are you firing me?” he asked, wanting to know now.

Taking him by surprise, Harrison grinned. “No. I’ve got business I want to discuss, but it can wait. You need to take care of your woman. If you need longer than a week, let me know. I won’t be on this detail after today but the team I’m sending in is the best. If you have any specific requests, just tell me.”

Blue shook his head. Red Stone only hired the best anyway. Whoever Harrison chose was fine with him. “I trust your judgment.”

Seeming pleased by that, Harrison nodded before turning and getting into a conversation with one of the team members. Blue immediately headed for the bathroom. After he knocked and announced himself, Mina pulled the door open only enough to let him in.

Needing to feel her in his arms, he held her close. “That was an impressive throw,” he said, hoping to ease some of the tension on her face.

She smiled, letting out a startled laugh. “I’m just sorry I didn’t do more damage to that bastard. I’m almost afraid to believe it’s all really over.”

“Believe it, sweetheart. No one is ever going to get to you like that again.” And he was going to make damn sure they suffered if they tried. “But…now that your father is gone, you’re going to have to think about stronger security measures. It doesn’t matter how low-key of a life you live. And I know this was an inside job, but eventually, someone will figure out how wealthy you are and come after you again. We can make it so that you’re not living in a prison, but you’re going to need a security detail more often than not.” He felt strange giving advice like this when he didn’t even know how to define their relationship, but it needed to be said.

“We?” she asked softly and he realized what he’d said.

“You.”

She frowned. “I like the sound of we better.”

“Thank God. Mina…this thing between us. I’ve never felt anything like it before.” Hell, he sounded like an idiot.

“Me neither. And I feel stupid saying this, but I hope you know that I want more than just sex. I want a relationship, to see where this thing goes, to spend all my freaking free time with you and—”

Blue crushed his mouth over hers, needing to taste her like he needed his next breath. He didn’t have all the answers about their future, but he knew his future included Mina in it.

Chapter 14

One week later

Blue nodded at Lizzy, who was Harrison’s personal assistant/computer guru, clacking away on her keyboard as he entered her private office. She immediately stopped what she was doing when she saw him. Her office was the final barrier to Harrison’s and Blue had just gotten the go-ahead from one of the assistants in the exterior office to come in here. “Go on in,” Lizzy said, motioning behind her to the closed door. “They’re waiting for you.”

They?
He wasn’t sure who she was referring to other than Harrison, but didn’t ask. He’d had a long week helping Mina deal with her father’s funeral and just being there for her emotionally. He wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, but seeing Mina in pain killed him and right now he didn’t relish the idea of getting ambushed. Harrison had been tight-lipped regarding what this meeting was about so Blue just nodded and murmured thanks to Lizzy before heading in.

Harrison and Porter were sitting in two chairs on the side of the desk closest to him. And there was a third chair in front of them. He frowned, wondering why the hell Harrison wasn’t sitting at his chair, and why his brother Porter was here.

“Hey, guys.”

Harrison smiled and motioned to the empty chair. “It’s a crazy week and all the conference rooms are in use. Figured it’d be easier to just meet here anyway. How’s Mina?”

Blue sat, still wondering what the hell this was all about. “Hanging in there.” She was at his place now, where she’d been staying the last week. They hadn’t discussed her going back to Key West and truthfully, it was something he didn’t want to even think about. He knew it was too soon to ask but he wanted her living with him permanently. “What’s going on, guys?”

Harrison shot Porter an unreadable look. Porter just shrugged in that stoic way of his. “Be blunt,” he said, as if answering a question.

Harrison gave a shrug and looked back at Blue. “We’re going to be upfront with you, but first, what are your intentions with Mina Hollingsworth?”

He bristled. “How the fuck is that any of your business?” He wasn’t going to answer any questions about his personal life, especially when he hadn’t broached the subject of the future with Mina yet.

To his surprise, Harrison actually smiled. “What I should have asked was, would you prefer to be stationed in Miami on a permanent basis? Very limited travel.”

“Yes.” He didn’t even have to think about it.

“Good. Porter and I talked about this with our dad and even though he’s taking a backseat to business lately, he’s on board…We’d like to put you in charge of one of our East Coast divisions. It would include the Hollingsworth account, unless Mina is disagreeable. But I don’t see that happening. You can keep a pulse on her security in addition to the others in your division, you’ll be local, and we won’t lose you.”

Blue sat there a moment, absorbing everything. “Lose me?”

Harrison nodded. “Look, I know how much you’re worth. I’ve never mentioned it because I didn’t see a reason to. I figured if you wanted to work here when you don’t even need a job, you had your reasons, but with your net worth and your track record of investments, we want you as part of our team in a broader capacity. Now that you’re with Mina, something tells me the prospect of traveling when you don’t need to will eventually drive you to quit. We don’t want that.”

Blue rubbed a hand over his face, stunned by the offer. “How’d you know about my financials?”

Harrison gave him a wry look. “Seriously? With the background checks we run, we know everything we need to about our employees.”

Yeah, he’d figured. “Okay, what exactly does this entail? Is it contingent on the Hollingsworth account?”

Harrison shook his head. “Nope. This offer was coming by the end of the year. Your relationship with her just moved it up. You’re more than qualified. In fact, I’d say you’re uniquely qualified.”

Wordlessly Porter handed him a folded piece of paper. When Blue opened it he read an outline of his potential duties—a lot more management stuff, which worked well for all his experience as an officer—and his new salary and benefits. It was impressive. And much more up his alley. Until Mina he’d felt so damn lost, like he was going through the motions. Now this offer? It seemed too good to be true. “I need to think about it, but I can let you know by tomorrow.” And talk to Mina. He was going to lay all his cards on the table tonight and might as well tell her about this too.

Harrison nodded, as if he’d expected it. “Take your time.”

After talking details for a few more minutes, Blue said his goodbyes to both men, feeling completely stunned. On the way back to his place he stopped at a local florist and picked up a bouquet of tulips since Mina loved them. He barely remembered the drive to his high-rise condo. Once he made it to the penthouse floor he was relieved to see the security team still standing guard. Not that he doubted them, but leaving Mina for even an hour felt like too much now. He knew that would fade in time once he trusted that she was no longer a target, but his need to protect her never would.