No Regrets: Jani Kay (Firebird Trilogy Book 2) (16 page)

“That’s my girl. Come now, Rebecca, I’m waiting for you.”

“But the reporters...won’t they follow us?”

“Yes, they’re going to try. The paparazzi are relentless. You’ll have to get used to that part of my life. But James and Brent are skilled at outsmarting them. That’s why they travel everywhere with me.”

“Okay. Wish me luck.” I smoothed over my skirt with my palms.

He chuckled softly. “Rebecca, I—” he hesitated for a beat, “see you soon.”

I clicked the remote to turn the TV off and grabbed my purse from the chair. I had to go immediately if I didn’t want to lose my nerve—walk out of that door and face what lay waiting for me.

Maxwell Grant was worth whatever I had to go through to be with him. I'd never been as willing to stand up and fight for a man as I was for him.

F
rom experience, I knew I had to get Rebecca out and to my place before she changed her mind and ran. It was what she always did, but this time, I wasn’t taking chances. I would chase her to the ends of the earth, but it would be such a waste of time. Time we could spend fucking and enjoying one another.

Grimacing, I turned the volume of the television down when my phone rang.

It better not be Rebecca calling to say she’d changed her mind
. That would mean I had to go over to her place and get her myself. Ideally we had to get out of Munich, but with her sister in hospital, I knew there was no way she’d come with me.

With a heavy sigh, I checked my phone. It was Drake, my PR man. “Max, did you see CNN? I'm not sure what time it is in Germany right now, but in a few hours, Natasha will be on a chat show. All I could get from her PR rep, is that it's going to ruin you. She’s out to get you, Max. Are you sure you want to go ahead with this?”

Why was everyone doubting my fucking decision? It pissed me off. I'd never been a man who didn’t go after what he wanted. It was how I got to where I was.

“Let her do her fucking best. Nothing she says or does will change my mind. Do as much damage control as what’s possible. She’ll soon realize it's over.”

“Okay. It's your life.”

“Damn right it is. Discussion over.”

Fuck, I never thought Natasha would react like this.
Yes, she was ambitious. I’d known that from the start. She would never have agreed to the contract if she weren’t. But I'd made it clear that I could end the arrangement at any time. I warned her not to get attached to me. She didn’t listen.

Or was it revenge for the sake of being snubbed? I'd be the last man to try to pretend to understand women.

My phone beeped. James. I read the message.

On our way. Target safe and secure. ETA ten minutes.

I replied quickly.

Good job.

I'd moved from the hotel where I’d stayed last night. I'd managed to get the details of Natasha’s plan before it went global—an insider on her make-up team was screwing Brent’s sister. We planted him some time ago, exactly for this reason.

Brent had found a secure location where all the big name movie and rock stars hid out when they were in town. It cost triple the price of the top floor suite at the best hotel in Munich, but it came with twenty-four hour security and a team of guys who knew their job. It was worth every dollar for peace of mind.

I paced the room, my hands sweating as I visualized what could go wrong. If the paparazzi caught wind of this, they’d be hounded and end up in a high speed chase. Those usually didn’t end well, and my heart pounded at the mere thought of the implications. Minutes ticked by as I jammed my hands into my pockets and stared out of the window onto the garden with unseeing eyes.

Why did I always have to fight so hard for everything I wanted? My brother, Ryder, believed I was the lucky one but in reality, he was the one who was blessed by the love of his woman.

I wanted that. I wanted love. Real. Unconditional.

Watching the gates of the estate open from the vantage point I had, relief washed over me. Security had been briefed and I felt comfortable we’d be safe here, far from prying eyes. But it was still going to be a fucking media circus with Natasha as the lead clown.

I rushed down the stairs, two at a time, remembering other times I’d chased after Rebecca. Jesus, the woman gave me such a fucking hard time, and most men would’ve given up by now. I wasn’t a quitter.

I opened the heavy wooden door and stepped outside just as the SUV came to a grinding stop at the entrance. The sun shone in my eyes, so I squinted as I opened Rebecca’s door, eager to feel her in my arms. She placed her trembling hand in mine and emerged from the vehicle, her lips quivering and her skin ashen.

“We had to drive like hell to shake them off,” James offered. He was unusually pale too. It must’ve been a hell of a ride.

Brent nodded in agreement. “Somebody tipped them off, Mr. Grant. There was a swarm of paps just waiting outside.”

“Christ, Natasha means war.” I pulled Rebecca into a hug, pressing her to my chest while rubbing up and down her back. She was shaking so hard I could hear her teeth clatter.

I patted Brent on the back. “Thanks guys. You did a great job. I know I can trust you. We’re okay now.”

Understanding I wanted to be alone with Rebecca, they grinned at me and got into the SUV, driving it to the garage around the corner.

I held Rebecca at arm’s length and studied her beautiful but terrified face. “Baby, I'm sorry you had to go through that. Are you okay?”

Wide-eyed, she nodded without saying a word. I wasn’t used to a quiet Rebecca. She always had something to say. Frowning, I placed my arm around her waist and walked her into the mansion, taking care to walk slowly in case her legs were unsteady. She gave me a small smile, and let me lead her inside.

I closed the heavy doors and locked them with every available moving device—triple sliding locks on doors that weighed a ton and were intended to keep anyone out who didn’t belong there. The place was designed like a fortress, but with the luxury becoming of royalty.

“Max,” she sighed as I pulled her back into my arms. I kissed her before she could say another word. My body had been yearning for hers since I'd left her place last night.

She kissed me back with so much passion all the doubt I may have had about my choice evaporated. It was worth every bit of trouble just for that one damn kiss. My hand slid up and down her spine, comforting her as I took my time to taste her mouth.

“You’re safe here with me. We’ll figure out a plan together.” I smiled down into her eyes, never having felt more at peace in my heart than at this moment. There was a shitload of crap coming our way, but I felt as if I could take on the world with Rebecca by my side. Something about her brought out the protector in me: I'd fight to the death to keep her safe.

She had no fucking idea of what lengths I would go to for her.

“L
ily. We have to get her to safety, too,” Rebecca croaked, her voice still hoarse and shaky.

“Of course we will. I'm working on that right now. There are a few special men at the hospital now, guarding her. She’ll be fine till we can move her here.”

“And Kurt?” The distress in her eyes sent a jealous rush through my veins. Why was she so concerned for him? Did he mean more to her than she was letting on?

My voice was gruff. “We’ll need him here. Along with nursing staff, to take care of Lily. So don’t worry your pretty head about the good doctor.”

“Thank you. It means a lot to me,” she whispered.

Fuck. Just how much
did
he mean to her? Was I inviting my opponent into my fortress?

I pulled away, anger seething below my calm exterior.

Rebecca is mine.

When would the other pricks in her life understand that?

I'd had James do a complete check on the German doctor. Seemed he was squeaky clean. Yet I never trusted anyone who didn’t have some sort of skeleton in their closet. It just wasn’t normal.

Everyone has something to hide.

The young doctor was definitely a catch for any woman—with his blond hair, blue eyes and strong fit body, years younger and in better shape than mine;; I could imagine women vying for his affection.

I'd have to hit the gym harder; keep my body in peak shape. I'd hire a kickboxing instructor to help me hit the bejezus out of a punch bag so I didn’t give in to the urge to smash the German’s face every time he smiled at Rebecca.

Grimacing, my mind flashed back to the previous night. Just as I’d pulled my dick from Rebecca, a knock at her door startled us.

Rebecca changed as if someone had flipped a switch. “You need to leave. Now.” She picked my clothes from the floor and shoved them into my hand, then showed me to the guest bathroom. She quickly pulled her jeans and T-shirt on, sans underwear, and padded her way to the front door.

I heard a deep voice from the bathroom, wondering if it could be a cop with news about Lily. But when I stepped back into the room where I'd just fucked Rebecca, I found her in another man’s arms, hugging him closely and soothing him.

What the fuck?
I coughed, but that didn’t separate them. They kept clinging to one another. Rage bubbled through my veins and I fucking stood there, opening and closing my fists as I watched. I stepped closer.

“Rebecca.” My voice boomed through the silence.

The blond Adonis loosened his grip around her and she turned to me, face flushed and eyes wet with tears. I wanted to be the one holding her when she cried. Why was he doing it?

He had the audacity to grin sheepishly as he stepped back from Rebecca. She introduced him as her friend, the doctor. “Kurt has been my rock through all of this. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.”
Her rock. Fuck
.

He held out his hand, his arm still around my woman. I shook his hand, squeezing the life out of his fingers while flashing him a fierce warning. We communicated silently—man to man.

Smart man. He got the message and let go of Rebecca.

“Kurt, I’ll see Maxwell to the door, then I’ll make us a cup of tea, okay? Be a darling and put the kettle on please?”

Yeah, I’d noticed the looks they exchanged. There was a connection between them I didn’t understand.

“Tea? I’d love to have a cup of tea with you and Kurt. Besides, I'm not tired in the least. New York is six hours behind Munich, so it's not even close to my bedtime yet.”

There was no fucking way I was leaving with the German at Rebecca’s place. I'd come to claim my woman. She was mine. And I fiercely guarded what belonged to me. As long as Kurt understood that, we wouldn’t have any problems. But if he stepped into my territory, there would be hell to pay.

*****

I
showed Rebecca to our room, promising that James and Brent would go back to her place to collect her and Lily’s clothing and other personal items. I wasn’t letting her go back there. The paps would be swarming the fucking place for weeks.

“Why can't we go to the hospital to see Lily? The doctors have cleared us. I need to see her, please.” The look in her eyes nearly broke me. If I weren’t so worried about her safety, I would’ve crumbled and taken her there. I didn’t care what the media made of it for myself; my concern was with how it would affect Rebecca and her family.

“I’m sorry, baby. It's not safe for you to go there. It's better to bring Lily here. I promise every precaution will be taken to take good care of her.” I lifted her chin so I could look into her eyes. “Trust me?”

My guys had been digging for info on the attack. What they’d found so far wasn’t looking good. Some crazy fucker was running loose. I had to protect my woman and her sister until we got to the bottom of it.

“I do.” She slipped her arms around my waist and rested her cheek against my chest. In spite of everything that was happening around us, I felt at peace for the first time in a long, long time.

D
esperation had led me to fly to Munich to talk to Rebecca face to face.

She’d ignored my calls, and at first I believed it was because she didn’t want to speak to me. Then I saw the news flash about the attack on her sister and understood that she was distraught and preoccupied with other matters. Still, how could I explain the change in circumstances to her if she wouldn’t take my calls or reply to my messages?

There was only one solution; I'd have to force her to listen to me, just as I'd had to do the day I tracked her down at the Louvre in Paris. But more than that, I wanted to be there for her and support her through her ordeal. I wanted us to go back to the way we were before I made my crazy decision.

A decision that’s no longer valid
.

Since I’d stormed out of Valerie’s house a week ago, I’d contacted my lawyers to dissolve the prenuptials they were in the process of drawing up. Relief had washed over me that I was free from the duke and the pressures of duties he forced on me while I believed I was his son.

I made my way out of the airport to the car that waited for me in front of the exit doors. The crowd thinned, most passengers making their way to the taxi ranks. The sooner I got to the car, the sooner I could be on my way to track Rebecca down. I couldn’t stand to draw this out any longer.

The sliding doors opened to a beautiful sunny day. I reached for my sunglasses in my jacket pocket, taking long determined strides toward the waiting car. My breath hitched as I drew closer, my gaze falling on the long, wavy, red locks of the woman standing beside the black SUV in front of my car.

Rebecca
.

The driver was talking to her, so she had her back to me, but there was only one woman who had legs like those—from her dainty feet in death-defying heels all the way up to her luscious derrière in a tight navy skirt. Her beautiful hair glistened in the sunlight.

God, I missed her
. I couldn’t wait for the chance to bury my face in her hair again, sucking in the sweet aroma surrounding her.

I quickened my pace as the driver opened the door of the SUV and held out his hand to help her in. Fate had brought us together again, and this time, I wasn’t letting go until I had a wedding ring on her damn finger.