Reckless Abandon (Phantom Protector Book 1) (5 page)

“Gracie, Inform the pilots to get the
helicopters ready and stand by for further instruction.”

Her pen scratched against the notepad resting in
her lap.

Floyd rose from his seat and moved to pace
behind her. He was drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain. He placed his
palm on her shoulder and relished the feel of the softness of her skin. Her
breath hitched as she glanced to where his hand rested, waiting for her to pull
away from his advance. He grinned when she didn’t.

He leaned over her. His hand traveled down over
her collarbone. He lingered as he whispered in her ear. “I’ll be out of town
for the next few days, so take the rest of the week off. You’re going to need
the extra energy when I get back.”

He noticed her chest raised and lowered at a
more rapid pace. Yes, she’d do just fine.

“Yes, sir.” She nodded. “Is that all?”

Floyd thought for a moment before removing his
hand. He gave a gentle squeeze to Gracie’s shoulder. “For now, Gracie.”

She stood and glanced in his direction as she
nodded and walked out of the room, quietly pulling the double doors closed
behind her.

****

Gracie Lister, the youngest of General Lister’s
daughters, leaned back against the closed doors and clenched her eyes closed.
Her heart beat so rapidly it threatened to jump from her chest. She thought she
was going to be sick. Her father was going to kill her when she finally decided
to come clean about infiltrating the enemy. She’d paid attention and listened
when her dad had spoken about all of the troubles he’d had in finding the
elusive man. She remembered the shiver and dread that had filled her body when
she heard about the latest attack on her father’s men and Lydia Bennett almost
dying. She couldn’t sit by any longer and wait for someone to show up with the
dreadful news that her father was dead. So she’d done the one thing she knew
she could do.

She followed Lydia
and Rick, and that led her to the man who had tried to kill Lydia. Her
father had tried for years to catch the bastard. A different approach was
needed; a more thorough approach to take Floyd down along with any of his
partners. Their ensuing fight with Floyd’s guys had unwittingly lead her right
to the man her father was after. It had taken some work and a few promises of
dates yet to come, along with some lies on her part, but she’d pulled it off.
She’d convinced Jonah to make the fake IDs and establish a past that would
conceal her identity to her new employer. When she’d had everything in place
and the promise of a new career with Floyd, she’d announced to her family that
she was taking a trip around the world. They were none the wiser, expecting the
flighty version of a teenager that she’d always been. They’d expected so little
of her growing up that when she’d announced her adventure; her father and
sister didn’t even bat an eye. She’d been in Floyd’s employment for the last
two months, and he either hadn’t made a move or didn’t trust her enough to know
of the plans he was working on.

Gracie pushed from the doors and walked to her
desk stationed just outside the monster’s door. He was up to something, and it
was going to be up to her to figure it out. She only prayed that she caught
onto his plan before anyone else got hurt. She picked up the phone and dialed
the pilot’s number. “Greg?”

“Hey, Gracie, where have you been hiding?”

Gracie’s lips pulled into a smile. She really
was fond of the pilot. His joking manner had grown on Gracie. He’d been the
first to friend her when she’d moved onto the compound.

“I haven’t been hiding, Greg. I’ve been working,
but I’ve got a couple days off coming if you’d like to hang out.”

“Is that why you called? You missed me?”

She chuckled. “You wish. Mr. Floyd wants the
helicopters fueled and ready. He said he’d call with further instructions.”

“You can tell him I’ll be ready. Just hope it
doesn’t interfere with our plans later.”

Gracie’s heartbeat sped up. This was exactly
what she needed. She didn’t want to use her friend to gain information, but
that was exactly why she was here. She steeled her nerve and used her best
husky voice, the kind she used when she’d wanted to seduce a man. It hadn’t
failed her yet. “If it does, just send me a text and let me know.”

Greg cleared his throat. “Will do, sexy. I’ll
see you soon.”

“Thanks, Greg.”

She set the receiver down and went back to her typing
letters. Letters to an organization she didn’t even know existed, letting them
know that Floyd would be attending the fundraiser. Every business owner and
mafia boss were all expected to attend. Every bad guy in the United States
would be there…along with her. If she played her cards right…she’d eliminate
the threats against the people she loved in one night.

Chapter
5

Briggs blinked his eyes rapidly in succession,
trying to fight against their threat to close. He covered his mouth as he
yawned. He’d been driving for hours after the sleeping beauty finally fell to
sleep. Her breathing had eased as she rested. He’d kept his eye on the GPS,
turning every time the lady’s voice filled the car, maneuvering on the roads
like he knew where he was going. He didn’t.

He hadn’t had to stop for gas but knew his
reserve was probably running low. Night had fallen, and the glare of the full
moon and twinkling stars had been his only company. A motel, any motel, would
do for his needs—a shower and a quick nap, not to mention the fact he needed to
use the bathroom. Briggs pushed a button on the GPS, hoping there was a hotel
nearby. He watched as one dot pulled up on the screen indicating his salvation
was only two more miles up the road. He leaned forward in the seat, stretching
his back against the muscles that hurt. It was time to stop.

He released a breath when he pulled up to the
little motel in the middle of nowhere. Only a few cars graced the parking lot.
The vacancy sign light was shining like a beacon in the night. He parked the
SUV and quietly got out, locking Jamie inside. He pulled open the door that
indicated the office and secured a room around the corner. He paid and walked
back out the SUV. He clicked the unlock button and pulled Jamie’s door open. He
scooped her up in his arms with the keycard clutched in his fingers, kicking
the door closed with his foot.

She snuggled into his embrace and smiled. Her
arms moved unconsciously to entwine around his neck. He reached the door, slid
the key into the slot, and pushed it open. He tried his best not to jostle the
package in his arms. He walked over to the bed and laid her down. He ran his
hands up her arm, trying to disentangle her hold.

“You smell good,” she whispered as she opened
her eyes. Her eyes widened and showed a glimpse of unease.

“Aw, thank you, kitten,” he teased.

 
She let
her hands drop to her sides and pushed herself up on the bed. “Where are we?”

Briggs straightened. “One hundred miles outside
of your hometown. I need to get some sleep so we can get a fresh start
tomorrow.”

Jamie slid her legs off the side of the bed and
stood as she rubbed her eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me? I could have driven
while you slept.”

Briggs lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. “You
were sleeping peacefully. I didn’t have the heart.”

Briggs mentally scolded himself for the intimate
move. He’d wanted to touch her and shouldn’t have. He let his hand fall to his
side. Her gaze held his as if searching for something. It roamed over his face
and landed on his lips and almost threatened his resolve. He wasn’t going there,
not with her; he couldn’t.

He stepped back and pointed toward the door.
“I’m going to get our bags. Why don’t you try and get some more sleep?”

She glanced at the queen bed and back at him.
“Uh... only one bed.”

Briggs chuckled. “It’ll be fine. I promise to be
a gentleman.”

****

Jamie watched as Briggs left her in the hotel
room. He pulled the
Do Not Disturb
sign
from the desk and placed it around the outside door handle. Did she want him to
be a gentleman? She shook her head from where her thoughts threatened to tread.
She turned and spotted the door across the room. She walked into the bathroom.
It wasn’t as spacious as some of the ones in the compound, but it was a bit
larger than most hotels. The décor left more to be desired, but she wouldn’t
complain. It had a commode, shower, and sink.
 
Complementary shampoo and conditioner sat on top of the sink and two
fluffy white towels on shelf above the commode. That was all a girl could hope
for.

She ran her hand over the fake tile on the sink
and glanced up in the mirror. Her eyes were heavy with dark bags around her unique
violet eyes. She pushed the door closed to freshen up. She used the bathroom,
washed her hands, and splashed water on her face. Max needed it more than her,
so she dried her hands and stepped out of the bathroom.

Max sat on the bed, facing the bathroom door, his
elbows on his knees and his head hung.

“It’s all yours. I’ll take my shower when you
get finished.”

Max nodded once and walked past her carrying his
duffel bag. He shut the door, and moments later, she heard the shower start.
Jamie walked over to the window and peeked outside. Her eyes scanned the
parking lot for a white van. Nothing out of the ordinary caught her eye. Jamie
closed her eyes and let the curtain fall back in place. They were safe for now.
She turned toward the sound of the shower.
Or
was she
?

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d shared
a hotel room with a man. Growing up, she hadn’t been like the other girls in
her school, the ones who cared about makeup, clothes, and boys. She had a goal,
and those things were going to do nothing but get in her way, and that was
something she couldn’t afford.

Jamie unzipped her bag and pulled out the little
bag of toiletries. She hadn’t known what to pack so she packed a bit of
everything—jeans, sweaters, nice dress pants and a black dress that would work
for any occasion. She pulled out her Glock and revolver and checked to make
sure they were loaded. She looked from one pillow to the next, unsure of which
side the giant slept on. She placed her six-shooter beneath the pillow closest
to the bathroom door and changed into her tiny shorts and an oversized T-shirt
while she waited for access to the shower. The room had seen better days, but
at least it was clean with new linens on the bed. The furniture looked a bit
old with scratches, but it was a nicer room than she’d had growing up. A chest
of drawers sat against the wall at the end of the bed. It held an older
television and a microwave. A small refrigerator sat to the side. A two-seater
table sat underneath the window. An ironing board had been pushed up in the
corner with an iron sitting atop a shelf above it.

She wasn’t tired anymore. She’d slept like a
baby in the SUV. Her lack of sleep last night had caught up with her. She’d
felt safe with Max behind the wheel. She had some underlying belief that he
would keep them out of trouble, and she’d assumed right. She climbed up on the
bed, resting her back against the headboard and crossed her legs. She picked up
the remote and started scanning the channels. She wasn’t looking for anything
specific, just as a way to calm her nerves.

Jamie listened as the shower cut off. The door
opened moments later. Max walked out with a towel secured low around his waist.
He carried his bag in one hand as he ran a hand through his short, wet hair.
Tattoos on both biceps teased her eyes. Jamie bit the inside of her lip to stop
her from asking about the intricate designs her fingers wanted to trace. His
muscular legs and eight-pack abs were a thing of beauty. His skin had been
kissed by the sun, and she wondered when he’d had the time.

Jamie swallowed around the lump in her throat
but couldn’t pull her gaze from the man who would be sleeping with her in the
bed.

“I tried to hurry. I lived with Abby for a while
before I found my house in Southall. I know how you girls hate it when we use
all of the hot water.”

Jamie frowned. A lick of jealousy assaulted her,
and she couldn’t figure out why. She didn’t own the man. Hell, he could do
whatever he wanted. Still, it didn’t stop her from asking. “Abby? As in Abby
Bennett?”

“The one and only.” Max sauntered past her to
the other side of the bed. “Is this okay with you?”

Jamie shook her head from her thoughts. ‘Huh?”

He pointed to the other side of the bed closest
to the door. “I don’t know how you sleep. I always sleep closest to the door
when I’m out of town.
 
Is it all right if
I take this side?”

She waved her hand in the air. “Sure.” She used
her thumb and pointed to the bathroom as she grabbed her bag of toiletries.
“I’m just going to go…uh… I’m going to go get ready for bed.”