Unbroken (Fighting for Gisele #3) (5 page)

Gisele whimpered in pure delight. With Micah stretching and filling her, they tasted and suckled each other. She kissed his lips, his jaw, his ear, while Micah laved both gentle curves of her breasts and licked up her neck. Kissing again, he stuck his tongue to the back of her mouth and Gisele sucked lightly, making him groan.

The slick sounds of kissing echoed in the room as their passion exploded. In a heated frenzy, they kissed as Micah pounded into her. Gisele saw his arm muscles bulging as he gripped her ass to hold her tight while fucking her.

Hot and ravenous for her, Micah stroked into her violently, and Gisele’s breasts bounced with the effort, her nipples grazing his chest. The scruff along Micah’s jaw prickled her neck, causing sensation to shoot through her belly and tighten her clit.

Gisele felt Micah’s cock swell inside her, then pulse hard. He moaned loudly through heavy panting, and Gisele came apart in his arms. With her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms around his neck, she spiraled into an intense climax.

Gasping and panting, Gisele let the waves of pleasure roll though her as Micah released into her. He stroked hard and long, melting into her in the joy of the moment. When her body relaxed and Micah caught his breath, he lowered her feet back to the floor but didn’t release her.

Sweetly, Micah kissed her lips, and their pounding hearts gradually calmed. The nearness of her impossibly sexy man left Gisele floating on a cloud. Micah lifted her to the bed and got in beside her, holding her in spoon position. With her back to his muscled chest and his powerful arms around her, Gisele nuzzled against him.

Micah stroked her arm. “Sleep now, honey. I’m here.”

It was so nice to be away, and to have some breathing room. Even better was being in Micah’s protective embrace. Gisele wished the reprieve from danger would last. Yet as much as she preferred to hide away with Micah, they were scheduled for the first flight out in the morning…returning to Vegas and whatever the future held for them.

Chapter 5

The next morning, they took a nonstop flight so Micah could drop Gisele at home in plenty of time for her shift. He did
not
like leaving her there with the mob frustrated over the missing diamond. Yuri Danilov had expected to discover its location sooner.

Micah wondered if Gisele’s father Andrew had revealed his intention to leave the gem to his daughter. That would explain her family’s patience about waiting for her to take possession of it, since they’d thought it was only a matter of time. Yet now things were more complicated.

Would the mob wonder if Andrew had lied to them, thus making the prediction that Gisele would inherit the blue diamond false? Micah hoped they’d believe that, as such a diversion in thinking would slow them down. Yuri and his gang wouldn’t breathe down Gisele’s neck quite so hard. Instead they’d be trying to figure out where the diamond went.

Micah imagined the mob going crazy over the delay in obtaining the valuable item they sought. He was antsy to get Gisele out of their grasp. She assured him that the funds she inherited from her father had been dispersed, and she could move out anytime.

He’d reviewed strategy with Gisele, stressing that it was vital she get out of the complex permanently. She intended to buy a place, but temporarily move into an apartment until it was ready. The annoying part was having to move slowly, so as not to alert her brother that anything was amiss.

If Gisele appeared to be on the run, Alek would surely chase her, and that wouldn’t do. So Micah had dropped her at the door as he was expected to, in full view of the cameras. She’d been very open about spending time with him, so it made sense for her brother to see them together.

Micah was pretty sure they hadn’t been followed, but he was being careful. That was another reason he’d changed hotels, as there was no sense making it too easy for Gisele’s pursuers. He doubted they’d bugged his room, but erred on the side of caution.

On the way back to his hotel, Micah thought about the trip to Chicago. They’d gained some new information, and the insight was helpful. Plus, he’d had a few precious hours away from Vegas, giving him time to think.

Micah had his mind on more than just Gisele being under threat. He thought about her and about how he felt. There was no denying that he cared, and not only because he wanted to protect her. That was part of it, but there was more.

When Micah was with her, feelings deeper than he’d anticipated stirred within him. Moving on wouldn’t be so easy, and he wasn’t certain that he wanted to. Once the danger passed, if they both survived it, Micah didn’t know where he’d go from there.

With Gisele in his arms, the world seemed right. She was different, special, and he envisioned her as part of his life, at least for a while. The prospect of letting her go, even when it was safe to do so, was unsettling. Micah would need to ponder the situation, but for now he had more urgent matters to focus on.

When the cab pulled up in front of his hotel, Micah paid and got out. As he walked toward the entrance, he was lost in thought. He struggled to predict the mob’s next move, and failed to come up with anything solid. They were a ruthless, unpredictable bunch.

Anything could happen, and Micah didn’t like that. It was one thing to be in the ring and face an opponent. There were warning signs, indications of the enemy’s next move. But with a clandestine group like the Russian mob, a group who operated under the radar of law enforcement, there might be no forewarning of their next action.

*****

Gisele had to work Friday night, so Micah didn’t hear from her until Saturday. Since her phone had been tracked and was probably monitored, she called from a disposable phone when she was outside the walls of the complex.

Micah had slept late, recovering from the recent trip. He was just out of the shower when the phone rang. “Hi, honey…how are you?”

“I’m hanging in there,” Gisele said. “I put on a good performance yesterday. When I got home, I lounged by the pool for a while, making a show of relaxing.”

“Did Alek buy it?”

“I think so. He hasn’t come right out with anything yet. But I know my brother, and he’s unusually tense. I’m sure the pressure has escalated.”

“Is he behaving?” Micah said.

“Mostly, but he is aggravated. I can hear it in his voice,” Gisele said. “He’s caustic, almost rude, and finds ways to annoy me.” She paused. “I get the feeling that he hopes I’ll break down and spill the truth.”

“It’s only the element of doubt that’s keeping him at bay.”

“I know that,” Gisele said. “If Alek was sure I had the information he wants, he’d wring it out of me. But we’re at a stalemate.”

“And he isn’t arguing over you leaving?”

“Oh, he’d like to.” Gisele huffed. “But he knows I wouldn’t let him get away with it. I’ve put up with him, and stayed much longer than I had to. What can he say? He has no legitimate reason to hold me back.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t try.”

“Of course, he will maneuver if he thinks it will work,” Gisele said. “But I put him in his place this morning.”

“How did you do that?”

“He made one too many annoying comments, so I turned to him and said, ‘Soon I won’t have to put up with your aggravation.’”

“I would have liked to hear that,” Micah said.

“It felt good to tell him to back off. I’ve put up with too much, and I’m over it.” Gisele took a breath. “Sunday is my last night on duty. I don’t care if he’s found a replacement or not. I’m done, and I told him so.”

“I can’t wait to get you out of there,” Micah said. “Are we still on for tonight?”

“Yes, I wouldn’t miss it. Abby’s expecting us.”

“Luke and I will meet you in the lobby,” Micah said. At that evening’s performance of Zarkana, they would be in the audience. Abby was unaware of any danger lurking, and they intended to keep it that way.

When Abby invited Luke to see one of her performances, he’d accepted, and suggested that Micah come along. Gisele was excited about going to see the show as a way to support her friend in her career, adding, “Also…I think Luke is smitten with her.”

“No argument,” Micah had said.

That night, Micah and Luke showed up at the lobby early, but didn’t have to wait long for Gisele. She showed up wearing a sleeveless cream-colored dress with a skirt that flowed as she walked, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her long legs. Her hair was twisted up, and she wore a sparkling necklace studded with gems that Micah suspected were real diamonds.

Gisele glided across the carpet, smiling at them. “Good evening, gentlemen.”

Luke gave her a hug. “Good to see you.”

Micah kissed her. “You’re stunning in that dress.”

“Hmm, flattery.” Gisele batted her eyelashes. “I like that.”

The usher assisted them to locate their seats, and Luke went down the aisle first. Gisele sat next to him, and Micah sat on the other side of her. They spent a few minutes studying the program. The show was touring in Vegas and was labeled a reinvention of the old-time variety show.

It was a story about a magician in an abandoned theater who’d lost his love, along with his magic. When he’d cried and begged the gods for her return, he had been plunged into a world inhabited by surreal creatures.

Luke pointed to his program. “I meant to ask Abby what the title Zarkana meant. It says here that it’s a fusion of the words
bizarre
and
arcana
.”

“Yes, it’s referring to the place where the magician is sent, with its strange atmosphere and aura of the inhabitants,” Gisele said.

“Sounds very creative,” Micah said.

“You’ll enjoy it,” Gisele said. “I was at one of Abby’s first performances, but I’m looking forward to seeing it again. I enjoyed it so much.” She smiled. “Don’t be surprised that the performers don’t speak English.”

“How will we interpret what they say?” Luke said.

“You won’t need to,” Gisele said. “When the show opened in New York, the cast spoke English. But audiences found it difficult to follow the story. There was so much happening on stage that they couldn’t really listen to the lyrics. Abby explained to me that the performers created their own sort of circus language, and the audience loves it.”

“How will I know what’s happening if I don’t understand a word they’re saying?” Luke said.

“You just make up your own story in your mind to go with the action,” Gisele said. “You’ll see.”

Micah was intrigued, and when the curtain went up he was quickly caught up in the theatrical rock-music experience. There was a lot of acrobatics woven into magical scenes. Gisele was right that he understood what was going on. The made-up circus language worked well.

In a thrilling action scene, Abby was one of the acrobatic dancers. Gisele pointed her out as soon as she spotted her. Micah marveled at her performance; he hadn’t realized how talented she was.

At the end of the show the performers came back out on stage, and the audience stood up to clap and shout
bravo
. It had been very entertaining, and Micah witnessed the expression on Luke’s face, noting that he was duly impressed with Abby.

After the show, Abby changed into street clothes to go out for an after-theater dinner with them. Burgers would have been fine with Micah, but Luke opted for a more
haute cuisine
to celebrate Abby’s outstanding performance. He suggested a restaurant in the Cromwell that offered a fine dining experience.

The dining room had views of the Bellagio fountains and Caesars Palace. It was an Italian place with an open kitchen, and some of the guests watched the chefs prepare fresh pasta, bread, and desserts. The scent of freshly baked bread made Micah’s mouth water.

“Good choice,” Micah said as they sat down. The restaurant’s warm colors and comfortable furniture gave it a welcoming atmosphere. Retractable windows provided natural lighting during the daytime, and let in fresh air at night.

After ordering drinks, they perused the menu. “You were awesome on stage,” Gisele said, grinning at Abby.

“It was nice to know you were out there in the audience,” Abby said.

Micah looked at her “I have to say that I was impressed. I haven’t seen you perform before, and didn’t know you were so talented.”

“I appreciate the compliment,” Abby said. “But the other performers make me look good. Together we put on quite a show.”

Luke put his arm around Abby. “You were great.”

“I love it…everything about it,” Abby said. “I like that every day is different. In each performance we interact, play with each other, so there is a lot of improvisation.”

“It all appears so natural,” Gisele said.

“It becomes second nature.” Abby smiled. “I’ve watched a lot of cartoons to prepare. I know that sounds odd, but on a huge stage, my motions have to be a bit exaggerated. It’s to provide amusement, but there’s a lot of imagination involved.”

“Cartoons, huh?” Luke said.

Abby giggled. “Yes, really. My part isn’t just acrobatic, it’s acting too.”

The waiter came to take their orders, and the ladies ordered chicken cacciatore. Micah settled on the Bolognese rigatoni and Luke the spaghetti. While they waited for the meals to be prepared, they shared a bottle of wine and made quick work of the basket of bread.

Abby asked about Gisele moving out. “Have you found a place yet?”

“My realtor found a couple of good ones. I’m going to make an offer tomorrow on the one I like best,” Gisele said. “It will take a couple of weeks to close on the deal, and a few more to renovate. So I’m going to move into an apartment on a short-term rental.”

“Good idea,” Abby said. “You could stay with me, but my apartment is dinky.”

“Yes, I’ve been there.”

Abby wrinkled her nose. “But I know you’re sick of your brother.”

Gisele laughed, and if Micah hadn’t known, he would have thought that all was well.

The distress had been kept away from Abby. Micah observed how Gisele maintained her composure, not letting on that anything was wrong. She’d told him it was important to keep Abby out of it, to avoid pulling her into a potentially disastrous situation.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Gisele had said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with her, and she’s a good friend. I wouldn’t do that to her.”

Micah agreed that there was no reason to alarm her friend. The fewer people involved, the better. Luke was different, however, as he could handle whatever was thrown at him.

By the time the meal was over it was well past midnight. Luke and Abby left together, heading for the hotel. Micah had to take Gisele home, which he was reluctant to do. On the way, he said, “I want you out of there.”

“I’ll be out soon…I promise.” Gisele squeezed his hand. “Look at it this way: my enemy is close where I can keep an eye on him.”

“That’s not encouraging,” Micah said.

“Once I leave, we won’t know what Alek is up to.”

“I’ll take that chance.” Micah kissed her wrist. “I want this all to be over.”

“So do I,” Gisele said. “My brother asked to have an early breakfast with me, and I agreed.” She looked out at the darkness. “That’s mere hours from now. Alek knows that after tomorrow I won’t be there, so I didn’t want to refuse him.”