Chapter 8
Spencer
Given what she’s been through Audrey is proving to be remarkably adaptable.
By the time we arrive at the hiking trail, I could almost believe she’s totally okay with everything that’s happened.
My gaze travels to her lips, and rather than think about the shit we’re in, I’m right back on the island doing everything I can to get her to stay with me.
But unlike the island, the abandoned Ranger’s Hut I plan to take her to, isn’t going to have quite the same effect on her.
Since she’s not exactly dressed for a hike, in her shorts, and sandals, it’s going to take us twice as long to get to where we need to be.
Not that I’m complaining.
The more time I spend with her, in and out of bed, the more I find reasons to like her company.
“So, your father is a cop and your cousin married one,” I say.
Her eyebrow arches as we walk further into the bush. “Is that a question or a statement?”
I chuckle. “Neither. It’s me trying to find out if this is a family thing.”
She frowns at me. “A thing?”
“Yeah. You know. Cops. Dating them. That sort of thing. As in, is there a guy wearing a uniform pining for you back in Atlanta?”
She snorts a laugh. “Cops are most definitely not my thing.”
At the sound of hikers coming down the trail towards us, I grab her hand and steer her into the bushes.
She looks me over, probably at the blood on my clothes. “I hope you have a spare change of clothes at this mystery location?”
I nod. “And a first aid kit. But back to these cops you aren’t dating…does this mean there’s a chance for me then?”
It was meant as a joke, but she looks anything but amused. “This isn’t funny. This is my life.”
I flinch. “I know. I’m sorry.”
She gestures to the track. “I think the coast is clear,” she says.
I take her hand and pray we don’t run into anyone else as we carry on walking on the trail.
When we come to the broken fence, I help her climb over and breathe a sigh of relief we are now off the track.
She doesn’t ask me any questions and I’m not sure I could answer them if she did.
I’m still trying to figure it out when we reach the hut. “Home sweet home,” I say with a grin.
Audrey looks over the ramshackle shack I’ve claimed as my own. “What is this exactly? Your hideout?”
I shrug. “One of them.”
Her eyebrows rise but she doesn’t say a word as I steer her inside.
I walk across the rotting floorboards and pull out the key so I can unlock the cabinet I keep here.
I glance at her as she takes in the one-roomed shack.
Her face falls and I feel a bite of regret I didn’t take her somewhere nicer. “Bit of a let-down after the beach house, eh?” I say.
She surprises me by smiling wryly. “It has a certain rustic charm to it.”
At Audrey’s joke, I snort a laugh, open the bag and rummage around until I pull out a handgun, and a first aid kit.
She frowns and reaches for the first aid kit. “Your nose has started bleeding again.”
Her eyes roam my face. “Does anyone know about this place?”
I shake my head and take a seat as she pulls out a small bottle of distilled water and some swabs. “I keep my private life, very private,” I say.
Her brow knits as she pours some water onto the swab and leans over me. “I guess in your line of work you’d have to.”
I wince as she wipes the blood from my nose. “You still haven’t told me what you do for a living,” I say.
Her eyes find mine and I see a flickering of doubt in her eyes. “I’m not sure that’s something I want to share with someone like you.”
My eyebrow cocks. “You think I’ll use it against you? What are you a stripper?”
Her lips press together, and she doesn’t say a word as she unpeels a bandage and sticks it on the cut above my eyebrow.
“You would use it against me, wouldn’t you?” she says.
I slide my hands around her waist. “No,” I say.
She looks down at me, tension etched on her pretty face, tension I know that’s down to what I’ve put her through. “And what if someone wanted to blackmail me? You’re perfectly positioned to take advantage of me.”
Hands now on her ass, I jerk her closer and infuse as much sincerity into my voice as I can muster. “I don’t blackmail people unless they in positions of power and abuse it. And unless I’m mistaken, that’s not who you are.”
She looks about as convinced as I’d expect her to right now. “I’m not in a position of any power. My father has made sure of that. If he’d had his way I’d be living in a Nunnery.”
At the challenge in her voice, I remove my hands and stand so we’re eye to eye.
She lifts her chin, licks her lip, and looks so unbelievably sexy in this dump, I’m about ready to confess everything.
“So, what do you do for a living. My money is on an accountant?”
She shakes her head and leans her hip against the table.
I look at the first aid kit. “Nurse?”
She snorts. “I thought you said you were good at this? What happened?”
I growl and make a grab for her so I can pull her in close. “You happened and you’re throwing me off my game.”
I think she’s going to protest but she doesn’t resist when I stand and press my swollen lips against hers.
And when she links her arms around my neck, I know I’m going to do everything I can to keep this woman in my life.
***
Audrey
With his tongue in my mouth, once again, I seem to be losing all control of myself.
He’s everything I shouldn’t want, but God help me I want him so bad, I don’t hesitate when he lifts me up and places me on the table.
I wrap my legs around him and kiss him back as every single reason this is a bad idea floats away on a wave of need.
And I do need him. More than I want to admit.
He’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in years.
Before I do something worse than run away from my father’s help, I break the kiss and take a breath.
“I am not having sex with you in this dinghy little shack while we’re on the run,” I say.
Spencer sighs heavily and looks even more flustered than I feel. “Fair enough. And we should probably stay alert. Just in case.”
But I can’t seem to move away from him. My arms are still around his neck, and my heart is beating wildly in my chest.
Worse, my nipples are hard, and just from one kiss, I can feel moisture in my panties. “You’re the devil, aren’t you?” I say.
His lip curls but he doesn’t deny it, just kisses me with enough heat to make me forget I’m not this kind of girl.
His mouth moves from my lips to kiss my cheek, then my neck. I throw my head back and moan. “I can’t do this, here,” I pant.
His breath is hot and desperate in my ear. “I need to fuck you.”
At the urgency in his voice, and my own fever, I know I’m close to tipping over the edge.
Even though it’s reckless and dangerous, and just plain stupid, or maybe because it is all of those things, I want him to fuck me.
I moan as his hand slips between my thighs and he pushes my panties aside so he’s fingering my clit.
I can barely breathe let alone think about why this is a bad idea. My mind seems to have separated from my body, and my hands are sliding down his incredibly hard shaft.
Now past the point of no return, all my convictions fly out the window. Before I can think about it, I’m pulling his shirt over his head, and grabbing his cock.
Our mouths pressed against each other; I flick my tongue around his mouth until he’s gripping the back of my head.
In one move, he flips me on my back and manages to push my panties aside and slips inside me.
I dig my nails into his ass, marking him, claiming him as mine, even if he shouldn’t be.
I reach up and grab his hair, demanding he fuck me harder, rougher, like the criminal he is.
I throw my head back, hands flailing wildly as I scatter everything off the table, including the first aid kit and the gun.
But I don’t care.
All I can see, all I can feel, is him.
His eyes lock on me, as he pounds me harder, rougher, dirtier than I’ve ever had before.
Ripples of exquisite pleasure begin to build in my clit, and I start to moan.
His hand clamps over my mouth, stifling my scream. I bite into his flesh as a climax takes over my entire body in one gloriously forbidden rush.
When I’m done, he takes his hand off my mouth and starts to pound me so hard, the table is moving on the floor.
His face twists in pleasure as he comes almost soundlessly. His body stops shuddering and he releases a breath and steps back from where I’m panting on the table.
It takes me a few seconds before I adjust my clothes and can think straight.
He raises his hand and I’m a little alarmed to see I bit him so hard, I’ve drawn blood. “I hate to see what my ass looks like.”
To deflect and to try to reclaim my brain, I clear my throat and give myself a mental cold shower, even still, my voice comes out rough. “How do we find out who the agents are working for?”
He slides his hand into his pocket and pulls out a cell. “I’ll make a few calls.”
When he moves to step outside, I grab his wrist. “Make them on speakerphone.”
At the way his eye twitches, it’s obvious he’s never had anyone hold him accountable for his actions before. “I can’t do that,” he mumbles.
My hands slide to my hips. “Why? Because you’ve done worse things than I already know about you?”
He shakes his head, and I flinch at the sincerity in his voice. “Because I’ll incriminate you further.”
My mouth opens but nothing comes out. He’s right. The more he tells me, the more I’ll either have to defend or deny should this go to court.
I blow out a breath. “Fine. Go make your calls. I need to call my father anyway.”
He nods but reaches around me to the bag on the table. “Use one of my burner phones. The last thing we need is your father sending a bunch of trigger-happy cops up here because he’s managed to track your cell.”
Since that’s a very real possibility I just accept the phone. “How long do you think we’ll need to stay here?” I ask.
He shrugs and looks around the shack. “Don’t think we can stay here long. Maybe a night or two.”
I frown. “You really expect me to stay here while we figure this out? You’re now a wanted man.”
His lip curls into a cheeky smile. “Wanted by you?”
I snort a laugh. “That’s not the point.”
The smile slips from his battered face and he nods. “What if it was? What if I told you we could leave all this and go live on an island for real?”
I shake my head. “This is ludicrous. And you’re insane.”
“You’re here with me. What does that make you?”
I fold my arms across my chest. “I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure that out,” I mutter.
He grins and waggles his eyebrows. “Let me know when you do, in the meantime, I’m going to make these calls.”
I’m so flummoxed by my behavior, I just let him walk out the door.
With a sigh, I hold the disposable phone out and am about to call my father when I decide Beth might be a safer go-between.
I double-check I have it right by checking my phone, then tap out her number and take a seat on the rickety chair at the table.
Eyes on the door, I tense as I wait for Beth to pick up.
By now my father would have sent someone to the resort and they’ll be watching her closely.
Spencer was right to have me use another phone.
Until I know what he’s been implicated in, and I have been, I need to be very cautious.
No matter which way I look at it, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. And Spencer might be the only person capable of freeing me.
When Beth doesn’t even ask who is calling her, and she sounds inordinately cheerful, so I know she can’t speak freely. “Hi! So glad you called, Jules.”
Jules? The girl who bullied Beth mercilessly in high school.
I scramble to think of how to ask her questions when she laughs. “It’s been ages, are you still in Miami?”
I suck in a breath. There’s only one reason she’s acting so strangely. I don’t really need to ask but I whisper. “How much trouble am I in?”
She laughs again. “Shit loads, girl! Things stink! But I’m so happy you’re having an adventure. God knows you deserve one after your mom and everything.”
Cold trickles down my spine. Beth never brings up my mom’s death.
She knows what that did to me. She’s smart enough to know she can’t talk freely about the trial or about my father.
That she is now speaking in code, proves how bad things have gotten.
“Is this about my father? Are his people there with you?”
“Oh, hell yes! Absolutely. If I could I’d go.”
Go? What on earth is going on?
“You think I should leave Miami?”
“Ha! I’m jealous. I wish I could take an extended vacation. You should totally go for it. Never mind me.”
Shit. Shit. Shit!
My heart starts to thump against my ribs. “Are you okay?”
She laughs again but this time, the sound makes my stomach flip. “Yeah. My knight in shining armor is with me.”
I finch. Of course, she called Gary. “I’m sorry.”
Her voice comes out sounding more sincere. “Don’t be.”
The line goes dead and I’m so stunned she’s telling me to leave Miami with Spencer, I just stare at the phone.
***
Spencer
As I call my little brother, Kurt, I keep my eyes on the fence, just I case anyone decides to wander up here.
He picks up instantly. “What the fuck did you do? I’ve got Mike calling me and there’s a manhunt underway for someone who fits your description and some chick you’re screwing.”
I should have known things would escalate fast.
I rub a hand over my face. “I didn’t know she was the daughter of the Chief. It’s a coincidence.”
He chokes on a laugh. “That’s one cluster fuck of coincidence, Spence. What the hell were you thinking of taking her to the island?”
I glance back at the shack, and step away in case Audrey can hear me. “Someone set me up. You need to find out who.”
“And how am I supposed to do that? I’ve got the feds breathing down my neck, Mike is pissed, and he wants an explanation. This was supposed to be a simple job.”
“Yeah well, someone knew I was on the island, and they knew why. They didn’t go after me directly, they came after her, Kurt. They knew who she was, and they still went after her.”
He mutters under his breath. “You’re fucked, bro. Well and truly.”
“Not necessarily. I might be able to fix this.”
I can hear the mocking in his voice. “Hate to be the one to tell you, but you need to ditch her before daddy dearest blows your fucking head off.”
I shake my head. “I think I’m safer with her.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re thinking with your dick. However things started with this chick; I guarantee it’ll end with you dead.”
My eyes slide to the shack. “Not if I’m smart, and not if you help me figure who tipped off the Feebs.”
“Fuck, Spence. You don’t get it, do you? Her father will do everything he can to find her. And I don’t know who you think this woman is, but I’ve been digging. The media aren’t saying much about her, but I managed to find out this isn’t her first brush with a guy on the wrong side of the law.”
My spine stiffens. “What do you mean?”
He blows out a breath. “Looks like she ran off the rails once before. She hooked up with a real lowlife when was eighteen and in college studying law. She got kicked out.”
Shit. I did not see that coming.
Eyes locked on the door; my head starts to spin at how little I know about Audrey. “She was studying law?”
“Yeah. But according to my contact, she was asked to leave.”
I flinch and wish I’d pushed a little harder to get some background before I’ve pulled her further into this.
He near growls the words. “If this is a game for her, it’s one she’s played before.”
My stomach tightens as I consider what he’s saying.
It makes sense. All of it.
“I’m going to need a new ID, and cash,” I say.
He grunts. “If they haven’t arrested me, or shot me, I’ll arrange it.”
No longer sure about Audrey, or how in control I am, I start walking towards the shack.
