Grant

Grant stood at the heliport. That day was a wake-up call. A day of admitting that power, position, and money couldn’t do a damn thing to ensure the safety of his woman. There were always people more powerful and loftier than he was, and those with more money than he had. That day was indeed a lesson in humility. It was people who mattered. It was his faith and trust in people of strength and integrity that would bring his woman back. As the cold wind of the Hudson River whipped his trench coat around him, the words of Viktor Baran replayed in his head. Grant had wanted in on the rescue mission, but the lead guardian was firmly against it.

“Mr. Thorne, I understand what you’re going through. Most of us have experienced it. We understand how important it is for you to be there for Ms. Callahan, but we’re a rapid response team. We conduct our missions with surgical precision. We put hours into training to be the best and function as a unit. We trust the other to have our back. We can read each other’s moves without hesitation. For the safety of my men and the success of this mission, we can’t babysit a civilian. You want Blaire and Val back—you have to trust us to do our fucking job.”

And that was the end of it. Grant had no reason to be stupid. He checked his ego at the door of his penthouse. He stood beside his dad with his hands shoved in his pockets. He found it the only effective way to keep from pacing the heliport like a deranged madman.

Details had been coming in, but they were sketchy. Apparently, Blaire and Val had escaped and were found speeding down Route Nine in Columbia County.

The BlackHawk appeared in the horizon and his father patted him on the shoulder in a gesture of mutual reassurance. Their agonizing wait was almost over. As the chopper descended, the blades kicked up stinging mist from the river, but he refused to back away. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion like a dream. It was hypnotic. The rhythmic sound of the engine, the rotation of the blades, the chopper landing, and its door sliding open. Grant’s pulse and breathing quickened as two Guardians hopped off and helped the women step out.

Then he saw her face.

His Blaire.

She had a blanket wrapped around her. She looked so lost and her face was pinched as she struggled in those first few steps. And then she saw him and a glow of happiness lit her face, her stunning smile filling his chest with a riot of emotions.

His Blaire.

She ran toward him while his long strides shortened the distance between them. He caught her in his arms and lifted her up. Hazel eyes brimming with tears stared down at him and he lowered her slowly and kissed her with all the desperation and anguish of the past day and replaced them with all the love, yearning, and joy of her return.

“Teddy!” Val shouted and his sister leapt into his arms. Not letting go of Blaire with his left arm, he hugged Val with his right and planted a kiss on top of her head. And then a miracle of miracles happened. Val grinned at Blaire.

The senator came over to greet Blaire and took her momentarily from his arms. Grant spied Sully and Viktor observing the happy reunion. Leaving the women with the senator, he walked over to the Guardians and extended his arm to shake hands with both men.

“Thanks for getting my girls back,” Grant said gruffly.

“They almost didn’t need us,” Viktor gave a crooked grin. “Your fiancée kicked ass.”

“Can’t wait to hear all about it at the debrief,” Sully said. “Your office or the penthouse?”

“Penthouse,” Grant said. “I want them to feel comfortable.”

Both men nodded.

Grant turned around and headed back to his woman and hugged her tightly. “Love you so much, Angel.”

She stood on tiptoes, kissed him and mouthed, “Love you, too.”

* * *

Blaire and Val finished their debriefing with Sully. Grant was still reeling from what he’d heard, but he couldn’t be prouder of his woman and sister. He didn’t think he could fall more in love with Blaire, but he just did. His woman was a badass. Sully smirked at him as the Guardian packed up the recording equipment. Blaire glanced helplessly over her shoulder as Val dragged her out of the room. His sister wanted to make Blaire her specialty drink.

“Wow,” was all Grant said.

“Your fiancée should consider a career change. The Guardians would welcome her.”

“Not fucking likely.”

Sully chuckled. “It was kinda embarrassing when our cavalry arrived. We hardly did anything. Our crew chased and rounded up Spencer and his men and retrieved the paintings. Not a single shot was fired.”

Grant felt a corner of his mouth tip up. “I’m glad she has her old fire back. You heard what happened down in Miami?”

Sully nodded.

“Orlov beat the fight out of her and then she lost her best friend.”

“She just needed that catalyst,” Sully said. “And your sister was it.”

“I’m so proud of Val, too,” Grant said. “She has been spoiled all her life and she pulled through when it counted.”

“Adversity brings out the best or worst in people. The best won.”

They both fell silent for a few seconds in silent agreement.

Grant exhaled a weary sigh. “What will happen now?”

“Well, the senator and Viktor are in a meeting with the FBI and DOJ. We’re finding ourselves in a gray area. Legally, Viktor can’t hold Spencer and his crew, so they’re going to charge them with grand larceny, kidnapping, and conspiracy to murder Amelia Thorne.”

“And the paintings?”

The other man eyed him warily. “We’ll need Blaire to recover the account numbers.”

“What will happen to the money?” Grant demanded. “I want it out of our lives as soon as possible.”

“Our analyst will work on securing the accounts. That money is a culmination of thirty years of organized crime. Drugs, prostitution, arms trafficking—you name it. The agency will freeze the money or put it to better use.”

“And Yashkin?” The mastermind of it all.

The other man smiled enigmatically. “Don’t worry about him.”

They walked out of his office and saw the joviality in the living room. Val was snuggled up against their mother. Blaire was talking to Jake and Tyler, while Colette was busy fluttering about in the kitchen.

“I’m sure you can’t wait to get back to your family,” Sully said, extending his hand. “It was a pleasure, Mr. Thorne. We’ll be in touch regarding the paintings and if we have any more questions.”

He gripped the Guardian’s hand firmly. “Thanks, Sullivan. For everything.”

* * *

“Alone at last,” Grant murmured into Blaire’s ear as the last of their bodyguards entered the elevators. His parents and Val left ten minutes before midnight. It had been a stressful, emotional, long-ass twenty-four hours, and he was ready to put the day behind him.

“Hmm,” Blaire hummed, leaning back against him and resting her hands on his arms that were wrapped around her.

“Although I’d say,” Grant said. “I’m a bit hurt.”

Blaire’s suppressed laugh made him grin like an idiot. She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “What has offended you this time?”

“I’m no longer Val’s favorite person,” he teased. “She couldn’t stop gushing about ‘Blaire this’ and ‘Blaire that’ as if you were the second coming of Christ.”

“The novelty will pass,” she patted his arm as if reassuring a child. “You’ll be her favorite person again, but I hope we’ve bonded over our shared ordeal for it to be lasting.”

Grant snorted. “Well, I hope you won’t need something this intense for future bonding.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “My heart couldn’t take it.” His mouth found her lips and they shared slow drugging kisses. After the adrenaline and intensity of the day, he wanted to make slow love to her. They rocked back and forth like lovers in a slow dance with him expertly moving them closer to the bedroom. He lifted his lips a fraction. “Thanks for saving my sister.”

“She drove the getaway car. In that moment, we worked as a team. We saved each other.”

The events of the day suddenly overwhelmed him with need, and, with a growl, he pressed her against the wall, snaked his hand under her skirt and found her wet behind her panties. Groaning his approval, his button and zipper were opened in a flash. “I can’t wait to have you. I wanted to go slow, but, fuck, I need to be inside you now.” He freed his cock, lifted her up, pushed the scrap of lace aside and surged inside her.

“Grant, the bedroom is right there,” Blaire gasped as her legs struggled to find purchase around him.

“Don’t care,” he buried his face in the glorious skein of her hair as he thrust in deliberate measured strokes, savoring the tight, wet pussy and fighting against the urge to take her hard. She’d experienced too much violence that day, she needed a calmer pace, so he loved her with a gentleness he hadn’t used before.

“Grant,” she whimpered. “I need more.”

“No, Angel, let me give you this,” he raised his head to gaze at her. Their breaths mingled as he teased her with the smooth glide of his cock as he rocked her against the wall. He moved inside her for long minutes, the build to their climax slow, until they came together in a sigh of emotions. Faith overcoming uncertainty, courage overcoming fear, and love overcoming all.