“Oh, you’re leaving the church tonight, but you aren’t going far.” Rourke would not let Jennifer slip through his fingers again. He was determined Jennifer would be his woman for real, and he would do whatever it took to not only make her safe but to secure his position as the man in her life, forever.

Jennifer didn’t know it yet, but she was his everything. First, he needed to take care of her stalker. Then, when Jennifer was safe, Rourke would talk to her about their future. She had far too much fear and anxiety crowding her brain for him to ask her to make a life-changing choice now. It wasn’t fair to broach the subject when her world was so overturned. Even if he did want to throw the woman over his shoulder and carry her away.

Rourke kissed the top of her bent head to soften the steel in his dictatorial proclamation. He didn’t want Jennifer to think he was another Evan, forcing her to his will. Rourke would never force her to do anything. Judging by the way she melted into his arms and stayed there, Jennifer was just as caught by the unexpected emotions coursing between them as Rourke. It was a good foundation for Rourke to build on when Jennifer was ready. He just had to take care of that fucker, Evan. He had to set her free of the fear looming over her before Jennifer could make any real decisions that would involve the rest of her life. A life Rourke wanted her to spend with him.

Rourke was going to kill the son of a bitch who put so much terror into his woman. Jennifer trembled in his arms after relating the events that lead to her being installed in the church kitchen. At first, he believed Jennifer was about to share an all too common tale of domestic abuse. Then, things took a sharp turn. Abusing a woman, or anyone for that matter, was bad enough, but this was a completely new level of fucked up. She’d been, for lack of a better term, possessed by this Evan prick. He plucked Jennifer out of her life and forced her into his world. A world of organized crime and violence.

Rourke kept his cool for the most part, as he listened to Jennifer’s story, but internally, he was beating his chest with triumph. Jennifer didn't love the asshole. She hadn’t even cared much for the prick who’d held her prisoner. She hadn’t fucked him either, not even after weeks of dating. Yet, Rourke and Jennifer had helplessly fallen into each other arms the day they met. This went a long way to calming Rourke’s anxiety over Jennifer not wanting to be shackled to a military man, especially when she could have a wealthy man if she chose, but she was with Rourke, trustingly snuggled into his arms.

When Jennifer finished, they both lapsed into silence, both lost in their own heads for a time. Rourke was enjoying holding Jennifer in his arms and stroking her smooth skin while he worked out a plan of action. The gradual building of tension in Jennifer’s body forewarned Rourke that she was about to say something he wouldn’t like. He waited patiently for her to get up the nerve to say whatever was on her mind. He was a SEAL. The SEALs could outwait anyone. So he didn’t feel the need to press her to speak.

“I can’t allow you to become involved in this mess, Rourke. It’s too dangerous. You mean too much to me to let that bastard hurt you. I’d rather go back to Evan, myself, than to let him ever touch you.” She was back to trembling. The quaver of sorrow in her voice reignited Rourke’s rage.

With every word she spoke, Jennifer’s body became tenser. She was genuinely afraid of this man. The fury expanded and grew in Rourke’s guts until he couldn’t sit still any longer. He dislodged Jennifer from his chest and climbed out of the broken bed. It was time for action. He jerked on his underwear and pants. All the while, he was trying not to look like the demon he could be when in a temper. Grown men with military training would run when Rourke lost his temper. The last thing Rourke wanted was to scare Jennifer off. He had to play it cool until he had a deserving target for his rage.

Jennifer reached over to right the toppled lamp and turned it on. She pulled the sheet they’d been laying on top of up over her breasts and sat up with those lovely, lean dancer’s legs tucked up against her chest. She looked like a frightened kid instead of the graceful woman he knew Jennifer to be. It made Rourke want to punch someone in the worst way.

“Are you leaving?” Jennifer asked with hurt in her voice. “I was hoping you might spend the night.” She squared her shoulders and firmed the lusciously full lower lip that had begun to quiver. “You’re right, of course.” She nodded, blinking back tears. “For your safety, it’s better that you go now. I’ll be leaving tonight, too. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t.”

Jennifer was trying to let him off the hook. It was laughable. His tiny dancer was attempting to relieve him of the burden she felt she was to him. She turned her head and covertly wiped away a tear that had escaped her control. Rourke smiled, but Jennifer didn’t see it. She hadn’t yet realized that he didn’t want to be free of her, not ever. The connection between them grew stronger by the minute. Jennifer didn’t want him to go. Rourke never wanted to leave her.

Rourke climbed back onto the crumpled bed and pulled Jennifer onto his lap. He brushed the smooth, honey gold hair out of her face and kissed her slowly and sweetly, with infinite care so she’d know his anger wasn’t with her, but that fucker he was going to take apart from the ground up. “I’ll have to leave for a short time, but I’ll be back to get you after I’ve consulted with Luc. I meant it when I said you’re mine. I’m not letting go.”

“But Rourke . . .” She looked so worried, for him, and Rourke loved her even more for it. He loved Jennifer. There was no denying it. He loved Jennifer, and he’d do anything to keep her by his side.

“No, there is no argument here, baby. I’m not walking away from you. We need this situation resolved so we can move on to things that are more important. Do you understand me? Once I take care of Evan, you and I are going to have a serious discussion about the future. I’m not letting you go.”

“There’s more. He’s still searching for me.” Rourke raised a quizzical eyebrow.  “I know I'm not paranoid now. I know for sure that he’s still looking. They almost got me today.”

“What?” Rourke didn’t mean to shout the question in her face, but she’d managed to surprise him. He thought she’d been safely hidden.

“I put on those men’s clothes and went to my apartment today. I needed to get the money I had saved before I’m evicted. I also needed some clothes.”

“What happened?” Rourke could feel his temper rising again.

“Evan convinced my neighbor we’d had a lover’s quarrel. He told her I was away visiting my family. He wanted her to give him a call when I got home so he could come make amends. He made it sound very romantic.”

“So she called him?” he asked.

“She did. I was packing a bag when I saw the black sedan. A herd of men poured out, and I knew they were there for me. I ran from my apartment and just made it into the laundry room in the hall before they kicked in my apartment door. Marcy, that’s my neighbor, she felt terrible. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have gotten away. I had stuffed my savings in my pocket, and Marcy gave me her savings to help me get out of town.”

“That’s where that wad of cash came from.” He was thinking aloud.

“Yes. I was just returning to gather my meager possession and change before I went to the bus station. So you see, it’s still a dangerous situation. I have to get out of the church before he finds me here. I have to get out of Vegas before he finds me period.”

“You’re not leaving Vegas. At least not without me, and not before I find a way to be sure you’ll be safe. We’re going to my place. I will protect you. Evan will never get you.”

Jennifer’s ocean blue eye’s resonated hope when she peered up at Rourke. He wanted to have her look at him that way every day. Like he was the answer to all of her prayers. If he played his cards right, Rourke’s life would change forever. In such a short time, he turned from a career military man who never wanted a real commitment, to a man who wanted nothing more than to belong to this one woman and come home to her every night.

Rourke kissed Jennifer again, more passionately, and he was gratified to know that she was just as susceptible to the heat between them as he was. He had to break away from the kiss, or he’d be stripping out of his clothes again. Jennifer sighed and relaxed against his chest with her head on his shoulder.

Rourke was working through all the possibilities in his skull. Things were beginning to make a lot more sense now. Evan appeared to have a significant role in the Vegas crime syndicate. If this asshole were working for the local crime lord, Rourke would have a tougher job on his hands than he initially anticipated. Rourke would have to be careful not to bring retribution down on Luc. He needed to do some serious recon before taking action.

At the same time, Evan’s connection to organized crime would make this a much cleaner operation. Rourke was an operator. He could get in and out leaving only corpses in his wake before anyone could sound an alarm. It would look like a hit had been carried out. It would be an entirely acceptable motive for the deaths in the eyes of the local cops in Evan’s pockets. They knew exactly the kind of shit Evan was dealing.

One way or the other, Evan MacGraff was a dead man. Rourke had killed men in the line of duty. He hated it. There were nights he couldn’t sleep for remembering the dead eyes of men he’d killed. The war was over, but the horror still continued in other parts of the world.

Selfish, power-hungry men like Evan ruined lives around the globe. Rourke wouldn’t allow him to destroy Jennifer. If Rourke and Luc couldn’t find another way to end her torment and make life safe for her, whether she chose to be with Rourke or not, then Rourke would kill Evan and anyone who got in his way. He would swallow the guilt and suffer the nightmares. What he wouldn’t do was let the woman he loved go on living in fear, hiding and disguising herself as if she were the criminal.

“I’m going to make things right for you, Jennifer. I swear it. I’m going to see Luc. I want to ask what he knows about Evan and fill him in on the full details. Once I have a plan of action, I’ll return to pick you up. We’re going to my place. You’ll be safe there, and the Davis’ will no longer be involved. Okay?” Rourke asked for her agreement with his plan and prayed she’d fall in line because if she if she ran again, he would lose his mind.

“Okay, I’ll stay here and wait for you,” she agreed a bit timidly. Her cheeks were flushed, and her fingers knotted the sheet in her hand.

Rourke didn’t know what was running through her pretty little head, and he didn’t have time to pry it out of her. Jennifer agreed to go home with him, and that made Rourke feel ten feet tall. The more time he had with Jennifer, the easier it would be to show her that he was the man for her.

“Do you promise you’ll stay and wait for me to return to you?” Rourke wanted to hear her promise because she wasn’t the kind of woman to break a vow.

“I promise to wait for you.”

Rourke was so pleased with her easy acquiescence, he kissed her again. This time, it was a scorching wet kiss that Jennifer returned with all of the passion flowing between them. He didn’t mean to take it any farther than a kiss of gratitude for her trust in him. Kissing led to touching. Touching resulted in tasting. Before Rourke knew it, he was naked again with Jennifer’s welcoming body pressed beneath him as she shouted her pleasure to the ceiling. Rourke buried himself deep and let go of his crumbling control. His release was so intense it left him senseless for longer than was manly in Rourke’s opinion. There was nothing like the heaven of Jennifer’s body.

Jennifer had power over Rourke that was difficult for him to admit to himself, but Rourke now understood this was a part of that fairytale condition known as falling in love. Jennifer made him simultaneously weak and impossibly stronger than he ever could have been without her in his life. Rourke never believed it would happen to him, but love had found a home buried in his cynical, world-weary chest.

A short time later, Rourke separated himself from his drowsy beauty and promised to return as soon as possible. He nibbled her neck and kissed her delicate cheek. Jennifer giggled and sleepily rolled over. The tension in Rourke’s chest released just a bit. Her smile would change his life. Rourke would spend the rest of his days trying to earn those smiles.

Rourke reluctantly left Jennifer dozing to go meet with Luc, who readily agreed to see him. Luc’s return text eluded that he had news to share with Rourke regarding his investigation of Jennifer. It was a little late now that Rourke had found her hiding under his nose, but Rourke was hopeful Luc had uncovered information about Evan that would make locating the fucker easier.

He hailed a cab and was in downtown Vegas a short time later. The ride gave him a chance to review everything Jennifer told him about Evan MacGraff. The things that piece of shit had done to Jennifer were unforgivable. Rourke was sure there was a lot Jennifer hadn’t said to him. She was haunted by those dark memories and not yet ready to share. For Jennifer, the nightmare wasn’t over. Evan was actively hunting for her, and he now knew she was still in town; thanks to Jennifer’s well-meaning neighbor, Evan had almost found her.

Rourke’s temper built steam by the time he paid the cab fare outside of The Inferno. He needed to tame his rage before speaking to Luc. Calmer heads would prevail, and Rourke planned to succeed.

Jennifer had seen death, and it affected her deeply. Rourke knew the signs, had seen it many times in the military. After escaping captivity, Jennifer had run with no destination in mind. She imagined everyone was working for Evan. She had been in shock. Rourke was sure Jennifer suffered from some level of post-traumatic stress. A staggering number of military personnel suffered from the disorder. It could have long reaching effects on a person. Rourke planned to get Jennifer into counseling as soon as he was able. With help, she would recover from the mental trauma. He prayed it wouldn’t be a permeant scar on her psyche.

Rourke had to admit, it was hypocritical to want to get Jennifer into counseling as soon as possible when he had refused to seek help for himself over the years. Admitting to post-traumatic symptoms could get an operator pulled from duty for psychological evaluation. Rourke didn’t have any major issues, but nobody could see the things he had and not have the occasional nightmare. Hypocritical or not, Rourke would get Jennifer all the help she needed. He would insist on it after what she’d been through in the last months. The mental state she described after her frantic getaway.

Rourke was entering the elevator when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing that it was Pastor Davis calling, he ignored the call. Rourke was sure the pastor wanted to talk about the odd jobs that needed to be done around the church. Those tasks would need to wait until after he made Jennifer safe. Rourke and Jennifer could make a pit stop to speak with the pastor and fill him in before going home to Rourke’s apartment.

That thought brought a smile to his usually rigid countenance. Rourke liked thinking of Jennifer in his home again. It would be her home as well. Rourke would need to move in the near future. Jennifer deserved far better than the one-bedroom box of an apartment where he stored his things when he was down range. It was time to be thinking about sinking his savings into purchasing a house.

Rourke’s cell vibrated again in his pocket, but he didn’t pull it out. It wasn’t the familiar series of vibrations and pauses that alerted Rourke to a call coming in from his senior chief. So whoever it was could wait. Being called back to duty right now would be a disaster. Rourke needed more time with Jennifer to solidify their relationship. For that to happen, he needed time to deal with Evan.

Luc’s new secretary wasn’t guarding his open office door when Rourke stepped off the private elevator. Luc had to replace the last secretary after she was caught authorizing key fobs to people who hadn’t passed Luc’s security checks or paying the substantial fee to gain membership. She’d been collecting her own fee for the service. Now she was unemployed.

Luc’s disembodied voice could be heard barking directions from within. Rourke cursed whoever had raised Luc’s ire. By the sound of things, the meeting Rourke was so eager for would be delayed.

“I need two teams now. One team here in my office to meet with me, and the other at the church. Where the fuck is Rourke?” Luc raged.

“I’ll continue trying his cell for you, Mr. Christianson,” the new secretary, a bright-eyed blonde who looked at Luc like the sun rose and set over his perfectly quaffed head, was jotting down notes. Luc was on his phone. Rourke’s phone was once again vibrating in his pocket when he stepped into Luc’s immaculate office.

“That won’t be necessary. I’m right on time,” Rourke looked at his watch. It was twenty-two hundred hours on the dot. He looked to Luc, who was impeccably dressed no matter the time. “I hope whatever has your panties in a twist won’t delay our meeting, Luc.”

Luc ended the call and dropped his hand. “If you learned to answer your phone you’d already know about my fucking panties, Rourke.”

“Now who has the mouth of a sailor?” Rourke smirked.

“Dammit, Rourke, I’m serious. Come sit down. We have a problem.” Luc fell into his throne of a leather chair.

“What kind of problem? We need to deal with Jennifer’s issue first. She’s my priority.” Rourke sat across the massive, gleaming desk from Luc. A painting he didn’t recall seeing on past visits to Luc’s office caught Rourke’s eye. It was a black and white depiction of a blindfolded woman in a corset standing before a grandfather clock with angels above and demons below. It was gothic but beautiful.

Luc recalled Rourke’s attention. “That’s the problem. I need you to remain calm here, Rourke. Don’t go all fucking Rambo on me, okay? We need to handle this situation with care if we’re all going to come away from it unscathed. Do you understand me? We must let calmer heads prevail here.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Rourke was out of his chair.

A group of Luc’s security staff entered the room. Luc spoke to them instead of answering Rourke.

“Good, we’re all here. I only want to explain this once.” Luc pointed toward Rourke. “Don’t let him leave the room until he cools down. Be careful, though, Rourke is a SEAL. He will hurt you.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Rourke bellowed. “Nobody better touch me,” he glared at the security team, “if they like all of their limbs attached and in working fucking order.”

“Rourke, please sit down so we talk.” Luc was trying and failing to bring order. “Pastor Davis called.”

“He called me, too.” Rourke pulled out his phone as he spoke. There were two missed calls from the pastor and two from Luc. “But I was on the way in to see you. I have information to share. I found Jennifer. I need to know what you learned about her. This situation is bigger than I imagined. She was abducted by Evan MacGraff. He’s the fucker I need to get my hands on. Jennifer says you know him.”

Luc’s jaw tightened. His hands were fisted on the desk, and his nostrils flared as he drew a deep breath. Rourke recognized the signs. Luc was trying to contain his own anger. Rourke new whatever Luc was going to say would piss him off.

“Evan MacGraff is a local crime boss. He isn’t the top of the food chain, but he’s close. I knew I made an enemy of him when I tossed him out of Hell. He started a fight with one my customers who had borrowed a substantial amount of money from Evan. After the altercation, I confronted my customer. He admitted that he’s been, essentially, living in Hell. It was the only place he thought Evan couldn’t get to him.” Luc gave his staff a good glare.

“Somehow, Evan breached security and get beyond the main floor, which is the only place his membership gives him access to because I know he’s a drug runner and a loan shark. I don’t want that shit in my back rooms. If anyone is going to fleece the wealthy out of their money around here, it will be me.” He shouted that last bit.

“Jennifer was with him that night. She told me all about her time with Evan and his business dealing as far as she knew them. Have you learned anything new?” Rourke didn’t have time to listen to Luc reprimand his staff.

Luc returned his attention to Rourke, “I put feelers out looking for information about a wealthy lady serving at our church with her first name and a full description. She’s a distinctively lovely woman. So I was sure it wouldn’t take long to turn up something about her. I was expecting to find that she was a bored housewife doing good deeds.”

Rourke growled at that. “Pastor Davis said . . .”

“I know he told me she was a single woman, but that just didn’t add up. I know that’s what the pastor believed, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. People lie, even to the clergy, Rourke. Especially to the clergy. Something about Jennifer niggled in the back of my mind. As I told you before, she was somehow familiar. This morning, I was reviewing footage of a particular member of the security staff. I like to have irrefutable evidence on hand when I fire an employee.”

“I ran across the footage from when Evan was admitted beyond his clearance level.” Luc looked pointed toward the security team again. “It was then that I remembered Jennifer. She was the beautiful blonde with Evan when I had him permanently ejected.”

“Yes, I know. She told me she was here with him.” Rourke nodded. Where was Luc going with this? He needed to get the fucking point.

“After seeing her with Evan on the footage, I sent out another round of inquiry about Evan’s girlfriend, Jennifer, who does charity at the church in North Vegas.” Luc’s face flushed with an uncharacteristic rush of red.

“Fuck.” Rourke was heading for the door. Had Luc unknowingly exposed Jennifer’s hiding place? Rourke had to get to her now. Jennifer didn’t have a phone. She wouldn’t answer the phone in the church office, even if she happened to be standing there when it rang. The group of security staff reluctantly followed orders and blocked the door. Luc stepped between his employees and Rourke.

“Rourke, this is bigger than we initially believed. If Jennifer is Evan’s woman, I couldn’t let you continue your search for her. We needed to know the whole story. Evan MacGraff is a murdering prick who has eluded the law for years. He would kill you, and I’d never find your body. I know you’re a SEAL, but you aren’t invincible. You’re one man against a small army of criminals.”

“Jennifer isn’t Evan’s woman. She never was. Jennifer went on a few dates with him. When he got tired of waiting for her to accept him completely, he made her his prisoner. Evan abused her physically and mentally. He starved her and made her watch while he spilled blood so she would be too afraid to run. That’s why she was hiding, Luc.”

Luc’s complexion turned gray. “I had no idea. I was only trying to protect you.” Luc's eyes lit with a rage born of the knowledge that his own mother had been abducted and made the temporary property of a man who used her body and discarded her. The experience had damaged Luc’s mother deeply. She died in childbirth after living on the streets for the whole of her pregnancy. It was a miracle that Luc survived.

“What happened?” The missed calls from the pastor came to mind. Rourke was a half a second from a nuclear fucking meltdown. Luc hadn’t yet told him the worst yet.

“I’m sorry.” Luc looked deeply into Rourke’s eyes. This wasn’t the hardened businessman of recent years speaking to Rourke. It was Rourke’s childhood friend. The man Rourke loved like a brother, and there was real regret in Luc’s midnight eyes.

“What happened?” Rourke bellowed the question. His stomach was in a knot because he already knew what happened. The only reason Rourke hadn’t already barreled through the flimsy wall of security before him to get to Jennifer was that down deep, he knew the damage was already done.

“The pastor was working late tonight doing paperwork in his office. He heard a commotion. They’ve been robbed before, so he called the police before investigating. In the kitchen, he found evidence of a struggle. The rear door was kicked in. He ran to the door and saw Jennifer being stuffed into the back of a black sedan.

“He then tried to call you before calling me. I told him not to report Jennifer’s abduction. I knew we would be able to get to her faster without the cops under our feet. If we can’t find Jennifer ourselves, we’ll report the crime some other way that won’t involve further endangering the pastor or the church. The police told the Pastor several churches were raided, but nothing was stolen. They must have gone from church to church until they found her. I fucked up and made it known where she might be hiding. I’m truly sorry, Rourke. This is my fuck up.”

Rourke’s heart froze in his chest. The man who loved Jennifer stepped to the back of his consciousness to allow Rourke the operator to take over. An emotional reaction would be a mistake. Death was now stalking Evan MacGraff. That bastard had his Jennifer. His tiny dancer. Rourke had let her down. He broke a promise to the woman he loved. Rourke told Jennifer that Luc would never hurt her. He’d also told her he would protect her and never let that fucker touch her again. When Rourke got Jennifer back, and he had every intention of getting her back, he had to pray that she would forgive him. Would she ever trust his word again? Rourke was a man of honor. His word was his bond, and he’d broken that bond with Jennifer. His only love. Jennifer was terrified of Evan, and she was back in his clutches.

Rourke let the cold that was now rooted in his chest spread to the rest of his body. Luc was right. It was too late to run off in a rage through the streets of Vegas. That would only get Jennifer hurt and Rourke arrested. Rourke had to believe Jennifer would keep herself alive until he was able to find her. She had survived by using her brain before. She would do it again.

“What do you know so far? Anything?” Rourke asked Luc who appeared to be waiting for an explosion.

“I contacted a friend in the force. He’s accessing the traffic camera feeds to tell me where the fucker took her. We know where they started and which direction they drove, thanks to the pastor. I’m just waiting for the call with more information.” Luc checked his phone to be sure he hadn’t missed anything.

“Good, that’s good. I’m going to get ready. Call me as soon as you hear from your friend.” Rourke tried to walk around Luc, but he held out his hands as if calming a wild animal. The security force behind Luc bravely tightened the ranks to keep Rourke contained. The idiots.

“Luc, move and get your people out of my way. I love you like a brother, but that woman is going to be my wife. I’m going after her.”

Luc’s astonished eyes widened with sudden understanding. Rourke would not be stopped.

“The only other women I would lay my life down for are my mom and Dolce. I don’t want to hurt you or your employees, and will try not to kill them, but I will take each and every one of you apart to get to Jennifer. I need to go get my guns and vest. I need to change into night gear. I need to be ready to go when that call comes in, because one way or another, I am going to get Jennifer back tonight. Do. You. Understand. Me?”

Rourke never thought he’d see the day he would be willing to hurt Luc in any way, but he would incapacitate the man for a short time if forced to act. 

“I do,” Luc agreed, but he didn’t move. “Let’s work out a plan before you run off half-cocked. Let me and the boys help you.” Luc tried to reason with Rourke.

“You want to help? Get in touch with those friends in the force. Evan has friends so deep he can shoot people in his building, and they brush it off. He can have a shootout in his warehouse, and nobody notices. Evan can abduct a woman off the street, and nobody is looking for her. That’s what he did, Luc. That’s the kind of man we’re dealing with. He is Jennifer’s own personal demon, and he’s trying to make her vanish again. Now get out of my way before I do something I will regret, eventually.”