Chapter Three
DAY one of her captivity and Jane was ready to shoot herself. She hung up her cell phone and tossed it in her purse. Her thousand dollar purse. Shit, who the fuck wants to spend that kind of money on a purse? It took her twenty minutes to find her sidearm in this cave. Everything she needed to carry she stuck in her cargo pants or her bra. She rubbed her forehead and her fingers touched her wig. She hated being blonde. She didn’t have time for a dye job. She thought with her light olive skin it made her look like a floozy. Then people didn’t take her seriously until she bitch slapped them.
Declan Shaw was going to require a lot of bitch slapping. She could see how this was going to go from the start. She had to play the girlfriend so that was going to require a lot of up close and personal touching. Which she could handle, but that man flipped her switch in a way she could barely admit to herself.
“You alright?”
She couldn’t look at Mick. “Fine.”
“He’s only a job.”
That’s what she told herself. Pity she didn’t believe it. “Why isn’t Eileen handling him?”
“She’s in Bosnia on a job.”
Darla, Preach’s wife was seven seconds from delivering Steve Jr. “We could trade. Bosnia’s nice this time of year.”
“Maybe you ought to tell him.”
She was so beyond second thoughts it wasn’t even funny. “If you were in Malcolm Elliot’s shoes would you want to know about your long lost sister?”
“Yeah.”
She wouldn’t want to know about Fox Elliot. “You want to find out your dad spent the eighties knocking women up and abandoning them?”
“From what I read in Elliot’s file, he doesn’t exactly have a relationship with his father.”
Then she didn’t miss much. She shouldn’t be jealous. After her mother’s death she ended up with Pete and Addy. They kept her safe, fed, loved. She couldn’t love them any more if she was their biological child. Unlike some of her other siblings, she hadn’t spent much time in the system. Pete was the detective who investigated her mother’s homicide and lucky for her, they fostered kids and he took her home that night and never let her go. When they couldn’t locate any family, they started adoption proceedings and in less than a year they were hers. Pete never made her talk about her mother’s murder and when she was ready she’d found out the truth on her own and she thought her grandfather was out of reach.
“Are you thinking about your grandfather?”
“Yeah.” Mick was one of the few people who knew who her grandfather was and why he was able to skate on her mother’s murder. She didn’t find out until she’d graduated from The Point and instead of going to Iraq she spent a year in D.C. in military intelligence where her fluency in Arabic was in demand. Once upon a time her grandfather was a high ranking member of the Takar government who was pro US. That’s why he could kill his daughter and catch a plane back to L.A. in time to catch a performance of Swan Lake. But then he started dipping his hand in the wrong cookie jar. And then payback was the ultimate bitch.
“I figured all the family shit got on your nerves.” He turned the car down the street the band’s rental house was on. Jane noticed a crowd of people on the outside of the tall wrought iron gate. “I’m cool. Addy’s freaking out. Pete said I should invite Malcolm over and have a few beers and throw some steaks on the grill. Then when we’re all good and drunk, I should drop the bomb.”
Mick snickered. “Pete’s a good man.”
With a bizarre sense of humor. “That’s not going to happen, I’m going to do the job, then buy a house.”
“What do you think of Declan Shaw?”
Jane reached into her purse and amazingly enough found her mirrored compact. She checked her face and took a second to stop scowling. “How the hell is he able to move with that ego.”
“He’s hot.”
Did Mick sigh? Oh shit. “What does Doctor Sexy say about that?” She loved Paul, Mick’s boyfriend and those two were inseparable.
“I’m keeping that under wraps. I figured the way you stomped out of the house earlier he’d gotten on your nerves.”
All two of them. “We’ve dealt with worse.” At least this time she could walk away if she got too fed up, this wasn’t the military.
“No shit.”
“If you tell anyone I said this I’ll slit your throat. That man has some serious hotness.” Now she’d admitted it she could get on with her life and the raging hormones that Declan Shaw seemed to uncover in her would be under control again.
“We’ll speak of it no more.”
“Thank you.” The car pulled up to the house. She could see people standing a few feet away with cameras. They’d been hired to take pictures of Declan Shaw’s new gal pal. They would make it into the papers and some celebrity internet sites by pre-arrangement from the bands management company. Declan knew he had to make it look smoldering for the press and Jane had done this before, but for the first time she was excited about being the focus of Declan Shaw’s romantic attention even though it was for play.
Mick opened the door for her and she got out and leaned against the car. She watched Declan walk barefooted down the sidewalk. All he was wearing was a pair of low slung blue sweatpants. Dear God he was magnificent. Her nipples tightened and she was grateful for the sunglasses to hide her expression. His broad chest glistened with sweat. Was it her or was her pussy already drenched? Her gaze focused in on his little half smile. He eyed her like she was prey and it excited her. No man got to do that to her. She bit the inside of her lip and let her gaze travel down his sublime torso. He had a V muscle that tapered down into his sweats. And right between those sweet muscles was a dark blond happy trail. Stop gawking woman, this man is a job. She closed her eyes and wished him away. I am in control of my vagina. I am in control of my vagina. Just keep saying that to yourself and you’ll be fine.
“Jane,” he whispered.
She opened her eyes and he was all up in her personal space. “Declan.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I like you better as a brunette.”
Jane tilted her head. “Not your usual flavor.”
“I can expand my horizons.”
That voice sent a shiver of desire down her spine. “I’m sure you can, but for now, we go with what works.”
He grabbed her sunglasses by the bridge and slowly pulled them off of her face, then stuck them in her hair. “I usually like blue eyes too, I’m glad to see you didn’t wear contacts. Your eyes are like apple jade.”
She didn’t have a snappy comeback, so she just gave him a smirk. “Let’s get on with show so we can get inside.”
“I like that you’re so eager.”
She forced herself to smile. “Go with that.”
He took a sidelong glance at the photographers snapping pictures at them. “How do I want to play this?”
“Lay one on me and let’s go inside.”
“Do I want to make it look good or make it feel good?”
She planted her palm on his chest right over his tight nipple. Heat radiated on her hand. “Declan Shaw can’t do both?”
“If that’s what you think will work best.”
Jane smiled playing for the cameras and leaned into him. “Are you going to talk me to death?”
His nostrils flared and he pinned her against the car with his body, thrusting his groin into the apex of her legs. “Nope I have way too many things in mind for you.”
He had a boner and he was touching her with it. It was impressive. She could feel the heat of his dick through her overpriced skinny jeans. I am in control of my vagina. I am in control of my vagina. Who was she kidding she could have the big O right there and he hadn’t even kissed her yet.
He cradled her cheeks in both his large hands then leaned in and touched her lips with his.
She expected him to go buck wild on her and thrust his tongue in her mouth and start doing the mambo and then hump her leg. But no, he was gentle and soft, nibbling her lips and slowly swirling his tongue on her bottom lip. She just stood there like a doofus until she remembered that this kiss had to appear as if they were long time lovers.
Jane moved her other hand to his upper arm and slowly glided her hands up until she touched his broad shoulders. He had very smooth skin, and he was all hot and sweaty. He smelled so good, like musk and sandalwood. He was intoxicating. Her nipples hardened and she could feel the heat of his skin through her thin silk blouse. She wanted to touch every inch of him. Her legs opened and he settled his girth between her thighs. In her stilettos they were almost the same height. Her toes were curling in the ridiculous shoes.
There was a spot in her brain that was telling her to push him back or punch him, but the thought wasn’t traveling to her hands. She could kick this guy’s ass and not even breathe hard, but damn she was enjoying this. She hadn’t been kissed like this in long time. She hadn’t wanted to be. She tried to force her eyes open and get control of this situation, but again she was not in control.
She heard him sigh and then a second later he pulled back, but not before nipping her bottom lip and slowly dragging her lip between his teeth.
“You good?”
Jane forced herself not to drag the back of her hand over her scorched lips. “I told you to kiss me not impregnate me.”
He smiled showing even white teeth. “I’m in the moment.”
“You and I are going to have a long talk about how this is going to work.”
“No problem. Let’s get you inside you’re a little flushed.”
She couldn’t say anything. Her head and the rest of her body were still in Declan Shaw-land.
Before he turned to head back into the house, he tucked his finger into the waist band of her jeans and led her into the gate and up the sidewalk.
The only thing in her vision was his perfectly sculpted back adorned with a massive tattoo. She’d seen that symbol before. It was the Celtic tree of life. Except the trunk of the tree was shaped like a woman’s body her arms extended into the air and her fingers and hair stretched out and became the branches reaching toward a sun etched into his shoulders. The art work was sublime. She liked it, it was a symbol of hope and regeneration. She let her gaze travel down his back and just above the waistband of his sweats the words “Stand In The Sun.” He certainly did. He was golden and beautiful and he was whistling.
She’d heard the song before. “Sweet Jane”, by The Cowboy Junkies. Jane rolled her eyes and then she spotted the rest of the band on the second story balcony. They were all smiling. Great. At least they weren’t staring at her, they were looking at Declan. She didn’t even have to try hard to imagine the smirk on his face. At least Malcolm Elliot looked embarrassed. Points for him. The other members of the band were laughing. Fuck this she thought. She and Declan were going to have a long talk. She couldn’t have him touching her like this. It was wrong. It was obscene. Jane my girl, you are totally screwed.
MALCOLM WAS IN PANIC MODE. Declan was going to bed his bodyguard and he was going to die. Declan wrecked women. Hell it was bad enough when he did it to groupies, but Jane Peterson was supposed to protect him. What happened if she got mad at him, would she stand in the way of whoever was coming after him? Oh hell no. She’d let him get hurt and then he'd be without his best friend. Or even worse she’d hurt him herself.
He started to shake. He had to stop this. He could talk to his mom and have her fired. They could find someone else. All they needed was a warm body to stand in the way of a crazed stalker.
“Malcolm, are you okay?”
Fuck did he look okay? He was in melt down mode. His best friend was going to die and Xena Warrior Princess was going to be responsible. “No.”
“What’s up?”
“Declan is going to sleep with Jane.”
Gavin’s hazel eyes widened. “We’re surprised?”
“She’s supposed to keep him safe.”
“Banging and bodyguarding aren’t mutually exclusive.”
“How long have you known Declan?”
Gavin ran a hand through his shaggy, blond hair. “Since I was like four.”
He wasn’t even thirty and he was going to drop dead of a heart attack. “You’ve seen what he does to women. You don’t think after he’s done with Jane she’s going to shoot him?”
“Maybe she’ll just wing him.” He snorted.
“You think this is funny?”
Gavin poked him in the chest. “I think you’re funny.”
“This has the potential to be a major cluster fuck.”
“Or the best time ever.”
How come his brother didn’t understand disaster looming ahead. “This shit is serious.”
Gavin grabbed his arms. “Calm the hell down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down.”
“You’re just freaked out because you are afraid for Declan. I get that. I’m scared too, but Declan isn’t going to do anything that is going to jeopardize his life. He’s too egotistical for that. Jane is going to keep him safe. She’s very good at what she does.”
“How do you know?”
“You remember Kenny Sax?”
He did, he was one of Gavin’s buddies from back in the day. They’d been busted hacking the DOD when they were kids, and he was surprised Gavin was able to keep in contact with him. If he remembered correctly it was part of their probation agreement. “He’s not in jail?”
“Well he did do some time, but now he’s working for an alphabet agency.”
That’s all he needed, his brother going to jail for some hacker shit. This damn album would never get done. It’s not like he’d been able to write a decent song. Hell if Travis hadn’t found Charlotte and his muse again, the band would be at square one with getting this record done. “Are you allowed to be in contact with him?”
Gavin smirked. “Dude we are so off probation it isn’t even funny.”
“So?”
“I called him about Jane--”
“Are you supposed to do that?” Jesus Christ Gavin liked to push the line.
“It was a conversation, I asked him about Jane. You know to see if she could keep Declan safe. I wasn’t committing a crime, I’m protecting a friend.”
He hated himself for asking but he did. “Well?”
“He couldn’t find out a lot about her.”
“How is that a good thing?”
Gavin slipped an arm around his shoulder. “If she has a small digital footprint, she’s good at what she does.”
“Use small words.”
“She’s into some covert shit and she's still breathing.” He had this exasperated look on his face. “She’s worked for the government doing things that you read about on Wikileaks, the kind of things that have code names. She’s no bullshit. She’s a hot sexy Kevlar vest and she’s all over Declan. Makes me want to have a stalker.”
Okay he got it. “Until he fucks it up. Then she’s going to kill him.”
“When did you become Mr. Paranoia?”
When Andy died. If Andy could die of an aneurysm were any of them safe? He was so fucked up he couldn’t write, he could barely think, he just wanted to be left the fuck alone. “I’m not paranoid.”
“You are.” Gavin smiled trying to look reassuring.
It wasn’t working. “Nothing about this is right. I don’t know her and Declan is putting his life in her hands, and now his dick is engaged. That’s not a bet I want to take.”
“My money’s on her. So calm down.” Malcolm didn’t trust that. That woman had an agenda. He didn’t have the all the pieces of the puzzle, but his gut told him she was here for more than just a job. His best friend was in danger and if he really thought about it his baby brother was giving him sage advice. The world as he knew was going to end.