Chapter Ten

Tanner

Rebekah blinked those big baby blues up at me and I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to kiss her or not, so I threaded my fingers through her thick mass of platinum curls and cupped her head. She sucked in a choppy breath and leaned into me a fraction and I had my answer.

“I’m going to kiss you,” I warned, my voice low and gritty, just to be sure we were on the same page and she wouldn’t run from me.

She nodded against my palm. “I know.”

Jesus, she was too sweet. I lowered my mouth and whispered my lips across hers in a gentle caress. Once. Twice. Just a taste. A tease.

But she moaned and gripped my shoulders, practically falling into my chest, and I was lost. I used my tongue to ease the seam of her mouth open and she let me in readily, her tongue dancing with mine as if I was coming home. Slowly, we kissed, learning each other, tasting and savoring. The flavors of wine and Rebekah exploded on my palate.

All too soon, it was over, and she drew back, her eyes wary and her breath loud in the quiet cab.

I wiped a thumb down my lips, imagining I could still feel her heat. Damn. One taste of her was not going to be enough. Not by a long shot. I peered over at her, but she looked suddenly nervous. “Do you need to get home or do you want to go somewhere else?”

Her hands stilled in her lap. “Like where?”

“Wherever you want. We could go get a drink or dessert. Take a walk. Go dancing. It’s your night. You name it, baby.”

Her eyes flared at the endearment that rolled off my tongue, but I wouldn’t take it back.

“Well . . .”

“What? I’m serious. Name it. Anything.”

“Well, I heard about this other casino down the road that has a really nice bar with live music. I’ve been wanting to go check it out, if—”

“Done.” I put the car in gear. “What’s it called?”

She rattled off the name and I plugged it into my phone for directions then headed off.

The casino and bar were hopping, but I kept my eyes peeled for any potential threats as I took her hand and led her through the crowd to a small table in the back. She stayed close to my side and I liked that she didn’t try to pull away from me.

The band was already going full force and a waitress came and took our drink order as soon as we sat down.

Rebekah’s eyes were everywhere, taking it in for entirely different reasons than I did, and I had a hard time keeping my gaze off her now that I knew what those lips tasted like.

After we had our drinks and a slow song came on, I leaned over. “Would you like to dance?”

She only hesitated a moment before placing her hand in mine. “Sure.”

We made it to the dance floor and I tucked her into my embrace. In heels, the top of her head barely reached my nose, but she still fit me perfectly. We swayed to the music and I let myself believe, if only for those few moments, that I was just any other man, holding a woman. Nothing more, nothing less.

She cuddled into me, holding tight, and I inhaled her sweet berry scent, enjoying how the alcohol she’d consumed tonight made her loose and relaxed. She wasn’t drunk, but she wasn’t putting up all the walls she usually did, trying to be Superwoman, and I was suddenly glad I could do that for her.

I ran my nose across the top of her head and pressed a kiss to her crown. “This feels good,” I murmured.

She hummed her agreement.

The dance floor was crowded and people bumped into us, but it was like we were in our own little bubble. She didn’t move her head from my chest as we danced slowly, even when the songs picked up the pace. I moved us to the outskirts of the floor and kept her in my arms until she finally lifted her face to meet my gaze, her eyes dreamy.

I was about a millisecond away from leaning down to kiss her again and I saw the hunger flash in her eyes. She parted her lips. Heat flooded my groin.

“Tanner?” A woman’s annoying, high-pitched voice crashed the moment. “Tanner Richardson? Is that you?”

Rebekah glanced to the side and all color drained from her face as our intimacy was lost and she pulled away from me.

I turned with narrowed eyes. It took a moment, but recognition dawned and my gut spasmed painfully. “Hey, Melanie. How’ve you been?”

“Oh, my God!” she cried, throwing herself into my arms, making me oomph as I had to catch her or go flying.

I set her down as fast as I could and stepped back. “Melanie, uh, this is Rebekah.” I turned to my nonplussed looking date. “Rebekah, Melanie.”

The two women stared at each other for a moment. Rebekah broke the silence first with a strained but polite “Hello,” but Melanie ignored her and turned back to me, flirting and touching me as if it were yesterday as she started reminiscing. Trouble was, we were ancient history. Like super ancient. She was a part of my most painful memories, and I had no desire to be near any of that again.

I cleared my throat, cutting her off as I put my hand to the small of Rebekah’s back, sending a very clear message.

I felt Rebekah glance up at me, but I kept my eyes on Melanie. “Sorry, Melanie,” I said, tugging Rebekah close so she was pressed right up against my side. “But we’ve really gotta go. It was nice seeing you again.” I took Rebekah’s hand and interlaced our fingers, tugging her away. “Take care.”

Melanie gaped at our backs as I led Rebekah away and through the throng toward the bar.

“I need another drink,” I murmured, sliding up and ordering a shot of whiskey. “You?”

“Who was that?”

I peered over at her. “Old girlfriend.”

She stared at me for a long moment then turned to the bartender. “Make that two shots.”

We chugged back our whiskeys and I felt her stare. I finally faced her. “Ask.”

She shook her head. “It’s not my business.”

“You’re right. It’s not. But ask me anyway.”

Her eyes sparkled in the light of the bar as she took me in. “You and Melanie . . .?”

“Over. Way over.” I twirled my empty shot glass on the bar. “Way, way over.”

“Didn’t look like she thought so.”

“I haven’t seen her since high school.”

Rebekah frowned. “How long have you been gone?”

“Since graduation.”

She glanced down at our empty glasses then back up to me. “I’m sensing there’s a story here.”

“There is.”

“I’m also sensing you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Nope.”

“Is it a bad story?”

My gaze shot up to hers. She had no idea. Sure, we all had bad stories. Hers was just as rough, being an orphan, left with a dying grandfather. But I’d been grappling with the shame of being a dirty Richardson from Biloxi my whole life, and I hadn’t quite been able to wash that stain away yet. Time, distance, even the Marines hadn’t cleaned the ugliness of my past.

Could these big, innocent blue eyes do the trick?

I’d never, ever let anyone in. Not really. I’d told Red and the team bits and pieces of my story, but never the whole truth. But, somehow, I wanted to tell her. Could I trust her? I hardly knew her, I’d yet to even be honest with her about why I was there, and yet I knew in my soul she wouldn’t betray me.

I dropped my head, ready to spill my guts, when a movement at the end of the bar caught my eye.

Black hair.

Black scorpion tattoo.

Black searing gaze that raked over Rebekah then slowly, cockily, met mine.

I recognized the son-of-a-bitch. This wasn’t the same guy from the casino, who must’ve been the cartel watchdog.

No.

They’d called in the big guns.

The sicario was here.

~ ~

“Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?”

I slapped down some money, grabbed her hand, and yanked her up. “We’ve gotta go.” When she didn’t move, I yanked harder. “Now.”

That seemed to spur her on and she stumbled after me as I sped her out of the casino in the opposite direction of the sicario.

“What’s going on?” she said, but I ignored her, walking faster, practically running, dragging her behind me.

“Tanner!” She yanked her hand from mine and froze in place in the middle of the walkway in the center of the casino. Right in the line of fire. “I’m not moving another inch until you tell me—”

I hauled her up over my shoulder and started running at a full sprint out the back door. I kept going, even as she screamed and pummeled my back with her fists. I didn’t stop until I rounded the building, opened the truck, tossed her inside, and peeled out of the parking lot.

I drew the pistol out of my waistband and pulled out my cell phone to dial the team, my eye in the rearview as headlights began to tail us about a hundred yards away. “Get down,” I commanded.

“Tanner . . .”

I put the ringing phone on speaker then reached over and shoved her head down to my lap. “I’ll explain later. Get. Down.” I hit the gas and we hit the road.

“Yo, Maverick, whatcha know?” Tito answered on the second ring.

“Put Tex on the line.”

No questions. No hesitation. I was just grateful as hell that Tex had gotten his family safe and beaten a path down to be with the rest of the team ASAP to pool resources.

He came on the line a few seconds later. “Maverick?”

I felt Rebekah’s angry stare from my lap. “Hey, Tex, man. Tell me you’ve got a line on what the fuck is going on. I’ve got a sicario hot on our asses here.”

“Rebekah?”

The girl in question froze. “He knows my name?”

“She’s there?” Tex asked.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, crossing two lanes onto the highway, earning myself a few honks. “Say hi to your cousin.”

“Cousin?” Now she sat up, her glare shooting daggers at me. “Tell me what the hell is going on. Right. Now.”

“You didn’t tell her, man?” Tex barked.

I glanced in the mirror. The headlights were growing closer. “Hasn’t been a good time, bro.”

He sighed. “Wow. Okay. The quick and dirty version is my name is John Keegan. I’m your cousin. Our fathers were brothers.”

I veered off an exit as she absorbed the news of her sudden family and Tex quickly explained that he was a Navy SEAL and how I came to be there and why. She wilted in her seat as it all sunk in, but I could tell his words hit home and she believed him.

As I neared her house, I no longer saw the headlights tailing me. I’d either lost him or he was being shifty and playing games. I didn’t want to gamble with Rebekah’s life, but I also had to consider her grandfather. She’d never leave him behind if he could be in danger. Hell, neither would I.

“So, Tex, any word, man?” I asked again. “They’ve obviously found her and sent in the big guns.”

“Well . . . I know more than I did when this all started, but not enough to end it, unfortunately. Can you get her back here, where she’ll be safe?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.” I explained about James and his health.

“Damn.” I heard Tex click several computer keys in the background. “So—”

“Is that who’s been watching me?” Rebekah asked, speaking for the first time, her voice small and scared.

I snapped around at her words. “What? What are you talking about? What do you mean someone’s been watching you?”

She huddled down even further in her seat. “I’ve been feeling something weird for a while now . . . since before you even got here . . . but the other day, I couldn’t explain it away. They broke into my truck and I found footprints outside my bedroom window.”

“Your . . .” I swallowed against my dry throat. Right under my nose. On my watch. Goddamn it. “Your bedroom window?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“That’s it,” Tex piped up. “I’m telling the team. We’re coming to you and we’re ending this.”