under control. He should have been warned when they lost them. Phillips saw where he ranked in priority. Rock bottom. All of it was coming undone. And he'ci be caught in the middle ... if he survived.
'Look, I told you. He threatened to kill my family. I couldn't—'
'And what do you think I'm going to do? You think this is a social call? You think I came to shop with your sweet little wife? Attend a PTA meeting?' She pressed on the blade and drew more blood. The necktie tightened, worse than before.
'Okay . . . okay.' He gagged. 'The guy is connected all over town. He knows everything. And yes, I think he's with the police, even though I can't confirm it. The bastard has you and Delacorte under surveillance.'
'Had us under surveillance,' she corrected with a wicked smirk. 'We ditched his watchful eye last night to do the reconnaissance at Genotech. And as you can see, I avoided his scrutiny this morning to pay a call on you and your lovely family. In case you hadn't noticed, no one is safe.'
Jasmine moved the edge of her blade down his cheek. His raspy breath filled the inside of his head, along with the throttling punch of his heart. When she traced the knife under his eye, a tear rolled across his skin and into his hair.
'Now you're gonna tell me what's really happening at the lab . . . and at that clinic. And believe me, I'll know if you leave anything out.' She pressed her knee into his chest. 'Start talking.'
To Jasmine, the setting was as foreign as Brazil, another place for her to feel like an outsider. Dense trees surrounded the split-level home. Suburbia, Brazil-style. Sunlight danced through branches and along pale yellow stucco walls and a red terra cotta roof. A stone terraced walkway led to the front door, a massive portico bordered by flowers.
The picture of domesticity.
She watched the Phillips villa for a long while after his wife took the kids to school with a stop for groceries after. Jasmine overheard the woman's plans when she told Phillips on the front driveway. She had a pretty good idea of the family routine.
All looked normal, whatever that meant.
Jasmine had stuck around to see if the good doctor would stir things up, call for reinforcements. Phillips had plenty of time to make contact and report the incident with her, but no cops showed. Unfortunately, his connected partner remained a mystery.
Her gut instinct? Phillips had been a scared little man, more fearful for his family than himself. Commendable but pathetic. He would have told her anything he knew, and made up the rest, if he thought she'd buy it. No doubt the man behind Nicky's abduction knew this about Phillips and kept him in the dark.
But the meeting with the doctor hadn't been a total waste of time. At least now she knew more about Genotech, the plans beyond Nicky's original purpose.
Jasmine watched Phillips leave his home. He'd changed shirts, favoring a pale blue one without bloodstains. The man could have taken a lesson from her on how to tie a Windsor knot. After he took off in his car, presumably for work, she eventually came out of hiding in the park across the street. She stuck to the treeline and headed through the greenbelt, away from the quiet residential neighborhood.
She glanced at her watch and wondered about Christian. A lazy smile softened her face as images of last night in the dark stirred her mind.
'Raven Mackenzie,' she whispered. 'You are a lucky woman.'
Such memories only reminded her of Nicky. And the heartache of regret returned with a vengeance. She had to remain focused—and strong—for him. She'd catch a cab soon and head back toward town to the Guia Do Espirito.
Hector hadn't been truthful and held something back. She sensed it. And without Christian's interference, or his damnable ethics, she'd get her answers using her own methods. As she told Delacorte, some things had to be done alone. This time the gloves would be off.
Nicky's life depended on it, and nothing else mattered to her.
The first time they made love, Raven couldn't get enough of Christian. Nothing was too hard or too fast for her. His urgency only matched her driving need. As much as she gave herself to him, she let her body demand from him in return.
Christian filled her now, thrusting into her, slow and deep. His skin glistened with a sheen of perspiration. The weight of his muscular body intensified his surges.
'I love you, Raven,' he whispered in her ear. '... missed you.'
His warm breath on her neck sent a ripple of chills over her body. He had that effect on her. Christian touched her in every way.
As he took her earlobe between his lips, she cried, 'I love you too.'
The words came out too intense, more a cry of surrender. But when his tongue penetrated her ear, mimicking the steady pounding motion he made inside her, she lost it completely.
Raven wrapped her legs tight around his hips, using him as leverage to move. The rush of an orgasm gripped deep in her belly and jolted through her body, wave after wave. She flexed the muscles of her legs, toes curled in pure ecstasy.
'Oh . . . Christian,' she moaned. Raven held onto him, not letting go.
She felt his body react. An urgent release. Christian arched his back and spilled into her, shuddering in violent swells.
After his body quieted, he collapsed onto her. Cradling her in his arms, Christian pulled her to his chest and rolled onto his back. He covered her with bed linens and kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair with his fingers.
In this place, Raven had lost all track of time. The flight to Brazil had been a grueling overnighter, especially not knowing how Christian would react to her surprise visit. Now, the rhythm of their panting filled the room, coupled with the musk of sex. And she had her answer. She lay in the crook of his arm, rapt in his love.
'I feel so lucky to love you.' His deep voice rumbled through his rib cage, teasing the ear she had pressed to him.
'It's more than luck, Christian. We're . . . blessed.' Raven smiled and nestled her cheek to his chest. 'It's like I've spent my whole life waiting for you to come into my life. I've never felt so loved.'
After a long moment she closed her eyes and listened to the gentle pulse of his heart. A sweet steady rhythm. When she felt certain Christian had drifted off to sleep, she joined him, forgetting the horrible reason that had brought her to Brazil.
Every moment with Christian was a precious gift, like they were living on borrowed time. No matter what tomorrow would bring, she would have this moment alone with him. It might have to be enough to last a lifetime.
In broad daylight, any move Jasmine made held the risk of being spotted by a surveillance team.
