“No, of course not, but she was drawn to you and scared of you at the same time. Just wait until The Safe House opens and she realizes that you are one of the good guys whose only goal is to protect her.”
I raise my eyebrows in silent communication to ask him if he’s kidding me.
“Maria, okay, but she wants to go by Anna. Now let me on the damn plane.”
We arrive in Costa Rica at 1:00 a.m. and head straight over to the village. Jax is not going to be happy with my news, but we will be better prepared to take down The House with more information than none at all. When we get the bungalow all is quiet, so we lay down hoping to recharge before we have to deal with the chaos to come.
Way too damn early, I wake up to Jax banging around in the kitchen. “They’re on the news.” He turns around gaping at me as I try to stretch out the kinks. He must have forgotten we were coming if the shocked look on his face is any indication.
‘What do you mean?”
“Tori’s dad. He’s been on the news pleading for his daughters’ safe return. He’s being helped by a private investigator named Sully and offering a one hundred thousand dollar reward.”
“Fuck! Are you kidding me? Goddamn, son of a bitch! What did this guy look like?”
“Russian, slight accent, long dark hair and beady brown eyes.”
“Shit! Snake, they got to Tori’s dad.”
A feminine gasp has me looking up to see Tori standing in the short hallway that leads to the bedroom. Oh, shit! Time slows down as I watch the chaos unfold, and I can’t help but think of the redhead from The House rescue. If I had known her or even had the chance to get to know her, would I be as protective of her as Jax is of Tori? My heart Breaks for Tori as I watch her fall apart at the seams, sometimes begging, sometimes demanding to be taken to her father.
When she realizes there will be no swaying him, Tori turns and walks out of the room just as Jax hangs his head on his shoulders. Shit! I feel bad that I started the conversation, but at least now it is out in the open allowing us to deal with it from here. “Well, that couldn’t have gone any worse.”
“Mate, I need you to fly back to the states and gather the team. You’ll need to fly commercial so I can fly out at a moments notice in the jet. See what information you can find on Nicholas James’ whereabouts. Sully called me the night we left, threatening that he would have Serenity by nightfall. Any information you can get me on that too would be great. I don’t want you to make a move without talking to me first, but I need as much info as you can get. Savage, I need you to stay in Rio Banano with me. I’m going to have Ina set you up in the village so I can have some time alone with Tori. I don’t need your sarcastic, sexual comments butting into every conversation.”
“Dude, you just need to tie her to your bed and fuck her brains out for a week. Get her all tied up in pleasure, so she’ll forget this conversation ever happened.”
Jax told me that Sav thinks with his dick, but I know it’s all a ruse. He has a softer side he shows around women, so I know he doesn’t really think of them as a means to an end.
“I appreciate the advice, coming from someone who lost his own soul mate, but if she’s tied up, it won’t be for pleasure. I’m sure I’m going to have to tie her up just to keep her from running. Leave Tori’s clothes that you picked up for me then head to Ina’s. Her house is the first one you come to down the dirt road.
Snake, I don’t have a phone so call the village store to get me info. Just ask for them to deliver me messages through the children. Please check in every day even if you don’t have any information; I think that will be the only way to pacify Tori. Come to think of it, call Sav’s phone.”
Sav starts shaking his head. “Disconnected.”
“I’ll just stay in touch through the village store.” I stand and make my way to the door so the two lovebirds can work their way through the shit storm about to happen. “Good luck, Man. The truth wouldn’t seem so unbelievable if you were honest with her in the first place.” I walk out and head back to my uncomplicated life.
~Maria~
What are the odds that the one man I shouldn’t think of is the only one I have been dreaming about? How is it possible that just that one touch could affect me so profoundly? Large, intimidating, and dominating men, has never been my thing. I like quiet, reserved, refined men; or is that my grandma thinking for me? I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I do believe in lust at first sight, and the man at the dock that they call Snake woke up my dormant libido.
Author’s Bio
I reside in Southern Utah with my amazing husband who will actually scrub toilets four teenage daughters who don’t scrub toilets, one dog that drinks from the toilet, two cats that don’t scrub or drink from the toilet and one bird who does nothing. I have one son who is grown with a family of his own and has blessed me with two grandchildren.
Life has put me on some crazy adventures from owning a restaurant to owning a landscape company, and now owning a business that helps troubled teens. I can now add Author.
My reading obsession started about ten years ago when my youngest
