Desert Ice Daddy by Marton, Dana (pocket ebook reader .TXT) 📕

off to get the money, I’ll take Christopher and hide somewhere in case they come back. But I don’t think they will. They’ll be running off with your millions.”

It could work that way, not that she thought it would. Something didn’t add up with the whole kidnapping. She fought to remain optimistic, but her instincts said to expect a darker end. And Akeem didn’t need to be part of that.

“I’m coming with you every step of the way until you and Christopher are safely back at the ranch. It’s your choice if you don’t ever want to see me after that.” His face was as hard as his voice.

Warning flashed in his eyes. He was spitting mad at her.

She didn’t care. As long as he got away from this place in one piece and lived. “You have to—”

She couldn’t finish once again. He grabbed for her and hauled her against him, taking her mouth in a kiss that was far from his previous gentle seductions. He took her this time, with or without her consent, making her powerless in his grip, in the swirl of sensations and emotions that washed over her, leaving her breathless.

“Tell me I have nothing to do with you,” he growled when he let her go at last.

She couldn’t have, even if she could talk.

The air was too charged with tension between them—sexual and every other kind—to properly draw a breath. She reached for the door handle instead, and got out on shaky legs.

Akeem was right behind her. And when in a few steps her stunned surprise wore off, all she could think of was that after all these years…

How dare he kiss her like that just when they were walking into death? She didn’t know whether to tear into him for that or ask for another one.

At another time perhaps.

But she couldn’t afford to think of anything else but her son right now, couldn’t afford to spend much more time fighting Akeem off. She’d tried. She wished he had gone. But he was here, and he was going to have to take responsibility for his own choices.

Everybody did. That was one of the things she was learning.

“We are not just waltzing in there and hoping to negotiate,” Akeem said as he passed her. “We’ll go in without being seen and assess the situation then make a plan.”

And she gave up fighting him any further, because, honestly, it was such a comfort and relief to have him there. She looked around and surveyed the surrounding area and buildings. No windows looked this way that she could tell. When they walked around the corner, they spotted a rusty metal door. She followed Akeem toward it.

Unfortunately, none of his keys opened the lock. She had a feeling the guy they’d gotten the keys from was supposed to call up and identify himself for someone to come down and let him in.

And since neither her nor Akeem’s voice was one the people in there would recognize, it seemed they were officially out of luck.

They’d come pretty far against all odds. But now, an arm’s reach from their goal, they were stuck. Out in the open with no way in and no place to hide if one of the two missing pickups pulled up.

“Do you think he was expected to come back?” She was referring to the man who had nearly cut her neck.

“Probably. Most likely, they’re following some sort of a plan.”

“So someone will come outside to look for him at some point?”

“It’d make more sense for them to call his cell.” He pulled a black phone from his pocket.

She hadn’t realized they had another phone now. “Can I call Flint?”

He tossed her the phone. “You bet.” The words were easily spoken, but his face remained dark. He hadn’t forgiven her for trying to send him away.

But he hadn’t raised his voice. Not once. Hadn’t raised his hand. A different man from Gary altogether. There were different men. Not that she hadn’t known that on an intellectual level. There was Flint, for example. But Flint was her brother. Akeem was a whole other kind of experience.

She was dialing her brother’s number already when she thought of something and her fingers went still, hovering above the keypad. “You don’t think the phone might be monitored?”

“I don’t see any reason why they should keep track of their own calls.”

“Good.” She pressed the call button, and said, “It’s me, Taylor” as soon as the other end was picked up. “Are you alone?”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine. We’re at the old refinery where Gramps used to work. Christopher might be here.”

“The cops are still downstairs. Want me to—”

“No.”

“Jackson’s pilots are here, too. We’ve been grounded by the police. There’s a massive search going on in Hell’s Porch. But all civilians have been ordered out because of the shooting.”

She repeated the words to Akeem, who reached for the phone.

“The search isn’t as massive as they make it appear. I think the cops might be involved somehow.”

She couldn’t hear what his brother responded to that.

“Okay,” Akeem said, then held the phone out. “He wants you back.”

But before she could find out what Flint wanted, a shot rang out in the night, ripping the phone from her hand. And in case she was wondering if the bullet had been meant for her or the phone, the next shot grazed her shoulder.

Pain seared across her skin, shock immobilizing her for a second before she crouched to make a smaller target. She was hit. She couldn’t be hit. Christopher was in there somewhere, waiting for her to come for him. How could she have been this stupid? Instinct pushed her forward, toward her son.

Then Akeem was there, on top of her, dragging her to safety.

“YOU STUPID IDIOT!” Jake Kenner knocked the hired gun, Gabe, away from the window. “We’re not supposed to kill the woman.” The boss had been very specific about that.

Hate burned in Gabe’s eyes as he turned back. He didn’t like to be told what to do,