If she hadn’t been already, she would soon be fired from her job. Not that it mattered, because kidnappers weren’t good people, and as much as Tessa hated to even think this, the reality was she might not need to provide for her daughter anymore.Then there was Zy. The man who had dragged her underground wasn’t the man she’d fallen for. This version of him was harsh and unforgiving. Pure warrior. There would be no reasoning with him. He’d become an enemy combatant with no compunction about doing whatever necessary to compel her surrender.As the minutes dragged on, worry warred with regret. Neither did her any good. She had to live with the reason she’d never told Zy about Hallie’s abduction. It was the same terror for her child that had prevented her from sleeping for days—until tonight.Earlier, after Zy had fucked her with such desperation and anger, she’d showered and fallen onto the sofa, curled up and sobbing with Hallie’s blanket for all she’d lost. Then she’d fallen into an ex
“Fuck, baby…”His growl tightened the need between her legs. But that was nothing compared to the jolt of sensation that coiled inside her when his palms crushed her hips and his fingers dug into her fleshy ass and he began plowing into her, one long, urgent stroke after another.Tessa felt invaded and adored at once.Zy sucked her nipple between his teeth and suctioned it against the roof of his mouth. She tugged on his hair and pressed his face against her chest, chanting his name, as arousal soared, churning between her legs.“More. Zy… Please.” Tessa closed her eyes and pulled him into her, straining to get as close as possible as she gave herself over to his fevered rhythm.“Can’t stop. Want you. So. Fucking. Bad.”“I want you, too. I never stopped.”He scoffed. “I never mattered to you.”The fact he thought that horrified Tessa. She grabbed his face. “You were everything to me.”She ached to tell him that she loved him and had for months, that she hadn’t said the words before ou
He loved her too damn much.And tonight had only underscored one indisputable fact: he was totally compromised. And no matter what she’d done, he belonged to Tessa.Fuck, he needed to make some decisions.As soon as he got some answers.With a ragged breath, he stepped toward her. “You swear to God you had nothing to do with Kimber’s abduction?”She turned even more tense. “Nothing. I promise.”“Is that your final answer? Think carefully. Trees has your computer and your phone upstairs. He’s taking both apart now. He’ll know the truth in the next few minutes.”“I only passed on information after the fact. I didn’t—” Her shaky voice stopped, and she still wouldn’t face him. “Explanations don’t matter to you, so yes, that’s my final answer.”Maybe he wasn’t the best barometer of her sincerity, but everything in his gut—the killer instincts Trees swore he possessed—told him to believe her.“Okay. That’s good.” If she’d been honest, there would be no reason to call the police. No trouble
“You tried to make sure my baby would be looked after?” Tessa blinked up at him in shock.“Of course. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” But he had. And he’d been so fucking absorbed in his own pain and betrayal that he hadn’t even stopped to think her daughter might be in danger. Then he’d heaped blame, shame, and fury on top because why not win asshole-of-the-year honors?Suddenly, so many things made sense. Why Tessa had refused to let him in the house when he’d come by Wednesday night. Why she’d lied Friday about her dinner with Cash’s dad. Why she’d seemed suddenly lukewarm about moving in with him. Why she’d betrayed him.“Tessa, I’m so fucking sorry.” He lifted her face to his, crushed to see her red-rimmed eyes haunted with fear and grief. “Why didn’t you tell me?”“Because they threatened to kill Hallie if Tessa said a word to anyone,” Trees supplied. “As soon as I talked Madison off a ledge, I started reading Tessa’s Gmail account.”When he whipped Tessa’s phone from hi
“Baby, we need to talk.”She draped the fresh quilt around her body, folded the towel, then stepped out of the bathroom, brushing past Zy and out of the too-narrow hallway, before she turned to him. “I don’t want to argue again. Not that I can keep up with you…”“I’m sorry.”For what, exactly? Setting a trap? Fucking her despite suspecting her of the worst? Tearing out her heart? She’d given him just cause to do all of that.She turned her back on him. “No, I’m sorry for giving you a reason to hate me. How long before Trees returns?”Because without clothes, when she stood this close to Zy, she felt entirely naked.“Tessa, I can’t hate you, baby. I know you’re worried as hell and scared. I know you feel alone in this, but—”“I am alone.” She faced him. “That bastard took my baby, the only person who loves me unconditionally.”“Tessa, I love—”“Stop. Just…don’t.” Why was he trying to make her feel better with lies? “You know, Cash is a lot of things. He’s flaky and insincere. He’s unre
“And the September mission to Mexico went off perfectly because—”“I left my computer locked up at the office. When I got the call about my dad from Kathleen, I ran out too quickly to even think of bringing it home, so it sat on my desk.”“I remember. Fast-forward over a month later, to the end of October. Cash was still with you. He could have forwarded the plans to Valeria’s St. Louis house to the cartel via your Gmail. That was done in the middle of the night, too.”Tessa nodded. “He was on my sofa, playing video games, until you helped me kick him to the curb in mid-November.”“I remember. Prick.”She wasn’t going to argue with Zy’s assessment, but that didn’t make him any better in her book. “What happened next?”He paused, seeming to sort through his mental timeline. “The location of Valeria’s Orlando safe house was discovered and ransacked five days ago.”“That was before…” Tessa forced herself to finish that sentence. Getting to the bottom of this would only help her baby. “Be
“Of course you haven’t. Why would he do anything responsible?”“I could try calling him.”Zy shook his head as he tossed on his clothes. “I don’t want to tip our hand until we’re in his personal space. It’s the best way to control the situation.”“Then I don’t know what to do.”“Let me see if Trees can pinpoint him.”Was the guy even awake? “How would he do that?”“He has ways.” Zy smiled. “Follow me.”She’d rather not talk to Trees while wearing her pajamas, and Zy was eyeing her formfitting tank and shorts with an unnervingly intent stare. “Let me get dressed.”She ducked out to the bathroom, tossed on her clothes, brushed her teeth, and secured her hair in a ponytail. She exited to find Zy waiting in the hall. Together they headed to the kitchen.Trees stood at the coffeemaker, shirtless and huge, his hands braced on either side of the counter. Nothing odd about that, except the petite brunette standing in the cage of his arms, staring up at him with big hazel eyes.“Talk to me, La
“Tell him to hurry,” Tessa insisted. She needed her baby almost more than she needed to breathe. And she was desperate to get over to this address before the men moved—and took her daughter with them. “We need him.”Zy nodded. “You got it.”Zy glanced at Tessa, who looked tense and withdrawn in the passenger’s seat of her little sedan. As they sped to Hector Johnson’s place, he wished like hell they could clear the air now. But she wasn’t in a good headspace, and he was at least half to blame for that.Why hadn’t he shut the fuck up in the bunker when he’d had the chance?The only good thing he’d done this morning was drop Hunter a text to tell him Tessa’s double cross wasn’t at all responsible for Kimber’s abduction and that he needed a few more hours. After that, he’d explain everything.“Baby, I know you’re worried.” Zy was, too…but he didn’t want to say that. Even if he didn’t share Hallie’s blood, that was his little girl, damn it. He knew how ruthless cartels could be. He’d seen