Escape the Night

Desiree Holt

When Anya Kane escaped the darkness Virgil Branson was selling her into, she sought help from her boss, Gus D'Amato, a hot and hunky FBI agent. Six months later she is out of his office and in his bed, enjoying the most erotic sex imaginable and forging a bond with the man who makes every muscle in her body quiver. But things go dramatically wrong, and between bouts of thermonuclear sex that set them both on fire, Gus finds himself struggling to keep them both safe.

An Ellora's Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Escape the Night

ISBN 9781419928062

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Escape the Night Copyright (c) 2010 Desiree Holt

Edited by Helen Woodall

Cover art by Syneca

Electronic book publication June 2010

The terms Romantica(r) and Quickies(r) are registered trademarks of Ellora's Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.(r) 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors' imagination and used fictitiously.

ESCAPE THE NIGHT

Desiree Holt

Dedication

To my very own personal hero, always in my heart, who helped me escape the night, and to Amy, Steve and Suzanne, the best offspring in the world who let me brainstorm with them endlessly.

Desiree Holt

Chapter One

Anya Kane raced through the dark streets, hugging the walls of buildings, her own footsteps echoing so loudly in her ears she was sure Virgil could hear her. She struggled for air, lungs burning, her side aching from running so far and so fast, but she couldn't stop. Her face throbbed where he'd slapped her and she could still feel the bruising imprint of his fingers on her breast when he'd come into the room. Virgil!

God, what an idiot she was. She'd escaped one house of horror only to end up in another. Fleeing her hometown of Burdette to the city had been the only way to get out of the awfulness that had been her home. Home? That was a laugh. Four walls that hid secrets of coldness and brutality. She'd had such hopes when she settled in San Antonio. Even when the first job didn't pan out, she kept going. Pushing ahead. Leaping from the frying pan into the fire.

She could still hear the steady weeping, then the unholy scream, and the men arguing in loud voice. Still hear Virgil's words in her head as he described what he'd be doing to "prepare" her for one of his "clients".

How impressed she'd been the day she ran into her friends Amy and Stella at the coffee shop where she'd been picking up lunch. She'd just gotten a great new job, one she didn't want to lose--one that promised to be very exciting--and she'd gotten into the habit of eating at her desk to catch up on her work. Her first thought was, "What are Amy and Stella doing here in the middle of the day? And with such a good-looking guy? They never said a word about him. And why aren't they introducing me to him?"

The man was so handsome, so smooth. She wanted to go out to lunch with him, too. Only neither Amy nor Stella had looked very happy, either to see her or to be there. 6

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Something was wrong but she couldn't figure out what. Was he the reason the three of them hadn't seen each other for a few weeks? That they weren't returning her calls? But this didn't look like a romantic interlude. Maybe he was helping them get new jobs.

"What a surprise," she said, standing awkwardly near the table. Then she looked at Amy and Stella and blurted out, "How come you two haven't returned any of my calls. Y'all mad at me?"

Amy dipped her head. "We've...uh...been busy."

"Yeah, busy," Stella echoed, and bent her head to her food. "And we're busy now."

Anya had felt suddenly foolish, stunned that they would treat her this way and embarrassed at her childish question, but Virgil gave her a warm smile.

"That's no way to treat your friend," he chided the women, and nudged out a chair.

"I'm Virgil Branson. Come sit down, you sweet thing, and tell me all about yourself."

He drew her like a moth to a flame, tantalizing her, spinning his web. He'd sat there between the two women, handsome in his custom-tailored suit, his expensively cut hair and his high-end shirt and tie, looking every inch the prosperous businessman.

"I can't stay long," she said nervously. "My boss is expecting me back right away. But it's really good to see y'all. I haven't seen you in a while, Virgil."

Then two businessmen, as well dressed as Virgil, approached the table. He didn't introduce them, just smiled and nodded.

"Time to go girls," he said, throwing some money on the table and pushing back his chair. "Anya, I might be giving you a call. Maybe we can spend some time together."

She couldn't believe he'd asked her that in front of her friends and she stood there, not knowing what to say. Stella had taken an instant longer to rise, pausing to dig in her purse and apply lipstick, then blotting it with her napkin.

"Come on," Virgil urged, a note of impatience in his voice.

"Coming, coming." Stella jumped up so quickly she almost knocked over her chair. 7

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Anya stared at them as Virgil hustled the whole group out the door. She shook herself, wondering if she'd imagined the entire episode. When he called later in the week and asked her out, she hadn't seen anything wrong with accepting. She'd even gone to a store and learned about makeup and bought two new dresses. His eyes had been alight with interest when he came to pick her up and he'd complimented her on her beauty. So she'd gone out with him again. And then a third time. In Burdette circumstances had given her very little opportunity for a social life. This was part of what she looked forward to in the city. But then Stella and Amy had called, first cajoling and then screaming at her to stay away from Virgil. She'd put it down to jealousy. Oh, if it had only been that simple. She should have listened to them. Too late now. Way too late. And now she knew all about Virgil. Too damn much. At that moment she wished she was her old plain and mousy self, not calling attention to herself. By the time she'd figured out what he was really up to, she was a prisoner in the house he owned, with two businessmen haggling over her price.

Waiting and watching for the right opportunity, she'd managed an escape almost right under his nose. She knew when he came to her room for her he'd be furious that she'd slipped away. If she hadn't insisted she had to use the bathroom... If Virgil hadn't gotten in a heated argument with two of his "customers"... If everything hadn't happened the way it did...

Her stomach roiled at the thought of what had been waiting for her, panic coiled tight inside her. Her only piece of luck up until then had been Virgil's decision, for whatever reason, to leave her untouched. But it was coming, and soon. And now she had to keep running, but she had no idea where she was running to. She couldn't go back to her apartment. That would be the first place he'd check. Nor could she find a way home to Burdette. Locating her in a town that small would be a snap. 8

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But where could she go? What could she do? She had no money, no identification and only the clothes on her back. All she'd thought about was getting away. But now what? She had to keep going. She couldn't let him catch her. She had no idea where she was, only that she was somewhere at the edge of downtown San Antonio. The neighborhood was a mixture of homes and townhouses but she wasn't familiar enough with the city to be more exact about her location. She only knew she couldn't stop and safety meant keeping as much in shadow as she could, waiting to hear following footsteps any moment. Or worse yet, see a car pulling up next to her and Virgil jumping out.

She ducked between two houses, stopping to catch her breath. Up ahead she saw the bright lights of a neighborhood shopping center. If she could just make it to there, maybe she could figure out what to do next. Moving as fast as she could, Anya managed to reach the cluster of stores surrounded by a parking lot filled with vehicles and crowds of shoppers moving from one store to the next. Anya looked frantically around. Could she approach one of these people? No, they'd think she was crazy. But somehow she needed to get help. At once she thought of her boss. She'd only been working there for three weeks and didn't know him that well. But if ever there was a man who could make her feel safe it was him. Would he think she was the victim of an overactive imagination? Still, he was in the right place...

Virgil had taken her cell phone along with her purse. But Anya had always had a habit of shoving loose change in her slacks. She shoved her hands in the pockets and her fingers closed around coins. She permitted herself on small sigh of relief. Now to find a phone.

There was a restaurant at the end of line of stores. It looked to be busy and Anya hoped she could get in and out before Virgil decided to look for her here. She hugged the wall of the little lobby, waiting until the hostess had seated a couple standing there, before approaching her.

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"Excuse me, do you have a pay phone here?" She hoped she didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"Right over there." The hostess pointed behind her without looking up from the seating chart she was marking.

Anya took another calming breath. "I'm sorry, but do you also have a phone book I could borrow?"

The hostess gave her an impatient look as she dragged a telephone book out from a shelf in the stand and shoved it at her.

Please let there not be a hundred people with his name. But luck was with her. There was only one Augustus D'Amato listed. With shaking fingers she slipped the coin in the slot and dialed the number.

* * * * *

"Sorry the place is a little messy." Gus D'Amato unlocked the door to his condo and swung it open, gesturing for Anya to enter. "I wasn't really expecting company tonight."

"I'm sorry," Anya began, but Gus stopped her.

"No problem, Anya. Just preparing you for a bachelor's place."

"Oh." She managed a tiny smile as he ushered her into the living room. What she noticed wasn't any clutter but the magnificent view of downtown San Antonio from his living room. One entire wall was comprised of glass. From the vantage of the building's fifteenth floor, she could see nearly all the city spread out before her.

"Wow!" was all she could manage.

Gus came up behind her, almost but not quite touching her. "I sometimes forget how impressive this is. Would you like a drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"Just a glass of ice water, please."

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He led her to a long leather couch and waited until she'd settled at one end of it. Anya was grateful for the fact that he hadn't asked her one question during the ride from the shopping center. Only an FBI agent would simply pick her up, no questions asked, and bring her back to his place to ask her what kind of trouble she was in. She was still trembling so badly that she nearly spilled the glass of water he handed her. Gus sat down beside her and cupped his hand around hers, helping her steady the glass while she drank.

"Thank you." She set the glass down on the coaster he slid along the coffee table. Now she had to figure out the best way to explain her situation. While she was trying to put her thoughts in some kind of order, she took her first really good look at the man who'd hired her only a few short weeks ago yet had come for her tonight without hesitation.

Without the standard suit and tie all FBI agents seem to favor he looked...different. Tonight he had on faded jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his well-muscled body like a second skin. His thick, brown, sun-streaked hair was slightly disheveled, enough so that Anya just wanted to run her fingers through it. Whiskey-brown eyes looked out from a face more masculine than handsome, with its square jaw, high cheekbones and now a sexy five o'clock shadow. Muscles rippled in his arms as he lifted the bottle of beer he'd fetched with her water.

Stop!

She was literally running for her life, terrified, with the only person she dared to ask for help and yet here she was ogling him and trying to imagine him naked. Her boss, of all people! Totally off limits under any circumstance. Virgil must have really rattled her brains with that hard smack to her face.

"I hate to damage the merchandise," he'd said, "but you have to learn to take orders. Ya know?"

Thinking of it now she touched her cheek where it was still sore and flinched at the contact.

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Instantly Gus set his beer down, slid over next to her and cupped her chin. His eyes studied her carefully. When his thumb brushed over the shadow beneath her makeup she winced and his eyes darkened.

"Don't move," he told her and headed for the kitchen. He returned holding an ice bag and a small towel. "Hold this to your face. It will help."

"Thank you." She took it, embarrassed for him to see her like this. But what choice did she have?

Gus sipped on his beer for a moment or two, giving her a chance to pull herself together.

"All right." His voice was calm. Soothing. "It looks like you're in some kind of trouble or you wouldn't be calling me after hours. And I'm also guessing it's either something you don't want friends or family to know about, or else there's no one you can call."

She nodded, lowering the ice pack enough to take another drink of water. Gus smiled, the curve of his lips warming his face. "You haven't worked for me all that long, Anya, but I got a good feeling when I interviewed you and in the few weeks you've worked for me you've really impressed me. I'm guessing you trust me to a degree--or my job--or you wouldn't have called me, so how about telling me what the problem is. Let's see how I can help you."

Anya put the glass down and swiped at the tears burning her eyelids. She was so embarrassed, at both her stupidity and gullibility, and she wasn't even sure where to begin.

Gus was still sitting close to her on the couch. He reached out a hand and gently wiped away the moisture on her cheeks. For a moment tiny jolts of awareness sizzled through her, a reaction so unexpected it shocked her. Then, just as swiftly it disappeared, and he was Mr. D'Amato, the man she worked for, and she was living in a nightmare.

"Come on," he urged in a soft voice. "Let's see how bad this really is."

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Anya knew she had to tell him. He was her only source of help. And certainly his job put him in a position to rescue her, even if it was from her own stupidity. She lowered her gaze, unable to look at him while she talked. "I-I moved to San Antonio a while ago because I wanted something more than Burdette had to offer. Two of my girlfriends moved up here, too, and we see each other once a week."

"Doesn't sound too bad so far." His voice was deep and slow, wrapping around her like a velvet cloth. For a moment she just wanted to dive into him and shut out the ugly world.

"I haven't even gotten to the bad part yet." She drew in a shaky breath and let it out. "I've always been a little...shy. Not the one at the top of everyone's date list. So when I ran into Virgil and he asked me out, I didn't pay any attention to what Stella and Amy said." Tears gathered again and rolled down her cheeks. "Then tonight..."

She drew in another shaky breath.

"Take your time. We're in no hurry."

She gave him a watery grin. "You must do this a lot."

He smiled. "Save beautiful maidens?"

The grin disappeared. "I'm far from beautiful. That's why I was so flattered when Virgil... When he... But then he brought those men... He hit me... Those men..."

She dissolved into tears, unable to go on.

Gus drew her gently into his arms, his hands soothing her, but she felt a sudden tension in his body. "You wouldn't by any chance be talking about Virgil Branson, would you?"

She lifted her head. "Yes, why? How do you know Virgil?"

His hands tightened on her for a brief moment. "Darlin', Virgil Branson has been a thorn in my side for longer than I can remember. I never believed in fate before, but I damn sure do now. Otherwise what would have made you call me tonight?"

"You know Virgil?" She frowned, puzzled.

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"I'm going to know him even better. Let's get you some hot tea, with a little brandy in it, and we're going to have a long talk. I want to hear everything you can tell me about Virgil Branson. Everything."

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Chapter Two

Six months later

Anya smiled as Gus turned out the bathroom light, stripped off his boxers and slid into bed beside her. She loved the feel of his big, hard body and the warmth it exuded. She still could hardly believe everything that had happened since that night she'd called him afraid for her life. In the past six months Virgil Branson had been arrested for running a prostitution ring, one that was backed by a major cartel and that sent its women all over the world. Sold them off like a piece of merchandise. Anya, Stella and Amy had been star witnesses in his trial. Now her friends had been relocated, Virgil was in a federal prison, and she and Gus were building a life together. Something she never could have imagined in her wildest dreams. Gus slipped an arm beneath her and pulled her toward him. She loved the feel of his body against hers, hard muscles beneath smooth skin. And he always smelled so good--that delicious combination of soap, outdoors and male that was distinctively Gus. Pressing her nose against his shoulder she inhaled deeply, taking his scent inside her.

"I wonder if I'll ever get enough of touching you." His voice was already deepening with desire.

"I still have to pinch myself to believe that this is happening," she told him.

"Oh, I think I should be the one to do the pinching." He took one nipple between thumb and forefinger and squeezed it lightly.

Heat arrowed straight to her cunt, moisture flooding her and her pulse kicking into overdrive. He could do that to her with just one touch?

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Anya ran one hand lightly over the thick hair on his chest, curling her fingertips into it and seeking his nipples. When she scraped gently over the surface of them his breath hissed out slowly.

"Darlin', you do like to light my fire, don't you." He dipped his head to capture the lobe of her ear in his teeth, then trailed his tongue along the column of her neck. Anya shivered in anticipation. She never would have dreamed that a woman of such sexuality lived beneath her skin. Her experience had been limited and her selfesteem low, especially after Virgil sweet-talked her for the sole purpose of selling her body to the highest bidders.

But from that first night when she'd called him for help, Gus had been caring and protective, coaxing her out of her shyness. He'd taught her that sex with the right person could be wonderful. That most men weren't like the very few she'd been with, fumbling and inexperienced. Or brutal, like Virgil and his customers. He'd taught her to learn how to respond to the needs of both her body and his. And to welcome his touch. And Gus had given her the strength to testify against Virgil and to convince Amy and Stella to do the same. He'd sheltered her in his apartment and then in his bed, teaching her the pleasures of erotic love. As the emotional bond between them had grown, she'd opened for him like a flower. Now a day never passed that she didn't crave the touch of his mouth on her, his fingers, his cock inside her. She'd had to transfer to another office, of course, but luckily there was an opening in one on the same floor. Whenever he stopped by to check on her she wondered if anyone noticed the smoldering glances they exchanged.

Now she rubbed her body against his in a way that fed the pleasure in both of them. Gus moved one hand along her curves with a light, feathery stroke that sent shivers through her.

"You always feel so good to me," he murmured, his head dipping to capture one nipple between his lips. "Your skin feels like cool silk but there's such heat beneath it."

He nipped at her jawline. "But that heat's just for me, right, darlin'?"

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"Of course," she breathed. As if any other man would ever appeal to her. His mouth continued its sensuous journey along her neck, pausing at the hollow of her throat to press his tongue to the spot where her pulse beat so furiously. And all the while his hand traveled everywhere--her thighs, her arms, her shoulders. Anya anchored her fingers in the thick warmth of his hair, holding on to him tightly as little ripples of pleasure raced through her.

One palm cupped a breast as his mouth found the nipple, his tongue licking it, his lips pulling on it, his teeth nibbling in tiny little nips. Anya felt the liquid gathering in her cunt and the lips there swelling with need. When he'd teased the nipple into a swollen, aching point he moved to the other one, kneading the soft flesh of her breast while using his mouth and teeth on the swelling bud.

Anya moved against him, pressing herself into his mouth and hands. She let one of her own hands drift lower, reaching for the thick hard shaft against her thigh, wanting to touch him, too.

"Uh-uh," Gus murmured, his mouth against her body. "This is my play time."

His lips traveled further down her body, until they reached the soft curls covering her pussy. Moving so he knelt between her thighs, he spread them wide, bent his head and spread her cunt lips. Anya had discovered he loved to look at her fully exposed, his eyes eating her up. Tiny shimmers of heat rippled through her.

"I could spend the rest of my life eating your cunt." Gus' voice was low and raw with need. "Bend your knees for me, darlin'. Just the way I like it."

Anya planted her feet on the mattress, knees bent and legs as far apart as she could get them. Gus took a long, slow, delicious sweep of his tongue the length of her slit, not hurrying, not rushing. Taking his time to enjoy every morsel. Anya wanted to scream at him to hurry, but she knew by now that slow and easy was his favorite way to make love. He knew how it drove her crazy. By the time he was ready to enter her she would be so aroused she would climax at once, then again as he fucked her. 17

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With his thumbs Gus spread the lips of her pussy, and then closed his lips over her throbbing clit. Anya bucked, her hips rising from the mattress as she lifted to meet his mouth. Gus took leisurely swipes at her demanding flesh, alternately sucking the hot bud and lapping each inch of her inner pussy lips. By the time he plunged his tongue inside her wet channel she was half crazy with desire. He was so clever with that tongue, thrusting it in and out as he would do later with his cock. It brushed rhythmically against her flexing pussy walls, reaching in deep and curling the tip to reach that oh, so sweet spot that sent her spinning up the spiral. Pushing her hips at him she tried to draw him deeper inside. Instead he withdrew his tongue and drew concentric circles with it around her clit. Again and again, around and around. Anya clutched at the sheet, digging her fists into it and bracing her feet on the mattress. She wanted him to let her come, to carry her to that wonderful place with fireworks and black velvet, but that wasn't Gus' style. She'd already learned that.

Lifting his head, he licked the inside of each thigh with tantalizing swipes of his broad, flat tongue, leaving her pussy vibrating with need. Planting kisses on the inside of each knee, he slid his hands up the outside of her thighs then around to the cheeks of her ass. With one deft movement he flipped her over onto her stomach and pulled her up to her knees. Then he was kissing her ass, those light butterfly touches that made the pulse low in her belly thrum with excitement.

Gus shifted so his body was over hers, circled her wrists and lifted her hands, clamping her fingers around the slats in the headboard.

"Hold on tight, darlin'." His voice was husky and raw. "Stay just like that."

He reached for their pillows and pulled them beneath her, piling them so her body could rest on them. Anya shivered with anticipation. The first time Gus had taken her from behind she'd been scared, aroused, panicked, a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. But as with everything else, he'd been slow, loving, tamping down his own rising need to arouse her to the point where she wanted it as much as he did. 18

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But still, he'd never taken her there. Would tonight be the night? As she'd come to know Gus over the past six months she'd learned he was a man of great sexual appetites. She'd also discovered he kept a large part of himself tucked away, leery of frightening her, knowing how her short brush with Virgil and his operation had traumatized her. Didn't he know she trusted him more than any other man she'd ever met? That she was ready for whatever he wanted? Desired?

She wiggled her buttocks, hoping to send him a signal of some kind. His chuckle was low and throaty. "Getting anxious, are you? I like that. My shy little flower is coming into full bloom." He placed an open-mouthed kiss on each cheek of her buttocks before leaning over her and rubbing her cunt with his clever fingers. He knew exactly where and how to touch her to heat her blood and make her nerve endings sizzle. The urge inside her to explore further with him, to push the erotic envelope, grew stronger each time they made love.

Anya gripped the spindles of the headboard and rocked her hips as Gus' fingers pinched her clit, rubbed the lips of her cunt and probed deep inside her hungry channel. She closed her eyes, giving herself up to the pleasure that surged through her body.

More, more, more!

The words screamed in her head.

Then she heard the welcome sound of foil ripping and visualized Gus rolling the condom onto his thick swollen cock. The muscles inside her pussy clenched in anticipation.

In another second the tip of his shaft probed at her entrance. His hands tightened on her hips as he pushed slowly but steadily forward, entering her a little at a time. All the way in! All the way in, Gus! I'm not a china doll.

"Am I hurting you?" She heard the strain in his voice as he fought for control. 19

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"No." She shoved back at him. "Damn it, Gus. I keep telling you. I'm not afraid with you. Take me. Hard."

"All right, darlin'." He slid out very slowly, then slammed into her. She felt the broad head nudging at the entrance to her womb and trembled with delight.

"Yes." She rocked back again. "That's what I want. I won't break, Gus. Fuck me, hard."

"Hold tight, then."

His hips rolled as he pulled out, slid back in, each stroke harder and faster than the one before. Keeping one hand on a hip to steady himself, Gus reached around to her clit and tugged it between two fingers. As he plunged in and out of her his fingers pulled back and forth in the same tempo.

Harder and harder Gus drove into her, working her to bring her to the edge. Anya felt an icy heat rocket through her and the climax building low in her belly. It surged through her exploding just as she felt Gus stiffen behind her signaling the onset of his own orgasm. And then they crashed together, shuddering with the force of their release, the muscles of her cunt milking him.

He shouted her name as he emptied himself into her, the hot jets of his semen pouring into the thin latex shield.

At last they were spent. Gus reached up to unclench her fingers from the spindles, then leaned forward onto her, his heart pounding against her back and mingling with her own heartbeat. The only sound in the room was the harsh rasping of their breathing as they struggled to drag air into their lungs.

When he'd gathered himself enough, Gus withdrew from her and headed for the bathroom to dispose of the condom. Anya shoved the pillows toward the headboard and rolled onto her back, a sense of satisfied lassitude creeping through her, making her limbs weak. She smiled to herself, remembering each moment of carnal pleasure their coupling brought to her.

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How her life had changed in just six months. Her success at her job gave her confidence. Her relationship with Gus made her believe in herself, believe that she could have it all. She supposed it was the one thing she had Virgil Branson to thank for. If not for him, she wouldn't have called Gus that night and be where she was now. Gus slid into bed beside and bent his head to kiss her, his tongue tracing the line of her mouth before teasing inside. But this wasn't a hungry kiss. It was gentle. Tender. A kiss that promised so many things. She reveled in it, pulling Gus' head down tighter to her, anchoring her fingers in his hair. She loved it that every time they made love he cuddled her afterward, showing his feelings in so many ways. She had just spooned against him, his arms wrapped around her, when the phone rang.

"Shit. Who the hell wants me now?" He reached for the phone. "This better be damn good." But then his entire body tightened. "What? Are you kidding me? Damn it all to hell, anyway." He listened some more. "All right, all right. We're on our way." He replaced the phone, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "We need to get up, Anya. We have to go to the office."

"What's wrong?" Her heart nearly stopped beating. "What's happening, Gus?"

She could feel the anger rising from him in waves. "Virgil Branson escaped."

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Chapter Three

There were ten people in the conference room down the hall from Gus' office. Anya knew two of them by name. The others were all strangers except for her boss, Jimmy Broughton. Everyone had full mugs of coffee and another pot was brewing on a little table in the corner. She tried to make sense of what everyone was saying but her brain seemed to be stuck in first gear. Nothing had penetrated since Gus had delivered the terrible message.

She sat next to Gus, inwardly quaking but doing her best to maintain outward control. In her hastily donned jeans and t-shirt she felt not only rumpled but also exposed, as if everyone in the room could see beneath her clothing and identify what she and Gus had been doing.

Although he was all business, Gus had taken her hand in his, holding it tightly, his warmth and strength seeping into her with a reassurance she desperately needed.

"That's the oldest trick in the book," he said again. "Pretend to be sick, get transferred to the prison infirmary and then get busted out. But he had to have help. And he had to set it up ahead of time."

Jimmy Broughton was pacing. Had been since they'd all arrived and laid out the problem.

"I've got someone on it," he told them. "We're checking the visitor logs as well as his activity logs for the past month. Best guess is, besides the outside help, he bought off someone in the infirmary. We're pulling the history on everyone who works there."

A man in jeans and a rumpled polo shirt stood up to refill his coffee mug. "If you ask me, there's entirely too much of that shit going on right now."

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"True," Jimmy agreed, "but that doesn't solve our problem. We need to find out who and how. And most importantly, where Branson is now. That man is a dangerous psychopath."

His words chilled Anya to the bone. She certainly didn't need reminding of Virgil's cold and twisted mind hidden beneath that charming veneer. Or the things he'd planned for her after he "broke her in". Anya tightened her fingers around Gus' and he gave her an answering squeeze. She wondered if she'd ever be safe from the man. Ever be able to relax and enjoy her new life with Gus.

"You should let us put her in a safe house away from here," Jimmy went on, looking directly at Gus. "She'll be out of danger and you can help us nail down this bastard."

"No." Gus didn't shout but there was no mistaking the power in his voice. "She stays with me."

"Hell, Gus. Make a decision with your brains for a change. You might both be in danger."

"I'll handle it. She stays."

Jimmy shoved his hands through his hair. "Listen, I'm just--"

"Jimmy."

The man at the head of the table spoke up. Anya recognized him as Dean Barton, the Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio office and the man both Gus and Jimmy reported to. Anya had only met him once but the agents all spoke of him with complete and utter respect.

"Yeah, boss?" Jimmy stopped pacing and turned to the SAIC.

"Let Gus handle this his way. Our first order of business is to find out who helped Virgil. That will give us an idea where he might be hiding. Or at least who to question about it."

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"I'd like to get my hands on whoever it is," Gus growled. "They'd spill their guts in ten seconds."

Dean shook his head. "As a matter of fact, Gus, you're going to have to keep a low profile here."

"Wait a minute," Gus began.

Dean cut him off. "You have other priorities." He looked at Anya. "Miss Kane's safety is at the top of the list. I'm making it your assignment to personally take care of that."

Anya sensed Gus stiffen beside her.

"I already figured that out. But that doesn't mean--"

"What it means is neither of you can go back to your place. Not even to collect personal belongings."

Anya tightened her grip on Gus' hand as she leaned forward. "But where will we go, Mr. Barton?"

He gave her a strained smile. "I have a safe house set up. Only those of you here in this room will know which one it is. I promise you, you'll be safe there, Miss Kane."

His words were somewhat reassuring but she put all of her trust in Gus. And she'd leave the details up to him. He'd told her the night she'd called him that he wouldn't let her down and he hadn't.

"It's critical for me to have a pipeline into what's happening with this," Gus protested.

Dean nodded. "And you will. Jimmy will be your contact when I'm not available. You'll know everything that's going on at all times. I'll need to pick your brain because you ran the original case."

"What about backup? Someone with eyes and ears when we sleep?"

"That's one of the things we'll discuss after this meeting."

24

Escape the Night

Anya sat back in her chair, letting the rest of the discussion wash over her. She was still trying to absorb the fact that Virgil Branson was on the loose. He'd looked her in the eye when she walked out of the courtroom and mouthed, "I'll kill you, sweet thing. You can't hide from me." A cold shiver skittered over her as she remembered the deadly promise and she hitched her chair slightly closer to Gus. Finally it seemed the meeting was over. Everyone had their assignments and was heading to their desks or their cars to get started. Dean Barton left them for a moment, then returned carrying a large aluminum briefcase, which he handed to Gus. Then he locked the door and sat down across from Anya and Gus, shoving the case at Gus.

"Your go bag," he told him. "Open it when you get where you're going."

Gus nodded and waited for the SAIC to continue.

"Obviously we don't know how extensive Branson's network is," he told them. "It's much larger than we thought. Gus, it's entirely possible that he knows of your relationship with Miss Kane and is aware the two of you are living together. He could even have someone watching your place."

"I already figured that," Gus told him.

"As soon as we wrap up some details here we're going to get you out of this building and do some bait and switch."

Anya tried to concentrate while Dean went over details with Gus. He explained, among other things, that someone had already shopped for clothes and whatever other necessities they'd need. That everything was waiting for them at the safe house. But all she heard was a buzzing in her head, a result of the tension gripping her. Why had she ever accepted that first date with Virgil? She had been such a stupid, gullible smalltown fool. She hadn't really been aware until the trial of just how little like a "good ol'

boy" Virgil actually was. Rather he was a viciously evil entrepreneur, dealing in human flesh, with a network that extended globally.

Anya looked at Gus, her forehead creased in worry. "What about my friends Stella and Amy? He'll go after them, too."

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Sorrow flashed in Dean's eyes. "I hate to say this, Miss Kane, but if they were with Virgil willingly when you saw them last, it's possible they're already in his pipeline."

"Oh, god, I hope not." She twisted her hands together. "Can you check on them?

Please? Is that possible?"

Dean nodded. "I'll make sure we send agents to scope out the situation. If they're still around, we'll offer them protection."

"Thank you," she breathed.

"Okay, then." Dean stood up and slapped his hand on the table. "Time to go," he said, and looked directly at Gus. "You all set?"

Gus nodded and urged Anya from her chair. Bending low to her head, he whispered, "I promise it will be all right. I'll take care of you and keep you safe."

"I trust you," she whispered back. But she was still frightened. She clung to Gus as Barton led them from the conference room to the elevator. Around them activity hummed in the various cubicles, despite the unreal hour. Rather than punching the button for the parking garage, Dean took a key from his pocket and slid it into a tiny lock on the elevator panel.

"We don't need company right now," he told them. "This is just in case."

He pressed the top button and they rode silently to the roof. The moment that Dean pushed open the heavy metal door to the roof Anya heard an unfamiliar noise and a strong breeze nearly knocked her off her feet. She shaded her eyes against the wind and saw a black helicopter waiting with its rotor already in motion. They headed for the helo, bending low to avoid the rotor wash. Gus helped Anya in first and motioned for her to buckle herself in. Then he climbed in next to the pilot, nodded at Dean and slammed the door shut. In seconds they were lifting off the roof. Anya folded her hands tightly in her lap and tried not to look at the city falling away beneath them.

* * * * *

26

Escape the Night

Anya unpacked the suitcase that had been left for her with almost no interest. She appreciated the fact that someone had gone to the trouble of learning--or doing a good job of guessing--her sizes and tried to pick things that would please her, but clothes were the last thing on her mind. Her movements were almost automatic as she put away her things and Gus' in the heavy oak dresser and the big walk-in closet. Gus was in the living room with John Randolph, the agent who'd met them at the landing field and driven them here to this nice quiet neighborhood.

John had walked them through the house, showing them all the security precautions--the sensors around the outside of the house, the cameras both on the roof and in the trees that fed into a computer in the den, the trip wires around the doors and windows. Now the two men were working out their on-duty schedule. She hoped John took the nights so she could feel Gus' warm body next to hers at night. Otherwise she wasn't sure she could sleep.

He'll find me, no matter what they do. He never gives up. No one ever goes against him. Why had she thought she could be the exception?

A scene flashed across her mind, the second night she'd been at Virgil's big house. She'd heard noises coming from downstairs, arguing and then crying. Cautiously she'd opened the door to the room he'd stuck her in. The man who always stood guard in the upstairs hall heard her door creak open and was at her in a flash.

"Shut the damn door, bitch." He loomed over her, an ugly mountain of a man.

"You've been told not to leave the room. That means keeping the door closed."

Anya had closed it but left it open enough to see and hear. The weeping continued, a lost, hopeless sound.

"Damn you, Virgil." A man's strident voice. "You were supposed to soften her up for me. What the hell happened?"

Anya knew all about the "softening up". Virgil had explained to her in great deal how she would be prepared for the men with extremely large cocks. How his men would take turns with her until she learned to please them and developed the proper 27

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attitude for his clients. Clients of course being a euphemism for the very wealthy men who purchased the girls from him like so much merchandise. Sometimes at night, while she waited in fear to see if he would send someone to her, she heard the screams of others being brutalized and she'd pull the pillow over head, trying to blot out the sound.

But that day she knew a very wealthy Asian man had come to make a selection. Virgil had visited them each in turn and informed them.

"Not you, sweet thing," he told Anya, holding her chin in a brutal grip. "I haven't gotten you properly prepared yet."

She'd waited, terrified, to see if he really meant to or if she would be put up for selection with the others. Then she heard the weeping and shouting, a hard crack! like a slap followed by a scream that froze Anya's blood.

"Idiot!" the Asian man had shouted. "I don't want them if you cut them to pieces."

"No problem," Virgil had said in that smooth voice of his. "I got plenty more where she came from."

That's when Anya had known she had to escape at any cost. Being dead was better than what Virgil had in store for her.

And why she'd believed him that day in court when he'd said he'd kill her. Not even Gus or all the other FBI agents were going to stop him. The cold knowledge had settled inside her, sucking the life from her.

Depressed, she sat down on the bed, still holding a sweater in her hands, and buried her face in the soft fabric.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's this?"

She hadn't heard Gus come into the room but suddenly he was there, taking the sweater out of her hands, lifting her up and then seating himself with her in his lap.

"What is it, darlin'?" One warm hand caressed up and down her spine. "You've got a bad look on your face."

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Anya buried her face in her chest. She didn't like to talk about these things with Gus, although she'd told him every gruesome, painful detail the night he rescued her. Then she'd had to repeat everything for her formal deposition and again in court. But just the thought of what might have happened to her--what had happened to others--

made her feel dirty. She didn't want it to touch what she had with Gus, not when she'd come so far in their relationship.

"He's never going to let me go." Her voice was muffled against his shirt. Gus slid his warm hand under her hair and cradled the nape of her neck, tilting her head back to look at him.

"Yes, he will."

He said it with such finality she could almost believe him.

"Listen to me, darlin'." He kissed her forehead. "I give you my word you are going to be safe. That Branson will be caught and locked up in prison again. That this time there won't be any slipups once we get our hands on him again. And you can take that to the bank with you."

Anya clutched his shirt in her fists and burrowed against the hard wall of his chest.

"You just don't know how evil he is. Oh, Gus, I'm so scared."

"We'll get through this." He pressed light kisses to her forehead and cheeks, cradling her against his body. "It took a lot of guts for you to tell me what happened and then get past it. And even more for you to stand up in court and repeat everything with Virgil Branson sitting right there. But you did it. And we'll get through this together, too."

His hands were roaming her body, caresses meant to soothe and reassure. But despite the precariousness of their situation, the caresses soon turned to something else. Anya felt his cock harden beneath her lap, the sensation drawing moisture from her cunt and hardening her nipples. Gus' mouth moved to her lips, his tongue tracing the shape of them. One hand moved around to cup a breast through the soft material of her t-shirt, his thumb rasping nipple. His shaft flexed against her buttocks. 29

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Anya gave a soft little moan and pressed into his touch, her mouth opening to accept his tongue. Then without warning he tore his mouth away, stood up and set her back down on the bed.

"Give me one minute. I need to make sure John is squared away and I'll tell him we're going to catch a little more sleep before the sun comes up."

By the time he returned to the bedroom Anya had stripped off her clothes and was in bed with the covers drawn up to her chin. She was shivering as much from fear as from the cool air. She needed Gus' warmth to chase away the chills and the terror. When Gus climbed into bed beside her she went into his arms and huddled against him.

"I still don't know how you can even touch me," she whispered. "You know, after everything I told you."

"What you told me was not about you," he told her. "It was about Virgil Branson and his evil business. I know what happened tonight brought it all back, darlin', but nothing Virgil did or threatened to do could make a difference in who you are or the way I feel about you. You've come so far, Anya. We're building something so good. Don't let him take it from you. From us."

"Oh, Gus," she half sobbed. "Help me."

"Close your eyes," he instructed. "That's it. Now. Just think about me. This is my hand moving over you. My mouth sucking and drinking. My tongue lapping at your body. Just me, Anya. Just me."

His hand drifted across her breasts, cupping each one before lightly pinching each nipple. He drew a line from the pulse at her throat to her navel with the tip of his tongue, lifting her body to him as he licked and lapped. Suddenly Anya knew what she had to do. What she needed to do to make this about her and them and not the nightmare she'd thought had finally disappeared. Pushing at him she rolled up to her knees and pushed him flat on his back. His hands reached up and gripped her arms. "You don't need to do this."

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Yes," she protested. "I do. And I want to."

The first three days Virgil had kept her at the house, coming to her room at all hours, smooth-talking as he stripped her of her clothes and examined her as if she were a package on display, she'd made up her mind to attack him any way she could if he tried to fuck her. Penetrate her. Put his cock inside her. But that hadn't been number one on his to-do list. The mouth, he'd told her. That's where the real talent was, and hers was just made for what he wanted. For weeks after moving in with Gus she'd gagged just remembering the image of herself kneeling on the floor, naked, hands bound behind her back, while Virgil gripped her head and plunged in and out of her mouth.

It had taken weeks for Gus to convince her that what Virgil did and what he wanted for the two of them were worlds apart. The first time she'd hesitantly taken his rigid shaft into her mouth, tasting the velvety skin with her tongue and licking the smooth head, she'd moved slowly, forcibly pushing Virgil from her mind. But the pleasure she'd given him had been so intense she'd actually looked forward to doing it again. And again.

Now she knew it was what she needed to put this new nightmare in its place. To deal with what was happening and know in her own mind that what she had with Gus was truly something special.

Kneeling beside him, she cupped his heavy sac with one hand and wrapped the fingers of the other around his pulsing cock. In the soft light from the bedside lamp she could see how dark the head was, how thick the tiny drop of fluid already seeping from the slit. She took a tentative swipe with her tongue across the surface, feeling power surge through her when a strangled groan rolled from his throat. The sound empowered her. She tightened her grip at the root of his cock and lowered her head over him, taking him into her mouth as deep as she could. She waited tensely for the feeling of dread to return, the one Gus had banished with loving 31

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patience and attention. But Gus' essence filled her too completely, leaving no room for anything else.

Rolling his sac in her fingers, she sucked his cock into her mouth as deeply as she could, setting a steady pace. The thick vein that wrapped around his shaft pulsed against her tongue, his erection flexing and swelling as she pulled and drew on it. Her small fist moved up and down in rhythm with her mouth while her fingers continued to squeeze and play with his balls.

Gus lifted one of his hands to tangle the fingers in her hair but yanked it back down quickly. She had described to him so vividly how Virgil had held her head in place that he'd schooled himself not to repeat anything that could remind her of that action. But tonight she needed him to do it, to erase every vestige of memory of that horrific time. Momentarily removing her fingers from his cock, she reached out for his hands and placed it against her temple. She held his wrist in a tight grip until he finally threaded his fingers through the fall of her hair, his mouth making small sounds of satisfaction. Anya smiled around the width of his cock, reveling in his touch. The glide of his fingers through her hair reminded her that this was Gus, not someone to be feared. Gus, who'd taught her how to enjoy her body and his. Gus, who gave her sanctuary and a future.

As she moved her head and fingers up and down she lost herself in the rhythm and the taste of him. Everything faded away but Gus, his body, and his wonderful response to her. Beside her he tensed, hands clenched into fists, body arching up to meet her mouth. His taste was intoxicating, his response even more so. Faster and faster, she moved, her fingers busily manipulating his balls in the soft skin of his heavy sac.

"Jesus!" he groaned.

Anya worked him harder, mouth stretching around his erection, tongue licking, fingers busy, until his entire body tensed and arched nearly off the bed. He exploded in her mouth, coming in great spurts. She swallowed it as fast as she could, his semen 32

Escape the Night

coating her tongue and her throat, the slide of it heating her body and sending jolts of passion to her cunt.

She sucked him until the last of his release jetted from his body and then slowly slid her mouth up the length to the head, letting her lips glide over it in one last caress. Gus still had his fingers tangled in her hair and he exerted gentle pressure to urge her to move on top of him. His lungs strained for air and as she laid her head on his chest she could hear the heavy staccato beat of his heart, a sound that gave her immense comfort.

"You're amazing," he said when he could breathe again. "Incredible. Astounding. Unbelievable."

She smiled against his chest. "I don't think so, but I love the words."

He slid his hands beneath her arms and tugged her until her face was level with his.

"Feel better, darlin'?"

"Mm-hmm." His warmth seeped into her, wiping away that last vestiges of chill.

"But I think we didn't do this right." He tilted her head so she was looking directly into his eyes.

"W-What do you mean?"

"I mean, I was supposed to be taking care of you. Making you feel better." His fingers tap danced up and down her spine.

"Uh-uh. You're always making me feel even better than good. Tonight I wanted to know that I could do that for you. That your pleasure came from me."

He looked hard into her eyes, as if trying to see to the very bottom of her soul.

"Don't you know that you make me feel good just by being with me? Anya, the best I ever had doesn't come close to how good this is. And only with you. Virgil Branson is an animal, a bug, and we're going to squash him. I won't let you think less of yourself because of him."

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The knot that had tightened in her stomach when the phone call came, that seemed to reach upward into every part of her body and coil her more tightly than a spool of wire, unwound with a distinctive snap! She inhaled Gus' wonderfully familiar scent and placed feathery kisses on his chin and jawline.

"What would I do without you?" she sighed.

"That's something I don't intend to find out." He rolled her onto her side, spooned her against him and pulled the covers up over them both. "Sleepy time, darlin'. I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

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Chapter Four

Despite all the activity of the night before--of all kinds--Gus was up at six the next morning, too jittery to stay in bed. He showered and dressed as quietly as he could, tucking the covers around Anya's chin and brushing a kiss across her forehead before heading for the kitchen. In sleep her face was unguarded and vulnerable and his heart ached for what she was going through. When he found the son of a bitch who'd sprung Branson they'd have a hard time keeping him from taking the guy apart with his bare hands.

It still amazed him that so much had grown between him and Anya since the night she'd called him, frantic for help. Her story had made his gut burn with anger at people like Branson who were nothing more than flesh peddlers. She'd been the key to unlock the case he'd been trying to build against Branson, an unexpected gift dropped into his lap.

And out of that had come a relationship that reached into the darkest corners of his soul and gave them light. It had taken a lot of patience to build her trust, and even more to teach her that erotic love in all its forms was pleasurable to participants. Anya had been sexually uneducated and frightened to death after her experience with Branson. But they'd come so far now.

Thinking about last night he smiled to himself, remembering the feel of her mouth around his swollen cock. Gone was her shyness, replaced by a woman whose appetites had grown to match his own. With the unpredictability of his job, not to mention the darkness he worked with constantly, he'd never expected to have this kind of relationship. And he was going to make damn sure nothing happened to her. A freshly brewed carafe of coffee stood in the machine on the counter. John Randolph came in through the back door just as Gus finished filling a mug for himself. 35

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"Everything okay out there?" Gus asked.

John nodded. "Quiet as a tomb. How's our girl?"

"Sleeping. I want to give her as much rest as possible. Any word yet from the boss?"

"He called about an hour ago." John filled his own mug. "Said they have a lot of loose ends but nothing concrete. He sent a team to the prison to interview everyone up there. Especially the people in the infirmary. And he's got Jimmy working on the people in the visitors' logs."

"I'd like to kill the asshole myself," Gus muttered. "Branson and whoever helped him." He took a long swallow of the hot liquid. "Want some breakfast before you turn in?"

"Sure, if you're cooking."

"Keeps me busy." Gus told him, and foraged in the cupboard for pans. He had just cracked eggs into a bowl when his cell rang. Tossing the eggshells in the sink he unclipped the phone from his belt and held it to his ear.

"D'Amato."

"It's Jimmy."

"Got anything yet?" There was a long pause, enough to make Gus nervous.

"Jimmy, that's not a hard question. Just a yes or no answer."

"Not exactly." The man's voice sounded strange. "Are you alone?"

Gus looked over his shoulder. John had disappeared somewhere, maybe to check the camera feed. "For the moment. What the hell is wrong?"

"I came across some stuff while tracking down the visitors from the logs." Another pause. "Gus, something isn't tracking right here."

"What do you mean?" Gus tensed, leaving the eggs for the moment.

"The names on Branson's log? None of them are real."

Gus nearly dropped the phone. "What the fuck? What do mean they're not real?"

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Jimmy was almost whispering now. "I mean, there are signatures on the logs and even some video footage, but the names lead to nothing. They're all phonies."

Gus tightened his grip on the cell, nearly crushing it. "If that's true, this is more than a couple of Virgil Branson's thugs figuring out a way to break him loose. You know that."

"Roger that. It means there's a bad apple at the prison."

Gus swallowed back a surge of bile. "Or at the office."

More silence. "Gus, I'd hate to think the latter is true. We put our lives on the line every day with the people we work with."

John had come back into the room now and was looking at Gus questioningly.

"Problems?"

Gus shook his head. "Nothing we don't already know. Or to be more exact, more things that we don't have answers for. Breakfast will be ready in a few if you want to grab a shower first."

When John headed for the bathroom, Gus turned his attention back to the call.

"Jimmy, if you're right, that means we can trust each other and that's it."

"Not even Dean," Jimmy agreed, "although I don't think our fearless leader is on our suspect list."

"Right now, much as I hate to say it, everyone's on that list. You'll keep digging, right?"

"Yeah. I'm going to review the visitors' tapes myself as well as call the warden. And start looking at everyone here in the office to see if I can find a connection to Branson."

"Keep your head down," Gus warned him.

"I actually decided to go home and work from there. I can get into the files I need from my computer."

"Jimmy, don't hack the system," Gus warned. "They'll find your cyber fingerprints."

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"Trust me, buddy, I know what I'm doing. And getting caught at anything isn't on my agenda. But if someone in our office is connected with Virgil Branson, that means we didn't really get the whole story out at his trial."

"True enough," Gus agreed. "We never found out how he gets his so-called clients here under the radar and how he gets the women out. Or moves them around."

"Right. We just focused on the operation here in San Antonio. All right. You watch your back, okay?"

"Same goes."

Gus disconnected the call. Replacing the phone in the holster on his belt, he turned his attention back to breakfast. John would be out of the bathroom shortly and Gus needed to pull himself together to make sure he didn't let anything slip, do or say anything to give John a hint of what was going on.

He thought about asking for a replacement on the night watch but knew that would look too suspicious. He'd just have to figure out how to handle that when he was asleep. Too bad he couldn't have Jimmy here but the other agent had work to do. Without him Gus might never figure out how this thing had blown up in their faces. If there was one person he trusted it was Jimmy. They were friends from college who'd applied to the FBI together, gone through training at Quantico together, and managed to get assigned to the same field office. But it pained him to think that any of the other men and women he worked with could be mixed up in this. Especially his boss, Dean Barton. But he'd learned a very long time ago that people were often not what they seemed. Right now the only people he trusted were Jimmy, Anya and himself.

* * * * *

The day had dragged on interminably, or so it seemed to Anya. Gus was jittery as a caged tiger, although he tried his best to conceal it. She was sure something new had come up, although no matter how many times she asked him, he just kept denying it. 38

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He exchanged several phone calls with Jimmy, all of which he conducted in a low voice, often even walking out of the room to talk.

"Don't keep me out of the loop," she finally told him, catching him out on the patio just ending a call.

"I'm not, darlin'. I promise you, when there's something to know, you'll be the first."

But he didn't quite look at her when he said it and her stomach lurched with anxiety. He took the time to show her how the security cameras worked, where they were placed, where the sensors were located and where the electronics controlling all of them were. Everything looked okay, but she couldn't get rid of the sense of unease that niggled at her.

Finally she asked him the question no one had been willing to answer up until now.

"How did Virgil actually make his escape? Obviously he couldn't just walk out. Not even from the infirmary."

Gus had just poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. Now he fixed one for her and sat down at the kitchen table with her.

"It appears someone--one of the visitors we're checking on--somehow brought something in to him that he could use to make himself sick. When they rushed him into the infirmary he was left alone with the nurse and one guard. Jimmy thinks both of them might be involved. It's the only thing that explains how he got out of the hospital so easily."

She wrinkled her forehead. "What do you mean?"

"They had to be the ones to call for the fake ambulance and let them take him out on the gurney."

"I thought Mr. Barton said he was sending someone to the prison to talk to them,"

she pointed out.

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Gus nodded. "He did, but he got nowhere. They claim they made the usual call for an ambulance and that's it. Only the telephone logs don't show an outgoing call to the source the prison uses and neither the guard nor the nurse is saying anything else. After the first visit from the agents they lawyered up and that's that."

Anya ran her finger around the rim of her mug. "Does that mean we'll never find out anything? Especially where Virgil's gone to and if he knows where I am?"

"Darlin'." Gus reached across the table. "We'll find out. I promise you. And there's no way he can learn where you are." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Besides, how can you worry with me here to protect you?"

She tried to busy herself the rest of the day, but television held no interest for her nor could she concentrate on any of the books in the bookcase. Whoever had set this house up had taken care of everything except how to control her fear and put her mind at rest.

At dinner time John made an appearance and Gus grilled steaks for all of them while Anya made a salad. At least it gave her something to do. She insisted on cleaning up while John and Gus got ready to switch shifts. Finally it was late enough that she could wander into the bedroom, hoping tonight she'd be able to sleep. She had just pulled off her jeans and t-shirt and headed for the bathroom when the door opened and Gus' presence filled the room.

"I was just going to take a shower," she told him. "I thought it might help me relax and sleep better."

He came up behind her, settled his hands at her waist and bent his head to nibble at her earlobe. "I think I have a better prescription for relaxing you."

"Oh?" She leaned back into him. "And what might that be?"

"Let's take it in the shower and I'll show you."

Anya tossed her bra and panties onto her other clothes while Gus stripped and tossed his own clothes aside. He strode in front of her into the bathroom, turning on the 40

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shower and adjusting the spray. When the water was warm enough to satisfy him, he lifted Anya up and stepped into the big shower with her. She slid down his body to stand in front of him and looked up at him.

His eyes had darkened to a deep chocolate and tiny lights of amber danced in the irises. Hunger deepened the lines of his face. When his mouth came down to hers she lifted her face to meet him, her lips slightly parted. Cupping her face in his big palms, he sucked lightly at her lower lip, pulling it gently and licking it with the tip of his tongue.

Heat shot through her, the walls of her cunt tingling and her nipples straining to press into his hard-muscled chest. He nibbled and sucked on her lip until every part of her body seemed to be on fire and her legs trembled. She gripped his upper arms, loving the feel of his skin as the water sluiced over it. When his tongue swept inside her mouth she met it with her own, dueling with him, sucking on it, pulling it deep inside the wet cavern. His hands slid up her ribs and around to cup her breasts. Thumbs chafed her already aching nipples. Anya pressed her body to his, the thickness of his cock pushing against her belly, searing her with its fiery touch.

Anya slipped one hand beneath him to wrap her fingers around his thick shaft, stroking it up and down as she'd done the night before, wringing a groan from deep in his throat. He bit down on her tongue and dragged his teeth across its surface before leaving her mouth to trail watery kisses the length of her jaw and down her neck. She rubbed her thumb over the velvety head of his cock, pressing lightly into the slit. Gus rocked his hips into her touch as he kissed his way down her neck to the pulse at her throat and down the valley between her breasts. Without warning he moved her hand away from him and lifted her to stand on the built-in bench. Dropping to his knees, he nudged her thighs apart and plunged his tongue through her wet curls to the already throbbing lips of her pussy. Anya had to 41

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brace herself on his shoulders as his very clever tongue plunged and licked and lapped, leaving no part of her cunt untouched.

She shook with need as tremors raced through her, fingernails digging into Gus'

shoulders as she sought to stay upright. The climax began to build low in her belly and she threw her head back, waiting for it to overtake her. But as she hung on the edge, Gus pulled back and abruptly turned her around. His fingers wrapped around hers as he raised her arms and placed her hands flat against the wall.

"Don't move," he rasped. "Stay just like that."

Anya closed her eyes and leaned into the wall, still shaking, and in a moment she felt Gus' strong hands rubbing lather into her neck and back muscles. She shivered as his fingers massaged and rubbed and worked out kinks she didn't even know she had. Then his hands moved to her ankles, rubbing and massaging, sweeping the length of her legs up and down, fingers just brushing at the slit beneath her curls. Gus put his lips close to her ear. "Take a deep breath, darlin'. I promise you this is going to feel real good."

His large hands palmed her buttocks, rubbing and kneading, before moving to rub the lather into the cleft between the cheeks. His fingers moved up and down, rubbing the length of the narrow valley, each time passing over the tight muscle of her anus. And each time she shivered, the pulse in her cunt beating heavily, an icy heat racing though her.

Do it!

She wanted to shout the words. Wanted to feel at least his fingers inside her. To embrace the darkly erotic feeling she knew was waiting for her just out of reach. And then he did it, pushing one finger past that clasping muscle, sliding the slickcoated digit into her rectum in a slow, steady glide. She sucked in her breath and tightened around him.

"Easy," he crooned. "Breathe easy, darlin'. This will make you feel really, really good."

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Anya sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly, and as she did Gus slipped another finger in beside the first. He moved them, scissoring them, stretching the very tight tissues, the movement of those fingers sending shards of fiery heat directly to her cunt. She pressed her face into the water-slicked wall, her breasts heaving against the tiles as Gus probed deeper and harder.

One of his hands snaked around to her front and spread lather in circles over her breasts, down her stomach, into her curls and finally between the lips of her pussy. And all the time his clever fingers moved in and out of her rectum with a steady stroke. This time she didn't feel the climax building. It hit her with no warning, shaking her like a leaf in a fall breeze, her legs trembling, every muscle in her body clenching. Gus finger-fucked her ass and her cunt with coordinated movements, drawing out her pleasure, carrying her higher and higher until she was sure there was no place else to go.

While she was still shaking and spasming Gus withdrew both hands and spun her around.

"Noooo," she wailed, hands flailing at him.

"It's all right." His voiced was thick and husky. "Hold on."

Her eyes were closed but she heard the tearing of foil, the snap of latex and then Gus was lifting her and impaling her on his rock-hard cock.

"Wrap your legs around me," he urged.

She locked her ankles at the small of his back and her arms around his neck. His mouth took hers while his tongue thrust inside. And then he began to move, rocking his hips, tongue moving in and out of her mouth in the same rhythm his shaft moved in and out of her body. The orgasm that hadn't quite finished devouring her roared back to life stronger than ever. Gus' body stiffened, his hands tightened on her and he smashed his mouth against hers again as his own release consumed him. She was tossed into a maelstrom, spinning out of control. Every part of her body quaking and 43

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straining, Gus pounding into her again and again. She could do nothing but hang on for the ride.

Only the water turning cool shocked her into an awareness of where she was and what was happening. There wasn't a muscle in her body that didn't feel as if it had been stretched out and softened like tempered steel. She was sure if she tried to stand on her own she fall on her face.

Gus buried his face in her shoulder for a long time. At last he used what was left of the hot water to shampoo her hair, fingertips massaging her scalp as they'd done with her body. When they were both rinsed off and goose bumps were finally popping out on her skin, Gus turned the water off, lifted her out of the shower and wrapped her in a big bath towel. He tried himself off quickly before turning his attention to her. His hands were gentle as he dried her, blotting the water from her hair and her skin. He even pulled a hair dryer and a brush out of the vanity cupboard and took the time to blow-dry her hair, all the time murmuring soothing words to her. When he carried her into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed, she was sure a bowl of gelatin had more substance than she did.

Gus climbed in behind her and pulled her tight against him, his arm around her waist and his hand palming her breast. Anya sighed contentedly, almost--but not quite--feeling safe and secure. Gus' gun on the night on the nightstand, however, reminded her that the nightmare was far from over.

* * * * *

Because of Jimmy's phone call, Gus slept very lightly. He could reach his gun with little effort and his cell phone lay on the nightstand next to it. At first he thought it was the phone that woke him and he came instantly alert. But when he reached over Anya to pick it up, the screen was dark and the phone was neither vibrating nor ringing at the low volume he'd set it to.

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Being careful not to disturb Anya, he slid out of bed and yanked on his jeans and tshirt. He tiptoed over to the bedroom door and turned the knob silently, easing the door open just a crack. He stood in the darkness listening carefully, wondering what exactly had awakened him. Why the hell were all the lights out? And where the hell was John?

He moved silently into the hallway, closing the door carefully so the snick of the lock wouldn't carry. Hugging the wall he made his way to the living room, his gun firm in his grip. The light from the television screen flickered in the darkness as images danced across it. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he looked around to see if John had fallen asleep on the couch, or in the big recliner chair. If he had, Gus planned to chew his ass out good. The night sentry wasn't supposed to sleep on the job. But John was nowhere to be seen.

Still moving like a stealthy cat, Gus checked the dining room, the kitchen, the little room they used for a study where the electronics were set up. Nothing. No John. No sound. The itch that Gus always got on the back of his neck when something was wrong was acting up now as if he'd fallen into a bed of fire ants. The monitor in the study was still working, the screen divided into quadrants, the pages constantly changing as the views from the cameras were fed into it. Gus scanned them quickly, looking for some sign of activity but again there was nothing to see. The yards front and back looked clear. Nothing was moving. Damn! Something woke him up and he wasn't giving up until he figured out what. And where John had disappeared to.

Hugging the wall again, he carefully slid open the door leading to the back porch. As he did so, something fell inside the house and landed at his feet. He reached down, thinking it was a bundle of something, only to find John Randolph's body draped over his feet.

Shit!

He grabbed him by his shirt collar, yanked him inside the house and pushed the door to close it. But before he could secure it someone flew at him, knocking him 45

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backward over John's body. Instinctively he tightened his grip on his gun and lashed out at whoever this was, grunting in satisfaction when he connected with the man's head on the first blow. Gus slammed the barrel of his gun against the man's temple one more time for good measure, then pushed him off his legs and stumbled to his feet. He double checked that the blinds on the kitchen window and the back door were tightly shut, then fished around in a kitchen drawer for the flashlight he knew was kept there. He shone its light first on the intruder, checked to make sure the man was still unconscious, then skimmed over his face. A stranger. No one Gus was familiar with or had even seen a mug shot of.

Then he turned his attention to John. He felt for a pulse and found none, but the blood on his face and neck from the bullet hole in his temple told the story. How the hell had the stranger gotten onto the property without alerting John? Or had he tripped a silent alarm and sandbagged John when the agent came out to check? The only good thing to come out of this was at least he knew John wasn't working with or for Virgil Branson.

Digging in John's pockets he dug out two pairs of flex cuffs and bound the intruder's hands and feet. He rifled his pockets looking for any kind of identification, but of course there was nothing. Finally he went back into the study, found the roll of duct tape in the drawer there, went back to the kitchen and taped the stranger's mouth shut.

Then he made his way back to the bedroom. It was time to wake Anya and get the hell out of there.

* * * * *

"What do you mean, how did he bypass security?" Gus ground his teeth in frustration. "How the hell should I know? I wasn't the one on watch."

He was nearly shouting into the phone at Jimmy. Taking a deep breath, he dialed back his anger and listened to his friend.

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"I know, I know." Jimmy was trying to calm him, but Gus could hear the tension in his friend's voice that matched his own. "You know what this has to mean, don't you?"

"That Dean's involved? I'm not buying it. Not yet."

"Be sensible. Someone had to know where to send that guy after you."

Gus gripped the cell even harder, forcing some semblance of calm. He glanced over to Anya, curled up on the bed in the cheap-ass motel room, hugging her knees, eyes wide, face as pale as the sheets on the bed. For her sake he had to keep it together. She was already frightened enough. He'd promised to keep her safe and damn it, that's what he was going to do.

"You'd better send a cleanup crew to the house," he said now.

"Already taken care of," Jimmy told him. "I'm not saying a word about it to anyone here, either. Not until we know for sure what's going on."

"Branson obviously has a much larger organization than we figured, and has a lot of people in his pocket."

Jimmy snorted. "No shit. There's a lot of money there. Gus. Money changes people. Makes them greedy. Makes them forget what they should and shouldn't be doing."

"You got that right."

"Where are you calling from?" Jimmy asked. "I almost didn't answer the phone because I didn't recognize the number?"

"Disposable phone," Gus told him. "And no offense, but I don't think right now I want to tell anyone where we are. Not even you. Safer that way for you as well as for us."

"Where do you plan to go? You can't just wander from place to place. I still think you should let me stash Anya someplace so you can be free to do what you need to."

"I'll figure it out. Someplace where we're secure. Where I can work my contacts and figure out what the fuck is going on. But like I said, she stays with me."

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"Your funeral." Jimmy paused. "Well, the escape is all over the news. The director is climbing all over Barton about it. If he's Branson's contact, I hope he's getting enough money to retire to some tropical island."

Gus disconnected the call, put the phone on the bedside table and stretched out beside Anya. When he touched her skin it was ice cold. Pulling her into his arms, he rubbed her back and arms, trying to infuse warmth into her.

"You did good, darlin'," he praised her. And indeed she had. When he woke her and explained the situation, she hadn't argued or fallen apart, despite the fact that he could see how freaked she was. He'd figured they had a few minutes yet. When no one came in after the guy he cold cocked he'd had to assume no one else was out there. But they would be when their man failed to report in. They'd dressed and thrown their few belongings into a duffel bag Gus found in the closet. Before climbing into the car Gus had checked everywhere, especially underneath, either for an explosive device or a GPS tracker, but the car, thankfully, was clean. He'd had to open the garage door manually since the power was still cut and he didn't want to alert anyone too soon by restoring it. Anya had huddled into herself on the seat, a silent wraith while he drove away from the safe house and onto the Interstate. He'd been very careful to watch for a tail. One stop to buy disposable cells at an all-night store before putting heading to Austin, a city where they could get lost until he could figure out what to do.

"I'm scared, Gus." Her voice was small, muffled against his shoulder.

"I know, I know. And with good reason. But we're going to get out of this."

"What happened?"

It was the first question she'd asked him since he'd woken her. The fact that she'd just gone along with him, following his directions, was a good indication of the level of trust she placed in him. He didn't plan to make light of it. But she did deserve some answers. He shifted a little on the bed and rolled her so she was on top of him, his arms tight around her.

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"We've had a little glitch," he began.

"I'd say it's more than little if we had to sneak out in the middle of the night," she pointed out.

"Yeah, more than a little." He did his best to keep his voice level. No sense in panicking Anya more than she already was. "Jimmy called before we went to bed to tell me he believes our FBI office has been compromised."

"Compromised?" She raised her head to look into his eyes. "Exactly what does that mean?"

No sense sugarcoating it. "It means someone in our office is in bed with Virgil Branson and can feed him your location. But that's not all."

"Is that why we had to leave the way we did? And what about the other agent?"

He could feel the erratic beat of her heart against his chest and tightened his arms even more.

"I don't know what woke me up tonight but I'm glad something did. Anya, John's dead, and someone tried to get into the house. I suspect they had orders to kill both of us."

"Kill?"

Now she was shaking so badly he was afraid she'd break apart. He kissed her forehead and her cheeks, hoping to take the edge off.

"I got him while he was still off balance, left him tied up and called Jimmy to pick him up. But I have to be honest. We're pretty much on our own here. At least until Virgil's caught."

"B-But even then we won't be safe," she protested. "Not unless we find out who's doing his dirty work."

"Which we will," he assured her. "I'm not totally without resources."

Anya curled up into a ball on top of him. "But where can we go?"

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He kissed her gently. "Don't worry. I have a place in mind. Meanwhile we're safe enough where we are for a little while. We should get some sleep. We're going to need it." He lifted her from his body. "Come on. Let's get our clothes off and crawl under the covers."

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Chapter Five

Anya came awake slowly still nestled against Gus' big body, eyes focusing on her surroundings. Nothing looked familiar. At first she thought she was back at the safe house. Then everything came crashing back down on her. No safe house. They were in a strange motel apparently running from everyone.

She wiggled herself tighter against Gus and felt the hard thickness of his erection prodding her ass. His arm banded across her tummy tightened.

"Keep doing that and I won't want to get out of bed." His voice was warm and still deep from recent slumber.

"Maybe that's what I want." She was only half teasing.

"We've got to get moving," he reminded her.

"I know. But I need you, Gus. I need your strength."

She knew having sex--making love--didn't need to be on their agenda at this particular moment, but she desperately needed that connection. She sighed when his hand cupped her breast, thumb lazily brushing back and forth against her nipple. Purring with satisfaction she pressed herself more tightly against him. His breath hissed in her ear and his cock flexed against the crevice of her buttocks.

"You're killing me, darlin'."

"No," she told him. "I'm needing you."

His hand drifted from her breast lower to lightly caress her tummy, down through her curls into her cunt where she knew he'd find her wet and wanting. She rocked back and forth, welcoming the pressure of his fingers on her clit, reveling in the answering heat that shot through her.

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Gus' hand left her, his arm reaching back for his wallet on the nightstand. He was clumsy opening it with one hand, but eventually he managed to retrieve the condom he always carried in there--"you never know where we might end up," he joked one time--ripped the foil with his teeth and clumsily managed to sheath himself. Lifting her top leg he pulled it over his own, opening her to him. Working his hand between them he grabbed his cock and pushed the head into the opening of her pussy. There was no foreplay. The danger of their circumstance had aroused them to the point where neither of them needed it. He thrust hard against her and filled her, every inch of her pussy stretched with his swollen shaft.

"Play with your clit," he murmured. "Do it for me."

Obediently she moved one hand down between her thighs, finding the swollen nub, jumping at the first electric contact. She moved her fingers up and down the way she loved Gus to do, timing her strokes with his thrusts in and out of her. His arm banded tightly across her, his hand holding her breasts. He nipped her earlobe and then traced the lines of her ear with the tip of his tongue. She shivered at the sensations that skittered through her.

Gus picked up the tempo of his strokes and Anya rocked her hips with him, taking him as deep as she could with each forward thrust. Her hand on her clit moved faster and faster. The hard shaft inside her flexed and Gus' body tensed behind her, signaling the approach of his climax. Anya pinched her clit, hard, and they tumbled over the edge together.

The briefness of their climax in no way was an indication of its intensity. Anya rocked her hips hard against Gus as he drove into her again and again, his cock pulsing as he ejaculated in great spurts into the condom. The walls of her pussy convulsed around him, gripping him and milking every last drop.

For a long moment the only sounds in the room were their labored breathing and the whining of the cheap air-conditioning unit. Anya thought her heart might pound out of her chest before it finally settled down to a steadier beat. But despite all that, 52

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despite the urgency of their situation, despite the briefness of their coupling, there was a deep sense of satisfaction and belonging settling inside her. No matter what happened, she knew Gus would take care of her and always be with her. In the midst of all this, a door had finally slammed shut on her past and given her hope for the future. She exhaled a slow breath of contentment, wishing they never had to move from this position. But too soon Gus smacked her lightly on her hip and withdrew from her.

"I hate to break it to you, but we have to get up and get moving."

"I know," she sighed. "Reality bites, though, doesn't it?"

Gus was already heading for the bathroom. "Shower, clothes and breakfast," he called over his shoulder.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" she asked, wondering if they were just going to keep moving from hotel to hotel.

"Yes. As soon as we eat I'm making a call. Then we'll hit the road."

* * * * *

I must be crazy to even think of this.

Gus rolled his plan back and forth in his mind, trying to think of any other alternative. He hadn't spoken to his brother in ten years, and the last time had been far from friendly. Even now he couldn't believe they'd gotten into an actual fight right after their father's funeral. At the time he'd had so much rage built up inside him, anger at his father for divorcing his mother, anger at Rafe for stealing Gus' woman. Anger at the world. Now it all seemed too trivial, especially since Anya had come into his life. He couldn't even remember what he'd seen in Linda Grogan or why he'd distanced himself from what was left of his family.

But he was short on choices and he needed a safe place for Anya and people he could really trust. He could only hope Rafe didn't carry grudges. He ate breakfast only because he knew he needed the strength, the same reason he urged Anya to eat. When 53

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he'd put it off as long as he could and ducked into the men's room, dialing a number on his cell that in all these years he'd never forgotten. Gus drummed his fingers against the wall while the phone rang on the other end and he waited for someone to answer it. Would it be Linda? Would she let him speak to her husband? Or would it be Rafe, probably hanging up the phone on him.

"Hello?"

The voice was deeper but otherwise still just as familiar.

"Hello, Rafe."

He wondered how long the silence would drag out before his brother said something.

"I'll be damned," he finally said. "This is one call I never expected to get."

"You have every right to hang up," Gus told him, "but I'm hoping you won't. The first thing I want to say is I'm sorry. For everything."

"It's a good thing I don't hold grudges the way you do," his brother said. His voice was neither welcoming nor hostile. Wary, Gus thought. The same as he'd be if the situation was reversed.

"I have to say it again, Rafe. I'm sorry. I was an asshole."

Rafe actually chuckled. "I'm sorry you were an asshole, too. Now that we've got that out of the way, what prompted this call after ten years?"

"I need a favor," Gus began, choosing his words very carefully. Would Rafe hang up on him, saying if he couldn't come around when there wasn't trouble, why should he listen to him now?

But Rafe surprised him. "Tell me what a poor rancher can do for a hotshot FBI agent?"

Gus would have ended the call if Rafe's voice had been hostile, but instead, even after this call out of the blue, it held the same hint of humor he remembered as an integral part of his brother's personality.

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"I need to come out to the ranch and stay for a few days. I need a place that's off the radar."

"Are you in trouble?"

Rafe always seemed to know what kind of spin to put on things.

"Yes and no." How much to tell him? "Not me, really. A...very good friend."

Gus realized how ballsy this was. He'd been estranged from his brother for ten years, now he wanted him to let Gus bring danger to the secure life he'd built.

"Listen, never mind." He couldn't do it. What the hell has he been thinking, anyway. Anya. He'd been thinking about her. "I'll find another solution."

"How far away are you?"

"About an hour and a half."

Rafe paused again, Gus could almost hear him thinking.

"Come on down. I'll tell Linda. Then I can take her and the kids to her parents'."

Kids. Shit, he hadn't thought about that.

"Rafe--"

"See you then."

Gus found himself holding a dead phone. Well, this was what he'd hoped for, right? He just hoped he didn't get his brother killed now that they'd finally exchanged words again.

* * * * *

Gus drove straight to the ranch as if he'd never left it, his car homing in like a dog tracking a scent. He'd told Anya where they were going and she'd looked at him startled, but whatever she'd seen on his face had been enough to kill the questions he knew were forming in her brain.

He turned off onto the narrow two-lane road leading to the ranch and the first thing he saw was the heavy forest of trees that grew from the fence line back to the house. 55

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The oak and mountain cedar and mesquite had been there forever. His dad always said he liked the privacy it gave them, and Rafe and Gabe had used the privacy of the trees for games as children and other, less playful, things as they grew older. He followed the gravel driveway through the trees until they reached the clearing where the actual ranchland began. And there it sat, the place he'd avoided for so long. Rafe had painted the ranch house and done a lot of hard work getting the place in shape. It was very evident. Gus took a moment to drink in the scene--ranch house surrounded by oak trees that provided a canopy of shade. Endless pastures stretching away to the north, two of them filled with cattle, men on horseback checking on them. Herding them.

Gus remembered all the growing up years when his father had taught both the boys the intricacies of successful ranching but Rafe was the only one who'd lapped it up. And speak of the devil, he must have heard them coming and was waiting on the front porch for them, his body as tall and lean as ever but now more muscular. His dark hair cut short and his skin bronzed from working outdoors. Next to him was a slender blonde, pressed against his side.

Linda!

He hadn't seen her since the god-awful night when he'd left the ranch. Now he waited for the sharp pain of betrayal to sting him, but she might as well have been a stranger. His mind and heart only had room for Anya.

Gus parked the car in the graveled area to the side of the house and came around to open the door for Anya. She hesitated but he took her hand firmly in his and tugged.

"It'll be all right," he told her. "I promise." He'd given her a sketchy explanation of his family situation on the drive from Austin, not sugarcoating his own behavior. Not a conversation guaranteed to make either of them feel at ease. Especially the part about Linda, which he'd glossed over. But with no other good options available, he was determined to make the best of the situation to keep Anya safe. And hope after ten years he and Rafe could figure out how to be brothers again. 56

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Anya tightened her fingers around his as he led her to the porch. He waited for Rafe to make the first move but surprisingly it was Linda who took the lead. Leaving her husband's side, she hurried down the steps to Gus, gave him a brief hug, then turned to Anya.

"I am so happy to meet you," she said in her soft voice. "I just wish it could have been under different circumstance. Welcome to our home."

"Thank you." Anya's voice was equally soft and more subdued. "I'm sorry we're barging in like this."

Linda smiled, the smile that had once warmed Gus' heart and then ripped it apart. Now it was just...a smile. She linked her arm through Anya's and tugged her away from Gus.

"Come into the house. You must be a wreck. I have coffee and tea so just tell me which one you prefer." She guided Anya up the porch steps and into the house, keeping up her soft chatter. Making Anya feel not so out of place. Gus and Rafe stood in the parking area looking at each other. Taking their measure. Letting the past wash over them...and hopefully away.

Gus cleared his throat. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you letting us come here."

For a moment Rafe didn't say anything. Then he stepped forward and clasped his brother in a bear hug.

"Welcome home, Gus. It's about damn time."

Gus couldn't say anything. His throat was too clogged with emotion. He just stood there hanging onto his brother.

"I wasn't sure," he began, then stopped. "I didn't know if you..."

Rafe clasped his shoulders. "Family is family, Gus. We've let this thing go on for too long. I guess because you and I are both very stubborn assholes. Too bad it took something like this to break it all down."

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"My bad," Gus said roughly. "All on my head."

"It doesn't matter. You're here now and we're going to do whatever we can to help."

"I thought you said Linda was going to her folks' with the kids? And by the way, how many kids do you have? I'm ashamed to say I don't even know."

Rafe laughed. "Let me tell you, that is one stubborn woman. Said she wasn't about to be shuttled off. Besides, she thought it might help having another female here."

Gus' throat tightened up again. "Thanks," was all he could manage. He'd had no right to expect anything from these two people yet they opened their home as if the past had never happened.

"And we've got two--Jared who's eight and Elissa who's six. Hope you get to meet them when this is all over."

"Count on it."

"Why don't you come inside," Rafe said at last. "You can tell me about the trouble dogging your heels. I assume it has something to do with the beautiful woman who's put that She's mine forever look in your eyes."

Anya and Linda were already seated at the kitchen table when the men entered the house. Gus looked quickly at Anya to make sure she was okay, and was relieved to see her in conversation with Linda. The blonde woman looked up as they walked in, smiled at Rafe with a look of great love in her eyes and winked at Gus. When they all had full mugs of coffee, Gus explained the situation to Rafe and Linda in great detail. He left out nothing, especially the episode at the safe house that had sent them running.

"They won't be able to get at you here," Rafe promised. "But what are you going to do about the scumbag, Virgil Branson? If I know you, you won't be happy just to sit around and wait for someone else to make things happen. Especially if you can't trust your own people."

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"The last thing I can afford to do is sit on my hands," Gus said. "As soon as we get our things inside and Anya's settled, I'm going to make some calls. Work my snitches."

"I'll take care of Anya," Linda said. "I've got the big guest room at the top of the stairs ready for you. Bring in whatever you need and go to work. Anya and I can take our coffee out on the back porch." She looked at Anya. "I could sure use some girl time for a change."

Gus stood up and slipped his hands beneath Anya's elbow, guiding her up from the chair. Ignoring the others at the table, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"It'll be okay," he assured her. "We're safe here. You're safe, and that's the most important thing to me." He pulled her tight against him for a moment, pressing her body against his in a quick, hard hug. "Go on with Linda now. I'm going to make some calls."

When the women were settled on the back porch Gus sat down in his chair again and pulled his cell phone from the holster on his belt. Rafe was watching him from across the table with an unreadable expression.

Gus frowned. "What?"

"She's lovely, Gus. And the way you look at her? You never, ever looked at Linda like that."

Gus dipped his head. "Yeah, about that..."

"Nothing to say." Rafe clapped him on the shoulder. "You've got with Anya what Linda and I have. Enough said, okay?"

Gus nodded. "Okay." And just like that, surprisingly, it really was. Rafe finished his coffee and left to head toward the barn. Gus began to dial numbers from memory, hoping to reach someone who could give him a clue to where Virgil Branson was holed up and who was helping him pull strings. By the time he finished gathering in information from his contacts, the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach had grown to enormous proportions.

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He was glad Linda was keeping Anya occupied because he needed to get a grip on himself before sharing any information with her. Even then he'd have to be very careful what he told her. He knew she was barely holding herself together and some of what he'd learned could shatter her fragile self-control.

"You look like you bit into a sour apple," Rafe said, coming into the kitchen through the back door. "Want to talk about it?"

Gus nodded. "Yes and no. I'd really like to take Anya and run to someplace where no one can find us. The problem with that is we'd always be running while Branson's still on the loose." Rafe dropped down into the chair opposite him.

"Okay. Let's hear what you've got. Maybe between us we can come up with a plan."

Again Gus felt a wave of emotion sweep over him and a surge of gratitude that his brother and sister-in-law had pushed aside the past and welcomed him the way they did.

"I'm finding out we only scratched the surface of Virgil Branson's operation," he began. "We shut him down in Texas and cut off his ties to Mexico, but apparently he operates out of other cities, too. He's stayed under the FBI radar because someone's been helping him all this time. Someone on the inside." The words left a sour taste in his mouth.

"And is that someone helping to hide him? To get Anya?"

Gus nodded. "That's what my key snitch is telling me. And he's so scared of what could happen to him I had to pry every word out of him. He told me not to call him again, said he could end up buried in a federal prison for good."

"Do you really think it's your boss, like Jimmy said?" Rafe wanted to know.

"It's the most logical answer. He could easily have engineered the prison escape and provided Branson with a hiding place, resources, whatever. And a lead to where Anya is."

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"So what now?"

"I'm going to call Jimmy. See what he's found out and see if we can put together some kind of plan, to locate Branson and identify the rogue agent."

"Let us know what we can do, okay?"

"You're doing it," Gus told him. "Just by having us here."

Linda served chili and cornbread for lunch, then Rafe went back outside to work with the cattle, Linda said she was going into the office in the barn to work on the ranch books and Gus took a rattled Anya upstairs to lie down. He'd called Jimmy, who said he'd dig even harder. He thought maybe he could break into Dean Barton's personal files and see what he could find and Gus should call him back later. By then they might be able to put a real plan together.

"I'm so scared," Anya said, burrowing into his arms. "I just want this all to be over."

"Me, too, darlin'." Gus rubbed her back and shoulders. "But if Jimmy can dig up the information on Barton we need, it will be."

"And if he can't?"

"If it's there, Jimmy will find it. And I know it's there." He tilted her head back.

"My snitches at least know Virgil's still in San Antonio. Someone's hiding him and probably helping him relocate and get his 'business' up and running again."

"Your brother and sister-in-law are wonderful to let us come here." She frowned up at him. "She's the one you were in love with, right?"

He brushed his lips against hers. "What I felt for Linda wasn't love. It was youthful lust." He gently licked the outside of her lips. "What I feel for you is love. In case you didn't know that."

"You love me?" Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

"You bet. I should have told you long before this." He used his thumbs to brush away the tears. "When we get out of this, we're going to make some definite plans."

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"Don't you mean if?"

"No, I said when and that's what I mean. Now. Linda suggested you might want to lie down and rest and I told her I'd see that you did. So let's not make a liar out of me."

He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the king-sized bed. Ripping the covers back with one hand, he sat her on the edge and began to undress her with infinite care.

Anya shivered as he peeled away her clothing. "Gus, Linda and Rafe are just downstairs. We can't do this now."

"Darlin', I promise you that even with a ranch to run, when the kids are out of the house Linda and Rafe take full advantage of it. They'd probably be disappointed in me if I didn't take this opportunity to make you feel better. Besides, they're busy with their own work right now."

"But they'll hear..."

He touched a finger to her lips. "Not if we're real, real quiet."

She couldn't say no. Just like this morning Anya needed the touch of his hands and mouth, the feel of his cock inside her to chase away the demons. And he'd said he loved her! She was sure her heart would crack it was so full. She'd known he had feelings for her. In the six months they'd been living together it was hard to miss that. But love?

She'd barely allowed herself to hope that a man like Gus would feel that for a woman like her.

"Stop thinking so much," he teased. "If you're thinking I'm not doing my job right."

He knelt down to pull off her jeans and panties.

She clasped her hands behind his neck. "I was just thinking that... I mean, that you... That is..."

"Whatever dumb thing is dancing through your mind just knock it aside. I love you, Anya. You're exactly what I want. So hold onto that thought."

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He canted his head downward to run his tongue across the upper swell of her breasts. Her nipples hardened at once in response. He continued to trace lines across her flesh, not touching her anywhere else, his hands braced on either side of her. Anya moaned and arched herself toward him.

"Hold your breasts for me," he rasped. "Take them in your palms. Yeah, like that. Squeeze them for me."

Sparks jolted through her, straight to her pussy. She moaned when Gus moved his tongue to flick against each nipple in turn. The fact that he still had his clothes on while she sat there naked aroused her even more. She squirmed on the bed as the pulse in her cunt increased its tempo.

Gus seemed to take forever laving her breasts and her nipples before trailing his tongue down past her navel. But instead of squatting lower to reach her pussy, he stood up. When she lifted her eyes to meet his she saw desire burning in them, amber flames flickering in the warm, dark brown pools.

Very slowly he removed his clothes, tossing them to the side one piece at a time, kicking off his shoes and finally pulling down his boxers and stepping out of them. His cock sprang free as if just waiting for the opportunity. Its hard thickness pointed at her, the velvety head dark plum, a tiny bud of fluid sitting at the eye like a star on a crown. Anya was still holding her breasts, waiting for Gus to tell her what to do next. She'd discovered it excited her to have him do that.

"Lean forward and lick me," he said. "Just the head. Don't use your hands, only your tongue."

She did as he asked, bending forward and swiping her tongue over the head, capturing the bead of liquid begging her to take it. Gus' big body shuddered at the first lash of her tongue.

"Jesus, that feels so good. Do it again, darlin'. Just like that."

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He stood with his feet apart, the heavy sac with his balls resting against his muscular thighs. Each time she swept the flat of her tongue over him his cock flexed. Anya knew she was getting wetter and wetter and Gus wasn't even touching her now. Without warning he backed away, Anya gasped, her hands tightening on her breasts. Gus moved closer to her and pushed her gently back on the bed. Bending her knees and spreading her legs. Then he knelt on the floor in front of her and spread the lips of her pussy.

"You know," he said in a husky voice, "when we get back home I'm going to shave off these beautiful curls. I want to see your beautiful cunt naked for me. I want to rub my cock all over it and feel nothing but bare skin. Would you like that?"

Like that? Could he not see more liquid seeping from her?

"Yes, yes, yes," she chanted. "I want that."

And she did. That and more. All these months Gus had coaxed her to enjoy her sexuality. To put the past behind her and think only of the two of them. And she'd been doing it. Now, even in the midst of this crisis, it occurred to her that nothing this man could suggest would turn her off. She wanted it all with him. I want it all.

"And that's what you'll get, believe me."

Oh, god, had she said it aloud?

But in the next moment she even forgot how to speak as Gus lowered his mouth to her, blew a stream of warm air into her pussy and licked her slit the entire length. She moaned again, riding the crest of the heat that shot through her. Her hands fisted in the bedclothes and her heels dug into the mattress.

"Touch yourself, Anya. Touch your clit for me. Rub it while I fuck you with my tongue."

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The flare of arousal that flooded her shocked her in its intensity. She slid one hand down over her tummy to find her clit beneath the nest of curls and pinched it between two fingers.

"Rub it, Anya. Hard. Do it."

As she complied Gus thrust his tongue inside her and fluttered it against her slick walls. Then he began the slow, steady, in and out movement that drove her crazy. The faster she moved her fingers the faster he drove his tongue. The climax took root low in her belly, spreading upward and outward, consuming her with a carnal heat. His hands slipped down to cup the cheeks of her ass, rubbing them and gently pinching them. One lean finger slipped into her cunt with his tongue, retreated coated with her juices, and pressed into her anus.

Anya nearly convulsed at the icy hot sensations that rolled over her. Ohgodohgodohgod.

"Don't stop," she begged, fearing he would stop in the middle as he'd done before. But this time Gus rode her to the finish, her hand, his tongue, his fingers creating such powerful feelings inside her that she erupted in a totally uncontrolled explosion. She convulsed, hips thrusting at Gus' mouth, her hand rubbing, rubbing, rubbing to draw out the spasms. She bucked and arched, hips coming off the bed, while Gus'

wicked tongue and fingers played her like a finely tuned instrument. When at last the spasms died away, Gus rose, bent to suck on each hardened nipple, nipping lightly with the edge of his teeth, before flipping her over. A wave of eroticism gripped Anya. Was he going to do it now? Would this be the time he fucked her in the ass? She wiggled her hips, trying to urge him to it. But after he'd ripped open the packet with the condom in it and rolled the latex onto his thick cock, and pulled her to her knees, he pressed the head of his shaft instead against her vaginal opening. One roll of his hips and he was seated fully, his balls slapping against the backs of her thighs.

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The moment the head of his cock bumped the mouth of her womb, another climax began to build inside her. Gus gripped her hips, his fingers holding her in place as he drove into her again and again. His fingers tightened, his body tensed, and as her own orgasm crested Gus groaned her name, his release spurting into the condom, pulsing against the grip of her vaginal walls.

They both collapsed forward, gasping for air, hearts thundering. Gus wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the nape of her neck, murmuring her name over and over again. At last he withdrew from her, disposed of the condom and climbed into bed with her, turning them both so their heads were on the pillows.

"I have to make some more phone calls," he murmured as he kissed her cheek. But I want you to take a good nap. I'll wake you long before dinner."

"What about you? You hardly got any sleep last night, either."

"I'm good. I want to spend some time with Rafe while I can, too."

"Don't leave me yet, okay?" She molded herself to his body.

"Not until you're asleep, Anya. Close your eyes. I'm right here."

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Chapter Six

Once he was sure Anya was sleeping, Gus showered and pulled his clothes back on, then headed downstairs. Linda and Rafe were still busy with their own activities, so he poured himself a fresh mug of coffee and sat down to think about who else he could call. No one could call him, since he was using throwaway phones and disposing of them after a few hours, just in case.

It both sickened and saddened him to think that his boss, for whom he'd always had the greatest respect, might be in bed with Virgil Branson in his dirty business. If that was true, he'd certainly fooled a lot of people. But mentally running through the list of agents in the San Antonio field office, there didn't seem to be a lot of other options. He knew it had to be someone in a position to have access to all the information and to the location of witnesses but shit! Dean Barton?

Of course, it would explain a lot of things.

The rest of the snitches that he called wouldn't say a word to him. Most of them sounded more frightened than he'd ever heard them. But if they were caught between Virgil Branson and the FBI he could understand why.

He was sitting at the table head in hands, when Linda came in from the study.

"How's Anya?" she asked.

"Sleeping. We didn't get much rest last night and she's been strung tight as a wire today. I told her to take a good nap."

"She seems very nice, Gus." Linda busied herself taking salad fixings from the fridge. "I'm really glad you found someone."

He blew out a long breath. "Listen, Linda," he began.

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"It's all right." She turned and smiled at him. "You don't have to say a word. We had nothing but lust between us ten years ago. I should apologize to you since it was really Rafe I wanted all the time."

Gus gave her a tired smile. "I think I knew that. Back then, though, I was a hothead with more balls than brains."

"No more than your brother. Good thing I tamed him." She winked. Rafe came in through the back door, slapping his hat against his leg to shake off the dust and hanging it up on a peg by the door. "How's our girl?"

"Our girl?" Gus cocked an eyebrow. "I think you only get to steal one woman from me." But he grinned to show he was joking. Then he ran his hands through his hair and leaned back. "I think I'm out of ideas, Rafe. I'd better come up with something quick. It's great finally being back here, but Anya and I can't hide out here forever."

"How about you and I have a drink in the study and get out of Linda's way while she fixes dinner. You can run everything by me and see if a fresh mind helps."

"I'd like to help with dinner."

Everyone turned to see Anya standing in the doorway. Gus was pleased to note that she looked more rested than before, but the lines of strain around her eyes and the shadows beneath them were still there.

Linda beckoned her into the room. "Come on, then. I can always use help."

Despite the fact that Gus laid everything out for his brother and they looked at the problem every way possible, Rafe didn't come up with any more solutions than Gus had.

"What I'm thinking," Gus mused, sipping on aged bourbon, "is I might ask if I can leave Anya here with you and head back to the city myself. There's a better chance I could dig up more in person than trying to chase people by telephone."

He'd resisted the idea when Jimmy first mentioned it, but then they'd been talking about an FBI safe house. This was a lot different. A definitely more unknown. 68

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"Have you talked to Jimmy again?"

"I thought I'd try him after dinner. See if he's come up with anything. I know he's been home all day locked up with his computer. No doubt involved in all kinds of illegal hacking."

"Hey. If it gets the goods on the rogue agent, it's worth it, right?"

"Anything's worth it," Gus agreed, "if it means Anya is safe again."

"You got yourself a real prize, bro. Congratulations. I'm glad you found someone, too."

A lot of unspoken words lay between them but neither felt it necessary to say them. After Anya helped Linda clean up the kitchen, Gus took her elbow and steered her out the front door.

"Where are we going?" she wanted to know.

"I haven't kissed a girl under a Texas Hill Country moon in a long time," Gus joked.

"Thought it was about time I did so. And I want to do it in a favorite place of mine."

He took her hand as they walked away from the house toward the road, into the thick forest of trees that covered the ground from the house to the road and for a good way off to the left. They were only a few steps into them when they were swallowed up in a darkness still familiar to Gus. This had been his refuge, his playground, his sanctuary. Even his makeout spot when he'd brought a date home to take a walk in the moonlight. A few more steps and the house was barely visible.

"I'm surprised your parents never cut these down," Anya said. "Everything else around here is so open."

"They always said they deliberately left these here so they'd at least have the illusion of a forest," he told her. "My mom grew up in Maine, which as you know has more trees than people. Besides, all these trees in the front yard used to be good cover for Rafe and me."

"How so?"

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"We'd sneak out of the house and smoke cigarettes, then sneak in so our daddy couldn't catch us." He laughed. "We didn't know he could see the lighted tips from the house and was just lying in wait for us. Same thing the night we snuck out here with a bottle of his whiskey. But he waited until we got good and sick that time before laying into us."

"I'll bet you were hellions," Anya teased. He was glad to see she'd relaxed a little. Being here was good for her.

"Oh, yeah. We used to play cowboys and Indians in these trees, too, when we were just kids. Sometimes we'd have friends with us. If one of us was captured, we'd yell to the other one. Some dumb shit like 'I'm looking for the moon.' We had stupid signals we made up."

"So what would happen?"

"Whichever one of us was free would get a plastic rifle we had, sneak up on the other side of the trees and capture the offender. Gave us a good chance to practice the tracking skills one of the ranch hands had taught us."

She shook her head. "Cigarettes. Toy rifles. Times sure have changed since then."

"These old trees sure have seen their share of action." He chuckled. "Sometimes I used to walk my dates out here, steal a kiss where no one could see us. Maybe try some other things."

Anya wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I want any more details." She looked around. "I like the trees. They give you a lot of privacy from traffic on the road."

"That's why we made such good use of them." Gus walked her into the thickest part of the trees and turned her to face him. "Time to get my kiss."

"Make it a good one," a voice said from inches away. "It may be your last one."

Anya stifled a small scream. Gus froze in place. Slowly he turned, putting Anya behind him. Jimmy Broughton, holding a 9 mm in his hands, stood inches away from him, outlined in the shards of moonlight that managed to poke through the canopy of 70

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trees. And swore because he hadn't taken his gun outside with him because he was so sure this was the one safe place in the world.

"I'm probably the only one who knows this used to be your home," Jimmy told him. "No one else would think to look here for you."

"You bastard," Gus spat. "It's you, isn't it? You're the inside man." But the question was rhetorical.

"More like silent partner," Jimmy bragged. "Virgil and I have made some hot money over the years."

"You protected him," Gus guessed. "That's how he avoided getting caught all these years."

"And if hadn't been for that little bitch hiding behind your back, I'd still be riding the gravy train. But I'm taking care of that now." He sighed. You just wouldn't listen to me and send that bitch away, would you? I could have taken care of her with no one the wiser." He gave a short laugh. "I told you it would be your funeral."

Gus could hardly believe the man he'd considered his best friend was his worst nightmare come true. "My brother and his wife are right in that house, Jimmy. I don't know how you expect to get away with this."

"Easy. We're just going to walk out of here, using the trees for cover, hop the fence and get in my car."

"You'll have to shoot me, because I'm not moving." Anger poured through Gus, but he kept it carefully controlled. He couldn't afford to let emotion distract him. A door slammed. "Hey, Gus. Y'all out there?" Rafe, on the front porch. "You okay?"

"Tell him you're fine. You'll be there in a few."

"I'm looking for the moon," Gus yelled.

There was a moment of silence before Rafe answered him. "Okay. Gotcha."

The door slammed again.

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"Now then," Jimmy said. "Let's just move along quietly. "I've got a...friend waiting at the car to help me with you two."

Gus could feel Anya's fingernails digging into his waist where she was holding him. He blessed her for being the kind of woman who could keep her head in a situation like this and follow his lead.

"If you're going to shoot us, Jimmy, you might just as well do it here, because I'm not moving."

"Maybe I'll shoot the bitch first," he spat.

"You'll have to go through me to do it," Gus pointed out, still keeping his body between Anya's and the agent. "And how will you explain two dead bodies on my brother's ranch?"

"Maybe I'll just shoot you and take her with me," Jimmy sneered. "Have some fun with her before I get rid of her. After all, she was one of Virgil's girls, right?"

"Wrong," Gus spat out, "and you know it. And if you're that slime's 'business partner', you know most of the women did not go willingly."

Keep talking. Keep him focused on me. Come on, Rafe, get a move on.

"Doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm done talking." He gestured with his head. "Let's get going. Now."

"I wouldn't plan on going anywhere, if I were you." Rafe's voice was a disembodied sound in the darkness, but moonlight glinted on the gun barrel he now pressed against Jimmy's neck. "Drop the gun."

"Shoot me and I shoot them." Jimmy's voice had an ugly tone to it.

"Maybe. But think about the damage a rifle blast can do to the back of your neck. They'll be looking for pieces of your head in the next county. That what you want?"

Gus kept his eyes glued to Jimmy's face but it was hard to make out the look on it in the absence of real light. He wanted to tell Anya to run, head for the house, but he was afraid that Jimmy would be stupid enough to try to get a shot off. 72

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"Better drop the gun, Jimmy." He kept his voice low and even, despite the rage surging through him.

For a long moment nothing happened. Then Jimmy lowered his hand and dropped the gun to the ground. Rafe's foot swept out and hit Jimmy's legs, knocking him to the ground. The two men were on him instantly, immobilizing him with the rope Rafe had looped over one shoulder. Then they frog-marched him back to the ranch house, Rafe's rifle pointed at the man's back the entire time.

"Good thing you remembered that signal," Gus commented, still shaking with anger.

"Some things you never forget," Rafe told him. "Like the fact that brothers are always brothers no matter what."

With that the final storm window sealing his past cracked and shattered and the first threads of peace stole through Gus.

* * * * *

It was one o'clock in the morning before everything had been wrapped up. Jimmy was taken away by two agents who'd helicoptered in from the San Antonio office. The car with Jimmy's friend was long gone but Dean Barton, who'd flown in with the agents, assured everyone when they swept up the pieces of Virgil's organization they'd no doubt catch him in the net. At last he stood on the back porch shaking hands with Gus.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am you had to go through this," he said, not for the first time. "I should have been smart enough to see what was happening. Or to put someone else on the case when we couldn't find where all Virgil Branson's support was coming from."

"Spilled milk," Gus told his boss. "No one could have seen it."

"We got into all his personal files and discovered a bunch of properties he owns, around here as well as in other states. I'm running a coordinated effort to hit them all at 73

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once I'm sure we'll find Virgil in one of them and that will be the end of him. I'll see to it personally."

"Thanks. And I appreciate you taking care of this yourself."

Dean shrugged. "It's certainly the least I can do."

A few minutes later the helicopter lifted off. Gus watched until it was just a dot in the sky before turning back into the house. He wanted to tell Anya again how proud he was of her for the way she'd handled herself. He knew she'd been scared to death but she'd just stood silently, trusting him to take care of her, falling apart only after they'd returned to the house and she could let the tears flow. He sat with her on his lap and fed her tea with brandy, murmuring soothing words to her until her eyelids began to droop.

Everyone finally went to bed, only to be awakened seven hours later by a call from Dean Barton that Virgil Branson was in custody. The nightmare was finally over.

"I'm going to pick up the kids," Linda announced when they'd finished breakfast.

"They'll be excited to finally meet their Uncle Gus."

"We'll be heading out later today," Gus told her. "The excitement's over and we need to leave y'all in peace."

Rafe and Linda exchanged a long, knowing look.

Rafe cleared his throat. "We'd really like it if the two of you could spend a few days here. Give us all a chance to rebuild this family."

"I don't think--" Gus began.

Anya put a small hand on his arm. "Thank you. We'd like that very much. I'm sure Gus hasn't said anything to you, but my family life gave a new meaning to the word dysfunctional. This means as much to me as it does to Gus."

"It's settled then," Rafe said. "I need to get out and work with the cattle a bit while Linda gets the kids. After lunch let's talk about things and make some plans."

Gus nodded. "We'd like that."

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When it was just the two of them left in the house, Gus picked Anya up from her chair, cradled her against his chest and kissed her like a man who was starving.

"It's over, darlin', and I've got a great way to celebrate. What do you say?"

"I say yes," she told him, still trying to catch her breath.

She loved being naked with him, nothing between them, skin to skin. His hands were like artist's tools, touching her in all the right places, lighting fires everywhere.

"I love you," he whispered, straddling her body.

He bent his head to capture a nipple with his mouth, sucking it hard, pressing it against the roof of his mouth with his tongue. Anya threaded her fingers through the thick silk of his hair, pressing his head to her body. When he'd teased one nipple to throbbing hardness he went to work on the other one. His fingers lightly pinched the nipple still wet from his mouth. Twin spikes of heat shot straight to her cunt, making her move restlessly with growing need. She was startled when he lifted his head and shifted his weight so he was farther up on her body. His engorged cock lay between her breasts, the dark plum head scant inches from her lips. Her tongue snaked out and she swiped it over the soft skin, pleased to see it flex with every touch.

Gus' hips rocked back and forth, his shaft rubbing against her skin with erotic friction. His hands pressed her breasts together, holding them against his cock as he kept up his tempo. Anya reached a hand out to grab him but he batted her hand away.

"No, darlin'. Just like this. Let me enjoy the feel of those wonderful mounds against my cock."

At the point where she was ready to defy him and wrap her fingers around his erection anyway, he backed off, slid down her body, spread her legs and without warning plunged his tongue inside her quivering pussy.

"Gus!" His name burst from her as pleasure rocketed through her. "Oh, god, Gus."

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His tongue was a live wire igniting flames inside her spasming walls. She wrapped her legs around his neck, pulling him into her, moving in cadence with his clever, clever tongue. But too soon he moved from his position, sliding two fingers into her cunt and bringing them out dripping with her honey. With gentle strokes he painted the liquid on the tight ring of her anus, caressing the skin with his fingertips. Very slowly and carefully he inserted one finger into her hot tunnel, pushing past the tight muscles until her tissues flexed around him. He took his time pressing until his entire finger was inside, then pulled it out and added a second one. Their scissoring movement stretched the tightness of her rectum, the moisture allowing them to move with slippery ease.

"Okay?" His voice was heavy with lust.

"Mmm," was all she could manage.

When she began to push down on his hand he flipped her over as he'd done yesterday, pulling her to her knees and bracing her with pillows beneath her. She heard the familiar sounds of a foil packet being opened and knew he was rolling on a condom. Then his hands spread the cheeks of her ass, the head of his cock nudged her hole and with steady pressure he penetrated her. The hot dark walls of her rectum clutched him tightly as he moved in deeper and deeper. Her pussy was clenching in response, the pulse that beat there increasing its intensity, the familiar feeling of icy heat skittering through her. He's doing it! He's doing it!

Gus paused when he was in to the hilt, hands resting on her hips.

"You okay, darlin'?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Breathe with me," he instructed. "In, out, in, out."

She did as he told her, breathing in each time he withdrew and out each time he plunged back in. At last she felt completely possessed by him, totally his. The last barriers falling away.

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Gus leaned over her as he steadily fucked her.

"I want you forever, Anya. I love you."

"I love...you...too!"

His grip on her tightened as his tempo increased. Perspiration covered her body and her heart was thrumming hard in her chest. She rocked with him, thrusting back each time to meet him.

She felt it begin, rolling up from deep inside her, at the same time Gus slammed hard into her.

"Now," he shouted, and called her name as he flooded the condom with his release, body jerking with each spurt.

Anya's pussy convulsed over and over again, spasms shaking her body, nothing existing except for her and Gus their most intimate connection. Finally she collapsed forward, Gus on top of her, balancing himself on his forearms. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to breathe normally again but she didn't care. She didn't want this ever to end. She almost cried out her objection when Gus withdrew from her body and left the bed to dispose of the condom. But then he was back, bathing her with a warm cloth, kissing her cheeks and her eyelids, climbing under the covers with her and pulling her still trembling body against his. She rubbed her nose against the soft hair on his chest and reveled in the feel of his skin next to her.

"I love you," he told her, this time more quietly but no less intensely.

"I love you, too," she told him, her heat tripping as happiness flooded her. He dressed his lips to her forehead. "Marry me, Anya. Be part of the life I've finally come home to."

She wound her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. What she saw there gave her more happiness than she'd ever expected to find.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you. Whenever you want."

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"Here? At the ranch?"

"Of course. Absolutely."

"We should tell Linda and Rafe," he said.

Anya giggled. "We should probably put on some clothes first."

He grinned. "Good point." Then his eyes darkened again. "But not until I fuck you again."

She raised her eyebrows. "So soon?"

"It's what you do to me. I don't think I'll ever get enough of you, darlin'."

"I hope not."

She smiled to herself as his hands moved over her again, showing her with movement as he'd told her with words exactly how much she meant to him. 78

About the Author

I always wonder what readers really want to know when I write one of these things. Getting to this point in my career has been an interesting journey. I've managed rock and roll bands and organized concerts. Been the only female on the sports staff of a university newspaper. Immersed myself in Nashville peddling a country singer. Lived in five different states. Married two very interesting but totally different men. I think I must have lived in Texas in another life, because the minute I set foot on Texas soil I knew I was home. Living in Texas Hill Country gives me inspiration for more stories than I'll probably ever be able to tell, what with all the sexy cowboys who surround me and the gorgeous scenery that provides a great setting. Each day is a new adventure for me, as my characters come to life on the pages of my current work in progress. I'm absolutely compulsive about it when I'm writing and thank all the gods and goddesses that I have such a terrific husband who encourages my writing and puts up with my obsession. As a multi-published author, I love to hear from my readers. Their input keeps my mind fresh and always hunting for new ideas.

Desiree welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email

address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think

We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at

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Where Danger Hides

Discover for yourself why readers can't get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora's Cave. Whether you prefer ebooks or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC

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www.ellorascave.com

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