Fatal Pursuit (The Aegis Series) by Elisabeth Naughton
He tugged her in tighter than she liked, turned their clasped hands in close to his chest, and hummed along to the tune.
It was too close. Too romantic. And she hated that her mind drifted to Jake.
She hadn’t seen him in four days. Not since the emergency room. He hadn’t texted, hadn’t called, hadn’t once tried to reach out to her, and though part of her wanted him to, another part didn’t even know what she could say in response. She’d let her emotions get the best of her in the ER, and now that her temper had cooled, she felt wretched about that scene and especially about how they’d ended things. Worse even than the morning after their crazy night at his place. Because then she’d just been heartbroken. Now she felt as if she’d lost her best friend.
“It’s nice of your father to host this party,” Gray said softly in her ear. “He didn’t have to.”
She tried not to think about the reason for this party. Tried not to remember those steamy days and nights in the jungle with Jake and how much she’d enjoyed them even though she’d acted like she hadn’t. “He’s glad you’re back.”
“I know. But the big question is, are you?” Gray leaned away and looked down, his green eyes brimming with emotion—an emotion that hit Marley hard in the belly. “Are you glad I’m back?”
He wanted an answer, wanted to know how she felt about him, and the truth was that she didn’t have a clue. Yes, she was glad he was back, and yes she wanted him to be happy, but she just wasn’t convinced that happiness would ever happen with her. And she didn’t want to hurt him when he’d already been through so much. He hadn’t said a word about their conversation over dinner Sunday night, but the way he kept doting on her, the way he wouldn’t leave her side, the fact he was looking at her now as if she was his everything, it made her hands grow sweaty and that panic re-form beneath her ribs.
“Gray, I—”
“You know, before I left on that mission, I bought you a ring. I didn’t buy it for the right reasons, but I put it in a safety deposit box, and I still have it. I can’t make up for the past, but I can promise you that the future will be very different. And I want to give that ring to you now because this is all that matters.” His hand tightened around hers against his chest. “You are all that matters. I want you to be my wife, Marley.”
The blood rushed out of her cheeks. Her feet stilled, and she stared up at him, unable to believe he’d just said those words. One phrase echoed in her head—Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God—but she couldn’t make her lips and vocal cords work to get it out.
“I know it’s sudden,” he said, pulling her against him once more so her chin rested against his shoulder, “but we’re going to be happy together. I promise. You’ll see. We’ll be so very happy together.”
She was completely speechless. Didn’t know what the hell to do or say. Her wide eyes scanned the ballroom over his shoulder. She caught her father’s eye across the room where he was standing next to his new assistant or girlfriend or whatever the hell she was. He smiled and winked at her in approval. And right then Marley knew she was in deep shit.
She had to put a stop to this. She had to set Gray straight, set her father straight, stop letting them manipulate her into something she wasn’t ready for. They’d both done that to her once before—in very different ways—but she wasn’t that person anymore, and she wasn’t going to fall back into old patterns.
She let go of his hand and pushed against his shoulder. “Gray, I—”
“Hm,” Gray said into her hair. “Looks like your friends from Aegis finally showed up.”
Hope bloomed in Marley’s chest, pushing aside every other thought and worry. She swiveled her head and watched as Eve and Zane stepped into the room, Eve decked out in a sparkly black cocktail dress that showed off her curves, and Zane wearing smart back slacks, a white dress shirt, and a black tie that made his hair look even darker. Behind them, Mick Hedley and Raleigh Stone were dressed in much the same way, while Landon and Olivia Miller followed hand in hand. But there was no sign of Jake. And though Marley had tried not to expect too much, her spirits dropped lower than they’d been before.
She swallowed back the disappointment, told herself she was being foolish—again. She didn’t even know what she’d say to Jake if he did show up. But she knew she had to get away from Gray right this minute before she had a mental breakdown.
She pushed out of his arms. “I-I need to go say hello.”
“Sure.” He released his hold on her, but before she could get a step away, he caught her by the hand and drew her back. Then he leaned close and slowly brushed his lips over hers in a move that was every bit possessive and made the hairs on her nape stand straight, especially as it was the first time he’d kissed her since being home. “Don’t be gone long. I can’t live without you, you know.”
Her stomach rolled. She wanted to jerk back and say hell no, she didn’t know that, but restrained herself. After the party, when everyone was gone, then she’d set him straight. Right now she didn’t want to ruin her father’s night and draw unwanted attention, especially when what she really wanted to do was scream.
Carefully, she eased away from him and headed across the ballroom toward Eve and the others. But her legs felt like gelatin, and by the time she reached the group, she was shocked she hadn’t melted into a puddle right in the middle of the room.
“Hey. You all made it.” She shored up her strength, hugged Eve and Zane, Raleigh, Mick, Landon, and finally Olivia. “I wasn’t sure if any of you were going to come.”
“Are you kidding?” Mick slipped an arm around Marley’s waist and drew her to his side. “Free grog and tucker? Don’t have to twist my arm.”
The group laughed. Eve rolled her eyes. “Jesus, Hedley. Speak English. We’re in America, not the land down under.”
“Leave the poor guy alone,” Olivia said, brushing her blonde hair to the side. “I think he’s cute.”
Mick placed a hand over his heart and smiled. “Someone loves me.” He winked at Marley, then angled his thumb toward Landon. “That’s because I taught her a few moves for when this guy gets out of line.”
“Don’t get any ideas, idiot.” Landon glared at Mick. Then to his wife at his side, he said, “Hedley is not cute. Annoying as hell. But definitely not cute.”
Olivia slid her fingers over Landon’s cheek. “Don’t be jealous, sweetie. I know a little secret. I’m going home with you, and I’m a sure thing.”
He leaned down and kissed her. Mick made gagging noises, and the rest of the group laughed.
Unable to stand too much happiness, Marley focused on Eve. “Is anyone else coming?”
“Walker’s in Nashville with Grace,” Zane said, sliding an arm around his fiancée’s waist. “Tierney’s still in Europe on assignment, Bentley’s—hell, I can’t remember where he went—and Blackwell’s at a premiere for his wife. Lucky sonofabitch gets to walk the red carpet with Angeline Jolie.”
“Hey.” Eve elbowed Zane in the ribs. “Stop fantasizing about Hollywood celebrities. I’m standing right here.”
Zane grinned and rubbed the spot, but didn’t loosen his hold on Eve. “Trust me, I know. I have the bruises to prove it.”
The group laughed again, and Hedley—already eyeing the buffet table—released Marley. “I see some ribs with my name on them.” He smacked Raleigh in the stomach with the back of his hand. “Come on, mate.”
Raleigh shook his head and glanced toward Marley before stepping away from the group. “He ate before he got here. The guy’s like a bottomless pit.”
Marley smiled. She knew full well how much Mick could eat. “Luckily, my father can afford it.”
As soon as the two men moved away, Eve’s smile faded. “I haven’t heard from Jake. I don’t know if he’s coming.”
“Hedley said he talked to him,” Landon added at Marley’s side. “Reminded him about tonight.”
<
“Holy crap, you don’t even know the half of it,” Eve said. “He’s been a complete nightmare the last week. Seriously, Marley. You have to come back. If he makes me work in the office one more day, I might try to blow him up.”
Landon chuckled. Zane grinned. But Marley didn’t share in their humor. Not a bit. Because just the thought of the way Jake had looked in the ER made her pulse skip up and nausea roll through her belly.
“What’s happening with that, by the way? Did you figure out who did it?”
“No,” Landon said. “Investigators said the bomb was attached to the ignition. They don’t have any leads yet, but whoever placed it obviously didn’t expect Ryder to use a remote starter. Which is pretty freakin’ stupid if you ask me because most cars these days have those. Ryder got lucky.”
Very lucky. Marley had a memory flash of the panic she’d experienced when she’d heard he’d been injured, felt it echo in her chest. But her mind drifted toward what Landon had just said. “Maybe they weren’t trying to kill him, just warn him.”
“About what?” Zane asked. “Whoever it was hasn’t made any kind of demand. If it was a warning, none of us know what it was for, even Ryder.”
Marley chewed on the inside of her lip. She knew full well there were plenty of people who disliked Jake Ryder. He’d been a hard-ass in the navy. And an even harder-ass since opening Aegis. And recently, she could think of a number of individuals who wouldn’t bat an eyelash at killing him in retaliation for messing up their plans, including one well-known terrorist group based in Europe and another CIA mole Jake had helped expose.
“Speak of the devil,” Olivia murmured. “I guess he decided to show after all.”
Marley’s heart jerked, and she glanced toward the ballroom doors. Jake stepped into the room wearing a crisp black suit and a pale-blue tie against a white shirt. His shoes were shiny, his hair was perfectly combed, and though Marley saw him in slacks and a dress shirt every day at work, something about this outfit—not just the clothes but the way he wore them—ignited a burn low in her stomach.
He scanned the room, then his eyes locked on hers, and her pulse shot up even higher. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t glance away. And as he headed for their group, her pulse turned to a roar in her ears.
He stopped between the two couples, shook hands with the men and nodded at Eve and Olivia, then slipped his hands into his pockets. “Where are the other yahoos?”
The question was directed at the group, but his dark gaze was locked solidly on Marley, and she felt the heat of his stare across the distance. Felt the electricity sizzling between them. Felt the same fire sparking that had consumed her not once, but twice before.
“Already raiding the buffet,” Zane answered. He glanced down at Eve. “Which is where I think we ought to be.”
Eve looked at Marley, then at Jake. “Um, yeah. Definitely. Olivia? Landon? Want to join us?”
“Absolutely,” Olivia said, already stepping away and dragging Landon with her. “Catch you both later.”
Marley watched them go and knew they were all cutting and running from what they thought might be an explosive confrontation. She couldn’t blame them, but she didn’t particularly like the guys at Aegis knowing her business. And she liked even less that this was happening in the center of the ballroom.
Okay, say something. Anything. She swallowed once. “I, uh, wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“I wasn’t sure I would either.”
His face was stoic, his expression guarded. And she couldn’t read his eyes, which only frustrated her more. “How’s the arm?”
“Sore but still working.”
She exhaled a slow breath. He wasn’t making this easy on her. But then, she couldn’t really blame him. She knew she’d left him in the lurch at work, but she was still hurt over the fact the only thing he cared about was Aegis.
“Marley, Marley, Marley, Marley . . .”
The way he’d said her name over and over that night at his house when they’d made love echoed in her head. And the emotion in his voice, the urgency, the need . . . it all hit her hard, right beneath the breastbone.
She was lying to herself. She knew he did care about something more than Aegis. He cared about her. He was just afraid to admit it, even to himself.
“I need to tell you something,” he said before she could find her voice. “Something important.”
Surprise rippled through her. “Um. Okay.”
“Outside, if you don’t mind.” He glanced over her shoulder, and his features hardened. “Away from prying eyes.”
Without turning, Marley knew Gray was staring at her from across the room, watching her as he’d been watching her all night. A shiver rushed down her spine.
“Yeah,” she said. “I think that’s a good idea.”
A whisper of relief rushed over her as he took her elbow and turned her toward the glass doors that opened to the veranda. Tingles raced over her flesh where his fingers grazed her skin, and nerves brewed in her belly. What did he want to say? What was so important that he had to say it now? As they headed for the door, every cell in her body vibrated with uncertainty and anticipation.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Just as they reached the doors, her father’s voice boomed over the sound system, interrupting the music. “Thank you all for being here tonight to welcome home not just a former employee of Omega Intel, but a man who has become a true friend to us all.”
Dammit. Marley turned near the doors and looked back to the center of the dance floor where her father stood with a microphone in one hand and the other perched on Gray’s shoulder. She couldn’t leave now. Not when her father was making his big speech. At her side, Jake looked back toward the two men as well, but the scowl on his face said he wanted to stay even less than Marley.
“He won’t be long,” Marley whispered, leaning toward Jake, trying like hell not to get lost in his familiar scent of leather and citrus and spice. “I read his note cards earlier. Should be short and sweet.”
Jake angled toward her as well, and his hand slid around her lower back, igniting a rush of tingles straight down her spine. “Let’s hope he hasn’t been drinking and decides to wing it.”
Oh God. His touch . . . It was all she could do not to turn in to it and pull him close. But then she realized what he was remembering. Her father’s Christmas party only a few months before. When Mason Addison had one too many whiskey sours late into the night, grabbed the microphone, and started singing “I Will Survive.”
That easy, relaxed sensation she’d always felt around Jake until recently came raging back, making her think . . . maybe. Maybe this wasn’t the end. Maybe there was hope for something. She was just too afraid to think what that something could be just yet.
“As many of you know,” her father went on, dropping his arm from Gray’s shoulder and looking out over the crowd, “we come into this business from varied backgrounds, many of which are not all that pleasant. The first time this man walked into my office five and a half years ago, I saw a cocky, arrogant soldier who didn’t know the first thing about being a team player. I’ll admit, there was a time when I wasn’t sure about his intentions or his loyalties. But I was wrong. The man standing beside me now hasn’t just lived through more than any man should have to endure, he’s come through the ordeal stronger, more confident, and with a will to live like I’ve never seen. His survival is a testament to the strength of his character, and I for one am happy to welcome him back not just to our community, but to Omega as well.”
Gray shook his hand. Over the noise of guests clapping, Gray said, “Thank you.”
Jake let go of Marley and begrudgingly clapped at her side. Another whisper of disappointment swept through her over the loss of his touch. Then he leaned close again, distracting her from anything but him. “Looks like Omega’s going to be stuck with him.”
Marley watched the two men embrace, and a sinking feeling filled her chest. If she took her father up on his offer to work for him, like he wanted her to do, she’d be working alongside Gray as well. And that meant what she had to say to Gray after the party was going to make things complicated.
Her father clapped his hand on Gray’s shoulder and faced the crowd once more, a beaming smile across his weathered face. “And on a personal note, I’m thrilled to welcome McKnight to the family.” Her father’s eyes locked on hers across the room. “A little bird just informed me that my daughter said yes. Consider yourselves all invited to the wedding.”
Cheers erupted in the ballroom, and all eyes turned on Marley. A ringing sounded in her ears as she glanced around at the sea of smiling faces focused on her. A ringing that rose in decibels until it was all she could hear.
Did her father just say . . . ? No, she had to have heard him wrong.
“Oh, they’re getting married!” someone exclaimed. “After all this time. That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!”
Married.
Wedding.
Shaking, Marley turned to Jake, desperate for him to help, for him to do something to get her the hell out of there. But when her eyes met his, everything inside her chilled. His dark gaze was as hard and icy as she’d ever seen it.
“I . . . But . . . He . . .” She couldn’t get the words out. They stumbled on her tongue, came out as a brainless stutter.
The muscles in his jaw clenched down hard, and his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “Congratulations.”