Page 56 of Protecting Kelli
California. He had some unfinished business in the States.
It was only a matter of time before the bitch and the asshole were discovered…with Errol’s help. Because of course he’d blab. No one would find his hidey-hole in the jungle otherwise. It was too perfect. Theplanhad been perfect.
He’d just picked the wrong person to partner with.
He couldn’t get to Errol though, who was apparently in police custody. Couldn’t make him pay for snitching. But he might be able to get to the American…especially once the asshole was back on familiar territory. He’d never guess he was being followed. Never dream that anyone might still be after him. Even though he was some supposed badass Navy guy, important enough that his government didn’t hesitate to send people to the island to find him, Brant had no doubt he could outsmart him—and anyone who stood in his way. Especially when the man’s guard was down.
This wasn’t about money anymore. It was about following through. Wade Gordon and Kelli Colbert weren’t going to get away so easily, especially after fucking up all his plans.
Once they were home, they’d assume they were safe. That they could just go on with their lives. Fucking Americans! Thought they were better than everyone else.
Well, he knew where they lived. Both of them. They hadn’t seen the last of Brant Williams. He vowed to finish what he’d started. He’d get what he wanted in the end…the satisfaction of knowing he’d won.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
For the first time in his life, Flash dreaded going home. Not because he’d wanted to stay in Jamaica, but because it would mean leaving Kelli. How he’d become so attached so quickly, he had no idea. But he had. And he didn’t regret it.
When he’d woken up that morning, he’d had a moment of confusion. He didn’t do one-night stands. Didn’t sleep with women—sleepsleep, that was. And yet, he’d woken up with his arms around a soft body, flowery scent in his nose, and a hard-on that was almost painful.
But the confusion dissipated almost immediately as memories returned. He was at the resort. With Kelli. They were safe, clean, and he’d had the best night’s sleep that he could remember in quite a while.
Moving slowly so as not to jostle the still-sleeping woman in his arms, Flash had stuffed a pillow under his head so he could see Kelli more clearly. Her hair had been strewn across his T-shirt-covered chest, her hand next to her face. One of her legs was thrown over his thigh, and ashe’d shifted a little, she’d snuggled deeper into him, as if wanting to make sure he didn’t move away from her.
Flash remembered thinking…This. This is what my life is missing.
That feeling of being wanted. Of being needed.
How long he watched her sleep, Flash didn’t know. But he couldn’t keep the smile off his face when she woke. She’d smacked her lips and frowned a little. Her brow furrowed. She was fucking adorable.
Eventually she’d taken a long, slow breath—then her entire body tensed. As if she’d just realized she was cuddling up to an actual living, breathing person and not a pillow.
Not wanting her to be embarrassed, Flash had wished her good morning, then slipped out from under her to use the bathroom. When he’d returned, Kelli was sitting up in bed, giving him a shy smile.
He’d reheated leftovers from the previous night for breakfast, and by the time they were packed and ready to go, it was almost noon. Kevlar had called while they were eating and informed Flash that Brant Williams was gone, along with what looked like most of his clothes. He’d obviously heard about their little visit to Errol and fled.
A phone call to Tex confirmed he’d gotten on a plane the night before and left the island altogether. A disappointing outcome, as Flash would’ve liked to have had the chance to confront the man face-to-face.
But then Kevlar told him where Brant’s flight was headed—and Flash’s easy, non-stressful morning had changed in a heartbeat.
LA. The man who’d kidnapped him and Kelli, buriedthem in the jungle, tried to collect ransom money from the US government for him, had gone to Los Angeles.
It was way too close to Riverton for his peace of mind, especially since Williams had both his and Kelli’s IDs…with their addresses.
Tex was currently trying to track the man, happy that he was at least on what Tex considered home turf, where there were cameras on every corner and you couldn’t fart without some sort of electronic footprint.
It still wasn’t what Flash had wanted to hear, nor had he wanted to freak out Kelli when she was so relaxed and content earlier that morning. He’d decided to tell her after they’d arrived back in the States.
Which was any minute now. They were finally about to land in San Diego. They’d flown home on a commercial flight, as opposed to the military bird the team had arrived on. The trip was uneventful and Flash felt comfortable, surrounded by all his teammates.
Kelli was seated by the window, with Flash at her side. To his surprise and delight, not long after they took off, Kelli had reached over and put her hand on his thigh. It wasn’t a sexual move, not that he could tell. He assumed she just wanted to keep a connection with him, the same way he felt a need to always be connected to her.
Flash had placed his hand over hers, and she’d napped a little, never breaking their hold.
But now they were home.
Back to reality.
And Flash had no idea how the hell he was going to say goodbye to the woman who’d turned his life inside out. She’d literally changed his entire outlook on his future. He wanted to take her home with him. Move her into hissmall apartment. The thought of letting her just walk away was making him grouchy, and he scowled at his teammates as they talked about the schedule for the upcoming week as if nothing had changed.
