Hide and Seek - Lara Adrian Page 0,41

her with a fierce reverence. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Not ever.” He growled a low curse. “I’ve had five years to think about what I let go of—what could’ve been, if I’d been honest with myself... and with you. I didn’t want to betray my friend’s trust in me, so instead I betrayed yours by letting you leave my place thinking you didn’t matter to me. You deserve white picket fences and fairy tales, Lisa. I can’t give you any of those things. At this point, I’m not even sure I would know how.”

“I never asked you for any of that,” she murmured.

“But you deserve someone who can give it to you.” He caressed her cheek, his dark eyes searching, tender. “Five years ago, I was scared shitless to even try to be that man. And now... damn it. Now I want to try, but I’m afraid I’m losing you before I even get the chance.”

She wanted to hold on to her anger from earlier today. She wanted to hold on to her anger from five years ago, too. More than anything, she wanted to deny that she could trust this man, love him, after just a few days and nights together and a handful of pretty words.

But this was John Duarte. And if he’d been half in love with her at one time, she’d been all in for just as long.

She had no fight left in her when he drew her into his arms. His mouth came down on hers in a tender, yet claiming kiss, leaving no room for anything but the two of them. She kissed him back, melting into his embrace, losing herself to the moment, and to him.

It took her a few seconds to feel the tension—the alarm—seep into the strong muscles that held her. John broke their kiss and pulled back, his eyes stark... distant.

He blinked, and when he glanced down at her a shiver of dread snaked through her.

“They’re coming now.” His voice was quiet, so grim it shook her to the bone. “I just saw them—a flash of precognition. The men who’re after you... ah, fuck. They’re close. They’re heading here now.”

15

Duarte took Lisa by the hand and ran with her out to the main house. Alec was in the kitchen finishing a sandwich and drinking a beer. A pistol lay on the table in front of him. A long-range rifle outfitted with a silencer rested against the wall in easy arm’s reach.

“Look alive, Stingray. Things are about to get interesting.”

“You had a vision?”

“Only a flash of one. Just now,” Duarte told him. “I saw a pair of bogeys in wetsuits swimming over from Marathon. Three more paddling behind them in a dark Zodiac powerboat. I can’t be sure, but everything about them says military, black ops. They’re on the approach as we speak. I’m sure of it.”

Alec’s face immediately took on a familiar battle-primed intensity. He stood up, stuffed the pistol down the back of his jeans. “How far out?”

“Not far.” Duarte shook his head. “Could be right on top of us any minute.”

No sooner had he said it than the first gunshot rang out.

Fuck. Ready or not, showtime. Duarte reached for the nine-millimeter at his back while Alec grabbed the rifle. Both men locked and loaded, ready to unleash hell, just like old times.

Duarte glanced at Lisa. She’d gone pale and silent with the first sound of gunfire. As urgent as the situation suddenly was, he stole a moment to brush his fingers along her stricken face. “We’ve got this. That’s a promise, yeah? No one touches you without going through both of us.” At her nod, Duarte turned to Alec. “We need to secure her while we—”

“Tackle box. She’ll be safest in there. And armed if needed.”

Without missing a beat, Alec hit a switch on the wall, instantly killing the house lights. And just like that, the former sniper was gone, absorbed into the night as he slipped outside.

“Come on.” Plunged into darkness, Duarte raced with her for the bookcase hideaway.

He glimpsed a flash of shadow at the window in the great room. Had less than a second of time to push Lisa down before the glass exploded with the gunman’s shot from outside.

She screamed. Searing pain tore into his left shoulder.

The hit staggered him, but as he started going down, Duarte steadied his aim and squeezed off two rounds at the assailant outside. The guy dropped like a stone. Chest shot would have