Hidden Prey Read online

  He should tell her about what happened with Brian. Now.

  Every good intention vanished as she tipped her face up to look at him. Her eyelashes glittered from the remainder of her tears and her brown eyes seemed even darker than normal. Their gazes met and held and he didn’t think he’d ever be able to look away from her again. She drew him to her in so many ways and he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to get closer to her.

  The other agents remained downstairs while he had come upstairs, alone. With Tori.

  This isn’t smart.

  Hell, he was nowhere near being smart.

  He held his breath then let out a slow exhalation, lowering lowered his mouth to hers.

  The moment their lips met, she gave a sigh, surrendering herself to his kiss. That sense of surrender fueled him, making him desire her even more than he already did.

  He moved his lips over hers, hungry for the taste of her, the feel of her. Her scent filled him as if a part of her slid beneath his skin. Her soft lips tasted exquisite on his tongue. God, he knew he could never get enough of her.

  She leaned into him, letting their body heat meld, fusing them together in a way that defied explanation. Her sighs turned into a soft moan as he moved his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, and to her waist. She wore one of her new T-shirts and he pushed the hem up just enough to feel her soft skin along the waistband. He gripped her slender waist in his hands, his fingers brushing the base of her spine and her tattoo.

  Her hunger and his grew in matching intensity. She moved her palms up his chest to his shoulders and gripped them as if afraid she would slip away if she didn’t hold on tightly.

  He slipped his palms from her waist to her ass, feeling the perfection of it as he squeezed her closer to him. His cock, impossibly hard, pressed to her, straining to get free from behind the tough denim of his jeans.

  Their clothes—far too many. He wanted to feel her warm silky skin against his, nothing keeping them apart. He wanted only to nestle between her thighs and drive his cock deep inside her heat.

  The rumble rising in his chest was like a lion staking a claim on his territory and she made an answering purr, giving herself completely to him. Not just surrendering, but offering herself for his pleasure. She asked for nothing, just gave him everything she had.

  She sighed again as he slid his lips along her jawline to her ear. She gasped when he nipped at her earlobe and shivered in a delicate way, telling him he’d just found one of her erogenous zones. He sucked the soft flesh into his mouth and nipped at it again. Another shiver ran through her body.

  He moved his lips down the column of her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat. The soft purring sounds she made caused his cock to grow even harder and he rubbed himself against her in a slow, deliberate movement.

  A gasp escaped her when he cupped her breasts and flicked his thumbs over her taut nipples through the fabric of her T-shirt. She speared her fingers into his hair and encouraged him to lower his head so his mouth lowered to her breasts. His body shook from the power of his need for her when he circled her nipple with his tongue, wetting the T-shirt and causing her to suck in her breath. She gave a small cry and gripped his hair tighter, encouraging him to move his mouth to her other nipple.

  He had to taste the salt on her skin, feel its softness in his mouth. He pushed her T-shirt over her perfectly sized breasts and licked each of her nipples through her satin bra. She caught her breath when he pulled her bra beneath her breasts so they were bared for him.

  She pushed his head down again, guiding him so his mouth hovered directly over her nipple. He skimmed his lips over the hard nub and she moaned as he sucked it and flicked it with his tongue. Her nipples were hard peaks for him to nip at each one. God, but he loved the way she tasted. He loved that she didn’t hesitate to show him what she wanted. He loved everything about her.

  “Landon.” His name sounded like music coming from her lips.

  “Landon.” A different voice cut through Landon’s haze. A male voice.

  Tori jerked away, frantically tugging at her clothes. Landon stayed in front of her so she couldn’t be seen. She looked mortified and Landon gave her a reassuring expression.

  Keeping Tori behind him, he slowly turned to see Dylan standing in the doorway. He had his arms folded across his chest, his shoulder hitched against the doorframe. A hint of amusement played across his features.

  “What do you want?” Landon’s voice came out rougher than he’d intended.

  “Better me than one of the other agents.” Dylan flashed a grin. “I have business to talk with you about when you’re ready.”

  Landon glanced back at Tori who appeared to have collected herself. She still looked embarrassed but gave a nod. He squeezed her hand before turning and following Dylan out of the room.

  Dylan shook his head as Landon joined him in the hallway. “You picked a hell of a time, not to mention she’s a witness. Are you out of your god damned mind?”

  Landon’s jaw hurt from clenching his teeth so tightly. He couldn’t blame Dylan for walking in on them. Hell, nothing should have happened between him and Tori. Like Dylan said, Tori was a witness.

  She’d been so damned sweet to his taste, to his touch. He didn’t know if he could keep his hands off her.

  Landon dragged his hand down his face, his stubble catching on his palm. “What do you need to discuss?”

  “Once you told Aguilar that Tori ID’d Alejandro Jimenez, John Graves, and Pablo Perez, I worked up the affidavit for the arrest warrants and pitched it to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” Dylan hooked his thumbs in his jeans’ pockets. “Thought you’d be happy to know we have warrants for the arrests of all three bastards.”

  “Good.” Landon felt a hint of triumph. “Fucking great.”

  Dylan started toward the stairs. “We’ve had teams of agents scouring the area to locate and arrest these guys.”

  Landon walked down the stairs with Dylan. “Now we just have to find and serve the sonsofbitches and take them in.”

  * * *

  Tori’s face burned when she picked up the paperback she’d dropped on the floor. What had she been thinking? A house full of agents surrounded her and she’d just made out with one of them. How far would it have gone if Agent Curtis hadn’t walked in?

  She barely knew Landon and she’d let him practically take off her shirt. No, more like she had encouraged him to go further and further. She’d wanted him. She still wanted him—more than she could remember wanting any man.

  Her thoughts turned to her parents. Landon had said they were both all right and she trusted him to tell her the truth. She knew she could rely on Landon being honest with her, whatever might happen.

  When her nerves tried to get the best of her, or she needed a distraction, she always liked to pick up an instrument and play, especially her clarinet. During this traumatic time, she hadn’t had anything until now and it had been driving her crazy.

  She opened the case holding the clarinet her parents had purchased for her when she’d earned first chair as a freshman in high school. They had spent more money on the clarinet than they’d been able to afford, but they’d pulled it together.

  Memories washed through her as she assembled the instrument and she thought of her best friend. Tori and Paula often practiced as a duo as well as doing a lot of the fun things women liked to do. Tori missed shopping with her friend, talking for hours, going to movies, meeting up for coffee or dinner. Ordinary things Tori couldn’t do anymore.

  Thank goodness she’d left the box of reeds at her parents’ home the last time she’d visited them, and her mother had thought to grab them for her. Otherwise, she would have had to wait until someone bought a box for her—if she could find someone who had the time to do so.

  She wet a reed then absently let her fingers dance over the keys, her eyes closed.

  At their first concert of the season in September, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra would be performing Gustav Holst
’s The Planets. One of her favorite parts in the suite for clarinet was in ‘Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity’, and she let the tune fill the air.

  Her fingers moved, music flowing through her. Music completed her heart and soul in a way nothing else could and carried her far from the here and now.

  Music had helped her escape from reality as a small child when her father had been a belligerent drunk. It had allowed her emotional freedom the times she’d been bullied in school. It had set her free for a while from Gregory’s verbal and emotional abuse.

  And now, once again, it took her away.

  Escape, she just needed the escape.

  The last note faded and she sighed, her eyes still closed for her to hold on to the moment.

  The bed dipped and the bedsprings creaked. Her eyelids flew open and she set the clarinet on her lap. Even before she’d opened her eyes, she’d known it was Landon beside her. His magnetic scent and his electrifying presence sent tingles along her skin.

  She met his gaze and felt warm all over again as she let herself be caught in the spell of the unusual green shade of his eyes.

  “You are incredible,” he stated. “Your music is magic.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled. “Usually, not a day goes by that I don’t do something music-related, especially practicing.” She shifted on the bed to face him better. “I wanted to ask you if I could have a notebook along with pencils and pens.”

  “Sure.” He gave a nod. “Do you journal?”

  “Not really.” She shook her head. “I compose. It’s something I do because I love it, but it’s also good therapy.”

  “Not a problem.” He gave her a smile. “Just tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you.”

  “Thank you.” She returned his smile, but it faded when she remembered what they’d been doing just a short time earlier. “I’m sorry about what happened. I shouldn’t have—”

  He put his fingers over her lips. “Hey. You don’t have anything to apologize for. If anyone should apologize, it should be me.”

  Studying his roughly carved features, she didn’t want him to have to feel as if he should apologize. She wanted him to tell her it hadn’t been a mistake and the kiss had meant everything to him that it had to her. She wanted him to say how he’d wanted to kiss her since they’d met, just as she had.

  For a long moment neither of them said anything. “I loved it,” almost spilled out of her mouth but the words stayed in her head where they belonged.

  He gave her a long, searching stare. “Are you tired?”

  She blinked at the change in topic. “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll let you get some sleep.” He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it before he stood.

  She got to her feet too. “Are you leaving?”

  He hesitated and looked as if he wanted to touch her again. “I’ll be in the living room.”

  “Thank you.” She crossed her arms over her chest, holding herself tightly, feeling she might fall apart if she didn’t.

  He hesitated then leaned down and brushed his lips over her cheek. “Get some rest, honey.”

  Her eyes widened a bit at the endearment, but he turned away and walked to the bedroom door. He glanced once over his shoulder, his gaze meeting hers.

  And he left.

  For a long moment, she gripped her clarinet as she stared at the place where he’d been standing. Landon attracted her more than she wanted to admit, even to herself. She didn’t just feel a physical attraction, but something deeper, on a level she probably wouldn’t recognize even if her best friend pointed it out to her.

  She and Agent Landon Walker were not meant to be. She’d better keep that fact in mind before she ended up losing her heart.

  Chapter 15

  Smoke filled the air as Diego crushed the stub of his Cuban cigar in the ashtray on the corner of his desk. Fury heated him, crawled up his spine, and sent tension through every part of his body. The woman had escaped the first attack and now her parents had as well.

  But Alejandro had said his plans for tonight would work.

  The bitch had to die.

  If she didn’t, American agents could arrest Alejandro, as well as the two men assigned to protect him and to clean up any messes that might arise. And this was one big fucking mess.

  Diego would never allow his son to be tried for any crime, much less imprisoned. Once his men had eliminated Tori Cox, Diego would make sure he had every last person involved killed. The dead couldn’t speak.

  He sensed a presence and he cut his gaze from the ashtray to the doorway to see Alicia. At nineteen, the youngest of his housekeepers, she had an inviting smile and even more enticing body.

  Right now, he wanted to relieve some of his anger.

  “You called for me?” she asked in a small voice, somehow still sounding sexy.

  “Come in and close the door.” He snarled the command. “And lock it.”

  She gave him a frightened look, obeying. Her eyes widened and her hand shook when she turned the lock.

  He motioned for her to come to him. She hesitated and he narrowed his gaze. The look in her dark eyes became one of true fear and that made him hard.

  When she reached him, he raised his hand and backhanded her. She cried out as her head snapped to the side. In his mind, she became the woman who had put his son in danger, the woman who needed to be killed.

  He restrained from snapping Alicia’s neck. Instead, he gripped the front of her blouse and ripped it open. She gave another cry and he backhanded her again. He still had a grip on her blouse with one hand, holding her so she didn’t stumble backward.

  He raised his hand to strike her again. “Shut up, bitch.”

  Tears formed in her eyes and she clamped her mouth shut. Diego moved his gaze to her breasts. He loved the size of them. He’d wanted to fuck her since Esmeralda had hired her, but he hadn’t touched her. He only hired beautiful young women and most of them were willing and pleased to serve him in every way possible.

  At this moment he didn’t want a willing woman. He wanted a powerless woman…just like the woman in Arizona would be when he smuggled her into Mexico and used her before handing her off to others. He had now decided he did not want to kill her. No. He wanted to make her pay in other ways.

  Diego’s gaze roved over Alicia’s beautiful body. He still loved his wife who had passed away years ago. But a man had his needs and right now Diego needed to take out his anger and frustration on someone. Alicia was that someone.

  She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out again as he took her large nipples and pinched them hard. He twisted them and her eyes watered, tears rolling down her cheeks. He released her nipples long enough to spin her around and force her face and torso against the desk. Her whole body shook.

  He shoved her skirt over her ass, pleased to see she wore nothing beneath her clothing. She had a beautiful ass. He forced her legs apart with his knees before he unfastened his belt and pants.

  In one thrust, he buried himself inside her and she made a muffled sound. Her dryness excited him—he liked the friction. She wasn’t a virgin, an unfortunate thing, as he would have liked to be the first to take her.

  He fucked the bitch hard, taking out all his fury on her. The slut deserved to be on the receiving end of his anger. She should have kept herself pure. No doubt she’d worn nothing beneath her uniform so she could fuck his driver or his gardener, or any one of the many men on his staff. Maybe all of them.

  His anger magnified and her body rocked against his desk as he slammed into her. His tension and wrath balled up in his groin.

  He all but exploded when he came. He thrust until he’d completely shot his semen inside her and spent himself, becoming almost too exhausted to pull out.

  When he did, he tucked himself back inside his slacks and fastened his belt. She didn’t move from where she lay on his desk, but her body continued to tremble.

  He pulled her long hair, jerking her to her feet. Glimpsing her face,
he saw a drop of blood had formed on her lip where she’d bitten it. Black mascara streaked her face and her eyes were red, her cheeks wet with tears. She had marks on her face from where he’d backhanded her.

  “Straighten up.” He gestured to her clothing. She tugged down the skirt and he handed her a handkerchief. “Take care of your face.”

  She took the handkerchief and wiped away the black marks from her cheeks. He looked at her exposed breasts and started to harden again. She grabbed her blouse, now free of buttons, and pulled the sides together, covering her breasts.

  “Get out of here and go clean yourself up.” He pointed toward the door. “Before you leave, make sure no one will see you.”

  She didn’t hesitate this time. She hurried toward the door. Just as she grabbed the handle, he spoke, “I expect you to remain with us.” She didn’t turn away from the door as he added, “I know your family and I will kill them if you speak of this. Do you understand?”

  A visible shudder rippled through her body and she nodded before unlocking and opening the door and peering out.

  She fled.

  Diego felt more relaxed but in complete control of himself and those around him. He didn’t like this feeling of being out of control when it came to the woman in the U.S. who had witnessed his son murdering the scum who had wormed himself into the heart of his organization. It would be only a matter of time before they murdered the woman called Tori Cox.

  Chapter 16

  Landon and Dylan eased up to the door of the house on the outskirts of Douglas, where they hoped to find John Graves and Pablo Perez. If they were lucky, Alejandro Jimenez would be there too.

  Peeling white paint on the outside of the house and the weed-choked yard with junk strewn everywhere gave the house a neglected look. Considering the state of the place, Landon would bet Alejandro would have nothing to do with a crap hole like this.

  The bright sun shined through gaps in spotty clouds, heating the air. Landon’s heavy body armor made him feel even hotter. Sweat dripped down the side of his face and rolled onto his neck.