You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)(25)

Was she the real reason Jesse Murdoch had spent all those months being tortured, his soul being ripped apart?

“Phoebe? Baby, are you going to pass out?” He immediately dropped the tough guy act and his arms went around her just as her knees went weak.

She hadn’t eaten all day and the drugs were making her loopy. No. She was fooling herself. The guilt was making her sick. Had she done this to both Jamie and Jesse? She felt herself being hauled into strong arms.

“Do I need to get a doctor?” He pulled her close and it felt so good to be in his arms.

She wanted to pretend the last several hours hadn’t happened. She let her head drift to his shoulder just as she heard the sound of a helicopter. Distant at first, and then she watched in utter horror as it dropped into view, blocking the sight of the Dallas skyline.

Her eyes widened as she saw a tall, lean man standing on the foot rail, a SIG in his free hand and a grim look on his face. He nodded and the chopper rose again, likely to set down on the roof.

“What the hell?” Jesse turned. He had caught a glimpse of the chopper before it rose. “Was that a traffic copter? I don’ t think they’re supposed to get that close to the building.”

She shook her head. “No. You need to tell Taggart to let me go and lock the doors. If he lets me go, I think everyone will be safe.”

She clung to Jesse for one second longer because her time was up.

Ten was here.





CHAPTER FIVE





Jesse kicked his office door open. He didn’t even think about letting Phoebe down. He couldn’t risk it. He believed her that something was about to happen and it was going to be bad, but the last thing he was going to do was put her out in the hallway and lock the doors behind her. He wasn’t going to leave her out there like some sacrifice.

He wasn’t ready to give her up. He was supposed to have more time. He knew it couldn’t work, but he’d planned to get inside her and have that one memory. She would have let him do it, too. She’d been so hot when she’d spread her legs and let him bring her to orgasm. He’d felt her tighten around him and imagined it was his dick instead of his fingers, getting squeezed from all sides while she milked him dry.

Yeah, it had taken everything he had not to come then and there.

And then he’d been an * because he couldn’t say what he’d wanted to say. So he’d struck out and he’d hated the hurt look that had come over her face.

“Jesse, the party’s starting.” Li walked out of his office, holding Avery’s hand. Her hair was mussed and she had a glow about her that told Jesse something had been going on in that office. He guessed a couple with a kid took whatever time they could get. “Grace just called and said all the rug rats are happy and fed and she wants pictures before we start.”

Avery took a deep breath. “And I can smell the appetizers Sean cooked. I think he did that tenderloin bruschetta thing. I swear I gain a pound just walking into the man’s house. I’m so glad you took Phoebe out of bondage for the party. You can do the questioning thing after Eve opens the presents. Oh, and I happen to know Li here plans on spiking the punch. A little whiskey might make the whole interrogation easier.”

“Get the kids and take cover.” He didn’t have time for explanations.

Li went from relaxed to predatory in an instant. “Avery, get the women and the kids into the back room. Now, love.”

She took off running.

“How long do we have?” Li asked.

“Three minutes at most. They’re coming from the roof.” Jesse hurried after Li.

“What the f*ck is going on? Erin!” Li jogged down the hall.

Erin’s office door opened. “What?” She frowned Phoebe’s way. “What the hell is she still doing here? Don’t we have a shallow grave for her or something? I thought she’d be fertilizing Big Tag’s trees by now.”

Phoebe ignored her. “You have to let me go. He won’t play around.”

“Who?” His arms tightened around her. “Tell me who the hell is about to burst in those doors, Phoebe.”

“You have to let me go.”

But he didn’t. He had zero intention of allowing her to go anywhere until he had his answers. He sure as f*ck wasn’t giving her up to some Agency search and rescue that didn’t even have the damn authority to work on US soil. No way, no how.

“Erin, can you lock her in?” Erin’s office was the closest. He would prefer to tie her up, but it looked like their time was about to be up and he needed to be able to fight.

“Of course. Throw the princess in there. I promise she’ll have nowhere to go,” Erin said, opening the door wide.

“Don’t do this, Jesse. Please let me talk to him.” Phoebe was starting to struggle. He hated leaving her. It was obvious she needed rest and food, and the desire to provide for her was riding him hard, but he couldn’t do a damn thing if they took her away.

He set her down on the couch and walked away, locking the door behind him.

“What the f*ck is going on?” Li asked.

“I think the Agency is about to attack the office,” Jesse explained.

Li’s jaw dropped. “The bloody Agency? Are you telling me that a Special Forces unit working for the CIA is about to walk into the office?”