Gone (Deadly Secrets #2)(78)

Tipping Raegan’s face up with his hands, he kissed her deeper and pressed her back against the wall in the entry. “Mm, Raegs . . .” He slid his hands down her arms, across her ribs, and around to her lower back. “I need you. Right now.”

“Yes.” She lifted to her toes and kissed him harder. “Yes,” she mouthed against him, trailing her hands over his shoulders, careful to avoid his injured arm. Her fingers dropped to his waistband and the button on his jeans as if she couldn’t wait.

His whole body trembled.

“I love you,” she mouthed against him, flicking the button free and sliding her tantalizing fingers inside to graze his hip bones. “Have I told you that lately?”

He groaned at her wicked touch. “And I love hearing you say it.” Shifting his hands lower, he lifted one of her luscious legs to hook around his hip and rocked against her. “Say it again.”

She laughed and whispered, “I love you.”

He smiled. Kissed the corner of her mouth. Nipped his way across her jaw until he found her throat. “Again.”

“I love you.” Her head fell back against the wall, and she flexed her hips, rubbing against his straining erection. “Oh, Alec. That feels so good. Don’t you dare stop.”

He had no intention of stopping. He kissed his way down the soft column of her throat, slid his hands under the hem of her shirt, and trailed his fingers up her rib cage until they brushed the satin of her bra.

She arched, offering him her breast, offering everything. “Alec . . .”

A humming sound hit his ears. Lifting away from her mouth, he stilled and listened, then realized that wasn’t trembling he’d felt. It was his phone vibrating in his back pocket.

His adrenaline surged, and he reached back for it. “Hold on. My phone’s going off.”

“Already?” Lips swollen, face flushed, Raegan looked down at the phone in his hand. “Is it Bickam?”

“I can’t—”

Alec froze when he saw the words “Unknown Caller” on the screen. A little voice screamed not to answer, but something else, some unspoken instinct deep inside, told him not to ignore this call.

He hit “Answer” and pressed the phone to his ear. “Who is this?”

“You know damn well who it is,” Gilbert said.

Everything inside Alec went cold, and he straightened, letting Raegan’s foot fall to the floor. “What do you want?”

“Alec?” Raegan’s breathless voice whispered close, and he felt her fingers grazing his abdomen, but all he could focus on was the gravely voice on the other end of the line.

“Can’t a father just call his son to see how he’s doing?”

He was just about to toss the father comment in Gilbert’s face when he realized Gilbert probably didn’t know Charlene had been arrested or that she’d spilled everything.

“What do you want?” Alec said instead.

Raegan’s fingers fell from his skin, and he looked her way. Her eyes grew wide and frightened. He squeezed her hand to reassure her everything was okay.

“Just calling to say good-bye. My ship’s finally come in.”

Yeah, his ship back to the big house. Again, Alec bit his tongue.

“Couldn’t leave without a proper good-bye,” Gilbert went on. “And a little somethin’ for you to remember me by. Step outside onto your ex-wife’s deck.”

Alec’s stomach tightened, and his gaze shot to the window.

“Yeah,” Gilbert said in a smug tone. “I know you’re there. I know everything, boy. I left a present outside for you.”

Alec’s adrenaline surged as he glanced toward the patio door in the living room and the city lights beyond. Was the fucker out there, watching? Was he somewhere close with another gun, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?

Pulling the phone away from his face, Alec covered the mouthpiece with his hand and whispered to Raegan, “Call nine-one-one.”

“What’s going on?” she whispered, panic quickening her voice.

“Gilbert’s outside,” he mouthed to her.

Her face went ashen. Pushing away from the wall, she took one step past him for the living room.

Alec caught her at the wrist and pulled her back. He shook his head. “Stay away from the windows,” he whispered again, covering the mouthpiece once more. “Use the phone in the bedroom.”

She nodded and rushed past him for her room.

When she was gone, Alec turned toward the patio doors. “Okay, you got my attention. What’s out there?”

“Too afraid to look yourself?” Gilbert taunted in his ear. “You always was a wuss.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“No, you’re afraid of the truth. Step outside, Alec.”

Common sense screamed don’t do it, but Alec moved into the living room and eyed the glass door anyway, careful to stay out of view of the windows. “Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?”

“Look and see. Unless you’re too afraid.”

Sweat beaded on Alec’s forehead as he inched closer to the door, careful to remain in the shadows so Gilbert couldn’t see him. When he was close enough, he peered through the glass. The small deck was empty but for two iron chairs and a small iron table.