BethFrom: Nick.Hoffman@us.gov.orgTo: Beth.Hoffman@mymail.comDear Delusional Beth,This Kevin guy is not for you. You need to trust your older, wiser brother on this. Kevin has no idea the spirit you carry inside you. He can’t. I can tell by your emails that he’s a stodgy prick. And yes you read that right. I don’t need to meet him. You need to meet Rack. He’ll blow all thoughts of this other man out of your head.Your wiser, older brother,Nick***Rack came for me. A man I’ve met one time. A man Nick said was the best person on the planet. I should have had more faith in my brother.My stomach cramps and I dig my fingers into my side. I know it’s not the baby coming. I should have exercised more while I had the chance. Even with the pace Rack sets, I’m freezing and my teeth are chattering. I know he’s moving much slower than he wants to. I put one foot in front of the other and refuse to stop. Ignoring my frozen toes, the ache in my side, and the terror living in the center of my
RackI lift her into the passenger seat of the Jeep. It’s barely warmed but anything is better than outside. I have the Mylar blanket ready to go and tuck it in around her. I didn’t want it shining through the trees while we headed to the Jeep in case Angelo circled back looking for the person who blew up the house.She’s shivering. I shut the door as quickly as possible and move to the driver’s side. I throw the Jeep in gear and pull onto the road. I chose this spot so I could move forward and hit the road in case we were in a hurry. With everything involved, the extraction went good. Maybe too good.Beth moves her hands to the vents to heat them. I’m as cold as fuck but hey, I’m tough. I refuse to act like a pussy in front of her. I head back to the long stretch of road I came in on and see no vehicle lights in front or behind us. I head east at the intersection. I don’t have a plan that involves a pregnant woman. At least not yet. I’ll check my phone when I’m sure we’re out of dang
BethFrom: Nick.Hoffman@us.gov.orgTo: Beth.Hoffman@mymail.comDear Stubborn Beth,You’re not listening. This guy is bad for you. You’ll be bored within a year if you marry him. I know he hasn’t asked yet but I can read between the lines. You can’t marry him without me there, so I may never come home. I know in your stubbornness you will react irrationally if I try to tell you what to do. You have always been the most obstinate baby/girl/woman I know. I’m asking you to take things slow and wait.Your equally stubborn brother,Nick***I wake up cramped and needing to pee again. The Jeep stops moving and I peer out the window. We’re at a rest stop. Rack reaches into the back seat and hands me a small travel pouch.“Make it quick. The toothbrush is mine, use it. I’ll give you five minutes. Leave everything behind if I tell you to move. I don’t expect trouble but we need to be prepared.”I cover my mouth. “My breath is that bad?”He smiles and I think my heart stops. He has dimples. “No,
RackThe sound of her soft snore fills the car. I glance at Beth and she’s fast asleep. I shake my head. She’s held up better than I expected or at least what I expected after I saw she was pregnant.The son of a bitch controlled her food. My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I will kill the bastard. He’s now first on my list and far in front of the last two men responsible for killing my brother. I haven’t forgotten about the doctor who examined her either.I picture each death in my head because that’s better than picturing Beth in my arms. I want her. It may even be in the sick way Angelo wanted her. Possession is a powerful word. Possessive and obsessive both work. It began long before I met her in person. Nick started it. He got it in his head that I would marry her. He actually teased me about it non-stop. I was a different man back then. My marriage to Beth was settled as far as Nick was concerned.It fit with the man I was before. I always wanted a large family and a house
BethFrom: Nick.Hoffman@us.gov.orgTo: Beth.Hoffman@mymail.comDear Darling Sister,You heard me right and yes, I’ve been drinking. Rack and I drank too much tonight. His brother, back in the States, died yesterday and Rack’s in a bad place. I’m worried for him. Worried he’ll be reckless and get his ass shot. We move out early tomorrow morning and he shouldn’t be going. He needs to return home but, like you, he’s stubborn. Don’t worry about me. I’m a badass. On a lighter note, I’ve convinced Rack he needs to marry you. Believe it or not it wasn’t easy. Sooo, you need to kick this Kevin guy in the balls and move on. We’ll be home in a few months and I’m hiring Rack to kidnap you and take you to a deserted island until you fall in love with each other. It’s the only thing that will help him deal with his loss. I’m counting on you.Your badass brother,Nick***I couldn’t help noticing the growing bulge in Rack’s pants before he walked out. Or the slightly larger one when he handed me th
Rack“It’s nothing, Beth,” he grinds out.I’m not afraid of him. Not when he’s hurt and worse off because of me. “That’s crap. This is not nothing. Did you leave the hospital to come rescue me?” I can’t hide my exasperation.He takes hold of my hands and moves them away from his chest. “No, I wasn’t in the hospital. It happened in Mexico and a friend sewed me up.” He releases me and steps back. “Eat. I’ll take a shower and be as good as new.”I actually stomp my foot in frustration. “You won’t. You can’t shower with those stitches.” I really want to bust him upside the head. “Take off your shirt and let me wash your side. I won’t eat the pizza or have dessert unless you cooperate. Did my brother mention how stubborn I am?” My hands go to my non-existent waist.A low rumble of laughter escapes him. “Nick did mention that once or twice. I’ll sit in the chair while you eat. Then you can play doctor.”Why do those words sound so damn sexy? “Deal,” I say as I sit back on the bed and finish
RackI’ve never deviated from a mission or allowed anyone to sway me from my goals. This woman is different. She’s trouble. It must be all the stories her brother spilled. I remember Nick telling me each escapade in hilarious detail. When she was nine she grabbed a woman’s leg in a convenience store who was shoplifting and refused to let go. She yelled, “Thief, thief,” until the entire shopping public came to see what was happening. When a few years older she stepped in front of a man who was threatening to hit his wife. Nick said she saw no gray in the world and lived for justice. She has the same ethics as my family—good people with a defined line between right and wrong. I can’t have her. She’d never survive my life. Even though she says she’ll kill Angelo, she wouldn’t. Her moral compass is set in stone.I break the kiss that I should never have started. She’s breathless, her mouth wet from my lips. She’s so damn sexy…and soft…and desirable. Her flushed cheeks, filled out by the p
Rack“These are baggy but they’ll stay up.” She pulls one of the shirts out of a bag and heads back into the bathroom. She comes out wearing a pink stretch top that shows off her round belly. My eyes travel down to her bare toes. She wiggles them. “My feet are swollen and I don’t think I can get back into my shoes right now.”I also didn’t think to buy shoes. “We aren’t going anywhere until morning. Do you have a problem with more pizza for dinner?”She looks at the box and I would swear she turns a little green.“I can go out and get us something. You name it and it’s yours.”She shakes her head. “No, it’s all good. I’m not actually hungry. I haven’t eaten so much since before I met Angelo.”She’s giving me the perfect lead-in. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me how you got involved with Angelo Gimonde.”She gives me sad puppy dog eyes but it won’t work. “Just saying I was stupid won’t cut it?”I shake my head and use my foot to push out the chair across from me. I place the cleanin