Hard Target (33 page)

“Please don’t.” She made certain her voice trembled with fear instead of the anger that threatened to overwhelm her ability to think rationally.

She’d always been taught to enter into any encounter assuming that the enemy had greater physical strength than someone as small as she. However, Downing had just made the only mistake she needed him to make—one that would place him in her power if she could strike without conveying her intent. She waited, forcing her breath to come in gulps, until he gently brushed a gloved finger along her ear. Slowly, she began to turn until she caught his weapon in her peripheral vision. He held it cockily, even negligently, in his right hand while he rested the fingers of his left on her shoulder to turn her.

While time had been at a premium, luck was in high season. Alex spun around. It took precisely a half second to move the muzzle out of range of her body and another half second to form a wedge of her hands to catch Downing’s wrist with her downstroke. A well placed knee to his abdomen, just above the groin, and a vicious kick to the back of his knee had him howling in pain and scrambling to defend himself against what was now
her
fight. A twist of his hand, just the right pressure against his fingers, made him drop the gun he’d never had the opportunity to fire.

Without cuffs or the benefit of the weapon, Alex remained at a minor disadvantage as Downing attempted to swing at her. She blocked his blow, trapped his arm under her armpit and followed through with the heel of her hand to his jaw. His chin snapped upward with a satisfying crunch and he slid to the ground. When she stood, intending to look for the gun, he grabbed her ankles and yanked. Alex toppled hard, the end table catching her at the temple. Everything went fuzzy and then black, like a television shorting out and going dead. Her last thought was an apology to Simon. Her last imagined sight, his handsome face.

Simon rushed through the door, dropping the bags of groceries he carried. Too late to save Alex from a nasty blow to the head, he threw himself on Downing even as the man went for his gun. Simon snarled and gripped the fingers of his free hand around Downing’s neck. The hard ridge of an Adam’s apple against his palm, he squeezed and bore down as the blond monster before him gave up on his weapon and instead clawed Simon’s hands. Vision narrowed, enraged growls erupting from his chest, Simon squeezed so hard he knew he left fingerprints on the flesh beneath his palm.

“Simon!” Ryan’s voice came to him. “Stop!”

The agent moved in and kicked the gun well out of Downing’s reach. Simon heard the warning in his voice. Knew the man had a taser or a gun trained on him. He slammed Downing’s head against the floor, hard, for good measure, but battle won he slowly loosened his grip and moved off the barely conscious man. Ryan lifted the gun from the floor and tucked it away.

“Why?” Simon towered over Downing, the words seeming as if they came from somewhere outside him. “Why’d you do this to me?”

Downing’s laughter, broken though it was, made him crazy, and he tried to lunge forward. Arms locked under his own and immobilized him. Simon stared down at the freak as he laughed harder and pointed a finger in Simon’s direction.

“You really never knew?”

Simon bucked hard, but Ryan never loosened his hold.

“Knew what?” Chest heaving, spittle flying from his lips, a part of him knew he appeared crazier than the bastard at his feet.

“You did this to yourself.” Downing pressed a shaking hand along his own brow. “Your first job with the CIA. You brought down my chief money man. My nephew. He was a son to me. It only seemed right you replace him.”

Simon’s knees gave out and only Ryan’s fierce hold kept him on his feet. “What the fuck?” he croaked.

“My family for yours. He died in prison before his trial. Had to be put down before he could plea bargain.” Downing’s face turned feral with pain and rage before he began to laugh again. “You brought it all upon yourself.”

On the floor behind Simon and Ryan, Alex moaned.

“You help her,” Ryan said. “Let me take this bastard in.”

Simon nodded.

“Sure you’re all right?” Ryan slowly released him.

A bleak, removed feeling told him he was probably in shock, but that had to be a sight better than what Alex experienced right now.

Simon took one last, bitter look at Downing, who still rolled brokenly on the floor, laughing intermittently. “Get him out of my sight before I change my mind and kill him.”

Ryan cuffed Downing as Simon went to Alex’s side and tenderly lifted her from the floor. She felt so light, her collarbone prominent where once muscle had padded the skin. On his way to Alex’s bed, Simon paused in the small living space to let Ryan and his prisoner pass.

Downing examined her slight form bundled in Simon’s arms and quirked a swollen smile. “This isn’t over, smart girl,” he said.

Clutching Alex more tightly to him, Simon growled, low and feral at the man he’d come to think of as his personal nemesis. “I’m glad you were here, Ryan. Because I’d hate to think of the mess this fucktard’s blood and guts would make all over the new sofa.”

“Yeah. I’m not so glad.” Ryan jerked the cuffs upward and Downing hissed as Simon passed both men on the way to the bed. “I might’ve helped you bury the body.”

“Come to think of it, why are you here?” Simon settled Alex’s head gently against the pillow. When Ryan remained silent, he spoke over his shoulder at the agent.

The man’s gaze lingered on Alex’s face, his expression sad and a little hollow. “I came to talk her out of making a mistake…”

Simon brushed a silken strand of inky black from Alex’s pale forehead. “What mistake?”

“I think I’ll let you two work it out. Take care of her, okay?” With a glance, Ryan told him everything he’d wanted to know about his relationship with Alex. He loved her and he was letting her go.

“Wouldn’t think of doing anything else,” Simon answered. “And thank you.”

Ryan nodded and closed the apartment door softly behind him.

* * * * *

Throbbing pain behind her right eye greeted Alex as she swam to consciousness. Knowing she should be dead, she wondered at the soft mattress and the soothing hand at her brow. Bright light made her squint and someone clicked off the overhead. In the softer glow of the bedside lamp she managed to take in the man sitting at the edge of the bed.

Spiky hair, concerned frown, dimple in his right cheek.
Simon.

Alex smiled, then winced at the pain the movement caused.

“Hey, sweetheart.” No voice ever sounded dearer.

“Hey there…” Alex began, before remembering Downing. Fear clawed at her chest and she sat upright so quickly the room swam.

“Easy.” Simon pushed her down against the mattress.

“Where is he?” An image of the man’s face, the obvious shine of his dental work and too-perfect hair made her wish for a scrub brush inside her brain, but unfortunately some things could never be cleaned.

Simon shifted his leg where it rested along the edge of the bed and leaned closer to her. “Ryan made me do the right thing.”

“Shoot him?” she asked, more than hopeful.

His laugh was short and sharp.

“No.” Expression flat and hard, he trailed fingers around her ear, skimming past the bruised place at her temple. “Though I wish you’d been awake since we’re of the same mind. He’s in custody.”

Silence fell as she contemplated the idea that the man who’d terrorized her for days was finally behind bars. Rain ran down her windowpane in thick rivulets, and all she could think was that she’d been right earlier with her weather prediction. Too bad she hadn’t been able to predict that Downing would see her as the most expedient avenue to Simon.

“I, um, made you some tea.” Simon leaned over to lift a mug from the bedside table.

Alex dutifully took it because she knew drinking it would make Simon feel better. She drew in a breath to answer him and stopped. Sniffing, she turned her head—slowly this time—to face him. “Do I smell juice?”

Simon glanced toward the shoji screen. “Yeah. Sorry. I have to clean that up.”

“You were out buying groceries when I came home early?” she guessed, sipping the tea and fighting the urge to spit it back into the cup. God, he made
awful
tea.

He smiled, rueful. “You’re always so damn early for everything. It’s endearingly annoying, you know. We’ll have to cure you of that bad habit.”

“Thanks for rescuing me. Twice.” Clasping his hand in hers, she brought his palm to her lips.

He frowned, started to speak then stopped and frowned harder.

“What?” she asked.

Simon leaned close. “You owe me one.”

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. “Hey… I rescued you too.”

His stare took on a mock seriousness. “Once.”

She giggled.

He growled and kissed the end of her nose.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I owe you one.”

Lips meeting hers in a hesitant brush, he said against her mouth, “I can’t wait to make you pay up.”

“Take away this tea and I’ll give you anything you want.”

Simon sat up and took the mug from her fingers. “Anything?”

“As long as you’re on top.” She frowned. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be seeing two of you, unless you cloned yourself.”

Bolting off the bed, Simon had his cell in his hand and was dialing 9-1-1 so fast that Alex almost didn’t stop him in time. Hand over the buttons, she pressed
end
and he scowled at her.

“I was kidding about seeing two of you. Mostly.” She kissed his cheek, and smiled against the stubble that prickled her lips. “I’m fine.”

When he leaned back to scrutinize her she laughed. He quirked a smile and the deep dimple she loved so much popped to life along with the light in his eyes. She’d missed that so much. She’d missed him so much.

Lacing his fingers at the small of her back, he kept her close, though his expression sobered a little. “When Ryan left he said something about you making a mistake.”

“A mista—” She closed her eyes against the sure and sudden knowledge that Ryan had heard about her leaving the Bureau from someone other than herself. “Oh shit, Simon. He must be so upset.”

His arms tightened around her. “Upset about what, sweetheart?”

“I quit the Bureau today.” The confession came out as a whisper. Once made, she looked away. “They wanted…” She shook her head in attempt to clear the constriction in her throat. “They wanted me to cut you out of my life and I couldn’t.”

Simon sat, tugging her with him into his lap where he pressed her head to his shoulder with his palm. “You did that? For me?”

“I did it for us.” His henley muffled her reply, but she knew he heard her when he pressed a kiss against the top of her head, letting his lips linger there.

The steady beat of his heart thudded in her ear, a reassuring reminder that she and he were both alive and well. She didn’t need a career, she needed a family. She needed Simon. Unless…

“So, I guess you’re stuck with me,” she said with an edge of nervous laughter. He’d been angry with her for so long—they’d been at odds with one another for so long—she couldn’t quite bring herself to believe he might’ve finally forgiven her. But, oh God, she hoped he had.

“Stuck with you?” He dropped his hand and pulled back so she could take in his shock. Ruddy color bloomed along his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose. He blinked several times in rapid succession. “Why would you think I don’t want to be with you? After all this?”

“After what I di—” Warm fingertips pressed against her lips, cutting off her intended apology.

“What you did for me was incredible. Beyond heroic. You saved my sister and gave me back my family.” His eyes darkened. “Thank you.”

She wanted to speak but he frowned and slid his palm sideways over her mouth for the briefest of moments.

“Shush. I’m not finished,” he said.

Though she huffed over the top of his hand, she nodded once, agreeing to be quiet. He slid his palm to her cheek and cupped her face.

“What happened to us was nobody’s fault. It was Downing’s doing. It all was. Well, except for my not talking to you before my trial. I didn’t… That is, I should’ve… Oh hells bells and a bag of chips.”

She snorted.

“What?”

“Sorry. That’s a new one from you.”

He grunted. “Yeah. Well. Your boss gave me ample opportunity to come up with some creative curses over the past several weeks. I was going nuts not being able to see you. I couldn’t get through to Ryan and got hauled away by armed guards every time I tried to get into your room. I made it past the nurse’s station once. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Guilt gnawing at her middle, she laced her fingers with Simon’s and squeezed. “If I’d known… I figured the mission was over and you probably…” She shrugged and looked away.

“Hey.” He brought her knuckles to his lips. “I’m sorry for blaming you. You never deserved that. I would’ve said so sooner, but when it comes to admitting I’ve been an ass? Anyone who knows me understands I’m about as effective as a left fielder on a snap play.”