The Negotiator (40 page)

Andy watched Cally and saw she was close to her breaking point. Her face had lost all color. She was limp against the man who still held her captive. Tom shot him a questioning look, but he resolutely ignored it. He’d complicated matters by getting involved, but there was no choice now but to see it through to the end.

He thrust aside the anger that burned like ice in his belly and tried again. “Put the gun down, Stewart. You’re not going to achieve anything by holding a gun to the lady’s head. Just lay it on the ground and we can talk properly.”

“Do you think I’m fucking
stupid?
The minute I drop this gun, you’re going to blow my fucking head off. I bet you have some of those sniper blokes with their guns trained on me right now.”

“No guns, mate,” Andy replied. “Just you and me. I promise.” He eased closer, his gaze never wavering from the two people in front of him.

The unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked sent terror rushing through him. The deadly metallic click echoed in his ears. Memories of the standoff with his father flashed before him. He blinked and pushed them away.

Cally stirred and tried to pull away from the madman who held her in a viselike grip. Stewart lifted his arm and struck her across the head with the barrel. She screamed and Andy clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm and stand his ground. Despite his best efforts, panic edged his consciousness.

“Put it down, Stewart. Don’t do it, mate,” he murmured, hating the fear and urgency that had crept into his voice.

“What do I have to lose? I’ve already buried my family. Lukie, my little Lukie.” Stewart hunched forward and his shoulders began to shake. His hold on Cally loosened the slightest bit.

Andy saw his chance. “Now, Cally!
Now!”

She wrenched back with her elbows, catching Stewart by surprise with a hefty jab to the ribs. His arms fell away and she hit the ground hard. She yelped with pain.

Andy drew his gun, pleased he hadn’t had time to hand it over to one of the other officers. He aimed it with deadly accuracy at Stewart’s head. The gun in Stewart’s hand swung wildly from Andy to Tom and finally settled on Andy. As if in slow motion, he saw Brady depress the trigger. A second later, there was a roar of gunfire from Andy’s sidearm. Stewart crumpled to the ground, only inches away from Cally.

Andy gasped. Relief that it was over surged through him. He raced to close the distance between him and Cally. Moments later, his arms were around her, lifting her, carrying her, kissing her. He stumbled away from the scene of carnage.

“Jack?” she whispered hoarsely. “Where’s Jack?”

Andy looked down at her, still weak with relief. “He’s fine. He’s still on the climbing wall. Tom’s gone to get him.”

Relief and delayed shock sent uncontrollable tremors through her body. She collapsed against him, gasping for breath. He eased her onto a bench near the car park which now overflowed with police cars and other emergency vehicles. She lifted her head off his shoulder and stared into his eyes, hers wide with shock and disbelief.

“Is it really over?” Her voice sounded raw from the recent trauma. Andy saw her swallow against the pain.

“
Shh
, sweetheart, don’t talk. It’s over. It’s all over. You’re safe. You’re both safe. I promise.”

Her eyes darkened with emotion. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Andy’s chest tightened. “I came so close to losing you.” Pulling her close, he pressed desperate kisses against her hair, her cheeks, her lips. His arms tightened around her as if he’d never let her go.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Cally poured coffee into the cups set out on the table that stood on the balcony of Andy’s beachside condominium. A cool Fall breeze blew off the ocean and lifted tendrils of her hair. She smiled at Jack who stood at the far end of the balcony, thoroughly immersed in watching the ships and other floating objects that were scattered across the blue sea. It had taken awhile for Jack to come out of his shell and after the traumatic events he’d witnessed a little over a month earlier, Cally only marveled at his resilience.

“The coffee’s ready. I just made a fresh pot.”

Andy smiled up at her from where he sat in a deck chair. “That sounds great, sweetheart.” He folded the newspaper closed and dropped it near his feet. “I just read the police out at Campbelltown cracked the gang of thieves who were burglarizing the houses along your street. The boys found a stash of stolen goods in an abandoned warehouse near Camden. You might even get your stuff back.”

Cally smiled. “Wow, that’s great news. Not that Jack would ever want those old things back, but it’s good to know the people responsible have been caught.”

Andy nodded and glanced over toward his son. “Jack, are you going to have something to drink?”

Jack grinned at him. “How about a Coke, Dad?”

Andy shook his head and grinned back at him. “Cheeky, boy. You know you’re too young to drink Coke. What about a Sprite instead?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“I’ll get it for him,” Cally offered and opened the sliding glass door that led inside. She reached the refrigerator and pulled the door open. Bending over, she tugged out a can of Sprite. Andy came up behind her and put his arms around her, filling his hands with her breasts. She came upright with a gasp.

“What are you doing, you naughty man?” she smiled.

“Just checking your reflexes, sweetheart. I don’t want you going stale.” Taking the can from her hand, he set it on the counter and pulled her into his arms.

“Jack’s right outside. Don’t you think you’d better wait—”

Andy nuzzled her neck and shook his head. “I’ve been waiting all day to get you alone. It seems like every time I turn around, there’s someone watching.”

His hand stole under her T-shirt and gently fondled her breast. When his fingers flicked over her nipple, she groaned. Desire kindled low in her belly, but she fought its tempting pull. It was broad daylight. Her son was a mere twenty feet away, separated only by a thin wall of glass. She and Andy might still be newlyweds, but some propriety had to be maintained.

She tried to pull away, but Andy’s arms only tightened around her. He ground his hips into hers and his erection pressed against her belly, leaving her in no doubt about his intentions. He lifted her T-shirt and released the clasp on her bra. She gasped when his mouth found her nipple.

“Andy, stop it! We can’t do this here! Jack might see!”

“That can be fixed.” With one swift movement, he bent and lifted her into his arms. His lips claimed hers once again, silencing any further protests. He strode out of the kitchen and down the hall, kicking the door to their bedroom closed behind him and turning the lock. He lay her down on the bed and made short work of removing their clothing.

“What about Jack?”

“He won’t miss us for a few minutes.”

Pressing her naked body against his, he sighed a deep sigh of contentment. “I love the way you feel in my arms. I’ll never get tired of this.”

She cupped her face in his hands and kissed him on the mouth. Andy’s lips moved under hers and before long, he’d deepened the kiss until both of them were left gasping. Releasing her, he leaned down and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue over the hard nub.

She closed her eyes and gave into the sensations that stirred once again inside her. “You’re very good at that,” she murmured.

He moved his attention to her other breast. “I’m good at lots of things.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Is that so?”

“Oh, yeah.” His hand slid down her flat belly and tangled in her curls. His fingers delved into her moistness. She moaned. He flicked her clit with the tip of his finger and then slid lower to tease at her entrance. Her legs fell open and she pressed against his hand, still amazed at her forwardness. They’d spent a week at the Whitsundays on the Great Barrier Reef—their hastily arranged honeymoon—and had done little but explore each other in bed and in the shower and in the…

Andy’s tongue slid inside her and lapped at her soft folds. She gasped from the ecstasy of it and made a grab for his hair. Holding him still against her, she luxuriated in the sensations he created. Need burned deep inside her. She squirmed and whimpered and moaned, climbing toward her release. The relentless pressure of his tongue continued until she couldn’t stand it a second more.

She cried out in relief from the sweet torture. Her orgasm crashed around her in waves of delight and release. Andy lifted his head and grinned at her. “I told you I was good at a lot of things.”

With her body still shaky from her orgasm, she spread her legs wide in invitation. Andy’s eyes grew dark with desire and his cock sprang thick and hard from his groin. He positioned himself between her legs and plunged into her wet center. Hard and fast and furious, he pumped his hips in a frenzy of need until at last he groaned his release. He collapsed on top of her, panting hard.

“That’s something else I’ll never get tired of,” he mumbled against her hair.

“You and me, both,” she whispered and meant every word she said.

EPILOGUE

Eight months later

Cally groaned when another contraction seized her, twisting her belly in fiery torture. She held onto the side of the bed with a death grip.

“Come on, Cally; you can do it,” the nurse urged. “Take a big breath now and
push
!”

Cally put her head down on her chest and pushed as hard as she could. The pain was excruciating.

“That’s it, Cally. Good girl! You’re doing great!” The young midwife with the glossy curtain of brown hair leaned over her, smiling encouragingly. “Not long now. Another push like that one and we should be able to see the head.”

The contraction eased. Cally looked up at Andy and offered him a weak smile. His face was pale and there were beads of perspiration on his forehead. He swiped at them with the back of his hand.

“You’re doing great, sweetheart. Just great,” he murmured, sounding as though he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

Much too soon, another contraction seized her. She reached for his hand and squeezed it while she tried to breathe through the pain.

“Keep going, Cally. That’s it. You’re nearly there. Come around here, Dad. In a few minutes, you’re going to meet your baby.”

At the nurse’s urging, Andy moved to stand at the foot of the bed. He gazed down upon her and his eyes widened in shock and delight.

Groaning again, she clung to the edge of the bed and leaned forward while yet another contraction tortured her belly. A sharp stinging sensation burned between her legs.

“That’s it, Cally. Push! Push!
Push
! Here it comes, here it comes. Good
girl!
The head’s out now, Cally. It’s nearly over.”

Cally gasped and pushed with all her might, determined to get it over with. A last ditch effort, and it was finally over. Her body surrendered. The baby slid from her body and Cally cried out in relief.

“It’s a girl!” The midwife laid the squalling red mass of humanity on Cally’s chest. and she cuddled the tiny body against her.

“Hello, little Grace Mary,” she whispered. “Welcome to the world.” She pressed a kiss against her daughter’s tiny cheek and looked up at Andy with a love that almost overwhelmed her.

“Come and meet your daughter, Daddy.

* * *

Cally watched Jack carefully lift his little sister out of the pram, his face a picture of concentration. The baby gurgled and waved her arms, already taking note of her surroundings. She wasn’t even a fortnight old. Andy told everyone he came in contact with how advanced she was for her age.

Jack took a seat on the couch beside Cally and cuddled Gracie close. “She’s so cute, Mom and so tiny. She looks just like one of Jimmy’s sister’s dolls. I’m so glad to have a sister, like Jimmy does. I’m going to be the best big brother,
ever
.”

The earnestness on his young face filled Cally’s heart to overflowing. This was what being a family was about. This was what she’d been missing. Her thoughts drifted to her father and she gave a little sigh. He’d sent the biggest pink teddy bear she’d ever seen. It took up one corner of Gracie’s bedroom. She’d call him soon and thank him and maybe, she’d invite him over to meet his new granddaughter.

Her husband strode in from the kitchen, a skillet in one hand and a plate of bacon in the other. “Would you like me to whip up some breakfast? I went down to the shops early with Gracie. We bought bacon and eggs and warm crusty bread and if that doesn’t suit, we also have pancakes.”

“Yay! Pancakes,” Jack cheered and then laughed when the baby in his lap waved her arms.

“I guess pancakes it is,” Andy smiled and moved over closer to Cally. Mindful of the things in his hands, he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her cheek. “
Mm
, you smell good,” he murmured, “but then again, you always do.”

She turned her head until her lips met his in another lingering kiss. “Have I told you this morning how much I love you?”

“Yes, but feel free to say it again. I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”

NOTE TO READERS

I do hope you have enjoyed reading Andy and Cally’s story. Please feel free to leave a review for The Negotiator. Every review is appreciated and really helps a new author like me.

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The Christmas Vigil—a Munro Family Series novella
is the next book in the Munro Family Series and is Duncan and Marguerite’s story. Duncan and Marguerite are the parents of the Munro children. You will catch up with all the siblings you’ve met already and some that you haven’t.

Here’s a sneak peek:

When former New South Wales District Court judge, Duncan Munro, is found lying unconscious in a hotel room surrounded by evidence incriminating him in an affair, his close knit family are rocked to their core.