Loving the Enemy (Seven Forbidden Arts Book 0) Page 8

  He pulled the trigger. The bag and the window next to him exploded. His sight once more clear, Jacob stared at the man on his side of the vehicle, a semi-automatic pistol in his hands, the barrel aimed at his head. The man was dressed in unbranded combat gear. But Jacob knew exactly who the mercenaries were fighting for. And in his moment of realization, he faced both his and Lily’s deaths. His own he could handle, had always known the risks he took, but Lily’s was a bitter pill to swallow. He waited for the blow, the bullet, the failure, but the soldier’s eyes were wide, his pupils too small, and then Jacob noticed the wetness that pooled around his waist. A trickle of blood ran from his mouth, and then the man started falling backward.

  Jacob’s bullet had hit him in the stomach. The motherfuckers were so confident, they didn’t wear bulletproof vests. Before the man could hit the tarmac, Jacob grabbed hold of his arms through the broken window. Lily’s screams echoed in the back of his mind, but his body had gone into fight mode, survival his first priority, then rescue. He jerked the rifle from the half-dead man’s grip, and flung his door open. Ducking low, he used the soldier as a human shield and the car as protection at his back. The bullets that were meant for Jacob finished off the man, making his body stutter in Jacob’s hands as the metal tore into his flesh.

  It took a second to get a visual handle on the battlefield. The shots fired at him came from the pickup. There were two men–passenger and driver. Jacob finished them off with four shots, and sure that the coast was clear on that side, at least for now, he turned and aimed his weapon in Lily’s direction. Rage consumed him at the sight that greeted him. The attacker who had her, was using her as protection, her tiny body placed in front of him. His fingers were twisted in her hair and his gun pressed to her temple. Silent tears trickled down her face, and she flinched hard when he jerked down, exposing her vulnerable neck.

  “Drop it!” the asshole shouted.

  Jacob grinned. Just to placate him, he slowly lifted his hands, the rifle still clutched in one.

  “I said, drop it! Or I blow her brains out.”

  Who was he kidding? No matter what Jacob did, the asshole was anyway going to blow her brains. But he was bargaining on Jacob not knowing that. Thank God Lily didn’t either. She was quiet, the brave little minx.

  “I’m going to put down the gun,” Jacob said.

  The man’s shoulders relaxed for the briefest of seconds, no doubt believing his plan had worked, and that he wasn’t going to die today.

  Well, he was wrong.

  In the blink of an eye, Jacob lifted his arm, aimed, and fired two shots. The first bullet tore to the left, grazed past Lily’s ear and hit the fucker who was hurting her in the neck. That would take out his windpipe. The second blew the gun from his hand, severing a few fingers in the process. Confident of his aim, he didn’t need to watch to see if the job was done well. Instead, he focused on Lily. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened but no sound escaped. When the man went down, he dragged her down with him, his fingers still entangled in her hair. She fell on top of him as he hit the ground, blood spurting from his neck and his hand onto Lily’s face and her chest. She fought to free herself, to squirm away from the mess Jacob had created. She twisted frantically, her hand gripping her hair above her head while her ankles dug into the tar.

  Jacob rushed to her, keeping an eye on the surroundings to be certain there were no more hidden attackers, and pried open the fingers of the dead man, releasing Lily’s hair. He pulled her to her feet by one arm, expecting hysterics, but she was silent, immediately following as he made his way around the parking, looking for an easy steal. The sedan was idling. The man who had grabbed Lily had to have been driving it. It was probably tracked, so he ignored it, and went for a cheap Toyota instead, an old model with no alarm. The immobilizer was a breeze, the wire running under the dashboard. It took him all of three seconds to cut it and hotwire the engine. He lifted his head to shout for Lily to get inside, but she was gone.

  Coldness engulfed his heart. If she had run from him, escaped, she was dead. He jumped from the driver seat, ready to bolt for the direction she was running in, and froze. Lily was rushing toward him with their shopping bags in her arms. He came around to her side and opened the backdoor so she could dump the parcels on the seat. He pushed her into the passenger side, and got behind the wheel. The place was going to swarm with cops any second now. He took off fast, shaking his head at her.

  “What?” she said, her voice unsteady.

  “I can’t believe you went back for the shopping.”

  “We won’t have time to shop from scratch.”

  She was right. She shrugged as if she wasn’t fazed, but her body trembled. Her hands were shaking, too.

  He tried to think while he maneuvered streets he didn’t know. The boat would be compromised. They’d have to find another way.

  “Where are we going?” Lily said, her teeth chattering. It was the adrenalin, from the shock.

  Jacob shot her a sympathetic look. “To get you cleaned up.”

  He dialed the number of a trusted contact and gave quick instructions for what he needed while he shot Lily a sidelong glance.

  She was staring into space, not paying attention to anything around her.

  “I’ll transfer the payment,” he said. He ended the call with, “Leave it at the station.”

  He pulled into a motel fifteen minutes later.

  Lily made a small chocking sound. “They’re going to look for us.” She turned to him, her face panicked. “We can’t stay here.”

  He kept his voice calm. “We can’t go anywhere with you covered in blood, sweetheart.”

  She looked down at herself, her dress and jacket stained, and started to pull off the jacket with jerky movements, her breath chasing. “Get it off me! Jacob, please, take it off.”

  He grabbed her shoulders. “Lily, stop.”

  His authoritative tone had the desired effect. She stilled, staring at his face.

  “Wait in the car for me. Don’t move. Can you do that?”

  She took small, shallow breaths, her chest rising and falling.

  “Lily,” he said, as sternly as he could manage, “focus.”

  She blinked. “Jacob…”

  “Focus.”

  She nodded. He released her slowly, watching her carefully. He needed to get her inside. She crossed her arms over her chest, sinking back into the corner of her seat.

  He cupped her cheek. “I won’t be long.”

  He tore himself away from her. He tucked the gun into the back of his jeans, under his jacket, and walked to the reception where he paid cash for a room. When he got back to the car, Lily was still huddled in the same position. Looking around, he saw no one. He opened her door and took her shoulders, guiding her from the vehicle to their room.

  Once inside, he left the gun on the nightstand, locked the door and closed the curtains. Then he turned to Lily, all of his attention focused on her now that they were safe. Without a word he led her to the bathroom and turned the water on in the shower. She didn’t object as he slipped the jacket from her shoulders. Neither did she protest when he undid the ribbons of the straps on her shoulders, letting the dress fall to her feet. Even her cute yellow and orange underwear was soaked with blood, the red staining her stomach and shoulders. He undid the clasp of her bra and pushed her underwear down to her ankles. She stepped out of it obediently, and he threw it onto the heap of soiled clothes on the floor.

  Testing the water, he adjusted it to a comfortable temperature, and lifted her into the shower. Still, she only stood there, watching him. He preferred not leaving them unguarded, but it would take a while tracking them, which gave him a couple of minutes. He stripped and got into the shower with her, pulling the curtain close. He wasn’t going to leave her now, not after what she had just been through. What she had seen the night she had fled from her house had been much worse, but he knew what it felt like facing death, with a pistol pushed against his head.

&nb
sp; Gently, he washed her, shampooing her hair and soaping her body. He cleaned her as if she could break under his touch, which he was sure she could. Only, after today, he was sure that Lily’s spirit was a lot stronger than her vulnerable physical form. He could snap her neck without effort, break a rib if he applied too much pressure, but he guessed Lily’s soul wouldn’t be damaged that easily. She was in shock now, but she had acted when it had mattered, and had been brave when needed. Not wanting to waste valuable time, Jacob rinsed her, turned off the water, and stepped out to grab two towels.

  Lily accepted his care, allowing him to towel dry her body and hair. He twisted the worn sheet around her and made her lie down on the bed. He dressed fast. The next part wasn’t easy. He sat down next to her on the bed, his arms resting on his knees. She was lying on her back, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.

  “Lily?”

  She turned her head slowly to look at him.

  “You need clothes.”

  Fear slipped into her beautiful blue eyes as comprehension dawned, but she offered him a brave attempt at a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Come here.” He patted the space next to him.

  Clutching the sheet to her breasts, she moved to the edge of the bed. Jacob laid his revolver on his knee. It was smaller, lighter, and easier to use than the rifle.

  “Give me your hand.”

  She held her palm out without hesitation. He took her fingers and folded it around the shaft.

  “This is how you remove the safety.” He flicked the clip. He curled her finger around the trigger. “And this is how you shoot. All you have to do is aim and pull.” He folded her other hand over the weapon. The metal was black and cold against her pale skin, the gun too big for her hands, and he didn’t like seeing it there, but he had no choice. “Can you do it?”

  She took a whispery breath. “Yes.”

  “I’ll be back.” He got up and walked to the door.

  “Jacob?” The panic was back in her voice, and he couldn’t look at her for fear of never leaving at all.

  “Yes?” he said, his hand on the knob.

  “Please come back. Please don’t die because of me. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle more deaths.”

  This made him turn, her words shaking him. He was a fucked-up bastard. He could tell her, right now, that it wasn’t her fault, but his. He could also tell her that she was affecting him like she shouldn’t have, that he was never meant to care. But he said nothing. He turned and left.

  Chapter Seven

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  Sitting by the window, Lily’s hand shook as she held the heavy gun in her lap. She had been keeping guard for the last twenty minutes, not knowing what she’d do if Jacob didn’t come back. It was a very real possibility. She wouldn’t blame him. After all, he had almost lost his life twice, trying to help her.

  At last the stolen car pulled into the parking space, and she blew out a sigh of relief. When the key turned in the lock, she rushed to the door, falling into Jacob’s arms the minute he walked through it.

  “You came back,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “Hey,” he said gently, pulling away, “is the safety on?”

  She glanced at the gun she was still clutching and nodded. Not being able to wait to get rid of it, knowing it had killed a man, she handed it to Jacob. “Here’s your pistol.”

  A slow smile curved his lips as he took the horrible gun from her. “It’s a revolver.”

  As his eyes trailed over her, she suddenly became aware of her naked state under the sheet, and clutched the fabric between her breasts. So, he had seen her naked in the shower, but she had been too weary and out of her mind to be bothered. In the shower he hadn’t looked at her with a hunger in his eyes, with a desire that turned the front of his jeans into a bulk of male hardness—like now. A flush of heat crept into her face.

  Jacob cupped her cheek. “Did you really think I wouldn’t come back?”

  “I wouldn’t blame you.”

  His expression shifted, and she had to look at the carpet to escape the intensity of his stare.

  “I won’t leave you. I promise. We’ll get to Paris.”

  The declaration lifted a weight off her shoulders. With Jacob by her side, it was a lot less frightening prospect. In fact, it was hard not to picture Jacob in her life. It had only been two weeks, and already he was embedded in her life, molded into her thoughts about her future. She hadn’t even considered what she was going to say to her father when she saw him or paused to contemplate his reaction, yet, she pictured living in a flat with Jacob, sharing meals and waking up next to each other every morning.

  She stared at Jacob dumbfounded as the realization hit her. Her dad had gone to such lengths to protect her from boys, to ensure she was kept far away from their probing hands, and then she went and fell in love with the first man who saved her. It was both beautiful and frightening. She was in love.

  “Lily?” Jacob gave her a questioning look. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine.” Just in love. Her smile had to have cracked up her face.

  His expression was still puzzled when he lifted a shopping bag. “Got you some clothes, sweetheart.”

  “I’m going to lose my unique sense of style if you keep on dressing me.” She had deliberately chosen her words to be provocative.

  Jacob’s eyes widening a fraction as, she hoped, he imagined exactly that–dressing her.

  He was older, but not so much that it bothered her. His concern was unjustified. There had been a bigger age difference between her mom and her dad. Her mom died too young for her to remember if she had been happy with her dad, but her stepmom was, and she was even younger. There was one way to convince Jacob that their attraction had a chance, that she was ready for this. Maybe if she flaunted it enough like a carrot in front of his nose…

  She took a deep breath. This was hard to do, but then she reminded herself that he had already seen her naked. She dropped the sheet to the floor. For a few seconds neither of them moved. Jacob stared at her, a flush on his high cheekbones. He didn’t act, but he didn’t turn away either.

  Lily reached out and took the bag from his hand. “Thank you.”

  She threw the contents out on the bed, and turned her back on him. Picking out the pink underwear first, she bent down to pull it on, making sure she was flashing him a good view of her behind.

  He moved so fast, that she gave a little cry of surprise when he grabbed her around the waist, jerking her back against his chest. Lily didn’t hesitate. She leaned into him, reaching up to lock her arms behind his neck. A growl vibrated through his chest as he yanked her to him again, bending his knees and pushing his erection against her ass. His hand went up, holding her wrists in place, as he marched her in front of him to the bathroom until they faced the mirror.

  Lily’s face reddened at the erotic sight, her courage almost failing. She was stretched out against him, her breasts slightly flattened by the pose. The look she saw on his face frightened her a little. It wasn’t the lovesick gaze of a schoolboy. It was pure, undiluted, male lust. A grown, experienced man was staring at her naked body as if he wanted to devour every inch, and the fact that he was fully dressed made her feel more vulnerable. Did she have what it took to cross that line? Even if she didn’t, it was too late to turn back.

  Still gripping her wrists with one hand, he moved the other to her neck, his fingers encircling her completely. His palm was big and broad, his skin dark against hers, and the possessive act turned her on. She wanted to be his, for him to take her body, more than anything. They both watched as his hand moved lower, over her collarbone and down her chest to cup her right breast. The feeling of his fingers on her skin was incredible. Lily fought the urge to close her eyes. She didn’t want to miss a thing. His gaze darkened as he squeezed gently, plumping up her curve and making her nipple stand out. It was as hard as a pearl, aching for his touch. Her breath caught when he rubbed his flat palm over the tip, hard. More.
She needed him to touch her even harder, but already his hand was abandoning her needy flesh to explore her other breast, giving it the same treatment. This time he only brushed his knuckles over the engorged tip, and she moaned in protest.

  Her head fell back against his chest. “Harder.”

  Surprise flickered across his face for only a second before it was replaced with a molten look of desire. He grabbed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and pinched. There was nothing soft about this caress, and she exhaled loudly. A deep, wanting need started to throb between her legs.

  “Like this?” he said against her ear.

  She whimpered as he rolled the bud, increasing the sharp sensations assaulting her breasts and her womb. “Ah.” She sucked in a breath at the sharp bite of his nails. “Yes.”

  “You like it hard, Lily,” he said, as if in wonder.

  She didn’t know that herself, until this moment. “I want your mouth on me there.”

  “And graphic.” He released her wrists. His hands wrapped around her waist. He turned her and lifted her onto the counter. “My little Lily is going to be a very descriptive lover.”

  His little Lily. Her heart soared at his words. “Suck me hard, Jacob.”

  “Fuck.” He fell forward, his palms on either side of her body on the counter. He rested his forehead against hers and took a ragged breath.

  “I’m not asking you to fuck me,” she said. “I’m just asking you to take my breast in your mouth. I want to know what it feels like.”

  “You dangerous little minx. You know where sucking your tits is going to lead to.” He closed his eyes, seeming to fight some battle with himself, and when they snapped open, Lily knew that he had lost, and she had won. “Who the fuck am I to deny you?”

  With a hunger that was frightening he pushed her back, catching her with his arm just before her back hit the taps. He took her breast between his fingers, indenting the side, just staring at it for a long moment, his breathing harsh, before he lowered his head and sealed his lips over the top. Instead of sucking, he flicked his tongue over the hard tip, sending a convulsion straight to her sex. He bit down softly, causing her to gasp. When his mouth left her skin, she was assaulted by cold air and the loss of the heat and softness of his tongue.