Absolution Read online

  “Kiss me,” she said, pulling his face to hers.

  Slapping his hand over the lever, he shut off the water. Joseph carried her, dripping wet, out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. They fell on top of the bedspread, never breaking their intimate contact. With his hands now free, he caressed her breasts again while he leaned down to take her nipple into his mouth. When he began his slow movements inside her once more, she arched her back, rocking her hips in blatant invitation.

  “Harder,” she groaned.

  He looked at her, not grinning and kissing her like he usually would have. He increased his tempo until they both panted and moaned, sweat intermingling with the wetness from their shower. He licked his thumb and caressed her clitoris until she exploded against his fingers. Thrusting once, twice more, he withdrew from her to spill himself on the sheets.

  She reached up to pull him down on the mattress with her, but he hopped out of her reach, and her hands flailed in the air. Striding into the bathroom, he shut the door and latched the lock, the sound echoing through the room like a gunshot. Eva flinched, sensing the bolted door symbolized his feelings for her. They were now behind lock and key—away from her.

  While she contemplated the closed door, she realized he hadn’t kissed her.

  Not even once.

  ***

  Joseph leaned against the cold porcelain sink, his breath coming fast and hard. He didn’t know what had come over him. When he’d returned to the room to find her missing, he’d panicked. What if she’d gotten angry and left him in a fit of fury? What if the Cartel had come in the short five minutes he’d been gone?

  Just when he’d been about to leave, gun in his hand, he’d heard the shower running. He’d rushed into the room—eager to find her alive and well. He’d seen that, indeed, and much more. His cock had hardened when he saw her. Sure, she’d broken his heart, rejecting his love without a second thought. Even so, his body demanded more.

  He’d locked the door, placed his gun on the counter by the sink, and climbed in with her. In one split second, he’d gone from mad to maddened with desire for her. She wanted him. He didn’t need to look at her erect nipples to know how much. He’d give her what she wanted. Sure, why not? They’d have sex, not make love. Simple enough, right?

  He’d done it like the hookers did. No kisses, no love. Just a good lay. He’d accomplished keeping himself distanced, managing to hold a tight control over his emotions. Now, however, anger at her refusal give him her love ate at him while he mopped up the excess water off the floor and turned on the faucet. Time for a real shower.

  Yeah, he’d remained cool. Calm. Collected.

  But why the hell did it have to be so hard?

  ***

  Eva dressed, crawled under the covers, and pulled them up to her chin. She didn’t want to be naked in front of him again. Didn’t want to seem as if she taunted him into submission by using her body.

  Ha. As if he’d ever be subservient.

  She’d hurt him more than he let on if his hasty retreat behind a locked door could be counted on. His refusal to kiss her spoke louder than words. He’d removed himself emotionally from her, she assumed he remained by her side because he’d been assigned to guard her. And, of course, for the sex.

  The shower turned off. Something hit the floor, clattering across the linoleum, and he cursed. Probably the toothbrushes. Biting back a sob, she rolled to her side, putting her back to the door. She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating on keeping her breathing even.

  Maybe if he thought she was asleep, he would crawl into bed with her to hold her tight, like he used to. If he thought she was asleep, maybe he would feel safe caving into his emotions.

  The door opened behind her. She counted to three between each breath, careful to keep her face relaxed even when she sensed his shadow over her. Any second now, he would kiss her forehead or tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

  Like he used to.

  He shut off the light and crawled into bed behind her—as far away from her as he could manage without falling off. On top of the damp covers.

  She fought back the tears stinging behind her closed lids.

  ***

  Joseph lay on his side, propped up on his elbow, resisting the urge to awaken Eva. The morning sun filtered in past the shades, bathing her in a soft glow. Her hair lay across her pillow. Her eyes looked swollen, as if she’d fallen asleep crying.

  Had she?

  Anger still controlled his emotions, helped him feel as though he hadn’t had his heart crushed by the woman sleeping peacefully across from him. Why should he care if she felt the need to be upset? He’d treated her like she wanted…a good lay.

  Fuck it all to hell and back. She asked for it, she got it. If she found the sex lacking, she had herself to blame. Sighing, he left the bed and pulled on his jeans, eager to make a phone call in privacy. He grabbed his gun and his prepaid cell, and after ensuring the key remained in his pocket, he crept out the door. Shirtless and barefoot, he padded out to the hallway to punch in Hugo’s cell number.

  After three rings, Hugo picked up. “Hello?”

  “It’s me. I’m not staying on long for fear of being tracked. How is the timeline going?”

  “Is she okay?” Hugo asked, ignoring his questions.

  Joseph ground his teeth, taking a deep breath. The man couldn’t even answer a fucking question when asked directly. No wonder Eva frustrated him so much. She’d learned from the best.

  “She’s fine. I don’t know how much more I can take of being stuck in one room with her, though.” She’s breaking my heart each time she opens her pretty little mouth.

  “Suck it up, boy. This isn’t about you,” Hugo snapped.

  Joseph gripped the phone tighter. “You’re the one who wouldn’t let me explain what happened last month. It’s your fault she can’t handle being around me.”

  “I’m glad I did, too. She doesn’t need a loser like you in her life,” Hugo retorted.

  He ground his teeth together, resisting the urge to plow his fist through the wall. What an arrogant asshole. “Listen, Hugo—”

  “The meeting got moved up after all the violence,” Hugo continued in a no-nonsense way. “I told the frontrunner I demanded to speak to his boss, or I’d send my file of all our secretly recorded conversations to the authorities.”

  Joseph whistled through his teeth. “Why don’t you just paint a target on your forehead?”

  “Anything to move this along quickly. I need Eva to be safe. From them…and you.”

  The door to their room clicked closed, and Joseph jerked around toward the sound. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. Shit, she’d heard him. “I have to go,” he told Hugo on the phone. “Too dangerous. I’ll call later.”

  “Wait! Can I—”

  Joseph hung up, smiling at the mental image of the man glaring at his phone, sputtering in anger. The small things in life felt too damn good to give up.

  With a sigh, he entered their room. She sat on the edge of the bed, glaring at him.

  Why did she have to look so damn good?

  ***

  Eva scowled. He smirked and slipped his phone in his pocket. Her gaze dipped to admire his bare chest before she reined her wayward thoughts in. Still, she couldn’t help but remember how good his skin felt against hers. Asshole. She watched his muscles ripple when he closed the door.

  He turned and studied her with a resigned expression. “What did I do now?”

  “If you’re so miserable, why don’t you sit in the corner and ignore me? Go in time-out or something.” She tried to hide the hurt feelings behind a snide tone, but feared she’d failed. If only she could find the right words to make him see she wasn’t rejecting him. She just needed some time to process all the new information he’d shoved down her throat.

  Was that so much to ask for?

  “If I needed to, I would.” With a blank expression, he leaned back, one shoulder resting against the wall, his arms crossed. “If
you don’t want to hear a private conversation, then don’t eavesdrop.”

  “I wasn’t spying.” She shot to her feet, advancing on him. “I wanted to see if you were still here or if you’d left.”

  “You should know better than to think I’d shirk my duties.”

  “Is that all I am to you now, a duty?” She shoved his shoulders, and he stumbled a bit before righting himself. “Some stupid assignment you’re forced to handle?”

  Stubborn silence. Reaching toward her, he picked her up, placed her out of his path, and walked to the pile of clothes resting by the door.

  He shrugged on his T-shirt and faced her. “What am I supposed to say, Eva? What do you want from me?”

  “I don’t like you being so cold. So distant,” she said as she fiddled with the hem of her nightie. “Why does it have to be all or nothing with you?”

  He growled and stalked toward her, seeming to double in size the closer he got. With her chin tilted up and her face squared to him, she stood her ground.

  “I haven’t been anything but what you asked for. You asked me to make love to you. I did. You told me you didn’t want a relationship. I said fine. I give you sex. You complain it isn’t enough. It seems to me you’re the problem here, not me.” He snatched his shoes off the floor, shooting her a dirty look.

  “Are you running out again in the middle of another fight?” she taunted, not wanting him to leave. So, she’d spat out the first thing that popped into her mind, sure to make him angry enough to stay. Maybe he’d be so angry he’d shut her up with a kiss. And she could continue the pretense of her not wanting him. Or his kisses. “I don’t remember you being so cowardly before.”

  He clenched his fists, pivoting to face her. His face darkened even more than before, the muscle in his jaw ticked in warning. “First of all, you have to care about someone to have a fight. You already decided we weren’t supposed to have those feelings for each other. Second, the only coward in this room is you. You’re too scared to love me and too scared to let me go.

  “Well, pumpkin, you can’t have both. You might be happy in limbo, but I’m done with this shit. I’m moving on with my life. Until then, I’m stuck with you and your drama. So, I’m going to go get us some breakfast. In case you hadn’t noticed, we have no food. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

  The door slammed behind him.

  God, when had she become such a bitch? She burst into tears. Why did she continue to yell at him, blame him for everything? He was right—she’d done nothing except tell him everything he’d done wrong. She’s driven him further away with each jab she took. Maybe this time she’d struck too hard. She’d called him a coward. He, who served in the war in the Marines, worked for the ATF. She’d never felt so ashamed in her life. She couldn’t even find the courage to apologize. She should run after him, stop him.

  She dashed to the door, heedless of her pajamas and bare feet, and jerked the door open only to skid to a halt in the hallway. Joseph was gone. A man stood right next to her door, dressed in black.

  “Antonio? What are you doing here?” she asked. “How did you find me?” Why would he be in the same hotel? He couldn’t have tracked her down. Unless…

  He’s Cartel.

  She spun and ran for the room, but he’d latched onto her hair and stopped her short. Antonio dragged her to him until her back crashed against his chest and his hand slapped over her mouth. The tip of a knife pressed on the side her throat.

  “Hello, darling. You’re going to come with me, or your precious agent will be dead before he knows what hit him. Even as we speak, I have a man following him, simply waiting for my cue. Come with me like a good girl, or he dies.”

  Foul breath dusted her ear, and disgust rolled down her spine to make her shiver. She bit down on his hand until he yelped and released her mouth. “You son of a bitch, you’ll never outsmart him. He’s probably already shot your man and is heading here as we speak. You’ll be nothing but a bloody carcass once he’s done with you.”

  She tried to hide the tremor of fear at his words. Could Joseph be caught off-guard, distracted by their fight? Maybe he wouldn’t see the attack in time to stop it. When she pictured him lying dead in an alley somewhere, her heart skipped a beat. How could she go on with her life knowing she’d been the reason he died? Knowing her stupid temper had shoved him away, making him forget to watch his back. Even now, he could be dead. Because of her.

  But he’d never be so careless, no matter what she said, would he? He was a professional. He wouldn’t leave himself open to attack.

  Antonio grabbed her hair and jerked until her neck arched backward and she was forced to look in his eyes. “I wouldn’t be so sure. He looked awfully handsome in his green T-shirt…and missing gun. He had quite the scowl on his face, as well. Did you fight, perhaps? Make him angry enough so he forgot his protection? Such a shame for him to go out unarmed in this town.”

  He twisted the hair in his fist, pressing the knife deeper. Blood trickled down her neck, and she moaned. A bluff? Or had Joseph left without his gun? She’d never seen him be so careless. Of course, she’d never seen him so upset before, either. She had to save him, or she’d never forgive herself.

  “Why don’t you just kill me and be done with it? You’ve tried twice already.”

  “The game plan has changed. Your father is getting too cocky. You’re our leverage. If he fails to do as I demand, then you’ll be dead soon enough. But, I might need to have a little fun first.” He used the knife to trace a path down to her breast, and he groped the globe, squeezing hard. The handle dug into her skin almost as much as his fingers. Eva squirmed.

  “Weakling. Is this the only way you can get a woman? With a knife and threats?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll see exactly how I treat women.”

  He slammed her face into the stucco and groped her ass from behind. He bit down on her neck, and she flinched at the pain. The wall scraped her cheek raw, but she refused to whimper.

  “Now, here’s how it’s gonna work, sweet cheeks. You follow me without a fight and look happy to be doing so. Any word out of you, and he’s dead. Got it?”

  She nodded and mumbled a question into the wall. He spun her by her hair until she faced him, and her back rested against the rough stucco.

  “What did you say?” he rumbled.

  “I said, won’t it look odd for me to be walking around in my pajamas in broad daylight?”

  He laughed. “Not my problem. They’ll just think you’re a slob.”

  She spit in his face, smiling when he growled and wiped his cheek clean using his free hand. He slapped her hard, making the room tilt at an odd angle before her eyes. She flinched, fighting the pain. The hell if she’d show him any weakness. The bastard might kill her, but he wouldn’t break her.

  He released her hair but kept the knife at her throat and brought the phone to his ear. “Pedro? Are you still on his tail? Good. I’ll let you know when I secure her in the car.” He turned to Eva and gave her a mockery of a grin. “Okay, your man is still alive…for now. Come with me, and he’ll stay that way.”

  She hesitated. “How do I know you won’t kill him?” She knew she would leave with him no matter what if it kept Joseph safe, but she also needed to stall. The longer it took her to get in his car, the less time she would be in his possession. And the less time he would have to rape and mutilate her. “Why should I trust you?”

  He laughed in her face and shoved her toward the elevator. He jammed the down button with his free hand, yanking on her hair in the process. She bit back a cry.

  “You don’t. And you can’t. But it’s the only choice you have.”

  She tried not to think of Joseph being attacked without his weapon as Antonio shoved her inside. She tried not to picture him shot in the head like the men in her building had been. All brains and blood—sightless eyes. She hit the button for the bottom level with a shaky finger. Eva slipped her hands behind her back in an attempt to hide her weaknes
s from her captor. Joseph would be all right. He’d survived war and countless missions. He knew how to stay alive.

  And he’d save her before Antonio killed her. She had to be brave and bide her time. The elevator opened, and Antonio led her into the lobby and outside into the daylight. She scanned the lobby, examining any men who lurked in corners. Maybe Joseph would jump out and rescue her. When she realized she had no one to help her, her heartbeat sped up.

  More time. She needed more time. Then he would come. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she said in a rush.

  “Not a chance,” Antonio hissed in her ear,

  “Would you rather I go on your car seat?” she asked.

  “Do so and die. You are coming with me, now. No breaks, no stalling. Or he’s dead.”

  He pushed toward a black car that awaited them. Antonio grabbed her hair and shoved her face first into the backseat. She tumbled inside, smacking her head on the seatbelt clasp. Eva scrambled away from him, scooting until she rammed into the rear passenger door. He seated himself beside her, his gaze following all the way up the length of her bare legs. Caressing her thigh, he pursed his lips.

  She flinched and shoved his hand off. “Don’t touch me. And call off your man. I cooperated as I said I would.”

  Antonio laughed and pounded on the headrest in front of him to tell his driver to go. Once they pulled onto the highway and accelerated, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Pedro? We have her in the car.”

  Eva breathed a sigh of relief and sagged against the seat. She’d done it. She’d saved Joseph from an ambush. Antonio traced an invisible path from the bottom of her leg to the top and inched her hem up further, peeking underneath. She slapped his hand away once more and met his gaze.

  He smirked at her, digging his fingers into her thigh until she squirmed. “You can kill him now, if you haven’t already. We don’t want him coming for her.”