Hearts on Fire 7: Claiming Catalina (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “I’ll take precautions. Let me know how it goes at the house and any updates. I’ll work on this end too.”

  Jeremy disconnected the call and ran his fingers through his hair. He hung his head as fear consumed him. He was putting his family, his woman, in jeopardy by being here. He had to leave.

  “Jeremy?”

  He heard Cody’s voice and then turned to look at him.

  His expression intensified. There was no holding back or lying to his brothers, and Cody knew the deal with this type of job.

  “What the fuck happened? How bad?”

  “Close the door,” he told him, and Cody did, leaving Catalina and their brothers inside where they were making dinner together.

  “I think it’s best if I leave,” he said after he explained to Cody what he’d just heard and what was going on.

  “Do you really think that’s a smart idea? At least I’m here to cover your back, as are the others in town. If you head back home, they could be waiting for you. This is fucking serious shit, Jeremy. They want to kill you.”

  Jeremy took a deep breath, released it, and thought about Catalina and his brothers. “I have to focus on Catalina and the three of you. I won’t put any of you in danger, especially not her. I’ll come back when it blows over and we catch these men responsible.”

  “That could take months. You don’t even know who is after you guys and who killed those agents.”

  “Frederick Price is still alive.”

  Cody’s mouth gaped open, and then he ran his fingers through his hair and paced.

  “Oh, fuck. He wants you dead. You and the others destroyed that operation and confiscated all that money. He was the reason you were holding on to this job and not getting out. You wanted the agency to find him, and they would spend the money. What the fuck are they doing now that five agents are dead, including Williams? Huh? Are they fucking going to protect all of you?”

  “Four agents didn’t make it out of their undercover operations, and four are missing with no contact yet.”

  “Oh God, Jeremy. God damn it, this is the worst possible situation. We have to find Frederick Price and this hit man of his.”

  “We?” Jeremy asked.

  “Fuck yeah. I’ll use my connections, too. When is Spelling going to contact you?”

  “Once he has an update and also has men look through our house.”

  Cody’s eyes widened. “You think someone has been there or is there waiting to kill you?”

  Jeremy felt the anger pool in his belly.

  “Shit, Jeremy, what about those two flat tires you had? Could this guy have been fucking with you?”

  When Cody said that, Jeremy thought about the boot prints on the front porch. His eyes widened. “He was already there.” He then told Cody about the boot prints.

  “If this guy tapped the lines, then he knows about us and that you’re here. He could be in Treasure Town right now. We need help here, Jeremy. We have to protect our family.”

  He looked around the yard, suddenly feeling as if someone was watching them, and it pissed him off. He wasn’t going to let Frederick Price and his hit man get away with this.

  “It ends here, Cody. We have to find Price and this guy.”

  “Together. We’ll do it together,” Cody said, and Jeremy nodded just as Catalina opened the glass sliding door, smiling wide.

  “Come on, you two. Dinner is ready, and dessert is in the oven.”

  She squealed as Cooper came up behind her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pressed his hand under her skirt. “No, dessert is right here,” Cooper said and suckled against her neck.

  “Cooper,” she scolded and laughed, pushing from him, turning around, and heading back inside.

  Cody and Jeremy locked gazes. He had to protect his family, even if it meant giving up his life to do so.

  Chapter 5

  Jeremy held Catalina in his arms and kissed her deeply. He ran his hands along her ass and squeezed, loving how she looked in the nursing uniform. His heart was heavy because he knew he was leaving tonight to try and smoke this asshole—Clover, the agency believed the hit man’s name was—out from under his rock. He could very well be in town just waiting to make a move.

  He pulled from her lips and held her close. “I love you, Catalina. Be safe and text us to keep in touch.”

  She smiled. “I love you, too. I can’t text you in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping, silly, but I will as I’m leaving to head back here around seven or so, okay?” She kissed his lips and pulled back.

  He didn’t quite release her, and she looked at him as if something was wrong. He needed to give himself a mental shove to remind himself that this had to be done to protect her and his brothers. He smiled. “I’ll miss you and that sexy body.”

  She blushed.

  Cody kissed her next, and then Don and Cooper.

  * * * *

  Don and Jeremy joined Cody and Don in the living room.

  “You guys have been acting so strange the last few days. You freaked out about Catalina working the night shift tonight, and even now, it’s like you didn’t want her out of your sight. What gives?” Cooper asked as he and Don sat on the couch in the living room.

  Cody walked over toward his laptop, and Jeremy was looking at his cell phone.

  “Hello, spill the fucking beans. Something is going on. You’re both in protective military mode,” Don added.

  “We were going to talk to you about this when we had an update. There’s some heavy shit going on,” Cody said, and then Jeremy exhaled.

  As he explained with every detail, Cooper felt his anger boiling and his upset about the situation get the better of him.

  “Catalina won’t understand about you leaving, Jeremy. This will hurt her and make her think this relationship won’t work,” he told him.

  “Cooper, I can’t risk getting you guys hurt or killed. This guy Clover is one badass fucking psycho killer. He’s a hired hit man. I won’t stand a chance, and neither will any of you if he decides to hunt me down here and kill me.”

  “Jesus, I wish you chose a fucking different profession. What the fuck?” Don exclaimed.

  “This is him. Memorize his face, and if you see him in town, get Catalina and take off, then text me and let me know what’s happening. Cerdic, Andreas, Gideon, and Lew know what’s happening. They’ll get you guys to a safe location and provide additional protection. Nate Hawkins has a hideout location a few hours up north, and it can be fully stocked within hours.”

  Cody turned the laptop screen toward Cooper and Don. Cooper swallowed hard. “That’s the man who killed the agents and wants to kill you?” Don asked.

  “Cody is working on things from his end. This guy Clover was at our house in New York. Some of the agents with the agency were sent there when Don and I started thinking about a few strange things that happened before we left to come here. The investigators found a bunch of things. He bugged the rooms, which means he knows about you guys and probably Catalina.

  “In order to steer him away from you guys, I need to leave here and draw him out, someplace where I think I can get a look at him and turn this around. My agency is setting up a fake transaction at an isolated location where we can get this guy. Then Cody and his connections, along with my agency, will hopefully smoke out Frederick Price and we can end this shit once and for all.”

  “What if something goes wrong?” Cooper asked as Don sat there in silence, not saying a word.

  Jeremy held his gaze and then looked at Don and Cody.

  “I will do whatever is necessary to protect the three of you and our woman. I leave tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Don asked and gripped the arms of the couch. “This is going to get fucked up. We could lose you. You could get killed. We’re going to lose Catalina. What do we tell her so she knows it isn’t her and doesn’t think that you don’t love her and want this relationship?”

  “You tell her the truth about me loving her and that someth
ing with my job is taking me away for a while. You’re not sure how long, but it’s all so that we can be together.”

  “I don’t like this, Jeremy. You’re heading into a gunfight blind,” Don stated in anger.

  “You think I want to do this? You think I want to leave you guys and Catalina and maybe get killed? I fucking don’t. I’m sick with worry, Don. I’ve put you all in danger because of this fucking job and my obsession with finding Frederick and taking him down. He’s pissed, and he’s killed other agents. I could very well die, but I need to fight and try to resolve this. I have to end this before one of you gets hurt or killed because of me. I need your support right now, your strength to get through this so I can kill these two fucking men.” He raised his voice and then ran his hands through his hair.

  They were all quiet, and Don stood up.

  “You’ve got my support.” He hugged Jeremy. “I love you, bro. Don’t go getting fucking killed on us, please. This family needs a leader, and you’re it.” He then pulled back.

  “I don’t plan on getting killed. I plan on doing the killing and protecting all of you. Stay strong and be sure to take care of Catalina while I’m gone.”

  “We will,” Cooper said, but he couldn’t help but feel that things were going to go wrong and his brother could get hurt or even killed. That just didn’t sit right with him at all. How the hell was he going to keep the truth and his fear from Catalina?

  * * * *

  Catalina couldn’t help it. Despite everything that Cody, Cooper, and Don told her about Jeremy having to leave for business, she felt their overprotectiveness full-force. She questioned them numerous times, and they denied anything was wrong and turned her fears and worry into kisses and bouts of lovemaking, but her gut told her they were lying, and she couldn’t help but think that maybe Jeremy had changed his mind about wanting her.

  As she tied her sneakers and prepared to race in the 10K, she looked up to see Cody, Cooper, and Don, along with her friends, Shayla, MaryAnne, and Destiny as well as Serefina, Michaela, Sophia, and their men as her own cheering crowd. She’d started spending a lot of time with Sophia and her men and couldn’t help but feel as if they were watching over her, too.

  In fact, yesterday at work, Lew had stopped in to see her and just say hello, which was odd. She saw him eying over some of the patients in the ER, and then she noticed that every night she worked, there was a deputy in there, as if on patrol.

  She swallowed hard and then took a drink of water.

  “Runners, take your places.” The announcement came over the loud speaker, and the crowd cheered with encouragement for all of the people participating.

  Catalina found her spot and took a few steady breaths. She glanced at her men, who gave her the thumbs-up and smiled. She had worked hard for this and really wanted to place.

  The moment the gunshot went off indicating the start of the race, she took off with the large crowd. Some moved quickly, but she knew to pace herself and save the extra energy for the final miles. She had to focus on the run and getting to the finish line. She would worry about Jeremy and what really was going on later when she could question her men and get to the bottom of things.

  * * * *

  “Any word from Jeremy?” Lew asked Cody as they walked toward the trucks and the large-screen TV that tracked the racers and kept eyes on them the entire time.

  “Nothing since he left. I’m so worried. Spelling hadn’t heard anything, either.”

  “Well, we have our guys looking into any chatter and location on Frederick since he’s been in contact with Clover. If we can get our hands on Clover’s cell phone, then we can pinpoint a location on Frederick.”

  “Well, that will depend on a lot of factors, like if Clover follows Jeremy as he planned, and if Jeremy takes him down and can get that phone. They should be starting their show any day now. All we can do is wait,” Cody said and then watched the screen, seeing Catalina pass a few runners and take position in tenth place.

  Lew placed his hand on Cody’s shoulder.

  “We’ll protect her. Everything will work out just fine. You’ll see.”

  * * * *

  Catalina couldn’t believe it. She was pulling up into the third-place position on the final two miles of the race. It was all uphill before leading the straightaway through town by the boardwalk. The sun was beating down hard. Her legs were aching, and her chest felt tight as she gasped for air. She’d gone from wanting to place in the top ten to wanting to win the entire thing. She pumped her arms and passed the second-place runner and was side-by-side with the first-place runner. She didn’t turn to look at the man. She just focused on the top of the hill and the descent down.

  The crowds were cheering louder and louder. She felt the drive and need to win as the man pulled up a little ahead of her. She clenched her teeth and then heard him gasping for air and then slowing down slightly. He’d overexerted himself up the hill. Catalina pumped her arms faster, her feet pounding against the pavement. She heard the cheers, her name being yelled, and saw the lights of patrol cars flashing, their horns honking with encouragement from her crazy friends.

  The finish line was straight ahead, and she didn’t look back to see if the man or the others were on her tail. She pumped and pumped and gave her all as her chest slammed against the white ribbon over the finish line. Fire truck horns honked and sirens blared as she slowed down and then bent over, trying to catch her breath. A moment later, her men were lifting her up in the air and swinging her around, congratulating her. A swarm of her friends were there, too, and she felt the tears roll down her face. She’d done it. She’d run the race, and she’d won it all.

  As she got hugs and kisses from them all, Cody handed her a bottle of water as Don placed a towel around her shoulders. She gripped onto Cooper so she wouldn’t fall.

  Then it hit her. Jeremy wasn’t here to celebrate with her. Why was he really away? Was he in some sort of danger?

  “Catalina?” Cody whispered and held her gaze as he cupped her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I want to know the truth about Jeremy. I want to know why he couldn’t be here, Cody. I want the truth,” she said. Then Serefina and the girls all cheered and interrupted the moment, but one look at Cody, then the other men, and her heart felt heavy and more tears wanted to fall. Something was terribly wrong. She felt it in her chest and in her soul. Her men were deeply a part of her.

  * * * *

  Cody, Cooper, and Don watched Catalina sleep. She had been utterly exhausted after the race and taking a shower. The celebration at the Station was a lot of fun, but he could tell she had no more energy. She had demanded to know where Jeremy really was and they asked for some time to discuss it later tonight at home. She accepted their request because so many friends were around them and he thought she realized that what they would tell her required confidentiality. She was such a caring, big-hearted person. He felt guilty for not telling her everything right away.

  Cody lifted her up and carried her out of the bar with their friends cheering, hooting, and hollering. Her large trophy would sit at the bar for a week, then move on to Sullivan’s, then the ER, and finally her home. This was the first year in many that a citizen from Treasure Town had won first place in the race.

  She lay in bed completely naked after they undressed her and helped her get ready for bed. She tried kissing Cody and talking him into making love, but as soon as she hit the pillow, she was out cold.

  Cody caressed the hair from her cheek.

  “She was amazing today. I was so proud of her and all she accomplished.”

  “You told her a dozen times, Cody. We all did. I can’t even believe how amazing she was. That look in her eyes, the expression of determination on her face as she passed that guy and came running down the straightaway, taking first place. I felt tears in my eyes,” Cooper admitted and smiled.

  Don lay beside her on the bed, watching her.

  “She’s so special. She’s a strong woman, maybe stron
ger than we’ve giving her credit for,” Don said.

  “We can’t tell her, Don. It’s how Jeremy wanted this,” Cody said and stood up from the bed.

  “Maybe she should know. That way she’s on guard, too, when one of us isn’t around to watch over her. Besides, we promised her we would discuss it at home, where it’s safe. She deserves to know the truth.” Cooper said to him.

  “Hopefully we’ll hear from Jeremy soon. Then he can explain himself and be here where he belongs.”

  “She was so upset today when it hit her that Jeremy wasn’t there to witness her win like that.”

  “It was all recorded. He’ll make it up to her when he comes back. Let’s let her get some sleep. I have some work I need to do on the computer.”

  “Any updates at all, Cody?” Don asked.

  Cody shook his head. “Something has to happen soon. I feel it. Something is going down. Let’s pray that Jeremy is a step or two ahead.”

  * * * *

  Jeremy’s heart was pounding. He remained hidden as cars approached the warehouse and industrial building. The cars pulled up into the garage bays inside the building just as planned, and the agents got out. They were all inside the entryway of the warehouse. They were taking a huge risk by doing this, but Clover had gone after another agent and killed him. That led to information on another agent who seemed to be working for Frederick, too. He had been involved in the investigation during Sophia’s abduction. He was the other snitch in the firm. They needed to take him out with Clover and hope there weren’t others.

  Agent Spelling had confided in Roger Clay, saying he needed a safe meeting point for Jeremy and wanted him to go in with another two agents, secure Jeremy, and provide protection for him and two other agents. This needed to end. They had a good idea of Frederick Price’s location. He was somewhere in Pennsylvania, but they didn’t have a definite locale. They were able to somewhat track Roger’s cell phone and the calls he made from the agency and his private home line, but it gave them a fifty-mile radius of the area Price was hiding out in. They needed specifics. Once they killed Clover, they could get ahold of his cell phone and track the calls, or maybe get Roger Clay to talk.