“Just tell me when to jump,” she squeaked in a very endearing way.
Noah smiled to himself and said, “No jumping from a moving car, girlfriend. Seriously, they are coming around the left side of the taxi, so stay down. You are small enough; it should not be hard to hide.”
Noah turned and smiled out the window at the elderly man who was glaring at him.
Noah frowned when the bigger guy that was driving swung his Crown Victoria toward him. Seriously, this guy was pissing him off. What the hell did they want with the little woman in the back? Noah looked again and thought he saw the gleam of metal in the old man"s hand.
“What the hell? These guys have guns.” He said more to himself than to her, but it caused the woman to scream.
“What? Pull over, I can make a run for it, they can"t catch me in a crowd.” She said popping her head up high enough Noah was worried the other men would see it.
“Down!” He growled to his erection that was growing quickly. First, save the damsel in distress, then you can think about fucking her, he thought. Holy shit, she was beautiful.
She looked like a little pixie with red, curly hair and a heart shaped face with big green eyes. Ohh, we would make cute babies, he thought. WHAT? Where the hell had that come from? Car chasing them, focus Noah.
“Please, I don"t want you to get hurt. I just needed a ride, I need to get out and get away from here. Do you know if there is a flight leaving for Alaska anytime soon? I think I could hide there from them.” She said again with the tears flowing down her cheeks. “I have never done anything but go to work and go home. Now here I am being chased by a crazy mobster, in the cab of a surfer dude, and thinking of moving to the arctic, all for doing my job. I was just trying to get the numbers to add up. Seriously, is that so bad, thinking one plus one should equal two not forty five million? Now what? I get to move to the wetlands of the Arctic, I have never even had an orgasm. Shit, I never will. I am going to die a cold, wet, dead fish with no orgasm, no fun, and no love. That is just pathetic, why couldn"t I just have some hot sex and not care about my job like the rest of the world? Defective, that"s what I am, defective.” She rambled on and on.
Noah"s mouth fell open, listening to the cute, little sprite in his back seat. He was driving seventy-five miles an hour down the road, laughing at the cute redhead with Grumpy and Lumpy following them with guns. How had his day spiraled so completely out of control? Was she really talking about orgasm when he was worried about getting shot?
He looked around trying to figure out where he was going to lose these dip shits. He was traveling north and soon they would hit the mousetrap. It was a strip of highway they referred to in Denver that was a maze of exits and entrances onto the main thoroughfare. He had about ten minutes and he could effectively lose them. What was he going to do with her though? He looked back to the seat in the rearview mirror and smiled again. She was stretched out on the back seat still mumbling to herself again about something to do with sex, which gave him a better view of her body, and oh my God, what a body it was! She was no more than 5 feet tall because she fit in the back seat stretched from one end to the other just fine. She had a thin, narrow waist, curvy hips and the most luscious set of breasts he had ever seen, all in this cute, perfect package; it was like she was made for Dallas and him.
Noah thought for a minute, picked up his cell phone and called in reinforcements. That was the good thing about having an abundance of disposable income at your fingertips; you could make miracles happen in short periods of time. He called the security company they had used for many years and asked for the head of the personal protection detail. It only took moments for the deep voice to come across the line.
“Dude, what are you calling for now? I told you I would be over tomorrow for the game, I am bringing the brew!” Steve said laughing on the phone. “Besides, the Broncos are on a role. They can"t lose, so get to the ATM before you get home.”
“Steve, I got a problem.” Noah said in a strained voice. He looked out the window again and now he knew they had guns because they were pointing them at him. “I got two guys following the cab with guns pointed at me and my passenger. License plate is
„POPS"; I am coming up on the mousetrap, where do I go?” Noah pushed the speakerphone because he knew he was going to need both hands in a few minutes. Steve was barking to someone in the background, trying to find where there were close operatives. Noah and Dallas were his best clients and after what had happened three years ago, they were also friends.
“Ok man, here we go. You will see a black, four door, 4 Runner pull up next to you in the next few minutes. It is Jolly and Mike, let them pull ahead of you and follow them.
There will be another 4 Runner on the other side of the Crown Vic. They will take care of those guys, just follow Jolly, I will call Dal and have him meet you here.” Steve said to Noah.
“Honey, I need you to stop talking for a minute, okay?” Noah said to his passenger.
“Huh, did you say jump in a minute?” She squeaked.
Two things happened at the same time. The men in the Crown Vic lost their patience and the girl sat up. The results were almost catastrophic. The old man fired at Noah and missed, instead firing into the back window. Bailey sat up at the same time; hand on the passenger door ready to jump, when the window exploded into the back seat.
“Fuck!” Steve and Noah yelled at the same time because they both knew what the noise was. Noah swerved and jerked the car away from the Crown Vic who refused to leave them and followed, almost side swiping a few cars in the process.
Noah finally saw Jolly in the rearview mirror and breathed a sigh of relief because he was no longer alone. The 4 Runner pulled in between the taxi and the Crown Vic, putting Jolly next to the old man who screamed when he saw the giant.
Jolly was named after the Jolly Green Giant on the cans of veggies. He was huge and scary and Noah loved him right about now.
Noah finally had a chance to look in the back of the taxi as Steve was screaming in the phone for him to leave Jolly and drive to the security office. All he could see was the little woman covered in blood.
“Steve, have Dallas meet me at the hospital and send Jolly over when he is done. We need protection for a friend and she has been shot.” He said grimly.
“Shit, who was it man?” Steve whispered into the phone. Steve knew all of his friends because Dallas made sure the man, at one time or another, did a background check on anyone Noah came into contact with for more than twenty-four hours.
“Crap, I don"t know. I didn"t ask!” Noah said and looked at the woman again. There was something about her; he knew she was going to be the one. When Dallas saw her, he would think so too.
“Dude, you"re killing me here. Dallas is gonna shit kitties.” Stevie muttered and hung up. Noah was fairly certain they were safe for the time being. He needed to get her to the hospital.
Chapter 3
Bailey was floating, what a cool feeling she thought, and refused to open her eyes when she heard the hottie cab driver's voice calling to her. Wait, what was he doing in her dream? She frowned and tried to open her eyes and see why he was still hanging around in her dreams.
“That is it Darlin", let me see those pretty eyes again.” The deep voice teased her.
“Noah, give her time, she just got out of surgery, man.” Another smooth, deep voice Bailey did not know said and she struggled harder to wake up.
“Dallas, she is moving her hands, she is ready, besides you know you want to see her eyes too. I told you, she was made for us.” The first voice said.
She was not made for anyone, but she wished they were talking about her because both of their voices were the things dreams were made of. She could just lay here and listen to the smooth as chocolate voices flow over her.
“Steve said that the Crown Vic got away from Jolly. That is unusual that the big guy would lose someone. The car was registered to a travel agency on the east side of town.
Steve s
ent someone over there but the offices were closed down. They cannot figure out what is going on. This little lady will hopefully be able to fill in the blanks when she wakes up. By the way, I think we need to talk about what the hell we are doing here, by the way. Steve scared the shit out of me when he called me and told me to meet him here. I thought you were dead and they did not want to tell me on the phone.” The deep voice said.
Bailey was listening to the conversation and she felt a little like a voyeur, but if they wanted privacy, they should have gone somewhere else. Something was bothering her about the conversation, but she was floating, so who cared? It was like listening to a soap opera and waiting for the dramatic conclusion that would leave you guessing.
“Here are her things; by the way I think we need to get a name before the doctors begin to ask for more information than we know. Right now Steve asked for her to be listed as a Jane Doe, explaining to the hospital there was an attempt on her life, but they will want more soon.” She could hear the rustling of papers. “Bailey Stent is her name. She is twenty-four and her birthday is on October 31st. Cool, a Halloween baby. Here is her address, we can send Steve over and get some clothes.” The voice said and Bailey finally moaned because they were talking about her. She could hear something fall to the floor and a hand grab hers.
“Come on now, sweetheart. You can do it, just open the eyes.” The deeper voice said and she did slowly. Holy shit, she was still dreaming because before her stood another handsome man who was looking right at her. His eyes were looking at her with concern and he was holding her hand. Whoa, what was going on? Bailey turned her head a little and on the other side, holding her other hand, was the surfer, taxi driver.
“There you are, baby.” The blonde smiled down at her and kissed her knuckles.
Bailey groaned when the pain from her shoulder finally registered in her mind. “Ouch,” she croaked.
“Baby, you were shot in the shoulder in the back of Noah"s cab. Do you remember?” The dark Adonis said to her.
“Ummmm, nope, I am pretty sure I am dreaming. I do not think I would get shot in a dream. But if you give me a big kiss, we can forget you tried to ruin the moment.” She whispered and closed her eyes with a smile.
Bailey heard a chuckle and opened her eyes again. “Hey, no laughing in my dream, it is supposed to be filled with hot sex.”
“Dallas, do you want to take this or should I?” Noah said in an amused tone.
“Noah and Dallas, boy do I have a seriously good imagination or what? Even your names are sexy.” She smiled to herself.
“Darlin", you are gonna have a hangover in the morning. What the hell did the doc put her on anyway?” Noah laughed.
“Honey, I mean Bailey, you are not dreaming, maybe a little high, but not dreaming.
You need to clear your head and give us some information before the police come in.
They sent two detectives to take your statement. Now that you are awake, we can"t hold them off for too long.” Dallas said to her gently.
“Wait,” she said and struggled to sit up. “Where am I?” Bailey was finally getting that she was not really dreaming. “Shit, I gotta go now. Caesar and Bruno will find me.
They are going to kill me when they find I copied the files.”
“Hang on honey. What are you talking about?” Dallas said to her in the same gentle voice.
Bailey"s eyes teared up, “I am sorry, you really don"t need to get involved. Call the detectives in, and I will tell them everything. I just want this all to go away.” She sniffed and Dallas looked up at Noah who looked ready to scoop her up and comfort her.
“Can I talk to you, Noah, for a minute?” He said quietly.
Bailey closed her eyes, once they were out of the room, she would get the heck out of here. She was feeling better every minute the medication wore off. She was hurting but Bailey was not worried about the pain. At least she was alive; a few hours ago, she was convinced she was dead, so this was pretty much a bonus at this point. She heard the click of the door and she opened her eyes again. Thank goodness, the guys had left her stuff close to her on the table next to the bed. All she had to do was sit up and grab her purse. Her clothes were obviously destroyed, but she figured all she needed to do was slip out and find some scrubs, then disappear.
Well, that was the plan, not a good one, but a plan nonetheless. If she had been a little more clear headed, she would have been able to pull it off too. Unfortunately, she was still under the influence and was unable to get her body to do what she wanted, so she thought of plan two. Well, it did not involve those two gorgeous creatures. She was in this mess, she needed to deal with it by herself and get the heck out of town. She had the proof she needed to show the police.
Bailey sat in the chair, gathered her strength, and went to the door. She could see two police officers as well a huge man standing in front of her room. The two men who had teased her awake were nowhere to be found, so she did what she thought she should.
Bailey cracked the door, scared of the big man and looked at the two officers. “I am ready to make a statement, can you come in?” She said directly to the closest policeman, trying to keep quiet and not to draw attention to herself. She was really hoping the scary man was going to leave the hallway when it looked like he was intruding. Instead, the hulk stepped in front of her and said lowly to the officers.
“You need to clear it with Mr. Prain and Mr. Strout. They will be back momentarily.” The giant grumbled.
“No,” she said trying to push around him, “I said I was ready and I meant it. Whoever Mr. Prain and Mr. Strout are, is no concern of mine. I want to get this over with and get home. I have packing to do.”
After a few seconds, she realized it was hopeless to try to move the mountainous man and she yelled around him. “Officers, I am being held against my will! Please help!” The big man turned with a surprised look on his face and stammered. “No way. I am following orders, not holding her against her will.”
“I have no idea who the hell you are or who those other men are. I just met one of them a few minutes ago; the other was my cab driver earlier. They have no decision making authority over me at all.” She said loudly and hoped the policemen were getting ready to do their job and help her; she was getting frustrated standing there.
“Ma'am, I can take your statement whenever you want. “ The older officer said and looked up at the man to show he was also not a man to mess with.
With a huge sigh, the monster man moved so the police could enter her room. “I am going to get Noah and Dallas,” he muttered and shuffled down the hall.
Before the officers could get settled, the door flew open and the man she thought was named Dallas came in first. She sucked in her breath again when she saw them. Was this going to happen every time she was near them? Her body responded to both men and she unconsciously drifted to Noah"s side. He gently pulled her against him and led her to the bed. He sat down and pulled her into his lap. Dallas sat next to them, pulled her feet over his lap, and rubbed her legs. Oh my God, they felt so good; she shivered in response to their touches.
Bailey"s attention was taken by the officers before she had a chance to think about what was going on with her emotions. She recounted her tale of finding the files in Caesar"s computer and gave them the flash drive she had copied. They continued to ask pointed questions until she got to the point that Caesar Banner was really Caesar Digrossi. The officers stood up abruptly and stopped the interview, admitting they were not equipped to deal with this. They called their superior and Bailey suddenly became the most important witness in recent history. Every agency with a letter in the name came to the hospital wanting to help protect her. Dallas and Noah knew who the family was and knew this was going to get very difficult and messy for their little woman.
The State Prosecutor came into the room an hour after she mentioned the name Digrossi. She started her story again and the man almost had an orgasm when he saw she had firm and documented information re
garding the Digrossi family"s finances.
“We will protect you, starting now in WIT SEC, or witness protection. They have been called and will be here shortly to get you. I have the documents and will get them ready for the New York Police so they can begin issuing the arrest warrants. You have to be in protective custody before they are arrested or they will find you.” The short chubby attorney said.
“Easy there cowboy, Bailey will be staying with us. We have top of the line security as well as having a firm that will provide personal protection for her. They are the best in the country and we will take care of her. You let our attorney deal with the specifics and let him know when and where she will be needed and we will get her there safe and sound. Until then, please speak to our attorney, here is his card. If you will excuse us, we have to get her to safety before you all start your plan.” Dallas said smoothly and led the man to the door. He escorted him out, so Noah stood and began getting her things together.
Bailey sat on the bed in stunned silence. These men had all talked around her for the last few hours. She was sure she had not uttered a word in the last fifty minutes at least, when her life was being planned right before her eyes. She was confused, who were these men? A taxi driver and the hunky suit were taking over her life and she had no say in it what so ever. She had to be in shock or in a very strange episode of the Twilight Zone, she had been dropped into.
Then the nurse came in and gave Noah instructions for her discharge as well as a bag of medications that were supposed to be used for pain and infection. Bailey listened to Noah ask the appropriate questions and grimaced when he talked to her about bathing and cleaning the wound. She heard the bullet had lodged in her shoulder blade and had not caused excessive damage. The prognosis was good for recovery in a few weeks but until then the area would be tender and sore.