Cold Day in Hell Read Free Page A

his upper lip. He started at the touch, exhaling roughly, his breath smelling of mint and coffee.

    “Call me Callie.” She whispered the words over his sculpted mouth, the tip of her tongue returning to trace the scar once more. His hands tightened on her body. “After all, we’re supposed to be married. And, yes, I’m fine, scared, but fine. The bastard … well, let’s say he has a sick way of courting me. His goons have kept their distance. But he…” A slight hitch in her voice, she stifled a sob threatening to erupt. She refused to let go of the control she’d kept on her emotions, the danger wasn’t over yet.
    He pulled her closer, so close her breasts brushed his chest. Her nipples pebbled from the casual touching. “Shh. It’s okay. Keely and Tweeter fully prepped me.” He nuzzled her ear. She shivered. “You did the right thing in calling them. Cruz would never have let you leave.”
    “I know … my brothers?” Her stomach clenched. She’d told Keely Cruz had threatened to kidnap her brothers if she didn’t come to him voluntarily. Her friend had promised to get them to safety. “They’re safe?” He nodded, his cheek brushing hers. She whimpered her relief, tears threatened to swamp her eyes.
    Risto muttered a low, rumbling “fuck” and allowed her body to slide down his until her feet touched the ground. He kept a supporting arm around her until she got her balance. She hadn’t realized how much the last two days of stress and worry had taken out of her.
    He brushed his lips over her cheek, kissing away tears she hadn’t even realized had fallen. He massaged her waist and back, soothing her. He played the role of a loving husband well. “Tweeter took them to Camp Lejeune. Colonel Walsh and his marines will protect them. Keely wanted to go with Tweeter, but Ren threatened to tie her butt to the bed if she dared to leave Sanctuary with the baby.” Ren and Keely’s son Riley was a little over three months old.
    An inappropriate giggle erupted at the image Risto’s words projected. “Sounds as if Keely has found herself a man who can handle her.” She and Keely had been tomboys growing up. It would take quite a man to tame her friend. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She punctuated her words with kisses to his chin, jaw and mouth. Suddenly, her knees gave way and she inhaled sharply as her vision dimmed.
    Risto moved to catch her. “Stay with me, Callie.” He swung her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
    Even securely held, the world spun for a few more seconds. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, before opening them to his concerned gaze. “Sorry. I haven’t slept much. Too much adrenaline. The heat. The humidity. No lunch.” He cursed, a litany of profanity the likes of which she hadn’t heard since she’d stopped living on marine bases. She felt as if she’d come home.
    Risto turned his back on the interested bystanders and began to walk. “Hell, woman, you can’t do an op on an empty stomach.”
    “Cruz put me off my feed—and Evan has only one speed and that’s fast forward.”
    “Fuck ’em both.” His jaw clenched. “Excuse my language.”
    “No worries. I’ve heard and said worse.” His snort of disbelief had her grinning.
    He’d learn soon enough. She might be a supermodel, but she swore like a marine and had often shocked the models and crews on photo shoots. Looking over Risto’s shoulder, she found the astonished gazes of the photo crew and the hostile ones of Cruz’s muscle. She returned her focus to Risto’s sharply angled jaw line. “Where are we going? I don’t think Evan was done for the day.”

    “You’re done.” He headed for the narrow path which led to the parking area. “We’re going to your hotel.”
    The way he said “hotel” as if it were a nasty word had her narrowing her eyes.
    Something bothered him about the hotel. Had he tried to get into her room and they denied him? His next words negated that