Chapter 11

Raegan's roomwas just as he'd expected. Barron walls. Boxes. A bed with no headboard and an end table with a lamp and a digital clock.

This wasn't a home. It was a place for her to sleep and eat while hunting a man who'd taken damn near everything from her.

We will find him, sweetheart.

The silent vow was one he intended to keep. He just prayed Atwell's team got lucky with the laptop so there would be some sort of trail to follow. If not…

Rocky looked at Raegan. She was standing next to her bed in the same jeans he'd done his best to rip off her earlier; only this time, she appeared to be doing the honors herself.

"I'm not asking for anything more than this." Her soft voice reached him through the shadows as she removed her shirt before starting on her jeans. "I just?—"

"Didn't want to be alone." He took a step toward her. "I get it. And if this is all you want from me, I'm happy to provide. But you should know…" Rocky continued inching closer. "You ever decide you want more than this one night, I'm happy to go that route with you, too."

He'd had a semi-serious relationship a few years back, but they'd decided they were better off as friends. There hadn't been anyone else who'd tempted him to try again. Not until her.

Not until Raegan.

"If we don't find Samer and that bomb in time, this may be the only night we have left."

His gut tightened at the thought. Unfortunately, she wasn't wrong. Depending on Samer's target, any one of them could be in danger of losing their life to an act of terror.

"Guess we should make the most of the time we do have, then," he rumbled low.

Raegan's golden stare shimmered in the moonlight as she kept it locked with his. In seconds, she was standing unabashedly naked.

Waiting.

Offering.

Fucking perfect.

He'd gotten a front-and-center view of her bare sex and perfectly proportioned breasts earlier, but seeing her like this…

Damn if he was about to say no.

Rocky reached behind his head and grabbed hold of his shirt. With a tug, he pulled it over his head and tossed it to the side. His boots and socks came next, followed by his jeans and boxers.

Bending at his waist, he retrieved his wallet from his jeans. Pulling out the one foil packet he changed out regularly, just in case, he tossed it over onto the bed before going to her.

His plan was to start slow. Give her something more than a quick finger-fuck on his hard, uncomfortable kitchen island. Show her the kind of lover he knew he could be.

Raegan, however, apparently had other plans.

Reaching down, she took him in her fist and slowly began to pump. Rocky's breath hitched with a loud, sharp, intake of air at her soft, warm touch.

He started to lift his hand, to give her the same pleasure she was bringing him. But once again, the woman who believed she was too damaged for anyone to care took him by complete surprise.

Raegan dropped to her knees on the carpet below.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to?—"

She took him into her mouth, her lips and tongue working him in until he was seated as far as he could physically go.

"Jesus." Rocky's hand instinctively went to the back of her head as he lost the ability to breathe.

He was hard as steel and throbbing like a motherfucker. And when she pulled back and began swirling her tongue along the tip of his swollen cock, he thought he'd go mad with pleasure.

A deep, guttural moan escaped as he closed his eyes and gave himself over to her. A woman on a mission, Raegan began a slow, torturous pattern of sucking him in and pulling away.

In. Out. In. Out.

Her mouth felt like hot, wet velvet as it wrapped tightly around his length. Working him in slow, torturous slides, she was like heaven and sin all wrapped into one.

"Jesus, baby," Rocky breathed. "That feels fucking amazing."

He opened his eyes and glanced down. At the same time, Raegan's beautiful, moonlit eyes looked up at him from her place between his thighs, and Rocky was struck with a sensation he struggled to define.

Perfect.

Good.

Right.

Being with Raegan like this was all those things and more. And as she continued sucking him to the most arousing, mind-blowing rhythm, he couldn't help but think the woman was all those things, too.

And then some.

Her tongue flicked and swirled in a pattern that nearly left him falling to his knees and begging her to never leave.

"You keep doing things like that…" He gasped, his words trailing when she gave him a long, hard suck. "I'm not…ah, Christ." Rocky's breath escaped in a rush. "I'm not going to last."

Raegan continued pumping her fist up and down as she sucked him in and out of her hot, delectable mouth. His eyes rolled in the back of his head, and for a moment, he let himself relish the moment.

His breathing came faster. Began to feel labored. With every new lick and stroke, he felt himself becoming fuller and fuller.

Rocky's hips moved forward and back, his body matching the sensual rhythm she'd created. But when she reached up and cupped his tightening balls, he knew he was all but done.

"Not this time, sweetheart." He carefully pulled himself free of her mouth.

"Wha…I wasn't finished."

"No, but I just about was." He reached down to help her to her feet. "And as much as I was enjoying what you were doing…and trust me, I loved everything about it…I want to be inside you more."

Heat and a flicker of humor mixed with the desire staring back at him from within her beautiful gaze. "Oh. Okay, then."

God, I love this woman.

The thought momentarily struck him dumb. This wasn't love. It was sex. And so far, it was really, really good sex. But not love.

Relax, jackass. It was just one of those flippant thoughts that means absolutely nothing.

Except, as he watched Raegan go to her bed and lay down on top of its covers, he couldn't help but see himself falling for a woman like her. Or rather…her.

One step at a time, dickhead. Starting with getting your ass over to that bed and joining her.

Determined to make this as good for her as he could, Rocky followed her down onto the bed. He laid next to her, brushing some hair from her face before leaning down and taking her mouth in his.

She trembled beneath his touch, and once again, he relished in how reactive her body was to what he was doing to her.

"Rocky," Raegan closed her eyes with the soft rasp.

"Shh…" He pressed his lips to the curve of her jaw. "Don't worry. We'll get there."

Taking more control, he rose back up and began devouring her mouth. As he kissed and licked and nipped to his heart's content, Rocky slid a hand down to the apex of her thighs.

He'd gotten her off earlier, but that was hours ago, and he needed to make sure she was ready. Wanting to get her there again before sliding himself into her hot, wet heat, he began working her body the way he'd already learned she loved.

The room became filled with a symphony of moans and pants. Soft gasps and lingering cries of pleasure. And soon, he began to feel the telltale signs of her impending release.

"Rocky…"

"It's okay, baby. I've got you. Just let it all go."

He had no way of knowing if she understood the meaning behind his words, but Rocky wasn't only referring to her giving herself over to another orgasm. He wanted her to be free. To let go of all the shit that happened in the past. The terror, pain, and guilt that had brought her to live in the house next to his.

He took the kiss deeper, their tongues continuing the deliciously erotic dance as he brought her closer and closer to ecstasy. And when she arched her back off the mattress and cried out his name, Rocky knew she'd finally found it.

Unable to wait a second longer, he broke away to don the protection he was thankful as fuck he had with him. He glanced over at the vision laying before him, and…holy hell, he couldn't wait to slide into her slick, silken core.

With her heady, satisfied gaze staring up at him, Rocky went to her. His eyes were on hers as he lowered himself down onto her splayed, naked body. Keeping his weight balanced on one elbow, he reached between them to align his sensitive tip to her hot, wet entrance.

He watched her closely as he slowly began moving his hips forward. Rocky had thought he was prepared for how tight she was, but holy fuck.

"I haven't been with anyone since before the attack," she reminded him.

A fact he relished far more than he had the right to.

Working her slowly, he took his time, allowing his body to stretch hers without causing her discomfort or pain. "You okay?" he still had to ask.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"Oh, yeah." She nodded against the plush comforter beneath her head. "I'm more than okay."

Taking her at her word, Rocky continued his slow, forward thrust. He was larger than average, he knew, but soon, he was as far inside as her body would allow.

"Jesus, you feel good." He began pulling back in preparation to thrust forward again. "So…good."

Raegan gasped, her breaths becoming more and more strained with every push and pull of his hips. Pleasurable pain struck as her fingernails dug into his back, and when she raised her hips to meet his, he knew she was ready for more.

Time stood still as the two became one for the very first time. Rocky's lungs worked harder, and Raegan held onto him with more force than before.

Together, they worked themselves into a hot, sweaty, magical frenzy. Before he knew it, Rocky could feel his lower back tingling and his balls tightening with his own imminent release.

"Oh, yeah." Raegan urged him on. "Ah, god." She panted hard. "I think I'm going to…"

Sensing her need for more, Rocky brought his hand down to her clit as he pumped his greedy cock in and out at a rapid pace. Sweat built at his brow, and he was damn close to losing it, himself.

But if he could get her there again first…

He pressed his fingertips against her swollen nub, rubbing in small, tight circles.

"Come on, baby," he encouraged. "You can do it. Just let go." He rubbed her a little harder. "Just like before."

"Rocky…" Her entire body quivered beneath him.

Knowing he wasn't far behind, Rocky picked up his pace as he added just the right amount of pressure against her clit. Raegan cried out as her third climax of the night struck.

A rush of molten heat covered his cock, sending him into a series of hard, rough, uneven thrusts. Rocky let out a guttural grunt as he came harder and longer than ever before. And when he was spent, his body thoroughly depleted, he carefully pulled himself free of her body and fell onto the mattress beside her.

"Christ Almighty, woman." His chest rose and fell with hard, rough breaths. "I'm pretty sure you just killed me."

A low, husky giggle filled the otherwise silent space. "Yeah, well…" Raegan rolled over onto her side to face him. "If it's any consolation, I'm pretty sure I saw my life flash before my eyes with that last one." She leaned in and kissed his lips sweetly, her expression one of satisfaction with a hint of bewilderment. "Thank you. I've never…I mean, I had no idea that it could be like…that."

The soft admission made him want to hunt down every last one of her past lovers and beat their asses senseless.

"You never have to thank me for that." He reached up, absentmindedly tucking a few tendrils behind her ear. "And I know what you said before, but I…I like you, Raegan. You're not like any other woman I've ever known, and I think…" His throat bobbed with nervous swallow. "I think we could really have something, you and me. Later, of course. After we find Samer and kick his terrorist ass."

As he'd hoped, he was rewarded with a ghost of a smile. But all too soon, the corners of her luscious lips fell flat.

"What if we don't?" Real fear clouded the pleasure that had been there seconds before. "Find him, I mean. What if all of this is for nothing? What if he detonates that bomb, and we?—"

Rocky stopped her with a kiss. Hard. Fast. Deep. And when he was finished, he pulled back enough to look into her gorgeous amber eyes. "Told you before, we'll stop him, and I meant it."

"We have to, John." Her hair fell over one shoulder as she shook her head in earnest. "We don't have any other choice."

He'd never heard his name sound as sweet as it had coming from her, and he made it his new mission to hear it as often as possible from this point out. But she was right about Samer.

They didn't have a choice but to find him and the bomb. And for Rocky…his need to keep the devastating blow from hitting his city was even more urgent than before.

Because he'd only just found the incredible woman lying naked in his arms. And he damn sure didn't want this to be the last time for either of them.

"I'll be right back."

He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on her temple before getting up and heading to the en suite bathroom. Once the condom was taken care of, and he'd cleaned himself up a bit, he returned to the bedroom to find her up and in the middle of getting re-dressed.

"What are you doing?" He frowned. "I thought you'd be exhausted by now."

"Agent Atwell just called. She's almost here."

"She's coming here?" He immediately went for his clothes. "I take it they found something?"

"She didn't say." Raegan went into the bathroom and hurriedly ran a brush through her hair before redoing her ponytail with expert speed.

Rocky had barely gotten his boots retied when a loud, pounding knock sounded on the home's front door. Moving swiftly, they made their way to where Agent Atwell was waiting.

"Please tell me you found the laptop," Raegan spoke the moment the door was open.

The attractive FBI agent butted her way into the house before holding up a large evidence bag with both hands. "We got it, but it's encrypted out the ass, and my tech is still working on trying to gain access."

Rocky looked to Raegan and back to the other woman. "I sure hope you didn't come here thinking one of us could do it."

"Not you." She shook her head. "Your tech guy. What's his name? Cutler?"

"Liam." Rocky nodded. "Yeah, that's him." He pulled his phone from his pocket to put in the call.

While he did that, Raegan asked Atwell, "If the FBI tech is having trouble accessing it, what makes you think Delta's guy can?"

"Our guy will get there, but…" The woman's blue gaze slid to Rocky's. "Your guy's reputation is unmatched around here. If anyone can get into this thing faster, I'm betting it's him."

Speaking of his guy…

Liam greeted Rocky with a drowsy, "If you're calling because you need bail money for your cat burglar girlfriend, you can fu?—"

"How soon can you get to Raegan's place?"

"What's wrong?" The other man's tone instantly changed from smartass friend to trained protector. "Did something happen?"

"Atwell's people found Samer's laptop." He raked a hand through his short blond hair. "Look, I'll explain everything once you get here. Just?—"

Rocky was going to tell Liam to hurry, but the intelligent Delta operative was already on the move…

"I'll be there in less than ten."

"See you then."

As promised, it took the man less than ten minutes to show up at Raegan's door. Atwell gave Liam a quick explanation of the situation, and the brilliant computer whiz took over from there.

"Let me see what I can do," Liam took the bagged laptop from the federal agent's hands.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Rocky's teammate carried the computer over to the coffee table and sat down on the couch. "I still have to get into this thing."

Atwell turned those pretty blue eyes of hers Liam's way. "From what I've been told, if there's anyone in the city who can do it, it's you."

Liam slid his focus from the computer he'd already begun to power up to the powerful woman. "Flattery will only get you so far, Agent Atwell. If I can't?—"

"Didn't think ‘can't' was in your vocabulary, Cutler," Rocky reminded the most intelligent man he knew.

"That is true." Liam nodded confidently. Linking his fingers together, he inverted them as he pushed his joined hands outward, stretching his arms in front of him as if preparing for a challenge. "Okay, give me some time with this baby, and I'll see what I can do. But while I work on this, why don't you guys fill me in on what you know about the bomb?"

Rocky had called Christian earlier to fill him in on all the terrifying details regarding Samer, the kid in lockup, and the bomb. As Delta's team leader, Christian then spread the word throughout the rest of the team so the others would be prepared should anything more transpire with the case.

"We know one's been built, and Samer has it." Raegan stood with her arms crossed at her chest. "That's pretty much it."

Chiming back in, Atwell added, "Only one of the three young men we have in custody is talking. Same kid who hit Raegan's bank. He's the one who told us about that." She motioned to the laptop Liam was trying to access. "Samer's decision to keep it hidden at the house didn't make much sense to me. Then again, I'm not some psycho extremist trying to kill innocent Americans."

A tiny shrug lifted the brunette's shoulder as Raegan began to nod.

"Samer is psychotic," she stated bluntly. "He's also a textbook narcissist, a chauvinist asshole, and a murderer."

"Ask me, the guy sounds like a peach."

Before anyone could respond to Liam's obvious attempt at sarcasm, Agent Atwell's phone began to ring.

"Excuse me." She pulled it from her pocket and stepped to the other side of the room to talk.

Rocky's focus slid to Raegan, who looked as anxious as he'd ever seen her. "Hey." He placed a palm on her middle back and gave it a gentle rub. "We're getting closer."

That mesmerizing stare of hers lifted to meet his. "Not close enough."

"Not yet, but we're making progress." Atwell rejoined them. "That was my team. They found a van fitting the description of the one Raegan spotted at the house down the road. It was left at the backside of an abandoned lot near East Garfield Park. I'm headed there now."

"We'll follow you." Rocky didn't bother asking permission.

The woman had come to him and his team for help, and she was going to get it.

"Y'all have fun with that," Liam offered without looking up from the screen. His fingers flew over the keys as he continued with his efforts to access Samer's computer.

"Let's go." Atwell took the lead and headed for the door.

Rocky and Raegan fell in line behind her. What would normally have been a ten-minute drive only took seven as they raced to the area near Garfield Park where the FBI and CPD were already on scene.

"That's it." Raegan positively identified the van as they were climbing out of his F150. "Or, at least, it was one just like it."

Assessing the area, Rocky took in the number of government-issued vehicles on scene and the bright, flashing lights illuminating the otherwise dark sky above. But his focus was pulled to the white van parked next to an abandoned brick building a few yards away.

The shiny new van stood out like a sore thumb against the conflicting backdrop of one of the city's most rundown areas. Several federal agents worked in and around it as they scoured it and the area around it for evidence.

"Oh, I'd say it's his." He motioned toward a pair of men talking near the van. The words Bomb Squad were printed in bold white letters across their black protective vests.

"Agent Beckham!" Atwell approached one of the members of her team.

Thirties. Tall. Dark hair. Intense, intelligent stare.

Dressed in jeans, a polo, and an FBI windbreaker, the man she'd hollered and turned their way.

"This is John Rockland." Atwell ran through the quick introductions. "He's a R.I.S.C. Delta Force operative helping with the case."

"Call me Rocky." He shook the other man's hand.

"Graham." Agent Beckham offered up his first name, as well. "Good to meet you."

"And this is Raegan Perry." Atwell tipped her head toward the woman Rocky had mind-blowing sex with less than an hour before. "She's the reason we even know about Samer and this van in the first place."

"Well, then." The other man turned his appreciative dark gaze Raegan's way. "It's definitely nice to meet you."

A massive rush of jealousy struck Rocky as he watched the two shake hands.

Cool your jets, dickhead. It's a handshake, not a blowjob.

The thought created a barrage of recent memories he couldn't keep from filling his mind's eye. Raegan in her bedroom. Fully naked and on her knees. His hard, throbbing cock sliding in and out of her luscious mouth, as he held a gentle hand on the back of her head…

Beckham started for the van. "Come on. I'll show you what we've got."

Walking together, the group of four approached the back of the vehicle. The van's double doors were splayed wide-open, exposing the vehicle's interior.

"It's empty." Raegan's disappointment was obvious.

"There's not a lot to see, I'll give you that." Beckham acknowledged. "But that doesn't mean we came up empty."

"What do you mean?" Rocky's focus shifted from the van's bare floorboard to the other man standing nearby.

"The bomb's not here, obviously. But the bomb dogs got a hit the second they got close to the vehicle. We still don't know where the explosive device is, but it was definitely in this van. Recently, too."

"Residue?"

Beckham nodded. "And plenty of it. We also pulled several prints from the steering wheel, the doorhandles, the seat. We've got matches to Samer, as well as one of the other guys we have in custody from the bank robberies."

"Elias Connors?" Raegan asked before Rocky had the chance.

But the other man shook his head. "Nah, this guy's name is Jesse Mitchell." To Atwell, Beckham added, "Agents Spencer and Harding are on their way back to the office to question him more, now."

"Good." Atwell approved. "Anything else?"

"Probably, but it's going to take a while to go through it all."

Rocky understood that. He could only imagine what a bitch it was to collect and sort trace evidence on a vehicle. Especially one like this.

"He didn't wear gloves," Raegan muttered beside him. "Samer, I mean." She swung her gaze up to his. "He left this van here, knowing it would eventually be found and possibly scoured by the authorities. And yet, he didn't bother wearing gloves."

"Maybe he figured it would be stripped before we could find it." Rocky theorized. "Or maybe he didn't think his prints would be in our system."

"No, it's not that." Raegan shook her head with certainty. "Every Iraqi soldier we trained was vetted upon our arrival three years ago. We collected their prints the first day we got there. I personally uploaded and ran them through myself."

Dread filled Rocky's gut as he processed what that meant. "He doesn't care if we know it's him."

"Not anymore," she agreed. "Might explain why he left the laptop behind. Especially if he thinks no one will be able to crack their way through his encryptions."

"Okay, so we have proof Samer was in this van and that he's at least come into contact with the bomb." Atwell rejoined the conversation. "But he's still in the wind, and the only reason Samer would have to switch vehicles would be if he were either getting nervous, or?—"

"He's closer to his end game."

All eyes turned to Raegan, but her focus was glued to the inside of that damn van.

In that moment, Rocky wanted nothing more than to take away the fear reflecting back at him from her perilous stare. But he couldn't. Not until they located Samer and, most importantly, that fucking bomb.

Because she was right. His gut was also screaming that all of Samer's planning would soon be coming to a head. And if he and the others couldn't find him in time to stop him…

God help us all.