Grace Under Fire

Chapter 22

Jed and Rafe slipped into the warehouse, a silent, deadly operation to rescue Grace-and Troy Leone, if the boy was still alive. With the precision of trained soldiers, they moved about inside the dark cavern, searching for any sign of life. After a thorough survey of the entire place, they ended up with two flunkies who'd been left behind as guards to protect the illegal contents of the building. With both men tied up and left for the Feds, Jed and Rafe made their way to the doors that opened onto the loading dock at the back of the warehouse.

Jed spotted the pile of clothing lying just inside the door. He reached down and grasped Grace's blouse in his hand. "God damn it! They made her strip out of her clothes."

Rafe pointed to several shiny gold objects on the sidewalk, a few feet outside the door. "That looks like Grace's jewelry, including the cameo Special Agent Taylor gave her."

"That means she's not wearing the homing device." Anger and frustration surged through Jed. And fear. Fear like nothing he'd ever known in his life. Not even in battle. "They're taking her to Booth."

"You can't be sure-"

"I'm sure. Booth enjoys playing games. He'll want to toy with Grace first." Jed balled his hands into tight fists, the thought of Grace in Booth's hands unbearable to him.

"Don't go off half-cocked," Rafe said. "We'll find her. I'll call in Moran now and-"

"If we don't find her soon, it'll be too late." Jed stormed off toward the river, mumbling to himself. "I knew this wouldn't work. I tried to tell them. I begged her not to go through with it. But would they listen? No! Would she listen? Damn it, Grace, don't you dare die. Do you hear me? Don't you dare die!"

Within five minutes the entire block was swarming with FBI agents, covering every inch of the warehouse and the surrounding area, including the pier. Dante Moran sent a team down river in case Grace's captors had spirited her away by boat, as Jed suspected.

When Jed tried to get away, slip off so he could head for Booth's place in Beaulac, Elsa Leone ran up to him. "Where are they? Is Grace all right? Is Troy alive?"

"Neither of them are here," Jed told her. " Troy was probably never here, at least not in the past few hours. And I have no idea if he's alive. Maybe. And Grace-Grace is gone. Taken away. And we have no idea where."

"Oh, God, no!"

"If y'all had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened. At least Grace would be safe, but no, you and Grace were so eager to do what the FBI wanted that you didn't consider their scheme might get Grace killed." Jed glowered at Elsa.

Elsa gasped; her face paled. "I'm sorry… I… er… I-"

"Take it easy on her, will you. This isn't Ms. Leone's fault." Rafe came up behind Jed and gripped his shoulder. "She didn't want anything to happen to Ms. Beaumont anymore than you did."

Jed heaved a deep sigh. "Cover for me, will you? I'm going to the source. If Booth isn't holding Grace at his house, then somebody there will know where they are."

"You can't go in there alone," Rafe said. "From what you've told me that place is overrun with guards. They'll shoot you before you get ten feet beyond the gate."

"I know the place like the back of my hand. I can probably get inside and make it to the house without being detected. Once I'm there, I'll kill anyone who gets in my way."

"I'll go with you," Rafe said. "And we'll call Dom and J.J. and have them meet up with us-"

A familiar voice called out to them, "Where do you two think you're going?" Dante Moran joined their threesome. Completely ignoring Elsa, he glanced from Rafe to Jed. "Look, Tyree, I know you're pissed about the screwup, but we'll find Ms. Beaumont. We have teams closing in on Booth Fortier right now. It's only a matter of time before we arrest him."

"Time isn't on Grace's side," Jed said. "If we don't find her soon, it'll be too late."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Finding Grace."

"You and Devlin were thinking about going to Fortier's home, weren't you?" When neither Jed nor Rafe replied, Moran continued, "Drive out there with me. By the time we get there, one of our teams will already be there and have cleaned out the place. If Fortier is there, we'll take him into custody. And either he or one of his employees will tell us where Grace Beaumont is being held."

Jed laughed sarcastically. "You don't know Booth Fortier if you think he won't kill Grace before you people take over his private domain. If she's in Booth's home, then you've signed her death warrant."

By the time the FBI team entered the Fortier home, Ronnie Martine had hurriedly told Charmaine about his true identity and enlisted her help in securing the house. The domestic servants surrendered without a fight and lined up in the hallway to wait for the Feds.

No one else was inside the house, except Charlie Dupree who had shown up early this morning and gone straight to bed. Aric had driven Booth away over an hour ago, without informing anyone of where he was going. But Charmaine knew. When Booth had informed Aric of his plans, she'd listened at the door connecting her bedroom to her husband's.

As Ronnie and Charmaine waited for the federal agents, Charlie Dupree came bounding downstairs, barefoot and wearing only his jeans and gun holster. Apparently he'd been asleep when he'd heard the ruckus outside.

"What the hell is going on?" Charlie asked as he noticed the servants lined up in the hallway. "Sounds like all hell has broken loose outside. Are we being raided or what?"

"The FBI has stormed the compound," Ronnie said. "They're arresting anyone who doesn't resist and killing those who do."

"Sons of bitches! What the hell are you doing holed up in here?" Charlie ran toward the front door. "Are you coming with me or not?"

"Don't open that door," Ronnie ordered.

Charlie glanced over his shoulder and noted that Ronnie's 9 mm was aimed directly at his back. "What's this? You turning traitor?"

"I'm giving you a chance to surrender," Ronnie told him. "Toss your gun aside, put your hands over your head and-"

Charlie whirled around and opened fire. Ronnie shoved Charmaine behind him, and as Charlie's bullets splintered the door facing to their right, Ronnie took aim and fired. His shot struck Charlie's hand, sending his gun flying. But that didn't stop Charlie, who hit the floor and rolled through the living room doorway, then snatched a knife from his jeans pocket, flipped it open and slung it toward Ronnie. When the blade pierced Ronnie's shoulder, he winced in pain and dropped his weapon, Charlie jumped up and came barreling toward him. Just as he pounced, Charmaine grabbed Ronnie's gun off the floor. She didn't give Charlie any warning. She just shot him. He staggered around and looked at her, his gaze plainly saying he couldn't believe she'd done it. Charlie slumped to the floor.

Just as Charmaine ripped open Ronnie's shirt to inspect the knife wound, the front door burst open and half a dozen FBI agents burst into the foyer.

Half an hour later, Jim Kelly, aka Ronnie Martine, was being treated by the paramedics. Jed paced the floor outside on the front porch shortly after he and Rafe arrived with Dante Moran. With each passing minute, the chances of finding Grace alive grew slimmer and slimmer. Although the Feds had rounded up a couple of dozen underlings, five household staff and a badly wounded Charlie Dupree, Booth was nowhere to be found.

When the paramedics carried Jim to the waiting ambulance, Charmaine followed them, then paused and looked at Jed. "Wait just a minute," she called out, "I'm riding in the ambulance with Ron-with Special Agent Kelly." She grabbed Jed's arm, leaned over and whispered, "Booth's at the old mill. There's no one there except him and Aric. I heard him tell Aric that he wanted to take care of Grace Beaumont personally."

"Thanks, Charmaine. You just might have saved Grace's life."

"I hope so." She kissed Jed's cheek. "Good luck."

Before the ambulance was out of sight, Jed pulled Rafe aside. "I know where Booth is holding Grace. Give me a fifteen-minute head start, then tell Moran."

"Don't go in there alone," Rafe said.

"I think I can handle Booth and Aric. Charmaine told me it's just the two of them." Jed gripped Rafe's arm fiercely. "I need to do this alone. If the Feds swarm the place, he'll kill Grace for sure."

"Ten minutes, but that's it," Rafe said. "Now, tell me where you're going?"

Booth Fortier was a sadistic monster. Grace clenched her teeth tightly as he struck her again, pain shooting through her stomach as his hand connected with her face. She couldn't believe that such an evil man was Jed's uncle.

"You're trying to be a brave lady, aren't you," Booth said snidely. "But I'll have you begging for mercy soon enough." He slapped her again. For the fifth time or the sixth? Grace didn't know. She'd lost count. She did know that the right side of her face was numb. If only the rest of her was, too, then she wouldn't be able to feel the pain. She hadn't cried, but she was screaming inside. How much longer could she resist the urge to scream aloud?

"Maybe you'd like to see me kill the kid first," Booth said. "Would that scare you enough to make you yell?"

Booth walked over to where Troy Leone lay on the floor, his hands and feet securely tied, his mouth gagged. Grinning with apparent delight, Booth kicked the boy in the ribs. Grace winced.

Booth rushed back to her and put his face down in front of hers where she sat strapped to a rickety wooden chair. "I can make you scream." He removed a small pocketknife from his pants, flipped it open and ran the tip across Grace's slip, from one breast to the other. "Talk to me, Grace. Tell me what you fear the most."

Grace swallowed hard and looked the devil in the eyes, doing her level best to show no fear. He was going to kill her. But he wanted to torture her fist. Torture her for his own sadistic pleasure.

"You know that I could kill you quickly," he told her. "But what's the fun in that?"

The big black man standing guard at the door called out, "I hear a car."

"Go check it out," Booth ordered. "I don't want anyone interrupting my fun. You hear me, Aric?"

Aric opened the door and went outside, while Booth continued to toy with Grace. Using his pocketknife, he sliced Grace's slip from bodice to hem. A couple of times the blade's tip nicked her flesh. One nick on her belly, the other on her thigh. When Booth pulled apart the silk garment and saw the two bloodstains on her flesh, he smiled, then wiped off the blood and licked his finger.

The door swung open and someone shoved Aric inside, then came in behind him. Grace blinked several times to clear the moisture from her eyes. Then she saw Jed. Jed! Oh, God, Jed had found her.

"Well, well, look here at what the cat's dragged in," Booth said, turning his attention to Jed. "How the hell did you find me, boy?"

"Let her go," Jed said.

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because if you don't, I'm going to kill you."

Booth laughed as he glanced from Jed to the gun he held on Aric. "You can't kill both of us. If you shoot me, Aric will jump you. If you shoot Aric, I'll have my Ruger out of its holster before you get off a second shot." Booth eyed his shoulder holster, the rich brown leather gleaming against his sweat-stained, white shirt.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that, old man?" Jed asked.

"I could kill her right now." Booth held the knife under Grace's throat.

Jed growled. Booth eyed him speculatively.

"I know you'd hate to lose a client. Wouldn't look good on your record," Booth said. "Or is it more than that? You haven't been screwing Ms. Beaumont, have you?" Booth laughed. "Was she good, boy? Did she purr for you? Hell, I can't get her to say anything."

Jed glanced from Grace's badly bruised face to her eyes. She gazed at the boy lying in a pathetic heap on the floor. That's when Jed noticed Troy Leone. He cursed softly under his breath.

"I know you probably don't have the stomach to watch," Booth said. "You being weak like your mama, but if you leave now, you won't have to see her die."

Jed aimed his Beretta straight at his uncle. "Let her go or I'll shoot you."

"No you won't. I'm your mama's brother. Your uncle. That good guy conscience you inherited from your old man would torment you until the day you died if you kill me. I know you, Jed. You might want to kill me, but you won't."

"I will, if that's what it takes to save Grace."

"Grace, is it? You call her Grace and not Mrs. Beaumont. Then I was right. You did have her, didn't you?" Booth glared at her. "Did you think just because he screwed you, he loved you? We Fortier men don't love women, we use them. And if you think he'll kill me to save you, you're wrong."

"No, you're wrong," Grace said, finally speaking to the loathsome creature.

Just as Booth prepared to slit Grace's throat, two gunshots rang out within seconds of each other. One bullet hit Fortier between the eyes, the other entered his heart. The pocketknife in his hand fell into Grace's lap. Aric cried out and rushed toward his boss, as Rafe Devlin and several other men stormed into the old mill. Jed dropped his gun and ran toward Grace. He squatted beside her and gently cupped her bruised face. Two men, whom Grace assumed were FBI agents, apprehended the big black man, then the tall, lanky agent in a dark suit who seemed to be in charge walked over and inspected Booth Fortier's body.

He glanced at Jed and said, "My bullet killed him. He was already dead when yours hit him."

"How can you be so sure it was your bullet that killed him, Moran?" Jed asked.

"Take my word for it. You didn't kill your uncle. I did."

"Yeah, sure." Jed hurriedly untied Grace and lifted her into his arms. "I'm getting you to the hospital as fast as I can."

She draped her arm around his neck. "I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm all right. Just a few bruises. Please, Jed, take me home." As Jed carried her toward the door, she called to the one Jed had referred to as Moran. "Please, take care of Troy." She glanced down at Elsa's bound brother lying in a heap on the floor. "I don't think he's badly hurt."

Jed carried her out the door and to his car. With such tenderness that his loving care broke her heart, Jed placed her in the front seat, then gently kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Grace. God, I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she told him. "Don't you know that? You're my white knight, my protector, my hero."

Rafe Devlin herded a dirty, tattered and slightly bruised Troy Leone outside and over to Jed's car. "Mind if we catch a ride with y'all? You could drop me and the boy off at his sister's on the way to Belle Foret. Moran said the kid and Ms. Beaumont can answer questions tomorrow."

Jed grumbled.

"Yes, please, come with us." Grace glanced in the back seat after Rafe and Troy got in. " Troy, are you all right?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm okay." He bowed his head. "Hey, Ms. Beaumont, I'm sure sorry about what happened. It was stupid of me to ever go to work at the warehouse. If I'd known what would come of it, I'd never…" He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"If you're truly sorry, go home to Elsa and prove to her what a good person you can be. You owe it to her to straighten up your act permanently."

"Yes, ma'am. I swear that's exactly what I'm going to do."

When Jim told her that Booth was dead, Charmaine didn't quite believe him. How was it possible for such evil to die so quickly and easily?

"I want to see his body," she said.

"Honey, you don't want to do that."

"I won't believe he's dead if I don't see him."

"All right," Jim said. "I'll see if I can arrange it. I'll go with you to the morgue, but once that's done, I'm getting you out of Louisiana as fast as my boss can arrange things."

"You're coming with me, aren't you?" She clung to him, knowing that without him, she couldn't make it, that her life wouldn't be worth living.

"Let them try to stop me." He kissed her temple. "I've already told my boss that I'm resigning from the Bureau as soon as possible. He told me that he'd allow me to live under federal protection with you until after the trials of Booth's associates are over, then they'll arrange for us to go into the Witness Protection Program. We'll have new identities and new lives."

"We'll be just ordinary people, with ordinary lives." She sighed, loving the thought of being Jim's wife. "I guess I won't have to get used to calling you Jim, will I, since you'll have another name when we relocate."

"If you can call me husband and lover and maybe the father of your children, I don't care what other name you call me."

"Children? You-you want children?"

"If you do. Maybe only one. A little girl who looks just like you."

Charmaine cried; tears cascaded down her cheeks. "Oh, Jim… my sweet, sweet darling. You really want me-" she thumped her chest "-me-to be the mother of your child."

"Of course, I do. I love you, Charmaine. I think you're beautiful and smart and brave… fun to be with and-I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

She laid her head on his chest and said the first real prayer she'd uttered since she was a kid, thanking God for bringing this fine, loving man into her life.

The lights inside and outside Belle Foret shone brightly, welcoming its mistress home. When Jed leaned over into the front seat of the car and scooped Grace up into his arms, Laverna and Nolan came rushing out onto the veranda. Jed carried Grace up the steps and into the house, the servants following, both making a big fuss over Grace.

"I'm all right," she assured them. "Really, I'm fine."

"Where are your clothes?" Laverna asked. "And your poor face."

"My clothes don't matter and the bruises on my face will fade in a few weeks."

"Should I go upstairs and run you a hot bath?" Laverna headed toward the staircase.

"Don't bother," Jed said. "I'll take care of Miss Grace."

"Yes, sir." Laverna backed away and gave her husband a knowing look.

Jed ignored everything and everyone, concentrating only on Grace. She clung to him, her head on his chest, her arm around his neck. He'd come damn close to losing her tonight. Although he would have killed Booth to save Grace-had actually pulled the trigger-he was grateful that Dante Moran had acted first, that he could tell himself it was the FBI agent's bullet that had ended Booth's life. As much as he hated Booth, the man had still been his uncle. And there had been a time he'd cared about him. Despite growing up as the heir to a Mafia kingdom and later having spent years as a member of the Delta Force, Jed found that he still possessed a conscience.

The minute Jed entered Grace's bedroom, he slammed the door closed with his foot, marched into the bathroom, set her on the vanity stool, then turned on the shower. He tended to her with the utmost gentleness, removing her tattered slip, her bra and panties, grimacing at the bruises on her body where she'd been manhandled by Booth's goons and struck repeatedly by Booth himself.

"Don't think about it," Grace said. "It's over. He's dead. He can never hurt me or you or anyone else ever again." Grace caressed Jed's cheek. "Not unless you allow him to continue to influence your life."

Not saying a word, Jed stripped, took Grace's hand and led her into the huge shower stall. She went with him. No second thoughts. No hesitation. She knew that she would follow this man anywhere. She would trust him now and forever-with her body, her heart, her very soul. Like a dutiful caretaker, Jed washed Grace, shampooing and rinsing her hair, lathering her body and taking special care to be gentle with her. As he sprayed away the soap bubbles, he kissed each bruise and each tiny knife prick; then when he had cleaned her, he helped her out of the shower and dried her body and her hair. As she sat on the vanity stool and watched him, Jed dried himself. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

He lifted her into his arms. "Let me make love to you."

She smiled softly. "I want that. I want us to make love." She kissed him. "I need you, Jed. I need you so very much."

He placed her in the middle of her bed and lay down beside her. She reached for him, but he grasped her hands and placed them on the pillow above her head, then leaned over and captured her mouth in a ravaging kiss. Her hungry response ignited his passion even more. Whispering hot, erotic words of urgency and expectation, Jed caressed and kissed her from forehead to the instep of each foot. It seemed he was trying to memorize every inch of her body. And when she knew she couldn't bear another moment of his arousing attention, she touched him intimately, which gained her his immediate attention.

"Make love to me now, Jed," she told him breathlessly. "I'm aching so. I need you inside me."

He pulled himself over her, bracing himself with his elbows, keeping part of his weight off her slender body. "Don't let me hurt you."

"The only way you'll hurt me is if you make me wait."

He took her in one fast, deep thrust, embedding himself fully inside her. She gasped as he filled her completely, his shaft large and hard. Lifting her hips, meeting him lunge for lunge, she gripped his large shoulders and gave herself over to the pleasure. They mated in a frenzy, both wild with need. And when she felt herself on the verge of release, she slid her hands down his back and dug her fingers into his taut buttocks, urging him to hurry. "Faster," she panted. "Harder and faster."

He jackhammered into her. "Like this." Sweat glistened on his forehead.

"Yes," she cried out as fulfillment claimed her. "Yes, yes."

Minutes later, he jetted into her, groaning in the throes of his own climax.

Jed slid off her and onto his back. He lay there beside her, staring up at the ceiling. Grace cuddled against him, then threw her arm across his waist and nuzzled his neck.

"We're good together," she told him. "You know that, don't you?"

"In bed, we're good together." He stroked her naked hip. "Great sex isn't a problem for us, but-"

She popped her index finger over his lips to silence him. "Do you love me?"

"Do I-how can you ask me such a question?"

"You've never told me you love me."

"And you want to hear the words, want to hear me say it." He rose up, leaned over her, looked her directly in the eyes and said, "I love you, Grace. More than anything."

She grinned. "That's what I thought, but I needed to know for sure. After all, when a woman is planning on spending the rest of her life with a man, she needs to know from the very beginning that he loves her."

"What do you mean-spending the rest of her life… the rest of your life with… Grace, you can't mean that you actually want me to be a part of your life."

Sighing contentedly, she lifted her arms around his neck. "Only for the next fifty or sixty years. Just until we have great-grandchildren running all over Belle Foret and they bury us side by side in the family cemetery."

"Are you by any chance asking me to marry you?" Jed's gaze locked with hers.

"Would that be so bad? You and me and two or three babies and-"

He kissed her.

When he lifted his head from hers, he said, "You know who I am, what I am, what I come from, and you still want to marry me and have my babies?"

"Uh-huh."

"Blondie, you must be crazy," he told her, humor in his deep voice.

"I am," she said. "Crazy in love with you."

"Then before you come to your senses, I'm going to accept your proposal." He flipped over, pulled her on top of him and held her firmly against him. "No big wedding. Something small and private. Something just for us. Okay?"

"Sounds perfect to me. How about a week from Saturday?"

"In a hurry?"

"Could be. After all, we didn't use any protection when we made love, so I could already be pregnant."

"In that case, let's get married right away and I'll forget all about buying that super-size box of condoms. If you're not already pregnant, you will be by the time our honeymoon is over."

Grace lay there in Jed's arms, happy beyond belief. Four years ago her life had changed drastically in the span of a few hours. Now once again her life had altered completely, but this time for the better. Nothing could have prepared her for falling in love with Jed Tyree. The passion she felt overwhelmed her.

"I love you, Jed. You're everything to me. For now and forever."

"I feel exactly the same way about you, Blondie. Now and forever."