Read Online Moving Target by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cheyenne McCray
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Espionage, Romantic Suspense Fiction, Witnesses - Protection, Mafia - Russia
Ads: Link
shop and they sent up a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant within a few minutes. He'd answered the door with his gun in his hand, behind his back, ready for anything.
After a good half hour, Ani reappeared from the bathroom at the same time another knock came at the door. No doubt room service. Again, unwilling to take a chance with her life, he drew his Glock and held it behind his back with his right hand as he checked the peephole. "Get in the bathroom just to be safe," he said, and she obeyed immediately.
A man with a round tray stacked with silver-domed items stood in the hallway. Daniel kept his gun behind his back as he unlocked the door.
The waiter started to come into the room, but Daniel stopped him by stepping in front of him. "Just set it on the floor," he said, still holding his Glock behind him.
After the waiter left with a puzzled expression Daniel shut the door. The delicious smells of hamburgers and fries made his stomach growl as he set his gun where he could easily reach it.
Daniel didn't expect anything to happen at this hotel, but the bastards had caught him by surprise in Tucson. He and Ani must have been followed from Bisbee. No other explanation made sense.
He picked up the tray and carried it to a table on the far side of the room. "It's clear, honey," he said, and immediately tensed. He had to stop calling her that. It was too intimate.
Ani slipped out of the bathroom and took the chair opposite him. They were quiet at first as they dug into their food.
"This is so good." Ani closed her eyes. "Orgasmic." Her eyes flew open and her face turned several shades of red when her gaze met his.
He couldn't stop the grin that crept across his face. She was so cute when she was embarrassed.
The tension between them seemed to evaporate and she smiled, too. They started talking again like they always had over the telephone. Comfortable, easy camaraderie. Only this time he got to watch her instead of just hearing her over the phone. She talked with her hands and had to keep putting her cheeseburger down when she spoke.
"How are your brothers doing?" Ani asked as she toyed with a French fry on her plate, rolling the end in ketchup.
Daniel shrugged. "Jacob's on leave for a couple of weeks, staying with Dad up in Montana, and I don't know where the hell Aaron is." Jacob was a Navy SEAL while Aaron served in Special Forces, and most of the time Daniel didn't know where either of them were.
Ani propped her elbow on the table, her chin in her palm. "Did the three of you get along very well when you were growing up?"
Daniel bit into his hamburger and chewed as he thought a moment, then answered. "We're so close in age that all we did was fight most of the time. We about drove Mom insane." A familiar pang twinged his heart as it always did when he thought about their mom. "She put up with a lot when we were kids. And with Dad out in the field so much, she had her hands full with us."
Ani's voice softened. "You told me once—you were twelve when she passed away?"
"Yeah." Daniel ate a fry then took a drink of his soda. "I'm the oldest, so I ended up having to grow up pretty fast to help out with my brothers who were eleven and ten."
"What happened to her?" Ani asked, her pretty blue eyes meeting his.
"An aneurism." It had been damn near twenty years ago, but it still sent a sharp ache through his chest. "We were outside and she was watching my brothers and me race our bikes around the ranch. One moment she was standing. The next, she was on the ground."
Ani's expression held sadness for his loss. "I miss my mom so much, too. But at least I got to know her a while longer."
Daniel wiped his mouth with his napkin. "It was a long time ago."
"I'm sorry." Ani reached over and squeezed his hand. "She must have been in her thirties at most."
Having Ani ask him such personal questions didn't bother him. She'd told him a lot about her childhood over the past year, but he'd been pretty vague about his own.
After a good half hour, Ani reappeared from the bathroom at the same time another knock came at the door. No doubt room service. Again, unwilling to take a chance with her life, he drew his Glock and held it behind his back with his right hand as he checked the peephole. "Get in the bathroom just to be safe," he said, and she obeyed immediately.
A man with a round tray stacked with silver-domed items stood in the hallway. Daniel kept his gun behind his back as he unlocked the door.
The waiter started to come into the room, but Daniel stopped him by stepping in front of him. "Just set it on the floor," he said, still holding his Glock behind him.
After the waiter left with a puzzled expression Daniel shut the door. The delicious smells of hamburgers and fries made his stomach growl as he set his gun where he could easily reach it.
Daniel didn't expect anything to happen at this hotel, but the bastards had caught him by surprise in Tucson. He and Ani must have been followed from Bisbee. No other explanation made sense.
He picked up the tray and carried it to a table on the far side of the room. "It's clear, honey," he said, and immediately tensed. He had to stop calling her that. It was too intimate.
Ani slipped out of the bathroom and took the chair opposite him. They were quiet at first as they dug into their food.
"This is so good." Ani closed her eyes. "Orgasmic." Her eyes flew open and her face turned several shades of red when her gaze met his.
He couldn't stop the grin that crept across his face. She was so cute when she was embarrassed.
The tension between them seemed to evaporate and she smiled, too. They started talking again like they always had over the telephone. Comfortable, easy camaraderie. Only this time he got to watch her instead of just hearing her over the phone. She talked with her hands and had to keep putting her cheeseburger down when she spoke.
"How are your brothers doing?" Ani asked as she toyed with a French fry on her plate, rolling the end in ketchup.
Daniel shrugged. "Jacob's on leave for a couple of weeks, staying with Dad up in Montana, and I don't know where the hell Aaron is." Jacob was a Navy SEAL while Aaron served in Special Forces, and most of the time Daniel didn't know where either of them were.
Ani propped her elbow on the table, her chin in her palm. "Did the three of you get along very well when you were growing up?"
Daniel bit into his hamburger and chewed as he thought a moment, then answered. "We're so close in age that all we did was fight most of the time. We about drove Mom insane." A familiar pang twinged his heart as it always did when he thought about their mom. "She put up with a lot when we were kids. And with Dad out in the field so much, she had her hands full with us."
Ani's voice softened. "You told me once—you were twelve when she passed away?"
"Yeah." Daniel ate a fry then took a drink of his soda. "I'm the oldest, so I ended up having to grow up pretty fast to help out with my brothers who were eleven and ten."
"What happened to her?" Ani asked, her pretty blue eyes meeting his.
"An aneurism." It had been damn near twenty years ago, but it still sent a sharp ache through his chest. "We were outside and she was watching my brothers and me race our bikes around the ranch. One moment she was standing. The next, she was on the ground."
Ani's expression held sadness for his loss. "I miss my mom so much, too. But at least I got to know her a while longer."
Daniel wiped his mouth with his napkin. "It was a long time ago."
"I'm sorry." Ani reached over and squeezed his hand. "She must have been in her thirties at most."
Having Ani ask him such personal questions didn't bother him. She'd told him a lot about her childhood over the past year, but he'd been pretty vague about his own.
Similar Books
