Page 23 of Innocent Target

James’s chest vibrated with contained laughter. “I know you’re awake.”

With a sigh, she buried deeper into him as his hands roamed her back. “I’m not awake.”

“Well, you’re the most awake sleeper I’ve ever seen, Mercy Broussard.”

The delight in his voice made her abandon the muscled nest and look up. Her mouth met his and the kiss felt better than morning coffee, revving her system in matters of seconds.

James didn’t indulge her as long as she desired, breaking the kiss with a groan of his own. “Abbie will wake up soon, and I don’t want to start something I won’t be able to finish. And I especially want to make sure you have a grandiose finish. Over and over and over again.”

The shiver of lust coursing down her spine made her push her hips forward, and she met his erection, turning his groan into a growl. “Save me from temptation.”

This time, it was her turn to laugh. “Okay. I’ll have mercy on you as it’s also my name. And because I’m feeling so satisfied, I think I can wait a little longer to indulge in your talents.”

Oh, how her heart flipped at his wicked smile. It would’ve been almost impossible to resist if not for the insisting buzzing sound from his cell phone still in his shorts pocket on the floor. James almost fell off the bed trying to grab it, but Mercy didn’t mind ogling his gorgeous ass in his clumsy process.

“James speaking… Hold on, Shane, let me put you on speakerphone.”

Mercy was glad it wasn’t a video call as their boss wouldn’t be happy about their rather naked and intimate fraternization on the job.

“Hey, guys. Sorry to call so early, but I suspected you two would be up. Taking care of Abbie, I mean.”

James winked at her, and she poked her tongue at him to hide her blush. Part of her found the banter reassuring. She’d feared that opening up would change that, but it was still there.

“No hiccups on the security front last night. Mercy, you chose well. Perfect situation and whoever was following lost you. That plays in our favor. And you should stay with your friend for as long as it stays that way. It will be safer for both of you, and especially for Abbie.”

James shifted. “Any update on Bethany?”

The hope in his voice made Mercy reach for his hand, and she only realized what she’d done when his fingers closed over hers. She might have noticed her skipping heart, but Shane was answering the question.

“Not lately, which means either the MC got her or she’s found a perfect hiding spot. I’m leaning toward the second one.” Shane was being optimistic, and the three of them knew it. “On another note, I got hold of my FBI insider, and he put me in contact with a guy who’s been investigating the Havoc Henchmen MC for some time now. Not really investigating, but more like keeping an eye on them, building a file. He’s in Florida and agreed to a meet. We choose the time and place.”

Mercy shifted. “Is this guy of yours reliable? And his contact? We’re walking a fine line here, and we can’t afford to make mistakes or follow the wrong lead if we want to save Bethany. Also, she’s been burnt by agents before. How can we be sure he won’t try to play us so they can find her for their own purposes?”

The pause on the line was revealing, and a bit scary. “Zero risk doesn’t exist. Not in our line of work. From what I gathered without giving up too much, he’s our safest bet, and right now, I don’t have any other tricks up my sleeve. Unless you have another suggestion?”

James locked eyes with her. “No, Shane. You’re right. We need insight with the Henchmen, and we don’t have enough time to dig into everything on our own. Call the man, set up a meeting.”

Abbie stirred through the baby monitor, and Mercy took it as her cue. She rushed to get herself decent and scooped up the now wailing infant as James wrapped up the call.

A quick sniff told her it wasn’t a case of Abbie needing a diaper change so Mercy headed to the kitchen with her. Abbie had no intention of calming down and was wriggling like a pink worm. “Easy, Abbie, I’m gonna find your formula and heat it in a second.”

Ian rolled into the kitchen, a ridiculous and amused grin on his face. “Hey, kid! Busy morning, I see.”

“I can’t hear you over the screaming banshee here.”

Ian grabbed one of the bags and put it on the table, checking inside. He pulled out a bottle of formula. He didn’t say a word, and like a pro, proceeded to warm up the bottle, as Mercy tried her best to appease Abbie.

It seemed like an eternity, but when Ian finally handed her the formula, Abbie latched on, looking up at her with big blue eyes still full of tears.

James arrived, having donned gym shorts and a t-shirt, his cell phone in his hand. “Whoa, thanks for taking care of Abbie. Shane wanted to give me a heads up about security.”

Mercy went to the living room and gently lowered herself on the rocking chair in the corner. “I think she shattered my eardrums. If you need to invest in her education, I’d put my money on an opera singer for her future career.”

With a snort, James turned to go back to the kitchen, but Ian told him to stay put. “I’ll go make coffee and breakfast. Relax, take it easy. Those moments don’t last.”

James sat on the sofa in front of her, leaning back with a sigh. “You’re a natural, Ms. Broussard.”

“I don’t think so. I just got her a bottle. If she starts crying again, you’re up.”