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She turned to Jenna who was smiling with triumph. She gave her a sweet smile. “Thank you for saving me. I was just about to go home with him.”
“You’re welcome. This man is bad news.” Jenna gave Blake a triumphant look.
Anna pretended to stomp off, leaving Blake with Jenna. She walked across the street to David’s car where he was already waiting for them. He had overheard the scene and walked off before he burst out with laughter.
When Anna reached him, he couldn’t contain his laughter. He pulled Anna into a hug as if he was comforting her. “I take it that is his ex. Sam said she is a real piece of work.”
Anna giggled. “She saw us together a few nights ago but she didn’t even recognize me. I feel more confident now.”
David let her go and they got in the car. Blake crossed the street giving Anna a look that promised retribution. He got in the car after making sure Jenna had left already. He turned and looked at Anna who was in the backseat laughing.
“You deserve a spanking for that little performance.”
She laughed and did her country voice. “Why, when you, sir, are the heartbreaker. Just dating women left and right. It’s such a shame I tell you. Good men are hard to find.”
David laughed as he started driving. He had a feeling Anna was exactly what his old friend needed.
Chapter 12
Anna was so nervous on the flight back home. She actually thought she might lose the breakfast Blake had forced her to eat a few hours ago. They were booked anonymously in a hotel and tomorrow, in the morning, they would make the journey to the bank. Blake held her hand and she felt comforted by his presence. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so safe. Even before she decided she had had enough and left, she had always been under stress. She was always so careful about how she acted so Santiago wouldn’t get mad at her.
Blake tried to distract her and ask her about all the places that tourists like him and his brothers could visit. She knew he was trying to get her mind off going home and she went along with it, willing to forget for just a minute.
“Besides the nightlife of casinos and fancy restaurants, there are a lot of outdoor activities in Reno. Ben and I used to canoe at one of the lakes on our day off. Sometimes we would camp for the weekend or go bike riding. Wow. I had forgotten all that. Santiago hated parks and outdoor things so I wasn’t allowed to go.”
“Well after all this is over me and you are going camping and swimming. I’d love to make love with you under the stars,” he promised seductively in her ear so the others couldn’t hear.
“I’d like that a lot, Blake,” she whispered back, trying not to blush.
They checked into the Hilton away from the main strip where all the popular attractions were located. Anna let Blake do the actual checking in since they were checking in as Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. She wanted to stay in the background, unnoticed. Sam and Victor checked in to their own rooms and David went home promising to come back later before dinner.
“Well this is an improvement over the Shady Grove Motel,” Anna commented after the bellhop left. She took off her sunglasses and laid them on the dresser.
Blake laughed and looked around at the luxurious room. He liked the king-sized bed and wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. “A bed big enough to roll around
in. I can’t wait to try it out.”
Anna swatted his chest playfully.
Blake looked out the window to make sure no one was out there watching the hotel. It was mid-afternoon and cars drove by but it looked clear. Then he went to open the doors that connected to the other rooms. Sam and Victor had a room on each side of them. Anna was surrounded and should feel safe but she still couldn’t help but feel a tingle of fear that Santiago would find out. She knew most of it was in her mind but she wouldn’t feel better until she was as far away as possible from Santiago.
Anna was exhausted emotionally and physically so she lay on the couch and took a nap while Blake and his brothers made plans. She dreamt Santiago and his men busted the door down, ready to kill her. She whispered his name, pleading for him not to kill Blake.
* * * *
Blake knew Anna was having a nightmare when he heard her whisper her ex’s name. He walked over to the couch and soothed her until she fell back into a peaceful sleep. He hated the thought of her being scared but after all she had been through with that asshole, he understood. Maybe he should have listened to Sam and just took the bastard out. It would be no great loss to the world but he still thought a legal route was their best bet. Santiago deserved to rot in jail for all the harm he had caused Anna and for killing her only ally in life. But she wasn’t alone anymore. He would stand by her side through all this and she was going home with him. There she would have his family, too. He covered her with a blanket and stood staring at her for a few minutes. She was beautiful and he knew in his heart he could no longer fight his feelings for her. He could feel it deep down in his soul. He was okay with it, too. Sam had been right. The difference was he trusted Anna. She wasn’t interested in playing games with his heart.
David arrived and they went into Sam’s room so they wouldn’t disturb Anna. Blake made sure he left the door between the rooms open.
“Anything going on?” Blake asked David.
David shook his head and pulled his laptop out of his briefcase. “I took the day off tomorrow so we’re good. I looked up the First National Bank.”
He showed them the pictures of the bank’s exterior and the lobby. He pointed to a big heavy wooden door where they kept the safe deposit boxes. “Anna can say I’m her accountant and I’ll go back to where they keep the safe boxes. Sam and Victor can find places outside to keep an eye out and, Blake, you can handle the front lobby while we are in the back. Hopefully we are undetected, but it’s better to be prepared that Santiago knows we are here.”
David pulled out some pictures. The first one was of a tall lean man with slicked back, black hair and a thin mustache. He was dressed in an elegant suit and wore a gold ring on his finger.
“I have to say I’m really hoping the bastard tries something. He caused Anna a lot of pain and deserves payback.”
