Of All the Luck! Page 5
“What are you up to, Xavier?” Griffin asked without any preliminaries.
“I take it Jacobson is with you?” The man’s voice came over the phone. “Smart kid, blue eyes, brown hair that needs cut. Wearing a jacket with jeans and athletic shoes. He’s there to get you and Victoria to a safe house. I learned that General Weatherby is out of jail and after Victoria. It was just your bad luck to be in the wrong place at the right time, Griff. They want her, and I’m not going to let them have her. Trust Jacobson. He’s smart in a tight situation, and believe me, Weatherby has so many hit men and women looking for Victoria that you don’t stand a chance if you don’t accept my help. I swear that I didn’t bug you. It was Angela… All these years I trusted that young woman, and she was just biding her time until you met up with Victoria again. I’m trying to use her as bait to call off the old man, but I’m not sure it will work.”
“Okay, Xavier. I’ll put my trust in you, but if anything at all happens to my wife, there will be no place on earth you can hide from me.”
“I hear you, man. I owe you this one. Let me do what I do best.” He hung up on Griffin and Griffin gave Jacobson his phone back.
“Get dressed, Victoria. We’re going with Jacobson.”
She nodded and rushed to do as she was told. It felt good to know that another person was on their side. Once she was dressed, they made sure the room was ‘clean’, and then they were on their way. They left the jeep behind and went with Jacobson in his van. It looked like it was on the verge of total collapse from the body, but he told them it was practically brand new; Xavier’s idea to throw off anyone who was good at spotting undercover vehicles.
Jacobson headed north and he drove steadily, not stopping for coffee, gas, or anything else. “I have an extra gas tank on this baby. We won’t be leaving any clues that can be picked up by asking around. If you need to pee, there is a toilet in the back. Not much privacy, but it’s better than wet britches, Victoria. I won’t peek,” he promised with a cheeky grin.
Victoria decided she could hold out as long as the men, which was hilarious when she thought about it. Griffin was like a camel, and he could go all day without relieving his bladder. He used to complain about needing to stop so often for her to go to the bathroom. This trip was no exception. She ended up making her way to the back of the van to use the makeshift toilet, and decided it was indeed better than having wet pants.
“Feel better?” Griffin asked with a knowing grin.
“Yes,” she admitted, embarrassed. “How much further are we going, Jacobson?”
“Several more hours, Victoria. Why don’t you get some sleep? I know you have to be tired out. You too, Griff…”
“I think one of us will stay awake, kid. I’m still not completely sold on this idea.”
“Suit yourself. I have nothing at all to hide. What kind of music do you like? I think I have some oldies that might suit you.”
“Smart mouth,” Griffin said.
“I don’t like to be called ‘kid’. I’m a lot older than I look.”
“I doubt that. You look about twenty-two.”
“I’m thirty-one,” he stated. “Do you think Xavier would entrust the two of you to a green kid fresh from Quantico?” He laughed. “My baby face is why Xavier likes me. No one thinks me as capable as I am. I blend in and look like someone’s kid or little brother.”
“You had me fooled,” Griffin admitted. “How much farther are we going?”
“Vermont. We have a nice cabin there. It’s pretty secluded. You’ll have your privacy, but I’ll be there in case I’m needed. Xavier issued me a new phone, and we checked it ourselves for bugs. Angela had no knowledge of this van, so it’s clean, too. She managed to have bugs planted in both your phones, your car, and your bag, Victoria. Griffin kept throwing them away, and I think by the time you got to the last motel, you found all of them.”
“How on earth did they manage that?” she wanted to know.
“Angela wanted to be prepared when her grandfather was released. With the bugs she was certain she could find you at any time. She didn’t count on Griffin showing up, but she’d bugged his phone just in case you called him for help.”
“What about the mission that went wrong? Did she have anything to do with that?”
“No. It was Xavier’s fault. He was given false information. He called off the locals, but not until you were shot. How is your wound?”
“Healing. I’m fine. Victoria is a good nurse.”
They drove for several more long hours and all of their stomachs were growling from lack of food. Jacobson refused to stop anywhere, even at a rest stop where there were vending machines. “I’ll have to install a fridge in this thing and keep it stocked for emergencies like this one. I hope one of you can cook when we get there. I can’t even make coffee in a coffee maker.”
They finally arrived. Jacobson killed his lights about two miles before he turned off a major highway, and then he took a gravel road to another gravel road, which led to a cabin hidden from view by a heavy span of trees. “I’d rather you didn’t use any flashlights if you can see well enough with the moonlight.”
“Lead the way; we’ll follow,” Griffin stated, not about to let the kid know that both he and Victoria had excellent night vision. He made a play of helping her and stumbling a bit himself to make it look real. He also had his hand on his gun, and he knew that his little wife had her gun in her hand as well. They would not be taken off guard.
Victoria was relieved when they went inside and checked out the place that no one was waiting inside to attack them. There was a nice lounge area with a fireplace. It appeared cozy. There was a small galley type kitchen, and a nice bar with stools where they could eat. The bedrooms were on either side of the cabin. Jacobson said he would take the smaller one; she and Griff were placed in the other one. Both bedrooms had their own bathroom, so the cabin was very comfortable. The only thing that was different about this space was the windows. They were small, and at the top of the walls. No light could shine through and no one could see inside. The doors were heavily locked, and for all intents and purposes, once the car was parked inside the garage, the house would look uninhabited. Victoria felt herself relax a bit.
“What do we have in the way of food?” she asked, heading for the kitchen. She looked in the fridge and saw that it was well stocked. She was elated. The pantry cupboard was well stocked, too, and she quickly grabbed a can of chicken, another box containing broth and some packaged noodles. She found some frozen veggies in the small freezer above the refrigerator. There were some fresh dinner rolls, too. They would eat in style while they were here.
A while later Jacobson remarked, “This is good, Victoria. I’m glad you made plenty.” He’d just finished his third helping of the chicken and noodles.
“Thanks, but it was just a fast meal. There are meats in the freezer we can use, and tomorrow we will eat better.”
“I know you two haven’t had much sleep. Why don’t you go on to bed and I’ll clean up the dishes and put the leftovers away,” Jacobson offered. When Griff gave him a hard look, Jacobson held up his hands in surrender. “I swear I am not the enemy, Griff. You can trust me.”
Griff finally nodded. “I want to keep my wife safe,” he said firmly.
“I want to keep her safe, too.” He looked sincere and Griff decided to trust him.
“Come on, honey. We need to get some rest… after we have a little discussion,” he tacked on almost carelessly.
Victoria knew exactly what Griffin was talking about. She’d known all day that sooner or later he was going to call her to task for letting Jacobson in the motel room when she was told not to answer the door. She found her knees were weak as she followed Griffin into the room they were to share. “I know what you are going to say, but I did question Jacobson through the door, and I heard sincerity in his voice. I was very careful when I allowed him to enter the room, and I kept a gun on him the entire time. He kept saying that we should
get out of there, but I wasn’t about to leave without you. We are no longer married, Griffin Conway, so you just get that look off your face and out of your eyes!”
“You earned yourself a spanking and you know it, Victoria. I should have tanned you earlier, but I was nice enough to wait for some privacy. Now get out of those clothes and bare that pretty butt for me.”
“I don’t want to, Griffin!” she wailed. “I’m not some little girl any longer! I am an adult, capable of making decisions.”
“You should have made the decision to obey me, but you didn’t, and now you are going to get a nice, long spanking. Take off your jeans and panties, and let’s get this over with before I start adding extras with my belt.”
“Griffin! Noooo!” she pleaded.
“Yes, Victoria. Now.” His eyes met hers and she knew he was fast losing patience. She did not want extras with his belt. Those were always given to her sit spots, and they hurt so much it was nearly unbearable.
“What if we end up having to ride in a car again like we did today? I won’t be able to tolerate sitting.”
“We aren’t going anywhere, young lady.” He took several steps in her direction, only to have her back up… until she backed into a dresser. Griffin gently took her hand and pulled her to him. “One last chance to make this easy, honey. It expires in about five seconds from now.”
Victoria decided that she would make it easier on herself. When Griffin gave a punishment, he made sure it was not enjoyable; in the moment, and for a day or two after. She kicked off her shoes, and her hands went to the button on her jeans and soon they were lying on the floor. Her panties were next. She also removed her tee shirt because she did not wish to have to hold it up after the spanking was over. She left her bra in place because she needed some sort of covering to feel safe.
“Come on over to the bed, honey.” He sat down and then guided her face down over his left thigh. Her upper body was resting on the mattress of the bed, and he knew she would be more comfortable in this position since this was going to be a long spanking. Victoria needed a spanking to reconnect with him. She hadn’t complained one word about sharing the bedroom, and he figured a good spanking would ease the way back into their marriage.
The spanking started without any warning and Victoria gasped. The spank was not hard, and neither were the ones that followed. She realized that Griffin was slowing warming her skin, and that he intended to keep her over his knee for a very long time. Putting her in this position told Victoria that this would be a long spanking and her behind was going to hurt for a couple of days afterward. But, for now, his hand on her bottom was almost enjoyable. She’d missed Griffin, and even missed sharing his bed, and the spankings that were so much a part of him. Eventually the strength behind the spanks increased and her seat grew progressively hotter. Her sit spots and upper thighs were included, and Victoria cried out each and every time he landed a hard smack to those most tender of places. “Please, Griffin, stop! I will be more careful from now on,” she promised.
“Have we been apart so long that you think I am ready to end this spanking, Victoria?” he asked with a smile on his face. “We are nowhere near finished with this spanking. I think you need a damn good reminder of who is boss.” He spanked a bit harder and when she was crying out loud he suddenly stopped, put her on her feet, and then marched her to the corner. “I think you need to stand here and reflect on your behavior. What on earth possessed you to let a stranger into our room after you were warned not to answer the door?” He gave her bottom cheeks three lusty spanks and then said, “You stand here and reflect on your foolish behavior, young lady.”
Victoria hated standing in the corner. It always made her feel small. She knew when she let Jacobson into the room that she was taking a terrible chance. She truly should have obeyed protocol and obeyed Griffin. Had they been apart so long that she’d forgotten how seriously he took these matters? Or, had she wanted to push his buttons and see if he would react as he used to? Did she want a sound spanking? Her face flooded with color as she felt embarrassment heat her body from her toes upward. Would Griffin believe her if she attempted to explain how much she wanted him to be close to her… as he used to be? Spanking had always been a part of their relationship, and she missed it almost as much as she did making love with him.
“Well, young lady, what do you have to say for yourself?”
“I think I let him in the room to test you, Griffin. To see if you still cared enough to raise hell when I screwed up.”
“It was a foolish way to find out, woman!” he said, the palm of his hand connecting with her sore tush. “I love you, and yes, you earned yourself a spanking.”
“I don’t need the spanking, Griffin. I know I was very wrong, and I give you my word I won’t behave foolishly again. It was stupid to test you in this way. Could we please be done…? I believe we can find more enjoyable ways to reconnect.”
“Baby, you earned a good tanning, and now that I know why you let a stranger into our room, I am going to give you a spanking to remember.”
“Nooo, Griffin! I am terribly sorry, and I don’t need a serious punishment to know I was wrong. Please, just hold me now.”
He took her arm and pulled her over to the bed. To her shock, he placed pillows one on top of another and then he bent her over them, elevating her backside, and causing her toes to leave the floor. She was off balance and effectively helpless for whatever he planned to do.
“Please, Griff… Don’t do this!” she begged once more. “I’m sorry I tested you.”
“You will be even sorrier by the time I’m through taking my belt to your backside.”
“No! Not your belt. No, Griff… Please… I’m not ready for that!” He ignored her pleas and she heard him sliding the leather through the loops of his jeans. Victoria’s skin was delicate and a strapping always left welts for days… She didn’t want a strapping!
“Griff, this was not in the plan!” she said. “I only wanted a hand spanking, and I am plenty repentant. Honest, I am. Please don’t!”
“It isn’t going to work, young lady. You risked your life foolishly just to test my reaction. You had no idea if Jacobson was for real, and yet, you opened the door instead of telling him to sit in the lobby until I returned. I expected you to be safe, but you deliberately decided to test my reaction. That calls for a serious punishment.” He was done talking, and he brought the doubled belt down over the fullest part of her bottom. She cried out and he nodded in satisfaction. He knew how easily she marked and welted, and he didn’t want to cause injury. He was careful to space the stripes and keep them from overlapping. By the time he finished, Victoria’s backside was welted from the top of her buttocks to her knees. Her skin was a deep, dark red, and she was sobbing and promising she would never be so foolish again.
He helped her up and then wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I still love you, Victoria Conway, and I always will. Let me comfort you now and hold you through the night.”
* * *
“They have Angela, sir. They want you to come in or she will be charged with crimes against the country and she will spend the rest of her life in a maximum security prison. They are giving you twenty-four hours to decide.”
“Angela shouldn’t have been careless enough to get caught,” the elderly man said, his voice raspy. “Whatever happens is what she deserves. I want Victoria Conway, and I expect to have her tomorrow. Take another team out and find her.”
Chapter Five
Victoria was the first to wake up, and she had a satisfied smile on her face. Griffin broke his own rule about not making love after a discipline spanking, and set her on fire in a completely different way. When he whispered that there hadn’t been anyone else since she left, she believed him. It was true of her, too. She couldn’t imagine allowing anyone else to touch her in the same manner that Griffin did. She loved him, and without love, there was no way she would allow a man to touch her. Victoria was positive that Griffin wouldn’t make
love to her last night, but he seemed to need and want her as much as she needed and wanted him. He also made love to her during the night, and she was pleasantly sore in places that had seen no activity in a long time.
“Your smile is so beautiful to see first thing in the morning, Mrs. Conway.”
“Thank you, Griffin. You are responsible for my smile. I feel like I could curl up beside you and purr.”
“I missed you, sweetheart. I was a damned fool, and I know it. Do you think you will ever be able to forgive me for the way I treated you? I should have torn that bedroom apart until I found that note. I regret that I didn’t.”
“It is over and done, Griffin. We are both older and wiser now. I have a few regrets myself.”
“Such as?” His hand slid over her bare shoulder and down her arm, caressing her with his fingertips as he looked into her eyes.
“I shouldn’t have run away; I should have stayed and fought with you until we resolved the issue. I only took my problems with me, and I missed you. There were times I thought I would die of loneliness, Griffin. I loved you so much, and that kind of love doesn’t go away or die.”
Griffin pulled her close and kissed her possessively. “That love is still running through both of us, sweetheart. Now kiss me like you mean it,” he ordered.
Victoria obeyed him, and this time she gave herself completely. Griffin was her life.
* * *
“Where is your grandfather, Angela?” Xavier barked at the young woman sitting before him. She looked at him but didn’t answer. The same thing had been going on all night long, and Xavier was weary of her games. He made a decision he could very well come to regret, but Victoria’s life was on the line, and he owed Griffin Conway. The man was a fool to love that pain in the ass woman, but he did, and Xavier would give everything he had to protect Victoria from General Weatherby. “Angela, I have been very patient with you until now. I am going to resort to physical means to get you to talk unless you speak up right now.”