Chasing Bad Boys 3_A Bad Boy Romance Series Read online

  “Please tell me you’re close.” This time, she sounded even more afraid. Anna’s voice was shaking.

  “I’m five minutes out. Where are they keeping him?”

  “Thank God.” She sighed in relief. “They’re at the Henderson’s barn. It’s on the west edge of town. Be careful, Jimmy. That place is pretty secluded and it’s been abandoned for years.”

  “I will. Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll get him home.”

  Jimmy arrived at the barn in question with just twenty minutes to spare. It was very big and more than twenty yards away from the edge of the road. Tall, dry grass had almost completely covered the large entrance. He pulled the red bag that contained the money out of the trunk and began to walk towards the rusty door, looking around him every few seconds. Anna was right: The closest house was two hundred feet away and to the left of the faded, gray fence of the estate.

  He put the bag down next to his left foot and placed his hands on the left edge of the door. It was heavy and the thick vegetation just three inches away from it made his work harder. The steel door creaked and picked up dust from the ground as he slightly pulled it open. Jimmy noticed that he could fit through the narrow gap. He picked up the bag, but just when he was about to step inside, someone put a gun in his face.

  “Who the fuck are you?” He asked, his voice nasal and deep.

  “I got your money.” Jimmy responded, keeping his cool.

  “Give it to me.” The man urged.

  “Not before I see Andy.” Jimmy groaned.

  “Let him in.” Another man’s voice bounced off the walls of the old barn. Then, the man at the door lowered his gun. He took a few steps back. Jimmy carefully walked into the dark, abandoned barn, as the stranger made his way back to his partner. Before he could speak though, the other man pointed a flashlight at his face.

  “Let me see the money.” He commanded. Jimmy raised his left arm at chest height, at the same time hearing the muffled cries and groans of a man. The man lowered the flashlight and pointed it at the red bag.

  “Where’s Andy?” Jimmy inquired, his voice firm and stentorian. He got no response. Another flashlight a few feet down the barn and to right was lit. The two men pointed their flashlights to the right and left almost at the same time, down at Andy. He was tied to a small, wooden chair, twenty feet across from Jimmy and slightly to the left. His hands were tied behind his back, his ankles were tied together and his mouth was duct-taped shut. Jimmy caught a glimpse of their figures. They were quite old and somewhat thin.

  “He’s fine.” The one on the left said. “We never laid a hand on him.”

  “Good. Cut him loose.” Jimmy urged.

  “The money first.” The same man added. Jimmy tossed the red bag on the ground, close to Andy’s feet. Then, the one on the right leaned towards it, picked it up, opened it and took a quick peek into it. He then looked at his partner across from him and nodded to him.

  “Do what he said.” He urged. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Peter. This guy here is Paul.” He spoke with a sarcastic tone, pointing his flashlight back up at Jimmy’s face. “I take it you’re Jimmy. Nice doing business with you, son.”

  “Whatever.” Jimmy hummed, as Paul cut Andy loose. “Come on, Andy. Let’s go home.”

  “Not so fast.” Peter interjected, pulling a cigar and a pack of matches out of his pocket. “You see Jimmy, I’m pretty mad at your buddy here. He kept saying he’d get us our money, but he didn’t. Do you like sports?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Jimmy squinted at him, as Andy slowly rose.

  “Oh, I love sports. Especially the track. Sprinters are my favorite.” Peter smirked at him, before striking a match. “I’m 72 years old. Paul’s 68. You guys are much younger. And since Andy’s the one that pissed me off… Paul!” He yelled, lighting his cigar.

  At that moment, Paul pointed the gun at Andy’s right calf. Before Jimmy could react, Paul pulled the trigger. The gunshot resounded in the massive barn. Andy’s body swayed forward. He landed hard on his left side and pulled his knee to his chest. He wrapped his arm around it, screaming in agonizing pain. Peter threw the match to his left, down at a big bale of hay. It caught fire immediately.

  “I’ll race you to the door.” He winked at Jimmy.

  “You son of a bitch!” Jimmy yelled, his voice riddled with rage. Whatever plans of revenge he had would have to wait. Andy was lying on the dusty ground and the barn would soon be filled with smoke. More than that, it was full of large bales of hay. Jimmy moved around and looked down at him. Blood had soaked his pants, all the way down to his calf. He was clearly in no position to run. Without much thought, he bent his knees almost all the way down. Jimmy put his right hand on Andy’s arm and gently pushed him to the left, so that he could lie on his back. Then, he placed both hands on either side of Andy’s midsection and pushed his body violently upward, as a second bale of hay caught fire. With Anna’s brother draped all over him, Jimmy started running towards the back door of the barn. The two felons were already more than fifty feet away. A third bale of hay lit up the barn, as smoke filled Jimmy’s nostrils. Two, flaming beams, landed just three feet across from him. Gritting his teeth, Jimmy jumped over them, as Peter reached the door. In a matter of seconds, the barn was engulfed in flames. Yet another beam fell on the ground. Luckily for Jimmy and Andy, it landed right behind them. Attempting to leave the barn as quickly as possible, Paul did not close the door. Jimmy was running so fast that he could not stop.

  He jumped outside, through the tall, dry grass. He landed flat and hard on his face and stomach. Andy fell and started rolling on the ground and finally stopped, less than a foot away from the road. Jimmy looked up and to the left, trying to catch his breath. Two police cars had blocked off the road. Peter was already in one of them, while a police officer was handcuffing Paul. Between them, the sight of the woman he was so hopelessly in love with: Anna. Noticing her brother on the ground, she ran towards him.

  “Andy!” She cried. Anna stopped on his right, sat back on her knees and leaned towards him.

  “I’m alright.” He gasped. She scanned his body from top to bottom, panting.

  “Oh, my God!” Anna squealed, spotting the blood on his calf.

  “Anna!” Andy yelled, as Jimmy rose. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll be fine.”

  Jimmy stared at her, trying to draw her attention. To no avail. She continued to talk to her brother. He ran his hand through his hair, as desperation took over him. Anna would not even glance at him. With his hands on his waist and gazing into the void, he passed her by. But, before he could cross the street, he sensed something on his wrist that he had so dearly missed: Anna’s featherlike touch. He turned around and faced her.

  “I can’t thank you enough for what you did.” She said, her voice low and sweet.

  “Actually, you can.” He disagreed, as the sound of an ambulance siren filled the air. “You know how.”

  “I can’t do this right now.” Anna sighed. “I need to take Andy to hospital.”

  Her short pause worried Jimmy, but, upon hearing the end of her sentence, he sighed in relief.

  “Ok.” He said with a nod. “I’ll be waiting for you at your place.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Jimmy had to give one more statement to the police for the second time in just a few days. Thankfully for him, this one did not take him long, either. He only spent an hour in the local police station. A few minutes later, he was standing on the pavement, gazing at her porch, the place where they had broken up. It was easily accessible; all Jimmy had to do was jump over her short, white fence.

  “I can’t believe I’m back here. I’ve missed you, Anna. I want to be with you, but if you won’t take me back, I got no choice but to leave. That job sounds promising. I’ve already traveled across the States, but I did that with Marty and Nicolas. Poor bastards… This time, I’m going to be traveling with a group of people and that’s got to be a hell of a lot of fun. It’s all up to
you.”

  Looking up in the sky, feeling tenser than ever, Jimmy heard the engine of her small Toyota. He would be honest with her. The last thing that he wanted was to keep secrets from her. Nevertheless, the news of his departure would be quite painful. Jimmy could not know how she would react to that. The click clacking of her heels on the hardwood floor sent shivers down his spine. But Jimmy would not face her. He chose to put his hands in his pockets and continue to look up at the hundreds of stars in the clear sky of Highland Park.

  “Andy was right.” Anna stated, as she got out of her living room. “He’s going to be just fine. They’re releasing him tomorrow. I should have told you not to wait here.”

  “Why’s that?” Jimmy inquired.

  “Because I didn’t know if I was going to spend the night there. He could be seriously hurt.” She explained.

  “I’m going away, Anna.” He confessed. “I’ve found a job. A real job.”

  “What?!” She exclaimed, forcing him to turn around.

  “I’m going to be a bodyguard.” Jimmy answered her question with a broad smile on his face. “My boss travels a lot and I love to travel. It pays much better than a nine to five job.”

  Anna was shocked to her core. Her jaw had dropped to the floor. She kept gazing into his eyes, speechless. The smile on Jimmy’s face widened. His announcement had brought him exactly what he wanted. He took two, slow steps closer to her, in eager anticipation of her reply.

  “What is it? I already live four hours away, in case you haven’t noticed.” He taunted her.

  “A job?” A sweet whisper left her lips. “How? When?”

  “Does it matter?” Jimmy wondered. “I’m done robbing trucks for a living. No more ambushes, no more…” He faltered. “Shooting people.”

  “Is that what you want?” She asked. Jimmy’s heart clenched at the sound of her quivering voice. Her eyes glimmered in the ample moonlight.

  “Yeah, it is. I don’t want to look over my shoulder anymore.” He said with a deep, heavy sigh. “There’s something else you need to know. I met my mother this morning.”

  “You did what?” All of a sudden, Anna’s voice turned into a high-pitched squeal.

  “Yeah. A nun told me she was still alive. She gave me her address. She lives just outside of San Antonio.” Jimmy spoke in a calm, steady tone.

  “That’s really great news.” She commented. “How was it?”

  “Emotional.” He groaned, unwilling to discuss it any further.

  “What did you mean when you said “You know how’? How can I thank you, Jimmy?” Anna interjected yet another question, her voice squeaky and wobbly this time. He dropped his gaze from her, pulling his right hand out of his pocket. Jimmy’s fingertips brushed her palm. The sensation sent his pulse rising even more. He took her warm, tender hand into his own palm, drawing in a deep breath.

  “Just say the word, baby.” Jimmy spoke, his deep, manly voice lowering to a love-filled whisper. “Tell me you want me back and I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Jimmy…” Anna whispered, with a bitter smile on her face as she raised her arm. Her hand cupped his cheek. Jimmy closed his eyes, allowing himself a second to savor her touch. “It’s not about what we want. It never was.”

  “You’re confusing me.” He complained, gazing into her big, beautiful, green eyes. “Why?”

  “When you told me the truth about you, I didn’t want to see you again. Ever.” She admitted. “I was so mad at you that I thought you had said everything, just to get me to sleep with you. But then, I remembered your eyes. So beautiful… So honest. Eyes never lie. I really wanted to get back together with you, just a couple of days after you left. But you know I couldn’t. I told you that when I came by your place. Now, you got a job and a family.”

  “I don’t care about the job!” He put a little force in his voice. “I can visit my mother. You’re all I want, Anna.”

  Jimmy was desperate to get a response, but got none whatsoever. Anna blinked back tears, before slowly lowering her eyes, as a light, northern breeze tugged at her long, whiskey hair. Her lips began to tremble, as a tear rolled down her cheek. Jimmy tightened his grip on her palm, as she ran her thumb across his cheekbone.

  “I can’t.” She spoke, her voice thick with emotion. “I can’t ask you to walk away from all that.”

  “Why?” Jimmy insisted. All of a sudden, she looked up at him. Her reddened, puffy eyes broke his heart. She squeezed two more tears out of them. Anna pulled her hand out of his grip and put it on his other cheek.

  “Because I love you too much.” She explained in an even lower, almost inaudible whisper. “I have to let you go.”

  Jimmy’s world was shattered to pieces. Her words had destroyed any hope he had of getting back together with her. His heart was beating so loudly that he could hear it.

  “I love you too, baby.” He confessed, as tears spilled out of his eyes. “This can’t be the end for us.”

  Anna did not seem surprised at all by his confession. She kept looking deep into his blue eyes, as she stroked his cheeks.

  “When you love someone, you want what’s best for them.” She whispered. “Even if that someone is no longer in your life.”

  “No, Anna.” He disagreed, his voice bass-deep with a hint of frustration in it. “When you love someone…” Jimmy paused, as his hands slowly slid up her arms. They reached Anna’s shoulders. He squeezed them gently, before pulling her close. “You live with them. See them every day. Talk to them. Feel them. They make your life better. Just like you did.”

  Neither of them spoke anymore. Jimmy bent his face towards Anna, angling his lips. Their mouths joined in a long, tender kiss, filled with the endless love that they had for each other. Jimmy entwined his arms around her back, as she caressed his face. Her touch was more featherlike than ever, sending sparks of electric currents coursing up and down his body. Sensing her trembling body back in his arms, Jimmy was blissful. Anna’s feminine scent filled his nostrils, as he caressed her shoulder blades with his fingers. He removed his mouth from her lips and trailed two short kisses across her cheek, before putting his head on her shoulder.

  “God, I love you so much.” Jimmy heaved a deep sigh.

  “I love you too, my Jimmy.” Anna sniffled, resting her head on his broad chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” He whispered.

  “I don’t want you to.” She continued, placing her hands on his shoulders. Gently pushing him back, Anna returned her gaze to him. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.”

  “I’ve missed you, my sweet Anna.” Jimmy softened his voice even more, as a big, happy smile spread across her glorious face. Her expression added further to his bliss. Anna’s eyes shined like diamonds in the night.

  It was at that moment that Jimmy’s desire took over him. It had only been a few days since their breakup, but he had missed his beloved Anna so much that he was desperate to touch her again. In a split second, his mind was filled with the images of their first kiss. He recalled his uncontrollable urge to kiss her and her late, but passionate reaction. Jimmy was dying to feel that same passion.

  Not wasting any time, he pressed his lips against her mouth. With a tight grip on her back, he lifted her off her feet with ease. Anna squeezed his shoulders, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His t-shirt and her jeans did not allow him to feel her flesh on his skin, but the flexing of her thigh muscles was enough to turn him on. Jimmy started towards her porch door, sensing her soft hands gliding up and down his neck. He stepped into her living room. As much as he was tempted, he did not stop there. Instead, he made his way towards her bedroom on the left, planning the perfect encounter in his mind. Their kiss grew in intensity, as he walked into her bedroom. Anna’s caresses became more demanding. Every two or three seconds, her long fingernails scratched his flesh, but only lightly. Jimmy would not complain; if anything, it aroused him.

  He eased her down on her bed and kick
ed his shoes away, before lying on top of her. Jimmy’s hands slowly slid the straps of her top down her shoulders. Too impatient for him to get rid of his shirt, Anna put her hands underneath it and used them to stroke his firm flesh. The sensation of her tender hands on his massive back gave Jimmy a raging erection. He leaned back, ending their kiss. Jimmy put his hands on either side of his t-shirt, pulled it over his head and tossed it on the floor. At the sight of his well-sculpted body, Anna couldn’t help but bite her lower lip. Her reaction put a cunning smile on Jimmy’s face. He looked down at her chest. She still had her strapless bra on, but he liked her cleavage so much that he licked his upper lip. Anna reached out both arms, grabbed Jimmy by the forearms and pulled him down onto her. But he wouldn’t kiss her just yet.

  “I love this body.” He whispered, his breath hot on her face. “I’ve been dreaming about you.”

  “Touch me, baby.” She urged, her voice low and husky. Of course, Jimmy needed no encouragement. He leaned forward and lay on top of her. Their fervent kiss sent him to heaven, as Anna ran her hands up his arms. They stopped on his neck. Jimmy pulled her bra down just enough to expose her left breast, before putting his hands on her upper arms. Feeling her hard nipple on his chest made his cock twitch. It was so hard that it was about to burst out of his pants. Anna tilted her head back, exposing her neck. Stroking the smooth flesh of her shoulders, Jimmy trailed hot kisses across her jawline, as her long, deep sighs of pleasure filled his ears. She slid her hands up the sides of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, as Jimmy made his way down to her chest.

  His mouth landed on the base of her neck, while his hand got busy by squeezing her breast. Sensing his long fingers on her erogenous zone and his full, hot lips on her chest, Anna pressed his head down onto her. Running his tongue up her neck, Jimmy went on to pull down the other cup of her bra. His hand was quick to grab her breast. Jimmy squeezed them both at the same time, feeling her body tighten underneath him. Anna’s legs twitched as he rolled her nipples between his fingers.