by Sofia Aves
Mila looked like she wanted to argue very much, but gave me one last, hard look, and turned on her heel, calling out cheerfully to Ashley. The woman was an actress. We were blessed because this sort of thing was my weakness — too job focussed, not gentle enough. I gave a wry grin.
I tapped my phone on my leg, unhappy with how this had played out. Bugger it; I’d have to call Liam. Something just didn’t ring right about this, and I wouldn't risk Ashley on a whim.
I pressed call on Liam’s number. I counted the rings by habit, pacing in a tight circle. He picked up right before it would have gone to voicemail.
“Cal!” he sounded surprised to hear from me. “How are you doing?”
“Good, Liam. Listen, you’ve called Black this morning, right?”
There was a pause before he answered.
“Yes. I have. What’s up?”
“Just wanted to check your orders. Seemed a bit ah, out of character?”
“Stick with the plan. It’s an open line, and I’m not risking this, Cal. Your team will be there soon. It’s to protect you and…all of you. Right?”
“You’re absolutely sure this is necessary?” I was loathed to say more. Liam was right — it was an unsecured line. My paranoia was getting in the way of my work. Damn Logan and his mind games. I ran a hand over my face.
“Yes. I’ll be back in three days. Look after everyone. You’ll be fine.” Liam hung up.
I’d see him in the morning.
MILA
I hung around the door, fussing with Ashley’s backpack. Ponies and pyjamas were stuffed haphazardly inside. I could swear there were more things in there than she’d arrived with. Jamming them in in a hurry had been a challenge without alerting the poor girl. She hadn’t wanted to leave Cal and me — something I wholeheartedly agreed with — though Jenny had been the draw card.
As soon as she found out she’d see her foster mother again, she was happy to go. I breathed with relief on that one — having her crying and screaming as she left would have torn my heart out. Traumatising her further than she already was, wasn’t on the top of my list.
After only a few days living with her, I was more attached to her than I had already been. The boys arrived in their typical fashion — en masse — and left the same way. Ashley had jammed herself in between Micah and Danny. Teddy crushed me in a huge hug, immediately interrogating me.
Warm eyes assessed me as he put me back down.
“Are you okay here? He hasn’t gone apeshit on you again, right?”
Teddy shot a contemptuous glare at Cal. I was surprised, knowing they were so close. I put a hand on his arm — it was so big my fingers didn’t stretch halfway around it.
“I’m fine,” I reassured him, though he didn’t look convinced. “Cal is taking care of me. And he hasn’t scared me…well, too much. No!” I shook my head, bringing Teddy’s attention back to me, “I had a nightmare this morning. He slept on the floor to make sure I was okay.”
I clamped my mouth shut before I could say anything more. If Teddy was already protective over me, hearing that his work buddy had gotten hot and heavy with one of his best friends wasn’t going to help the situation at all.
He nodded slowly.
“You look after you, okay? I’m going to go with Ashley, make sure she gets settled in. Danny will stay here — in the apartment if you’re okay with that; outside the door, if you’re not. Are you comfortable with him?”
Considering my experience with him was as one of Ashley’s makeover projects and knowing he had punched Cal because he was dating his ex, I couldn’t really say. But he seemed friendly enough, and I knew he would be safe if he was one of Cal’s hand-picked team.
He trusted the younger man — I was pretty sure he saw himself there, a few years back. Plus, it seemed rather rude to shunt someone who was looking after you outside the door for the day. I smiled at Teddy, nodding.
“Sure, that’s fine. He’s fine inside the apartment. Right?” Cal approached us.
“What’s happening?”
“You okay for Danny to stay inside the apartment with Mila?”
Cal turned to me. “Are you?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, that’s settled then.” Cal turned to Teddy. “We’re going to take the three trucks. They’ll still stand out, but we can use Micah’s monster as a diversion. We’ll leave now, and meet there in thirty-five minutes. If anyone is late, call it in.” He turned to me, slipping an arm around my waist.
Under Teddy’s watchful gaze, Cal drew me to him, leaving no room for me to pull away, and kissed me soundly in front of the whole room. When he raised his head, I was breathing deeply, every inch of me aching to touch him.
Danny and Micah gave whoops, swinging Ashley in the air. Teddy watched us in silence, the air heavy as he weighed Cal’s worth. Finally, he nodded. I looked up at Cal, who stared back, calm-faced but blazing eyes. I wrapped my arms around him, not caring who saw.
“Please be careful. With her and you, too.”
“I will be. I’ll be back tonight, for you.”
He said the words into my hair, sending shivers through me. He kissed me once more and with a rushed hug from Ashley, they were gone.
Danny grinned at me awkwardly, playing on his phone. The door rattled, and I jumped. Cal’s head popped back in, reaching to program the alarm. He waved, disappearing behind the closed door.
I wiggled my toes on the carpet, suddenly claustrophobic. Not even allowed to open the blinds — I understood why not, but still, it grated on me. For a girl with an open, old house and a big backyard, being cooped up in an apartment was bad enough. Not being able to see the sun was worse.
“Would you like a cup of coffee, Danny?”
He grimaced, waving his drink bottle at me. I assumed it had some sort of protein shake in it. The boys appeared to be mad on them. I stood at the edge of the kitchen counter, unsure of what to do next. My fingers drummed on a stack of A4 paper Cal had placed there this morning. Three graphite pencils sat on top of the pile.
I looked over at Danny, ridiculously seated at the small table, overflowing the chair, which I thought might collapse at any moment. An idea grew in my mind.
“Hey, Danny. Would you mind if I drew you?”
Eight hours later, I had a much smaller stack of paper in front of me, though sheets filled with random parts of Danny’s anatomy were scattered about the apartment. I followed him from table to sofa as he charged his phone. Mine still lay under the lounge, and I wasn’t game to pick it up yet. The stupid thing was probably flat. I knew I should charge it, in case Cal called or messaged but I was still too afraid to look at it. Finally, I gritted my teeth and decided it was time.
I pulled Danny’s phone off charge, scooping mine up to plug it in. Opening the screen, I tried to ignore all the messages scrolling through as I entered my password. I clutched it for a moment, then handed it to Danny.
“Can you please clear the messages? The ones at the top of the list, please?” I couldn’t look at them. I knew I’d be sick if I did.
“Sure, babe. You want me to block the number? Mind if I send these to myself? I’ll keep them as evidence for you.” I nodded. Danny did as I’d asked and passed the phone back. He flicked through the Netflix menu, settling on a sci-fi series I hadn’t heard of before.
No messages from Cal. Disappointed, I cleared my other messages and email for something to do.
“Can I make you food? Anything?”
In the end, I think he agreed to shut me up, and I stopped casting around for something to say.
Instead, I filled him up with as much as he would eat — which, for a young man in his twenties, I guessed, he was as fit as he could be.
“How many hours do you spend at the gym?” I asked as he devoured the third bowl of tuna and rice. He shrugged.
“Hour in the morning, hour in the evening. And I like to fight your boy, too. He’s damned fast. You don’t take your eyes off him.” He grinned, “not if you
don’t want your ass handed to you.”
It was odd to hear Cal referred to as my boy, but seeing as he had kissed me in front of everyone this morning, I supposed it was a natural conclusion. It still sat a little uncomfortably, nerves tingling with a sort of desperate hope that things would work out okay, now we’d announced ourselves to the world.
I fidgeted around in the fridge, trying to work out what I could make for dinner. Just cal and I. Butterflies rioted in my stomach at the thought. Need warred with common sense in my head.
I absently selected chicken, grabbing some parsley and cucumber from the crisper. I scored harissa paste in the pantry and started to make a marinade. The parsley I would turn into tabbouleh, maybe find some more vegetables for a salad later on. Danny poked his head over the breakfast bar.
“Looks good. Boss said he’ll be back in an hour. Mila, any chance you have enough of that to share for tonight? Just to take home. Mandy is coming round, and– look, I can’t cook. My Mumma, she can cook for anyone, but I’m no kitchen bitch. Oops, sorry. No offence.”
“None taken. There’s a box in the fridge ready to go. A big one. But you have to cook it; I’ve left instructions on the lid.”
Danny leaned over the bench, giving me a one-armed hug. “You’re the best, Mila.”
“I try.”
Danny cleared his throat, leaning on the counter. “So….” I stopped rubbing my batch of chicken, waiting. “Cal. He, uh, seems okay with me seeing Mandy, right? I mean, she’s his ex. It probably wasn’t my smartest move.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Probably.”
“Has he– has he said anything?” Danny shuffled, uncomfortable. “I mean, he is okay with it, right?”
I gave him a reassuring smile. “I think so, Danny. It hasn’t really come up, we’ve been a bit…” I gestured at the apartment, bereft of ponies, though the glitter remained. I suddenly missed Ashley very much. “He’s not angry with you. Well, there was that punch.”
The enormous cop had the grace to look sheepish.
“Well, yeah, I mean...” He coughed into his hand. I resumed rubbing spices into the chicken pieces I’d trimmed. “I shouldn’t have. But…Mandy said some things, and I believed her. You know.”
I didn’t, of course, but I let it go. I covered the chicken in its bowl with plastic wrap and washed up so I could make the salad. The parsley was fresh and aromatic — one of my favourite herbs to cook with. Danny leaned expectantly on the counter.
“Danny, have a think for a second. You’re dating your boss’ ex — recent ex from what I hear? You’re worried he’s still in love with her; I honestly don’t think so, but hey, I could be deluding myself. And she’s probably made up some sob stories to get your attention and sympathy, maybe? You felt all protective of her?”
Danny nodded, running his hand over his head in a familiar gesture.
“Yeah…”
“She just wants to know you’re putting her first.” I raised my hands quickly, “Which, of course, you do, but she’s also probably still sore about the break-up. Just be wary she isn’t on a rebound, and don’t let her come between you and your job, okay, Danny? You have the most amazing team in the world. The four of you have something really special — don’t waste that.”
I felt like a mother hen tutoring a student, but Danny looked happier. He leaned over for another hug.
“Five.”
“Huh?”
“There’s five of us. You’re right; it is Cal’s team. He selects us, motivates us, keeps us going when we’re bored, or frustrated. But Liam — he’s something else. Ex-military. He’s hard. And shit scary. But he’s a leader — all of us, we’d follow him anywhere. You’ll like him. He and Cal are good mates.”
“I’m glad you have each other. That’s a huge thing, Danny. You might not find a team like this anywhere else.”
“Thanks, Mila. Really.”
“It’s okay.” The parsley was finished, and I added some mint in, alongside chopped peppers. I kept tomatoes aside for the chicken salad.
“What made you want to be a cop?”
Danny looked sideways at me.
“What made you want to be an artist?”
I stopped cutting and looked up at him sharply. His eyes twinkled, and I realised the façade he put on was just that. A brawny outer was a solid cover for a much smarter man hiding behind what others couldn’t see past.
“Those smarts must be handy in your job, hey?” I heard his snort as he huffed air out. I looked up quickly, knowing I was bordering on pushy now. “Whoever the girl is you’re with, make sure she’s at least as clever as you.”
Danny caught my eye, and a smile flickered at the corners of his mouth. The door rattled, and he was out of his seat, gun drawn and cocked — I recognised the sound — before I had blinked. Every time I saw these boys in action, I realised the incredible level of training and tenacity they had. As a unit, their capability increased tenfold. I was beginning to realise just how lethal Logan must be to evade Cal’s team for so long.
Cal sauntered in, flicked the alarm off, and flipped the bird to Danny.
“I called you, asshole. Not my problem if you don’t pick up your phone.”
“It’ll be your problem if I put a fucking bullet in your head.”
“Nah, you’ll miss me too much.”
Danny hugged him, calling to me over his shoulder. “Mila, you got that chicken, babe?”
I was already passing him boxes which he collected under one arm.
“Instructions are on the post-it on top. Low heat, so it doesn’t burn. The salad is made, and there’s dressing on it already, so don’t add anything else. Serve it with all the greens on the bottom, cooked chicken on top, and scatter some of the salad over it. Oh, and get a Semillon. Like this,” I held up a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Reserve.
Danny engulfed me in a two-armed hug, and I disappeared beneath a wall of muscle. I patted his back, waiting to be released so I could breathe.
“You’ll be fine.” I kissed his cheek. “Good luck.”
“Thanks, Mila. See you tomorrow. Bye, dude.”
The door clicked behind him. Cal locked it all up, frowning at the alarm. He tapped it impatiently, then pulled the cover off.
I put everything in the fridge, pulling out plates and cutlery. I guessed we wouldn’t eat until later, but knowing how intense their days were, I wanted to have food for him ready when he needed it.
It might have sounded old fashioned, but at least cooking was something I was confident in. Cal appeared from the hallway leading to the foyer as I was cleaning up.
“Damned alarm is fu– buggered, again. Are you okay to have the repair guy back tomorrow? Danny is happy to do the extra shift.”
I nodded, though something small inside my stomach crumpled. He’d had time to message Danny, but not me? I shook my head. I was being silly; these boys had work to do.
“How did Ashley settle in?”
Cal leaned on the counter, almost exactly where Danny had been standing earlier.
“Famously. As soon as she saw Jenny, she was good. They really missed each other.”
I forced a smile, truly glad Ashley had been reunited with her foster mum, but it didn’t make missing her easier.
“I think I’ll leave the glitter in the carpet for a bit,” Cal said the words casually, but his gaze was on me. I chewed my bottom lip, shocked when tears sprang into my eyes. I turned away to hide them.
“Thank you,” I murmured, hovering near the fridge. “Would you like a drink? I know it’s been a huge day…”
Cal moved fast, pressing one hand on the fridge door to shut it, the other snagging my waist, so my back was to the kitchen wall. His gaze was intense, sending tiny shocks through me. His hand on my waist slid up to my rib cage, squeezing gently.
“I think I’ll have you instead.” His words were soft, but his voice was harsh. He laid his forearm above my head, closing the space between us with his physical pres
ence.
I looked up into his eyes, letting him see me — all of me; nervous, scared, and wanting.
He leaned down, brushing my mouth in a touch so light it was barely there. He trailed his lips across my cheeks, down the side of my neck. Gooseflesh raised everywhere he touched me, shivers chasing them across my skin. Cal paused, drawing back. A small noise escaped my throat, and he smiled, though the look in his eyes was hard, setting my heart racing.
“Mila, will you let me do this my way?”
It was said as a whisper, asking permission. Trust me. I nodded, barely able to catch my breath. The fire in his eyes darkened, and I couldn’t look away. He collected my wrists in one hand and raised them over my head. His hold was gentle, nothing forced, or fast, as I’d expected. Instead, waiting for him to touch me was agonising.
I desperately wanted him to kiss me, but every time I leaned towards him, he moved away, teasing my skin with the lightest kisses, his thumbs rubbing tiny circles over my wrists, across my palms.
I writhed against him, and he pressed his knee between my legs, holding my gaze. He pressed up, hard, and I whimpered, sensation enveloping me until I was gasping. He pressed his knee higher, and I remember the night he’d had me on the counter, his fingers between my lips. His gaze never wavered, never released me. I arched, wanting his hands on me, his mouth on mine.
His knee pressed higher, sliding me up the wall until my toes barely touched the floor. Balancing against him left pressure on my core where my jeans pressed against the sensitive flesh there.
I breathed hard through my nose, eyes fluttering for a moment as I scrambled not to lose myself so fast.
“Cal,’ I whispered. “Please–”
His mouth crashed down, tongue sweeping across my lips, demanding access. I couldn’t hold back wanting him, curving my neck to let him kiss me deeper. His tongue slid inside, flicking, playful, pressing his knee against me in a rhythm that was all him. I moaned, every inch of me liquid.
I stopped fighting to stand; letting him take my weight. He drew back from my mouth, eyes on mine again, and I knew I wouldn’t have mercy from this man, not tonight. His knee pressed again, and again, and I gasped as my whole body tightened, arching against the wall.