by Sofia Aves
Those two words filled my heart. I wound my arms around her, never wanting to let her go. Something niggled in my mind.
“Afterwards, you said something, when you were crawling across the carpet. I think I passed out,” I smiled at her, apologetic. “What was it?”
Her face was unreadable as she looked at me. She leaned down, which must have been excruciating, brushing her lips against my ear.
“I love you.” It was a quick, breathy whisper, but I could replay those words over forever. She lowered her head to my shoulder, just resting, but I needed to see her face.
“Mila, I–”
Her fingers pressed over my lips, cutting off my words, but I got my wish. She looked into my eyes, so deep I prayed she’d never leave. She shook her head.
“You don’t need to say it.” She lowered her head, but I caught her chin with my fingers.
“Yes, I do.” I ran my fingers over her cheek, tangling them in her hair. “I love you, Mila.” Her eyes closed, and she let out a long breath. I pulled her to me, stealing her air with the gentlest of kisses.
Cops and paramedics bustled around us, bystanders kept at bay behind yellow tape that cordoned off the area.
Liam stood with a pair of federal police, notable for their suits amongst a crowd of uniforms. He waved me over. I grimaced, hating the political aspect to come, glad it was Liam that dealt with the bureaucracy, not me.
Very gently, I placed Mila on the step I’d been using as a seat. It was warm, at least, and protected from the chill breeze that evening afforded us. She clutched a water bottle. I motioned at an ambo on the way to Liam, requesting a blanket and some company for her.
She’d need to be checked, regardless of how determined she was, though I’d be damned if she’d go without me. I gave the paramedic a few extra instructions before I approached the Suits, noting that I’d counted Liam as one of them. I cringed internally, face austere.
Would I become one of them within a few years? My career had been fast-tracked to get me to where I needed to be to hunt Logan. Now it was done, where was I headed? I needed a new direction, and while the future of the team was uncertain, I had a feeling my personal life led to Mila.
I threw her a grin back over my shoulder. Paramedics accosted her, surrounding her in a small group. She grimaced, holding her arms out while an ambo prodded her ribs. A wince crossed her face, and the crowd descended on her. I walked away smiling, knowing she was cared for in my absence.
How I felt for her had crept up on me. I grinned as I walked over to Liam, though it faded as I faced the glares from the local bureaucrats. God, I hated this part.
The chatter ceased as I joined the group. For a moment, it was only eye contact and staring each other down. They might call me the Great Dane, but it was the little yappy bastards you needed to watch out for.
Liam stood still and relaxed, but I knew from the slope of his shoulders he was on edge. I resolved not to add to his stress, though I never broke eye contact with the two smaller men. Finally, one coughed, breaking the awkward silence.
“So, you finally caught him, eh? Took you long enough.”
I tried to rein in my glare, but it wouldn’t hold. The other man smirked at me as if knowing my struggle.
“The Great Dane. My congratulations. What are you going to do, now that you’ve caught your bank robber?” It was said with disdain.
Wayde Logan was a hell of a lot more than a bank robber, but I wasn’t going to say that. I opened my mouth to retort, the slightly balding man’s eyes gleaming beneath the street lights. Liam puffed out a cloud of steam.
“Smith, he’ll be after your job if you keep spinning shit like that.”
“He’ll never get my job,” the small man sneered, teeth gleaming.
Liam nodded genially, smiling.
“Then I guess he’ll have to have mine.”
There was silence in our small circle. I tried not to gape at Liam; what the hell was he playing at? The other two regarded him in something like shock. I had the impression of laughter being well reserved. They both nodded to Liam, ignoring me, and walked away. I turned to my boss and friend.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Liam slowly turned to face me, relaxed at face value, though I could feel the energy radiating from him; it was what made him so formidable. I thought of the way he looked at Selena, how strong and energetic she was. They would be a power couple if Liam ever got himself together enough to ask her out.
“I’ve always groomed you for my job, Cal. You know that.” His tone was slightly rebuking, though I didn’t resent him for it.
“I know that, but not now, not this early–”
“You’ve just come off the back of a major win. If you want it, now is the time.”
I just stared.
“What will you do?” I was at a loss to ask anything else.
“I was thinking of retiring.”
“You can’t retire. You’re not even forty, for god’s sake.”
Liam shrugged.
“With the help I’ve had from Selena’s father in setting up investments, I don’t need to be here. The job is yours; if you want it.”
The world stopped for me. This was the dream job I’d been chasing for years, what I’d worked towards while hunting Logan. But the team was at a loose end; if we wanted to stay together as a unit, we’d have to fight for it, and hard. I couldn’t do that from a chair upstairs, stuffed into meetings all day with a bunch of suits. I wasn’t one of them, not yet.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. But…it’s not the right time yet, for me. I still have these guys to look after.” I nodded to the small cluster where Danny, Micah and Black stood. Jenny hovered next to Black, and he slipped an arm around her shoulders beneath my gaze. Danny held an ice pack to his head. He would be daunting, in future, with more focus on the job.
“Professional development course. Should be one coming up in a few weeks.”
Liam had read my mind. Danny caught my eye, and I smiled wryly in return, considering. I nodded at him and turned back to Liam. He surveyed me thoughtfully and gave a small nod.
“When you’re ready then.”
I knew it was me he was talking about, not Danny. Liam departed with a small smile, aiming for the suits, ready to go into battle again. It hit me with a jolt that he hadn’t expected me to accept; he was setting me up for a future in his role. Now he’d announced the succession publicly there would be eyes on me — and the team. We needed to choose our next job carefully.
Everyone would be watching what we did next.
Logan was escorted from the building — cuffed — to an unmarked car. No special treatment or press for this man, he enjoyed it too much. His lip lifted in a snarl. I smiled inwardly; he was still trying to get a rise from me. I turned my back to him, walking slowly over to my team.
Mila stood on the other side of Black, flanked by the boys. I knew Black was happy in his role but wasn’t sure about the younger two. Micah had some serious skills, and his own toys — the man was a weapon in himself. Danny, on the other hand, needed to specialise.
A professional development course would secure him a future if he wanted it badly enough. He wasn’t stupid, by any means. He had issues with authority — his fling with Mandy showed that — but it wouldn’t last.
Once he was free of distraction, I could channel his energies into something more long term. Liam had done me a favour, tracking my career and guiding me when I needed it. I couldn’t do any less for my team.
Mila stepped away from Black, straight into my arms. I drew her gently into me, looking at them all over her head. Danny fidgeted, sliding from one foot to the other. I wondered how much of the conversation with Liam had been overheard.
“What’s next, boss? You still hanging out with us plebs?”
I grinned, tugging Mila into my shoulder. Damn, but the woman felt good there.
“You lot are stuck with me for a while yet. We’ve had a huge victory today; you all work
ed your asses off for it. Probably have the pick of whatever job you want right now,” I said the words casually, letting the idea hang in the air. I’d handpicked this team, but I didn’t want anyone staying if they needed to be elsewhere. One by one, they shook their heads.
Finally, Black nodded to me.
“You heard the man. What’s next?”
If you loved Cal & Mila’s story, please head to amazon to leave a review for Collision:
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book has been so, so much fun to write, and I can’t wait to share all the boy’s stories with you! But there’s a LOT more to putting a book together than just putting words on a page — or screen. This one started during NanoWriMo — a month of the year when writers madly attack their keyboards. Thanks to the Nano team, Blue Blooded Brothers was born.
Mr. A - thanks for supporting me with a growing collection of gorgeous notebooks and diaries. It keeps the walls (mostly) free of scribbles.
The Australian police community I’ve spoken to for information on task force structure, undercover work and general police culture, you guys have been amazing! Thank you and honestly, most of it made it in - in one form or another!
To Jacinta, for writing ridiculous good (but fun!) fanfic with me on a public forum. Your crazy keeps mine sane.
Jem - thanks for pushing back the demons. No mean feat. And for some amazing feedback.
My beta & ARC teams - you guys make all the difference! Thank you for picking apart my book, and stitching my ego back together afterwards.
My amazing editor - thanks for the countless hours you put into bringing Cal and Mila to life and teaching me something new every week.
And to you, the reader - I write for you. Thanks for getting this far into my story. I hope you loved my boys, imperfect as they are. Their stories (and their HEAs) are coming.
Sofia xx
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sofia is a romantic suspense author from Brisbane, Australia. She started writing romances when she couldn't find the books she wanted on the shelves in her local bookstore and became addicted to storytelling. She exists on a diet of coffee and champagne and routinely kills her collection of tortured orchids.
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Politics and Paperwork
A Blue Blooded Brothers Novella
Liam is constantly swamped beneath the politics of managing an elite task force. Now, given more downtime than he can handle, the ex-special ops sniper flounders to find purpose outside the strict rigours of his working day.
Selena has been Liam’s best friend for nearly fifteen years. Elegant and intelligent, and a partner in her own law firm, she’s helped Liam through difficult cases, as well as the aftermath of PTSD. Watching Liam drown in day-to-day life, Selena ups the stakes with a little flirting to restore life to the man she adores.
When a series of vandalisms target Selena, Liam is determined to keep the captivating solicitor safe, so long as she lets him. Intent on playing her game by his own rules, Liam risks an uncertain future for the woman he’s always loved.
Liam and Selena’s story will continue in RECKONING.
Keep reading for a sneak peek of Danny’s story in BLINDSIDED, Book 2 in the Blue Blooded Brothers series…
BLINDSIDED
CHAPTER ONE
DANNY
Mandy chattered away as she texted, her bosom swaying provocatively. Did bosoms sway, I wondered, watching them bounce around beneath her skin-tight top. Perky nipples pressed against the stretchy, orange material, making it quite clear she wasn’t wearing a bra. Again. Which should have been mesmerising.
But it wasn’t.
A little niggle in the back of my mind suggested it was something I should have noticed before we left my apartment this morning. I’d thrown on a muscle tee and a pair of running shorts — standard weekend fare, though it was the middle of the week.
What the hell was wrong with me? I loved boobs. And legs, and a good butt. Mandy had all of those, but suddenly, it had all stopped working for me. Which meant one thing.
It was over.
I scratched the back of my head, stretching back against my chair, keen to put as much distance as possible between my girlfriend and me. Blue eyeshadow from last night smudged her eyebrow on one side. It gave her a slightly clownish look when she briefly raised her eyes to me, still talking before she returned to her screen.
How many of the hours we’d spent together had she been on the damned thing? Thinking back, the only time I’d looked at her face had been in bed — and that was only half the time.
I nodded, trying to keep up with the rambling diatribe that shifted from friend to friend and who they were currently doing — it varied, day-to-day. Studying her, fingers jabbing at her phone, limp curls flipping and bobbing around her face, a sudden pang gripped my stone heart. If I walked away now, I’d leave her in a pile of tears, in a coffee shop.
In public.
It was potentially social anathema, and I didn’t want to be an asshole to her. She was cute, and we’d had fun. But now…I groaned a little, understanding how Cal must have felt. Another groan left my throat as my situation fully hit me. I was about to dump my boss’ ex.
Who I’d been fucking for the last three months — admittedly, it had lasted longer than either of us had ever anticipated. And I’d punched my boss, in the face, when he hadn’t expected it. He suggested I’d needed to reassess my life — which was when I’d walked away. In the last case we’d worked together, I’d made a lot of mistakes — including letting his girlfriend get kidnapped on my watch. I winced at the thought.
I stared out the window where the café overlooked the lake and the park centred around it. Joggers flitted past, flustered uni students with bunches of dogs dragging them from tree to tree. Near the edge of the water, a lone figure ran at a steady pace.
Long, shapely legs covered in black workout tights and a white crop displayed a toned, tanned figure. She was running at a decent pace too, as it looked fast from where I sat. I knew the café was situated a decent distance from the lake. I knew because that was my circuit.
Something sharp poked me. I looked down to see a pointed, glitter-covered nail poking my bicep.
“Ouch? I asked with a mild rebuke. Mandy gave a sexy smile, or what I supposed was meant to pass as one, as she was still wearing last night’s makeup.
“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” she drawled, though she wasn’t from the south. Or west. Or America, for that matter. Aussies may have some interesting accents and slang, but we never drawl. From what I’d gathered, Mandy had always lived in cities and never strayed far from her high-priced hairdresser or nail technician.
I nearly snorted. Rule one in the boyfriend book, if there was such a thing, is never ask a man what he’s thinking. Bad juju right there. I glanced out the window, but the runner I’d been watching was long gone.
Stalker, much?
Peering around the thick window frame, I jumped when I was poked again, this time banging my head on the glass.
“Ow.” I clutched the same spot as before, looking back at Mandy. She sat there, attempting to look sexy — or sweet, I couldn’t tell which — dull hair hanging limply around her face with those razor-sharp talons that had cost me half a week’s wages, and I said it. Honestly, it was meant to come out kinder, as a compliment, something.
But really, I was as brutal as they come.
Still rubbing my head where I’d banged it on the window, the words just slipped out.
“Mandy, I can’t do this anymore.”
It was like she’d been waiting for it. Tears on tap, they erupted from her in waves. I tried to reach out — pat her, wasn’t
that what you did when faced with emotional trauma? Remnants of mascara quickly tracked her cheeks until she resembled a washed-out panda.
Tears always put me on my back foot. Widow’s tears, even parent’s, I could deal with. Anything to do with the job. But not personal ones. And when you’d fucked a girl seven different ways on your couch —and hers — things got classed as pretty personal.
She slapped her hand flat on the table, glaring at me as she knocked over her coffee, then scrambling to dry her claws on her skimpy top. She whacked me with her dripping phone on her way out the door. The place was silent, and I realised everyone was looking my way. Social anathema? Only for me. She’d gotten away with that one scot-free. Hell, she could probably blog it, and make a mint.
My throat burned with self-disgust, which quickly moved to self-loathing. I gave it a few more seconds before I made my move, just to put a little distance between us, hoping to god I wouldn’t find her waiting at my truck.
Rising, I tossed money on the table, taking care to slip a few extra notes down. The waitresses had to deal with the fallout from this morning’s domestic disaster — pretty much the story of my life.
I nodded sharply to the patrons at the next table. A tiny lady hidden beneath a swath of purple curls glared at me, and I made my exit in haste.
I was still shaking my head when the elevator doors pinged open to the office. Slightly dazed, I was halfway through the bland reception area when I realised the place was absolutely silent. Steph wasn’t at the reception desk. Peering into the fishbowl that represented our Incident Room and general office area, I noticed a frazzled head of red hair in front of Cal’s desk. Steph was rigid — whether with anger or shock, I couldn’t tell.
After the mess with her last boyfriend — who turned out to be the younger brother of a murderous lunatic — it was unsurprising to see her at Cal’s desk. What was surprising, was that he’d taken several weeks to get around to firing her.