Healing Hearts 7: Anything for Their Love

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  He cursed under his breath and went into the office. He couldn’t even try to focus on the investigation. His mind was on Brook. When he had the chance, he was going to explain the rules to her—his way, and in a way that would get through to her. God damn it, Brook. Where the fuck are you?

  * * * *

  “This is interesting. These last two places recently had service done to the safes at their locations. Coincidence or what?” Torey asked.

  “Not sure, but this guy who works for the company is also listed as working at this warehouse as a loader for trucks. This isn’t the place on Cater. It’s a different location,” Brook replied.

  “We should check it out. If it turns out to be legit, then maybe we talk to this guy and see what he says about working for the company. He could be setting them up. Maybe he messed with the safe?”

  “That’s reaching, Torey, and it would be too neat and clean. Something isn’t right. Let’s see,” she said, and they drove to the location.

  They watched it for a while and saw legitimate trucks dropping off and picking up. There were a lot of workers there, too. When they saw a guy resembling the one that was described to them earlier, they watched him place a large box in the back seat of his car and then head out.

  “Shit, that looks suspicious,” Torey said.

  “Let’s follow him.”

  “I’ll call Conan. With our phones on vibrate, I missed the calls from him and, oh shit, the texts. I guess Yandi didn’t tell him where we went.”

  “I didn’t tell Yandi where we were going.”

  “I did. I thought we were heading to Cater.”

  “Well, it looks like we are now. He’s driving right to there.”

  “Hey Conan, yeah, my phone was on vibrate. We were talking to some people and got some leads. Listen, we’re heading to Cater. This guy we found out about is pulling in there now, and he took a box from the other warehouse. We’re getting a closer look.”

  Brook could hear Conan telling them to wait for backup and that he was on his way.

  “Look. The opening there shows a truck, white, black lettering. A pool company name. Didn’t one of the witnesses in the neighborhood see a pool maintenance truck in the driveway of that home invasion on Smith Court?” she asked.

  “Oh shit, yeah. Conan, get here. Brook can see one of the vehicles that may have been used in the robbery on Smith.”

  Brook could hear Conan’s firm reply. “You don’t move. Wait for us.”

  * * * *

  Brook looked at the men as they gathered by the cars. They put on their police jackets made sure they had their vests on and were ready for any kind of resistance. Conan gave the orders to move in and who was to go where. Brook was with Torey, Carter and Conan were together, and then a few other officers working the case with them.

  Brook and Torey entered the front door, and it was empty inside. The others took the back door and the side door.

  “All clear. No one in sight by the main desk,” Torey spoke into the wrist mic.

  “We got one guy smoking back here we’re going to engage,” Carter said.

  Brook and Torey continued to look around. “Hey, check that out,” Torey said and pointed to several boxes that matched the ones in Tiny’s car.

  “Hey! What the hell are you doing in here?” some guy yelled as he came around the corner. Torey stepped in front of Brook and began to show his badge when the guy pulled a gun and shot. Brook shot back, hitting the guy in the chest. Torey went down cursing. She grabbed a hold of him as other men came around the corner and she shot them, one, two, and then a third along with Torey who was shooting his gun. In her ear mic, she heard the yelling and then shots fired where Conan and Carter were.

  “Where are you hit?” she asked Torey.

  “The fucking leg. Fuck, it hurts.”

  “We have to get out of this hallway,” she said and stood up, checked the door, and pulled him into the elevator.

  “Up?”

  “There is no fucking down,” she replied.

  “Fuck.”

  They could hear the exchange of gunfire, and then Conan’s order to get out just as the elevator started heading up.

  “Holy fuck, Brook. You saved my life.”

  “We aren’t out of the shit yet.” She spoke into her receiver. “Conan, Torey is shot in the leg. You got four bodies on the first floor. I had to move him to safety, we were sitting ducks.”

  “Where the fuck are you? We’re outside. SWAT teams are minutes out.”

  “Elevator, heading up.”

  “What?”

  “Our only choice.”

  He was silent a moment. “How bad is his wound?”

  “It won’t be hard to find us,” she said as the elevator stopped. “Getting off on the third floor,” she said and then slowly looked out. All clear.

  “Ready, big guy?” she asked Torey.

  He was breathing hard through his nostrils and sweating profusely. She pulled him out, dragging him across the floor, and she got him into a small room.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To wipe the blood.”

  She could hear Conan talking through the radio. “What is she doing?”

  “Getting rid of the blood so no one finds us.”

  “Smart thinking.” She heard another voice but wasn’t sure who that was. Then she heard the arrival of SWAT just as some guys came down the hallway with guns.

  “Shit.” She pointed and shot at them. They returned fire, hitting the doorway but missing her, and then she felt the hits to her vest.

  She grunted loudly, but she had gotten all four men.

  “You’re hit,” Torey said. “Oh fuck, Brook?”

  “Brook?”

  She heard the yelling on the radio. Then more voices. Conan was worried as she caught her breath.

  “The vest,” she got out through clenched teeth. “Guns,” she said to Torey, letting him know she was going to grab the extra guns in case they were caught up in here.

  “She got hit in the vest. She’s going to grab the guns off the guys she just took out,” Torey said, and then cursed from the pain he was in.

  “Fuck the guns. SWAT is here. They’re moving in. Get into the room and wait for them,” Conan ordered.

  * * * *

  Conan was rubbing his hands along his jaw as Kernan, Kinchley, and their team arrived and were getting updated on the situation.

  “Who is that in there? Who got shot?” Kinchley asked.

  “Brook and Torey. Torey was shot in the leg, Brook in her vest. She just engaged four more men,” Conan said.

  “Oh shit. Is she okay?” Kernan asked.

  “Yes, but we don’t know how many others could be in there trying to kill them.”

  “Okay, are they the only police in there?” Kernan asked.

  “We all got out. They didn’t. She pulled him into an elevator so they weren’t out in the open, and now they’re on the third floor.”

  “We’ll get them,” Kinchley said. He stared at his brothers. No words were exchanged, but he could see their concern and he knew they would go in and rescue Brook and Torey.

  * * * *

  “It’s so fucking dark. I’m getting weaker,” Torey said, his teeth chattering. Brook had a feeling he was starting to go into shock.

  “I know, Torey. There isn’t more I can do besides tying the tourniquet. Good thing they didn’t hit a major artery.” She had taken off her jacket to tie that around his leg. She had a tight-fitting tank top that barely reached her stomach on under the bulletproof vest. She could feel the pain from where she got shot and didn’t want to pull off the vest in case they were attacked by gunfire again.

  “You’re tough as nails, Brook. How long were you and Conan a thing?” he asked her as he perspired more and more. She wiped his brow with his shirt she helped get off of him.

  “What are you talking about?” she asked him.

  “Come on, it’s plain as day that you were a thing. How did he fu
ck it up? His control issues?” he asked and chuckled then coughed.

  “Just rest and relax,” she told him and could hardly see him as the room got darker and darker.

  “He cares about you. He’s going to be pissed that I got shot.”

  “Like it was your fault? Shit like this happens, and you’re alive.”

  “Thanks to you,” he said, and she squeezed his shoulder. That was when they heard more gunfire. She had made a makeshift barrier in front of him to protect him and then held a rifle she took from one of the guys. She rested it on the table, waiting to shoot anyone who entered that door without an invite.

  “Brook, we’re on the third floor. Got company on the second. What door are you in?” She heard Kernan’s voice and was instantly relieved.

  “Right across from the elevator.”

  Just as she said that, the door burst open. Two men were there, and she knew they weren’t SWAT, and she reacted. She shot at them, and they fired back. Then more shots echoed in the hallway. The guys went down, and there were Kernan, Kinchley, Sam, and two other men.

  She stood up, put the rifle on the floor, and looked at Torey.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Fuck yeah,” he said, and the guys came in to help carry him out.

  Kernan grabbed her arm and checked her over. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” she said and swallowed.

  “God damn, woman, that was some great shooting. Saw a bunch of your work all the way up here,” Sam said and gave her a wink.

  “Let’s move. We don’t know if team two is meeting others,” Kernan ordered.

  She wondered how many men were in the warehouse as security or whatever. As they made their way down through the stairs, Sam and the guys got Torey ahead of them and then into the stairwell just as two other men began to fire at Kernan, Brook, and Kinchley. It happened so fast. They shoved her down to the ground and both of them covered her with their bodies, crushing her as they shot at the men, killing them. The pain to her breast and rib where she had gotten shot was so damn sore, she wondered if her ribs were broken. Add in over two hundred and fifty pounds of male muscle times two on top of her, and holy shit, something had to have broken.

  The gunfire echoed around them, and she clutched onto both men. Kinchley’s chest was covering her face and head as he fired his weapon. She tried not to scream. She was so scared, but more pissed off really. She hated that she couldn’t help them. That they covered her to protect her, when she should have been firing her weapon, too. Then came the attraction she had to both men, and being protected by them like this affected her in a way that felt like weakness. She didn’t do weakness. She was the protector and was never the one to be protected, because she didn’t trust anyone fully.

  “Oh God,” she exhaled.

  “You okay?” Kinchley asked, his warm breath against her neck as he eased his body half off of her and glided a hand along her ribs and then up to her neck. Kernan did the same, shocking her because of how aroused she felt.

  “Fuck,” Kinchley said and pressed his mouth to hers. He plunged his tongue in exploration stunning her thoughts, and she was shocked by his move. Obviously, the intensity of the situation got to them. When he released her lips, she was breathing heavily.

  Kernan gripped her jaw. “When we get done with this mess, I’m going to take my time checking you over thoroughly. Not bullshit Brook. No resisting,” Kernan said and kissed her lips as Kinchley went to get up. Kernan released her lips and winked at her. She moaned as they lifted off of her.

  “I think the two of you broke me,” she said, and they chuckled.

  “Doubt it. Let’s move, and you stay between us at all times,” Kernan said, and she did just that. Moaning as they helped her up, Kinchley placed her hands on Kernan’s back as he pressed against her back, and that was how they traveled through the building and to safety.

  As soon as they were outside and in the clear, SWAT returned to sweep the building. Conan grabbed her by her shoulders, and she cringed as he checked her over, kissed her on the mouth, and then hugged her. After a moment, he released her. “Brook.” He shook his head and exhaled in exasperation and relief. She was trying to get over the fact that all three men kissed her, and Conan just did right in front of their peers. This wasn’t good.

  “I’m fine. Where is Torey?” she asked, pulling from Conan’s hold and heading toward the ambulance. They were putting him inside, and she held her hand against her vest.

  * * * *

  Conan was fuming mad and so worried about Brook and Torey. Torey carried on about her saving him and how amazing she was and to make sure she was checked over. That she got shot in the vest and was in pain. Conan looked at Kinchley and Kernan, then back at Brook. She wore her vest and just a tank top. Sheriff Hayes was there now and had his hand on her shoulder. She refused treatment and wanted to know what they got out of this mess.

  He walked over to them.

  “Looks like you did a great job identifying this location by following the persons of interest. So far it appears that several of the items in the facility can be tracked to homes and trucks that were robbed. Yandi is on his way with a list of everything. Maybe some if not all of the perpetrators doing the hits were in there and are among the dead bodies or those captured,” Sheriff Hayes said to Brook and Conan.

  “We’re going to need to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb and—”

  Just as he was speaking, several unmarked vehicles came onto the scene. As they parked the cars, they all saw the FBI jackets.

  “Brook, you should get checked out. You got shot. Twice,” Conan said to her as he looked at the vest and the location of the shots. Chest and ribs.

  “Shot twice? Jesus, Brook, get in there and let them check you over,” the sheriff said to her.

  “After we deal with these guys,” she said, but the paramedic, a guy named Duggy, overheard the conversation.

  “Get that vest off. If there’s severe injury to your ribs or chest, it could make matters worse,” Duggy said, and Kernan stepped next to her along with Kinchley.

  “We’ll help you.”

  Brook looked over her shoulder as Kinchley and Kernan slowly started to undo her vest. She felt the pain intensify as the Velcro released, but the alternative was a gunshot wound into her body and even death, so she would suck this up.

  “Detective O’Connor, we understand that you ran this operation and have gathered some evidence toward our suspects in the home invasions. We’re here to assist,” the agent said, and he looked right at Brook as she moaned and Kinchley and Kernan helped her get the vest off. “Brook, are you all right? You were shot?” the agent asked.

  “Twice,” the Sheriff said, and the agent and one of the others went over to her.

  “How bad? What went down?” he asked with obvious concern and placed his hand at her lower back.

  Conan was jealous. How did these agents know her?

  “I’ll be okay, Alex. That’s what the vest is for, right?” she said as Duggy slowly began to lift her tank top. The deep purple and red discoloration drew groans from around her.

  “Holy shit,” the agent whispered, and caressed her back and kept a hand there.

  She looked down. “Damn, that’s nasty,” she whispered, shocked at the discoloration and more pain now that the vest was off of her. Conan could see her favoring her breast as she cupped it and turned, bending to the side trying to cover her move. “Damn it.”

  “You need X-rays,” Duggy said, and then stepped closer. “The second bullet was higher on the vest.”

  “Which is why we won’t be looking right now,” she said to him.

  “Hospital, definitely,” Duggy said, and she shook her head.

  “My ribs aren’t broken.” She felt Kinchley’s fingers stroke her cheek. She looked way up at him.

  “You should go.”

  The agents agreed with Kinchley.

  “No, I’ll be fine and ice it later.”

  “Ice it n
ow,” Duggy said and went back to the ambulance and pulled out ice packs. He told her to take a seat and raised her arm up. As he made a nice cold pack on her ribs and her breast then wrapped it all up, the guys all watched and made comments about watching for signs of broken ribs and that she should really go to the hospital. When they realized her second injury was over her breast from where the vest showed bullet holes, they quieted down and got back to talking about the situation and the next steps in the investigation.

  “Thanks,” she said to Duggy, and then listened as they discussed the situation and then confirmed what evidence was found.

  This was going to be a long night big time.

  * * * *

  “Let’s call it a night. We got a lot of leads on this, and now with the feds involved we should be closing in on the remainder of men and ending these heists once and for all,” Conan said. Everyone would meet back first thing in the morning.

  Brook headed out, and he knew that Kernan and Kinchley would follow her to her place to make sure she was okay. He would be right behind them.

  As he was laving, he got a call from Rourke, one of the federal agents who knew Brook.

  “Just giving you the heads up, we ran the names of these men who were captured through the government system and two of them are not small time whatsoever. One was actually convicted of numerous crimes and was released from prison only a year ago. He didn’t follow through with the parole board and he was on list of having involvement in terrorist activities. Guns and explosives.”

  “There were crates of guns at the other warehouse. That’s the connection there. Is he among the dead or the living?” he asked.

  “Living, and the other one is dead, but the other isn’t talking anyway. Too bad more weren’t alive, but hey, none of the good guys got killed.”

  “Exactly. Well, tomorrow morning we’ll begin interrogations. This should definitely have put a damper on the agenda of the ring leader, whoever he is.”

  “We’ll be there to assist, especially now with confirmation of terrorist activity and a person of interest. Get some rest.”

  “Thanks.” Conan ended the call and headed out to Brook’s to check on her.