Stronger With Us (The Strength Series Book 3)

by JA Hensley

  Almost every other part of my life is exactly how I want it. I live in a great condo that I’ve decorated myself. I have a car that I absolutely love. My friends are awesome, even though they’ve both fallen in love and I don’t see them as much anymore. I like my job, though I’m still holding onto my childhood dream of becoming a flight nurse. There isn’t much to complain about, which doesn’t help me figure out this feeling of restlessness.

  My text alert brings me out of my head.

  We need to meet. When are you free?

  The text is from Becca. I thought she was in class today.

  Anytime. I’m off today and tomorrow.

  Good. 1 hour, my house. Steph will be here too.

  Well, I guess it really is urgent.

  See you soon.

  I respond.

  After a shower and the fifteen-minute drive, I’m standing on Becca’s front porch a few minutes early. She’ll be shocked, I’m sure. I didn’t use to knock when she lived in her apartment, but walking in on her and Colin fucking on the couch does something to a person. Since that day I always use the doorbell and wait to be let in. I still can’t get the image of Colin’s white ass bobbing up and down to the rhythm of my best friend’s breathless panting out of my head.

  The door flies open and hits the wall in the entryway. Becca stands there looking like a woman possessed. She grabs my hand and pulls me inside. I barely clear the opening before she pushes the door back in place and sets the deadbolt.

  “What the fuck is going on? Is it Ron? Did he get out? You’re scaring the shit out of me, Becca.” I can’t help jumping to this conclusion. Last year Ron, Becca’s ex-boyfriend, kidnapped her and was going to take her out of the country. That’s also when we found out that Ron was a big-time drug dealer. Colin was working undercover for the DEA and he rescued Becca, but Ron is still in jail waiting for his trial. Until he’s put away for good, we’re always looking out for him.

  “No, it’s worse,” Becca whispers. I stand there and wait for her to continue, but she just walks past me into the kitchen. I don’t have a choice but to follow her.

  “Are you going to tell me or are we going to play Twenty Questions until I guess? Seriously, you better start talking or I’m going to lose it.” I can feel my anxiety climb higher and higher the longer her silence stretches out. Becca opens her mouth and the doorbell sounds. She turns and runs to the door, leaving me standing in the kitchen with horrible thoughts running through my head.

  I look up when I hear the door slam and see Stephanie walking toward me with a scared look on her face as well. I’m sure she’s thinking the same thing I am. Becca goes straight to the small table in the corner and sits down, so we follow.

  “Enough of this silent shit, Bec. You better tell us what’s going on right now or so help me God, I’m going to strangle you,” I tell her fully intending to follow through.

  Becca takes a deep breath and lets it out. When she looks up she has tears in her eyes. “My mom is trying to take over the wedding. I feel like I’m going out of my mind. I can’t do this,” she says on a sob before burying her face in her arms.

  Stephanie and I look at each other and communicate silently that our friend has gone off the deep end. I raise my eyebrow to say, “What do we do now?” and she responds by shrugging her shoulders. I’m really bad at this emotional crap, and I know that Stephanie doesn’t really like it either. She’s a genius and very logical; she got a degree in math before she turned eighteen and now she owns a computer consulting business. Becca is the psychology major. We usually count on her to handle anything that has to do with feelings.

  “Um, Becca, we really don’t know what to do with this. It’s not like you to be this upset,” Stephanie says softly. I nod my head, but our friend still isn’t looking up at us.

  “I can’t take it anymore,” Becca wails. When she finally raises her head she has mascara running down her face and snot coming out of her nose. “Do you know that she wants to have a traditional church wedding and reception? She has over five hundred people on the guest list so far. There’s no way Colin and I can afford something like that!”

  “So, let’s plan something else. Why don’t you elope and get married in Las Vegas?” I offer as a suggestion. It makes sense to me that the best way to avoid your pushy mother is to run off and get married before she knows what you’ve done. I mean, if you wanted to get married and had a mom who actually cared about you.

  “Maybe it’s something to consider,” Stephanie says. “We can go with you as your witnesses and Colin can invite two of his friends. We could make a long weekend of it.”

  “You know, that’s a really good idea,” she says looking off into the distance. “Then I don’t have to deal with my mom at all. She’ll be pissed that she didn’t get to throw a big party, but that’s not what I had planned. I wanted a small ceremony, just family and dinner. I do not have the energy or the patience to be the center of attention at a reception filled with people I don’t even know. I’d rather have the only people who have been by my side through thick and thin there with me.”

  “So, when is Judy planning to have this royal affair? If you’re going to avoid it you’ll have to get hitched before she gets too far into it,” I ask. I’ve seen Becca’s mom in action and while it is fascinating, it’s also terrifying how fast she can get things done.

  “She said she would need at least a year to get everything the way she thinks it should be, but she’s already started. So, I guess she thinks it should be a late spring event.”

  “Then we go to Vegas in two weeks,” Stephanie says with conviction. I look across the table and see her pull her phone out of her back pocket. She starts typing and biting her lip.

  “Can you get off work, Christin?” Becca asks. I know I have a lot of vacation days saved up, since I really don’t like being idle.

  “No problem. I think that’s my four-day weekend rotation anyway, but I can always request a few extra days if you want us to stay longer.” I find my phone at the bottom of my purse. “I’ll send Geneva Ann a message asking for the time off.”

  “Do you need to talk to Colin about this, Bec? I mean, this affects him too, obviously.” Stephanie’s question stops me in my tracks, and I look over at my friend.

  “I’m sure he’ll do whatever makes me happy. Let me call him before we go any further, though, so he can arrange to be away from work.” She gets up and leaves the room with her phone pressed to her ear.

  I look over at Stephanie and raise one eyebrow. “When she gets back in here I’m going to kick her ass for scaring the shit out of me. Then we can plan this elopement.”

  Stephanie nods as she slumps in her chair. “Agreed. I’ll hold her down for you if you promise to do the same for me.”

  “I promise,” I reply as we both start to laugh. Las Vegas, here we come!

  D

  I drove up from Tampa last night and found a hotel close to my interview with Belator Security Systems. I didn’t mention it to Colin and he’s probably going to be pissed, but I couldn’t deal with any “help” from him. This job sounds promising and I don’t want to jinx it.

  Pulling into the Belator Security Systems office park, I’m stopped by an armed guard at the entrance. I’m impressed with the level of security, and once I’ve given the proper identification the guard gives me directions to the main office and opens the gate. The buildings are four stories tall and made with a dark stone, giving them a foreboding appearance. I make my way around the drive to building A and park in the visitor’s spot. I check my appearance one last time, making sure my shirt is tucked in and fairly wrinkle-free and that my shoes are tied.

  When I enter the building I’m stopped by another armed guard and a metal detector. I empty my pockets and hand over my ankle weapon. Yes, I’m armed. I have a concealed carry permit and I never leave the house without my Glock 43. It takes a few minutes to clear this security checkpoint, but once I’ve secured my gun in their wall locker, I’m escort
ed to Mr. Davidson’s office.

  The guard announces my arrival to the receptionist and walks out. She simply nods as a greeting and gets up to open the glass door to Mr. Davidson’s private office. I only know this because his name is etched into the glass wall that separates the spaces. She waves me into the office and then sits back down, never saying a word.

  “Jude Schaefer, I’m pleased to meet you,” he says extending his right hand. I take it and reciprocate the handshake.

  “Thanks for inviting me, Mr. Davidson. I appreciate you taking the time.”

  “No problem at all, please have a seat,” he gestures to a small grouping of chairs away from his desk. “Would you like anything to drink?”

  “No, thank you, sir. I’m fine,” I reply as I follow his lead and sit in a rather comfortable leather club chair.

  “All right, then let’s just get down to it. I’ve done my research, and I know what happened at the DEA. You have quite the reputation, Jude. Do you think you can keep it in your pants if you come to work for me?”

  Well, nothing like just putting it out there. I don’t stop the grin that’s forming on my lips. “I can’t guarantee anything, but I will certainly try harder than I did before.”

  “That’s all I can ask then. We have a strict no-fraternization policy here so you should know if you decide to dip your pen in the company ink you will be fired immediately. Also, as you can imagine, you aren’t to sleep with any of the inmates you transfer either. Otherwise, do as your told, meet your deadlines and we’ll get along just fine.”

  “I like how you get straight to the point, Mr. Davidson. I appreciate the bluntness and honesty. I’ll do my best not to let you down.”

  We spend the next half an hour discussing the details of the job, the additional training that is required, and my start date. With the next class starting on Thursday, I’ll need to find a place to stay quickly.

  “Good to have you on the team, Jude. I’ll check in with you and your training officer on Friday. Let me know if you need anything in the meantime,” he says as he escorts me to the security checkpoint to retrieve my weapon. Once I’ve got it secured in the holster, I offer Matt a handshake and leave the building, breathing a sigh of relief that I found something to pay the bills.

  I send Colin a text before I leave the complex asking him to meet me for lunch. I figure he can offer some suggestions for something to rent in the area. I’ve only been here once, when I came up to assist with the case where Colin’s fiancée was kidnapped, and I didn’t really have time to explore. It seems like a decent college town with some nice retail areas. I just want to be sure not to live too close to campus or frat boys partying it up on the weekends. When my phone pings, I assume it’ll be my brother giving me a time and place, but it’s not.

  When did you get to town?

  What the fuck is his problem?

  I thought we could talk over burgers.

  I can’t today, big meeting. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?

  Long story. Call me when you have five minutes to talk.

  I know that Colin has always resented me, but I had hoped after our mission together where we freed Becca that would have changed. Maybe he’s just busy, but I can’t shake the feeling that our relationship is still strained.

  I pull into a coffee shop called Freedom of Espresso and take the opportunity to get some caffeine and search the internet for rental properties. The interior is inviting, with booths set away from each other, giving a feeling of privacy, and the overwhelming aroma of roasting coffee makes my shoulders relax. As I approach the counter, I’m greeted by a rather cute employee.

  “Welcome to Freedom of Espresso, I’m Amber. What can I get you?” Her eyes rake down my body and slowly come back up to my face. I know that I’m a good looking man. I take care of myself, hit the gym regularly, and I’ve been told that I’m hot. I’ve never had trouble getting a woman’s attention, and it seems that this is no different.

  “Well, Amber,” I say with as much flirtation as I can muster, “what do you recommend? I’m a virgin here so I’m not sure what to choose.” That earns me a giggle.

  “I’d say the white mocha marble macchiato is our most popular drink. It’s sweet, but not too overpowering,” she says with a wink. I like this girl.

  “Then that’s what I’ll have in the largest size you have,” I respond with a smile I usually reserve for those I hope to see in my bed.

  “What name should I put on it?” she asks as her cheeks blush. Yep, exactly the reaction I wanted.

  “Jude. Nice to meet you, Amber,” I say offering my hand. She reaches up and I pull her toward me and kiss the back of her hand. Cliché, I know, but it works and I need to get laid soon.

  “Well,” she says on an exhale, “I’ll get that right out to you, Jude.” She slowly pulls her hand back and turns to make my coffee. I find a booth away from the windows but where I can still see the entire restaurant and sit with my back to the wall. I’ve never felt comfortable if I can’t see what’s coming up behind me. Before I can pull up the internet Amber is standing at the table with my drink.

  “Here you go, I hope you enjoy it,” she says as she lays a napkin down before setting the coffee on it. I can see her name and phone number written on the napkin.

  “Thanks, Amber. I’m sure I’ll like it. I’ll let you know if I need another one,” I reply with a wink. She blushes again before she turns back to the counter, and I take a long look at her sweet ass while she walks away.

  I’ve been searching for apartments on my phone for a while when my attention is diverted by a familiar voice. I look up at the counter and I see her talking to Amber.

  “Hey, CJ,” Amber greets her, “You want your usual today?”

  “That’d be great, thank you. How’s it going in here?” she answers looking around the small shop. I know I should look away, but I physically can’t remove my eyes. CJ’s gaze lands on mine, and I think I see a reaction, but it’s gone as soon as I see it. She turns back to the counter quickly and continues her conversation with Amber.

  Being the stalker that I obviously am, I find myself taking in that long, lean body, beautiful blonde hair that she has pulled into a ponytail, and remembering what her skin looks like under those scrubs, which do nothing for her figure. It’s been a while since we were together, but I can still feel her wrapped around my cock, which, of course, makes him stand up to take a look.

  I’m still watching her as she takes her coffee, glances back over at me, and quickly looks away, walking out of the coffee shop. My dick tells me to get up and follow her, but I ignore him, which is new. Normally, I let him call all the shots. Instead, I indulge in a little memory about the night we met.

  A female nurse comes in and walks to the opposite side of my bed from where Colin is standing. I look over at her when I hear her curse.

  “Fucking hell, there are two of you?” She looks back and forth from Colin to me.

  “Well, you need to get out of here so we can take care of this one,” she orders, pointing out the door and looking my brother in the eye. “Now.” I guess he didn’t move fast enough for her.

  “Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?” the nurse asks in a clipped tone. I look over at her name badge before I respond.

  “All right, Christin, what would you like to know?” I try to muster my flirtatious smile, but based on the look on her face, it falls flat.

  “You can call me CJ. Why don’t you tell me your name and what happened so I can get the doctor in here and you discharged as fast as you obviously want,” she says with an attitude. I can get on board with this.

  “I’m Special Agent Jude Schaefer, DEA, and I was shot in the shoulder with an automatic pistol. I’m not sure of the make, but I’d guess the slug is a 9 mm.”

  “Okay, were you shot anywhere else or do you have any other injuries we need to address?”

  “Just the shoulder.” I can feel my fight start to leave me as the adrenaline fades.
>
  “I’ll let the doctor know and I’m sure we’ll get x-rays before we stitch it up. Sit tight, Agent, and I’ll be back soon.”

  I lean my head back and close my eyes, hoping this will go quickly so I can get out of here. Hospitals make me crazy.

  I know it’s stupid to waste any more time on this woman, but even after all this time my dick remembers her. Normally he doesn’t want someone more than once, but apparently we both agree CJ is different.

  E

  I walk out of Freedom of Espresso with my large cup of yum feeling like I’m being watched. I noticed Colin’s brother in the corner booth, but I doubt he remembers me. It was a long time ago, and we were only together one night. Unfortunately, he rocked my world like no other man before or since. In fact, I’ve spent the past several months trying to get him out of my head.

  If Jude is in town that can only mean that there is danger. He works for the DEA and was part of the team that rescued Becca. I can’t go through that again. I was on duty when they were both brought into the ER. Jude had been shot in the shoulder, but it was mostly a flesh wound. After we got him patched up I gave him a ride.

  I take Jude to Colin’s apartment to get him settled in. I have no intention of staying the night, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Jude oozes masculinity. Of course, it doesn’t help that I know he carries a gun and fights the bad guys. I’ve always been a sucker for a hero.

  I barely have the front door closed when I feel him press against me, his front to my back.

  “Do you know what I want to do to you?” he growls in my ear. My body breaks out in goose bumps as I try to fight the attraction.

  “You were shot today. I think you need to rest,” I say with a quiver in my voice. I’ve tried to be strong, but there is just so much a woman can take before she gives in.

  “My shoulder was shot, the rest of me works just fine,” he says as he proves his point by grinding his hard length into the crack of my ass. A sigh escapes my lips before I can hold it back. Jude presses against me again and I push back, enjoying the friction. If only I could turn around, I could get even more.