“What the hell is going on here?” one of them snapped and I winced. I wasn’t sure how I needed to handle the situation, but I knew I needed Adam. Surely, he and Spencer wouldn’t want me telling these officers what was going on with Max.
Internal Affairs meant just that, didn’t it? Internal?
“She was attacked. I saw a man in a police uniform shove my ex-girlfriend and run out of here. I came in, she was on the floor and she was bleeding,” Johnny answered before I could finish thinking and I knew I had to snap out of it.
“He’s right, but I really need to call my husband.”
Wow! I was not used to saying the word husband, but I was surprised it rolled off my tongue with such ease.
“Adam Bryant, he’s a homicide investigator and he’s next door waiting for my call,” I finished and I tried to pull away from Johnny, but he wouldn’t let me go. And for some stupid reason, I touched my head again, felt the wetness and decided it was a good thing he didn’t release me. Luckily, I managed to stomach through calling Adam who, needless to say, flipped the fuck out.
Three minutes.
That was all the time it took for Adam to show up.
And he wasn’t happy.
The energy in the room had already been dangerously high, but the moment Adam walked through the front door, the energy rose to levels beyond the possibility of calculation. The rage radiating from his body was so immense I was amazed the lights didn’t flicker. All the officers in the general vicinity could feel it too, and I knew this by the way they seemed to cower away as Adam passed them by.
I had never met a man who could walk into a room and have that kind of effect, and truthfully, it was quite scary, but at the same time, his confident stride calmed me instantly. And even though I was still terrified, there was no way I could miss how sexy as hell it was that my own personal Sergeant was coming to care for me.
Man, this cut on my head is making me delirious.
But the only man who didn’t seem to feel Adam’s wrath was Johnny who was no longer holding me, but he was still close by my side. And as soon as Adam saw that, I saw his shoulders stiffen, but he didn’t pause in his steps.
“Jesus, Baby, are you okay?” he asked, ignoring Johnny, but instead of pulling me into his arms like I needed, he tilted my head to the side, moved my hand that was holding the bunched up paper towels, and parted my hair to check out my wound. I heard his sharp intake of breath and hissed, “That son of a bitch!”
He put my hand back in place, kept his hand over mine and I tried to reassure him. “I’m okay. It stings, but I feel fine now.”
He narrowed his eyes and growled, “Yeah, I’m sure you’re okay now, but we’re goin’ to the fuckin’ hospital to have that looked at.”
“But I don’t want to go to the hospital, Adam. I’m fine,” I responded, but I could tell by his expression he wasn’t swayed.
“Mia, I love you and I’m really glad you feel okay, but if something happens to you later because I didn’t take you to the hospital, I’ll be out of my fuckin’ mind. I’m already so pissed off at myself for not staying with you.” He paused, but not long enough for me to respond. “You have a bad gash on the side of your head; you’re bleeding and you’re having it checked out.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I was really fine and that a hospital wasn’t necessary, but he covered my mouth with a finger and murmured, “For me, Baby. Please. Don’t fight me on this. I just need to know that you’re okay.”
My heart melted at hearing the concern in his voice.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
His face didn’t gentle, but he did wrap me in the embrace I’d longed for.
He kissed my forehead and mumbled, “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Mia. This is on me. This is my fault. I should have been here and I wasn’t. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
I relaxed against him.
“It’s not your fault. You had no idea this would happen--”
“Mia, he set your goddamn car on fire outside our house. I never should have left you alone.”
I sighed and closed my eyes wondering how in the world I’d gotten myself involved with someone as crazy as Max.
“Adam, you went to work so you could take more time off to be with me. It’s not your fault.”
“Baby, it is,” he growled before changing the subject and asking in the same growl, “And what the fuck is he doing here?” I assumed he was talking about Johnny, who he just glared at.
I pulled away from him and answered, “He was with Missy. She’s not here, but he found me in the restroom.”
“What the fuck,” Adam hissed, narrowing his eyes.
Johnny muttered, “She’s my ex-girlfriend.” Then he explained, “Missy tricked me into coming here. I thought this had to do with my daughter, not some fucked up shit that had to do with Mia. When court was over, Missy did say she needed to discuss custody of our daughter - which I have - so I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She went to the restroom, I waited outside, and that’s when I saw a man shove past her. Missy looked terrified and said she saw someone was on the floor inside, so I checked it out and found Mia.”
“Wait. You have a daughter? With Missy?” I asked in disgust, because I couldn’t believe I’d guessed right, not because he had daughter. Though, I couldn’t really picture Johnny as a father and to think he had custody of his daughter was insane. I only saw him a couple of times years ago, because Adam had stopped talking to him pretty much as soon as we’d hooked up. But I had heard stories. And they were all bad. And Johnny still looked very much like a bad boy, with his perfectly messy, chocolate brown hair, chestnut brown eyes, square, scruffy jaw, six-footish frame, large build and the very visible tattoo that peeked out from the collar of his shirt on his neck and appeared to end at his wrist.
Wowza.
Johnny’s eyes veered from Adam’s, hit mine and he answered in annoyance, “Yeah, I have a daughter. Her name is Jasmine and she’s five. Best thing that ever happened to me. Missy, not so much, but she’s not in the picture and hasn’t been since Jasmine’s birth.”
Adam stiffened at his brash tone, but it was my fault.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so shocked. I could just tell in the courtroom that you didn’t want to be there and I made an assumption and…well, you just confirmed it, that’s all. And Jasmine is a beautiful name. I bet she’s a beautiful little girl.”
His face changed in a flash and went from bad-boy scowl to bad-boy adoration. He smiled back at me and responded with a, “Thank you, she’s gorgeous.” Then he looked back at Adam. “If you need help with Mia’s case, let me know. Missy’s a pill-popping junkie.” I stopped breathing. “Has been for a long time, which is why she doesn’t get to see her daughter… not that she’s ever wanted to unless it’s to fuck with my head. I’ve tried to help her, because she’s Jasmine’s mom, but I couldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. Gave up a long time ago.”
I glanced at Adam just as he nodded and said, “Thanks for the offer.”
Johnny said nothing back, but he nodded, glanced at me, smiled in goodbye, and turned.
“Johnny,” Adam called, stopping him in his tracks and he turned. Adam continued, “It was really good to see you. I got two nieces. Maybe you could bring your daughter to the house the next time they come over.”
That was so sweet.
Johnny gave Adam a chin lift and said, “Good to see you too. And let me know when. Jasmine loves to play.”
He turned back around and headed out the door just as Investigator Spencer walked in. I cringed, knowing that I was about to suffer through his questioning, or so I’d thought.
“I’m taking her to the hospital,” Adam growled. “You want to talk to her, you do it there.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Adam Bryant
Eleven o’clock at night and I was fuckin’ wiped. I knew Mia was too.
“I have a bald spot,�
� Mia complained for the thousandth time and I closed my eyes and groaned against her neck. I gave her waist a squeeze and mumbled, “Your hair is so thick, no one will ever notice, Baby.”
I felt bad for her, I really did, but having had only a nickel sized section of hair shaved off, because the doctors had to give her six stitches to close her wound, was nothing compared to how much worse things that could have been. She could have had a cracked skull; she didn’t. She could have had a concussion; she didn’t. She could have been raped; she hadn’t been. She could have been beaten; she hadn’t been.
But any of those things could have happened and now, I was done waiting for the right people to do the right thing.
As in I was fuckin’ done.
I was out of my mind with stress and rage, and I wasn’t taking any more chances where Mia’s safety was concerned.
Good thing for me, bad thing for Max. In his quest to fuck with my wife, Max had also fucked himself over.
He’d let the name Alfredo slip and that was something he never, ever should have done.
I felt Mia’s chest rise and fall as she inhaled and exhaled in deeps pulls. Then she spoke, “I guess, but I’ll know it’s there, and every time I feel it, I’ll think about Max and what he did today…and yesterday…my apartment…my poor car.”
I gave her another squeeze. “Don’t worry, Baby. We’re going away tomorrow and I have a feeling Max will be taken care of by the time we come home.”
I neglected to mention that Max would be taken care of.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Mia asked curiously and this was another subject I didn’t want to discuss, especially right now. I’d wanted it to be a surprise, but I knew that after everything that happened yesterday morning, I’d be dead before Max if I didn’t.
“We’re gonna visit Trish and her husband, Tony, in Centerville.” I felt her body tense, but I continued fast. “They’ll only be there tomorrow, because they leave on their honeymoon the next morning. We’ll stay there while they’re away. It’s a beautiful place, lots of property and horses. We can relax and spend time together without stressing about what’s going on here. It’ll be a mini-vacation.”
She waited a minute before she asked, “Are you going to tell me what you had with her?”
I rolled my eyes even though I knew she couldn’t see it. “Mia, I told you. Trish is just a friend. A real friend. I’ve never touched her in any way. She’s a beautiful woman and she’s nice, and when I first met her through Lex, I probably would have fucked her.” Mia’s body tensed more and my arms constricted.
“But that was two years ago, Mia, and nothing happened or came close to happening. And even if it had, it wouldn’t have meant anything. We grew close…as friends, nothing more.”
“You would have had sex with her?” Mia asked in a whisper and I noted that that was the only thing she took away from what I’d said.
“Probably, Mia. I won’t ever lie to you. And Trish is probably the only woman I would have taken seriously, but I swear to God, Baby, she never would have meant half as much to me as you. Understand?”
She said nothing for so long I thought she might have fallen asleep. I kissed the crease between her neck and shoulder, and surprisingly, she sighed, but still said nothing. She was processing what I said and I needed to give her that.
I glanced at the alarm on the wall to make sure it was set, then I found her hand with mine, entangled our fingers and felt reassured when she squeezed mine back.
She fell asleep in that position, which made it extremely hard for me an hour later when I tried to slide out of bed without waking her up.
One phone call later and I had all the information I needed, though I never would have imagined needing anything from this person, but as the saying goes: it’s a small world.
I put the phone to my ear.
“Bueno,” I heard a deep, gravelly voice answer in my ear and I stiffened at the recognizable sound. I’d seen him recently - as in a week ago - but he’d left before I had a chance to talk to him, and the last time we did speak, was just before he quit HPD and disappeared into Mexico.
Three years ago.
I knew who he was now, the entirety of the HPD knew who he was now, but nobody talked about it. Ever. He wasn’t just dangerous, he was powerful. And it was another reason Internal Affairs was keeping the situation with Max under wraps.
“It’s Adam,” I growled low, knowing that if he was as good as I thought…he’d know exactly who I was and had more than likely already been expecting my call.
“Ahhh…and what can I do for you, cop?” the deep, heavily accented voice asked, and he sounded pleased. My smile was vicious. He knew the answer to that question, but I also knew he wanted to hear a cop ask for help. He hated cops and I almost couldn’t blame him, but I wasn’t asking for help. I was calling in a favor.
“I think you already know the answer to that question,” I replied, leaned my hips against the kitchen island and glanced at the stairway again. The last thing I wanted was for Mia to sneak up on me and overhear this conversation.
“Sí. I know what you want, and I want the same.”
“Yes, but you’re not in a hurry to finish the job or else you would have done so already, and I can’t wait any longer.”
Silence, a beat, and then he laughed and asked, “Remind me again why I should talk to you, cop?”
I gripped the phone tight to my ear. He didn’t know, but I was about to enlighten him. “Three years ago and a man named Lenard, ring a bell?”
Silence.
I continued, “You were charged with police brutality. You quit the force, one month later Lenard turned up dead and I got his case. Let’s just say the job on Lenard was a sloppy one, even for a first-timer. Ever wonder why you weren’t brought in as a suspect and charged?”
All that got me was more silence, but this time, it was eerie.
“You saw the tape,” he stated, and I knew he already knew the answer, but I decided to oblige.
“Yes, I saw the tape. We didn’t know each other all that well, but after seeing that shit, I figured you’d already been through hell and didn’t need any more trouble.”
Again, more silence. This time so long I thought he might have hung up.
But just before I pulled the phone away from my ear, he vowed, “I’ll take care of it. Wait for my call.”
The phone disconnected and I breathed a sigh of relief.
I put it down and went back to my woman.
“Adam, are you sure about this? Staying in someone’s house when they’re not even going to be there most of the time?” Mia asked at the halfway point to Centerville and I glanced at her quickly, before looking back at the road.
“I’m sure. It’ll be a nice, short vacation, Freckles. Besides, it’ll give us plenty of free time to work on getting you pregnant without any interruptions.”
I really fuckin’ liked that idea and wished we could start right now.
“Hmmm…and Trish? She’s just okay with you bringing me to stay at her house? I’m not so sure I’d be okay with another woman staying in my house, as I’m sure you know,” she said and for some reason she sounded a lot closer.
I glanced to the side again and saw her lift the center console and scoot across the seat.
“Yes, I’m sure. Baby, what are you doing?”
She didn’t say anything, but I jumped when her hand landed between my legs and her mouth hit my neck. She nipped me there.
“Baby,” I groaned as she worked at my zipper until I was free from my boxers and in her hand, so fast I nearly swerved off the highway. I was already rock hard and I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
I had to concentrate hard on not causing an accident.
“Jesus,” I hissed at the first pump of her small fist and then I glanced to the side and watched as an eighteen-wheeler drove by. It was a good thing the windows were tinted because she took me in her hot, wet mouth a second l
ater.
I took one hand off the wheel and tangled my fingers in her hair. Her pulls and strokes were greedy, enjoying it just as much as me. She started out with long, slow strokes, using only her mouth and tongue. She gradually picked up the pace until her head was bobbing beneath my hand and I hissed, “Fuck that feels good.”
Then she slowed back down and I groaned and checked my review mirror to make sure no vehicles were too close.
She kept with that rhythm, slow and steady, fast and deep, before eventually adding her hand. I touched my hand to her cheek to feel them hollow as she sucked me and, in no time at all, I was ready to finish.
“Mia, I’m gonna come in your mouth if you don’t stop,” I warned through my groan, even though I wanted to finish that way.
The little minx didn’t stop. My words only seemed to spur her on and next thing I knew, I was grunting and groaning her name.
When I was finished, she pulled back and I saw spots.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” I said, out of breath, and Mia grinned.
“Mia, I could’ve gotten us into an accident. Swear to God, Baby, I’m pretty sure I blacked out.”
She ignored me to lean in and kiss my neck. I twisted, she pulled back and my lips found hers for a quick, wet kiss.
My eyes went back to the road, but not before I caught her sassy grin.
“Wanna tell me what that was all about?” I asked playfully, completely unable to hide my utter satisfaction.
I could almost hear her smirk when she replied, “I don’t know…I’m about to meet someone you might have had sex with and might have taken seriously, but you never got the chance to, and I just want to make sure you don’t forget who you belong to.”
She threw my words back at me, and whether she was being a smart ass or not, I liked it.
I felt my already relaxed body, liquefy and I reached for her hand. “Baby, I’ve always belonged to you. Always will.”
I glanced at her to see her eyes shining with affection, and just to lighten things up, I added, “But feel free to remind me who I belong to with that mouth of yours whenever your little heart desires.”
Adam, Enough Said (This Can't be Happening) Page 29