Ruthless Protector

by Sherilee Gray

  “Mr. Mendoza, please…”

  “Take or leave it,” he said.

  Fuck. He wasn’t going to budge, it was written all over his face. He didn’t care, not about me, or my predicament. There would be no appealing to his softer side. I doubted he had one. My mind spun, trying to come up with a solution, what I’d tell Trent. When that solution came to me, I had to fight past my pounding heart for my next breath. I nodded. “I’ll take the ten.”

  He dipped his chin. “You understand there will be interest. This isn’t a charity. And like I said, there are consequences for people who don’t meet their payments.”

  I nodded again, fighting off the fear twisting behind my ribs. “That’s not something you’ll have to worry about.” I’d pay Tomas back. I’d work my ass off until the debt was clear. At least with Tomas, there was an end date. With Trent, there never would be. He’d never stop harassing and terrorizing us, bleeding every penny he could from me, and using Tilly to do it. I wouldn’t allow that. And until I got him out of Tilly’s life, there was no escape.

  Tomas’ gaze moved over me. Not in a creepy way, assessing, like he could see inside me, like he had some kind of built-in lie detector or something, and he was reading me.

  He stood suddenly. “I’ll be in touch with the details in a couple of days.”

  “But…”

  “I have somewhere I need to be.”

  He left me no choice but to stand as well. “You can’t give me the money now, you can’t…”

  “I’ll be in touch,” he said, then walked out of the room, leaving me standing there.

  I stared after him, the tight grip of loss, of fear, making me sick to my stomach.

  I knew what I had to do next.

  It was going to hurt.

  Luckily, I was used to the pain.

  20

  Jude

  The phone in my office buzzed. I stared at it like it’d sprouted legs. I didn’t use this room much, since I was usually out in the field.

  The call was from reception, and I picked it up, frowning. “Yeah, Lulu?”

  “Tomas Mendoza is here to see you, can I send him back?”

  The fuck?

  Tomas did not make house calls. He requested your presence. Because of our history, growing up in the same neighborhood as most of us here at the agency, there was a certain amount of respect between us.

  Him and I, though, our relationship was more complicated. To say he wasn’t happy when I became a cop was an understatement. He felt I betrayed him, to an extent. We’d avoided each other for a lot of years. I never would have gotten in the way of an investigation if it involved him, but I also made a decision, even with what I knew, to never actively go after him.

  A lot of things had changed since I joined the agency; for one, we now both knew where we stood. But there were still some trust issues there, shit we’d chosen to ignore. At the end of the day, though, we were all family. Yeah, a fucked up and highly dysfunctional family, but we had an understanding, and in recent years, a working relationship.

  Still, the man never did anything for nothing, despite our history. And I had no idea what would bring him to my office now.

  “Send him down,” I said to Lulu.

  Tomas walked in a minute later.

  “Tomas.” I motioned for the seat across from me.

  “Jude.” Tomas took a seat, body held in that unnaturally still way of his.

  I decided to forgo pleasantries. My curiosity over his presence here was well and truly piqued. “What’s going on?”

  The man’s dark, razor sharp stare locked on mine. “Business.”

  “You want Van in on this?”

  Tomas shook his head and relaxed back. “Willa Hartley.”

  My spine straightened, muscles bunching. I didn’t like hearing her name coming from his lips. Not one fucking bit. If she was in his sights, if he went after her, I couldn’t be held responsible for what I’d do. “What about her?”

  “She’s yours?”

  I answered the only way I could, in a language he understood. “Yeah, she’s mine. Anyone touches her, looks at her wrong, fucking thinks about her, and we’ll have a serious problem.”

  Tomas’ lips curled up on one side.

  “What the fuck is this about?” I asked, not in the mood for games.

  “She came to me this morning, asked for a loan.”

  I shot to my feet, unable to stay in my damned seat. “She what?”

  “Twenty grand.”

  Jesus fucking Christ.

  “Is she in some kind of trouble?” Tomas asked. “People don’t come to me for that kind of money, unless they’re in deep with someone.”

  No, they didn’t.

  “She didn’t come to you for help?” Tomas asked, and for once there was no sardonic expression, no glee that he had one over on me.

  I shook my head. “She say what she wanted it for?”

  “She wasn’t in the sharing mood.”

  Fuck. “You give it to her?”

  He paused. “Not yet. Told her I could swing ten, she wasn’t happy.”

  I stared at the guy, waiting for his angle, the catch, for him to tell me what he wanted in exchange for this bit of information.

  “And?” I said, when nothing came.

  “And nothing. I thought you should know. Despite our past differences, we’re family.”

  “That’s never stopped you before,” I said. He hadn’t given a fuck about family when Neco and Zeke had both gone to him for help. Their women had been in trouble, and Tomas had still taken his pound of flesh.

  Tomas sucked a breath in through his nose, glancing out the window and back. His jaw worked and I thought he was going to say something, then he just shrugged.

  I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but I wasn’t going to start pushing. Being in Tomas’ debt was something I’d like to avoid.

  “What happens now?” I asked.

  He shrugged again. “That’s up to you.”

  I had no clue why she needed that kind of money, but it had to be something serious. Fear coiled like barbed wire in my gut.

  “I want you to give it to her.”

  Tomas’ eyebrows rose.

  “I’ll cover it, just don’t say it’s from me. I’ll take it from there.” I needed to find out what the hell she was messed up in, then she and I needed to have a long overdue chat.

  Willa

  The wad of cash in my purse felt like a ticking time bomb. I’d never held so much money in my hands before. Tomas’ call had come the day after I’d seen him. Things had moved quickly after that and the whole process had been a lot easier than I thought. My first payment was due at the end of the month. I’d have to carry on doing a couple nights at Stilettos as well as my day shifts, but it was worth it.

  Trent had agreed to meet as soon as I’d called. He’d sounded edgier than before, and I knew he wasn’t going to be happy with me when our meeting was finished. But I had to protect Tilly, I needed time, and this money should buy me that.

  Or it could all blow up in my face.

  I’d chosen a coffee house, a block from the club, for our meeting. Extremely public. It also meant I had help close by if things went bad.

  The door opened right on time and Trent slunk in, eyes darting around the room. He looked twitchy, nervous. The sooner he was out of Tilly’s life for good, the better.

  He slid into the seat across from me. “You got my money?” He glanced around the shop again, fingers tapping on the table between us.

  “I have it.”

  He leaned in. “Well, fucking give it to me.”

  I refused to let him think I was intimidated by him, and held his stare. “You agreed to sign all rights to Tilly to me, yes?”

  He scowled. “I said I would.”

  “You don’t exactly have the best track record for keeping your word, so you’ll have to excuse me for not believing you in this either.”

  He twisted in his seat, searching
the room again, before his eyes came back to me. “What is this? What are you playing at?”

  “For you to sign away your parental rights, we need to go to family court. It needs to be done properly, legally, or there’s no deal, and I’ll find another way to scrape you off,” I said, forcing steel into my voice.

  “You didn’t say anything about that. I’m not dealing with courts and lawyers and all that shit,” he spat.

  “You will, or you get not one cent from me.”

  His hand shot out and he grabbed my wrist, leaning in closer. “I will make your life a living hell if you don’t give me what you owe me.”

  He’d make my life a living hell either way, I knew that now. “You need the money pretty bad, huh?” I said, and yanked my wrist free.

  His expression turned ugly. “Don’t fuck with me, Willa. You do not want to fuck with me.”

  I ignored him and his threats. “This is the deal. You can take it or leave it.”

  His eyes narrowed on me, so much hate coming from him it was a struggle to hold off my shudder. “Listen, bitch…”

  “I’ll give you half the money now, ten grand. The other half once we’ve had our day in court. It’s set for four weeks’ time. Four more weeks, and you’ll have the other half,” I lied, making sure that steel was still in my voice, that my eyes stayed locked on his. He’d been specific about the amount he needed. The way he was acting meant he was in some kind of trouble, that someone may even be after him. Ten thousand should be enough to stall whoever he owed. I knew that because we were in the exact same position, only he was my blackmailer.

  He’d take the deal.

  He stared at me for several long seconds. He wanted to wrap his hands around my throat and squeeze, I could see it written all over his face.

  “And just FYI? I don’t have the rest of it at my house. It’s somewhere safe,” I lied again, reading the intent in those mean, beady eyes. “There’s a note with it, to give to the cops, with your name all over it, if anything happens to me.”

  He stared at me for the longest time, then finally said, “You have it all worked out, huh?”

  “We do this my way, or I’ll make your life a living hell,” I said, throwing his own words back at him.

  He leaned in again and the hatred in his eyes had reached levels I’d never seen before. “Fine,” he spat.

  “You agree to the deal?” I asked, unable to hide the hope in my voice. God, that I’d actually pulled off my bluff, and that he’d fallen for it.

  “Yeah, now give it to me.”

  I took the envelope from my purse and handed it to him under the table. He snatched it, stood, and walked out without a backward glance.

  21

  Willa

  I’d dropped Tilly at her friends for a sleepover, and hadn’t been home long, when I heard the sound of Jude’s bike outside. A thrill raced through me, like it always did when Jude was near. That heady rush, combined with the serious adrenaline still coursing through my veins after my meeting with Trent earlier, and I was a live wire. Trembling. On edge.

  It had worked. I’d gotten the time I needed, to pack up everything Tilly and I owned, to leave New York and never look back. There was no other choice for us now, not when I didn’t have all the money Trent wanted. And even if I did have it all, would he really leave us alone? Would he go through with it and sign over Tilly to me? I had serious doubts.

  That left one choice.

  A spike of hope fired through me, chased by sadness. It was going to work. Trent would be out of our lives for good, and Tilly and I could finally get on with ours.

  I was already moving toward the door when I heard Jude’s boots on the stairs, desperate to see him, to touch him, and despite the pain I was feeling, made sure I was grinning when I yanked the door open.

  Jude glanced up at me, and I rushed to close the distance between us.

  “Hey, beautiful…”

  I jumped into his arms.

  He made an oomph sound and took a startled step back before I was lifted against his big strong body. There was worry in his eyes as they searched mine. “What’s going on?”

  I let him see my smile. “Not a damn thing,” I lied. The lies were raking up, but it was for the best.

  Something moved through his brown eyes as he studied me for a moment, then his hand slid to my ass and he hoisted me higher. “So, does this mean you’re happy to see me?”

  I dragged my nose along his strong throat and nipped his earlobe. “No shit, Sherlock.”

  He chuckled, the sound deep and rough and sexy as hell.

  “You doing anything tonight?” he asked.

  I threaded my fingers though his hair at the nape of his neck. “I’m free as a bird. No shift at the club, and Tilly’s at a friend’s for the night.”

  He hadn’t kissed me yet, and I really wanted him to. My gaze dropped to his lips. I was going to suck on those sexy lips, and other parts of him as well.

  Jude’s wide palms cupped my ass more firmly, his fingers digging in. “You want to go for a ride?”

  I swiveled my hips against his now obvious erection. “What kind of ride are we talking about?”

  His gaze darkened and color hit his cheeks. They did that when he was really hot for me. Not a blush; more like his blood pressure had shot up and he was preparing to tear my pants off. I loved it.

  “On the back of my bike.” His voice deepened when he said that. I knew he liked it when I rode with him. I liked it a hell of a lot too. “I want to show you something.”

  “Then I want to see it.” I wanted to be with him, while I could. I didn’t want to think about why being with Jude felt so right, or what I would be leaving behind.

  For once, I just wanted to go with it, go with this feeling. With the way Jude made me feel while I could.

  A few minutes later, I had my jacket and boots on, and I was climbing on the back of his massive black Harley. The smell of Jude’s leather jacket, mixed with his own sexy scent, filled my head, and had me tingling in the best way from head to toe.

  My inner thighs hugged his, pussy snug against his ass, breasts pressed against his back, arms around his waist. Perfect.

  He started the bike, told me to hang on, and we headed out.

  God, riding with Jude was freeing. Like all the weight I carried, had been carrying since even before Rebecca died, had been lifted off me. Jude did that, made me feel like that. It was a feeling I couldn’t get enough of, that I craved.

  Who was I kidding. It wasn’t the feeling I craved, it was the man. Everything about him was impressive. He made me feel special, strong, safe. He was understanding, and most of all, he respected me. He’d shown me who he was, had let me see the kind of man he was without pushing. He’d let me learn I could trust him in my own time, on my own terms. I’d needed that time, and he’d given it to me.

  He was the best man I’d ever known.

  And I’d never forget it.

  I’d never forget him.

  I shut those thoughts out. I didn’t know what was happening between Jude and I, but I knew what came next. And that was something I didn’t want to think about right then.

  I felt good right now, in this moment. I was okay. More than okay. I’d worry about everything else tomorrow.

  I squeezed my eyes closed. This, right here, on the back of Jude’s bike, my arms wrapped around him, it was all I was. All I wanted to be, at least until the sun came up in the morning.

  We rode around for a while. I had no idea where Jude was taking me, and honestly, I didn’t care how long it took to get there. We ended up in another part of Brooklyn.

  Jude pulled over to the side of the street and shut off his bike.

  I climbed off and Jude did the same, and after taking something from one of the saddlebags, led me to a liquor store cross the street. He bought a six-pack, then we headed to one of the older apartment buildings. He hit a button on the intercom and a male voice, older, by the sound, answered.

  “He
y, Mac, it’s Jude. You wanna let me in?”

  There was a grumble, which Jude grinned at, then the door buzzed and unlocked. He still had hold of my hand and we went inside.

  “A friend of yours, I take it?” I asked.

  “You could say that.”

  A heaviness had come over Jude I couldn’t explain, had never seen before, and it stopped me from teasing or asking more questions. We stopped at one of the apartment doors, Jude knocked, and the door opened a crack.

  Jude held up the bag. “Here’s your payment, you goddamned extortionist.”

  The door opened wider, and an elderly man grinned at Jude, taking the bag from him.

  “Pleasure doing business with you,” the guy said, then shut the door in our faces.

  I frowned. “Payment?”

  Jude shrugged. “For letting us in the building.”

  “Um, okay.” Jude was giving nothing away. “What was in the bag?”

  “Snickers and Reese’s peanut butter cups.”

  I blinked.

  “Come on,” Jude said, and took my hand, leading me to the elevator.

  A few minutes later, we were walking out onto the roof. Jude still held my hand and we walked to the edge. A new building was standing next to it, higher than the one we were on. Jude moved to one of the air vents, reached around it, and pulled out a lawn chair. He opened it and patted it for me to sit. I did, curious, and starting to get a little concerned for some reason. Jude handed me a beer, got one for himself, and he sat on the ground, leaning against the short wall at the edge off the roof, his boots resting against mine.

  “Why are we up here?” I asked, unable to control my curiosity any longer.

  “That building.” He aimed his thumb behind him, to the new apartment building. “It used to be a laundromat. It had an apartment above it; small, one bedroom. The place my sister rented when she first got out of her relationship. I wanted her and Louis to move in with me, but she said she had to do it on her own. I let her. I thought she needed to feel like she had control over something, you know? So, I let her. I hated it, so I bought a house, one they’d feel safe in. I thought I could charge her a little rent, so she felt like she was doing it on her own, and then we’d all be able to sleep better at night.”