by Debra Kayn
“Right. Mary Bangli, your mom, is on her way here now,” he said. “You’re messing your stories up, sweetheart. You’ve already told me.”
She raised her gaze, willing to use anything to keep her mom safe. “Fine. I’m Detective Bangli, but please don’t call the academy. I’m coming off a job and need time. The more people who get involved, the more danger I bring here. That includes you and the rest of the men from the body shop.”
“I get that. I already knew who you were when we bumped into each other at Corner Pocket, because I’ve seen you before,” he said.
“But, you—”
“Right.” He tipped her face with his thumb under her chin. “I let you lie to me, but that ends now.”
She sagged in the chair. “Everything is a mess, and I don’t understand how it got this way in a matter of hours.”
He concentrated on her hands, taking the towel and patting the cuts and inspecting them for glass. “What you don’t understand is you’re here with me. I’m not letting you run away to handle this on your own. If my guesses are right, I know the amount of danger you’re in, and, sweetheart, it’s not good. What I need to know is how you became involved with Darrell Archer and if your hit on me last night was in any way directed at Kage.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure why Darrell sent me to the bar. I only know he wanted me to meet the men who played on table three. You showed up. I was supposed to go home with whoever asked me…which turned out to be you.”
“Why did you leave my bed this morning?”
She winced as he worked a sliver of glass out of her hand. The quick change of subject threw her. “What?”
“We’ve got two things going on. One, you’re working for Darrell for some reason. Two, you can’t deny that you came home with me on your own. It was not because Darrell ordered you to. First, I want to know why you left my bed.” He held her wrists and made her stay in front of him. “Not why Detective Bangli left but Rocki, the woman I held all night and enjoyed the time I spent having my arms around her.”
Holy crap. She stared into his eyes.
He wanted deep in her head. There was no time to discuss her lapse of judgment. Darrell could be at her mom’s house now.
“I need to go.” She tugged on her hands, but he held her in front of him.
“Answer me first,” he said.
She pursed her lips and looked down at Brute, lying on the floor. “Did you train him yourself?”
“You’re stalling,” he muttered.
“No.” She sighed. “I don’t want to answer you. There’s a difference.”
“We can either talk now in private or wait until your mom gets here and have her learn what is going on with you.” He placed her hands in her lap, let go, and leaned back. “Your call.”
She glared at him. For someone who would look more at home on a motorcycle than scoping out a cheating spouse for money, he had a weird way of interrogating someone.
“Fine. I left because I realized my mistake. I should’ve dropped my job when I found out who you were and what you did for a living. Once I heard you introduce Kage, I figured Darrell wanted me to sleep with his nephew. I don’t know why, because anyone around him and his girlfriend knows that man hasn’t looked at another woman in a very long time.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t going to sleep with you—”
“You would’ve slept with me,” he said.
“Uh. No. I wouldn’t have.” She snorted, rolling her eyes.
“I could’ve had you at any time. Even at the bar.” His gaze softened, and he looked damn pleased with himself.
“Dream on, big guy.” She stood, walked over to the broken window, and cradled her hands together, wishing she could make a fist, but knew her cuts needed time to seal.
Tony was right. She’d fallen for his flirting at the bar. She’d let herself believe that their time together was real and not forced by someone else’s hand. Four months of working under cover, and she never once forgot what she was doing.
She’d acted, played, and conned her way into Darrell’s trust. Within a half hour of meeting Tony, she quivered in his presence wondering what it would be like to kiss him and fall into his strong arms again.
Not only had she failed going undercover, she’d failed on her date. “I screwed up,” she whispered.
Tony joined her at the window and put his hands on her hips from behind. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes, thankful for the strength of his body to help support her. She’d gotten in too deep. She hated to admit defeat, but she was in way over her head.
“I’ll help you, but you’re going to have to trust me.” He kissed the top of her head. “To do that, you have to come clean with me. I need to know everything there is about Darrell and what his purpose is for having you contact me and the guys.”
She swallowed hard. “It goes against procedures.”
“Then you talk to Gino—”
“No.” She trembled against him, glad when his hands slipped around her and pulled her hard against his chest. “Darrell told me before he locked me in his house that Gino’s in his pocket. I can’t go to the academy. I don’t know who is telling me the truth.”
“What do you mean?” he said.
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “Darrell never came straight out and accused Gino. He said I couldn’t trust him, and that Gino worked against the underground, because he was working dirty and using the department for his own gain.”
“Shit.” He turned her around. “I called Gino and filled him in that you were with me last night and you left before I woke this morning. I wanted him to check in with you, in case you were in trouble. He knows you’re running scared.”
“If he’s working with Darrell, he already knows I’m out and on my own.” She let her head fall forward onto his chest. “I walk into the station and my life is over, like Joe with no last name.”
He pushed her away without letting her go and forced her to look at him. “Joe?”
Her vision blurred and she blinked the tears dry. “I witnessed Darrell ordering his men to beat Joe—I don’t know his last name. He’d fallen behind on a debt. Then they took him outside and there was nothing I could do to protect him without putting the operation at risk.”
“Jesus…” He pulled her back against him. “You are with me twenty-four seven from here on out.”
“My mom”—she blew out her breath—“needs protection. Once I have her safe, I’ll take the next step in contacting the department.”
“Don’t worry about your mom. She’ll stay here. When I can’t look after her myself, one of the guys from the agency will be with her.” He cupped her face and softly kissed her lips. “Do you trust me?”
She nodded. “I have no one else. I have to.”
“Right.” He chuckled and brushed the hair away from her eyes. “I guess that will do for now.”
A knock came and Brute surged to his feet, giving one loud woof. She jolted, looking at Tony for reassurance that the person knocking on the door wasn’t one of Darrell’s thugs coming to kill her. Tony lifted a finger to his lips and stepped away, removing his pistol from his holster. He pointed to the wall. She moved in the ordered position, wishing she had her service revolver and a vest.
Alone in the kitchen, she looked for anything she could use as a weapon. She gazed around in morbid fascination. Tony was an organized man. He barely had the essentials on his countertops.
Without moving away from her post, she opened the two drawers nearby and almost squealed when she encountered a tray full of sharp knives. She couldn’t outrun a bullet, but if she could get a surprise attack in, she’d cause enough damage with a blade to run away.
Whispers came from the other room. She flattened herself against the wall, the knife gripped at her side. She was naive to think she was safe in Tony’s house.
“Rocki?” Tony called.
She bit the inside of her cheek. Even his people couldn’t be trusted. Everyone seemed linked to D
arrell Archer. A few bills, a favor, a marker was all it took for someone to turn against everything they believed in and do Darrell’s dirty work.
She’d seen family men, businessmen, and even a priest meet with Darrell and walk out of the room with their heads down as if they’d sold their soul to the devil with no chance at redemption. She inhaled deeply and stood straighter. She’d have to protect herself and Tony.
She put her hand behind her back, holding the butcher knife out of sight, and stepped through the archway.
Her mom stood between Tony and Lance. Mom’s perfectly arched brows creased and worry lines shadowed her eyes. Rocki sucked in a sob and hurried across the room, falling into her mother’s arms.
“Oh God, I’m glad you’re okay,” Rocki whispered, hugging her mom tight to her chest.
Tony pried the knife from her grasp, a grin on his face as he handed the weapon to Lance, who shared a smile with him. They could make fun of her all they wanted for being paranoid, because they’d brought her mom to her.
Everyone was safe…for now.
Chapter Seven
The minute Rocki saw for herself that her mom was all right, she felt more in control. She opened the chamber on the revolver Tony handed her and breathed in a sigh of relief at once again having protection.
Tony not only brought her security knowing her mom had another set of eyes on her, he’d proven rock steady in trusting her decisions.
Rocki’s mom’s smile faded along with the red lipstick she always wore on her lips. At five feet, two inches, her mother appeared frail, but her inner strength shined through by the stubborn tilt of her chin and the short, chic hair she kept stark black with a bottle of dye every six weeks. Rocki nodded, trying to give her mom the strength to hang on and trust her.
She’d protected them both for years, and realized she probably did more harm than good in this situation. The more aware her mom was, the better on guard she’d be…maybe.
Confident in protecting herself, Rocki became vulnerable when the most important person in her life was also in danger. She had to think, and do it quickly.
“You’ll be able to handle the size?” Tony asked.
“Yeah.” She slipped the nine-millimeter into the waistband of her jeans. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Tony handed a cup of coffee to Mary. “There’s cream and sugar in the kitchen.”
“Black’s perfect.” Her mother took the mug and patted Tony’s hand. “Thank you for helping Rocki. I’ve been worried sick the last few months, thinking of my baby out there without anyone to help her.”
Rocki stilled. “Mom…”
“What? I’m your mother. I worry.” She looked over the rim of the cup. “But you have a nice, strong, good-looking man taking care of you now. Everything is going to be fine.”
She glanced at Tony, saw amusement on his face, and sat down on the couch. The situation was not all right. Darrell would use anyone to get to her and keep her from turning in all the evidence she’d uncovered. “Listen, we’re not here because everything went okay with—”
“She’s right.” Tony hooked his hand around Rocki’s arm and hauled her off the couch. “You’re safe here, Mary, and we’ll let you relax.”
“What are you doing?” Rocki asked, trying to pull away from him.
“I’m sure your mom doesn’t want to be bored talking business. You’re together again, and that’s all that matters at the moment.” Tony smiled at her mom. “If you’ll excuse us, I’m going to debrief your daughter.”
She scoffed. “Debrief?”
“Go ahead, Rocki. You two go about your civic duty. I’m going to unwind and drink my coffee.” Her mother batted her eyes—yes, batted her eyes—at Tony. “Take your time.”
Tony gazed at Rocki, full smile, loving the attention from her mom. She rolled her eyes, which only amused him more because he stepped so close their thighs brushed.
“Come on, sweetheart.” He slipped his fingers into her hand.
Rocki allowed Tony to drag her down the hallway, only because she couldn’t take the way he flirted with her mom to get her on his good side. At the bedroom door, she muttered, “Kill me. It’d be a lot faster.”
Tony escorted her into the room, chuckling, and shut the door. She planted her fists on her hips. He obviously had no idea who he was working with, because no man, no private investigator, was going to take her case away from her, even if she needed his help. She would call the shots, and he would take direction from her. Besides, she couldn’t have her mom fluttering her hand in his direction because he had a killer dimple in his left cheek. She was distracted enough without Tony pulling her thoughts from the problem they had on their hands right now.
“My mom needs to know the truth,” she said.
He hooked her neck and pulled her forward. “In time.”
His other hand went around her, low on her back, and pressed her against him. She shivered at the close contact. He’d touched her a lot since she’d broken into his house.
“What are you doing?” she said.
He stroked the side of her neck with his thumb. “Holding you.”
“I can feel that.” She sighed and let herself lean against him. “Why are you holding me?”
“It’s nice,” he whispered. “Go with it, sweetheart.”
Something was odd about a man who could think about sex at such a dangerous time. Their lives were at stake and he wanted to cuddle.
“That’s the difference between you and me. I have to work. I have Darrell after me, and my mom is in danger. I can’t think about you or what you’re doing to me.” She looked away, trying to hide the fact that her body called her a liar. She loved the way it hummed when he touched her, and enjoyed leaning against him. He was tough, hard, and unyielding, and even through the stress of the situation, she was glad he was around.
She stayed within his embrace, unable to think of any reason big or important enough to push him away. She’d never had anyone who knew exactly what she needed. Not wanted, not desired, not craved, but simply needed. Right now, she needed him to hold her and let her know that she wasn’t alone.
“What exactly is Darrell’s plan for you?” he said.
“I don’t know.” She inhaled deeply and pushed against his stomach, distancing herself. “He locked me in his house, and I thought about breaking out the window—”
“Most people use the door,” he mumbled.
“Yeah, well, my life seems to call for escapes…and enterings.” She gathered her hair at the back of her neck and gazed at him. “Luckily, I found a spare garage door opener in one of the drawers in the kitchen. I still had the keys in my purse for the Porsche, so I stole it. His men came after me, but I was able to out run them when I hit Market Street and the outlet mall.”
“Shit,” he mumbled.
“I have proof Darrell called the shots underground. I’ve witnessed him ordering a beating and talking about deliveries of crates while at the Crystal Palace. I have the names of two of his men who picked up the shipments from the docks, which I never saw the contents of, but I believe it was heroin. They brought in a tester before the exchange. I can identify both men as working for and taking their orders from Darrell.”
“Why didn’t you leave when you had that much evidence?” Tony asked.
“I stayed undercover because I wanted more on him. What I have isn’t enough to put him away for life. There are too many loopholes, and without solid evidence, they’d throw away the case. Darrell Archer is the only one I’m after.” She lifted her chin. “He’s the shark in the fishbowl…not the idiots he has working for him.”
“Other men have tried and failed to take him down.” He sat down on the bed and braced his elbows on his knees. “You’ve succeeded in staying with him longer than anyone I’ve heard of, and he won’t stop until he gets rid of the threat. You.”
“That’s why I came to you. I want to make sure Mom’s safe. But, she needs to know what we’re dealing with and p
lacating her will only encourage her to rely on you. I don’t want her unprotected.” She dropped her hands to her side. “You have to understand. Mom lives in a world full of glitter and decent people. Her biggest problem right now is how to battle the aphids on her tomato plants. She’s a little…optimistic in her belief in other people. Somehow, I need to convince her how serious my problem is, so she can stay safe.”
“No. She stays immune to what’s going on.” He shook his head. “The less she knows about the dangers, the better.”
“How can you say that?” Her voice rose. “She’s not your mother.”
“Trust me.”
She moved to leave, and he strode in front of her. She glared. “Get out of my way.”
“Calm down,” he said.
“Don’t tell me to calm down.” She planted her hands on his chest and pushed. He widened his stance, and she dodged to the left, failing in her escape. “Let go of me.”
He twirled her around, manipulating her as if she were a puppet. “You asked for my help. Now, trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone.” She snorted to prove her point.
His lips twitched right before he lowered his head. His mouth skimmed hers. “You’re so damn addictive.”
She clamped her lips shut. He laughed against her mouth. There was something incredibly seductive about the way his lips softened and his breath filled her space. She closed her eyes, so he wouldn’t see her resolve to stay angry with him weaken.
“I’ll never get enough of you.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “Ever.”
She stretched to her tiptoes, wanting to hear more about how much he wanted her.
“You”—he nibbled the corner of her lips—“taste fucking great.”
She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down, capturing the kiss. He took what she offered, nudging, licking, and nipping her lips until her spine quivered. She opened her mouth and moaned as his tongue touched hers. Holy fricktastic.
She raised her leg and ran her thigh against his jeans. He pulled back, gasping, his gaze heated. She tugged, not ready to stop, but his body went hard as he gazed off to the side.